“There’s nothing to tell.” She took a step back but bumped into the doorframe. The kitchen closed in around her. She was trapped by so many different things. Nathan. Her family. Jed. Danny. The first three she was powerless to change. But Danny’s mission conflicted with the well-being of those she loved.

But when he inched closer, eating up the space she’d so painstakingly put between them, the desire to lean on him overwhelmed her senses.

“Surely he must have some friends or family.”

“No friends that I know of.” She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. “And his only relatives are his uncle and son.” Nathan’s uncle had killed himself. Mandy assumed Nathan had taken his son, Evan, with him when he fled.

“Business associates?”

“I really wouldn’t know.” The funny thing was, other than the fact that she’d slept with Nathan, she really didn’t know much about his personal life. Much of what Nathan had told her was lies. He’d played her. She’d been naive and lonely, swayed by a handsome face and the maturity behind it. At his insistence, she’d kept their affair a secret even though she’d wanted it out in the open. After a couple of months, the sneaking around bothered her enough to end it. Plus, she’d realized she didn’t love him. It wasn’t right to sleep with a man just because she didn’t want to be alone.

“Did you ever see him with a female companion?”

Unable to verbalize the lie, she shook her head.

“You had no idea he kept a basement full of Celtic artifacts?”

“No.” She tried to move sideways, but Danny caged her against the doorframe with one hand on each side of her head. His body was a millimeter from touching hers. She already knew his body was tough, and if she leaned on him, she could borrow a little of his strength. “I can’t talk about it anymore.” She looked away.

“That’s bullshit, Mandy, and we both know it.” He put a fingertip under her chin and gently turned her face back to his. “On the outside, you look all delicate and beautiful, but inside, you have a steel core. I know. I’ve seen that courage.”

Mandy slid the notebook in her hand between them as a shield and hugged it close to her body. He leaned in. His chest pressed against her folded arms. But what she really wanted to do was touch him. To feel his arms around her. For his heat to melt her frozen heart. He said she was strong, but she felt as wobbly and weak as a newborn fawn.

He leaned closer. Was he going to kiss her?

“Trust me, Mandy,” Danny whispered. His breath drifted across her cheek.