LITMIR.BIZ

      DANIEL WATCHED the two women a few car lengths ahead of him as they raced back up Route 6 toward Falmouth. They appeared to be talking animatedly, and he wondered about what. His mission had been accelerated whether he liked it or not.

      Having family on the Cape gave him a good cover—but he hadn’t counted on bumping into Anna. He gripped the wheel more tightly, barely noticing the landscape around him while he drove. The area hadn’t changed too much over the years—more stores, more people, but it was still relatively deserted. The swell of tourist season was a few months away.

      Keeping an eye on Risa would have been easier with more people around—he could get lost in the crowd. Instead, his sister had found him lurking in the women’s lingerie department at the mall, where he’d stood out like a sore thumb. He’d come up with a believable explanation off the cuff, but now he had more problems. Anna knew he was here, and the rest of his family would know before long.

      Although he’d managed to back out of the fiancé story, there remained several kinks in his cover. He needed to have a convincing reason he wasn’t staying in Harwich, at his family’s home. Pursuing a love interest in Falmouth was the first option that had popped into his mind.

      Risa wasn’t buying any of it, of course. He had to spin the story differently to reassure her that she was safe, and not send her running—especially if she was up to something. Partial truths always worked better than outright lies; he could admit to checking up on her, making sure she was adjusting, but also claim to be visiting his family.

      Would she believe that he’d been harboring a latent attraction to her all those years, and had come to try to make good on it now? Maybe capitalizing on pulling her out of the lab, saving her life? Possible, though he was less comfortable with that angle. Playing both ends of his story was tricky, but not impossible; he’d certainly been in tougher situations. This was merely inconvenient.

      While he’d had his share of affairs, he couldn’t afford to think about Risa that way, not until he knew what was going on. He never let himself get involved that way on the job unless it was unavoidable—and only if he could retain complete control of the situation. Something told him that would not be the case with Risa.

      However, he couldn’t quite erase the lingering sensation of their kiss. He had no idea what had compelled him to kiss Risa. In spite of himself, he’d been carried away, just for a second, shocked at her softness, stunned at his own pulsing reaction to her. Remembering the moment had his heart rate spiking disconcertingly.

      Risa wasn’t experienced, he knew that, but the way she’d leaned in had a sweetness he hadn’t anticipated. She’d responded with more curiosity than desire, but he’d found it just as inflaming. She was beautiful. Innocent—at least in the physical sense. How could a young woman have a normal sex life with Risa’s powers? Not to mention growing up in a government lab where she was constantly monitored.

      As they pulled into the small parking lot in front of her apartment building, he slowed down, lengthening the distance between them, and instead of following, he took a sharp right and hit the gas. He had to think, to process what had happened. Now wasn’t the time to confront her. She’d want answers, explanations, and he had to think, to get the upper hand. Whatever happened between them would be on his terms, not hers.