Falling for a Stranger by Barbara Freethy

Megan might be able to put away the fear, but she couldn't, because it was her job to protect Megan. She had to stay vigilant and get rid of any threats to their safety, which meant she had to get rid of Drew.
    A little sigh escaped her lips at that thought. In any other time, any other place, she would have loved to see him again. She'd never forgotten their night together, and today she'd been reminded in glorious detail just how attractive he really was. His brown hair was longer now, and he'd lost the painful shadows in his eyes that had been so prevalent the night they'd met. He'd been getting out of the Navy then, leaving friends and memories behind to move forward. Apparently, that step forward had been a good one for him. Standing on the docks, he'd looked vibrant, alive, sexy as hell.
    It had physically hurt to look at him, to lie to him, and then tell him to go. But she'd done what she had to do, and apparently she would have to do it again tomorrow. She could skip the meeting, but she wanted her necklace back, and he already knew where she worked. Her jacket had been a dead giveaway.
    So her new plan was to meet him, get her necklace, try not to act so wary or scared, and hope that he would just accept that there was nothing wrong. She knew her story had triggered his protective instincts, and as much as she would like a protector, she couldn't do that to Drew. She would protect him by keeping him as far away as possible.
    With that resolve, she walked up the steps to her apartment building and inserted her key in the lock. As usual, she glanced over her shoulder before making her way inside the building. There was no one else out on the quiet street, no one sitting in a car, no one who appeared to be watching her.
    She paused in the lobby to open her mailbox. There were only a few pieces of junk mail, all addressed to previous tenants. She tossed them into a recycle bin. As she turned toward the elevator, the front door opened, and Amelia Barrows walked in. An attractive brunette in her mid thirties, Amelia was her next-door neighbor and was a widow with a twelve-year-old daughter named Beth. Beth suffered from chronic asthma and respiratory infections, and Amelia worked two jobs to pay for all the medical bills.
    While Ria had tried hard not to make friends, Amelia had been insistent on getting to know her and Megan. They'd bonded over the pressure of having to raise girls on their own. Ria had told Amelia that Megan was her younger sister, and that their parents were dead. It wasn't as big a lie as the others, but it was necessary. She didn't want anyone coming around asking about an aunt and a niece.
    "You okay?" Amelia asked, her sharp gaze raking Tory's face. "You're pale. I hope you're not getting that stomach bug that's going around."
    "No, I'm fine," she said, but as she closed the mailbox, her hand shook.
    "You don't look fine." Amelia paused. "You can talk to me, Tory. I know that you like to lead a very private life, and I respect that, but if you ever need a friend, you have one. I hope you know that."
    "Thanks," she said, seeing the kindness in Amelia's eyes. "I just ran into someone I wasn't expecting to see, but it's going to be fine."
    "Is he the person you're running from?" Amelia asked.
    Surprise shot through Tory. "What do you mean?"
    "Okay, I know I just said I'd respect your privacy, but I've been thinking for a while that you're hiding out from someone. Maybe someone who hurt you or Megan."
    Apparently, she wasn't as good a liar as she thought. "Why would you think that?"
    "Because you're always looking over your shoulder. When we get coffee, you sit so you're facing the door. When your phone rings, you tense."
    "This man didn't hurt me," she said, not addressing the rest of Amelia's statement.
    "So what's the problem?"
    She shrugged. "It wasn't the right time when we were together, and it's not the right time now. I was startled to see him, that's all."
    "Did you love him?"
    The question hit