Flirting With Danger

"It's just down here on the right. If you follow the path to the end, you can continue into the woodland for a bit," Charlie informed Luke, wondering why on earth she was being so matter of fact about giving directions when they had a dead body in the back of the car!

Sitting in that car next to Luke after seven years, Charlie had mixed feelings. She had wanted to avoid seeing him again; it was just easier all round on her sanity. However, she'd be lying to herself if she didn't admit imagining him turning up one day. Although, after around the first year, she had begun to believe that he'd gone for good out of her life. And even if he did turn up, by then, too much would have changed in both of their lives to make seeing him matter.

She hadn't expected this though. Nothing had changed at all really, not in the way they fell into the same ridiculous banter, the same heated shouting matches, the same...grrrr... he was so annoying and conceited and... She'd had seven years free from all those sexist comments, and outrageous innuendos, and downright shameless looks, and it had been... much better. Yes, her life was now just as she liked it: calm and organized, not boring, what a cheek! And it was proper, as it should be...

"He had it comin' to him ya know," Luke broke her train of thought. She frowned. "The stiff in the back," he explained.

Hmm, she may have spoken too soon! She guessed that calm, organized and proper were on hold in her life for the time being.

The problem was that trouble just never failed to find him... or was it the other way around? Anyway, now he'd brought trouble into her life and she felt... strange, she didn't feel anxious about it, although she bloody well should! See what a bad influence he was already having on her? Well, she'd just have to keep him well and truly in check, help to sort out this mess, and then send him on his way again. Yes, that's what she was going to do.

He pulled the car to a halt with a jerk and they both felt a thud from the back seat, an unsettling reminder of what was there.

Charlie put her hands to her face. Oh, God, what the hell was she doing?

"You aren't gonna go to bits on me now, are you?" Luke asked, watching her suspiciously.

She dropped her hands. "No Luke, don't worry about me. I'm used to this kind of thing. I become accessory to murder on a regular basis."

Oh hell, she was working herself up; he'd seen the signs before.

"Look," he said, getting out of the car and leaning on the open door to talk to her, "I didn't exactly plan this ya know."

He disappeared from sight and then reappeared a moment later. "You fancy giving me a hand with the stiff?" he asked.

"Oooh yes Luke," she said, opening the door and sliding out, "such a treat. You really know how to show a girl a good time, don't you?"

Luke had opened the boot of the car and was already struggling to lift the body from under the arms by the time Charlie joined him near the back seat. The man had been of medium height, dark gelled hair, in his thirties she would say, black bomber jacket and jeans, and he bore the lone, red hole to the head of the bullet that had killed him.

Charlie grabbed hold of the man's legs and guided them out of the back seat, whilst Luke pulled him out. Finally, she had hold of his shins as they carried him to the boot of the car.

"Ya see Charlie, with me you get excitement, intrigue, mystery..."

"And prison," she finished for him.

"See, there you go again Charlie. With you it's all negative, negative, negative."

"Well... I'm positive that I don't ever want to do this again. Is that positive enough for you?" she said, finally positioning the legs into the boot.

They both stood, staring down at the body.

"So, now what?" she asked, gesturing to the corpse.

Luke took a deep breath, pondering the dilemma. Amusement bubbled up inside him then as he had a thought.

"Charlie," he began, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"What?" she asked dubiously, glaring down at his hand with a frown.

Luke took the opportunity of their close quarters and her distraction to glance down at her dress. From that position, he could at least see more skin down the folds of material, and the slight suggestion of cleavage in their somewhere.

"I don't suppose you have a big chest..."

He paused and she swung her head to him, her eyes widening. His gaze swiftly rose to her face.

"...freezer," he finished with an innocent look.

She smiled sarcastically and calmly took hold of the hand on her shoulder, peeling it from her.

"Adams, if I did have a chest freezer, I wouldn't let you put your body into it," she smiled sweetly.

Luke lost his battle to stop a grin from developing across his face. That sounded so funny, especially coming from Charlie.

His eyes, full of fun and amusement, moved over her face.

God, she liked his eyes.

No! No! No she didn't!

Charlie abruptly moved to slam the boot shut. "So, you're on your own on this one I'm afraid. Now, I'm going back to find Richie," she announced.

The smile quickly slid from his face.

"Wait," he said, placing a hand on her arm as she turned to move away. "Listen Charlie, seriously, it looks like the Borelli's are behind this. If that's the case, they must know I came to see you. It aint safe. These men are monsters."

She sighed. "Okay, well I'll be sure to sleep with a gun under my bed then," she replied, moving to turn from him again. Again, he halted her.

"With the Borelli's, a gun won't be enough," he insisted.

She growled. "Fine," she said, shrugging his hand off her arm. "What do you suggest then?"

He gave her a look as if she should know.

"You're going to be my body guard are you?" she laughed, leaning with one hand against the boot of the car and placing one hand on her hip. "Adams, I'm not putting you under my bed!"

"I'd rather be on it." The words had come out before he could stop them. Charlie didn't look amused, but Luke couldn't stop himself from continuing.

"Course, it'd be a bit of a squash ... what with the three of us in there," he said, feathering two fingers down her arm that was outstretched towards the car. "I take it Richie boy would be in there?"

He was unbelievable! He was trying to find out if her and Richie were sleeping together! Right, she'd had enough.

In one swift movement, she'd caught hold of the hand that was fondling her arm, twisted it behind his back, which forced him to turn with his back to the car, where she pinned him, his arm still bent in her grip.

"Wooaa!" he exclaimed in shocked surprise.

God, he'd forgotten about feisty Charlie. Hmmm, but he could definitely get used to her!

"Listen to me Adams," she said, moving her face closer to his, "And listen very carefully."

He was listening! She had his attention alright! He wondered if it was wrong to be extremely aroused at that point.

"First of all, you respect my relationship with Richie." She stopped to look for some kind of confirmation. He glared back at her. What did that mean? Did he agree?

Luke was trying his hardest not to show in his expression how much he was being affected by the feel of her thigh between his legs, her torso pressed against his stomach and her chest inches from his.

"And secondly," she went on, "You let me know every, tiny, single solitary detail about this investigation. You go off on your own on the warpath with this and I swear, I'll go to the police with everything I know. Got it?"

"Got ya," he agreed.

"And lastly, I help you out with this and then we say goodbye and go our separate ways," she finished, finally releasing him and walking back to the front of the car.

He felt suddenly bereft from her withdrawal, not only her sudden physical absence, but the thought that she really wanted to say goodbye to him.

He watched the incredibly smooth skin of her back disappear as she slid into the car seat again.

There was not a chance in hell he was letting them say goodbye! He'd bring her round eventually, somehow.