Most people describe a fiery, heated kiss as feeling sparks, fireworks or atomic bombs. I felt all of those things, along with a zap of lightheadedness over the intensity of the kiss. Before, I'd been telling myself that I shouldn't have the feelings that were developing for the man I barely knew. Three days seemed way too short a time span to start thinking about Joey the way I was. It was wrong – inappropriate - to have romantic thoughts about a police officer who was improvising a form of witness protection on me. But despite the multitude of reasons I shouldn't have allowed the kiss to happen, I couldn't ignore the flutters of happiness throughout my body as his soft lips pressed against mine. I hadn't felt anything like that in so long. For those few short seconds, everything faded away, leaving me in a blissful state I hadn't thought to be possible during such chaos. All thoughts of Lydia, the hitman, my overdue schoolwork, and my surely-pissed-off boss evaporated while I melted into Joey's warm embrace. His left hand slid its way down my lower back while the other rested on my hip, his thumb massaging circles into my skin. While the kiss only lasted a few impeccable seconds, it felt like a lifetime of passion thrown into one simple motion. If circumstances had been normal, I would've furthered our actions.

Joey snapped back into reality mid-kiss, his hands leaving my body and a shocked chill sweeping through me when his lips retreated from mine. He appeared stunned at first, as if his own actions had caught him off guard. Blinking several times, he pushed his wavy bangs back, staring at me like he couldn't figure out what to say. I was equally surprised. Not so much by the kiss, but more so his swift withdraw.

At first, I thought I'd made a wrong move that had caused him to pull away. My previously confident demeanor morphed into apprehensiveness, concerned he might be angry with me. What could I have done wrong though? He was the one who initiated the kiss. Maybe he didn't like kissing you as much as he thought he would, my subconscious suggested. While I was pretty sure that was the reason, I didn't want to believe it, suddenly feeling so insecure.

I backed away from Joey, turning toward the window. I placed my palms flat on the ledge, leaning toward the glass and looking down at the parking lot while I tried to regain my composure. I wished I had the option to leave. I was embarrassed and insecure and I couldn't even escape the scene to shake it off. I knew full well that Joey wouldn't let me go for a walk alone to clear my head. While I appreciated his concern, I wasn't sure I could handle being stuck in a bubble of tension with him until the discomfort dissipated.

Without saying a word, Joey tossed his dirty clothes into his plastic bag and retrieved his burner phone from the nightstand. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, trying to determine if he was about to explode again. He grabbed my bag of clothes as well, tossing both over his shoulder and grabbing the blue backpack Mike had given him the day before. I had yet to see what was inside.

"Let's go," was all he said.

I frowned in confusion as he opened the door.

"We're leaving," he nodded toward the hallway. "Come on."

I reluctantly followed him down to the lobby to check out. It was beginning to really irritate me how he wouldn't sit down and tell me his plans before leaving.

Close to three hours of driving a good ten miles over the speed limit placed us in Louisville, Kentucky by two o'clock. Neither Joey nor I had spoken a single word the entire way. The backpack in the floorboard beside my feet had held my interest for most of the trip, but I didn't ask Joey what was in it. He was still brooding from our lapse in judgement earlier.

The city's skyline in the rearview mirror confirmed we weren't stopping in Louisville.

"Where are we going?" I finally broke the deafening silence.

Joey's fingers tapped at the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road. I thought he was ignoring me.

"I called Brad, my partner." He squinted at the green interstate sign up ahead. "That's who I was talking to this morning."

"What did he say? Aside from... you know," I mumbled the last part, referring to Lydia's death.

"We talked about what was going on," he said, sucking in a deep breath like he'd been air-deprived all day. "I trust him. He's been my partner for over a year. He told me that John, who is the detective on your aunt's and now Lydia's case, understands where he went wrong in dismissing my concerns. They're willing to put you in protective custody."

The realization of his words hit me like a Volvo. Protective custody? So much had happened in three short days. The initial shock was just beginning to wear off. I was starting to get used to being on the run with Joey. Now everything was going to change again. I was going to have to get used to being monitored by other cops until the threat evanesced.

"Will I still get to see you?" I stared at him, studying his features like I was trying to memorize him.

I didn't like the idea of being stuck with people I didn't know, even if they were protecting me. I'd somehow managed to get mostly comfortable with Joey, and I trusted him more than I would any other cop.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going to have to answer to my chain of command and Internal Affairs when I go back. If I have any involvement, it'll be because I.A. okayed it, but I don't see that happening. They're probably going to place me on administrative leave while they investigate every move I've made with you on this trip."

I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. We'd blurred the line and I knew that was wrong. We both knew that was wrong. I sincerely hoped that Joey wouldn't mention anything to Internal Affairs about our sleeping arrangements or the kiss.

That kiss. God, I wanted to taste his lips again.

Hesitantly, I forced myself to ask the dreaded question. "You're not going to tell them about... you know... Are you?"

Joey scoffed, looking at me like I had three heads. "That's the last thing they need to know. I like my job. I'd like to keep it a while. That shit stays between you and me. Got it? Cause they'll quiz you about it, too."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. He didn't have to say it. There was no way I was going to tell anyone what had happened between us. I was still pretty mortified by his kiss-and-retreat act. The last thing I wanted to do was recite the fucking play to a bunch of detectives.

"I'm going to duck in here and get a drink," Joey said, pulling into a gas station. "You coming?"

I shook my head. I didn't need to use the restroom and I wasn't hungry or thirsty, which surprised me. I hadn't eaten anything yet. I assumed my lack of appetite was due to my nerves being so shaken up.

Joey jogged across the parking lot to the convenience store while I sat in the car, waiting. I'd pressed the lock button at least four times, constantly surveying my surroundings. After the car chase in Minnesota hadn't gone Cadillac Man's way, I continuously wondered if we should be expecting round two. The longer I sat alone in the car, the more aware I was of every person, every vehicle, every tree, everything.

I tapped my fingers nervously on my knee. The blue backpack caught my attention again and I argued with myself about peeking inside. I scanned the area again. Joey wasn't in sight. Looking back down to the floorboard, curiosity got the best of me and I lifted it onto my lap, unzipping the top to reveal three black revolvers, two small green boxes of bullets, and some handwritten notes. I pulled the three papers out, skimming over the bullet points, my eyes widening as I went down the lines. I assumed Mike wrote it. How did he get this information? I thought, reading what appeared to be a backstory on Richard Lux, and multiple notes about his connections to the fucking mafia and various other questionable people and organizations. Why would Mike have this? Had Joey asked him to do some digging?

I'd become so enthralled with Mike's notes that I didn't notice Joey returning to the vehicle. I jumped when he knocked on the locked door. He frowned when he saw the papers in my hands and the backpack on my lap. I knew I was going to get the third degree as soon as I pressed unlock.

"Why did you get into that?" he asked, snatching the notes from my grasp and shoving them back inside the backpack.

He tossed it into the back floorboard behind my seat.

"I was just curious," I said stupidly. "I'm sorry."

He sighed, slamming his door shut and turning the A/C up higher. "How much did you see?"

"Basically everything," I confessed, crossing my fingers that he wouldn't snap at me. "I didn't have a chance to read it all, though. I just skimmed it."

Joey didn't say anything but his frustration was on full display in the way he sped out of the station. I wanted to ask if he'd figured out who Richard Lux actually was. From what I could tell by reading Mike's report, the man used a fake name. There wasn't a picture of him. I wished Mike had included one so I'd know Richard Lux if I saw him and run the other direction like a bat out of hell. I desperately wanted to know if Cadillac Man was Richard Lux, or potentially one of his henchmen. Perhaps he was even my aunt's boyfriend. I didn't have any way of knowing. I needed to get some answers soon or it was going to drive me crazy.

The interstate was crowded with high school and college vacationers heading to the east coast for their first week of summer break. They'd probably spend most of their time on the beach in Atlantic City or Myrtle Beach. I longed to be in their positions, getting to enjoy summer vacation. If the hiccup in my plans hadn't occurred, I'd be graduating the next week, starting a new job, and beginning the hunt for a new place to live. Life wasn't fucking fair!

"Joey?"

I ran a hand through my hair, bracing for his possible angry outburst. I was relieved when he simply mumbled an acknowledgement.

"Where did Mike get all that?" I couldn't keep myself from asking him. "Is he a cop, too?"

Joey's chest rose in a deep breath. He was still exasperated, clutching the steering wheel a little too tightly. I could see his knuckles turning white. Regretting my question, I shifted in my seat to focus on the blur of trees out the window. My hands were softly shaking, my anxiety level rising. My blood pressure had to be tremendously elevated. The last thing I wanted to do was cause Joey to yell at me. I would probably start bawling from all the stress.

"Mike's a private investigator," Joey finally answered, lessening the strength of his grasp on the wheel.

The air conditioner was blowing his bangs back, making him appear older. He looked very authoritative.

It made sense now. No wonder Mike had been able to obtain that information about Richard Lux. Private investigators could probably find out anything they wanted if they set their mind to it.

"How many PI's do you know?" I asked, thinking back to the car we borrowed from his PI friend in Boston.

"A few."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I wanted to talk to Joey in depth. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him. There was so much I needed to know about the investigation. And there was a lot I wanted to know about Joey. He was making it very clear, though, that he wasn't going to let me in.

"The less you know, the better, Jess," Joey said quietly, his tone hard. "I know you want to know everything that's going on, but it's safer for you if you don't."

He sounded so serious. I wondered how much he knew that he wasn't telling me.

"How is it safer?" I prodded.

I thought if I worded my sentences correctly, maybe I could find out a bit more.

Joey groaned. I was getting on his nerves.

"Because it is, Jess! We're going to spend the night in Columbus," he said as we passed a mileage sign to Cincinnati.

I took that as the end of the conversation. Joey didn't appear interested in answering questions and I was too fed up to try asking.

My thoughts inadvertently wandered back to the fiery kiss we'd shared. I couldn't erase the feeling of his lips from my mind. I could still feel his hands on my body and his breath on my face. My breath hitched and I shivered, a chill running up my spine at the thought.

"You cold?" Joey asked, turning down the air conditioner.

Though I wasn't, I nodded to avoid him questioning me. He didn't need to know what was going through my head.

The image of his lips on my neck crawled into my mind and I pinched my arm to bring myself back to reality. It didn't help, however, and my thoughts continued to become steamier, sexier. I stole glances at Joey every few seconds. He probably noticed but didn't comment on it. I studied him out of the corner of my eye. His shirt was unbuttoned toward the top, revealing a glimpse of his chest hair. The scruff on his jawline was taunting me, tempting me to touch his face. The memory of Joey in his police uniform flashed through my mind and I started to feel an unexpected tingle between my legs. Unable to shake off the building desire, I spent the rest of the ride to Columbus blushing like a beet and picturing Joey in less than appropriate positions with me.

By the time we reached our hotel room for the night, I was in need of a frigid shower. My hormones were all over the place. Quickly tossing my stuff on the bed and grabbing a change of clothes, I made a beeline for the bathroom and indulged in a long, relaxing shower to calm my nerves and my desires. Still, my attempts to get Joey off my mind did not work. Stepping out of the shower, I was still thinking about him undressing me, kissing me, and so on.

"Clearly, it's been way too long," I told myself, looking at my flushed complexion. "I just need a one-night stand. That's all."

I was trying to convince myself that all I needed was to have steamy sex with a stranger. I tried to entertain the idea that the only reason I was turned on by Joey was because I hadn't gotten laid in months. But that was bullshit and I knew it, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

Unable to cool my heated nerves, I decided not to wear pants to bed. My anxiety had been fluctuating and no matter how deep of a breath I sucked in, I kept feeling like I couldn't get enough air. I remembered I had medication for this type of thing, but it was back home in Boston. I should've brought my pills, I thought, but then I remembered they would've been lost in the river accident anyway. I was just going to have to tough it.

I threw on a long, oversized button-up that hung down to my mid thighs. Just because I wasn't wearing pants didn't mean Joey needed to see my underwear. I used the crappy hotel hair dryer, leaving my hair somewhat damp. The hot air blowing on me wasn't making me feel any better. I finished my routine and wandered back into the bedroom. I retrieved my plastic bag of clothes from the foot of my bed, walking across the room to place it on the floor. In the process of bending over to set the bag down, I realized I'd inadvertently given Joey a grand view of my ass. Maybe I should've warn pants after all. I avoided his gaze, turning the temperature on the air conditioner down, and flopped down on the bed, fanning my blushing face.

"It's so fucking hot," I complained.

Joey's eyes hadn't left my body since I'd entered the room, but I'd been trying my best to ignore it. The feeling of his eyes on me was bringing my steamy thoughts from the car ride back to the surface.

"It is, or you are?" he cocked an eyebrow, his voice low and sexy.

The top three buttons of my Goodwill flannel were missing, revealing more of my body than I'd realized when I put the garment on. Joey stared at the unintentional teasing view of my cleavage and the heat I'd been battling on my face began to spread throughout my body.

Maybe that one-night stand with a stranger could be with him, I thought.

No. Joey's not a stranger. It would be too awkward. It would make things too complicated. Don't even go there.

But I couldn't deny that a few seconds' lapse in judgement had felt better to me than any sexual escapade I'd had in the last year, if not longer. I started to breathe heavier at the memory of Joey's tongue dancing against mine.

"You tell me," I confidently challenged, surprising myself.

A smirk flashed across his lips and he pushed his hair back, making his way to the bed. I felt the mattress sink as he sat down beside my feet, tugging at his shirt collar like he was fanning himself.

I suddenly felt compelled to straddle his lap and unfasten his buttons. All thoughts of the dangers chasing us had vanished and what remained were pent up desires I was fighting and failing to ignore. I wanted Joey Cavannaugh. Badly.

"If I were to do that..." He turned his body to face me, tapping one foot on the floor. "We wouldn't be getting any sleep."

A tightness formed in my throat at his words. This was a completely different side of the man who had abruptly stopped kissing me. I liked this side of him. I wanted to explore it...

He's off limits. This is wrong. You're just going to complicate things.

I sat up straighter, scooting closer to him. He leaned in closer, too, the top of his partially-unbuttoned shirt open just enough to give me a tease.

"I dare you," I provoked, our faces just inches apart.

In one swift motion, he had me pinned down beneath him, his lips hovering over mine. I could feel his breath against my face once again. His heart beat hard enough I could feel it. His bangs hung down tickling my forehead as he stared into my eyes.

"I know what you're doing, Jess," he whispered.