Excerpt of Cold Silence by Toni Anderson

The parking lot was empty of people. Laura’s car was gone from the spot where she’d left it earlier. Yael was annoyed with her friend but she sent her a quick text to check she was okay.

It was about two miles to her new place and if it wasn’t for the memory of what she’d witnessed last Friday night she’d have started hiking along the dark road already. Instead, she pressed the button to call a rideshare.

The door of the bar opened and Shane Livingstone strode out. He stopped in surprise. “Something wrong with your car?”

She laughed softly. “Only the fact I don’t own one. Laura drove us here. I’m calling a rideshare.”

He tipped down his chin and frowned over his straight nose. “Don’t even think about it.” He held up his key fob with his good hand. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

She shook her head. “I don’t even know you.”

“And you know the Uber driver?” he scoffed.

She hesitated. “I get rides all the time.”

He snorted. “You gonna Uber to work? You think the USMC guards are gonna let them past the barriers?”

She crossed her arms. “Firstly, I didn’t say I was working on base”—though she was—“and, secondly, I didn’t say I didn’t have transportation. I said I didn’t have a car.”

“Who the hell doesn’t have a car?” Amusement tugged at his lips and she forced herself to look away. God, he was attractive. “Look, I’m heading home and I’m happy to give you a ride. Saves me following your driver to make sure you get home safe, and it also makes me look good to the Marines who are about to walk out this door thinking I got lucky with the hottest chick in the place.”

“Hottest chick?” she sputtered, half indignation, half surprise. “Wait. Was I the only female in there?”

He grinned and shook his head. “You are a hard woman to compliment.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t lead with you look pale and I might believe you.”

“I didn’t mean you aren’t attractive.” He sounded genuinely confused.

Damn, this conversation was mortifying. She wasn’t fishing for compliments.

He hunched his shoulders as if to fight off the biting chill in the air, not surprising considering he was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. “Look, Yael.” She jolted as he said her name. “After last week I don’t like the idea of you being in a vulnerable position when it’s avoidable. It would make me feel better if you let me give you a ride home. I promise I won’t try to suck your face.”

Embarrassment burned her cheeks once again. She hadn’t meant to suggest for a moment that he would make a pass at her. This was why she preferred computers to people. She had yet to offend a PC with a socially awkward moment.