Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

without asking her or waiting for her to voice a specific request. Obviously, it required a delicate balance and a great deal of finesse, and David believed his exceptional intuition had helped him master the subtleties of the game.
    So where was that intuition when it came to Holly?
    "Holly?" His lashes fluttered open. With a bit of effort he focused on her eyes, verified that she was listening, then lowered his eyelids again. "May I have your permission to hold your hand? Jus' while we land. Please?" He held out his hand, palm up, above her lap.
    She looked skeptically at him and his hand. She definitely didn't trust his innocent-little-boy routine. There was no question about his being frightened, nor that he was drunk. But if she held his hand, would he appreciate it, or find a way to humiliate her again? Would he even remember when he sobered up? Finally, she placed her palm on his and let him thread his fingers through hers.
    As they waited for their descent to begin, Holly realized she was losing most of her fear of David. He was a very astute man and a good listener when he wanted to be. She simply had to ignore the corny come-on lines that seemed to thoughtlessly slip out of his mouth on a regular basis.
    He had demonstrated quite dramatically that he didn't find her irresistible. But he did seem to like her a little and respect her intelligence. And he had trusted her enough to let her see his weakness. Was it enough to form a friendship?
    Perhaps the error in her original plan to establish a relationship with him had been the basic approach. He had an unlimited choice of beautiful blondes in Washington who could play at flirtation much more skillfully than she. Maybe the man would appreciate a friend. Or a mother.
    David Wells had the extraordinary ability to bring out her caretaker instincts. Ridiculous. She didn't feel that way around Philip. But then Philip was a mature man, not an adolescent in a grown-up's disguise. She guessed David's boyishness made up part of the charm she had heard about, but hadn't quite discovered for herself.
    By the time the plane touched down on the runway, Holly's fingers were completely numb.
    When the plane came to a complete stop, David opened his eyes, took a deep breath, then released her hand. "Thanks. That helped a lot."
    "Think nothing of it." She raised her hand in front of her, crooking the fingers into an arthritic position. "I hardly ever used my left hand anyway." Then she smiled. A genuine smile.
    It took him a second to realize she had made a joke. He laughed out loud then immediately pressed his palms to his temples. "Ouch. Time for flying phase two."
    "Phase two?"
    "The part where I sober up before leaving the airport. Wanna help with that part too?"
    Her caretaker instincts had her agreeing to keep him company at one of the airport restaurants. He insisted it wouldn't take long, since most of the alcohol had been countered by the adrenaline surge he'd gotten while the plane was descending. He hadn't eaten anything on the plane, but he more than made up for that omission once they were seated. Along with his meal, he swallowed a handful of aspirins and downed at least a quart of coffee. Apparently, it was a routine he'd been through countless times before.
    In return for her patience, he accompanied her to the rental car counter to make sure she got off all right.
    She didn't. Her reservation for a car was in the system but there weren't any rentals available. People hadn't returned cars due in, and hordes of visitors who couldn't get flights out of the area had rented anything with wheels. Holly's turn for an anxiety attack came as she went from agency to agency and received the same information.
    "No luck, huh?"
    She spun around at the sound of David's voice. She had actually forgotten he was there. "It would take a magic wand."
    "You need a wand? I would have thought for sure you could just wrinkle that cute little nose of yours." David tapped her nose with his index finger and looked so surprised when nothing magical happened, she couldn't help but smile.
    He readjusted the bag hung over his shoulder then took hold of the extended handle on her rolling suitcase. "C'mon," he commanded and started to walk off when he realized she hadn't moved, not even to pick up her tote bag. "What are you waiting for?"
    "Better question: What are you doing with my suitcase?"
    "I thought I'd take it for a little ride. Want to stay here or come with it?"
    "You were able to