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DID TROY JUST ADMIT he cares about me?
Dana’s heart skipped a few beats. Butterflies tickled her tummy. She felt heat climb to her cheeks.
Is it getting hot in here?
She tried hard not to gape at Troy’s shapely lips, his sexy stubble and his beautiful ocean blue eyes that sparkled. And those cheekbones. Those defined cheekbones that were so chiseled.
And those broad shoulders and muscular arms of his. She’d seen him jogging before in a T-shirt and sweat pants. He’d taken his shirt off once under the hot summer sun. He was built like a Greek god. Rock hard abs. Chiseled and fit in every inch of his body. He was hot as sin.
Stop drooling, Dana.
She had to shift her focus on the reason Troy was there and not on the feelings she had for him. Darn that body’s response of hers. Why couldn’t she control her emotions? But her mind kept whirling back on what Troy said a second ago. How could she sweep those words out of her mind?
Troy cares about me?
Okay, maybe he just meant he cared about her as a concerned citizen. That’s all.
Dana swallowed hard.
“We had the forensics team down here earlier,” Troy continued.
“You did?” Okay, how could she not have known a team of cops were near her house, looking at her car parked on the street?
“Your car had to be checked as evidence.”
“When were you going to tell me this?” she asked, incredulously.
He gave her a certain authoritative glance with an adorable raised brow.
“Okay, silly question. It’s a police investigation. I get it.”
“We had to check your car door handles for fingerprints not belonging to your own. Of course, the assailant wore gloves.”
“Oh great.”
“That’s not all.”
“Oh?”
“No. We found a vile of peanut oil in your car, Dana.” His tone was soft and apologetic.
Her heart exploded in her chest. “Peanut oil? But...but it’s not mine? What would I be doing with a vile of peanut oil in my car?”
“I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Of course, I do,” he said.
Dana’s heart fluttered in response as he looked deeply into her eyes as if he could see when someone was telling the truth or lying. Good thing she was telling the truth. She had no reason to lie and nothing to hide. Except maybe her growing feelings for him.
For a moment, there was an intense magnetic pull between them. Some sort of chemistry. Or was that her wild imagination?
She swallowed hard. Keep focused, Dana.
“So...um...did you get a good look at the suspect?”
He leaned back in his chair. A troubled look slid across his handsome face. “We couldn’t tell if the person was male or female. They wore a thick hoodie and baggy clothes and had their face covered. We have a team trying to check out the gait of the suspect on the tape and other pieces of information.”
Dana drew in a deep breath. She felt as if she were suffocating.
Someone was trying to frame her! Some creepy anonymous person. Possibly the murderer!
But who could that person be?
“Dana, are you going to be all right?” He gave her a concerned look as he leaned forward in his chair.
“I...I’m going to be just fine, thank you.” She placed her mug of green tea on the counter. Dazed.
“Are you sure? I can have one of our guys here outside your door, if you...”
“Oh, no!” she said, almost too quickly. If she were being honest with herself, what she would rather have was Troy beside her instead. “I mean, that’s so thoughtful of you, but I’ll be...I’ll be...just fine.” She swallowed hard. The last thing she needed was police protection. She wasn’t really in any trouble was she?
“I have access to a phone, I can call 9-1-1. Besides, my cousin Katie is here. I’m not alone.”
“Oh, right. That’s good. But please call me if you need anything at all.”
“I will. I promise.”
And that was a promise she would make every effort to keep.