A Kiss in the Dark by Karen Foley

Carr had sounded pretty sincere to her and she sensed just from being in his company for one day that he wasn’t the type of person who said something unless he meant it.
    She watched as he shoved her gear into his stow box, not looking at her. “About my staying with you,” she began. “Are you sure—”
    Cole smiled then, a rueful smile that revealed the indents in his lean cheeks. Lacey felt her stomach do a slow, backward roll.
    “I’m absolutely sure. I want you to stay at my place while you’re here.” He held up his hands. “No strings attached. If something happens between us…well then, it’ll be because you want it to happen, okay?” He dipped his head to look into her eyes. “But I can’t leave you at the Blackwater Inn. It’s not safe. Is that fair enough?”
    He was completely sincere. It was there in his eyes and his earnest expression. God, she was weak. She had absolutely no willpower to resist him. Especially not when he looked at her like that.
    She was prevented from answering by the sound of a truck engine rumbling closer. Turning, she saw Carr’s pickup truck making its way toward them down the gravel road, followed by the other two vehicles that had headed out at the same time.
    They watched as the men got out. Carr threw a bundle of gear over his shoulder. “What, still here?” he called with a roguish grin. “I thought for sure you two would be—well, never mind what I thought.”
    “False alarm?”
    “Yeah, we got a call about a mile out that the kids were found. They’re fine. Didn’t go down a shaft at all. They were just pulling a prank on one of their friends, and about scared the poor kid to death.”
    Harlan came around from the side of his pickup, hefting a bag that must have weighed a ton as if it were no more than a briefcase. He was a big man of few words, but Lacey sensed that very little escaped his notice. While the members of the rescue team took great enjoyment in teasing Poke and the Armstrong twins, they took no such liberties with Harlan. Lacey admitted to herself she was more than a little intimidated by the man. Now he nodded in her direction and disappeared inside the club to put away the equipment.
    “Well,” said Lacey, “I’m glad the kids are safe.”
    Carr grinned. “We all are, trust me.” He shoved his hat back on his head. “Listen, we’re heading into town for a drink and a bite to eat. Why don’t you join us?”
    Cole hesitated. “Thanks anyway.”
    “C’mon, man. Bring the lady out and show her a good time.”
    “Maybe another time.”
    Carr turned to Lacey. “You know, you really hooked up with the wrong guy, ma’am. Now if it had been me, I wouldn’t be such a cheapskate. I’d be wining and dining you—”
    “Okay. Fine. We’ll join you.” Cole gave the other man a friendly glower. “Just don’t feed her that line when we all know how you treat the ladies.”
    Carr looked chagrined. “Well, I would at least feed her.”
    Cole looked over at Lacey. “Does that sound okay to you?”
    “Sure. Why not? It sounds like fun.” She gave Cole a bright smile.
    He gave her a tolerant look. “You know,” he said several minutes later, when they were in the truck and following Carr out of the parking lot, “we don’t have to do this. We could go somewhere else, just the two of us.”
    “Why? Aren’t you and Carr friends?”
    Cole shrugged. “We’ve been good friends since we were kids. He was pretty upset with me when I left Black Stone Gap, and now that I’m back he likes to give me a hard time.”
    “Well, he speaks highly of you,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind having dinner with him and the other guys. It really does sound like fun.”
    Lacey realized she was hungry, and she’d enjoyed spending time with the rescue team. But when they pulled into the congested parking lot of a club called The Bootlegger , with country music blaring through the humid air courtesy of exterior-mounted speakers, Lacey realized they