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! ! ! Bewbodf!Sfbefst!Dpqz! Mardi Gras Publishing, LLC 133 Lake Front Dr. #204 Daphne, AL 36526 This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. ISBN-13
978-1-934329-55-9 ISBN-10
1-934329-55-X
Reckless Behavior ©2007 Sage Burnett All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Cover art © 2007 Shirley Burnett For more variety in www.mardigraspublishing.com
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Reckless Behavior By Sage Burnett
Reckless Behavior
Sage Burnett
CHAPTER ONE The lighter glowed in the night as Jack McBride lit the cigarette dangling between his lips. A deep inhale of the nicotine shot a short-lived and much needed rush to his dog-ass tired body. He leaned against the porch pillar, and glanced up at the liquid black night dotted with thousands of stars and a half moon. His flannel shirt with a black tee shirt underneath didn’t block out the chill of the October night. A tough Montana winter lurked just around the corner. Across the street he heard Abby Renton’s front door open and slam shut. His radar perked up after hearing sounds from Abby’s house. The house was dark and he hadn’t noticed a car when he’d gotten home an hour ago. Frowning, he wondered if her daughter had finally returned to town to take care of her mother’s affairs after Abby’s death six months ago. The things he remembered about Bailey Taylor from Abby’s funeral were her bleached platinum blonde hair and her absentee husband. Some how the platinum colored hair hadn’t fit the woman with the tawny colored eyes. That day, at the funeral, her brown eyes overflowing with sadness and grief had reached down deep, touching some hidden emotion inside of him. He had offered his condolences after the service, but all he had received in return was a nod and a closer look into her sad eyes. Shrugging off the memory of Bailey’s eyes, he heard the sound of scraping on the wood porch of Abby’s house. Jack straightened away from the pillar and took another drag off the cigarette before he went moving down his porch steps. With the toe of his
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work boot he ground the cigarette out on the walkway and headed across the street. If teenagers were snooping around Abby’s house, he’d whoop their asses good because he wasn’t in the mood for any snot-nosed attitudes. He’d chased a few teenagers off over the past couple of months. As he approached the house, he hesitated because the noise had stopped. “Hey, what’s going on over here?” No answer. Not good. Now he wished he had grabbed his shotgun as he lifted one foot onto the bottom porch step. “Is anybody here?” The only sound was a dog barking in the distance. Shit, he should have at least brought a flashlight with him. Like a mountain lion stalking a vulnerable white taileddeer he climbed the steps. He dug his disposable lighter out of his shirt pocket and flicked it on. With the lighter held in front of him like a mini torch, he angled to the right and the toe of his work boot bumped into something. “Hey, knock it off,” a female voice said. “What the hell?” Jack angled to the side and lowered the lighter, trying to see the body that accompanied the voice. A woman lay on the porch, barely covered by a satiny red bra and a scrap of matching panties. He squatted down next to her bare feet, holding the lighter in the direction of her face. “Are you okay?” “Go away. Leave me alone.” Her voice was husky sounding, reminding him of a porn star. He’d given up watching the occasional porn movie after he’d gotten married six years ago and had lost interest after his divorce two years ago. “Are you sick or hurt?” As far as he could tell, her eyes were closed. She didn’t look like Abby’s daughter, Bailey, because this woman had dark colored hair. “Go away,” she said again. “It’s thirty freaking degrees outside, lady, and you’re dressed for…,” he paused. Seduction. “I’m dressed how I want to be dressed.” “Who are you?” he asked. 2
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“Who the hell are you?”
“Jack McBride. I live across the street. I’ve been keeping an eye on Abby’s place.” “My mother is dead.” The lighter momentarily clicked off as surprise rolled through him. This woman who lay half naked on the cold, hard porch was Abby’s daughter. He remembered the bleached blonde hair, and the sad eyes. Flicking the lighter back on, he stood and stepped sideways until he was flush with her head. Squatting down next to her, he held the lighter near her face. Her eyes were closed and she almost looked like she was sleeping. Jack lightly touched her shoulder, feeling the smooth, silky skin that felt like a half frozen ice cube. “Don’t touch me,” she said without opening her eyes. “You need to get inside, Bailey, before you freeze to death.” He didn’t smell booze on her. So why in the hell was she pulling a stunt like this? October in Montana produced damned cold nights and mornings. “How do you know my name?” She didn’t even peek out of one eye at him. “I knew your mother. She talked about you a lot.” His words didn’t elicit a response from her. “Come on. I’ll help you up.” “I’m not getting up.” Stubborn female. He almost wished it had been a bored teenager or two over here at Abby’s house. At least, he could have kicked some butt and intimidated the young boys. Something wasn’t right here. “If you don’t get up and soon, I’m going to pick you up and carry you into the house. So start deciding how we’re going to play this.” Her left eye finally cracked open a slit, barely showing the tawny color. “The Blackfeet Indians used to strip naked,” Bailey paused, her eye closing again, “and roll around in the snow to bathe themselves.” “Is that right?” He muttered. “At least they were moving to keep the circulation 3
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going through their bodies.” Jack counted to ten and when she didn’t answer or even make an attempt to move, he took his thumb off the lever of the lighter, throwing the covered porch into darkness again. After he stuffed the lighter back in his shirt pocket, he hesitated, hoping she might say something or show some initiative to get up. He waited another beat before reaching for her. When his hand accidentally landed on her soft, plump breast, she screeched. Immediately removing his hand, he felt a stirring inside his dick. That’s all he needed was a hard-on and an uncooperative female after a long day’s work. “Sorry.” “Just go away.” “Dammit, I’m trying to get you inside the house. Since you won’t do it on your own, it looks like it’s up to me.” He slid his hand over her and when it touched bare skin, he realized he had somehow managed to bypass the red zone of her breasts. Wrestling in the dark with a woman was the ultimate pleasure under the right circumstances. His other hand slid under her, right smack on the clasp of her bra. When he felt like he had a good enough hold on her, he lifted her a foot off the porch, but her body was a dead weight. She was average height, not thin, but not overweight either. Just right. Worried he might drop her, he gritted his teeth, staggering to his feet. “Put me down.” Bailey squirmed against his chest. “Don’t fight me, okay?” “Go to hell.” “I promise I’ll do that after I get you inside.” Jack circled around and walked toward the door. His hand on her soft, bare thigh made him instantly hard. Her breast snugged against his chest made matters worse. “Shit.” Now he had to get the door open without dropping her. In the end, he lowered her to her feet. He held her tight against him, and fought to ignore the feel of each and every womanly curve pressed tight against his body. After he opened the door, he ran his hand along the wall next to the doorframe until he felt 4
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the light switch. He picked her up again and carried her inside. “Holy crap. What have you got against heat?” The temperature inside Abby’s house nearly equaled the outdoor temperature. He carried her over to the couch and laid her down, grabbing a hand knitted afghan off the couch back. After he covered Bailey with it, he looked down at her. One of her eyes opened just enough to stare directly at him for a moment before it closed again. Circling around he headed for the wall thermostat near the opening to the kitchen. He knew exactly where it was because he had replaced it for Abby about a year ago. Once he had the heat up, he walked into the kitchen, and rummaged around in the cupboards for the coffee. In the last cupboard he checked he found a half empty bottle of brandy. Scowling, he turned toward the table in the corner and noticed a couple of bags of groceries sitting on top of it. Inside the second bag he found a container of Folgers coffee. In a few minutes, he had a pot of coffee brewing with a healthy shot of Brandy in the mug on the counter. Jack walked back to the living room to check on Bailey. He sat down on the sturdy oak coffee table and studied her. Glossy, rich brown hair tumbled around her face and shoulders. Now that had to be her natural color which he liked more than he should. While making the coffee he’d managed to get his libido under control. To a degree at least. “Do you need to go to the hospital?” He didn’t know what the hell was with this woman. She slowly shifted to her side with her eyes still closed. “You mean mental?” Taken back by her question, he studied her. “Can you open your eyes for me?” “Don’t want to.” “Are you exhausted from driving and traveling?” “I’m exhausted from life.” For the second time he didn’t have an answer. The afghan slipped off her shoulder exposing bare skin and a thin red strap. He glanced away for a moment, struggling to ignore the fire rushing through his veins. He decided it was too damn late to get into a deep emotional conversation with Abby’s daughter, so he stood up, and walked back 5
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into the kitchen. He saw that the coffee was ready. On a whim, he poured a shot of brandy into another mug and filled it with coffee, too. Carrying the mugs into the living room, he remembered Abby. She had pretty much mothered him after he moved across the street from her two years ago after his divorce. Abby Renton had been a practical, no frills, big- hearted woman. Her daughter, on the other hand, apparently hadn’t inherited certain traits from her mother. Jack set both mugs on the coffee table. “Hey, are you awake?” “Why can’t you just go away?” “I can see my charming bedside manner is lost on you.” He laid his hand on her shoulder, which was still cool to the touch. “Be a good girl and sit up.” “Take your hand off of me.” He hissed out a breath through clenched teeth. “I made some coffee. You need to warm up before you get a chill.” “You don’t know what I am.” At this point, he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. His goal was to make sure she was okay and then he’d be on his way. Jack gently dragged her to a sitting position. Just like on the porch she didn’t put up much resistance. “Are you on drugs?” A sound resembling a snort blew out of her mouth. “Come on, open your eyes. Are you on drugs?” He asked again. When she didn’t answer, he said. “If you don’t tell me what you’re on, I’m calling an ambulance.” “Bastard.” “Play nice. I’m your nursemaid.” “I took one extra.” Came the mumbled reply. “One extra of what?” Jack glanced at the two steaming mugs on the coffee table and figured she didn’t need a shot of brandy. “Try to stay upright.” He grabbed one of the mugs, returned to the kitchen and dumped it down the sink. Good thing, he’d made plenty of coffee. After he refilled the mug, he carried it back out to her. At least, she was still in a sitting position, even if her eyes were closed, and her head 6
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lolled to one side. Jack sat down next to her, and blew steam away from the mug before he held it up to her lips. She had nice lips. They had a full shape to them. Damn, he felt like some perv because he found this woman attractive, although, he wasn’t sure he found her mental state attractive. “Come on, take a little sip.” When her eyes barely opened, he pressed the mug against her lips. “One sip.” Bailey actually did sip the coffee, frowning at the same time. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” He managed to get her to drink three more swallows and after that, she did open her eyes and look at him. Light brown eyes stared at him. Progress. “Drink some more.” She shook her head. “More.” Still holding the mug near her lips, she pressed her fingers against his as he tipped the mug. Another bullet of heat shot through him. Cursing under his breath, he helped her drink more coffee. She smelled like lilac blooms in the spring. Jaw tightening, he fought to ignore his response to her. She pushed the mug away. “No more.” “No deal. You need to drink more.” “Bully,” she mumbled before she took a couple of more tiny sips. “What kind of drugs are you on?” He didn’t want to believe he might have stopped an attempted suicide. “Designer.” She pushed the coffee mug away again and leaned her head back against the couch. “Where are they?” When she didn’t answer, his gaze circled the room and landed on a black leather purse sitting on the oak buffet across the room. Still holding the mug, he stood and strode over to the buffet. With his free hand, he dumped the purse upside down. A brown leather wallet, a set of keys, a make-up bag, a bottle of Midol and two prescription pill bottles tumbled out. One by one, he picked them up and read the labels. The first medication was for depression, once a day. The 7
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instructions for the second medication which was for, anxiety, was to take two pills a day and also came with a warning: May cause drowsiness. If he had to take a wild guess, it would be that she took an extra anxiety pill. Maybe returning to her mother’s house had brought on a bad anxiety attack. He headed back to the couch and sat down beside her again. “Try to drink more coffee.” Opening her eyes, she shook her head. “I want to sleep.” “Okay, then, it looks like we have to walk.” His philosophy being, if he got her moving, that might help the medication work its way through her system. “Go away.” “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, lady.” After he set the mug on the table, he grabbed her hands and hoisted her to her feet, which caused the afghan to slip off her body and fall to the floor. Jack gave it a valiant effort to not check out her body again, but in the end the male beast inside him won. His eyes slowly cruised down and back up her body, taking in every curve and dip. He figured her breasts would fit perfectly in his big hands. Clearing his throat, he bent down to retrieve the blanket and couldn’t help but notice how the skimpy red satin clung to her pubic mound. Dammit. His felt his cock grow hard again. Now he regretted not taking Cindy Kramer home last Friday night when she had propositioned him at the local bar. It would have been one week without any, instead of six months. Jack sat her back down and roamed down the hallway, peeking into bedrooms in search of some clothes for her. In the third bedroom at the end of the hallway, he spotted three large leather tote bags dumped on the floor at the foot of the bed. In the first tote he found a pair of olive green running pants and jacket. He grabbed the clothes and hurried back to the living room. He found her sitting on the couch, staring off into space. “Time to get dressed,” he said as he unfolded the lightweight jacket and held it up in front of her. “Please tell me you can dress on your own.” If he had to dress her, it would cause severe agony for him. 8
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Bailey brought her gaze to her clothes he held up in front of him. “Not my color.” “Please put on the jacket.” He handed it to her, which to his surprise she took from him. The thing was, it took forever, or at least that how it felt to him, to get the damned jacket on. He tried his best not to stare at her breasts, which were threatening to spill out of her bra. He knelt in front of her and picked up one bare foot with shiny red polish on her toenails. He’d never been a foot man, but that bright polish did things to him. “Now the pants.” When he had the pants pushed up to her knees, he knew he couldn’t go any farther. A man could only endure so much. Taking her hands, he placed them on the waistband of the pants. “Now pull them up.” His tone came out harsher and louder than he intended. Inch by inch, she scooted the pants over her knees, then her shapely thighs, but stopped at her satin bikini panties. “Come on, Bailey, do this for me.” Never in his life had he wanted a woman to get herself dressed so badly. With a burning fascination, he watched as she covered the red satin panties. One last tug and her panties disappeared from view. Jack blew out a big breath, a combination of relief and frustration. He hauled her to her feet again where she fell against his chest. The subtle scent of lilac floated around him as her arms slithered up around his neck. “Kiss me,” she whispered. “Huh? Just hold on. I’m taking you for a walk to warm you up.” With her breasts pressed against his chest, his core temperature increased rapidly. For a woman on too much medication, she made a surprisingly fast move on him when she dragged his head down towards hers. “Wait a min-” His words were smothered when her warm lips, tasting of black coffee, covered his. He reached up to untangle her hands looped around his neck when she prodded his lips open, sliding her tongue inside. 9
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His hands stilled on hers, as instinct took over, and he began sucking her tongue deeper into his mouth. His loud groan rumbled in his own ears as he slanted his head for better access to her mysterious darkness. She seemed to come alive under the ministrations of his touch, because she tugged one of his hands down to her breast where she spread his hand over it. He squeezed her breast, first gently, then harder as their kiss grew more passionate. Since she hadn’t zipped up her jacket, it was easy for him to dip his fingers over the edge of her bra and find her nipple. It puckered hard against his fingertips as he tugged on it, wishing like hell it was his teeth doing the tugging. Bailey stopped the kiss as abruptly as she had started it, causing him to blink a couple of times. Her eyes closed, she let her head fall back as he continued to tease her nipple. What the hell was he doing? She was married, although he didn’t see any signs of a man in the house. Before he could give it any more thought, she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. The satiny material fell over his hand. Bailey shoved the bra off his hand and cupped her breasts. “Jesus,” he muttered. With her hands, she pushed her breasts up high, arching her back, an open invitation to him. Her forefingers skimmed across her nipples, eliciting a moan from her. Being a good neighbor he’d walked over here to check out things and then discovering Bailey on the porch, his instinct had been to help her. But now...she pinched her nipples between her fingers and moaned. Her shapely hips began to gyrate. “Bailey.” His voice sounded like rough sandpaper to him.
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CHAPTER TWO “My nipples hurt.” Shit, Jack knew he should walk away, but when she continued fondling her own nipples, his cock grew heavier as he watched her. Her hands covered her breasts and massaged them, her sighs and whimpers echoing in the room. With his feet cemented to the floor, he watched her pleasure herself. She opened her hands and rubbed her palms in a circular motion across her dark, rosy colored nipples. Torn between being a gentleman and a desperate need to pleasure himself and her, he thrust his hand between her legs and rubbed her pussy, feeling the moisture soaking through her pants. Ignoring the uneasy feeling inside his gut, he spread his hand open, gritting his teeth as heat roared to life inside of his body. “Oh...yes,” she murmured. Rubbing her hard and fast, his gaze locked on her hands fondling her breasts. He felt like he was ready to cream his jeans. “Touch me,” she whispered. Jack obeyed by yanking her running pants and panties down over her hips. The dark brown curls between her legs turned his throat raw. Covering her pussy with his hand again, his kept his eyes on her hands and breasts, unable to look away. She was slick and ready so it was easy for his middle finger to slide lower until he found her opening. When his finger pushed inside of her, she gasped. “Do me hard and fast.”
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Shoving away any and all rational thoughts, he pumped his finger hard and fast as sweat covered his body under his clothes. He hungered to take one of her nipples into his mouth, but watching her fondle herself turned him on more, so he continued as she tugged on her nipples. Her moans grew louder as he moved his finger in and out of her wet heat. When he slipped a second finger inside of her, he heard her throaty gasp again. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t take his eyes off her breasts and the things she did with her hands. He leaned toward her, nipping at her neck, moving up to her earlobe. His eyes took in each and every fondle and caress. Suddenly her pussy clenched tight around his fingers, and a deep moan tumbled from her lips. Her hands stilled on her breasts before they dropped to her sides. **** The loud ringing of the phone dragged Bailey from a deep sleep peppered with erotic dreams and images of herself and a man pleasuring her. Refusing to open her eyes, she fumbled for the phone on the nightstand next to the bed. “Hello,” she said with a mouth that felt as parched as a dry riverbed. When no one answered, she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. “Hello.” The click at the other end signaled that the caller had hung up. After she tossed the cordless phone back onto the nightstand, she rolled onto her back and raked her hands through her tangled hair. No one had her mother’s telephone number. Her friends down in Denver had her cell number. Jack McBride. The strong, blue-collar worker, who had short, inky black hair and a face that reminded her of a Marine drill sergeant. Last night’s memories assaulted her mind, pummeling her with vivid replays of their actions last night. The bedroom was cool, but her face instantly burned. Groaning out loud, she turned to her side and buried her face in the pillow. She’d only taken one extra anxiety pill and it had turned her into a begging, desperate woman. Could he have been the one that called? Before she’d bared her breasts to him, he’d 12
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been concerned and trying to help her. He’d made a noble effort to figure out what if anything was wrong with her. Tossing the blankets back, she saw that she again wore her olive green running clothes, sans bra. “Shit.” Padding out of the bedroom, she headed for the kitchen. She needed some strong coffee to clear the cobwebs from her head. As she passed the large living room window, she noticed Jack McBride bounding down his porch steps. Bailey stopped as another burst of heat and embarrassment blew up inside of her body. When he reached his big Ford pick-up truck, he paused with his hand on the door handle, and glanced across the street in her direction. She could have sworn his blue eyes were twin lasers boring into her. She did remember the color of his eyes from her mother’s funeral as well as last night. Deep blue, like a tropical ocean. He wore faded jeans and a heavy flannel shirt, with a black ball cap pulled low over his forehead. Suddenly, she felt exposed and vulnerable when he kept staring at her. Glancing down at her chest, she realized that her jacket wasn’t zipped, exposing her bare breasts to him. Ohmygod...he probably thought she was coming on to him again. She quickly tugged the jacket over her nakedness, while he climbed inside his truck and backed out of his short driveway. Out on the narrow street, he gassed it, leaving a layer of rubber on the pavement. Spinning around she headed for the kitchen, but not before she saw her bra hanging off the coffee table. “Dammit.” Another wave of memories crashed through her. If she had been straight, she never would have acted so brazen with him last night. She ignored her bra, walked into the kitchen and saw that there was a half-full pot of coffee on the counter. Jack had made her coffee last night to sober her up from her medication stupor. Oh, yeah, the coffee had brought her around enough to get her all aroused by Jack McBride. She’d met him exactly once before, for a couple of minutes at most. Since she had walked out to the porch, she could have walked back into the house, but once Jack appeared, his deep voice filled with concern and slight disbelief, she’d let 13
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him take over because... Besides, believing she was an easy mark, Jack most likely figured her to be looney as well. Feeling oppressed inside her mother’s house, and not thinking clearly, she’d gone out to the porch. The chilly night air had felt refreshing against her bare skin. She’d planned on lying on the porch for a few minutes before going back inside, but Jack had appeared out of nowhere. When he had flicked on his lighter, she’d stolen a quick peek at him. He was a man in excellent shape, with broad shoulders, and a deep voice that had whispered over her like a sultry breeze. Last night they had exchanged more than words. Bailey fought to rid herself of the mortification pooling inside of her body. After she poured the cold coffee down the sink drain, she started another pot. Needing to prove she was still desirable as a woman, she bared herself to him like a stripper at a bachelor party. Jack McBride had fulfilled her need last night, making her feel not just desirable, but hot and sexy as well. Standing at the sink, she stared outside at the snow dusted jagged mountains peaks in the distance. She had returned home to hide and lick her wounds. Get her act together. God only knew, she teetered on the edge: designer drugs for her depression and anxiety, a soon to be ex-husband that fucked anything in a skirt. The searing pain of betrayal had turned her into a pill popping, desperate woman. And what had she done last night? She’d blown it big time, beyond big time. Bailey filled a mug and carried it to the bathroom, although she doubted a long, hot shower would cleanse her of her sins. **** The two by fours flew out of the bed of his truck, like bullets out of a gun. The loud bang and smack as they landed haphazardly one on top of the other didn’t help a whole hell of lot at tamping down Jack’s anger as he tossed the last board onto the stack. “Hey, boss,” Bill Bates yelled over to him. “Bad night?” Wheeling around, he glared at his employee. “We need to get these boards inside.” 14
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Anger simmered just below the surface. Anger at himself and at Bailey for what happened last night. He’d tried to help her and then ended up taking advantage of her. That wasn’t his style. A woman had to be willing, yet on the other hand, she’d been more than willing. “I’m on it.” Bill pinched off the distance in two seconds flat. “Woman problems?” He raised a bushy blonde brow. “None of your damn business, Bates.” “I’d say you got woman problems. The thing is, I didn’t know you had a woman which might be the root of your problem.” Straightening the ends of the two by fours, Jack paused, and scowled over his shoulder at Bill. His employee was a couple of years younger than his thirty- nine years and happily married with a couple of kids. “Shove it.” Bill grinned as he straightened the other end of the stack. “Definitely woman problems. Who the hell is she?” He didn’t have a woman. What he had was a hot, steamy memory of pleasuring Bailey as she pleasured herself. He felt that memory clear down to his dick. “Where’s Dan?” “Inside the house, getting ready for us.” Jack owned a contracting business and employed two men. The three of them built the houses, while he hired subcontractors like plumbers, electricians and foundation layers for everything else. With the rise of out of staters moving into northwest Montana, he made a damn good living. Never mind that six months out of the year he worked twelve hours a day, six days a week. In the next few weeks, he, Dan, and Bill needed to finish the interior of this house so the new owners could move in on schedule. The two men lifted the stack of boards and headed for the house. When they reached the door, Dan swung it open for them. “You never did tell me her name,” Bill said as he walked backwards through the doorway. Clenching his teeth, Jack stared past Bill’s shoulder as he brought up the rear. 15
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“The old boss has a woman?” Dan held up a power drill in a high five motion. “It’s about damn time.” “Go to hell,” Jack said as he brushed past his youngest employee. At twenty- three, Dan lived and breathed for sex. In fact, that’s about all he ever talked about. This particular morning, Jack didn’t want to think about sex or plump breasts with slender fingers caressing them. Or what his finger had been caressing. He steered clear of married women, but last night, he’d broken one of his own rules. Shit. Dan and Bill laughed. Jaw tightening to the rigidness of steel, he continued ignoring his two employees. **** After a hot shower and two cups of coffee, the embarrassment of her behavior still lingered. She considered calling her best friend, Beth, back in Denver or her shrink, Dr. Louise Abbott, but quickly dismissed both ideas. She simply didn’t want to talk to anyone, but did decide she could at least email Beth and let her know she’d arrived safely. Her mother’s computer still sat on the desk in the corner of the large, open kitchen. Bailey had paid the internet provider, and telephone services for the past six months. Why, she wasn’t sure. Drumming her fingers on the desk, she waited while the computer booted to life. Halfway through the email to her friend, she heard a knock on the kitchen door. Circling the desk chair around, she stared at the door, not wanting or needing company. None of her mother’s friends knew she was in town. Jack McBride being the exception. She couldn’t and wouldn’t think about the man that lived across the street. When the knocking persisted, she wished whoever it was would go away. Huffing out a frustrated breath, she walked to the door, and opened it. Not recognizing the man who smiled at her, she said. “Can I help you?” “Bailey, it’s me. Benson Davidson.” The name sounded vaguely familiar. The man, about forty, tall and slender with pale blonde hair and nondescript green eyes smiled at her. She struggled to place him, but her brain was still too foggy. “Um...” 16
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“I live down the road.” Her mother’s computer geek neighbor who had always helped her when she had a problem or an unexpected crash. “Oh, yeah, now I remember.” “I saw lights on last night in the house when I got off work, so I assume you’re here to take care of your mother’s affairs.” She needed to take care of her own affairs, before she could even begin to think about her mother’s estate. “Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” His gaze lowered to her breasts. Why in the hell did all the men in the neighborhood ogle her breasts? It wasn’t like she was a forty d cup or something. Then she remembered she only had on a black camisole under her zip up sweatshirt. For the second time that morning, she quickly zipped up the sweatshirt and crossed her arms over her chest. When Benson continued to stare at her chest, a creepy feeling crawled through her. Not at all like when Jack McBride had stared at her breasts last night as she fondled them.
That had built a fire in her body that wouldn’t be
extinguished. From under lowered lids, she had watched him watching her. Bailey cleared her throat, and shoved the memory of last night aside. “What can I do for you, Benson?” “A cup of coffee sounds good.” Damn. Figuring there was no way out, she stepped aside. Her mother had raved about his expertise with computers. A quick cup of coffee and then she’d give him some song and dance to get rid of him. “Sure. Why not? Sit down.” After she made a fresh pot of coffee, she circled around and looked at Benson. Forcing a smile, she glanced away from him. He seemed like a decent guy, but the way he watched her made her slightly uneasy. “How long are you planning on staying?” Until she got her act together, which could very possibly take months, or God forbid, years. She lifted a shoulder. “A...I’m not really sure.” He unzipped his jacket and shrugged out of it. Bailey didn’t want him getting too comfortable. His skin tone reminded her of someone who didn’t spend much time 17
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outdoors, but then again, he was a computer geek she reminded herself. Tapping her foot on the floor, she said. “Coffee should be done soon.” Benson, his hands folded on the table, nodded. “I used to help your mother with her computer.” “She mentioned that.” “If you ever have any problems while you’re here, I’d be more than willing to help you.” “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Why did this man make her so uncomfortable? She didn’t remember him having this affect on her at her mother’s service. Grief and loss had pretty much blocked everything else out. She’d walked through all the motions in a daze, her heart broken into dozens of pieces from the loss of her mother. Her mother had always been her rock, her sense of stability. Now that she was gone, Bailey still felt slightly lost, never mind that she was a grown woman of thirty-six. “Cream, sugar?” she asked. “Cream, please,” Benson said. “Comin’ right up.” She turned back to the counter. While she prepared two mugs of coffee, she glanced over her shoulder and caught Benson watching her, but when he realized she had noticed, he quickly looked away. That’s all she needed, a man that gave her the creeps putting the moves on her. Her mother had seemed genuinely fond of him, so he had to have some redeeming qualities. Her mother had always been a good judge of character. Maybe he’d been too long without, that’s why he kept staring at her. Resigning herself to a few minutes of small talk with Benson, she picked up the mugs. **** Still muttering curses under his breath, Jack swung his truck into his driveway, left the ignition running, and climbed out. He strode into his garage to grab his power drill, which he’d forgotten this morning. Lack of sleep and restless, hot, titillating dreams had clouded his mind when he’d woken up. He figured he was lucky he got to work on 18
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time at all. When he walked back out of the side door of the garage, he noticed Benson Davidson’s Chevy Blazer parked in Bailey’s driveway. Jack tossed the drill on the seat of his truck. Eyes narrowed, he stared over at Abby’s house. Why would Davidson be visiting Bailey this early in the morning? It was a little after nine. He’d considered checking on her this morning, but in the end had decided he should steer clear of her. That is until he’d spotted her standing at her window with her bare breasts peeking from the inside of her jacket. At first, he’d wondered if she’d been coming on to him again, but when she’d quickly covered herself, he knew differently. After he’d carried her into the bedroom last night, he’d watched her for a while to make sure she was okay. Only once had she opened her eyes and looked at him. Working his jaw, he reached inside his truck and killed the engine. His gut instinct warned him to stay away from Bailey, but Davidson wasn’t one of his favorite people. There was something about the guy he couldn’t put his finger on, although Abby had seemed to like him. He walked down the driveway and across the street. “Damn.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called Bill, leaving a message that he’d be late getting back. At the front door, he rang the bell before he stuffed his cell back into his pocket. When Bailey opened the door, a look of total shock spread across her face. There were dark circles under her eyes, but some color had returned to her face. As she watched him, her face colored a deep shade of pink. Her hair was still damp from a shower and she wore faded jeans and zip up sweatshirt. Now that he was face to face with her, he didn’t know what to say. They stared at each other for one long, burning moment. Against his will, his eyes drifted down to her breasts. Images of those lush breasts scrolled through his mind, which in turn caused an ache in his cock. Jack scratched the back of his neck. “Ah...is everything okay over here?” Bailey crossed her arms over her chest in a protective way. “Yeah, sure.” She glanced away from him. 19
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“I noticed Davidson’s truck parked in the driveway.” It wasn’t up to him to look after her. Davidson might be on the strange side, but basically seemed harmless. “Yeah, he stopped by to see if I needed anything. My mother relied on him for help with her computer.” “Okay, then.” Jack started backing up. “I need to get back to work.” Just as he turned to go down the steps, Bailey said behind him. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” When he looked over his shoulder at her, and saw the vulnerability and a trace of desperation glowing in her eyes, he knew damn well he couldn’t say no. “I’ve only got time for a quick one.” Bailey nodded, a hint of gratefulness flashing in her gaze. Jack walked back to the door and brushed past her. The scent of lilac wafting off her was stronger than last night. Gritting his teeth, he followed her into the kitchen, and fought to ignore her sweet, womanly scent and the way her hips swayed in her blue jeans. When he entered the kitchen, Benson shot him both a surprised and irritated look. Jack nodded. “Benson.” “Jack, what a surprise. Fancy meeting you here.” Maybe Benson had ideas about Bailey. The last thing he needed this morning was a pissing contest with another guy. He parked himself across the table from Benson. “I could say the same to you. Fancy meeting you here.” Bailey slid a mug in front of him. “Cream or sugar or both?” she asked. He looked up at her and held her gaze. “Black is fine.” “Okay, then.” She sat down in the chair next to him, but scooted it slightly away. Less than a foot separated them, but fire burned in his veins having her so close. Benson set his mug down. “I stopped by to see if Bailey needed anything,” He said as he looked over at her and smiled. “Because I’m more than willing to help her out.” I’ll just bet you are. Jack doubted he could operate a power drill or swing a hammer. Easy boy. Davidson owned the only computer store in town where he bought, sold and repaired them. 20
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“Really, I’m just fine,” Bailey said. Jack didn’t look at her as he picked up his mug, but if the tone of her voice was any indication, she wasn’t fine. “The computer seems okay to me,” she said. “Your mother had a lot of problems with viruses. That is until I convinced her to get a better security system.” Silent, Jack drank his coffee, studying Davidson. By the way he looked at Bailey, it was clear he had a thing for her. Unexpected jealousy inched through him. Frowning, he drank more coffee. He still didn’t know where the hell Bailey’s husband was. He didn’t do married women but then again, he had last night. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Bailey comb her fingers through her hair. Conversation between the three of them came to a grinding halt. “How’s business, Benson?” Benson tore his gaze from her and turned his attention to Jack. “Business is good as usual.” Jack made a point of looking at his watch. “I thought you opened at nine.” Benson’s pasty complexion colored before he said. “You know how it is when you own your own business, you can fudge a little on the time. Just like you’re doing.” Normally he wouldn’t be taking a break this early in the morning, but something compelled him to out sit Davidson. Damned if he knew why, either. Before he could answer, Bailey spoke. “There might be a customer with a problem or something.” Benson’s face colored again as he glanced down at his watch. “You’re probably right. I should get going.” He stood, pulling his jacket off the chair back. Glad that Davidson was on his way out, Jack took another drink of coffee. Bailey jumped up and practically ran to the door to open it for him. He lifted his mug. “Later, Benson.” He gave Jack a curt nod before he said his good-byes to Bailey. After she closed the door, she stood there a moment before slowly circling around to face him. 21
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Now that they were alone, the air in the kitchen seemed super charged with electricity. Their eyes caught and held, but she looked away first. After a couple of moments, she brought her gaze back to him. “Thanks.” Feeling awkward as hell, Jack stood up. He needed to get back to work, but the unexpected need to kiss Bailey rushed through him. “I have to run. I forgot my drill. That’s why I came back home.” Weaving her hands together in front of her, she nodded. “Okay, well, thanks for the coffee.” Lord knows he needed it after his restless, erotic, and guilt-ridden sleep last night. He walked toward her, adjusting his ball cap and stopped close to her. “About last night...” She held up her hands and shook her head. “Please...” The expression on her face had him wanting to drag her close and hug her, but instead he clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides to keep himself from reaching out to her. He nodded and angled around her to get to the door. Bailey flattened herself against the side of the refrigerator so he could pass without touching her. As Jack walked past her, she met his eyes for one sizzling moment before he walked out the door. “Shit.” He jogged down the driveway and across the street to his truck. After he opened his truck door, he paused and looked back over at her house. He caught a glimpse of her staring out of the kitchen window, but she must have seen him watching her because she turned away and disappeared. Not liking his reaction to Bailey Taylor, Jack climbed inside his truck. What was with the husband she never spoke of? He remembered Abby mentioning that Bailey’s husband was a financial advisor. Maybe he had rich and famous clients to take care of back in Colorado. Cursing under his breath, he backed out of his driveway and peeled out down the street, reminiscent of earlier in the morning.
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CHAPTER THREE Sipping on hot herbal tea, Bailey scanned the email messages. The first was from her friend Beth. When she saw the one from Jack M., she frowned. It couldn’t be Jack McBride. Why would he send her an email? She opened up the message. Her eyes widened in horror as she read the message while a fist of anger balled tight in her stomach. “Ohmigod...” Suddenly her face burned with shame and embarrassment. Her hand shook as she lowered the mug to the desk. Slowly, she read the message again to make sure she’d understood it right the first time. My dear Bailey, if only you knew what you did to me last night, watching you fondle your beautiful naked breasts. Giving yourself pleasure, gave me pleasure beyond reason. My cock still throbs for you. “That no good son of a bitch!” She hit the print button, jumped up from the chair and paced back and forth in front of the computer waiting for the paper to spit out from the printer. The ink barely dry, she snatched the paper from the print tray and stormed toward the front door. Less than a minute later she banged on Jack McBride’s door, anger rushing through her like a freight train charging down the tracks. When he didn’t answer, she fisted her hand, pounding harder on his front door. Ready to break his door down if necessary, she had just raised her fist again when the door swung open. The no good bastard stood there wearing only a pair of faded jeans, showing off his muscular chest covered with just the right amount of sooty colored hair. She waved the sheet of paper at him. “You son of a bitch!” 23
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Surprise, followed by a scowl spread across his face. “Hey, take it easy. What the hell’s going on?” “I’ll tell you what’s going on.” She shoved the paper at his face almost hitting him in the nose, but he caught her wrist and lowered her hand. In spite of the anger burning inside her body, a wave of heat rolled through her so hard and fast, it almost knocked her over. How could she react to this man like that after the message he’d sent her? She needed more than anti-anxiety pills. She needed a full-fledged lobotomy for reacting to him the way she did. Eyes narrowed, he pulled the paper from her hand and read it. His jaw tightened and anger gleamed in his eyes when he looked at her. “Jesus,” he muttered. “I didn’t send this, Bailey.” “Oh, please. How stupid do you think I am? Or, maybe you think I’m so desperate I’ll put up with crap like this from you. If this is supposed to be a come-on, it’s not working.” He looked straight into her eyes. “I did not write this.” She hit the paper with her forefinger. “Is that your damn email address?” Jack glanced down at the paper again, his scowl deepening before he looked back at her. “Yeah, but, I’m telling you for the last time, I didn’t send this to you. Somebody must have hijacked my email. I just changed it a month ago because I was getting so damn much spam.” For a second, she faltered because he seemed genuinely shocked at the email. “You really expect me to believe that?” Again, he looked her directly in the eye. “I can’t expect you to believe anything, but I hope you do believe me.” Suddenly she started shivering because she hadn’t bothered to grab a jacket. Jack took her arm. “Let go of me.” She tried to wrench her arm from his grip. “Get inside, you’re cold.” “No.” 24
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“Come inside and we’ll talk about this.” She tried again to pull away from his hand, but he tightened his hold. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “I didn’t hurt you last night.” He paused. “Please come inside for a few minutes. It’s freakin’ freezing.” She wanted to shout at him, that he’d taken advantage of her last night. But one extra pill had only made her drowsy until he’d touched her. Then every nerve ending in her body had come alive. The medication had relaxed her enough to cause her to lose her inhibitions with a stranger. He’d tried to sober her up. No, she couldn’t blame him. He was a man. What man wouldn’t take the bait she’d so blatantly dangled in front of him? Now she wished she had taken a pill before storming over to his house because her out of control anger had also triggered an anxiety attack. “Dammit, get in here.” He dragged her inside, closing the door behind them. Glaring at him, Bailey shook his hand off, which he dropped to his side. “I’ll make some coffee,” he said. “Then we can talk.” “I don’t want to talk to you.” His jaw tight, a serious expression on his face, he said. “We need to talk, whether you want to or not.” Bailey lifted her chin and crossed her arms over her chest. A part of her wanted to believe him, believe that she had offered herself to a man that was trustworthy, that possessed a code of ethics. True, he’d responded to her with hot blistering passion but that still didn’t mean she could trust him. Feeling her cheeks warm, she glanced away. “I’m going to make some coffee. Are you going to run off?” Not sure what to do or how to keep a handle on the situation, she merely lifted a shoulder. Jack headed toward the kitchen, but stopped and swung around to face her. “I didn’t do this.” He held up the sheet of paper. Bailey stared at him, but didn’t answer. “Shit.” He wheeled back around and disappeared into his kitchen. She paced back and forth in front of the door, anxiety gripping her in its clutches. 25
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Struggling to breathe normally, she stopped and faced the door, sucking in a big breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. A year ago she would have kicked Jack’s ass, or at least attempted to. He was a big man, with hard muscles that showed off his strength. She would have at least given it her best shot. Now she floundered like a frightened lost sheep from the flock, dependent on medication to keep her head straight and her emotions under control. “Coffee’s almost ready.” Jack said from behind her. She jumped and circled around to face him, not realizing he stood only a few feet from her. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Okay?” her voice rose to a high pitch. “Okay, you ask? What the hell do you think?” “Bailey,” he reached out to touch her, but must have thought better of it, because he let his hand drop to his side. “We could contact the sheriff.” “What? And have my sex life screeched all over a police scanner.” Jack raked a hand through his hair. “Point taken. Not a good idea.” Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “Ohmygod.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “What is it?” “If you didn’t send this, and I’m still not totally convinced you didn’t, that would mean someone was watching us.” Disappointment flickered in his gaze for a moment, followed by a harsh look of anger contorting his features. It was his look of disappointment that got to her. Jack wanted her to believe him and she almost wished she could. “Who knows you’re in town?” he asked. “Nobody.” “Davidson does.” Her eyes widened. “Benson? You think he’s a voyeur?” Was he trying to lead her 26
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astray, to point the finger at somebody else? Her temples started to pound. “I don’t know what the hell he is. He’s a strange one, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a pervert,” he paused. “I did notice how he looked at you today.” “And just how did he look at me?” “Like he had the hots for you.” She shrugged, pretending she didn’t recall how Benson stared at her. The look in his eyes had made her uncomfortable and she wasn’t exactly sure why. He seemed like a nice enough man, but that didn’t necessarily mean diddly. Jack studied her for a moment. “I know you picked up on it.” “Maybe.” “Don’t play games. You noticed it, too. Since you’re an attractive woman, you’re probably used to it.” Attractive? Yeah right. She hadn’t felt attractive since she’d caught her husband, Dave, fucking his twenty-two year old secretary Amanda, up against the wall in his office. The sounds of their loud moans still echoed in her heart. Closing her eyes, she cautioned herself not to go there. She’d had months to get that image and sound track out of her mind, but it appeared to have taken root in her psyche. The tension pounding inside her head increased, so she reached up and rubbed her temples. “Do you need some aspirin?” Jack asked. She shook her head. What she needed was an anti-anxiety pill to whisk away her mounting tension. “I’m going home.” “Stay, Bailey. We’ll have a cup of coffee, then I’ll walk you home.” She lowered her gaze to his chest, which he still hadn’t covered. Under different circumstances, under normal circumstances, she would have been drooling at the sight of his manly chest. Last night he had been fully clothed, while she, on the other hand, had been bared breasted and stripped half-naked when he pulled her pants down to pleasure her with his finger. Embarrassment at her actions last night still lodged securely inside of her, while a strong sense of indecision blocked her ability to think 27
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clearly. When he took her hand, she didn’t resist, just followed him into the kitchen. His rough palm sent erotic tingles through her, which agitated her fragile mental state. She dropped his hand and sank down in the closest chair at the table. Jack brought over two heavy mugs, and set one in front of her. He stood by her chair and looked down at her. “Do you need anything in it?” “No thanks.” When she picked up the mug, she saw the sheet of paper with the email typed on it, sitting in the middle of the table. Jack must have caught her staring at it, because he snatched if off the table and walked over to the counter, slapping it down. Sensing his anger, she picked up her mug with trembling hands and blew steam away from it. He sat down across from her, looking like he wanted to murder someone, anyone. For several minutes, they drank their coffee in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Jack broke the silence first. “When did you get into town yesterday?” The coffee warmed her and the caffeine helped her brain to function, even though she still wrestled with the anxiety attack. “About three in the afternoon. I stopped at Super One Foods and picked up a few groceries, then made a quick stop at the post office to tell the clerk I was having my mail delivered here now.” “Did you run into anybody you know?” “For starters, I don’t know that many people in town. I didn’t grow up here. My mom moved here ten years ago from Kalispell after my dad died.” She paused while she took another drink of coffee. “I know some of my mother’s friends and a couple of other people, but that’s about it.” “Yeah, that’s right. Your mother once told me she moved to Collville after your dad passed away.” “I met the people that lived here in your house once. Johnson was their last name and they had two teenage boys.” He nodded. “After their boys graduated, they put the house up for sale and moved 28
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to Missoula.” “My mother’s friends aren’t behind this. Most of them are widowed or happily married and nearing sixty.” “I realize that.” “Then who sent that email?” She searched his face, looking for an answer, wanting the right answer. “I didn’t send it.” Bailey’s answer was to rub her forehead. Leaning back in his chair, Jack blew out a frustrated breath. “Okay, I get why you don’t believe me, although, I wish you did.” Gazing at him, she realized for the first time how much integrity his blue eyes held. His eyes were definitely sexy, but there was more to them than the raw sex appeal. Rubbing her forehead again, a wave of exhaustion washed through her. Jack didn’t push whether she believed him or not. Instead, he said. “Did you go anywhere today?” She paused and shook her head. “I went for a walk on State Land behind Mom’s house, but I didn’t run into anybody except about a half dozen deer.” After he scrubbed a hand down his face, he stared across the room, apparently lost in thought. “I don’t want to talk about what we did last night,” she said. His head snapped back in her direction. She met his eyes, and fought to ignore the embarrassment of her wanton actions. “There’s nothing to say. I just want to forget it ever happened.” “That damned email won’t let you forget.” “Hopefully that will be the only one and that will be the end of it.” Jack’s expression said he didn’t believe that for a minute. She jumped up. “I’m going home. Thanks for the coffee.” Pushing his chair back, he stood up, too. “Let me get a shirt on and I’ll walk you home.” 29
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“I can walk myself home.” Not bothering to answer her, he walked over to a coat tree in the corner of the room, and grabbed a navy blue jacket. “Sorry, lady, I’m escorting you home.” He was definitely a take-charge kind of guy. He hadn’t wasted much time last night on the porch when she’d refused to get up. He’d simply picked her up and carried her into the house. Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt, she wished he wasn’t so attractive in a blue collar, rough kind of way. At the door, Jack opened it for her. Another endless, clear night showing off the stars and half moon. Shivering, she hunched her shoulders. When they reached her door, she opened it and turned to face him. “You didn’t lock your door?” Anger and embarrassment consuming her at the time, she had run out of the house, not even thinking about locking it. “Um...no.” “Shit.” He brushed past her and walked inside. “Now wait a minute.” She kicked the door closed behind her. He wheeled around to face her, irritation apparent in the set of his jaw. “What about the back door?” “Okay, I’m guilty. I was too upset to think about locking up. This is a safe neighborhood. My mom never had a problem.” “You’re not your mom, and something is going on that I don’t like. Where’s a flashlight?” “Why do you need a flashlight?” “I want to check around outside.” If someone was watching her...but there was no proof of that. The email, which she’d left at Jack’s house, had his mark on it. “I don’t think that’s necessary.” He settled his hands on his hips. “I do.” Jack was the man she shouldn’t trust. Was his concern for her an act to throw her off the track? She hurried to the kitchen and dug around in the drawers until she found a flashlight. When she spun around, she caught him watching her from across the room. 30
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The creepy crawlies didn’t invade her body, instead a slow liquid heat like warm honey melting, oozed through her. Their eyes locked. The heat of his gaze reached across the room and held her. She had done carnal erotic things with this stranger last night. When she felt her cheeks warm, she glanced down at the flashlight and turned it on, checking to see if the batteries still worked. Jack strode across the room and took it out of her hands, his rough fingers brushing across her knuckles. She knew what his fingers could do, which had her struggling not to think about where his fingers had been last night. Without a word, he took the flashlight from her and disappeared outside. From the windows, Bailey watched the beam of the light bobbing around the house. Feeling the grip of anxiety again, she hurried over to the desk and grabbed her purse off it, digging inside for her medication. At the sink, she filled a glass with water and set it on the counter. Just as she shook a pill out of the bottle, Jack opened the back door and walked inside. He closed the door. “Why do you need medication, Bailey?” Annoyance shot through her as she tossed the pill into her mouth and chased it down with water. She set the glass back on the counter before she said. “That’s none of your business.” “Maybe so, but,” he paused. “I don’t think you would have been laying half naked on your porch if you hadn’t been under the influence.” Turning to face him, she leaned her hip against the counter. “How would you know? You don’t know me.” Except of course, in the biblical sense. Almost. “I know what Abby told me about you. She said you were smart, attractive and loaded with common sense.” Bailey snorted. Her common sense must have bolted like a scared rabbit the day she married Dave because her marriage had been the most impractical thing she’d ever done in her life. She’d kept her dirty little secret from her mother for five years, not wanting to worry her. Not wanting her mother to find out that her only child had married a low down rat. “Mothers are blind to the faults of their children.” 31
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“I don’t think your mother was. She was too sharp.” Had her mother sensed the sham of her marriage? Lifting a shoulder, she glanced away from him. “Where’s your husband?” Of course, Jack would know she was married, even though Dave just couldn’t find the time to attend the funeral with her. “Probably fucking whatever skirt he’s near.” His dark brows rose at her blunt statement. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” He reached behind him and locked the door. “I’ll lock the front door on my way out.” That said, he walked out of the kitchen. Bailey didn’t move until she heard the door in the living room close behind him. Blowing out a breath, she plowed her hands through her hair. Now Jack knew her dirty little secret and she didn’t know if she could trust him or not. After blurting out her husband’s infidelity, it was obvious to him that Dave wouldn’t be arriving in Collville anytime soon, which in turn made her feel more vulnerable than she already was. She’d proved how vulnerable and needy she was last night when she’d kissed Jack and begged him to pleasure her. In an attempt to work out the anxiety coursing through her body, she walked from window to window, closing curtains and the drapes in the living room. She noticed Jack standing on his porch, smoking a cigarette. Her hand on the drapes, she paused, the memory of tobacco in his kiss rushing back to her as she watched him. He faced her house as he brought the cigarette up to his lips again. Bailey stood there and watched him smoke the cigarette until he finally turned and walked inside his house. **** Jack kicked at the blankets after he woke up from his dream with a throbbing hardon and sweat beaded on his forehead. He dreamed of Bailey, fondling her nipples, pleading with him to pleasure her. “Dammit.” He wrapped his hand around his cock, needing release, but after a couple of seconds, he dropped his hand. Glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand, he saw it was after two. What he didn’t need was to 32
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dream about Bailey, whose doe eyes haunted him. He’d barely seen those eyes the first night, just enough to entice him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, propped his elbows on his thighs, and scrubbed his hands down his face. The strong desire for a smoke gnawed at him, but that would mean getting dressed, or at least partially dressed, and going outside in the sub-freezing temperature. His ex, Amanda, had broken him of the nasty habit of smoking inside the house and the training had stuck. He’d fallen in love with a pretty woman who turned out to be a materialistic, demanding wife. Appearances and a fancy house, which he had built from the ground up, still hadn’t satisfied her. She always seemed to want and need more. High maintenance. Unfortunately, running his own business didn’t leave him time to cater to a high maintenance wife. Besides, after a few years, it was clear they had drifted apart. In the end, his need for nicotine won out. Jack switched on the bedside lamp, picked up his jeans off the floor, and not bothering with his briefs, pulled them on. He slipped his feet into an old, comfortable pair of mocassin slippers and headed for the living room door. On his way out of the bedroom, he grabbed a flannel shirt before he went outside to the porch. Once he had the cigarette lit, he inhaled deeply and stared across the street at Bailey’s dark house. Who in the hell sent her that email? Some bastard voyeur had to have been peeping in the windows last night. How else would the perv have known exactly what he and Bailey had done? At this point, he figured she half-way believed he didn’t send the email, but he’d also seen the mistrust in her eyes and sensed it in her behavior toward him. Since he couldn’t sleep and was now wide awake, he considered checking around her house. If she woke up and caught him, he doubted she would believe him that he was snooping around her house in the middle of the freaking night for her safety. Stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray he kept on the porch railing, he gave the house one thorough look before he walked back inside. 33
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CHAPTER FOUR “Bailey, is that you?” When she heard a man calling her name from the other end of the aisle, Bailey glanced over her shoulder. A man dressed in blue jeans and black vinyl jacket strode up to her. “It’s me, Tom.” Tom, an ex-boyfriend from high school, who now lived in Collville. He’d attended her mother’s funeral. “Hi, Tom. How are you?” Not liking it one bit, when he wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a hug and a lingering kiss on her cheek, Bailey kept her expression neutral. Tom was still attractive with strawberry blonde hair, sky blue eyes and a lean build. “I thought I saw your car the other day driving through town. At least, I figured it was you, since this time of year we don’t get too many out of state plates cruising the main street.” Bailey started to say something, then stopped, a thought niggling at the back of her mind. “How did you know it was me? I traded in my Subaru for a Ford SUV a month ago.” Tom frowned, glancing away from her, while a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Oh, you know. The Colorado plates and I recognized you driving.” “Hmmm.” “Anyway, are you back here to take care of your mom’s things?” Bailey nodded. She had broken up with Tom two days before the senior prom to go
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with Dean West, and she still had the feeling that even eighteen years later, he hadn’t gotten over it. Tom leaned close, causing her to lean back. “Let me take you out to dinner tonight.”
Shocked that he would ask her out on a date, she said. “But you’re married.” “Oh sure, you wouldn’t know. Sandy and I are separated. She took the kids and moved back to Kalispell.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” He shrugged. “These things happen.” How in the blazes could she get out of his invitation? “Thanks, that’s nice of you to ask. But, I have a lot of things to do.” “How long are you going to be in town? We could do it another night.” She hesitated. “I’m not sure.” “Are you on a leave of absence from your job?” She wished she still had a job. She’d resigned her position as bank manager back in Denver before they shit-canned her because, along with her emotions going to hell, her work had also slid down hill. “Ah...you could say that.” “Why don’t I call you? I have to get back to work. Just popped in here to have lunch at the deli.” Before she could say anything, he kissed her on the cheek again, then hurried down the aisle and disappeared around the end of it. Why did every man that gave her a certain look or touched her irritate her? While Jack McBride touching and looking at her had the opposite affect on her. Since walking in on Dave and his secretary, her selfconfidence as a woman had deflated as fast as a car tire after a speeding bullet ripped through it. She should be celebrating the fact that a couple of men found her attractive, but right now she didn’t need the pressure. Turning back to the shelves of cereal, she forced herself to concentrate. She needed to stock up the cupboards at home because she planned on an extended stay here in Collville, at least until her divorce was final. After that, she had no plans for the future, 35
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except to get through each day. **** Bells tinkled overhead as Jack opened the door of the Computer Corner, Benson Davidson’s store. Davidson stood at the counter, shuffling through a stack of papers. When he glanced up, and recognized Jack, a frown furrowed his brows together. He sidled over to the counter. “Morning, Benson.” “What can I do for you?” Leaning against the counter, Jack scratched his jaw, his stubbly jaw because he hadn’t taken the time to shave this morning. “How would someone get my email password for my email address?” “Well...” Benson straightened the papers, and avoided his gaze. “There’s lots of ways. A hacker.
Ad ware, it tracks your keystrokes and can get access to your
computer. That’s what causes users to receive spam mail.” What he really wanted to do was confront Davidson about the email Bailey received last night. Since he had no grounds for that and he wasn’t a cop, he held his tongue. “I changed my email address about a month ago for that reason.” Benson nodded, making sure the stack of papers was perfectly aligned. “You may need to increase the security on your computer.” “Nah, I don’t know about that. I’ve got the most expensive money can buy.” “You could change your email address again and see if that helps. The local telephone company publishes new email addresses unless you ask them not to.” Jack straightened away from the counter. “Shit.” He didn’t remember asking them not to publish it. Benson shot Jack an expression of disapproval at his language. “I beg your pardon?” The polite thing to do would be to apologize to Davidson for swearing in front of him, but he wasn’t in a polite mood this morning. Lack of sleep made him downright cranky. “Do you have Abby Renton’s email?” Sparks of anger flashed in his eyes. “Why would you ask me that?” 36
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Jack lifted a shoulder. “Just curious. Somebody sent Bailey a disturbing email last night and used my address.” “And you think it was me?” “I saw the way you looked at her yesterday. I’d venture a guess you have a thing for her.” Face flushed, Benson glared across the counter, pointing a finger at him. “And I saw the way you looked at her, too.” Damn, he had tried to avoid eye contact with Bailey yesterday at the kitchen table. Good old Benson had managed to pick up on it. Normally, he was good at hiding his feelings. He swore under his breath. “Bailey’s an attractive woman. What can I say?” “I want to know what you’re accusing me of.” Benson demanded. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I just asked if you had Abby’s email address.” “I may still have it on my computer at home. But even if I still had it, I wouldn’t send Bailey a disturbing email. What exactly did it say?” “Sorry, Benson, it’s confidential.” “Unless, you have a computer related question, I think our conversation is over.” Not liking the fact that Davidson had just told him to take a hike, Jack stared hard at him. Anger churned inside his gut because he couldn’t prove a damn thing. “See you around.” Wheeling around, he strode out of the store. The first thing he did after he climbed into his truck, was call the local phone company, requesting a new email address. The receptionist said it would take awhile, but by tomorrow he would have his new address. Jack stressed to her he didn’t want it made public. After he tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, he made a right turn and headed back to the job site. Hopefully, Bailey wouldn’t get anymore emails from his address, which should eliminate any doubts she had about him. For some strange reason it was important that she trusted him. The fact that 37
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Davidson had picked up on his feelings for Bailey, had him gassing his truck when he left the city limits. Almost immediately, he had to brake for a whitetail doe and her fawn ambling across the road. What were his real feelings for her? He wouldn’t deny he had the hots for her, big time. As far back as Abby’s funeral, even before they had messed around, he’d felt the chemistry between them, but Bailey Taylor was a married woman. Her cheating husband was still her husband. His rule was never to get involved with a married woman, but somehow this time, he’d been sucked into an involvement with one. He promised himself he wouldn’t touch her again because she could go running back to her husband if he begged her forgiveness. The meds bothered him. He’d caught her taking a pill last night after checking her house. He supposed a lousy cheating husband could lead to a dependence on pills, which made him wonder if Bailey still loved her husband. They’d fooled around.
That was it in a nutshell. Guilt still weighed on his
shoulders for responding to Bailey’s plea to be pleasured, knowing damn well she was on medication. Jack cruised to a stop behind Bill’s truck, doubts plaguing him that he was strong enough to keep his promise to himself. Something about Bailey had him wanting to take her any way he could get her. Married, on meds, it didn’t matter to him. Feeling his cock swell as he climbed out of his truck, his crankiness notched up even higher. **** After Bailey put the last of the groceries away in the cupboards, she angled over to the desk and decided to email Beth about her shopping expedition in town. Her friend had agreed to emailing back and forth for now, since she wasn’t in the mood for talking. Of course, her therapist, would chew her butt royally for that. Talking was good. People needed to vent. A best friend could be a godsend through an emotional ordeal such as what Bailey was experiencing. Yada, yada, yada. She plopped down on the chair and checked her incoming mail before writing to Beth. Anger erupted inside of her like Mt. St. Helens blowing it’s cork when she opened 38
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another email from Jack. Her stomach instantly tied itself into hard, tight knots. I want to watch you fondle your nipples again. It’s been two days and my cock is constantly hard and aching for you. “That scumbag. That no good bastard.” Jumping up from the chair so fast, she nearly toppled it over. The insane urge to break something had her pausing and frantically looking around the kitchen for an object, anything to throw against the wall to smash into a dozen pieces. No. She needed to punch Jack right smack in the nose, never mind if she broke her hand in the process. She hurried to the window that faced his house. The driveway was empty. He’d left early this morning, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have driven home and emailed her while she was in town shopping. Having no idea where he worked, she raked her hands through her hair. The only thing she knew about him was that he owned his own home construction business. She’d noticed several new construction home sites when she’d arrived the other day. Get a grip. Take a deep breath. Bailey dragged in several deep breaths in a useless attempt to calm her nerves. As usual, she headed straight for her meds tucked safely inside of her purse. After she took one, she paced the room, waiting for the pill to take effect, to make things right. She used to be strong, but after being married for five years to her insensitive husband, her resistance had slowly corroded over time. Where had the real Bailey gone? Shaking her head, she plowed her hands through her hair again. His secretary hadn’t been the first infidelity. She had long suspected without asking. The signs had floated above her like the Goodyear blimp across the city but she had chosen to ignore the blatant signs. Late nights at the office, calling him at work but unable to reach him. When she did finally confront him, he’d admitted to a dozen or more. At this point, her options were limited. She’d have to wait until Jack got home from work. “Damn him and his sex appeal and lying lips.” Last night, a large part of her had believed him. And damn her overwhelming and insane attraction to him. It clouded
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her judgment, but not anymore. Not after this last disgusting email.
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CHAPTER FIVE Letting his truck idle in his driveway, Jack looked in his rear view mirror over at Bailey’s house. After he turned off the ignition, he got out and walked across the street. A feeling of impatience settled smack in the middle of his guts as he waited for her to answer the door. When she didn’t answer after a couple of minutes passed, he tried the door and found it unlocked. A strong feeling of uneasiness compelled him to check on her. After he opened the door, he hesitated before he walked inside. He headed toward the kitchen. “Bailey?” Maybe she wasn’t home. But she wouldn’t leave her door unlocked, and she always kept her car in the garage. Come to think of it, he didn’t know what kind of car she drove. “Bailey?” he called again. Walking down the hallway, he paused and glanced into each room. He finally found her in the last bedroom, asleep, with a blanket tossed over her. Jack leaned against the doorframe. She slept on her side, her brown hair a tangled mess. One of her hands was fisted under her chin, as if even in sleep, she was still uptight. A powerful sexual yearning shot through him just watching her sleep. Warning himself that he was making a big mistake, he went over to the bed. Bending over her, he gently brushed the hair back from her cheek. She sighed and rolled onto her back. “Bailey, are you okay?” As he traced her lips with his fingertips, he felt his cock growing hard. He told himself to get the hell out of her bedroom, but he couldn’t get his feet to move. When she sighed again, he lowered his head and ran his lips over hers. 41
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“Hmmm...” Increasing the pressure just a fraction had her lips parting for him. Not able to stop the groan tumbling from him, he slid his tongue into her mouth. Her hand grabbed his jacket front urging him closer. He gave in by lowering himself on top of her, loving the feel of the soft curves of her warm body. “Bailey, it’s me, Jack.” He whispered at her lips. “Jack,” she repeated in a sleepy sounding voice. “Yeah. “ He nipped the corner of her lip. “Tell me to stop, because I can’t stop on my own.” Her eyes flew open. She stared at him hard for a time. “I don’t trust you.” When Bailey said that, it felt like he’d just been pummeled in the jaw with a beefy fist. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t seem to stay away from you.” She seemed slightly out of it, so he knew in his gut she was on meds. But on the other hand, she had just woken up. “I don’t trust you,” she repeated. “But,” she paused, closing her eyes and murmured. “You make me feel like a woman again.” Jack framed her face with his hands. “Do you want me to go?” She slowly opened her eyes and gazed at him. “I don’t know.” “Are you on pills?” “Just my usual. Stress tires me out.” Her eyes turned dark and stormy. “You sent me another email.” His head snapped up. “What the hell? I changed my email address this morning.” Add a heavy dose of anger to the other emotions already balled tight in his guts. He felt a muscle tick in his jaw. “No, you sent me another one. I was so pissed at you when I got it. I’m still mad at you.” “I swear to God, Bailey, I didn’t.” “You said you wanted to watch me fondle myself again. And that your cock throbbed for me.” 42
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Son of a bitch. Those words described how he felt about her, but he wasn’t the one writing them. His arousal for her mimicked the son of a bitch sending her those sick emails. “Is that what you want?” she whispered in a husky voice. “To see me fondle myself again?” He didn’t know a lot of women that were uninhibited enough to fondle themselves while making love. Bailey might not do that if she wasn’t under the influence of medication. “Do you?” she asked again, her eyes fixed on him. For once in his life, he was at a loss for words. He had been so turned on when she fondled herself, that after carrying her to bed, he’d gone home and relieved himself with his hand in the shower. He’d replayed every freaking moment of their time together. “Bailey.” If he admitted how sexually excited she’d made him, it would be like shouting his guilt to the neighborhood. He started to get off her, but she fisted her hands into his jacket, and held him in place. Her gaze intense, she said. “In the emails, you keep saying you do.” “I’m not the bastard sending you those emails. You have to believe me.” “What if you were?” Feeling his jaw tighten with tension from her accusation, he said. “It’s not me.” “But you liked watching me fondle myself the other night.” Desperation raked like talons at his guts. He wanted her so damn bad, he had a hard time thinking straight, but he knew she needed to trust him. “Let’s talk when you’re not on pills.” “I’m not that out of it.” Her eyes were still slightly sleeping looking, but focused, not like the night he found her on the porch. “You’re hard,” she murmured. Busted. “Yeah, I have an aching hard-on, but I think I should go.”
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She was quiet for a moment. “Do you really think someone was watching us the other night?” “Someone had to have been watching us, or how else would he have known what we did?” “Nobody knew I was in town.” “Benson did.” Her brows knitted together. “True. He’s kind of creepy, but I think he’s harmless.” ”We don’t know that.” His renegade eyes lowered to her lips. When he looked up at her, their gazes locked. “Kiss me,” she whispered. “Bailey.” Even as he said her name, his mouth came down hard on hers. She parted her lips with a sigh for him, her hands dragging him closer. Drowning in a sea of lust for this woman, he ignored the emails, as well as the fact that she was a married woman on meds. Slanting his head, Jack deepened the kiss, his hand cupping her breast. Bailey arched her back for him as he gently squeezed her. Her tongue performed wonderful deeds inside his mouth, eliciting a rough groan from him. When all the air was gone from his lungs, he pulled back from her, seeing that her lips were swollen and deep pink from their kiss. Jack pushed his hands under her top, pushing it up over her head before giving it a toss. She wore the same satiny red bra as the other night. Memories floated back to him as his bent and kissed each of her hard nipples hidden under the satin. Bailey scooted back and pushed his hands away. Jack watched as she sat up and unhooked her bra for him. His hands covered her breasts the instant they spilled free. Their lips sought each other’s out again as she unzipped his jacket, shoving it back off his shoulders. Tearing his lips from hers, he rolled off the bed and started stripping. If he didn’t get naked with her, and soon, he knew he would explode. For several moments(,) she watched him undress before she unzipped her jeans and shimmied them down over her hips. 44
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Like a man possessed, he ripped off his clothes and work boots before she could change her mind, or before sanity returned to his brain. Because he knew inside his gut this was reckless behavior on his part. Common sense didn’t seem to factor into the equation where Bailey was concerned. Only her red satin panties remained by the time Jack had stripped off his clothes. He knelt on the side of the bed and quickly peeled them off her. He stared at her dark brown pubic hair and pussy, like it was the first time he had seen that secret part of her. Still kneeling, he slipped his middle finger inside of her, groaning out loud because she was wet and ready for him. Spreading her legs for him, she laid back on the bed. As he thrust his finger in and out of her, he watched her head roll to the side and her eyes flutter closed. Bending down, he inhaled the musky scent of her arousal before he flicked his tongue over her clit. When she jerked and moaned, he pressed harder with his tongue. Jack slipped his finger out of her and climbed between her legs, spreading them as wide as possible before he lowered his head and began licking her. He heard her breath coming in quick pants as her hips started a rhythm beneath his head. Sliding his finger back inside her slick heat, he increased the pressure of his tongue, feeling his cock throbbing as he touched her most intimate spots. “Jack, oh, Jack...” When she said his name in a low throaty voice, he thrust his finger harder and faster inside of her. Her soft thighs closed around his head. Nothing else in the world existed for him, only Bailey, her hot scent, and the feel of her thighs pressing against his head. Suddenly she came with a swift shudder as a scream ripped from her throat. Scrambling to be inside of her, he figured he would come as soon as his cock touched her pussy. When he drove himself into her wet heat, another throaty moan tore from her lips as he pounded harder and faster into the deepest part of her. “Jesus, Bailey,” he growled before he pushed his tongue between her parted lips. She closed around him, pulling his tongue into her, stealing his breath away. Feeling her legs wrap around his thighs, he thrust his throbbing cock into her sex 45
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while the feel of her nipples flattened against his chest, spurred his need to come. To feel the ultimate satisfaction with this woman. Beating off in the shower the other night had given him release, not satisfaction. “Dammit,” he said through clenched teeth. “Come, baby, come.” Her pussy tightened around his cock causing him to lose control, but as his orgasm wracked his body, he felt Bailey’s body responding in kind. Their moans echoed inside his head when finally fucking sweet release freed him. **** Like waking from a cozy dream, Bailey slowly found her way back to reality. The dead weight of Jack’s sweat slicked body covering hers had her sighing in satisfaction, but something nagged at the back of mind as her thoughts drifted back to the here and now. The damned email. Remembering how she’d nearly seen red when she had read it earlier this afternoon, she couldn’t understand why she had just made love with Jack. Was there a secret part of her that was turned on by the idea of Jack sending her naughty emails? With a vengeance, he denied sending them to her. Her muscles tensed as anxiety bit and chewed at her emotions. Jack raised his head, a frown drawing his brows together. “Hey.” Staring at him, she questioned her sanity, big time. “Bailey.” His deep voice held suspicion. Blinking several times in a futile attempt to clear her head, she looked at him hard. His blue eyes were filled with concern and questions, while his jaw looked so tight it might snap. Her cheeks felt scraped raw from his day old beard growth, but the friction of his cheeks rubbing against hers while they had made love had felt good, arousing her even more. Jack McBride was one hundred and ten percent all man, from the dark hair on his chest, to the muscles he maintained from hard physical labor. At the moment, she couldn’t remember ever being so attracted to a man, a man she hardly knew, a man that might have a naughty little secret. “Talk to me,” he said. 46
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She shook her head, not knowing what to say. For the second time in a few days, she’d placed herself in a vulnerable and uncompromising position with him. “You think I’m easy, don’t you?” “No,” he said shaking his head. “No, I don’t.” Sucking in a long breath to compose herself, she placed her hands on his chest, feeling the heat of his body passing to her. “Then you probably think I’m nuttier than a fruitcake for having sex with you after those emails.” If she thought his jaw had been tight before, now it transformed into a line of steel right before her eyes. “I am not the one sending you those fucking emails,” he said through clenched teeth. Now anger sparked in his gaze, as he refused to back down or look away from her. If a real live pervert had sent those emails, it did mean someone had been watching the other night. Her breathing increased, signaling a full-fledged anxiety attack ready to strike. “I can’t think straight.” “Relax, okay. Take another deep breath.” He gently pressed his fingertips against her temples and massaged her. “Jack.” “Just relax.” “I’m having a goddamn anxiety attack here.” Her voice bordered on hysteria. “I got that, Bailey. Close your eyes and relax.” She didn’t close her eyes, but instead kept staring at him. “I can’t. I need a pill.” “I’ll help you get through it.” She struggled to drag in a breath, but she felt like it she was trapped in an airtight room, the supply of oxygen dwindling. “It’s not that easy.” Jack stopped massaging her temples. He studied her for long moments and must have seen the desperation in her eyes because he said in a resigned voice. “Where are your pills?” “My purse. On the kitchen counter.” 47
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“I’ll get them for you.” He rolled off her, which instantly brought a chill to her body. Watching his firm butt and broad back walk out of the bedroom, only seemed to increase her anxiety. Covering her face with her hands, she fought to calm herself, managing to drag in one breath(,) which momentarily stilled the choppy waters. Jack walked back into her bedroom carrying her brown leather purse and a glass of water. Under different circumstances, she might have laughed. A big, rugged, naked man with black pubic hair nestling his balls, carrying a purse didn’t quite jell. He set the glass down on the nightstand and handed her the purse. She dug inside it until her fingers closed around the small bottle. After she took the pill, he held up the glass for her, which she gratefully downed in three long swallows. “Thanks.” He sat down on the side of the bed. His piercing gaze on her made her already anxiety riddled body tense up more. “Please don’t stare at me.” Suddenly feeling modest, she grabbed the blanket and covered herself, knowing it was a little late. His jaw tightened before he glanced out the window above the bed. A sudden urge to lick the underside of his stubbled jaw swept through her, but instead she tugged the blanket up around her neck. He continued to stare out the window. “How long does it take for the pill to kick in?” “I don’t know. Maybe fifteen minutes.” Jack looked down at her, his face and eyes serious. “Why do you have to take pills in the first place?” Because she was weak. Because she’d let Dave undermine her self-confidence over the course of their marriage. If she had been stronger and smarter, she wouldn’t need to medicate herself, but her therapist had insisted she needed the medication for the short term at least. Desperate to right herself after her marriage tumbled sideways, upside down, and every which way, she had sought out therapy. Her nerves still running amuck, she knotted the edge of the blanket in her fists. 48
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“Circumstances out of my control.” “Your husband?” After all this time, it still pained her to admit Dave had sought out the company of other women over her. “Yeah.” Jack shifted his position, his naked thigh resting against her hip. “Are you going to reconcile?” “When hell freezes over.” And then she wasn’t even sure about that. He pried one of her hands away from the blanket she’d been clutching like a lifeline. Wrapping both of his hands around hers, he looked her in the eye. “I don’t make a habit of getting involved with married women.” “Do you make it a habit of getting involved with crazy women?” “Stop it, Bailey.” She lifted a shoulder, which caused the blanket to slide down. With his free hand, Jack tucked the blanket tighter around her. His fingers accidentally brushed against her breast. A simple touch from him sent heat sailing through her. Medication or no medication, she wanted him again, but she averted her eyes, and hoped he didn’t notice her desperate need for him. “Where’s the email?” he asked in a voice so low, it came out sounding like a harsh whisper. Not wanting to be reminded of the damned thing, she dragged in a breath. “After I printed it, I tore it up.” “Did you delete it off your computer?” Bailey shook her head. “I need to look at it.” Jack stood up, and bent down to grab his jeans. Bailey watched as he tugged them over his long, husky legs, which were covered with dark hair. “Are you okay to be alone for a few minutes?” No, she really wasn’t, but she nodded just the same. Again, she watched him walk 49
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out of the bedroom wearing only his faded jeans. He seemed genuinely concerned about her state of mind, her fractured state of mind. His lovemaking was straightforward, passionate, thrilling, but certainly showed no signs of kinkiness. Several minutes later he returned to the bedroom, a scowl etched across his face. He stopped by the side of the bed, but didn’t sit down. “I called the phone company this morning to change my email address at around ten thirty. The mail came in at eight forty seven, so that was before I changed it. Besides, they said it probably wouldn’t take effect until tomorrow.” The scowl on his face deepened as he scratched the back of his neck. “If you get another one, maybe we should call the cops.” “The cops. No way.” Bailey sat up so fast, she felt slightly dizzy. “I don’t want the cops reading those emails.” “You still don’t believe me, do you?” She brought her knees up her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. “I’m sorry. I don’t know if I do believe you. I still can’t believe someone was watching us.” Jack clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides. “You don’t believe me, but you’re willing to be with me. We just had hot, intimate sex and you still say you don’t believe me.” She forced herself to look at him. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?” When she saw his face harden with lines of anger, she said. “I want to believe you.” “Do you?” She had to dig deep for that answer, but yes, she wanted to believe him. Bailey nodded. Jack shook his head. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t mean that?” “We hardly know each other,” she paused, raking a hand through her tangled hair. “In fact, we don’t know each other at all.” Pacing back and forth by the bed, he glanced at her every now and then. His pacing added to her agitation, but she didn’t ask him to stop. She shifted on the bed, kicking her legs straight out in front of her, fighting for patience as she waited for the medication to kick in. She wished like hell she didn’t need medication. Her plan had 50
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been to stop taking them once she arrived in Collville, but memories of her mother’s passing, and walking into her mother’s house had proved to be too much for her. Painful memories had assaulted her at every corner. Add Jack to the mix and her sexual encounter with him on that first night, as well as the naughty emails and now she felt like she was sinking into quicksand with no lifeline or branch to grab hold of. She covered her face with her hands wishing the damned pill would take effect. “Bailey?” Dropping her hands, she looked up at Jack who stood by the bed, his hands on his hips. “Yeah?” “Are you feeling better?” Her heart tightened unexpectedly at his concern because it seemed so genuine. Maybe he wasn’t just using her, but then maybe she was using him. “Almost there.” The medication was subtle, the calming effects seeping into her system and body ever so slowly. “Can I get you something?” She wanted to shout at him to stop being so concerned for her because it would make it easier to not believe him. “No...no, thanks.” If Jack was guilty, that would prove no one had been watching them. If he weren’t guilty, it would mean there might possibly be a stalker after her. Shivering, she snugged the blanket tighter around her. “I’m okay,” she said. “Really I am. You can leave if you want.” He winced when she said that, which caused guilt to well up inside of her. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I mean if you have something you need to do, you’d don’t have to be polite and hang around.” “I don’t have anything else to do.” Nothing more pressing than hanging around to watch a woman on the edge struggle to keep herself together? “Suit yourself.” “Are you hungry?” She tried to remember the last time she’d eaten since breakfast. “Not really.” At last, 51
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blessed relief slowly spread through her body, easing her muscle tension and calming her thoughts. Ahh, the power of modern medicine. “I’m fine.” The last thing she wanted was him hanging around out of obligation. He nodded as he stared down at her. “I guess I’ll be on my way then.” Jack held her gaze for a one burning moment, before he bent down, picked up his tee shirt and shrugged it over his head. She didn’t watch as he dressed, as much as she wanted to. Instead, she stared straight ahead at the opened door. The bed shifted when he sat down on the edge to put on his socks and boots. His broad shoulders strained the material of his tee shirt. Feeling the heat gathering between her legs, she quickly looked away. In spite of the medication, her body warmed just watching him get dressed. If only she understood the undeniable and magnetic attraction she had for him. After he stood up, he circled around to face her. “Lock your door and call me if you need anything. I mean anything.” A grim expression showed on his face. Not liking his expression, she nodded. He believed someone was watching the two of them. Leaning down, he was so close to her she could feel his breath on her cheek. “What?” With his fingers, he moved her head in his direction. “I mean it. Call me.” His lips were a breath away and suddenly she wanted to French kiss him again and drag him back down on the bed with her. She moistened her dry lips with her tongue, which caused Jack’s eyes to lower but he made no move to kiss her. When he straightened up, a strong feeling of disappointment washed through her. He watched her for another scorching second, before he turned and strode out of the bedroom. **** Jack rolled his shoulders a couple of times as he walked across the street. He stopped by his truck, opened the door and grabbed his most expensive tools to take inside his house. After he deposited his tools in the laundry room, he walked back outside and lit a cigarette. Angling around the side of the house to his front porch, he 52
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never took his gaze off Bailey’s place. She didn’t believe him. That was as clear as the nose on his face. On a whim, he’d gone to check on her, somehow ending up in her bed. Deep down that’s what he’d wanted. He’d wanted his cock inside of her mysterious and damp pussy. He had needed to taste her, to feel her wrap herself around him. Feeling his cock swelling at the searing memory of Bailey doing just that, he took another quick drag off the cigarette. Before exhaling, he let the nicotine linger in his lungs, still eying her house. After he dropped the cigarette butt, he ground it out with his boot. Ready to head inside, he spotted Bailey standing at the living room window looking over at him. Their eyes caught. She tightened the sash of a black robe before she reached up and drew the curtains together blocking his view of her. “Dammit.” He muttered, feeling shut out as she closed all of the curtains in the front of the house, each time glancing out to see if he was still there. Cursing himself for acting like a stalker, he wheeled around, bounded up the porch steps, and stomped inside. If Bailey kept getting those sick emails, he would...Jack paused, not sure what he would do. Personally, he wanted to smash the bastard’s face in for tormenting her like that, but first he would have to find the sick pervert. The only computer geek he knew was Benson Davidson and he still hadn’t ruled the guy out yet. Other than that, most of his friends were in the construction business and possessed only a bare bones knowledge of computers, just as he did. Jack headed for the fridge and grabbed a long necked bottle of Miller’s beer. After he drank half the bottle down, he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth, knowing he’d finally killed his hard-on. **** Bailey snuggled on the couch, watching television, but her mind drifted far from the plot of the cop drama. When the phone rang in the kitchen, she frowned wondering who was calling her. Jack? Tossing the afghan aside, she padded into the kitchen and picked up the phone. “Hello.” “Bailey? Hi, how are you?” 53
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Her brows knitted together as she tried to place the male voice. “Who is this?” “Tom. You didn’t recognize my voice. I’m hurt.” He chuckled. Damn, she’d completely forgotten about running into him at the supermarket earlier today. “Um...hi. What’s up?” “How about a late dinner? Unless you’ve already eaten.” She glanced at the wall clock above the refrigerator and saw that it was after eight. “I’m sorry. I ate earlier.” Not much, but she had put something in her stomach. “No big deal. I could bring a six-pack and drop by. We could catch up on old times.” “I don’t think so, Tom. Not tonight. I...a...had a busy day. I’m really done in for the night.” A long, tense silence followed. The silence dragged on for so long that she wondered if he was still there. “Tom?” “Yeah, no big deal.” His voice sounded tight and strained to her. There was no way he still had a thing for her all these years later. God, she hoped not, because she couldn’t deal with a boyfriend hoping to rekindle a lost cause. “It was nice of you to ask, though.” “How about tomorrow night?” On stress overload, she fought to come up with an excuse but knew she could only make so many excuses before she ended up hurting his feelings. “Why don’t we do lunch tomorrow?” Lunch was a lot more casual than dinner. Besides, dinner brought it into the dating category. Lunch with an old classmate she could probably handle The seconds ticked by while she waited for Tom to respond. “I’ll guess I’ll have to settle for lunch. I’ll pick you up at noon and we can go to the Roadhouse.” The Roadhouse was a popular bar and grill in Collville. She’d much rather do the local café or deli. “Okay, but I’ll meet you there. I have some errands to do in town again.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she hoped he bought her lie. 54
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Another pregnant and drawn out pause followed before Tom finally said, “I’ll meet you there at noon.” Once again, his voice sounded tense to her, which made her slightly uncomfortable. “See you tomorrow then. Bye.” Bailey dropped the phone back on its cradle and sidled over to the window, a mixture of frustration and annoyance eating at her. The last thing she wanted to do was to have lunch with Tom. For some strange reason the hairs on the back of her neck tingled. Pushing back the curtain an inch or so, she had the distinct feeling someone was watching her. Jack’s porch light was on. He leaned against the porch pillar, smoking a cigarette, and staring over at her house. Since he chose to smoke outside, he probably always stared over in this direction. Bailey wondered what he was thinking, or more specifically, what he thought of her. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in her mind that he was just as attracted to her as she was to him. His lovemaking proved that fact, but that didn’t mean squat in the big scheme of things. Was he capable of sending those graphic emails? He didn’t fit the profile, but stalkers and serial killers were many times smooth operators. Maybe he just needed some cheap thrills in his life. According to her mother, he was divorced, had no kids, and owned his own construction company. Other than those few facts, she didn’t know much about him. And why did she refuse to believe him? Shaking her head because she didn’t know the answer, she let the curtain drop from her hand. If she let herself believe him, that would mean she might be setting herself up for another painful emotional tumble. If he truly was the decent guy he came across as, and all he wanted was hot, steamy sex, then...she couldn’t bring herself to finish that thought.
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CHAPTER SIX “Since you let us off early, why don’t we go to the Roadhouse for a beer and steak sandwich?” Bill asked as he tossed his tools into the back of his truck. Jack squinted against the bright October sun as he locked the metal toolbox in the bed of his truck. “Sure, why not?” He said without looking over at Bill whose truck was parked parallel with his. “Meet you there.” “Okay.” Some how the three of them had managed to get ahead of schedule on the job, no thanks to him. He hadn’t been fully present at the job site since he’d discovered Bailey dressed only in sexy lingerie on her porch. He owed the advance in schedule to Bill and Dan. “Where’s Dan? I’ll buy him lunch, too.” Bill, ready to climb inside his truck, paused. “I think he’s got a hot afternoon date or something along those lines.” “Figures.” Jack rounded the back of his truck and got inside. At Dan’s tender age, a hot date was a good thing. At his age, it came with drawbacks. At least, it did with Bailey. But then, the two of them had never been on an actual date. Fast forward to hot, carnal sex. He doubted she’d go on a date with him because of the emails hanging over their heads. Since she believed he might be the one behind them, there wasn’t a tinker’s damn in hell she’d go out with him. On the other hand, she was more than willing to make love with him, which didn’t make a whole hell of a lot of sense to him. Maybe she 56
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just needed to prove her desirability with another man after her husband cheated on her. Which made him a rebound guy. Not liking that label, he cursed to himself. After he started his truck, Jack scrubbed a hand down his face. The question was, did he want to get any more involved with her than he already was? Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have an answer to that question. What he really wanted was for the emails to stop. If they never figured out who sent them, he supposed he could live with that, just so as long as they stopped. His new email address should take effect today, so he’d be sure and check when he got home. That should put an end to it. A quick u-turn and he was cruising down the road behind Bill. A few minutes later, he followed Bill into the parking lot of the Roadhouse. The place was packed for a Saturday afternoon although that wasn’t unusual. “Glad to hear you’re buying,” Bill said as he held the door for Jack. “Sandy wants a new washer.” “You mean she needs a new washer.” Bill shrugged. “That, too.” Jack chuckled as he searched the room for an empty table or booth. The chuckle lodged in his throat when he spotted Bailey sitting at a table by the window with a man. What the hell? He knew that guy. Tom something or other. “Let’s sit by the window.” Bill said as he stopped next to Jack. “We’ll sit at the bar.” Ignoring his friend’s surprised expression, he marched up to the bar, and plopped his butt down on a stool. Jack wrestled with the unexpected jealousy burning inside his guts. “What the hell happened to you?” Bill demanded as he sat down on the adjacent stool. “Nothing. I feel like sitting at the bar.” He stared straight ahead. “Okay, whatever you say, buddy.” Unable to stop himself, he glanced over his shoulder. Bailey sat with her hands in her lap, listening to that Tom guy talk. Just before he turned back to the bar, he caught 57
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her smiling at him. “Hey.” Bill jabbed him in the ribs. “Annie’s busy, so give her your order. Jack focused on the young blonde woman, Annie, who usually worked Saturday afternoons at the Roadhouse. She smiled at him, an order pad and pen poised in front of her. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “A bottle of Miller’s and steak sandwich, medium well.” “Coming right up, guys.” She sashayed away in snug black jeans and the red Roadhouse tee shirt. Glancing over his shoulder again, he watched Tom what’s his name, lean forward and look directly into Bailey’s eyes. His gut burning hotter, he battled to ignore the unwanted jealousy blazing inside of him. Bailey leaned back and glanced out the window for a moment. “We should be done by next Friday,” Bill said. He turned back and faced the bar. “A...yeah. No reason why we shouldn’t.” Annie returned with their drinks then. Jack immediately downed nearly half the bottle of beer. Bill elbowed him in the ribs again. “You thirsty or something?” Bailey had told him she knew only a few people in town, mainly Abby’s friends and Benson Davidson. Confused by the jealousy threatening to consume his emotions, his hand tightened around the beer bottle. Bill picked up his beer. “I get the feeling something’s stuck in your craw.” Yeah, Bailey and that guy. “Just tired. Long week.” After that Jack refused to look over his shoulder at Bailey. Instead, he sat there, simmering in his own juices, struggling to make conversation with Bill. Halfway through his steak sandwich and fries, he spotted Bailey and that Tom bastard walking across the room when he glanced at the mirror behind the bar. This time, he did look over his shoulder. When Bailey saw him, her face immediately turned crimson and she stopped midstride. Tom nearly mowed her over, but instead he laid his hands on her shoulders to steady her. The sight of another man putting his hands on Bailey turned 58
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his half-eaten lunch into a tight lump inside his belly. She quickly looked away, and pulled free of Tom’s hands before she headed for the door. Cursing under his breath, he watched until the two of them disappeared outside. When he went back to eating his lunch, he felt Bill’s eyes boring holes into him. He glanced at his friend and shrugged. He didn’t have a damn thing to say about his pissed off state of mind. **** Staring straight ahead as she swung her truck into her driveway, Bailey refused to even steal a glance at Jack’s house. As she turned her truck off, she finally caved and glanced at the rear view mirror. Jack wasn’t home. He always parked in front of the large garage, separate from his house. Blowing out a shaky breath, she sat inside her truck. The image of Jack’s dark blue gaze searing her with anger when she’d noticed him sitting at the bar scrolled through her mind. His broad back and shoulders had been stiff as a board. Damn. Now he would definitely think she was an easy mark. Well...so far she had been with him. She hadn’t even had such a powerful animal attraction with Dave. Definite attraction for her cheating ex, but not this raw need that blazed inside her body for Jack. Just because she was attracted to him beyond normal sanity limits, didn’t mean he wasn’t behind the emails. No proof had been offered otherwise. Pulling the key out of the ignition, she grabbed her purse and climbed out, deciding to leave her truck in the driveway. Just as she closed the door, Jack peeled into his own driveway, and came to an abrupt stop. Her fingers tightened on her purse because part of her wanted to bolt inside the house, while another part of her wanted to rush over there and explain about Tom.
Jack got out of his truck and wheeled around to face her. From across the street they stared at each other. Even from that distance, Bailey felt the anger vibrating off of him. 59
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Anxiety sprouted inside of her, but that was nothing new. Anxiety always scrambled around in her system. One contented, anxiety free day would be a simple blessing for her frazzled and vulnerable mental state. Before she could stop herself, she started walking toward him, her leather purse clutched to her chest like a shield. Jack slammed his door, leaned a shoulder against it, then crossed his arms over his chest. His casual pose belied the stormy emotions clouding his eyes. Heart slamming against her chest, she walked up his driveway. “It’s not what you think.” One dark brow rose. “Excuse me?” “You know damn well what I’m talking about.” With a tight jaw, he said. “Oh, you mean the guy you were with at the Roadhouse.” Sarcasm weighed heavy in his tone. “Tom and I went to high school together in Kalispell.” “An old flame, then?” “No, he’s no–,” she paused, realizing that wasn’t exactly true, but that was high school for God’s sakes. “We dated some back in high school which was another life time.” “I think he still has the hots for you.” Bailey felt the same way, too, especially after their lunch together, but she kept her thoughts to herself. “You’re wrong. He’s recently separated from his wife and he needed a shoulder to cry on.” The odd thing was he’d barely spoken of his wife. By Jack’s actions and tone, it was obvious he was jealous. Was he jealous because his feelings for her bordered on possessiveness or because he genuinely cared about her? “I can see this conversation is pointless.” She spun around but had only taken a few steps when he grabbed her arm. His sexual energy, combined with his anger shot firecrackers of heat through her. Not good. Not good to be so recklessly attracted to this man. “You went out with him because there’s a part of you that still thinks I’m some kind of perv.” 60
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Bailey tilted her head in his direction. Anger still swam in his eyes but questions floated near the surface, too. “I went to lunch with Tom because he insisted. He wanted to do dinner, but I said no. I figured lunch would get him off my back.” A muscle ticked in his jaw as he stared at her. Anxiety and longing crashed together inside her body. Her muscles tensed, while at the same time elemental sexual yearning washed through her. A feeling of neediness swamped her because she wanted him to kiss her so badly. Against her will, she leaned toward him, watching him from under lowered lashes. His mouth came down hard on hers, forcing the breath from her lungs. When she parted her lips in invitation, his tongue drove inside of her mouth. Jack tasted of rugged man, beer and steak sauce. She welcomed the taste of him invading her senses. Strong arms crushed her against him, which caused her nipples to harden. From a distance, she heard her purse thump to the driveway. The feel of his erection, grinding against her tummy, made her whimper like a puppy searching for its mother. She shouldn’t want this man so much considering she didn’t completely trust him. Maybe she was on the rebound, desperate to prove she still had what it takes to attract a man. If only she knew... As quickly as he began kissing her, he stopped just as quickly, which tore a moan from her throat. Opening her eyes, she saw him staring over her shoulder. Fighting herself free from the sexual haze, she glanced over her shoulder. Benson Davidson’s white Ford Explorer was stopped next to Jack’s driveway. With an open mouth, Benson stared at the two of them before he looked back at the road and gassed his truck. “Shit.” Jack dropped his hands and stepped away from her. Still slightly disoriented from his ravaging kiss, Bailey looked at him and saw by the expression on his face that his anger had returned. Or maybe it had never left, because anger had came across loud and clear in his kiss. She caught his eye before she circled around and hurried across the street. She didn’t look back or glance over her shoulder as she unlocked the front door. Safely inside, she angled over to the window and saw Jack still standing where she had left 61
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him. Her breathing labored, she looked away, and leaned her back against the wall next to the window. Dumping her purse and keys on the floor, she rubbed her hands over her face. What the hell was going on? An unbelievable urge to take a pill washed through her, but she gritted her teeth, and fought it back. She had to stop the meds. She had to get her head clear. What was going on between her and Jack made her do foolhardy and rash things. It also made her want to do the nasty with him right in his driveway. Oh, wouldn’t Benson have gotten an eyeful then? She’d put off going through her mother’s things for the past week. Knowing she needed to keep busy, she jogged through the house and out to the garage. She grabbed the stack of cardboard boxes she’d picked up at the supermarket the other day. Fighting back the anxiety that infested her body, she went straight to her mother’s room and dropped the boxes in front of the closet. Struggling to calm herself, she pulled in several deep breaths. Her thoughts scattered like golden leaves from a brisk autumn breeze as she yanked sweaters, skirts and slacks off hangers. Folding the clothes haphazardly she put them in a box. Her plan to take care of her mother’s affairs, regroup, and get her head together had taken a sharp left the night she’d laid on the porch in her underwear. Entangled with the man across the street, and getting kinky emails threatened to push her past the edge, the edge she barely clung to as it was. For the next hour, Bailey worked at a frenzied pace, and fought a mighty war with her emotions every step of the way.
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CHAPTER SEVEN Her pussy tasted sweet and musky at the same time. Groaning, Jack buried his head deeper between her silky thighs, losing himself, not ever wanting to find himself again. “Dammit! Wake up!” A woman’s voice, harsh and angry, emerged from the fog of his sleepy brain. He felt something shake his thigh. Bordering on the periphery of consciousness, he clawed his way back to reality. He opened his eyes to see Bailey glaring down at him, a sheet of white paper clutched in her hand. “Wake up, dammit,” she ordered. Blinking away the sleep and grogginess that always accompanied an afternoon nap, he pushed himself up onto one elbow. “What? What the hell’s going on?” She shoved the paper at his face. He blinked a couple of times and tried to read the type written words on it. The noise of the TV played in the background, adding to his confusion and the struggle to come fully awake. He’d fallen asleep on the couch after drinking another beer and watching TV for awhile. “Read it.” “Take it easy, Bailey.” His head had been buried between her thighs in his hot, erotic dream. Jack swung his legs over the side of the couch, forcing Bailey to step back. She shoved the paper at him again. A sense of foreboding slid through him when he took the paper from her. Bailey, 63
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You give yourself so easily, spreading your legs like a prostitute desperate for money. Your moans of pleasure and greediness drive me crazy with lust and helpless need for you. “Jesus.” He read the words again, hating the impotent feelings rushing through him. The no good son of a bitch might as well have cut off his balls. His gaze shot up to Bailey’s. Her face was flushed from anger, embarrassment, or maybe both. Her eyes held a wild kind of look to them. He reached for her hand, but she backed away. “Bailey, please...” “You said you changed your email address.” “I did.” Dammit, he’d forgotten to check when he’d arrived home. Too worked up with a combination of jealousy, anger, and overpowering lust, he’d completely forgotten to turn on his computer. Jack stood, his eyes locked on Bailey’s as he brushed past her and headed for the spare bedroom. He felt her following him down the short hallway. After he flipped on the light, he walked over to his desk and turned on his computer. “Your computer isn’t on?” Bailey asked behind him. Wheeling around to face her, he said. “It hasn’t been on since yesterday.” “You could have turned it off before you fell asleep.” Jack didn’t answer, fighting back the anger rising inside of him, as he circled around to his desk. Gritting his teeth together, he waited for his computer to do its thing. Once it was ready, he brought up Outlook Express. First, he checked his incoming mail. The only one he opened was from the local telephone company informing him his new email address had taken affect this morning. Bailey scooted close to him and read the email. Not looking at her, he keyed in his sent messages. He tamped down the all-consuming urge to bash his fist into the monitor when he saw that the last message was sent one hour ago from his new address. “Why don’t you stop lying to me and stop tormenting me?” She covered her face
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with her hands, and spun away from him. He planted his hands on his hips and walked towards her, anger and a complete feeling of helplessness overtaking him. “I can’t explain this Bailey. It’s damn clear, I’ve been hacked into. I don’t know crap about computers, just the basics. I thought changing my address would fix the problem.” She dropped her hands to her sides. “Obviously it didn’t,” she said, anger and contempt vibrating in her voice. “This must really turn you on. I bet you have a huge hard-on right now.” When she glanced down at his crotch, Jack fought back the urge to cover himself. “Stop it, Bailey.” “If you won’t stop it, why should I?” “Some bastard has hacked into my computer.” With each passing day and each new email, the need for her to believe his innocence gnawed hard and painfully at him. “I’ll have to take it in to a computer repair shop. Not Davidson’s, that’s for sure.” “You think because he saw us in your driveway, he’s the one doing it?” “He damn well got an eyeful.” “Oh, please give me a break.” She rolled her eyes. “People kiss all the time on the street.” In spite of the situation, Jack felt his dick swelling. All he had to do was look into Bailey’s eyes and he felt like a buck deer in the rut. He glanced away from her for a moment to pull himself together. “Do you want to take me right now?” He snapped his neck so fast when he looked back at her, he was surprised he didn’t throw it out of alignment. “I said stop it, Bailey.” Her face still colored with anger, she moved up to him and pushed her hands under his tee shirt, raking her nails gently down his chest. He grabbed her hands and stopped her. “Don’t do this.” “Why pretend? Maybe sending the emails turns you on? After all, as soon as I get one, I come running over here.” 65
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He pulled her hands from under his shirt, but he still held them in his own. “When I want a woman, I go about it the old fashioned way. I call her, ask her out, and then try to seduce her the old fashioned way.” Bailey stepped back, so Jack let go of her hands. “It’s dark. I’ll walk you home.” “I don’t need to be walked home.” She spun on her heel and hurried out of the room. Jack followed her, but she was already out the door. With bare feet, he went out on the porch and waited until she disappeared into her house. Anger, desire, frustration, and a big feeling of helplessness wound into a tight ball inside his stomach. Feeling the cold porch boards under his feet, he wheeled around and stomped back inside. He still had a throbbing hard-on for her. **** At ten o’clock that night Bailey decided to call it a day. As she closed the curtain over the sink in the kitchen, for some unexplainable reason, the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She glanced outside but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. At the window that faced Jack’s house, she saw him standing on his porch, smoking a cigarette. He always kept the porch light on, even during the day. He tossed the cigarette out on his walkway, then paced back and forth on the porch. It seemed she spent a lot of time watching Jack watching her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she fought back the yearning to be with him. Every single time she confronted him with a new and suggestive email he denied it with a single-minded passion. How could she not believe him? On the other hand, why should she believe him? The emails came from his computer, but an experienced hacker could manipulate another person’s computer. She didn’t how, but she did know it could be done. Ambivalent emotions twisted together inside of her. If she didn’t believe him, why was she so damned easy with him? She’d come on to him at his house earlier, but he’d nipped it in the bud. Consumed with anger, she’d made a pass at him and he’d behaved like a gentleman. 66
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Bailey glanced over at the counter where her purse sat. She clenched her hands together tight to ward off the need for an anxiety pill. She’d managed to make it through the day without one, and she hadn’t taken an anti-depressant pill this morning either. All she had to do was go to bed and sleep. It would be her first day in months without any medication. I can do this. She finished securing the house for the night, double checking the locks on the doors before she padded down to the bedroom. The phone rang just as she tucked the blankets around her. Her brows crinkled together she turned the night light back on. The idea of someone calling her so late didn’t sit well with her. After she picked up the phone, she said in an annoyed voice. “Hello.” “Bailey, hi.” “Tom? Why are you calling me so late?” “I just wanted to say good night.” A couple of unexpected shivers skipped up her spine. “How did you know I was in bed?” A long pause followed her question before he finally answered. “I didn’t know that. I was hoping you were still awake when I called, because I’d feel bad if I woke you up.” “Oh...” “Are you busy tomorrow?” he asked. She had hoped one casual lunch with him, would put an end to his calling her. “Yeah, I’m sorry I am.” Since she couldn’t come up with an excuse, she didn’t offer one. “Damn, I was hoping we go for a hike by the lake.” A hike by Big Pine Lake would be nice, but not with Tom. “That sounds good, but I’ll have to pass.” “You sound tired, Bailey. Is everything okay?” “Yeah, I am tired, but everything is fine.” Oh, how she wished that were true. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “Tom, um, since you work for the phone company how much do you know about computers?”
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This time the silence drug out for at least thirty seconds. “This hurts my male ego to admit but,” Tom finally said, “not much more than the average person. Remember, I’m a line man. I do all my work out in the field.” Another long pause. “Why do you ask?” “Just curious.” “Hey, maybe we can get together next weekend.” She tamped down the irritation that needled her from his persistence. “We’ll see. I’m beat. Thanks for calling.” She hit the off button before he could protest. Bailey replaced the phone and switched off the light, and laid on her back in the darkness. If only Tom had some expertise relating to computers, she could have picked his brain concerning cyberspace hijackers. If some how it could be proven that Jack’s computer had been hacked into, it would mean he was innocent. After nearly an hour of tossing and turning, beating the pillow with her fists numerous times, Bailey finally fell into a troubled sleep. **** Unable to unwind and relax enough to sleep, Jack stood on his porch, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. He’d almost quit smoking until Bailey moved across the street. Since his eyes burned from lack of sleep, he’d turned the porch light off. It was two freaking a.m. in the morning and he was wide awake. A movement near the side of Bailey’s house caught his eye. Muscles tensing, he took a step forward, trying to make out the shape of the shadow. It didn’t look like a deer foraging for food during the night. Something wasn’t right. Jack crept down the steps, dropping the half-smoked cigarette on the ground before walking across the street. In Bailey’s yard, he stepped on a dry branch. The snap of the dry branch echoed in the otherwise quiet night. At the sound, the figure of a man sprinted towards State Land that bordered Bailey’s property. He started running, cursing his old worn out moccasin slippers as he stumbled and nearly fell a couple of times. The half moon lit up 68
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the open area directly before the thick stand of pine and fur trees(,) which were blackened silhouettes in the inky darkness. The man was tall and slender, but other than that, Jack couldn’t get a handle on the bastard’s appearance. At the edge of the trees, his left foot collided with a thick root protruding from the ground. Before he could blink, he fell face forward and smacked his forehead on the tree. “God dammit!” The force of hitting the trunk hadn’t been enough to knock him out, but instant pain shot through his head. Reaching up, he touched his forehead, and felt a sticky substance. Knowing it was his blood and not tree sap, Jack slowly got to his feet, wincing at the pain hammering inside his head. Now he probably had a fucking concussion. He stood and listened for the sounds of a man running or a car engine or four-wheeler rumbling to life. Dead silence. Not even the hoot of an owl in the murky woods. “Shit.” Lightly touching his forehead again, he turned and walked back, cautious this time so he didn’t trip over another obstacle and smack his head again. Bailey. His gut tensing with fear that something might have happened to her, Jack picked up his pace, not caring if he took another clumsy tumble to the ground. As he approached her house, nothing looked out of the ordinary but then again, it was dark and he didn’t have a flashlight with him. The few night-lights scattered throughout the house cast a soft glow through the closed curtains. No way, could he go back to his house without checking on her. Besides, he planned on calling the cops. His head throbbed harder as he went up the steps and over to the door. Rapping his knuckles on it, he waited for a time before knocking again. If Bailey was on her meds and sleeping soundly, she might not hear him. “Damn.” He had just decided to go back to his place and call the cops when the door opened a slit. “Bailey, it’s me, Jack.” “Jack? What in the blazes are you doing?” He blew out a frustrated breath before he answered. “Some bastard was sneaking around your house, so I chased after him, but I lost him because I tripped and fell.” 69
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Several beats passed before the light near his head came on causing him to wince and squint at the same time. Bailey swung the door open and stared at him with drowsy looking eyes. “You’re bleeding.” “I ran head first into a tree. Never mind about that, we need to call the cops.” For the first time, he noticed her black, silky robe hung open, exposing her scantily covered body. One black, lacy strap of the camisole had slipped, revealing bare skin. Matching black panties hugged her pubic mound. His cock throbbed in rhythm with his head, which made him curse under his breath. “Can I come in?” Frowning, she quickly pulled her robe together, tying the sash before she stepped back. “Who was sneaking around my house?” she asked as she closed the door. “I don’t know. That’s why I took off after him.” He glanced at her. “There’s a phone in the kitchen, right?” As he turned to walk to the kitchen, she said behind him. “It’s after two in the morning. How did you happen to notice somebody snooping around my house?” He stopped and turned to face her, a deep sense of disappointment settling inside his guts. “I couldn’t sleep so I was having a smoke on my porch.” Bailey pushed her tangled hair back from her face. “You always leave the porch light on.” A sudden burst of anger exploded inside of him. “I felt like smoking in the fucking dark.” With his forefinger he pointed at his forehead. “This is not self-inflicted.” He circled around so fast a wave of dizziness rolled through him. Ignoring the dizziness, he trudged into the kitchen and spotted the phone on the desk near the computer. After he dialed 911, he turned to look at Bailey. She stood at the counter with her arms crossed over her chest, one hip leaning against it. When the 911 operator came on the line, Jack gave her the reason for his call and the address. He punched the off button with his thumb, but held onto it as he stared at 70
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Bailey. She averted her gaze before she walked out of the room. Jack replaced the phone on its cradle before he reached up and touched his head again, feeling the lump already sprouting from his collision with the tree. He walked to the kitchen table and sank down on the nearest chair. Unless he was delusional from smacking the tree, Bailey didn’t buy his story of an intruder lurking around her house. She returned several minutes later carrying a bottle of alcohol, a half-empty bag of cotton balls and a box of band-aids. Jack expected her to drop everything on the table in front of him and walk away again. Instead, she carefully set the first aid supplies on the table before she twisted off the cap of the alcohol bottle. In silence, she tended to his wound. Jack groaned when she pressed the alcohol soaked cotton ball against his head because it stung like hell. Tightening his jaw, he let Bailey tend to his wound. “You have an ugly lump on your head.” she said. “You might have a concussion.” “Maybe.” “Then you should go to the emergency room.” He looked up at her, hating the way his heart beat faster at the concern showing in her eyes. “Do I need stitches?” “No, it doesn’t look like it, but you should get checked just in case.” “I’ve had concussions before. There’s not much that can be done about it, except take aspirin and rest.” Bailey lifted a shoulder. “Suit yourself.” The whine of a siren wailed in the distance, so Jack stood up and headed for the front door with Bailey trailing behind him. “You’re not going to say anything to the sheriff about the emails, are you?” she asked in a trembling voice. His hand on the knob, he turned to face her. “I think at this point we should.” Shaking her head, she grabbed on to his shirtfront. “It’s too embarrassing.” 71
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Jack ground his back molars together. “Tell me you believe I really chased after some bastard.” Bailey dropped her hands and avoided his gaze. “Dammit. What’s it going to take for you to believe me?” Her eyes clouded with doubts as she shook her head. “I hope like hell the Sheriff believes me.” Scowling, he opened the door and walked outside just as the sheriff’s SUV cruised to a stop behind Bailey’s truck. Fighting back the anger that raged inside of him, he went to meet the officer. Luckily for him, he knew Deputy Tim Johnson. The deputy held out his hand as he approached him. “Jack, what’s going on out here?” After he shook the deputy’s hand, he looked over his shoulder to see Bailey standing on the porch. Under the soft glow of the porch light she looked vulnerable and sexy at the same time. “A...I noticed somebody snooping around Bailey’s place, so I took off after him. I lost him at the tree line,” Jack pointed toward State Land, “because I stumbled and smacked into a tree.” “You okay?” Deputy Johnson asked. “Yeah, I’ll live.” “This is Abby Renton’s place.” “Her daughter is here,” Jack said as the deputy turned on his flashlight and started toward the porch. “I’m Deputy Tim Johnson,” he said as he walked up the steps. “Bailey Taylor,” she murmured. “Did you hear or see anything suspicious before Jack chased the intruder?” Bailey stared down at her bare feet for several moments before looking back at the deputy. “No, sir, I didn’t.” “Have you had any problems before this?” Bailey shook her head. 72
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Deputy Johnson tilted his head in Jack’s direction. “Did you hear a vehicle out in the woods when you chased after the intruder?” “I didn’t hear a damn thing.” Deputy Johnson pulled a pad and pencil out of his jacket pocket, and scribbled down some notes. “I’ll go take a look, but the problem is there’s quite a few logging roads and trails out there, so the intruder could have parked anywhere. If in fact, that’s the direction he came from.” The deputy was right. The bastard could have parked down the street, then doubled back after he chased after him. He’d been too concerned about Bailey’s safety to keep searching for the guy. When Deputy Johnson turned, he stopped and stared at Jack. “That’s quite a goose egg, you have. You should go to the emergency room and have it checked.” “I’ll put some ice on it.” “I’m going to have a look around.” The deputy walked down the steps, the beam of his high-powered flashlight guiding his way. Jack looked over at Bailey and saw that she was shivering. “You need to get inside and get warm.” Without a word, she circled around and walked inside the house while Jack followed her. She disappeared into the kitchen, and returned with an ice pack, which she held out to him. “Thanks.” Jack took the ice pack and watched her pad down the hallway. He went over to the couch, sank down and rested the ice pack to his forehead. He grimaced in pain at the feel of the icy cold weight pressed against his head. A few minutes later, she came back into the living room, wearing faded jeans and a bright pink fleece hoody. She held his eye for a split second before she disappeared into the kitchen. Jack leaned his head against the couch back, and closed his eyes. The pounding inside his head reminded him of a jackhammer operating at full speed. “Take these.” He cracked open one eye. She stood there with a glass of water and what he 73
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assumed was some aspirin for him. Leaning forward, he took the glass from her as she dumped a couple of aspirin into his outstretched palm. He downed the aspirin and water in one long gulp. She took the glass from him and started to turn away when Jack grabbed her hand. “Bailey...” She stared down at their hands clasped together, but refused to look at him. He had never wanted anything more than for her to believe in his innocence. A strong sense of futility flooded his body, bringing on an unexpected bout of fatigue. Feeling like it was pointless to even try to get through to her, he dropped her hand and leaned back. Jack closed his eyes again. Bailey stood there at least a minute before he heard her move away. He must have dozed off because the next thing he remembered, he heard Deputy Johnson and Bailey talking. Opening his eyes and blinking a couple of times, he saw the two of them standing by the door. Since he wasn’t seeing double, he figured he didn’t have a concussion. The ice pack dropped onto his thigh when he sat up. “Stay right there, Jack,” Deputy Johnson said. “I didn’t see anything but four deer scampering around. There’s no way of knowing if it was kids or not. They usually work in pairs. It’s the nature of the beast. Are you sure you only saw one man?” He plucked the ice pack off his leg. “Positive.” “We’ve had some problems with vandalism on the other end of town the past week or two, but nothing in this area.” Jack felt Bailey’s eyes on him, but when he looked at her she glanced away. “I’ll file a report. My advice is to check around the house and garage in the morning, and see if anything is missing or destroyed.” “Thanks,” she said. The deputy leveled a pointed look on Jack. “You really ought to consider going to the emergency room.” “I will in the morning if I’m not better.” Deputy Johnson nodded, said his good-byes and left the house. 74
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Bailey locked the door behind him, hesitating a moment or two before she spun around. “I’m sleeping on your couch tonight.” “You’re too big for the couch,” she pointed out to him. “I’ve slept in worse places. I’m too damned tired to argue with you.” Jack tossed the ice pack on a stack of magazines on the coffee table and laid down on the couch. Closing his eyes again, he struggled to ignore Bailey, but he felt her presence from across the room. Fatigue weighing him down, he barely noticed when she spread a blanket over him. She gently lifted his head to push a pillow underneath it. Her simple gesture offered some comfort. “Bailey...” She didn’t answer and he immediately fell asleep. **** Bailey climbed into bed and snugged the blankets close around her neck. She knew without a doubt she wouldn’t sleep. Not after what had happened tonight and not with Jack in her living room. The man was so damned sincere. How could she not believe him? His gaze, his manner, the tone of his voice, all shouted his innocence. The big lump on his forehead was all too real, not to mention he could have a concussion. Her heart ached to believe him. Surprised at the longing inside of her to believe that Jack McBride was an honest man, she rolled to her side. She wanted and needed to sleep. If Jack hadn’t sent the emails and there really had been an intruder outside her house tonight, then who was stalking her? A chill rippled through her body at the thought of some sick pervert watching her. She knew only a handful of people in Collville. That’s what didn’t make sense to her. Benson Davidson? The man did give her the creeps, but her mother had really liked him. To her, he came across as someone who didn’t have a woman in his life, but would like one. Tom? No, it couldn’t be him either. Struggling with his divorce, he seemed slightly desperate to reclaim his manhood. She crossed Tom off the list too, which basically left no one else. 75
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The other thing that bothered her was, she had barely left her mother’s house since arriving here. She’d only driven into town a few times for grocery shopping and lunch with Tom. Which meant the evidence pointed straight at Jack. In spite of the mounting evidence against Jack, a powerful sexual desire always burned inside of her whenever she was with him. He brought out a passionate side of her that she didn’t even know existed until that first night on the porch. “Damn him anyway.” **** His neck twisted at an awkward angle, Jack muttered curses to himself. He’d slept for awhile, but the couch proved to be uncomfortable as hell. Tossing the blanket aside, he sat up and plowed his hands through his hair, accidentally bumping his forehead in the process. “Shit.” His head still throbbed, but not as bad as earlier. He needed a bed if he planned on getting any sleep at all tonight. He stood up and wandered down the hallway. He stopped at the first open doorway and flicked on the light. Cardboard boxes covered the bed from head to foot and he sure as hell didn’t have it in him to move all those freaking boxes. At the next door, he turned on the light and saw a sewing machine sitting on a table in the corner. A folded ironing board was propped up next to it. No bed. That left Bailey’s room. He started to turn back to the living room but stopped. If Bailey’s bed was the only bed available in the house, so be it. Hoping he could crawl into bed without waking her, he tiptoed into her room and quietly stripped down to his briefs and tee shirt. Just as he crawled under the blankets, ready to drop into a deep sleep, she screamed. Her terrified scream bounced around like a ping-pong ball inside his aching head. “Bailey, it’s me. It’s okay.” “Wh—what, what’s going on?” Her voice, coated with the huskiness of sleep, had his dick throbbing. Jack reached out and found her hand. “It’s me, Jack.” 76
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She yanked her hand from his. “What the hell are you doing in my bed?” “I can’t sleep on the couch and I need sleep. I’m asking you not to kick me out. I promise, hands off.” Under different circumstances he wouldn’t have made that promise to her, but he could barely keep his eyes open and his head throbbed even more after Bailey’s scream. “You scared the crap out of me.” He shouldn’t have just crawled into bed with her unannounced. “I’m sorry I scared you.” The bed shifted, blankets moved, all followed by a long, frustrated sigh. “Just go to sleep, okay.” “No problem, babe,” Jack mumbled as his eyes drifted closed. “And don’t call me, babe.” “Slip of the tongue.”
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CHAPTER EIGHT Two big fingers caressed her clit. A soft moan fell from her lips as Bailey pushed her butt back, feeling a big cock pressing against her. A rough, manly groan rumbled into her ear, which shot hot embers of lust through her body. Jack. Jack had crawled into bed with her last night, so she wasn’t dreaming. His fingers pushed harder against her clit. Moistness pooled between her legs as he softly bit the side of her neck, his breath hot against her skin. She scooted onto her back, opening her thighs for him. Slow, languid heat rolled through her like soft waves lapping at a pristine lakeshore as he kept up a steady rhythm of fondling her. Another groan rumbled from him before his mouth crushed against hers. She welcomed his tongue inside of her. Heat gathered in her sex as she sucked on his tongue, while his other hand pushed under her camisole and found her breast. Her back arched of its own accord, reeling from the intensity of what this man did to her. Her abrupt, intense orgasm stunned her, leaving her weak and mindless for a time. “Jesus, Bailey, you’re so damn hot.” Her camisole and panties came off in mere seconds. Pale streaks of light filtered through the slits of the curtains. She watched as Jack shrugged his tee shirt over his head, hearing him groan in pain. His head. Now she remembered. He’d hurt his head and might have a concussion. But as he shoved his briefs over his hips, showing his hard cock, she found it hard to believe he’d even been hurt last night.
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Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and fell with him back onto the bed. Jack dragged her on top of him, his hands immediately palming her breasts. She sat up, straddled him and cupped her breasts with her own hands. As she raked her fingers over her hard nipples, Jack’s sleepy eyes gleamed with raw lust. She didn’t understand the reckless abandonment he brought out in her. “You like me to fondle myself, don’t you?” “Bailey.” His tone was tight, laced with a warning. “Say you like it.” She gently squeezed her breasts as he watched, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips. He looked at her. The expression on his face had hardened, but the blatant lust glowing in his eyes gave him away. “You know damn well I love it,” he said through gritted teeth. She arched her back, thrusting her breasts out and tugging on her nipples with her fingertips, unable to stop the moans tumbling from her lips. “That’s it, baby. Keep doing it.” Still fondling herself, she gazed at him from under lowered lashes. His fingers dug deeper into the soft flesh of her hips. Slowly she lowered one hand to her clit and started caressing herself, while her other hand still tugged on her nipple. The sound of Jack’s harsh breathing pushed her to new limits. Never in her life had she been so bold or brazen. “Come for me, babe.” Jack urged her on. She leaned back farther, spreading her legs wider for Jack to watch her pleasure herself. His gaze darted back and forth between her breasts and her finger caressing her clit. Now she used two fingers to fondle herself. Unbearable heat built inside of her as another stunning and abrupt orgasm racked her body. Before she could catch her breath, Jack positioned her hips and rammed his cock hard and high into her. A scream of pure pleasure tore from her lips, as he pushed himself up into her. “Oh...Jack...do me hard and fast.” 79
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Her eyes fluttering open, she saw how he gritted his teeth, driving himself into her most intimate spot, with hard and fast strokes that ravaged her very soul. Taking her hands, he placed them on her breasts and let his drop to her hips again. As the fierceness of his thrusts increased, Bailey massaged her breasts. Her loud and needy moans filling the room so that she barely recognized the woman that mated with this man. She needed pleasure and she needed to pleasure him. Untamed emotions broke free from her heart as she rode his hard cock, feeling the strength of his body beneath hers. Suddenly the man she gave herself to so freely drove himself one last time into her. A shattering groan tore from his lips as Bailey swallowed a scream, following him to the edge before she collapsed on top of him. **** Jack reluctantly hauled himself back to reality when the phone on Bailey’s nightstand rang. Lifting her head, a frown furrowed her brows together. Her face still flushed as she blinked and stared him. “Don’t answer it,” he said. “Might be important.” Bailey rolled off him and reached for the phone. “Hello.” “Hey, Bailey, how’s it going?” “Tom?” A quick, violent bout of jealousy pummeled him as Bailey’s frown deepened. He fought back a strong urge to grab the phone out of her hand and tell Tom to stick it where the sun didn’t shine. Instead, he laid there, his jaw tightening and his stomach muscles forming into a rock-like knot. “Um...what’s up?” she asked. Since he couldn’t hear what the bastard had to say his bout of jealousy spiked. “No, I really can’t today. I haven’t changed my mind. I’ve got too many things to do, but thanks anyway.” Several moments later, she said. “Sure, bye.” Bailey slowly replaced the phone before she started to get out of bed, but Jack 80
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grabbed her, and tugged her back against him. “What’s with him?” He’d never been the jealous type before, but they’d just had mind blowing sex. Another man honing in on his territory pissed him off. “Honestly, I don’t know. I need to get up.” “Do you really need to get up or are you trying to avoid me?” Jack shifted his position, propping himself on one elbow to look down at her. She avoided his gaze. “Look at me, Bailey.” Jutting her chin out, she raised her eyes to his. He wanted to kiss her, but something in her eyes made him hold back. “We can’t ignore what’s going on between us.” “Who says I’m ignoring it? That’s pretty hard to do with you in my bed.” Dozens of emotions rumbled through him and muddied his brain. Besides a powerful sexual attraction for Bailey, other emotions had entered the arena for him as well. “You like this Tom guy?” “I could say that’s none of your business, but...” “But what?” “I already told you we go way back.” “I think he wants more.” “You don’t even know him.” “I know who he is.” His head throbbed slightly. “And if he’s on the rebound because of separating from his wife, he’s looking for more than friendship.” “I’ll deal with him.” “The big question is, can you deal with us?” Her eyes widened, vulnerability rising to the surface. “Who can’t handle mind blowing sex?” she asked. When disappointment shot through as fast a speeding bullet, Jack took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Is that all this is for you? Mind blowing sex?” Her brow raised a fraction. “And it isn’t for you?” He knew damn well he should keep it on that level, considering the cloud of suspicion hanging over his head. Not to mention Bailey was in the process of a divorce. 81
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He still might be her rebound guy. Everybody, male or female, had something to prove after a break-up, himself included. Hell, he probably was her rebound guy. She couldn’t find it in herself to believe his innocence, but she didn’t seem to think twice about making love with him. “Am I your rebound guy?” As the seconds ticked by and she didn’t answer, a heavy sense of gloom floated around him. “I don’t know,” she whispered without looking at him. At least she gave him an honest answer, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. With two fingers, he lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You’re ready, willing, and able to make love with me, but yet you don’t believe I’m not behind the emails. And I don’t think you believe it wasn’t me snooping around your house last night.” Bailey reached up and gently touched his forehead where he had smacked the tree. “I believe that. It’s real.” It was obvious she needed something tangible to make her believe, but he didn’t have anything tangible. The only thing he had to give her was his word. “How is your head this morning?” “It’s okay.” He was surprised it hadn’t blown off during their lovemaking. The pleasure outweighed the pain while making love with Bailey. She turned on her side, and skimmed her fingers over his right shoulder and chest. “You’re all bruised.” The light touch of her soft fingers stirred his blood, bringing his cock to life again. Her hand moved to his leg. “You have a couple of bruises on your thigh.” Her touch both aroused and disturbed him because one look or one touch by this woman and he wanted her again. At this point, he didn’t know if that was wise considering the circumstances. “The cold, hard ground is unforgiving.” Her fingers trailed up his thigh barely grazing his pubic hair. Sucking in a deep breath, he stared hard at her, realizing Bailey knew the effect she had on him. Jack 82
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grabbed her hand. “Don’t, unless you want to be flat on your back with me on top of you in about two seconds.” Confusion clouded her gaze when she looked at him. Tugging her hand from his, she said. “I’m going to take a shower. You’re welcome to take one after me.” The operative words being after me. Annoyance rifled through him at her rejection of him. “No, thanks. I have my own shower.” She climbed out of bed and bent over to pick up her robe, which gave him a red-hot view of her sexy ass. After she slipped on the robe, she glanced over her shoulder at him. His annoyance immediately ballooned into anger. If she was teasing him, it had worked. Scowling at her, he tossed the blankets back, and got out of bed, too. He heard Bailey quietly pad out of the bedroom. “Shit.” **** Bailey lingered in the shower longer than usual. If she didn’t get out soon, she figured the hot water tank would run dry. Now that she was squeaky clean, the scent of Jack and their sex scrubbed off her body, she felt marginally better. She turned off the water, stepped out of the stall and grabbed the folded blue towel off the counter. Who was she kidding, besides herself? A long, hot shower couldn’t come close to washing Jack out of her system or her emotions. In spite of the twisted dynamic with Jack, she was afraid she might be falling for him. Was he her rebound guy? After she’d caught Dave with his secretary, she had stormed out of his office, wanting to grab the first available man off the street and fuck her brains out. Unfortunately, the meds flat lined her emotions and since she’d just stopped taking them, she still didn’t have a good enough handle on her true emotions. The injury to Jack’s head, plus the bruises on his body, were all too real. That still didn’t mean he wasn’t the sender of the emails. A bored teenager or potential burglar could have been sneaking around her house last night and Jack just happened to be outside at the time. 83
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Staring at herself in the mirror she saw the dark circles under her eyes. What did she expect? Last night hadn’t been too restful. She’d managed to make it through the day and last night without taking a pill. Now if she could do that today, maybe her brain would clear enough for her to come up with some answers for herself. **** “Bill.” Jack wedged the phone between his head and shoulder while he adjusted the damp towel wrapped around his waist. “If you want me to work today, forget it. We’re on the way out the door for a late breakfast.” “No, this isn’t about work. Is Kelly going to Kalispell this week?” “Yeah, she’s going down tomorrow to do some shopping. What do you need?” “I need her to take my hard drive to a computer repair shop.” “Did it crash or whatever the hell it’s called?” “No.” Bill was not only his employee, but a good friend. Still, he didn’t feel like spilling his guts to him, though. “I think I’ve been hijacked by another user.” “Hmm...yeah, I’ll tell her.” “Can I bring it by?” “The garage is always unlocked. You can put it on the shelf in there. We’ll probably go for a drive after breakfast. You know, Sunday drives with the family.” “Thanks and have a good time.” “Until the kids start getting bored. See you tomorrow.” Still carrying the phone, Jack walked into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. While he waited for it to finish, he downed a couple of aspirin, and worked hard not to think about Bailey. The woman had literally taken over his thoughts and dreams, which didn’t make him happy. Their relationship was about as far from normal as a relationship could get. “Damn.” He pulled a mug down from the cupboard and filled it with the fresh coffee. Steam billowed from the mug as he carried it to his office. Jack took a couple of quick sips before he set the mug on the desk and started unhooking his computer. 84
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There had better be a sharp repairman down in Kalispell that could prove that his computer had been taken over. Because he sure as hell couldn’t prove it. The unbearable need for Bailey to believe him shook his world more than he wanted to admit. He’d been cruising along just fine with his business and life until Bailey showed up in town. And for whatever damn reason decided to lay half naked on her porch, enticing him with her shapely body and natural sex appeal. An occasional woman to satisfy his needs, a night out with the guys a couple of times a month, and he’d been pretty damn content. Now restlessness, combined with an insatiable need to be with Bailey jerked his emotions around in such a way that it disturbed him on a deeper level. He liked his relationships simple and straightforward. There wasn’t one thing simple or straightforward about his relationship with Bailey. “Fuck.” After Jack lifted the CPU off the floor, he set it on his desk. While he finished drinking his coffee, he stared out the window at Bailey’s house, all the while wrestling with his tangled emotions.
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CHAPTER NINE Interrupted by the doorbell ringing, Bailey dropped the stack of her mother’s personal papers onto the desk. Sadness clinging to her like heavy dew to morning grass, she walked to the door. Going through her mother’s things proved to be harder than she had imagined. Her heart sped up as she wondered if it was Jack. Her heart didn’t need to flutter just at the mere thought of him. When she opened door, she made a valiant attempt to hide her disappointment. Benson Davidson dressed in brown slacks and tweed sport jacket smiled at her. “Ah...Benson, hi.” “I stopped by to see if you were okay.” “Yeah, I’m okay.” “Deputy Johnson’s wife, Sara, attends my church and she told me that you had an intruder last night.” Small towns. News or gossip spread like an out of control wildfire. “I think it was probably a bored teenager.” “Was anything stolen?” Only her peace of mind, which she really hadn’t felt in a hell of a long time, anyway. Bailey shook her head. She’d completely forgotten to check outside like Deputy Johnson had suggested. “No. It looks like somebody just snooping around. Jack happened to be up and chased after the guy, but he lost him back in the woods.”
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“I don’t understand why Jack was up so late.” “You know, he was having a restless night.” “Did he recognize the intruder?” Was Benson curious, concerned or worried that Jack might be able to identify the creep hanging around her house? Deciding to play it cool, she said. “I’m not sure.” Now she found herself doubting Benson. Jack made no bones about the fact that he didn’t care for Benson, but that could be nothing more than a pissing contest thing between two males. Jack had even gone as far as accusing Benson of sending her those emails. “Is there anything at all I can do for you?” Into her second day without her meds, she finally noticed the sexual gleam and interest in Benson’s gaze. She’d sensed it the other day when he’d stopped by, but now the vibes came through loud and clear. “Thanks for offering, but I’ve got everything under control.” Wasn’t she a smooth liar? She almost believed her own lie. “I’m sorry,” Benson said. “I probably interrupted something you were doing.” “I’m going through my mother’s things.” The sadness and grief returned full force causing a lump to form at the back of her throat. She damned well wouldn’t cry in front of Benson. “I really need to get back to it. Thanks for stopping by.” Benson had a hard time hiding his disappointment at her brush off. “Sure, no problem. My number is in the book if you need anything.” “I’ll remember that.” He appeared reluctant to leave and finally, in the end, smiled without the smile reaching his eyes. He turned and walked down the steps. Breathing a sigh of relief, she closed the door and leaned back against it. While talking to Benson, she’d noticed that Jack’s truck was gone. Not that it was any of her business. She’d pretty much kicked him out this morning. But why? The two of them could have gotten all cozy over breakfast, but something held her back from inviting him to stick around. The two of them shared sexual intimacy. How could she handle emotional intimacy with him when she didn’t completely trust him? 87
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She waited until she’d heard Benson’s truck start before she walked outside and down the steps. In the yard, she turned her face up to the cloudless, blue sky. The bright autumn sun warmed her face. Bailey closed her eyes and absorbed the heat from the sun for awhile, feeling it drift into the empty corners of her heart. It was a perfect day for a picnic and hike in the woods. Not with Tom. With Jack. Startled that she would consider such a romantic day with him, she wandered around the perimeter of the house to see if anything had been disturbed last night. Was Jack her rebound guy? Not sure she knew the answer to that question, she went into the garage and saw that nothing was missing. As she left the garage, Jack turned into his driveway. Her pulse pounded, watching him climb out of his truck. Before he closed the door, he glanced in her direction. When he saw her, he paused. From across the street she felt his energy, his sexual energy. A slow liquid heat flowed through her. How could one ordinary man have so much power over her? Damn, she felt like a cat in heat. Their eyes caught and held. They stared at each other before he slammed his truck door and strode toward her. It was so hard not to meet him halfway. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him. He stopped less than a foot from her. The bump on his head had colored to an ugly shade of yellow while fatigue lined his face. Black stubble covered his face because he hadn’t bothered to shave this morning, giving him a slightly dangerous look. Maybe she should be running for her life, instead of wanting to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him until she ran out of breath. “What’s going on?” Jack asked. Even his voice sounded beat to her. “I remembered the deputy told me I should check around outside in the morning.” He frowned. “Yeah, I forgot, too. Anything missing or damaged?” Bailey shook her head. “No.” “That’s good.” “Yeah.” 88
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An awkward silence grew between them when they both looked away from each other. She considered inviting him inside for coffee, but quickly dismissed that idea because they might end up in bed again. “How’s your head?” Jack brought his gaze back to her. “It doesn’t hurt too bad as long as I keep taking aspirin. I don’t seem to have any signs of a concussion.” Bailey nodded, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. She didn’t seem to have a problem expressing herself with her body when it came to this man. Dropping her hands, she stuffed them into the front pockets of her jeans. “I need to get back to work on my mother’s things.” “Do you need any help?” The men of Collville were more than willing to help her, but Jack looked like he needed rest, not work. “I’m just going through some personal papers.” “I could use a cup of coffee.” So much for keeping him out of her house. She should say no, but her will power where Jack was concerned seemed to be nonexistent. “Sure, I can make some.” Hands still stuffed in her pockets, she walked to the back porch, glancing over her shoulder at him. Raw desire glinted in his eyes causing a swift stream of desire to shoot through her. Bailey turned back and went up the steps and into the house. Refusing to look at him, she headed straight for the counter and the coffee maker. After she had the coffee going, she spun around. Jack stood by the desk eyeing her mother’s computer. “You haven’t turned it on today.” He said without looking at her. “No, I didn’t feel like dealing with anything...” Still not looking at her, he turned on the computer. “I’m not in the mood,” she protested. He glanced over at her. “Neither am I, but I just got back from dropping off my computer at my friend Bill’s house. His wife is taking it to Kalispell tomorrow to a repair shop. I disconnected it a couple of hours ago.” “Oh.” 89
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“If you don’t mind, I’d like to know if you got any more emails.” If Jack’s computer was at his friend’s house and a new email waited for her, then that would mean...she didn’t finish the thought as Jack sat down on the chair, waiting for her computer to boot up. Her heart suddenly started a swift pounding, but she stayed where she was at, while Jack started scrolling through her emails. “Son of a bitch,” he said anger lacing his tone. Her stomach seemed to plummet to the floor. “There’s another one?” “It came in twenty minutes ago.” Twenty minutes ago, Jack hadn’t been home, neither had his computer. An unexpected heady feeling of relief washed through her. “What does it say?” He circled the chair around to face her, his face ablaze with anger. “You don’t need to know.” “I think I do. They’re being sent to me.” Feeling a panic attack approaching, she sucked in a big breath and wrestled with it as she walked over to the desk. “Bailey,” he cautioned. “Let me read it.” Leaning over his shoulder, her eyes widened in horror. You are so hot when you fondled your breasts for me. I need you again soon. Covering her face with her hands a scream of frustration and fear formed in the back of her throat. She wanted to kick and hit something or somebody. Bailey fought to keep herself calm, to not go kicking and screaming over the edge. Jack jumped out of the chair, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Take it easy, it’s okay.” “No! It’s not okay. Someone was watching us this morning.” She felt the anger vibrating off him even though his voice stayed steady and even. “Your curtains were closed in your bedroom when we made love.” Working hard to drag in a breath, she stared at him. An overpowering feeling of helplessness swept through her. “Not all the way. They were open a slit, enough for someone to see in if they really wanted to.”
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“Come on, honey, take it easy. Try to take a breath.” In spite of her volatile emotions, Jack’s comforting tone of voice and his words soothed and calmed her enough to draw in a breath. He gathered her in his arms and wrapped her in a snug embrace. “Do you need a pill?” “I always need a pill,” she paused to gulp in another breath. “But I’m off of them.” Tilting back his head, he looked at her. “When did you stop?” Not even realizing it, she saw that her hands were fisted into the nylon fabric of his jacket. “Um...the other day.” “You’ve gone a couple of days without any medication?” She nodded, still fighting to keep her cool, to not let the beast win. She could do this. “Dammit, I blew it. I shouldn’t have checked your email.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I would have found it sooner or later.” “Monday morning, I’m having my internet service cancelled.” “You are?” “It’s the only way I can prove to you, I’m not sending these dirty, perverted mails.” Dirty and perverted. That’s exactly what the emails were, but when she and Jack made love, it was thrilling and hot. In the throes of passion, she didn’t feel dirty or perverted. Desperation raked her already fragile nerves. “It was daylight this morning when we were together.” “There’s only three houses at the end of our road. We don’t get a lot of traffic by here. Hell, somebody probably could stand out by your house in broad daylight and not be noticed. Besides, it was early.” She clutched his jacket tighter. “My head is all screwed up. My husband really did a number on me,” she said in a rush. When Jack started to say something, she hurried on. “I caught him with his secretary at his office, but—but it wasn’t the first time he cheated on me. Later that night at home, I confronted him and he came clean.” Drawing in a 91
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shaky breath, she paused for a couple of seconds. “He admitted he’d cheated at least a dozen times during our marriage.” “Ah...honey.” Now that the dam had broken free, she needed to talk, to purge the venom from her system and from her heart. “I don’t know if you noticed but at my mother’s funeral I had bleached blonde hair.” When he nodded, she continued. “I bleached my hair because another woman that worked at his office had blonde hair and I had a feeling he was screwing her.” Lowering her eyes, she stared at his neck. “It was stupid. I was stupid to think if I changed my hair color, he would want me instead of another woman.” Jack’s arms tightened around her as she continued. “I lost it after my mother died and the bastard couldn’t even come to her funeral with me. Be there for me.” “Bailey, maybe you shouldn’t talk about this now. You’re already upset.” She looked back at him, seeing the genuine affection in his eyes, which helped soften her rough and jagged edges. “I need to talk about it. I got a therapist and she’s the one who prescribed the antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills for me.” Jack nodded. “But all they do is bury my feelings. My world has been rose colored since I’ve been on the meds.” He rubbed her back with his hands, comforting her. Unexpected tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “I want to feel again. I want to know what I’m feeling,” she paused, not wanting to cry. “I was numb until you and I...” Tears slid from her eyes so she laid her head on Jack’s shoulder as he pulled her closer to him. “I’m here for you,” he whispered near her ear. Closing her eyes, she savored the moment of comfort Jack offered her. How could she not believe him? His concern for her felt so real to her, but then again her emotions were so screwed up. Could she trust her own judgment? She had only been off her medication a couple of days. Bailey slid her arms around his waist, holding him tight, 92
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too. At the moment, she didn’t care if Jack was guilty or not, because it felt so good having him hold her. He kissed her temple, a soft gentle kiss, but a hot sensation still sailed through her. She realized she needed to get her head on straight before anything happened between her and Jack again. With a great deal of reluctance, she stepped back from him. In addition to the fatigue showing in his gaze, desire floated in the dark depths. She placed her hands on his chest. “Jack...” With the pads of his thumbs, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You don’t have to worry, I’m not going to try to seduce you, although, that’s exactly what I want to do.” Grateful, that he understood the timing was bad, she stepped back from him, immediately feeling the loss of comfort. “Um...the coffee.” She glanced over her shoulder at the counter. “Right, the coffee.” Bailey poured two mugs while Jack sat down at the table. “Thanks,” he said when she set a mug in front of him. “I know you don’t want to contact the cops and I understand why, but I wish you’d reconsider.” Cradling the hot mug in her hands, she stared down at the steam rising from it. “It’s just so embarrassing for me.” “I know it is.” “And it could be for you, too.” Jack picked up the mug. “It doesn’t matter if it’s embarrassing for me. I want to catch the s.o.b. who’s behind the emails.” He was silent for a time while he drank his coffee. “Right now, I don’t feel it’s safe for you to stay here alone.” Bailey had never considered that thought. If some perv was spying on her...a shiver raced up her spine causing anxiety to sprint through her body, too. Now that she had made a promise to herself to get her act together, she needed to keep moving forward. “I am not leaving this house.” “You can stay at my house or I can sleep on your couch.” Bailey shook her head. “You already tried the couch and it didn’t work.” If he slept 93
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in her bed, they both knew what would happen. “I’ll be fine.” By the expression on his face, it was clear he didn’t believe her. She wasn’t sure she believed it herself. “I’ll be fine,” she repeated. **** Later that night, Jack held the cigarette up to his lips, but stopped, his finger on the switch of the disposable lighter. If Bailey could kick her meds, he could quit smoking. The craving for nicotine clouded his thoughts for a second or two as he lowered the cigarette and lighter. It looked like Bailey had every light on in her house. Now after ten, he needed to get his butt into bed, but concern for her had him standing guard on his porch. She had put up a brave front, but by the look in her eyes, he knew she’d been struggling to keep it together about this whole, damn perverted mess. He walked back inside his house, tossing the cigarette and lighter on a small table by the door. He grabbed a jacket and flashlight out of the closet. A few minutes later, he knocked on Bailey’s door. When she didn’t answer right away, a ball of panic formed inside his gut. He knocked again, ready to bust the door down if he had to. Bailey opened the door, slightly breathless, wearing her slinky black robe. Her cheeks were flushed, while the ends of her hair were damp. “Jack, what is it?” Her nipples pressed against the silky fabric causing his dick to swell. It was obvious she was naked under the robe. It didn’t matter that he was dead on his feet, just looking at Bailey made him hard. “I was just checking on you.” “I’m okay. I just got out of the tub.” As he walked into her house, he shoved aside the image of Bailey stepping out of the tub, her bare body flushed and slick with water. “Are all your windows locked?” She tightened the sash around her robe. “Yeah.” “Doors?” She rolled her eyes and said. “Yes.” 94
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“The front door wasn’t locked.” “Okay. I’ll be more careful. My mom loved it here because it was always so safe.” He blew out a frustrated breath, wishing like hell there was more he could do to protect her. So far, he’d failed miserably at that job. He still had the goose egg on his head to prove it. “It’s still safe in Collville, but right now we need to be extra careful.” Jack averted his gaze for a moment, hoping Bailey didn’t notice his hard-on under his jeans. She’d used some kind of bubble bath or something that had him gnashing his back teeth together because she smelled like spring roses budding in a flower garden. She pursed her lips together for a few seconds. “You’re right. I thought a hot bath would relax me and I forgot to lock the door.” He exhaled another breath, this time brought on by his sexual frustration. “I’m going to check around outside, then head home. Lock the door behind me.” When she met his gaze, he saw the raw, needy desire deep in her eyes, too. If he took her in his arms and kissed her good-night, the chances of his letting go of her were slim to none. Feeling slightly awkward about the situation, he brushed past her, but she took his arm. He felt the heat of her through his jacket and shirt making him curse under his breath. “Thanks,” she whispered. Nodding, he tore his eyes away from her. He flicked on the flashlight, and did his surveillance around the perimeter of her house. Since he had forgotten to ask her if she had locked the back door, he went up the steps, and tried the knob, finding it locked. Striding down the driveway, he glanced over at the kitchen window. Bailey stood at the window and watched him. He stopped and turned to face her. The lights from inside the house cast a soft glow around her. Her hair tangled around her face, her eyes appeared wide and vulnerable to him. He took a step toward her front porch when she abruptly turned away. The curtains closed. “Shit.” Changing directions again, he trudged back to his house, his cock still 95
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swollen with a lusty need to be inside of her.
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CHAPTER TEN Restlessness keeping her awake until after midnight, Bailey finally threw the blankets back in a fit of frustration and climbed out of bed. She grabbed her robe, shrugging it on as she padded out to the kitchen for a glass of water. Yawning, she turned on the light and walked over to the sink. After she filled a glass, she wandered over to the window that faced Jack’s house. She pushed opened the curtains a few inches. The glass slipped from her hand, shattering into a dozen pieces as cold water splashed on her bare feet. The shadow of a tall man turned and starting running toward Jack’s house. “No!” she screamed. The shadow disappeared behind his garage. Not Jack. How could he act so sincere one minute and the next be snooping around in the shadows? He’d just checked her house a couple of hours ago. Trembling with anger, betrayal and a keen sense of disappointment Bailey raced down to her bedroom. She slid her feet into her slippers and jogged back out to the living room. She fumbled for a jacket in the living room closet before she ran out of the house. Consumed with white-hot anger, she nearly stumbled as she jogged across the street. Hurrying up the steps of his porch, she fisted her hands before pounding on his door. “Jack! Damn you, Jack! Answer the fucking door!” When he didn’t answer, she pounded harder, causing pain to shoot through her clenched fists. The bastard probably needed time to get inside the house and strip off his clothes. “Jack!” she hollered.
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Ready to pound on the door again, it suddenly swung open, which made her pitch forward. He caught her before she lost her balance. She wrenched herself from his grip. “Take your filthy hands off of me.” “What the hell’s going on?” She glared at him, seeing that he wore a pair of white briefs and black tee shirt. “I figured you for the type to sleep naked.” A heavy dose of sarcasm came with her words as she continued to glare at him. Jack raked a hand through his rumpled hair. “What is going on with you?” Bailey shoved him in the chest, resisting the powerful urge to fist her hand again and punch him in the nose. “Stop.” He grabbed her arms. “Don’t touch me.” Jack tightened his grip on her. “Look me in the eye and tell me what this is about.” “Don’t play innocent with me.” Confusion clouded his eyes. Eyes that were still foggy with sleep. If he had been running, he would be out of breath. “Dammit, talk to me.” She shook her head as a giant dose of confusion knotted inside of her. “Did you get another email?” “Let go of me, Jack.” “Not until you tell me what’s going on.” “You,” she paused, her confusion tightening like a tight vice inside of her stomach. “I mean, I saw a man outside my kitchen window.” She felt his fingers digging into her upper arms. “When?” “Just—just before I ran over here.” “Which direction did he go?” Feeling like she was trapped in a warped dream that she couldn’t claw her way out of, she stared at him. “Behind your garage.” 98
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His sleepy eyes widened in disbelief. “What?” To Bailey, it seemed like it took him forever to digest what was going on. He grimaced as if he if was in physical pain. “You thought it was me?” Avoiding his eyes, she wrestled with her emotions, anger and confusion. “Yes,” she finally said, looking back at him. The grave expression of disappointment that spread across his face tore at her heart. Dropping his hands to his side, he backed away from her. “The bastard is probably gone, but I’m looking for him anyway.” He wheeled around and headed out of the living room. Jack stopped and wheeled around to face her. He pinned her with an angry look. “You stay put, until I get back.” The anger vanished from her as quickly as it consumed her. Shoulders slumping, she covered her face with her hands. Immediately jumping to the wrong conclusion, she’d stormed over here assuming it was Jack. The expression on his face still ripped at her heart when she’d admitted believing it was him lurking outside of her house. Bailey dropped her hands, feeling a chill creep into her body. Jack kept his house cool for these cold autumn nights. She turned and realized the door was still wide open, so she elbowed it closed. Jack walked into the living room, dressed in jeans and a heavy blue and black plaid flannel shirt. The laces of his high-topped work boots dragged behind him as he buttoned his shirt. Sending her a scathing look, he grabbed a flashlight off the table near the door and headed outside. The loud bang of the door swinging closed behind him felt like someone had slugged her in the stomach. The house seemed to yawn with emptiness after he stomped outside. Running her hands over her arms to warm herself, she walked down the hallway until she found his bedroom. His room shouted masculinity. A large bed sat in the center of the room. With the blankets tossed aside, plain white sheets and a chocolate brown comforter could be seen. A framed painting of a gigantic bull elk hung above his 99
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bed. Two high dressers stained a deep mahogany brown stood against the far wall. Bailey spotted the closet, hurried over to it and started riffling through his clothes until she found a heavy wool, plaid button down shirt. After putting it on, she felt slightly better, but not really enough to matter. A man was innocent until proven guilty. Reacting to the man’s shadow outside her window, she hadn’t stopped to think. Instead, she had reacted. A knee-jerk reaction. The s.o.b. probably just took off running not caring what direction he went. Jack had been sound asleep when she’d pounded on his door and hollered at the top of her lungs. She eyed the bed, knowing his scent would be lingering there. Tempted to climb into his bed and pull the blankets over her head, she took a few steps toward it, but stopped. She highly doubted Jack would want to find her curled up in his bed when he returned. When she heard the front door open and close, another round of guilt pounded her conscience. “Bailey.” His voice carried a mixture of fatigue and the remains of his anger. “I’m coming.” She’d just reached the door when Jack walked up to her. His gaze took in his shirt that she wore over her robe and jacket. No doubt she looked ridiculous in her outlandish outfit, but the outfit paled in comparison to her behavior. By the expression on his face, she knew he hadn’t caught up with the intruder. “No luck?” “No. It seems I’m running short on luck these days.” “I’m so sorry, Jack. I’m sorry I thought it was you sneaking around my house.” Scrubbing a hand down his face, he leaned one shoulder against the doorframe. “Why should you believe me? You keep getting those sick emails from my address. You catch some guy standing in the shadows and he runs straight to my place. I’d say you have every right to not believe me.” The resignation in his deep voice pierced her heart. She now realized her feelings ran deeper for this man than she’d been willing to admit to herself. It wasn’t just about 100
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the sex for her. By the expression on his face and look in his eyes, she knew she had hurt him. “I didn’t think. I just reacted.” “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” He worked his jaw for a moment before he said. “Since you’re already in my room, you can have it for the night. I’ll sleep in my spare bedroom. That is, if you trust me enough to stay the night.” “Please stop it.” Emotions clogged her throat preventing her from saying any more to him. She tried to move past him, but he caught her arm and stopped her. “It’s not safe to stay at your house tonight. You can stay here.” She shook her head. “No, I’m going home.” “Come on, Bailey. Let’s not play games. It’s the middle of the freaking night and we’re both tired. Just stay here.” “I didn’t lock the door when I ran over here.” “Damn, I’ll go over and do it now. Just go to bed.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she said. “I will on one condition.” Jack straightened away from the doorframe, one eyebrow raised. “You sleep in your own bed with me.” Was she putting her heart on the line with this man? Her emotions were barely held together by a thread as it was. Her realization that she cared for Jack didn’t help her jumbled up frame of mind. Not answering her, he shot her a long hard look before he wheeled around and strode down the hallway. Again, she heard the door open and close. Now that her anger had all but evaporated, anxiety riddled her body and mind. Drawing in a deep breath, she unbuttoned Jack’s shirt as she walked over to his closet. She didn’t think it would take him long to lock up her house. After she shrugged off her jacket and tossed it on one of the dressers, she went over to his bed and sat down. Without the layers of her jacket and his shirt, she started shivering again, so she laid down, and snuggled under the blankets. Several minutes later she heard Jack come inside the house. Holding her breath, she hoped he would come down to his room. Her heart pounded when he paused in the doorway, a guarded expression on his 101
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face. He walked over to the side of the bed and dropped her keys on the nightstand. “I had to find your keys so you wouldn’t be locked out tomorrow.” “Um...yeah.” Looking up at him, she knew her eyes pleaded with him to stay. She caught his hand. “Come to bed.” “Jesus, Bailey. How can I, when you think I’m a damn perverted peeping Tom?” She propped herself up on one elbow. “I don’t think that.” “You did when you came running over here.” “It was a knee-jerk reaction. And I’m saying I’m sorry again.” Jack dropped her hand, and plopped down on the edge of the bed. He scrubbed his hands down his face. “If you only knew how much I need you to believe me,” he said without looking at her. “If I wasn’t so screwed up, I would have believed you in the beginning. I never used to be like this. I’m struggling to get a hold on my emotions. About everything, including you.” He tilted his head in her direction, still with the same guarded expression. His eyes were a different matter, though. A hint of anger and disappointment still lingered. “How do you really feel about me?” he asked. “You make me feel desirable, like a woman again.” When he started to say something, she hurried on. “My mother spoke very highly of you. She appreciated all the ways you helped her.” Jack shifted his position to face her, placing one hand over her body near her hip. “We’re not talking about your mother. I liked your mother, and truth be known, I miss her. This is about you and me. Totally different dynamics.” Bailey fought to gather her thoughts together. Before she spoke, she drew in a deep breath. “Okay, then. Because Dave cheated on me so many times, I don’t trust men. I know it’s not right to put his blame on all men, but...” Fisting the edge of the comforter in her hands, she looked at him. His face seemed carved out of stone, not giving anything away. “I didn’t lie on the porch in my underwear to attract your attention that 102
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night. In fact, I didn’t even know you had seen me until you came over.” Still watching her with that poker face, he didn’t respond as she continued. “Once you got me inside, I felt the need to prove myself. Prove that I still had it as a woman.” “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. Your sex appeal. You’ve got it in spades.” Under different circumstances his compliment would have made her smile, but the seriousness of their discussion and the situation in general didn’t make her feel like smiling. “Considering what’s going on, you’ve been pretty damn tolerant with me, ‘cause I know I’m a flake concerning my emotions.” He blew out a long breath. “You’re not a flake. You’re confused.” “Thanks for being nice.” She had a hard time keeping the sarcasm out of her tone. He frowned, clearly not liking her attitude. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Jack looked overhead at the wall above the bed, his jaw tight with tension. The silence grew to an uncomfortable level after some time passed. She wanted to share his bed, but she still had some dignity left, so she wasn’t about to beg him. He glanced down at her before he stood up. “I need to get to sleep, I’ve got a long day tomorrow.” Bailey nodded, still clutching the comforter. She expected him to walk out of his bedroom, but he didn’t. Instead, he unbuttoned his shirt, and stripped down to his briefs and tee shirt. As he rounded the bed, he scrubbed one hand down his face again. Her heart hammered in a wild rhythm, wondering if he would make love to her. Since he’d left on his underwear, she doubted he’d make a move. Jack climbed into bed and laid on his back staring up at the ceiling. Watching him from the corner of her eye, a strong and needy urge to lay her head on his chest moved through her. She wanted his arms around her, but she stared at the ceiling, too. Finally, he said. “Could you please turn off the light?” **** When Jack banged the end of his thumb with a hammer, he swore so loud and long,
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Bill and Dan both stopped what they were doing and stared at him liked he had some how sprouted horns. Scowling and shaking his hand, he glared at the men before they returned to edging the living room walls with oak wood trim. He hammered the last nail in place on the bottom step of the stairwell. He stood up, and shot his thumb the evil glare. Didn’t matter that he had on work gloves, he had really whacked his thumb good. The goose egg on his head had started to shrink but the area around it on his forehead had turned an ugly shade of blue. Now his thumb would swell if he didn’t get some ice on it. Tossing the hammer into his toolbox, he stomped outside, feeling Bill and Dan’s eyes boring into his back. He opened up his truck door, bent down and pulled out the small ice pack he always kept in his cooler lunch box. Most days somebody needed an ice pack for some job related injury. After he swaddled his thumb with the ice pack, he picked up his cell off the dashboard and called the local phone company. “This is Jack McBride and I’d like to cancel my internet account.” As promised, Kelly had taken his modem with her to Kalispell. A friend had cued her in to a good repair shop. “Are you sure, Mr. McBride? If you’re not happy with our service, I’m sure we can work with you.” The receptionist had a sultry, smooth voice. Before meeting Bailey he probably would have flirted a little with her. Bailey. Some how, he had managed to fall asleep with her beside him last night and God knew, it had not been easy. As soon as he’d climbed into bed with her, he’d gotten a throbbing hard-on. “It’s not the service,” he said with more abruptness then he meant. “I don’t need it right now. Later on, I’ll hook it up again.” “Oh, I see,” her sultry voice purred. “We can put you on vacation disconnect so you won’t have to pay another registration fee.” “Okay.” “How long will you be on vacation?” A vacation? He didn’t remember the last time he’d taken a real vacation besides a 104
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couple of camping trips last summer. How long would it take to catch the perverted bastard, who was not just terrorizing Bailey, but him, too? “Maybe a month.” “No problem. We’ll keep it open. Just give us a call when you’re ready to reconnect and we’ll take care of you. Do you also need your phone shut off, too?” “No. I want my phone. When will the internet be shut off?” “I can arrange to have it done within the hour.” Jack glanced at his watch. Five after nine. “That sounds good.” “Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr. McBride?” He had no idea who the receptionist was, but she had a voice that could melt chocolate. Funny, he didn’t really give a damn. “No thanks, that will be it.” “Thank you for contacting us Mr. McBride.” The chocolate still kept melting. “Thanks, and you’re welcome.” He turned off his phone and tossed it on the seat. He leaned against his truck and held the ice pack in place. Gritting his teeth, he fought back the urge to light up a cigarette. He kept a spare pack in his glove compartment. He almost had himself talked into smoking just one cigarette because of what happened last night with Bailey when Bill sauntered outside and over to him. Bill stuffed his thumbs into his belt loops and rocked back on his heels. He stared down at his brand new steel-toed work boots before looking up at Jack. “What?” Jack asked. “You know, I just don’t work for you. We’ve been friends a long time. Something’s eating at you. Maybe you need to share.” One eyebrow quirked up. “Maybe I need to share? When in the hell did you start talking like a shrink or something?” “I’m working on my feminine side.” Bill glowered at Jack. “Don’t laugh. It’s all Kelly’s idea. I have to keep the wife happy.” Jack knew for a fact Bill would do just about anything for Kelly, but his wife was just as adamant about keeping her husband happy. An unexpected tinge of jealousy 105
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tweaked his gut. It would be damned nice to have a good marriage, like Bill and Kelly shared. “I promise I won’t laugh. I just want to get this job done.” Bill narrowed his eyes. “Nah. It’s not just the job. We’ll be finished in a couple of days, right on schedule. You never did explain the ugly lump on your head. Your hat doesn’t quite cover it.” Damn, he figured if he kept his ball cap pulled down low enough, the guys wouldn’t notice it. “Ran into a wall the other night, when I got up to take a leak.” “Uh...huh.” “Does getting in touch with your feminine side include asking too many questions?” “Ha-ha, McBride. Maybe you got woman troubles? But I asked you that the other day and you denied it.” “I’m still denying it.” “How’s the thumb?” Bill asked. “‘Cause if you need to take the rest of the day off to nurse it, Dan and I would understand.” “Up yours.” Jack turned and stuffed the ice pack back inside the cooler. Bill chuckled. Slamming the truck door, he headed toward the house, battling with his growing and confusing feelings for Bailey. His thumb forgotten, he walked over to his toolbox and dug out his hammer again. When he started up the stairs, he caught Bill staring at him. Ignoring his friend, he concentrated on the next task that needed to be done. **** Bailey snuggled deeper under the blankets, not wanting to get up, slightly disoriented when she realized she wasn’t in her own bed. One by one the events of last night rushed back to her. Rolling onto her side, she saw that Jack was gone. She looked over her shoulder at the night stand and saw that it was almost nine. Had she really slept this late? She noticed a note next to the digital clock. Turning back over, she picked it up and read it. 106
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I checked your house before I left for work. Everything looks okay, but be careful. We should have called the cops last night. Jack. His handwriting was strong and quite legible, which for some reason surprised her. She would have expected him to have a fast, illegible scrawl being a man that worked with his hands for a living. Besides being a hunk, he was also a highly intelligent man. His masculine scent still lingered on the bed sheets, which caused a burst of heat to shoot through her. She flopped onto her back, remembering how Jack had kept his distance from her last night. Since she’d stopped taking her meds, she was slowly, but surely, getting back in touch with her feelings, no matter how confused and painful they were. No one had to tell her she’d hurt Jack last night by assuming he’d been the one hanging around her house in the dead of night. With a sigh of disappointment, Bailey got out of bed. The house was cozy and warm this morning, so obviously Jack had left the heat on for her. Add considerate to his list of attributes. She quickly made the bed before she slipped on her robe and slippers. After she retrieved her jacket, she left his room. As she walked past the spare bedroom he used as an office, she stopped. Sure enough, his CPU was gone. All the various cords that needed to be hooked up to the monitor and printer were scattered across his desk. A large chunk of ice fell off the glacier inside of her heart. Squaring her shoulders, she knew it was time to take the leap of faith where Jack was concerned. Bailey had no idea where that would lead the two of them. She wasn’t even sure she could classify the two of them in a relationship. Oh, they were definitely tangled together by a maze of emotions and unusual circumstances. Before she left Jack’s place, she turned down the heat and made sure the front door was locked. Frost covered the ground, and wearing only a thin robe, slinky sleepwear, and her jacket, Bailey instantly started shivering as she went down the front porch steps. Halfway across the street, she heard a car approaching. Glancing in the direction of the vehicle, she saw that it was Benson. “Just absolutely freakin’ great.”
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Benson screeched to a stop. He jumped out of his SUV, which he left running and hurried over to her. “Bailey. What’s going on? Are you okay?” She hadn’t bothered to look in the mirror or use Jack’s bathroom. No doubt, Benson would think she was an air head female for wandering around outside dressed as she was, on a sub freezing morning. “Everything is fine.” “You’re shivering and you’re not,” he paused, “dressed exactly...” She glanced down at herself, wracking her brain for a logical explanation. “I went over to Jack’s to borrow some sugar for my cereal, but he had already left for work.” Frowning, he stared hard at her. “Jack never uses his garage. His truck is gone.” “Um...so it is.” She lifted a shoulder. “I was half asleep when I walked over to his place.” A look of disapproval formed on his face. So would it matter if he knew they were sleeping together? Unfortunately, that’s all they had done last night was sleep together. “I gotta run. Brrrr...it’s cold out here.” “If you need some sugar, I have plenty at my house.” Bailey waved her hand in front of her. “Who needs extra sugar? Besides you need to get to work. But, hey, thanks for the offer.” She hurried across the street, shivering even more. Add embarrassment at being caught walking home from Jack’s in her robe. She unlocked the door and, stepped into a house that reminded her of a walk in a freezer. She turned the furnace down at night because she liked sleeping in a cool house. Her shivering increased as she walked over to the thermostat on the wall and clicked on the heat. After she got her morning coffee going, she spun away from the counter and eyed the blank computer screen across the room. A sense of foreboding settled inside her stomach. Jack’s computer was disassembled, but that didn’t mean another dirty message wasn’t waiting for her. Leaning back against the counter, she decided to wait until she had some hot coffee in her before checking her inbox. Several minutes later, carrying a hot mug of steaming 108
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coffee, she went over to the computer and turned it on. She sipped on the coffee, feeling the warmth of the strong brew warming her body. Then why did she still feel a chill and that nagging sense of foreboding? Her hand trembled as she brought up her email. The first one was from Beth, so she read that first. Beth and her husband we’re going out of town for a week to do some fall hiking so she wouldn’t be hearing from her. Worried that she might spill her coffee, she set it down on the desk before opening the next new message. Why didn’t you bare your beautiful breasts to me last night when you caught me watching you? Her breathing stilled while she stared at the message, not really seeing the words. It wasn’t from Jack because half of his computer was missing. Her emotions spiraling out of control, Bailey started pacing, wringing her hands together at the same time. Try to think clearly. Focus. She paced back to the computer and noted the time the message came in. Six a.m. this morning. Unless Jack had another computer or laptop stashed somewhere in his house, it hadn’t been him. Doubts swirled around her like yellow jackets around a picnic table loaded with a summer potluck. She paced again. For the first time since she’d met him, she had believed him, believed that he wasn’t the sick bastard sending the emails or hanging around her house late at night. She walked over to the counter and rummaged around in a top drawer, the all-purpose drawer, her mother had called it. She finally found his phone numbers. Grabbing her cell off the counter, she punched in his number. “Hello,” an unfamiliar male voice said. “Is this Jack McBride’s phone?” “Yeah, it is. I was getting some tools out of his truck and heard his phone ring. Do you want me to get him?” “Yes, please.” A couple of seconds later she heard the man on the other end hollering for Jack.
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Pacing again, next to the counter, her heart pounded against her rib cage. Her panic attack escalated. Bailey struggled to keep her breathing even. She stopped pacing and narrowed her eyes at her purse sitting on the counter. Her meds were safely tucked inside her purse, but she quickly turned her back on her purse and her crutch. “Hello.” Just the sound of his deep masculine voice gave her a measure of calm. “Hello?” he repeated. “Jack...it’s me, Bailey.” “Are you okay?” She’d said what, three or four words to him, and he picked up on her distress. “Bailey, what the hell’s going on?” She heard the distress in his voice, too. “I got another email.” When Jack let go with a loud string of curse words, she had to hold the phone away from her ear. “I’ll be there in fifteen.” Before she could protest, the line went dead. She had only needed to talk to him, to hear his voice, and she’d wanted to let him know about the recent email. She finally lowered the phone and turned it off. Gripping it tight inside her hand, she fought to catch her breath. If she stood there without moving, the panic attack would worsen, so she headed for the bathroom and a quick shower. After she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped the towel around her sarong style. Bailey picked up her hair dryer and started drying her hair. She’d showered quickly, but bone chilling fear had taken root inside of her body. Washing her body and scrubbing her scalp till it hurt had eased the panic attack. By God, she wouldn’t let it get its talons into her this time. “Bailey, where the hell are you?” Jack. His loud, booming voice did more to warm her than the hot shower had. Turning off the hair dryer, she raced out of the bathroom and bumped straight into him. 110
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He caught her bare arms while she stared at him, feeling his heat, and his strength. His gaze searched her face. “Are you okay?” She wouldn’t lie to him. “No, not really. Who am I kidding? I’m having a hard time.” “Did you print the email?” She shook her head. Unfortunately for her, the words were imprinted on her brain. “It said. ‘Why didn’t you bare your beautiful breasts to me last night when you caught me watching you?’” His eyes turned steely, while his jaw tightened. “When did it come in?” “At six this morning.” “I disconnected my internet service this morning. It’s off until I give the phone company the thumbs up to restart it.” The man was doing everything in his power to prove it wasn’t him. Another chunk of the iceberg broke away from her heart. The leap of faith turned out to be a wide chasm for her, feeling as wide as the Grand Canyon. She willed herself to take that leap. She had to do it. If he was conning her, then she would pay dearly for it with her heart. Suddenly her throat turned bone dry. Attempting to swallow back the dryness, she whispered. “I know you didn’t send it.” Something in his expression changed, softened a bit, but wariness still floated in the depths of his eyes. “I called you because,” she paused, wishing like hell she had a glass of water to wash away the dryness. “Because I wanted to keep you informed. And,” she paused again. “I wanted to hear your voice.” “Oh, Jesus, Bailey,” he said. She pressed herself against him, and wrapped her arms around his back. A second passed before he hugged her back so tight she could barely breathe. His lips brushed the top of her damp hair. “Are you sure? You have to be sure.” Bailey leaned back and looked at him. “I knew last night it wasn’t you. You were sound asleep when I woke you. This morning before I left your house I saw that the CPU was missing.” 111
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Jack blew out the longest breath, she’d ever heard anyone exhale before in her life, while his face softened even more. “It’s been hard, but I’m staying away from my meds and my head is clearing. My feelings are still all confused, but I’m learning to trust my instincts again.” He tucked a lock of damp hair behind her ear. “Abby mentioned once what a strong willed girl you always were.” “I used to be, but something got lost in the translation over the course of my marriage to a cheating husband. And losing my mother...” With his fingers, Jack tipped her chin up and looked deep into her eyes. “You can do this. I’ll help you get through it.” A cozy feeling of warmth filled her. “I didn’t like it when you were pissed off at me last night. I know I deserved it, but it still bothered me.” Jack bent and lightly brushed his lips across hers. “I understand.” “Make love to me,” she whispered. As quick as a flash of lightning his eyes turned stormy with desire. “You had a bad morning and a bad night.” Had he lost his interest in her? Or was he just being considerate? The look in his eyes told a different story. The irritating dryness crept up her throat again. She untangled her arms from him and reached for the towel wrapped around her. His hands settled on hers, stopping her. “If you take that towel off, all bets are off.” Keeping her eyes focused on him, she pushed his hands away, unwrapping the towel at the same time. Opening it, she bared her body to him, before she said, in an unfamiliar husky voice. “I’m not trying to prove anything.” His eyes trailed down her nakedness and slowly back up to her face. His jaw had tensed again, while his eyes were hooded as he stared at her. Another bout of panic spread through her because if he turned her down, she feared she would run straight for her meds. Not because she needed to prove her desirableness to a man, but because some unknown emotion in her heart called out for this man. 112
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Before she could say anything, he hauled her up against his chest, the towel falling away from her. His lips crashed against hers with a bruising force. Moaning, she opened herself for him, letting his tongue do delicious things to the inside of her mouth. Jack backed her against the wall, pushing his hard erection against her naked belly. Fumbling with the zipper of his jacket, she finally got it open, then moved on to his flannel shirt buttons. The playing field wasn’t level because he had on way too many clothes while she had on none. His hands covered her breasts, squeezing them roughly and passionately causing her to gasp. When she finally found bare skin on his chest, she bent and licked the crisp hair that covered it. His fingers tugged on her nipples sending igniting embers of heat sparking between her legs. Bailey unsnapped his jeans. Jack stepped back making her whimper in disappointment. Her breathing shallow and uneven, she watched as he ripped off his clothes, but his high top work boots prevented him from getting his jeans off. Straightening up, he grabbed her. “The hell with them.” He bent his head to her breasts where he caught one nipple between his teeth, tugging on it. Spreading her hands across his butt, she pulled him closer to her. He ground his cock against her pussy. He straightened up, placing both hands on her breasts and found her lips. Their kiss bordered on hard and violent as their loud moaning bounced off the walls of the narrow hallway. When he tore his lips from her, she nipped at his shoulder, eliciting a feral sounding groan from him. She slowly started slithering down his body, kissing his chest first, trailing her lips lower. “Bailey,” he warned. “Don’t. I’ll come.” She didn’t listen as she wrapped her hands around the smooth skin of his cock. Licking the engorged tip gently at first, she felt his hands tangle into her hair. Slowly she pulled him deep into her mouth, savoring the salty, musky taste of him. With her hand, she moved him in and then out of her mouth, the need to please him 113
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overwhelming her. Her tongue sucked, licked and laved every inch of him. “Dammit, Bailey.” She paused to glance up at him, and at that moment, the demons inside her heart ripped their talons from her when she looked into his eyes. His feelings for her shone so brightly in his gaze. Before she could take him into her mouth again, he hoisted her to her feet, kissing her hard on her lips. Jack spun her around, and spread her thighs with his hands. Moments later she felt him driving his cock deep into her, into her very core. Gasping with pure, hot pleasure, she pressed her butt against his hard, relentless thrusts. Placing the palms of her hands on the wall, she pushed herself back even farther, as his fingers dug into her hips. One hand moved to her clit, fingering it hard and fast in rhythm with the deep thrusts of cock pounding into her. Bailey bit her lip as unbelievable pleasure ballooned inside of her, wanting release, but she never wanted this moment to end. Again, she pushed herself back against him, his finger roughly fondling her. A swift and all consuming orgasm tore through her body. In a foggy haze of sexual bliss, she felt Jack’s final hard plunge into her before he grunted out his own release behind her. **** His breathing still working itself back to normal, Jack gently turned Bailey around to face him. Looking into her eyes his heart tightened. Was he falling in love with her? Or was he already in love with her? Damned if he knew. The waters between the two of them were too muddy for his comfort level. She reached up, giving him the softest kiss he’d ever felt. He touched his forehead to hers as she leaned back against the wall. Her hands splayed across his chest. “You’re not safe, Bailey. Some bastard is stalking you. He might escalate. We have to call the cops.” He felt the frown gather across her forehead. “I mean it.” “I told you before, it’s embarrassing. We’d both have to explain about the emails.” Gnashing his back teeth together in frustration, Jack straightened up, resting his 114
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hands on her shoulders. “We blew it when we didn’t call the cops last night.” “I agree, but, I lost it. I didn’t even think of it.” The problem was he hadn’t thought about calling the cops, either. In his haste to get dressed and chase after the son of a bitch, that important fact had been overlooked. Right now, he didn’t have time to discuss the subject with her. “I have to get back to the job.” He bent down and pulled up his jeans, then grabbed the towel off the floor and, handed it to Bailey. “I want to see the email before I leave.” Without a word, she took the towel from him. She turned and walked naked into her bedroom, her shapely ass making his cock throb again. After he finished dressing, Bailey appeared wearing her robe, with nothing underneath it. Wanting her again, he said in a gruff tone. “I want to read that email.” Bailey nodded. He took her hand, leading her into the kitchen. As he walked towards the computer, she stopped and pulled her hand from his. “I’ve already read it and told you what it said.” Jack nodded, before he walked over to the computer. Bailey had left it open on the screen. Anger blew up inside of him, reminding him a fourth of July fireworks show, as he read it. Balling his hands into fists, he wheeled around to face her, while fighting to keep a firm grip on his anger. “Do you have to go anywhere today?” “Not really.” He walked over to her and gathered her into his arms. “I’ll keep my cell with me for the rest of the day. Usually I leave it in my truck, so I don’t get interrupted. Keep the doors locked.” “This guy could be harmless, just someone looking for some cheap thrills.” Since he wasn’t a cop or FBI profiler, he didn’t know squat about a stalker. Stalkers were obsessed by nature that much he did know. “We can’t assume anything at this point. You have to stay on guard.” When fear sparked in her eyes, he kissed her long and thorough. “I know this is hard for you under the circumstances, but you have to watch your back, even during the day.” 115
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She clutched at his jacket. “You’re right. I’ll be fine.” He hoped this whole damn mess didn’t make her run back to her meds. So far, Bailey was hanging in there, but he realized how vulnerable she really was. “I’ll see you later.” He kissed her again, but reluctantly stopped the kiss before it got out of hand. She walked him to the door, and stood on the porch as he climbed into his truck and drove off. Jack glanced in his rear view and saw her still standing there, arms crossed over her chest. From now on out, he planned to stay with her at night. No way would he leave her alone. He didn’t even like her being alone during the day. Abby’s, Benson’s and his house all sat in a secluded area on the outskirts of town. Normally he loved the solitude, but not under these circumstances. Davidson was still on his list. He’d cruise by his store to make sure he was at work, just to be on the safe side. Tonight he would take his hunting rifle to Bailey’s house. He’d never been in the military, so he didn’t know a damn thing about covert operations. Teeth gritted tight together, Jack vowed he would keep Bailey safe. **** After Bailey took her second shower in less than an hour, she dressed in jeans, and a long sleeved white tee shirt with a black, long sleeved sweater. Her stomach grumbled in protest when she walked into the kitchen. After she made a fresh pot of coffee, she ate a bowl of cereal and a banana. While she tidied up the kitchen, she heard an engine idling outside of her house. Edginess creeping up her spine, she walked over to the window. The local Collville telephone truck was parked in front of her house. Figuring it was routine maintenance, she started to turn away, but noticed Tom climbing out of the truck. He closed the truck door behind him and looked at her house. When he spotted her, he waved. Bailey waved back, knowing she had to at least go outside and say hi to him. That idea didn’t sit well with her because she wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. She let herself out the back door, thinking of excuses to keep the conversation 116
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short. Tom looked over his shoulder as he pulled a couple of tools from the back of the truck. “Bailey, hi.” “Hi, Tom. What’s going on?” When he smiled at her, she noticed how the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Maybe he’d finally taken the hint that she wasn’t interested in anything but a friendship with him. “Routine maintenance check,” he said. Bailey nodded, feeling more uncomfortable around him than usual. “So how are things going?” His eyes narrowed. “They’d go a hell of a lot better, if you would go out with me.” Fighting back the urge to roll her eyes in frustration, she stuffed her hands in the front pockets of her jeans. A definite feeling of awkwardness sluiced through her. Why couldn’t he get over high school? Bony fingers of anxiety raked her nerves. “Look Tom, your friendship means a lot to me. I’m glad we had a chance to reconnect after all these years.” Now his eyes narrowed to slits while his lips pressed into a tight line. An unexpected urge to step back from him, settled in her system, but she stood her ground and said. “You’re going through a rough patch with your recent separation and all. You already know I’m in the process of a divorce, so it’s not good timing for either of us.” “It would make things better for both of us to spend time together.” Bailey didn’t miss the touch of desperation in his tone. If she was still on meds, she would no doubt cave and agree to go out with him. Stay strong. She had no intention of getting railroaded into another date. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to be involved now,” she lied. She was already involved, possibly over her head where Jack was concerned. Anger lit up his eyes, while his free hand fisted at his side. Growing more uneasy with each passing second, she did step back. “What about him?” Tom cocked his head in the direction of Jack’s house. 117
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How could he possibly know about Jack? “What do you mean him?” She paused. “Oh, you mean Jack McBride?” “McBride is single, and from what I understand, doesn’t have a problem with the women.” For one nano second of time, unwelcome doubts swirled inside of her. Did Jack have another woman on the side? No, the past week he’d been with her most of the time. She understood why women would be attracted to him. The fingers of anxiety pressed harder against her nerves. “Jack’s my neighbor. He used to help my mother out when she needed something fixed around the house.” Annoyance rippled through her body, combining itself with her already shaky nerves. Why did she have to defend her position about not wanting to date him? “I’m sorry, Tom. I hope we can still be friends.” He wheeled around so fast, that she was positive he created his own breeze. Bailey backed up. “See you later.” “Yeah, later,” he said without looking at her. As she turned, she heard the clatter and bang of tools behind her. She resisted the urge to run to the safety of the house. Once inside the house, she locked the back door, then hurried into the living room, to lock that door, too. Bailey watched as Tom squatted by the telephone box near the edge of the street. She stood to the side of the window, hoping he couldn’t see her as she kept an eye on him doing his maintenance. In less than five minutes he finished. After he stashed his tools in the back of the truck, he stared at her house for what seemed like forever to her. Finally(,) he climbed inside the truck and drove off. Combing her fingers through her hair, she slowly walked into the kitchen. The uneasiness of her encounter with Tom trailing her like a lost dog in search of its master, she remembered how Jack had warned her to be careful and to watch her back. Could Tom be the one sending the emails? He’d told her he didn’t know much about computers, except for the basics. For all she knew, he could have been lying to 118
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her. His ego bruised, from his wife leaving him, probably made him feel he needed to prove himself as a man. Benson? Benson would be a much more likely suspect because he knew the ins and outs of computers. But he’d seemed truly shocked when he’d caught her walking back from Jack’s house this morning. If Benson was the one behind the emails and late night snooping, he wouldn’t have acted so surprised. Or was he putting on an act? Bailey reached up to rub her temples. A slight headache threatened, brought on by the tense morning and her overwrought nerves. She knew exactly three men in Collville: Jack, Tom, and Benson. Other than those three, she didn’t have a clue as to who would want to stalk her. No one had followed her from Denver and the only man in Denver that had it in for her was Dave. He wanted to make sure she walked away with little or nothing from the divorce. Her snarky attorney had assured her, she would get her just reward in the final settlement. The throbbing inside her head increased, so she grabbed the bottle of aspirin from the cupboard next to the sink. After she took the aspirin, she decided to sort through more of her mother’s things to keep her mind off the frightening situation she seemed to be snared in. **** Twilight settled around the house as Jack lined up the vanity above the sink in the master bedroom. He’d sent Bill and Dan home an hour ago figuring it wasn’t fair to keep them working. He’d been the one who had skipped out on work this morning to check on Bailey. And to make love with her, which hadn’t been his intention when he’d raced away from the job site. He still had a hell of a hard time believing he’d kept his hands off her last night. A feeling of uneasiness, that he hadn’t been able to shake all day, made it hard for him to concentrate on installing the vanity above the sink. He prided himself on his workmanship, but thoughts of Bailey home alone added to his edginess. He wanted to get finished and get the hell out of here. Jack paused, and looked over his shoulder because he could have sworn he heard 119
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footsteps outside the bedroom door. Maybe Bill or Dan forgot one of their tools. The only sound was the mirrored vanity starting to slide sideways against the wall, which he caught before it fell on the sink. Why would they come back when all they had to do was call him and he would take care of a forgotten tool? “Dammit.” He’d left his level in the downstairs bathroom. Carefully lowering the vanity to the counter, he leaned it against the wall and left the bathroom. The last thing Jack remembered when he walked out of the bedroom was a hard blow to the top of his head, staggering a few steps before crashing to the carpeted floor, and his world suddenly going black. **** Bailey spooned the last of the vegetable beef soup out of the bowl and ate it. She kept looking outside, expecting Jack to pull into his driveway at any minute. Since she’d been here, she couldn’t remember him ever working this late. Her first night at her mother’s house, she’d been an emotional wreck, so she hadn’t noticed when Jack had arrived home. A heavy cloud cover had glided in late this afternoon, blocking the stars and moon from her view. For some reason, the darkness seemed heavy and weighed down with a sinister feel to it. Shaking her head, she stood up and carried her dinner dishes over to the sink. Just as she finished washing them, she heard a knock at the front door. Surprised that she hadn’t heard Jack drive up, she wiped her hands on a dishtowel before she walked to the front door. When she opened it, she tried not show her disappointment. “Benson. What are you doing here?” “I just stopped by to say hi and to see how you’re doing.” His face held a deep flush, while he was dressed completely in black, black jeans and a black zip up jacket. He usually wore khaki slacks and neutral colored, long sleeved button down shirts. An unexpected chill skittered down her spine, but she chalked it up to the cold night air, which carried the threat of snow. “I’m fine. Thanks for thinking of me.” Benson seemed different tonight. She felt the old familiar anxiety 120
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snaking its way through her body. “You must be tired and hungry...” Benson lifted a shoulder, glancing away from her for a moment. Something was definitely off with him. “Benson, are you okay?”
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CHAPTER ELEVEN When he finally glanced back at her, the dark threatening look in his eye, made her muscles tighten in fear. Before she could react, he grabbed her shoulders, and shoved her inside the house. Fear burst inside of her like a balloon popping. Kicking the door closed with his foot, his fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Let go of me!” She wrenched herself from his grip and scrambled back from him. “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” His face contorted into an angry glare. Her anxiety intensified along with her mounting fear. Fighting back an enormous anxiety attack, she stared at him in disbelief. “Get out of my house, now.” Her breathing raced, causing her to fight for air. Benson smirked. “Jack won’t be coming to your rescue tonight.” Ohmygod...what had he done to Jack? “Where is he? Did you hurt him?” Bailey fought hard to keep herself calm and her breathing normal. Benson didn’t answer as he took another step toward her, while she took a large step backwards. “You tell me what you did to Jack.” Jack had been right all along about Benson. Earlier today she had believed it might be Tom behind the emails and stalking. Talk about being a bad judge of character. How could Benson have gotten the best of Jack? “You carry on like a whore with him,” he said through clenched teeth. “You sent those disgusting emails and you’re the bastard sneaking around my house.” Anxiety and fear threatened to explode inside of her like a dormant volcano
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ready to blow its steam and lava. A sardonic laugh rumbled from him. “Wasn’t I the most obvious person for the emails? I’m an expert hacker.” “You’re disgusting. Get out of my house.” “I fell in love with you at your mother’s funeral.” Nausea rolled through her because Benson had just tainted the memory of her mother’s funeral. “We talked for what? Two minutes?” She didn’t have the foggiest how long she’d talked with Benson after the services or at the house where the mourners had gathered for food and drinks. “Abby always talked about you. That’s how I grew fond of you. But when I met you in person, the deal was cinched, except for your slutty bleached blonde hair.” “Screw my hair and screw you.” “Tonight I’m going to watch you fondle your tits like you do for Jack.” His tone and words sickened her. What she and Jack did together was private. Squaring her shoulders in an attempt to not show her fear, she said. “I’m not doing a damn thing for you.” Her fear and anxiety made it hard for her to think straight. A weapon. She had to find a weapon to defend herself because she knew with a gut wrenching certainty he would hurt her. Benson’s eyes flooded with ugly lust and anger. “Get the hell out of my house!” She screamed. “You’ll be more turned on with me watching you, than Jack. I guarantee it. He just wanted a quick lay. I want you. All of you.” His voice had almost a hypnotic cadence to it. She stared at him, battling to keep herself together. As the anxiety mushroomed inside of her, her breathing sped up. “You’re already aroused. It shows in your breathing. I knew you would be.” He unzipped his jacket and shrugged out of it, before dropping it to the floor. “Take off your top and bra. I want to see your tits.” “Stick it where the sun don’t shine.” Bailey spun around and ran to the end table next to the couch. She grabbed the lamp, ripping the lamp cord out of the socket. 123
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When she circled back around, Benson stood only inches from her. “So you like it rough, too.” He reached his hand out to her. She slammed the heavy glass lamp stand at his face, hearing the crunch of bone. She hoped like hell she had broken his nose and every single tooth inside his mouth. Staggering back, he covered his face with his hands. “You goddamn bitch!” Blood poured down his chin and crept out from the sides of his hands. She didn’t wait around to survey her damage. Instead, she bolted for the front door, throwing it open when she reached it. As she bolted toward the street, she heard Benson cursing at the top of his lungs behind her. Jack’s driveway was empty and his house was locked. She chanced a quick peek over her shoulder and saw Benson swiping at his face as he jogged after her. Running wasn’t her thing but she took off down the street toward town, pumping her arms at her sides, desperate to gain speed, yet already feeling the shortness of breath. The next house was at least a half mile down the road. She prayed to God someone was home. “You fucking no-good bitch!” Benson hollered at the top of his lungs behind her. Her adrenaline working overtime, she picked up her pace, hoping against hope she didn’t run out of breath before she reached the neighbor’s house. Hearing Benson gaining on her, she looked back at him and at the same time hit a small pothole with her right foot. Her ankle twisted as she stumbled, scrabbling to keep her balance. Benson tackled her from behind, tumbling her to the street, which in turn knocked what little breath she had left out of her. Scrambling to get her bearings and to breathe, she jabbed him hard in the ribs with her elbow. “Make this easy on yourself.” His breathing rough and ragged too, he tried to kiss the corner of her lips. The metallic smell of blood brought a fresh wave of nausea to her. Bailey screamed as loud as her vocal chords would allow. “Stop it, Bailey,” he hissed. 124
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Her throat agitated from her first scream, she managed to get out another piercing one, before Benson’s hand clamped over her mouth. Battling to ignore the taste and smell of blood on his hand, she twisted her head sharply to the left, wrenching her head away from his hand. The months of numbness and buried emotions abruptly surfaced, bringing a redhot anger so all consuming she couldn’t think straight for several moments. The will to live and not be violated by this sick pervert, vibrated inside of each and every muscle of her body. Dave had violated her and their marriage vows. She’d be damned if she’d give Benson the chance to violate her body and her soul. “You sick bastard,” she yelled before quickly twisting her body around. Face to face with him in the darkness, she could barely make out his bloodied features. In one quick movement she shoved her knee at his groin, feeling her leg connect hard with his balls. An anguished howl of pain blew out of his mouth. Knowing she had hit the target, she kicked, and shoved at the dead weight of his body on top of hers. It took every ounce of strength she had to get him off her. Clambering out from underneath him, Bailey stood. Her ankle throbbed with pain. Along with the pain in her ankle, her shoulder and right side hurt like hell where she had fallen on the road when Benson tackled her. She’d only temporarily disabled him, so she took off limping, forcing herself into a slow jog at best. Two headlights cut a path toward her. Jack? She didn’t know if he was alive or dead. Biting back tears at the thought of never seeing Jack again, she half jogged and limped like a wounded animal toward the approaching vehicle. Waving her arms in front of her, she heard the sound of footsteps pounding behind her. She suddenly realized that the vehicle was going at a high speed, well over the thirty-five mile an hour limit on this road. Terrified of Benson and terrified the driver might not see her, she veered to the left when the vehicle screeched to a halt next to her. The truck’s door opened and Jack staggered out. “Ohmygod!” she screeched. Even 125
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in the darkness she could see that he was hurt. He said one word and one word only. “Bailey.” She limped toward him. “Benson’s right behind me.” The light inside the cab of Jack’s truck afforded her enough light to catch a glimpse of the gash on the top of his head. At that moment the pounding footsteps were almost next to her, when Jack’s hand shot out and shoved her backwards making her lose her balance. She landed hard on her butt only to see Jack pull the door almost closed with himself smashed between the door and the side of the truck. Benson cursed Jack at the top of his lungs. Just as Benson headed for him, Jack shoved open the truck door, smashing the door into Benson’s body. The bastard teetered backwards, before he fell to the ground like a tree falling in a strong wind. An eerie silence followed. Her breathing echoed loud and heavy in her ears. She stared at Benson, but he didn’t move. Getting to her feet, she saw Jack leaning against his truck. “Jack.” She limped over to him. “Make sure he’s out,” Jack said. “Because I’m about ready to pa—.” He slid down until he sat upright against his truck. “Jack, wake up.” Bailey grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Are you okay? Jack, talk to me, please.” Fighting back tears, she picked up his hand, feeling for his pulse. Relief washed through her when she realized his pulse beat strong. She heard groaning coming from Benson’s direction. With more panic billowing inside of her, she fumbled to get Jack’s cell off his belt clip. Hands shaking so badly, she could barely punch out the three numbers, she finally heard the voice of a female 911 operator. “Help, I need the police now. I was attacked by my neighbor. Lone Pine Road, a truck is sitting in the middle of the road. Hurry.” Before the operator could respond Bailey tossed the cell on the truck seat. Gritting her teeth at the pain shooting through her ankle, she got to her feet and saw that Benson was now sitting up, shaking his head. Frantic with fear, that the sheriff wouldn’t get here soon enough, she looked over Jack and spotted a power drill on the passenger side 126
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floor of his truck. Crawling over him, she slid on her stomach to reach the drill. Careful not to step on Jack, she swung around in time to see Benson struggling to get to his feet. She angled around the door and made a charge at him like a bull in an arena. Benson plowed into the side of the truck. Stumbling, he lost his balance and fell to the ground again. “Bitch!” Bailey prayed the drill was charged. She turned it on, and had never loved the sound of a power tool more in her life. “If you get up and come at me. I’m drilling your fucking eyes into the back of your head.” Keeping her distance, she let the hum of the drill comfort her battered body and heart. Benson wouldn’t lay another finger on her. That she was sure of.
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CHAPTER TWELVE A deep dull ache inside his head, had Jack wanting to drift back to sleep, but he felt someone standing over him. Opening his eyes slowly, he focused on Bailey who immediately smiled at him. For the first time, Jack realized what a gorgeous smile she had. Since meeting her, he’d never really seen her smile. That smile of hers did things to his heart. “Hi, sleepyhead,” she said. “Hi, yourself.” He tried to sit it up, but Bailey laid her hand on his shoulder stopping him. “You have a major concussion.” Her smile faded, a serious look now on her face. “But the doctor said you’ll live. You have to stay another day or two in the hospital.” “Hospital?” Jack glanced around, quickly realizing he sure as hell was in a hospital room. The last thing he remembered was slamming Davidson with his truck door. Looking back at Bailey, he noticed a deep purple bruise on her right cheek. He reached for her hand. “Are you okay?” “A little stiff and sore, and a sprained ankle, but other than that, I’m fine.” Jack noticed how a dark shadow passed across her face. “What about Davidson?” “He’s in jail.” “How long have I been out?” He looked out the one and only window in the room and saw that the clouds were gunmetal gray with snowflakes floating past the window. “Since last night. It’s about eleven now.”
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Squeezing her hand, he looked directly into her eyes. “Tell me, Davidson didn’t,” he paused, not sure how to phrase his question. Bailey shook her head. “He didn’t get the chance, but he would have.” She pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down, still holding his hand. “It was him all along. You were right not to trust him. He bragged to me how he was an expert computer hacker. I was afraid it might be Tom because he was at my house yesterday, doing routine maintenance. And he got really ticked at me when I refused to go out with him again.” Jack cursed under his breath. “So Davidson was the bastard that nearly took my head off?” Closing his eyes for a second, he said. “I’ll set Tom straight the next time he comes around.” Bailey nodded. “I’m pretty sure Tom got my message. Benson’s been spying on us. He said he fell in love with me at my mother’s funeral.” Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. “Now he’s tainted that memory.” The powerful urge to take her in his arms and comfort her overwhelmed him. He realized at that moment what he felt for Bailey was the real thing. “It will be okay.” The dark circles under her yes indicated she hadn’t gotten much sleep, but her eyes looked clear enough that he believed she hadn’t taken any meds. After what happened last night, he wouldn’t blame her if she had. Bailey stared down at their hands twined together for awhile before looking at him. “Benson forced his way into my house,” she faltered for a moment before she continued. ”He told me all the things he planned to do to me.” “If it’s too hard to talk about it...don’t.” She sat up straighter on the chair. “No, I need to talk about it. If I don’t, I’ll go running for my medication.” A great sense of relief rolled through him as he realized Bailey had weathered the attack by Davidson and was still keeping clear of her meds. “I should get the nurse. The nurse told me when you woke up to get her.” Jack tightened his grip on her hand because he needed this time with Bailey, just the two of them without any outside intruders. “Not yet.” 129
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“I was so scared last night, but finally my head cleared and I fought back. I grabbed a lamp off the end table in the living room and smashed it in Benson’s face, before I ran out the door. Then I ran down the road toward town, but he caught up with me and tackled me to the ground.” Anger, swift and violent, charged through him. The bastard might be in jail, but Jack wanted to bash his head in and more. He noticed how Bailey’s breathing grew slightly erratic. “Take a breath, honey.” Her eyes glued to his, she did as she was told. After a time, she said. “I managed to knee him in the groin, and get away from him. That’s when I saw you coming. Only at the time, I didn’t know it was you.” Images started to surface through the fogginess of his memory. “I pushed you down on the road, didn’t I?” “I didn’t understand at first why you did that, but when Benson came running up to your truck, you slammed him good and hard with your truck door, which knocked him on his butt. Then you just sort of slid to the ground.” “Did I hurt you? I wasn’t thinking clearly. In fact, I could hardly think at all my head hurt so damn bad.” Bailey raised his hand to her lips, gently kissing his knuckles. “You didn’t hurt me enough to worry about it. A few bruises, maybe.” Blowing out a frustrated breath, he said. “Shit, nothing liking being a knight in shining armor.” That made Bailey smile again. “You got there just in time. After you passed out, I heard Benson groaning, so I called 911 with your cell.” This time she grinned. “Then I held him at drill point.” Brows furrowing together, he stared at her. “Excuse me?” Bailey giggled, a light tinkling giggle, which made his heart fly like a colorful kite in a spring breeze. “I grabbed your power drill from your truck, and shoved Benson back to the ground. I turned on the drill. Then I told him if he tried anything, I’d drill his eyes out.” 130
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A grin kicked up the corners of his lips. “That’s my girl.” She leaned toward him and whispered. “I think I’d like to be your girl.” Jack rolled onto his side, grimacing at the pain pounding in his head. He cupped her cheek with his hand. “Kiss me.” She pressed a gentle kiss on his lips before pulling back. “You can do better than that.” “No,” she said. “I can see how much pain you’re in.” “Damn,” he grumbled, struggling to gather his thoughts together. The concussion made it hard for him to think, not to mention having Bailey so close. His brain always turned to mush around her. “I know I want you to be my girl.” Her lips curved up, while she seemed to ponder something in her head. “We hardly know anything about each other. I know you’re divorced because my mom mentioned it.” Jack tilted her chin up. “We know enough about each other for now. Are you planning on staying in Collville?” God, he hoped she said yes. He wasn’t sure what he would do, if Bailey told him she planned to return to Denver. “Yeah. I’m not going back to Denver except for the court date for my divorce and maybe to visit my friends once and awhile.” A good feeling filled him, even managing to dull the pain in his head for a couple of seconds. “Then we’ve got lots of time to learn about each other.” Her eyes swam with emotions as she kissed him gently on the lips again. “I can ignore the pain for a longer kiss than that,” Jack whispered at her lips. A smile lit up her face. “Okay, you asked for it.”
The End
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