The Hellraiser - Rhonda Nelson (Blaze)

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Look what people are saying about Rhonda Nelson AboutThe Ex-Girlfriends lub !"ses well-de#eloped $hara$ters in an e%otional setting for a stellar story of lo#e reunited&' (Ro%anti$ Ti%es )**+re#iews About the ,en *ut of "nifor% %iniseries !The -layer./&012 by Rhonda Nelson2 is a hot2 sexy story with great hu%or and a set-up of wonderful2 strong %en who it will be a 3oy to follow in the ,en *ut of "nifor% series&' (Ro%anti$ Ti%es )**+re#iews !,s& Nelson has started an a%a4ing trilogy with the three Rangers& 5u%or2 passion2 and a little ad#enture set the s$ene for this ro%an$e2 as these wonderful and so%ewhat da%aged $hara$ters $o%e together& 6itty dialogue2 along with so%e #ery tou$hing %o%ents2 gi#es the feeling of realness2 while these $hara$ters seek to find what they are sear$hing for& 7irst in the trilogy2 8 a% already ex$ited to see what happens to the next Ranger&' ( offee Ti%e Ro%an$e About the hi$ks in harge %iniseries !Getting 8t Now9./1 by Rhonda Nelson is en3oyable2 with two deter%ined2 $o%petiti#e $hara$ters& The sex is stea%y and the setting well detailed&' (Ro%anti$ Ti%es )**+re#iews !As in the first book2 the se$ondary $hara$ters fill out the story ni$ely2 and there are 8 belie#e two %ore hi$ks who need to get their %en e#en if they dont know it yet& 6ith ex$iting belie#able $hara$ters and hot passion Rhonda Nelson has $reated an ex$iting series2 and 8 $ant wait to see who will be getting it next&' (A Ro%an$e Re#iew
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:ear Reader2 :eep down inside2 8 dont think theres a wo%an ali#e who doesnt se$retly adore a bad boy& Theres so%ething about a guy who flaunts natural $on#entions but $lings to loyalty2 integrity and the belief in a greater good& And when you take that kind of guy2 %ake hi% a ;outhern gentle%an and a soldierwell2 he be$o%es pretty darned irresistible& Thats ,i$k hi#ers2 the hero of this book& A great hero like ,i$k deser#es nothing less than a heroine who is e<ually wonderful& ;arah =ane 6alker is kind2 funny2 hardworking and fier$e& ;hes a $onstant $ha%pion of the underdog2 one who doesnt %ind taking down the people who deser#e it .like her inheritan$e-stealing step%other1 and has a %enagerie of adopted pets who $all her house ho%e& ;he %ight be tough2 but shes a soft tou$h and shesexa$tly what ,i$k hi#ers needs& 8#e had a wonderful ti%e with this story2 and with these two $hara$ters in parti$ular2 and hope you en3oy the%2 as well& 7or up$o%ing tidbits and up-to-the-%inute news about %y books and life in general2 please $he$k out %y 6eb site2 www&readRhondaNelson&$o%2 and #isit %y group blog with =ennifer La)re$<ue and >i$ki Lewis Tho%pson at www&soapbox<ueens&$o%& Theres always a party in the $astle& 5appy reading2 Rhonda T5E 5ELL-RA8;ER Rhonda Nelson
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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html A 6aldenbooks bestselling author2 two-ti%e R8TAAAward no%inee andRo%anti$ Ti%es )**+re#iews Re#iewers hoi$e no%inee2 Rhonda Nelson writes hot ro%anti$ $o%edy for 5arle<uin )la4e& 8n addition to a writing $areer she has a husband2 two adorable kids2 a bla$k Lab and a beautiful bi$hon frise who dogs her e#ery step& ;he and her fa%ily %ake their $haoti$ but happy ho%e in a s%all town in northern Alaba%a& )ooks by Rhonda Nelson 5ARLEB"8N )LACE D0(=";T T*@8NG AR*"N: EF(;5*6 G TELL FF0(-8 T"RE ,E ;EH@ F/I(T5E ;EH :8ET F0E(F-JII-L*>ER FDK(GETT8NG 8T G**:9 KFD(GETT8NG 8T R8G5T9 KKL(GETT8NG 8T N*69 K00(T5E -LA@ER KDD(T5E ;-E 8AL8;T KEL(T5E ,A>ER8 + LKK(T5E EH-G8RL7R8EN:; L") LMF(7EEL8NG T5E 5EAT /II(T5E L*NER 5ARLEB"8N TE,-TAT8*N JDL("N7*RGETTA)LE FIID(GETT8NG 8T9 5ARLEB"8N ;8GNAT"RE ;ELE T
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html T5E 7"T"RE 68:*6; L") T5REE G"@; @*"LL NE>ER :ATE !5er 5eroN' To )e#erly )arton2 for taking the ti%e to introdu$e a writer-wannabe to 5eart of :ixie2 R6A2 and whose single a$t of kindness and generosity unwittingly $hanged %y life fore#er& 8 a% so #ery thankful for your unfailing support2 guidan$e and friendship&
Contents
hapter F hapter K hapter L hapter / hapter 0 hapter M hapter D hapter E hapter J hapter FI hapter FF hapter FK hapter FL hapter F/ hapter F0 Epilogue
F N8 E A;;2 ,i$k hi#ers thought2 staring at one of the %ultiple pi$tures hed been gi#en of his target& 5is rea$tion was hardly appropriate gi#en the $ir$u%stan$es(first assign%ent2 new 3ob at Ranger ;e$urity2 $han$e to start o#er2 yada yada yada(but hed ne#er gi#en a se$ond thought to propriety before and wasnt about to start now& 5e absently rubbed his te%ple and slou$hed lower in his $hair2 see%ingly un$on$erned2 $onfident and unaware of the four pairs of eyes $urrently trained on hi%& 5e s%othered a snort& As if& )ut ;arah =ane 6alkerdid ha#e a ni$e ass& E#en in this out-of-fo$us sorry ex$use for a photograph& 6hod taken itN he wondered2 irritated& A %onkeyN Granted2 ,i$k was only a hobby photographer2 but he knew his way around a $a%era well enough to do better& 5is %oody ga4e slid ba$k to her fa$e& ;he had a ni$e %outh2 too& And that hair& Long2 thi$k and wa#y2 falling well below the ba$k of her bra2 a pretty dark blond with $ara%el highlights& 5e al%ost s%iled& And he had to ad%it2 the tool belt was a ni$e tou$h& !An ar$hite$tural sal#age expert2 ehN' he asked no one in parti$ular& !6hat exa$tly is it that she doesN' Though he didnt look up2 ,i$k $ould feel )rian -aynes intense blue ga4e& Good $onstru$tion pre#ented the noisy downtown Atlanta sounds fro% seeping into the roo%2 but ,i$k i%agined he heard the o$$asional honk of a horn& The other three %en in the lounge area of their offi$e had taken $hairs around a big $offee table laden with a #ariety of sna$ks& =a%ie 7lanagan nursed a high-energy drink& Guy ,$ ann idly flipped through a sports %aga4ine& 5ands dangling between his knees2 Lu$as !5u$k' 7inn( ,i$ks good friend2 for%er unit %ate and no s%all reason hed been offered this 3ob after his hasty exit fro% the %ilitary(leaned forward and studied hi% $losely2 those keen gray eyes probing for answers ,i$k was disin$lined to gi#e& 6hat was there to say2 really2 other than hed s$rewed up and nearly $ost another soldier his lifeN 8t was -ayne who finally answered& !8n a nutshell2 she goes into old houses(usually ones that are slated for de%olition(and sa#es e#erything of #alue& ,antels2 $rown %olding2 built-ins2 stained glass2 doors& Those sorts of things&' 5e leaned against the ba$k of 7lanagans $hair& !8nteresting work for a wo%an2 but our resear$h says shes #ery good at what she does& 5er father was in the $onstru$tion business& Apparently2 she apprenti$ed under hi%&' ;o she learned her trade fro% her father2 ,i$k thought& 5ow no#el& The only thing hed e#er learned fro% his old %an was how to lea#e& 5is %other2 too2 for that %atter& 5ed $ertainly
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html gotten used to wat$hing their taillights disappear e#ery ti%e they dropped hi% off at ,ars 5ill A$ade%y2 a rigorous old %ilitary s$hool lo$ated in the beautiful hills of North arolina& 7ar enough fro% their eastern +entu$ky ho%e to put distan$e between the%2 but dri#able in the e#ent of an e%ergen$y& *r so hed o#erheard his %other say on$e to a friend& :ee%ed !a proble% $hild' at an early age2 ,i$k had been shipped off to %ilitary s$hool after the sixth grade(it probably would ha#e been sooner if his parents $ould ha#e found a fa$ility to a$$ept hi%(and had only been allowed ho%e o#er the hrist%as holidays and su%%er break& And sin$e hed spent the latter with his paternal grandfather2 harlie(usually repairing the barn or building a new addition onto the old house(instead of his parents2 ,i$k $ould honestly say that hed typi$ally spent two weeks out of the year at what other people a$tually $alled !ho%e&' 5e inwardly shuddered at those awkward holiday %e%ories& The for$ed s%iles2 the fake happiness2 when it was all too plain they $ouldnt wait to send hi% ba$k2 to be rid of hi%2 as though his being born and s$rewing up their li#es had beenhis fault& ,i$k passed a hand o#er his fa$e and swallowed the bitter taste in his %outh& 8t was no da%ned wonder he hated hrist%as& 6ater under the bridge2 he told hi%self2 releasing a shallow breath& 5ell2 theyd a$tually done hi% a fa#or& :espite the so%ewhat harsh and Oberstru$tured for%at(and the o$$asional thrashing for %is$hief(hed thri#ed at %ilitary s$hool& 5ed learned to lo#e his $ountry2 to re#ere the %en whod founded it and2 %ore i%portantly2 to honor the soldiers whod died for it by be$o%ing a "&;& Ar%y Ranger and taking up their $ause& 5ed learned that honor was rewarded2 de$eit punished2 that hard work tested the %easure of a %an and boundaries were %eant to be pushed& Another half s%ile flirted with his lips& A$tually2 if you asked any of his for%er instru$tors2 theyd probably say hed learned that lesson best of all& 5e hadnt been ni$kna%ed The 5ell-raiser for nothing& *ne of these days youre going to go too far2 hi#ers& Regret and disgra$e for%ed an enor%ous ball in his gut& The one-of-these-days warning had $o%e true re$ently2 %u$h to his sha%e and horror2 and was the %ain reason hed left the %ilitary& A #ision of arson 6ellss agoni4ed fa$e rose in ,i$ks %inds eye2 tor%enting hi% with an i%age hed ne#er forget& 8f that bullet had been an in$h higher and to the left2 it would#e surely killed hi%& Too $lose2 ,i$k thought2 be$ause as predi$ted2hed gone too far& 5ed%ade the $all and the %istake& Ne#er again& 7ortunately(or at least thats what he was telling hi%self( olonel arl Garrett had referred hi% to Ranger ;e$urity& Landing a 3ob with the elite agen$y of for%er Rangers(%en fro% his ba$kground(was a $oup2 one he was $ertain he would $elebrate when he was less in$lined to hate hi%self& At the %o%ent2 it was all he $ould do to sit here and pretend he wasnt losing his %ind right along with his life and $areer& That he wasnt the eternal s$rewup his father had
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html always $lai%ed& 7urther%ore2 he honestly didnt ha#e any idea why theyd hired hi%& 5ed %ade a %onu%ental error& 5ed al%ost $ost another soldier his life be$ause of his re$kless 3udg%ent& 5ow $ould they possibly think he deser#ed this 3obN ould he do itN ertainly& )ut he i%agined the only reason hed s$ored the hire was be$ause 5u$k had gone to bat for hi%& And at the %o%ent2 that little bit of knowledge was the only thing that would ensure that he did a good 3ob& 5ed be da%ned before he let another friend down& ;peaking of friends2 he should really $all Le#i2 ,i$k thought2 asha%ed that hed a#oided $onta$t with his unit %ate& ,i$k had %et both Lu$as 7inn and Le#i ,$-herson during =u%p ;$hool& ;o%ewhere between the grueling training and $o%%iserating beers2 the three had be$o%e espe$ially $lose friends& 5a#ing been in an all-guy en#iron%ent for %ost of his life2 one that by its #ery nature fostered a uni<ue blend of $o%petition and $a%araderie2 ,i$k had %ade so%e great buddies o#er the years& )ut the dyna%i$ a%ong the three of the% had always been %ore like that of brothers& *ther than his grandfather2 they were the $losest thing to a fa%ily hed e#er had& 6hen things had gone south re$ently2 it was 5u$k whod helped hi% find a 3ob2 but Le#i had had his ba$k2 as well& 5ed a$tually been a %e%ber of the tea% on that ill-fated %ission2 and ,i$k was ha#ing a harder ti%e fa$ing hi%& 5ell2 e#en talking to hi%& Le#i had personally witnessed his %istake2 and knowing that %ade it too da%ned hard for ,i$k to look hi% in the eye& 8n short2 he was asha%ed2 and until he figured out how to $ope with the s$rewup2 he was better off a#oiding his friend& owardlyN No doubt& )ut ne$essary to his <uestionable sanity at the %o%ent& Rather than linger on things he $ouldnt $hange2 ,i$k exhaled a short sigh and %entally re#iewed the %ess of his first $ase& And it was a $on#oluted <uag%ire of personal $rap hed 3ust as soon stay out of& "nfortunately2 staying out of it wasnt in his new 3ob des$ription& !;o let %e get this straight& 6e#e been hired by hastity 6alker(' !;arah =anes step%other2' ,$ ann inter3e$ted& !6ho is also ;arah =anes age and %ost hated ene%y2' 7lanagan added with a wry look& !(to $at$h ;arah =ane trying to steal so%e of her de$eased fathers possessions&' !-ossessions that ;arah =ane $lai%s are part of her inheritan$e2' -ayne added& ,i$k frowned& !Theres no willN' -ayne shrugged& !Not a$$ording to hastity2 and with the absen$e of a will2 e#erything goes to the next of kin& As the wife2 thats her&'
!6hat about a$$ording to ;arah =aneN' ,i$k asked2 s%elling a rat& ;o%ething about this didnt feel right& 6hy would hastity go to the trouble of hiring their ser#i$es for so%ething so s%allN ;o pettyN 5e knew wo%en $ould be like that2 of $ourse2 and it $ertainly didnt see% like there was any lo#e lost between these two2 but5e was pi$king up a weird #ibe on this one& !;arah =ane insists there was a will2 but neither hastity nor the attorney who supposedly drafted it has produ$ed it&' -ayne gri%a$ed& !Like 8 said2 8% not sure about this one2 and we wont be a party to anything illegal& Right now2 we ha#e the fa$ts a$$ording to our $lient& 8f shes lying2 then naturally that will $hange things2 and you $an respond howe#er you see fit&' 5e paused& !As it stands2 we know that ;arah =ane2 in parti$ular2 is after a pipe that belonged to her father2 and her %others anti<ue wedding dress&' -ayne shrugged2 looking un$o%fortably skepti$al& ! hastity will not gi#e up the pipe and insists that she donated the dress to a lo$al histori$al so$iety after it had been part of an exhibit&' ,i$k shot hi% a <uestioning glan$e& !And you belie#e herN' !Not parti$ularly& Right now though2 operating on what we know fro% our $lient2 our 3ob is to keep an eye on ;arah =ane& 8f she does anything illegal2 do$u%ent the e#iden$e and turn it o#er to hastity so that she $an do with it what she will&' 7lanagan snorted& !5ell2 -ayne2 shes already had ;arah =ane arrested on$e for assault and battery& @ou know what shes going to do with it&' ,i$k felt his lips twit$h2 and he flipped to the ba$k of the file2 where ;arah =anes %utinous %ug shot stared up at hi%& ;he had wide2 $o%pelling2 pale brown eyes(the shade of his fa#orite toffee $andy2 ,i$k thought(whi$h were ringed in a darker hue2 %aking the% all the %ore interesting& A single green leaf had gotten tangled up in those long tresses and a s%udge of dirt shadowed one rather plu%p $heek& 5er $hin was tilted up in a defiant little angle2 see%ingly daring the person behind the $a%era to say a word& The fight %ight ha#e been broken up2 but it hadnt yet left her(e#ery line of her body see%ed tensed and ready for a$tion& ,i$k re$ogni4ed that look2 that parti$ular brand of energy& God knows hed felt it often enough2 %ore so than was prudent& 8t was no s%all part of the reason his ni$kna%e had a$tually fit& 8t was also the reason one hell-raiser typi$ally re$ogni4ed another& And ;arah =ane 6alker looked like she didnt need a sti$k to stir shit with the best of the%& "nbelie#ably2 a $urrent of heat snaked through ,i$ks groin2 and his pal%s tingled2 it$hing to wipe that $uriously sexy bit of dirt fro% her $heek& ;lip the pad of his thu%b o#er that ripe botto% lip& Aw2 hell& This $ant be good& ,$ ann $hu$kled& !A$$ording to the poli$e report 8 read2 ;arah =ane %opped the de$k with her2' he said& !8ts no wonder hastity is out for blood&' !7ro% the looks of things2 the wo%an has got her ho%e and her inheritan$e& ;houldnt that be enoughN' ,i$k asked2 se$retly pleased that ;arah =ane had gotten the better of his te%porary
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html e%ployer& 6hyN 6ho knewN )e$ause she was hotN -ossibly& )e$ause it sounded as if ;arah =ane was the underdog hereN That2 too& Not that he should $are2 be$ause it wasnt his proble% and he had enough of his own to deal with& ;till2 hed always been a su$ker for both2 and when he fa$tored in the tool belt and hell$at attitude6ell2 he $ouldnt deny it %ade her all the %ore appealing& 5e had a sneaking suspi$ion he wasnt supposed to find his target appealing& ;o%e of that keen Ranger training rearing its head2 ,i$k thought2 stifling the ridi$ulous urge to laugh& !8 know that its a bit dodgy2' -ayne ad%itted& !This isnt a typi$al kind of $ase for us2 so use dis$retion2 ,i$k& 8f2 in your obser#ations2 you dis$o#er that your %ission $onfli$ts with 3usti$e2 then a$t a$$ordingly&' ,i$k nodded2 then looked down at the folder in his hand2 flipping ba$k to the front page& 6here was he headed againN ,onar$h Gro#e2 Georgia& -opulation K2/DE& 5e s%othered another laugh& 8t was a da%ned good thing theyd de#eloped a de$ent $o#er for hi%2 be$ause blending into a town that s%all sure as hell wouldnt be easy& !;o 8% with:esigning 6eekly2 an ar$hite$tural %aga4ine based out of AtlantaN' !Right& @oure the photographer and you#e been sent ahead to shoot the spread&' 7lanagan slid se#eral issues as well as a $ouple of books on ar$hite$ture a$ross the $offee table& !@oure new2 whi$h explains your la$k of bylines or photo $redits& 6e#e $onta$ted her and set e#erything up& @oull be able to follow her around without any proble%2 whi$h will enable you to learn her routine&' 5e shrugged& !Naturally2 we expe$t her to %ake her %o#e at night2 pro#ided shes going to& ;o youll want to pay parti$ular attention to her then&' !There arent any %otels in ,onar$h Gro#e2 so we#e booked you into a ) and ) near the town s<uare2' -ayne added& !Lu$kily2 its only a $ouple of blo$ks fro% ;arah =anes pla$e and it see%s to be the %orning hot spot for breakfast&' ,i$k felt a sardoni$ s%ile slide o#er his lips& !8t sounds #ery Nor%an Ro$kwell&' !And 3ust think2' ,$ ann said2 grinning broadly& !@oull be there during the 7ried -ie 7esti#al&' 7lanagan sighed $ontentedly& !Apple is a personal fa#orite of %ine& )e sure and bring ba$k a few2 would youN' ,i$k stared& 8t took a %o%ent for hi% to reali4e 7lanagan was serious& !;ure2' he said2 for la$k of anything better& !@ou#e got two weeks2' -ayne told hi%2 bringing a brisk end to the briefing& ! all if you run into any trouble&'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html And 3ust like that2 ,i$k was dis%issed& No !do you think you $an handle itN' No se$ondguessing hi%& No peering o#er his shoulder despite the %a3or s$rewup hed re$ently $o%%itted& =ust genuine trust in his abilities& 5e knew a single se$ond of 3oy before the ine#itable dread settled o#er his shoulders& 5e sure as hell hoped their $onfiden$e wasnt %ispla$ed& -arti$ularly 5u$ks&
TR*")LE:2 5" + 6AT 5E:his friend gather the file and paraphernalia for his new %ission and2 trade%ark $onfiden$e in pla$e2 $al%ly walk fro% the roo%& -ayne paused a %o%ent2 then looked at 5u$k and <uirked a brow& !Garrett re$o%%ended hi% and Le#i ,$-herson %ade a personal appeal on his behalf for this 3ob& )ut you#e worked with hi%& 6hats your readN' !5es hurting2' 5u$k said2 unsurprised that Le#i2 too2 had spoken up for their friend& !5is $onfiden$e is shot& 5es asha%ed of his %istake2 of what it $ould ha#e potentially $ost another soldier&' 5e shook his head2 wishing he $ould do so%ething to rattle his old unit %ate ba$k into a$tion& 5u$k had thought the Ranger ;e$urity position would %ake ,i$k reali4e that he was still worthy2 that while he was no longer a Ranger in "n$le ;a%s Ar%y2 he $ould still use those skills& ;till share the %entality and $a%araderie with %en fro% his ba$kground& 8t had $ertainly done wonders for 5u$k after his a$$ident& ,$ anns usually 3o#ial ga4e turned serious& !6e#e all been there and sur#i#ed the worst&' :anny Le#isons death2 5u$k knew& The group had shared their story with hi% shortly after hed $o%e on board& :anny had been %ore than their unit %ate2 hed been one of their best friends& And ea$h one of the%2 in so%e way2 had felt responsible for his death& 7lanagan swallowed& !,i$kll $o%e around2' he said& !8ts 3ust going to take a little ti%e&' -aynes $ool blue eyes found 5u$ks& !8s he up to thisN 8% not asking if hes $apable(8 know that2 otherwise we wouldnt ha#e hired hi%& )ut is he e%otionally ready for workN' Though he ad%ittedly had his doubts when it $a%e to his friends state of %ind2 5u$k %erely s%iled and said the one thing he knew theyd all understand& !5es a soldier2 -ayne& 5ell be fine&' 7rankly2 if you asked 5u$k2 getting his darede#il2 hell-raising friend right ba$k into the a$tion was the best possible treat%ent for what ailed hi%& 5is lips <uirked& And sending hi% to -odunk2 Georgia2 to tail a hot little she-de#il sounded e#en better& ;arah =ane 6alker $ertainly looked like shed gi#e ,i$k a run for his %oney&
And knowing his friend2 the $hase would be 3ust what the do$tor ordered& K !;L8,@ )A;TAR:2';arah =ane 6alker %uttered under her breath as she exited the attorneys offi$e& ;he should ha#e known that as long as hastity was balling her late fathers legal $ounsel2 ;arah =ane wasnt going to get anything out of hi%& ;he inwardly snorted& Like %ost %en who $a%e into $lose proxi%ity with hastitys enor%ous breasts2 e$il ;i%%ons was thinking with a part of his anato%y that didnt house a brain& ;he gri%a$ed& And shed begun to think the part on his shoulders didnt ha#e %u$h of a brain2 either& 5a#ing spotted her2 ,ason 6ebster2 her de#oted assistant2 straightened away fro% her aging work tru$k& !6ellN' he asked& !5ow did it goN' 6ith an exasperated huff and a few irritated epithets2 ;arah =ane opened the door and slid behind the wheel& ;he grabbed a ponytail holder fro% the gearshift(one of %any(and pulled her hair up&Ahh& ,u$h better& :a%n this August heat& 7all wouldnt %ake an appearan$e until late *$tober2 and this was the ti%e of year she began to really long for it& !The sa%e way it went last ti%e and the ti%e before that& 5orribly&' ;he $ranked the ignition2 then ba$ked away fro% the $urb and headed toward the ,ilton -lantation2 another old beauty sadly destined for de%olition& ;ure2 the floor was falling in and it was a stru$tural night%are2 but the pla$e was still worth sa#ing& *r at least it was to her& "nfortunately2 she $ouldnt afford to keep it fro% being torn down2 but if she $ould sa#e a few pie$es(a %antel here2 a door there2 a bit of %olding(then shed at least feel a little better about it& All of its history wouldnt be lost& !5e still $ant find the willN' ,ason said2 outrage lining his pea$h-fu44ed2 fre$kled fa$e& The boy was deter%ined to grow a beard2 though why hed e#er want one was a %ystery to ;arah =ane& -arti$ularly in this heat2 she thought2 turning the air-$onditioning up another not$h& !@ou know hes lying2 dont youN' ,ason $ontinued& !8 dont know why you wont let %e help you& 8 $ould beat the whereabouts of your fathers will out of hi%2 8 know 8 $ould&' 5is fu44y $hin 3utted out belligerently& ;arah =ane stifled the grin that i%%ediately rose to her lips& 7rankly2 she thought she had a better $han$e of taking on e$il ;i%%ons in a fight than ,ason did& 5er ga4e slid to her one and only e%ployee& ;hort2 thi$k through the %iddle2 with s$rawny ar%s and e#en s$rawnier legs2 plus thin and wispy strawberry-blond hair2 ,ason put her in %ind of a poorly proportioned s$are$row& 8t was really a pity that a persons outside didnt always %at$h was what inside be$ause2 if that were the $ase2 ,ason would be a brilliant hottie with a loyal heart& ;he inwardly s%iled& 5e was $ertainly de#oted to her2 and she $ould thank a single a$t of kindness and her hot te%per for that& )eing different anywhere was diffi$ult2 but being different in a little town like ,onar$h Gro#e2
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Georgia2 really took $ourage& "nlike %ost of the kids his age2 ,ason wasnt into sports2 pop $ulture and trendy %usi$& At nineteen2 he was a Trekkie with an ear for 3a442 and preferred reading s$i-fi no#els to playing #ideo ga%es& *n the night shed $o%e to his res$ue2 hed been showing his newest e)ay find2 a #intage )org talking head lun$h box2 to a $ouple of e<ually uni<ue friends at ,abels :iner2 when a group of so-$alled $ool kids snat$hed the lun$h box out of ,asons hands and pro$eeded to play keepaway with it& ;arah =ane had stepped in2 re$lai%ed the ob3e$t2 then roundly rea%ed out the pranksters& ,ason had shown up at her workshop behind her house the next day and hed been with her e#er sin$e& 5ed redesigned her 6eb site2 installed better business software and updated her $o%puter2 organi4ed her offi$e and her ti%e and generally kept her on task& ;he didnt know what shed do on$e he finished $ollege and %o#ed on2 but she supposed shed 3ust ha#e to $ross that bridge when she $a%e to it& )ut she $ouldnt let hi% fight her battles for her& )esides2 if she was going to drag anyone into this %ess2 it would be her long-ti%e best friend2 Tina ,artinese& The two of the% had been buddies sin$e birth& )orn a $ouple of days apart to fa%ilies who were #ery $lose2 she and Tina had literally grown up together& Tinas parents had re$ently bought an R> and were touring the $ountry2 one national park at a ti%e& Though she wasnt a sister by blood2 Tina was definitely the sister of ;arah =anes heart& -etite and $ur#y2 with dark hair and pretty ha4el eyes2 Tina was fearless2 fier$e and funny2 and $ould $ook like nobodys business& ;he was also $arrying a tor$h for one of their lo$al boys in blue2 hase ollins& "nfortunately2 hases fear of $o%%it%ent was al%ost as legendary as Tinas lasagna& ;peaking of whi$h2 ;arah =ane would be en3oying that parti$ular deli$a$y this e#ening& )ut she $ouldnt think about that right now& ;he had a %ore pressing %atter to attend to& Like getting her inheritan$e ba$k fro% her %oney-grubbing slut of a step%other( hastity -igg6alker& ;arah =ane gri%a$ed with distaste& 8t still killed her that she shared the sa%e last na%e with her %ost hated ene%y2 one who2 gallingly2 was her own age& 6asnt it bad enough that shed unwittingly shared a high-s$hool boyfriend and later2 her own father2 with her ne%esisN 7or reasons ;arah =ane had ne#er been able to $o%prehend2 hastity had always had it in for her& 8n grade s$hool2 shed tor%ented ;arah =ane about her fat $heeks2 her affinity for dirt(shed ne#er %inded if her pants had grass stains(and her pen$hant for playing tag with the boys as opposed to pri%ping on the playground with the girls& 8n high s$hool2 hastity had taken a different ta$k(shed %ade it a point to steal any boy ;arah =ane had e#er liked& 8n %ost $ases2 it had been %ore annoying than hurtful2 but senior year2 when hastity had %ade a %o#e on Luke Anderson(her firstreal lo#e(and Luke had su$$u%bed2 that had stung& ;arah =ane had written hi% off2 of $ourse2 be$ause if Luke hadnt had the brains and wherewithal to stay out of the ba$k of his tru$k with a slea4y tra%p like hastity2 then he
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html sure as hell didnt deser#eher& And he was an idiot2 to boot& Turned out her father had been an idiot2 as well& An i%age of his dear fa$e rose in her %inds eye and a hard lu%p for%ed in her throat& God2 how she %issed hi%& ,issed both of her parents2 but the unexpe$ted death of her father had hit her harder& 7or years after her %o% had died(da%ned breast $an$er(George2 better known as !Tough' 6alker2 had re%ained single& 5ed insisted that her %other had been the only wo%an for hi%& Theyd been well %at$hed2 had shared the sa%e interests and were utterly de#oted to one another& To say that ;arah =ane went into sho$k when her father had started dating hastity would be an understate%ent of epi$ proportions& Though shed #oi$ed a bit of displeasure2 ;arah =ane had e#entually bitten her tongue and opted to gi#e her father the benefit of the doubt2 re%e%bering years of sound de$isions and good 3udg%ent2 of bear hugs and pan$ake breakfasts& ;hed been $ertain that hed $o%e to his senses2 reali4e hastity was a soul-su$king2 brainless2 %anipulati#e bit$h with <uestionable %orals and2 in short order2 $ut her loose& 8nstead2 to her sho$k2 sha%e2 e%barrass%ent and horror2 hed done the unthinkable(hed %arried her& And while ;arah =ane hated hastity with e#ery fiber of her being2 shed lo#ed her father %ore& 5ed see%ed happier than hed been in years and2 though she was relati#ely $ertain she $ould ha#e put a stop to it2 how selfish $ould she beN 5er dad had assured her that the house(the one that she2 her %other and father had painstakingly restored(would still be hers to do with what she wished& ;he $ould li#e in it herself2 or sell it and take the pro$eeds to buy another& 5ed also pro%ised her shed get a few other ite%s he knew her %other would ha#e wanted her to ha#e& 7rankly2 the idea of hastity li#ing in the #ery house that her parents had shared %ade ;arah =anes flesh $rawl& )ut the idea that the wo%an was a$tually trying to keep itthat set her blood on fire& ;hedseen her fathers will& ;heknew what she was supposed to inherit(in addition to the house2 thered been a si4able sa#ings a$$ount2 part of whi$h had been pro$eeds fro% her %others estate& The first %onth or so after the funeral2 ;arah =ane had been too grief stri$ken to press hastity about the will& Though shed hated her(she had gotten the i%pression that the wo%an had genuinely $ared for her father(;arah =ane hadnt wanted to be $ruel& +i$king her butt to the $urb had see%ed parti$ularly harsh& )ut when one %onth turned to four and her dear step%other de$ided to buy a new 5u%%er2 then had gotten a tu%%y tu$k2 ;arah =ane de$ided that the ti%e for being ni$e was o#er& ;hed asked for her fathers pipe& hastity had told her it was si%ply too dear and she 3ust
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html $ouldnt bring herself to part with it& ;hed asked for her %others wedding dress(whi$h had originally belonged to her grand%other& hastity said shed $leaned out the atti$ and was $ertain the gown had gone into the trash& 8t hadnt2 ;arah =ane learned later2 when shed seen it on display at a lo$al histori$al fair& At that point2 shed de$ided that %erelyasking for things wasnt going to work(it was ti%e totake the%& And thats when shed dis$o#ered her fathers will had #anished& 5ed always kept i%portant papers in the filing $abinet in his study2 but when she looked2 the entire file was gone& And not only had the do$u%ent #anished fro% the house2 it had disappeared fro% the attorneys offi$e2 as well& oin$iden$eN ;he thought not& ;arah =ane had a$$epted that2 in all likelihood2 hastity had done away with the $opy lo$ked in her fathers filing $abinet in his study& )ut she was holding out hope that e$il had sense enough not to destroy the original& ;he suspe$ted hed lo$ate the will when he and hastity finished their !business2' but she didnt ha#e any idea how long that was going to take& And %eanwhile2 hastity was running through her inheritan$e as if it were water& ;in$e beating the hell out of her step%other(an alter$ation that had o$$urred shortly after ;arah =ane dis$o#ered her %others wedding gown at the annual histori$al fair(hadnt produ$ed the desired results2 she had de$ided it was ti%e to take a different ta$k& ;he was going to steal the%& A$tually2steal wasnt exa$tly the right word& ;tealing i%plied that the stuff had ne#er been hers to start with2 but that wasnt the $ase& ;arah =ane liked the wordres$ue better& ;he was going to res$ue her things(#ia a little breaking and entering2 be$ause her step%onster had $hanged the lo$ks& Then she planned on slipping into e$ils offi$e and doing a thorough sear$h for her fathers so-$alled %ispla$ed will& ;he felt a deter%ined s%ile slide o#er her lips& learly the lawyer hadnt looked hard enough& 7rustrated2 ;arah =ane ai%ed the tru$k down the long gra#el dri#e& The ,ilton -lantation rose up like a tired but beautiful old belle& 8t was a sha%e there was no way to sa#e it& !Looks like hes here already2' ,ason re%arked& !6hoN *h2' ;arah =ane said2 spying an oli#e-green ;"> parked near the side of the old house& !The:esigning 6eekly guy&' A flush of pleasure washed through her& Talk about a bright spot in an otherwise dis%al last few %onths& ;arah =ane had always been a fan of the %aga4ine& A regular subs$riber2 she pored o#er her $opy e#ery week2 appre$iating the arti$les pertaining to restoration2 spe$ifi$ally& The fa$t that the
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html editors wanted to do a feature on her and her business was a parti$ular $oup& Granted2 she had a pretty si4able $lientele in the greater Atlanta area2 but:esigning 6eekly had distribution all o#er the "nited ;tates& ;he and ,ason fully expe$ted business to boo% after the arti$le ran(theyd been getting the 6eb site and in#entory ready in preparation for the e#ent& The presu%ed windfall $ouldnt $o%e at a better ti%e& )usiness was good(she wasnt behind on her bills or anything like that(but her tru$k had %ore than KII2III %iles on the engine2 her tools were showing wear and she didnt expe$t her air-$onditioning unit to %ake it though this abys%al2 wret$hed2 %iserable su%%er& 8n short2 she had a lot of big expenses loo%ing& +nowing the %oney would soon be there to $o#er the% took an enor%ous weight off her shoulders& 7urther%ore2 %oney aside2 restoration was her passion& Anything that furthered her $ause2 %ade ho%e builders %ore aware of other options and sa#ed bits and pie$es of brilliant ar$hite$ture was a $oup& ;arah =ane pulled up alongside the ;">2 wa#ed and s%iled at the %an seated behind the wheel& :ue to the tinted glass2 she $ouldnt get a good look at hi%& !6hats his na%e againN' she asked ,ason fro% the side of her %outh2 thankful he stayed on top of things like that& !,i$k hi#ers& 5es a photographer and hell be in town for the next two weeks& Through next 7riday&' ;he knew that& At first2 shed thought it was a bit odd for the %aga4ine to send a photographer out to follow her around for two weeks2 without the a$tual writer2 whod arri#e a few weeks later& )ut sin$e she wasnt in the %aga4ine business2 this $ould be the nor% for all she knew& A$tually2 it would work out <uite well& 8t would take her approxi%ately two weeks to finish the 3ob2 sal#aging e#erything she $ould find fro% this old house& 5e $ould see the pro3e$t through fro% start to finish and do$u%ent it2 fra%e by fra%e2 for the pie$e& !5es staying at laras2' ,ason said2 gathering his ;tar Trek ther%os2 sna$k bag and ,-L player& ;arah =ane $hu$kled and $olle$ted her gear2 as well& !6here else is there to stay in ,onar$h Gro#eN' The lone ) and ) was the only ga%e in town for o$$asional tra#elers2 and did %ost of its business during the up$o%ing 7ried -ie 7esti#al& Thanks to Tina2 it was also the best pla$e to ha#e breakfast& *r any other %eal for that %atter2 in ;arah =anes opinion2 though ,abels :iner was a $lose se$ond& Naturally2 she would ne#er say that in laras presen$e(there was a $ertain ri#alry between the two older wo%en& ,abel and lara were both %e%bers of the ,onar$h Gro#e o%%unity Theater and were $onstantly #ying for the sa%e parts& 6hen ,abel took the lead roll as the "nsinkable ,olly )rown in the last produ$tion2 lara had a$tually put on bla$k2 %ourning the part& ;in$e then2 the food war2 whi$h had been intense to start with2 had in$reasingly es$alated& 8f lara was ser#ing $ho$olate pie for dessert2 then ,abel would in#ariably offer $ho$olate
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html $ho$olate pie& The only people who see%ed to benefit were the a$tual patrons2 be$ause the food was always fabulous& !Think we ought to warn hi%N' ,ason asked& ;arah =ane grinned& !About whatN laras e#er-$hanging hair $olor2 her pen$hant for show tunes or )yronN' !All of the abo#e2' ,ason said2 affe$ting a shudder& !)ut parti$ularly )yron& ,i$ks a guy2 ;arah =ane& ;o%eone should say so%ething&' !Nah& 5ell find out soon enough on his own&' ;arah =ane felt her lips twit$h& No doubt ,i$k hi#ers would be hearing laras warbly2 off-pit$h rendition of !Gi#e ,y Regards to )roadway' this e#ening& The poor %an& As for )yron2 the ) and )s resident ghost2 how exa$tly did one warn a person about a ho%osexual spookN -asting a s%ile onto her fa$e2 she opened the door and stepped out of her tru$k& The hot August sun beat down on her head2 the hu%id air instantly bathed her skin in sti$ky heat and2 though she wore a pair of pri$ey sunglasses2 she found herself s<uinting& :i%ly she heard the $li$k of another door2 the resoundingding-ding-ding issuing fro% his ;">& ;he heard the $run$h of gra#el beneath a booted foot2 then he e%erged fro% behind the open door2 and suddenly that persistent dinging took on another %eaning $o%pletely& 5er breath(what little of it the stifling te%perature hadnt robbed fro% her lungs($aught in her throat& A single strip of gooseflesh ra$ed down her spine2 then up again and settled at the ba$k of her ne$k2 %aking her s$alp tingle& 5er pal%s da%pened2 her %outh went dry and a bu44 of sexual adrenaline ran through her body2 igniting her nipples2 and $on$entrated in a tornado of swirling sensation dire$tly below her na#al& ;arah =ane was twenty-eight years old2 had been sexually a$ti#e for eight of those years and had ne#er(ne#er(set eyes on a %an and literally <ui#ered so hard she felt her insides #ibrate& "na$$usto%ed to not being $o%pletely in $ontrol of her rea$tions2 she told herself that her <ui$kie breakfast didnt agree with her2 that she was probably getting si$k& @eah2 thathad to be it& Really& 7urther%ore2 ,i$k hi#ers didnt look like any photographer shed e#er seen(he see%ed too big2 too #ibrant for su$h a patient o$$upation& Though he was roughly a $ar length fro% where her feet were rooted to the dri#eway2 and he hadnt so %u$h as %o#ed on$e hed seen her2 she $ould feel the restlessness2 the sheer energy2 rolling off of hi% in wa#es& ;he $ould sense it in e#ery line of his six-and-a-half-foot-plus2 %agnifi$ently proportioned body& ;he e#en fan$ied she $ould see it swirling around hi%& :anger2 wi$kedness2 irre#eren$e&
8nstin$t told her that if she played $hi$ken with this guy2 shed definitely lose& The de#il in her instantly re$ogni4ed the de#il in hi%2 and the knowledge e<ually terrified and thrilled her& 5e had that fearlessness2 that re$kless edge that was both $o%pelling and sexy& 5e put her in %ind of a wild %ustang(proud and unta%able2 but beautiful andlonelyN she thought2 stru$k with the $urious but un%istakable te%ptation to $o%fort hi%& 7ro% whatN 6ho knewN )ut she $ouldnt deny the feeling2 the intrinsi$ knowledge that this guy was an island unto hi%self& And at the %o%ent2 he liked it that way& A $ool khaki linen shirt stret$hed o#er a pair of %outhwateringly wide shoulders2 and the short slee#es re#ealed ar%s that were %us$led and well honed& 5e %ight spend a little ti%e in the gy%2 but for whate#er reason2 ;arah =ane got the i%pression that hard work had put the %a3ority of those %us$les into pla$e rather than a daily exer$ise regi%en& )rown hair the shade of %elting $ho$olate lay in %essy2 irre#erent wa#es on top of his head2 and a 3aw2 $hiseled as though straight fro% the hand of ,i$helangelo2 rounded out a fa$e that was too %as$uline to be $alled pretty2 but was gorgeous all the sa%e& 6ide2 fir%2 full lips $asually drifted into a s%ile2 one that held 3ust the slightest hint of wi$ked arrogan$e2 $ausing a deep di%ple to e%erge in the s%ooth hollow of his right $heek& A tre%ble eddied through ;arah =anes %idse$tion and she longed to see his eyes2 whi$h2 like hers2 were hidden behind a pair of dark shades& 5e strode around the hood of his $ar2 $a%era bag o#er his shoulder2 and extended his hand& 5uge2 $allused2 with blunt-tipped fingers and %as$uline #eins& 8n a word2 wonderful& ;trong& ;ensual& @ou $ould tell a lot about people by their hands2 ;arah =ane thought di%ly2 as she slipped her pal% against his& Another little sho$k of sensation bolted through her and she s%iled2 de$iding to pretend it didnt happen& 6hat the hellN 8t had worked for ;$arlett *5ara2 hadnt itN !,i$k hi#ers2' he said2 his #oi$e a raspy baritone that si44led along her ner#e endings and indu$ed the irrational urge to weep& *r worse2 giggle& 6as it too %u$h to hope that hed sound like ,i$key ,ouse su$king heliu%N E#idently& No9 No9 No9 Not hi%9 Not now9;he didnt ha#e ti%e for sex2 %u$h less an in$on#enient sexual attra$tion& !8% ;arah =ane 6alker2' she finally %anaged to say2 her own #oi$e a thready whisper she barely re$ogni4ed& 7ro% the $orner of her eye2 she saw ,asons a%iable fa$e take on an odd look& No doubt he was wondering what the hell had happened to his e%ployer& !8ts2 era pleasure to %eet you&' ;hed ne#er thought about those parti$ular words before2 but the %undane greeting suddenly
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html took on a whole new %eaning& ;he resisted the urge to 3erk her hand ba$k and bite her fist& 8n this $ase2 pleasure and torture took on a synony%ous translation(she $ould honestly say the pleasure of being near hi% was torturing her& 7urther%ore2 those lips of his looked e#en better up $lose& 5is top one2 in parti$ular2 was rather o#erfull2 and when he s%iled2 a bit off $enter& There was so%ething e<ually sexy and endearing about that little i%perfe$tion& And he was going to be with her for the next two weeks& ;e$ond beyond se$ond2 %inute by %inute2 hour after hour& ;he felt a tri$kle of sweat slide between her breasts and2 be$ause shed so%ehow %anaged to lose her %ind in the past %inute2 i%agined it was his tongue& =ee42 God2 and shed thought it was hot before& L T5E 7"CC@2 *"T-*7-7* ";pi$tures and the %ug shot hadnt done this wo%an 3usti$e2 ,i$k thought as he stared down into ;arah =anes intriguing fa$e& And the s%all2 but $uriously fir%2 hand presently shaking his had an e#en %ore interesting effe$t on the rest of his body(it i%%ediately went into a full-throttle burn that had nothing to do with the bla4ing te%peratures& This was internal& Not good2 he noted2 on$e again using those keen Ranger skills to dedu$e the ob#ious& A strea% of blistering epithets ra$ed through his %ind2 thanks to the en#iron%ent and the unfortunate instant attra$tion $urrently blowing the top off his personal ther%o%eter& ;he was his target2 for $hrissakes& *ff-li%its& *ut of bounds& Naturally2 that %ade her all the %ore appealing to hi%& !6el$o%e to ,onar$h Gro#e2' ;arah =ane %ur%ured& ;he had a ni$e #oi$e2 ,i$k de$ided& The perfe$t $o%bination of throaty and fe%inine2 and he instin$ti#ely knew shed ha#e a great laugh& Anyone who s%iled so openly $ertainly wouldnt try to repress a hearty $hu$kle& ;he was refreshing2 he de$ided& The wo%en he o$$asionally dated(and that was a #ery loose ter%2 be$ause his $areer hadnt left %u$h ti%e for traditional dating(tended to ha#e %oreaffe$ted $har%s& There was absolutely nothing affe$ted about the wo%an standing in front of hi%& 8f she wore any %akeup at all2 shed applied it with a #ery light hand& :ressed in a pale pink Tshirt s$reen-printed with her operations na%e2 Re$lai%ing the -ast2 an Ar$hite$tural ;al#age o%pany2 and a pair of white deni% shorts2 her thi$k $ara%el-streaked hair pulled into a ponytail2 ;arah =ane si%ultaneously epito%i4ed sexy2 fresh-s$rubbed and ready to work& 8%pressed2 he stared down into her s%iling fa$e and wished he $ould see her eyes&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html The sunglasses2 he de$ided %oodily2 were an attra$ti#e nuisan$e& !No trouble finding the pla$e2 8 see2' another #oi$e inter3e$ted& ,i$k relu$tantly tore his ga4e away fro% ;arah =ane and dire$ted his attention to the young %an standing beside her& Ah2 her prote$tor2he thought2 noting the territorial stan$e the young guy had taken next to his e%ployer& ,i$k would ha#e expe$ted ;arahs se$ond in $o%%and to be both older and a bit %ore physi$ally $apable of a$tuallyhelping her& Not to say this guy $ouldntbut he didnt look like he did a whole lot of hea#y lifting& !Not at all2' he replied easily& !@ou %ust be ,ason& Great dire$tions&' ;ee%ing to relax a bit2 ,ason s%iled& !6hen did you get into townN' !=ust now2 a$tually2' ,i$k told hi%& !8 thought 8d $he$k into the bed-and-breakfast later this afternoon2 after we finish up for the day&' !@ou#e already %ade reser#ations though2 rightN' ;arah =ane asked2 a furrow of $on$ern e%erging between her deli$ate brows& 5e was suddenly hit with the al%ost irrepressible urge to tra$e that gentle slope with his tongue& !)efore 8 left Atlanta2 yes2' he said2 struggling to fo$us& 5e hadnt personally booked the roo%2 of $ourseP -ayne had taken $are of that& ;o ,i$k knew he had a pla$e to stay& !*h2 good2' she said2 see%ingly relie#ed& !*rdinarily theres always a roo% a#ailable at laras2 but during the 7ried -ie 7esti#al spa$e is at a pre%iu%&' 5e grinned& Ah2 yes& The annual 7ried -ie 7esti#al& ,onar$h Gro#es dubious $lai% to fa%e& !8 saw the banners2' he said&All fi#e thousand of the%2 he added silently& As though she was reading his %ind2 a wry s%ile tugged at the $orner of her distra$tingly ripe %outh& !@ou know us ;outherners& 6e take our pie seriously&' !And if its fried2 all the better2' ,ason added& 5e nodded toward his boss and grinned2 ro$king ba$k on his heels& !;arah =ane has taken the grand pri4e with her bla$kberry fried pies for the past three years& ;hes the one to beat&' 8%pressed2 ,i$k darted his ga4e ba$k to her on$e %ore& !)la$kberry2 ehN' The fruit suited her2 he de$ided& -rote$ted by thorny bran$hes2 but the reward was tart and sweet& 5e i%agined her sa#oring a big 3ui$y berry2 and felt his di$k twit$h in his 3eans&:a%n& !8ll ha#e to be sure and try one&' !8% sure youll get your fill of pie while youre here2' she said dryly2 then released a breath and glan$ed toward the house& !8 suppose we should get started&' ;he hesitated2 shooting ,i$k a look
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html of un$ertainty& !8%2 uhnot exa$tly sure how this is supposed to work& :id you want to get any pi$tures of us2 or of the house as it stands2 before we get startedN *r are you 3ust going to snap photos as we workN This is all <uite new to %e&' To ,i$k2 too2 but now that she %entioned it2 he supposed he would need to take se#eral photos of her indi#idually for the supposed !spread&' A perk2 he de$ided2 wishing hed been a$ting %ore like a professional photographer instead of standing here gawking at her& Losing fo$us two %inutes into his first assign%ent for Ranger ;e$urity sure as hell wasnt good& The %e%ory of 5u$ks $on$erned ga4e rose like La4arus fro% the dead in his %inds eye2 %aking his fa$e heat with sha%e& ,i$k withdrew his $a%era fro% the bag and ad3usted a $ouple of settings& !A$tually2 it would be great if 8 $ould get a few shots of you now&' ;arah =ane nodded& !;ure& 6here do you want usN' ,i$k paused to peruse the grounds2 and for the first ti%e2 really looked at the old house and surrounding area& The ,ilton -lantation was a sad old belle who2 past her pri%e and beyond usefulness2 appeared to ha#e been abandoned by her owners& The lawn had long ago surrendered the fight to $reeping $rabgrass and tall weeds& Ragweed and Bueen Annes la$e2 their noble heads bobbing in the slight bree4e2 dotted the negle$ted lands$ape& A half-do4en li#e oaks2 ;panish %oss dripping fro% their li%bs2 pro#ided shade beneath their leafy2 gnarled bran$hes& A single rosebush2 de$ked out in do4ens of fist-si4e2 pale pink bloo%s2 defiantly $lung to the side of the house near the $orner of the por$h and $urled around the rotten2 gap-toothed railing& 7an$y fretwork sagged like spent2 dirty la$e fro% the ea#es of the enor%ous two-story stru$ture2 and pretty spindles(the few that re%ained around the upper por$h(listed slightly to the right& )ut despite the broken windowpanes and peeling paint2 it was easy to see the old house had been a showpla$e during her heyday& An unexpe$ted pang ofso%ething hit hi%(regret %aybeN(while he stared at the exterior& Though he hadnt tou$hed a ha%%er sin$e the last ti%e hed #isited his grandfather(al%ost a year ago2 he reali4ed2 startled by how %u$h ti%e had gotten away fro% hi%(he suddenly had the lunati$ urge to start in on repairs& Repla$e the rotten wood2 le#el up the foundation2 strip away the blistered paint and apply a glossy new $oat of anti<ue white& 8t $ould be beautiful again2 ,i$k thought2 as a $orre$ted %ental i%age of the old ho%e surfa$ed in his %ind& A $arpenter by trade2 harlie hi#ers $ertainly hadnt let those su%%ers ,i$k had spent with hi% go to waste& 6hile no one would e#er %istake ,i$k for a %aster $arpenter2 he knew his way around a toolbox2 and had always taken great pride in helping his grandfather with his work& 7rankly2 hed always looked forward to those su%%ers2 learning better ways to repair and build& At the end of the day2 hed ne#er failed to be pleasantly exhausted and proud of what hed a$$o%plished& Though he $ould say the sa%e for e#ery su$$essful %ission hed %ade for "n$le ;a%2 ,i$k had to ad%it the le#els of satisfa$tion had beendifferent& *ne hadnt been any better than the other2 but they $ertainly hadnt been the sa%e&
7unny& "ntil now hed forgotten about how %u$h hed en3oyed the weight of a ha%%er in his hand2 the weariness in his %us$les at the end of the day& !8ts a sha%e2 isnt itN' ;arah =ane asked2 as though reading his thoughts& ,i$k felt a sigh slip past his lips& !@eah2' he said slowly& !A total waste& 6hat happenedN' !The usual& La$k of finan$es&' ;he shrugged& !*ne drought too %any& The fa%ily ulti%ately s$attered2 ea$h pursuing their own drea%s&' ;he gestured to the land surrounding the house& !8t takes %ore than a few folks to run a far% this si4e& -eople ha#e s%aller fa%ilies now2 so theres less help and less %oney& E#entually the bank fore$losed and Er#in ,anus bought the pla$e at au$tion on the $ourthouse steps for less than the $ost of a new $ar&' The note of bitterness in her #oi$e was un%istakable& !The house is s$heduled for de%olition in a $ouple of weeks& 5es putting in a dirt bike tra$k out here& ;ays the lands$ape is perfe$t&' :a%n2,i$k thought& 5ed been wrong& 8t was %ore than a waste(it was $ri%inal& !8t took a lot of fast-talking to get hi% to agree to let %e sal#age the pla$e first2' she $ontinued& 5er lips twisted into a for$ed s%ile& !5e didnt want %e %essing up his Qdo4er s$hedule&' ,i$k in$lined his head& !Ah2 well& @ou wouldnt want to get between a %an and a bulldo4er2 thats for sure&' !Er#ins a $retin2' ,ason re%arked in disgust& 7or so%e reason the boy put ,i$k in %ind of an o#erweight ;haggy fro% the ;$ooby-:oo $artoons& !)ut you $an bet that will ne#er happen again& 6e put e#ery bank and all of the $orresponding $ounty $lerks offi$es in a hundred %ile radius on noti$e&' !8 would ha#e bought it %yself had 8 known2' ;arah =ane explained at ,i$ks pu44led look& ;urprised2 he ar$hed a brow& !7or yourselfN' Though she didnt sigh2 ,i$k wat$hed her shoulders droop a bit& ;arah =ane looked up at the house2 her unreadable ga4e still hidden behind those da%ned sunglasses& ;he finally turned to hi% and2 shrugging slightly2 s%iled& 5e felt the i%pa$t of that $asual grin resonate oddly through hi%& !To tell you the truth2 8 dont know& 8 3ust hate to see it destroyed& Reno#ated2 this house and property would %ake a lo#ely ho%e for a fa%ily&' ;he ki$ked at an errant ro$k at her feet& !+nowing that its going to be ra4ed to the ground and a dirt tra$k put in its pla$e2 frankly2 %akes %e si$k to %y sto%a$h&' 5i%2 too2 and he shouldnt gi#e a da%n& About the house2 or about how losing it %ade her feel& 5e wasnt here to $are& "ntil he learned otherwise2 he was here to do a 3ob for hastity 6alker2 and nothing %ore& 5e was here be$ause hed al%ost gotten a %an killed2 be$ause 5u$k had taken pity on hi% and gotten hi% a da%ned 3ob ,i$k wasnt sure he e#en wanted2 one he knew he didnt deser#e&
5e was here be$ause his life was in sha%bles and he $ouldnt afford another s$rewup& ,i$k took a $ouple of steps2 lifted his $a%era and pulled ;arah =anes intriguingly beautiful profile into fo$us2 fra%ing the first shot of his target& ;he was that2 da%%it2 and nothing %ore& 5ed do well to keepthat in fo$us&
;ARA5=ANE ;NEA+E:through the ba$k door into laras kit$hen 3ust as Tina was s%a$king hases hand away fro% a take-out $ontainer& !Thats not for you2' she ad%onished& Tall2 blond and gorgeous2 with a di%pled $heek and baby-blue eyes2 hase s%iled2 looking wounded2 and shot Tina one of those slaying glan$es that ne#er failed to %ake her friend %elt& !6hatN @ou didnt sa#e %e a plateN' 5e lowered his #oi$e an o$ta#e& !@ou know 8 lo#e your lasagna&' !@eah2 well2 so do 82' ;arah =ane said2 before her friend $ould swoon& ;he wearily dropped her purse onto the worn but$her-blo$k $ounter and took a seat at the little anti<ue table reser#ed for ba$k-door guests& !)a$k off2 buddy& @ou should ha#e $alled her&' 8t was a 3ibe with double %eaning and2 3udging by the un$o%fortable look on hases fa$e2 he knew it& Tina blinked2 see%ing to $o%e out of a tran$e& ;he huffed an exasperated breath and 3erked her head toward the table& !;it down2' she said2 predi$tably relenting& !8ll share %ine with you&' ;he shot hi% a look& !)ut you $an pour your own tea&' A wry s%ile tugged at the $orner of hases %outh& !@oure a hard wo%an2 Tina2' he said2 sauntering o#er to the pit$her on the $ounter& Tina hea#ed a put-upon sigh& !;hut up or 8ll $hange %y %ind&' :oubtful2 they all knew2 but it was fun wat$hing the ex$hange& Tina had been in lo#e with hase for as long as ;arah =ane $ould re%e%ber& And hase2 while notoriously set on re%aining single2 $ouldnt see% to %ake up his %ind who to spend ti%e with2 Tina or Laura 8r#ing2 one of hastitys best friends2 who had a si%ilar set of big breasts and the sa%e <uestionable %orals& Laura delighted in keeping hase on the line2 and would o$$asionally reel hi% in 3ust for the sport of it& ,ore than anything2 it bothered ;arah =ane to see her friend $ontinue to hold out hope for a relationship she wasnt all too sure would e#er %ateriali4e beyond what it was(flirtatious banter pun$tuated with the o$$asional night of hot sex& 8n her opinion2 it was ti%e for hase to fish or $ut bait& 8n fa$t2 if he didnt do one or the other in the near future2 shed %ore than likely tell hi% so& ;arah =ane was sweet like that&
Tina retrie#ed another plate fro% the $upboard2 along with so%e sil#erware and2 though a faint s%ile $ur#ed her %outh and a blush of pleasure tinged her $heeks2 grudgingly set the% before hase& ;arah =ane repressed a grin and helped herself to a stea%ing s<uare of lasagna& A groan of pure pleasure es$aped as she tasted the $rea%y ri$otta and %arinara %ixture& hase <uirked an e#il brow& !;o thats what does it for you2 ehN' ;he rolled her eyes2 en3oying her dinner& !;hut up2' she said& !5onestly2 is sex the only thing you %en e#er think aboutN' 5e took a sip of tea2 then leaned ba$k and s$rat$hed his $hest& -robably be$ause s$rat$hing his balls would ha#e been rude2 ;arah =ane thought2 suppressing a laugh& !Nope& 6e think about football2 too&' 8gnoring hase2 Tina turned to her2 and ;arah =ane knew before she e#en opened her %outh what was $o%ing& !;peaking of doing it for you2 8 saw your photographer $o%e in this afternoon&' The !ooh-la-la' wasnt spoken2 but it was i%plied enough to $ause hases ga4e to sharpen& 5is fork stalled halfway to his %outh& !-hotographerN 6hat photographerN' 5eat s$or$hed ;arah =anes ears and thighs si%ultaneously at the %ere thought of ,i$k hi#ers& *f those %outhwatering shoulders and that intensely $arnal %outh2 spe$ifi$ally& Rather than ad%it that shed been in a state of bone-%elting arousal all day2 she told herself the one-hundred-degree-plus heat %ust ha#e %ade her entire syste% %alfun$tion& This low hu% in her belly and persistent tingle between her legs was the result of dehydration2 extre%e heat and the general la$k of sex in her life& ;he was ha#ing su$h a strong rea$tion to ,i$k be$ause he was new2 interesting and(be$ause she hadnt been able to resist a little prying(single& All those fa$tors $o%bined had tangled around her woefully depri#ed libido2 taken one look at ,i$k and gone haywire& Logi$ally2 she knew all of this& )ut attra$tion was rarely logi$al2 and ;arah =ane knew no %atter how %any ti%es she tried to $on#in$e herself(or how %any ex$uses she %ade for her bit$h-in-heat beha#ior(the out$o%e would be the sa%e& ;i%ply put2 she was in lust& To the nth degree&
;he glu%ly $leared her throat& !*hN 5es settled in2 thenN' Tina snorted& !The %an doesnt look like he e#er Qsettles2 but if you %ean Q5as he $he$ked into a roo%2 then the answer is yes&' ;he shot ;arah =ane a reproa$hful look& !6hy didnt you tell %e he was gorgeous when you $alledN' hase s$owled& !GorgeousN' Tina ignored hi%& !:o we need to go o#er the Need to +now rules againN' ;arah =ane $hu$kled& ;he and Tina had started a list of Need to +now rules in high s$hool2 and the list had been growing e#er sin$e& ;o far they in$luded2 but werent li%ited to the followingR F1 All Gossip .=ui$y or *therwise1 K1 Any ;ighting of a Good-looking )oy L1 heating )oyfriends /1 7oreign *b3e$ts ;tu$k in Teeth 01 Any lothing That ,akes the 6earer Look 7at M1 Things That ,ake @ou ;ay !5%%' .ordinarily $o#ered by Rule SF1 D1 Life-altering :e$isions or E#ents E1 ;ex .5a#ing 8t or the La$k Thereof1 8deally2 two %ore rules would $rop up2 thus gi#ing the% the Ten o%%and%ents of their friendship2 but so far the eight they $urrently had in pla$e $o#ered e#erything& ;arah =ane s%iled& !;orry2' she said& !8 didnt think about it&' ;he bra$ed herself2 ready for the bolt of lightning that should ha#e stru$k her for that whopping lie& !:idnt think about hi% being gorgeous2 or didnt think about telling %eN' !Again with the gorgeous&' hase $hu$kled darkly and ha$ked off another $hunk of pasta& !)eating that horse to death2 arent you2 TinaN' ;he glared at hi%& !8 thought you were hungry&' !8 a%&' !Then eat and let us talk2 for pitys sake&' ;he huffed another breath2 then %et ;arah =anes ga4e on$e %ore& !;oN' she prodded2 ba$k to the interrogation at hand& !6hat did you think of hi%N' ;arah =ane felt her fa$e fla%e2 whi$h see%ed appropriate $onsidering ,i$k had unwittingly set the rest of her body on fire& !8 thought he was gorgeous2' she ad%itted with a sigh and felt a slow telling s%ile slide o#er her lips&And 8 thought 8 wanted to su$k hi% up like a ;lurpee2 personally in#estigate e#ery in$h of his spe$ta$ular body2 sink %y teeth into that %ar#elous ass and feel that wi$ked2 supre%ely $arnal %outh of his kissing the s%all of %y ba$kand other pla$es& A $hill
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ran through her2 but did nothing to $ool her down& =ust the $ontrary2 in fa$t& And those were theleast depra#ed things that had gone through her head today while she $o#ertly studied her on-site photographer& Good Lord2 3ust wat$hing the %an %o#e %ade her want to whi%per& And Tina was right(,i$k hi#ers didnt look like he e#er settled down& Though ;arah =ane had noti$ed it the %inute he got out of his $ar2 the i%pression had been repeatedly $onfir%ed throughout the day& 5e ne#er stopped %o#ing& E#er& 5e was ad3usting settings on his $a%era2 inspe$ting the house2 3iggling his leg& )eing still see%ed $o%pletely out of his area of expertise2 and though hed thought tearing down a house to build a dirt tra$k was a sha%e2 hed later %entioned he wouldnt %ind doing a little ra$ing& That $o%%ent had led to se#eral2 in whi$h hed re#ealed that he lo#ed skydi#ing2 had dabbled in %ountain $li%bing and basi$ally en3oyed any sport that %ight result in death or bloodshed& )e$ause she was insane2 ;arah =ane had found this fearlessness intensely sexy& Tina let out a little s<ueal of delight and s%a$ked her hand against the table& !*h%yGod9 @ou want hi%& *h2 sweetie2 8% so happy for you9 8ts been su$h a long ti%e sin$e you(' !Tina9' ,ortified2 she 3erked her head in hases dire$tion& !:o you %indN' 5onestly2 ,onar$h Gro#e was a s%all town($ertainly too s%all and do%esti$ for so%eone like her new photographer2 she thought glu%ly(so her la$k of a sex life was pretty %u$h $o%%on knowledge& ;till hase grinned2 leaned ba$k and $rossed his ar%s o#er his $hest& !8 dont %ind in the least& @ou ask %e2 this shit is fas$inating& @oure blushing2 ;arah =ane2' he said2 see%ingly a%a4ed2 his blue eyes twinkling with undisguised interest& !8 dont think 8#e e#er seen you do that&' Thats be$ause she ordinarilydidnt blush& 8t was $o%pletely out of $hara$ter for her& ,u$h like this otherworldly attra$tion to ,i$k she had going on& 5ad she e#er lustedN ertainly& )ut not to this degree& 6ith a single half s%ile2 this guy had %anaged to %ake her si%ultaneously 3ittery and %uddled2 hot and a$hy2 wet and on fire& !@oure interrupting again2' Tina said2 exasperated& !Either be <uiet or go ho%e2' she snapped2 using her 8talian !*bedien$e or :eath' tone& ;he gestured to ;arah =ane and dragged her $hair $loser& ! ant you see were trying to talkN' ;till s%iling2 hase feigned $ontrition and didnt say anything else& !;oN' Tina prodded&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ;arah =ane shrugged& !;owhatN' And that was it in a nutshell& !5es the photographer for the pie$e:esigning 6eekly is doing on %y $o%pany2 and we both know 8 need the business too %u$h to %u$k it up by(' she paused2 unable to $o%e up with the proper des$ription for what shed like to do with ,i$k hi#ers !(you know2' she said2 gesturing wearily& !;$rewing around2' hase inter3e$ted helpfully& ,ildly annoyed2 ;arah =ane propped her $hin in her hand and stared at hi%& !@oure en3oying yourself2 arent youN' !5ell2 yeah2' he readily ad%itted2 a broad grin splitting his fa$e& !The only thing that $ould %ake this any better would be a beer and a bowl of pop$orn& 8ts ni$e to see a wo%an in lust for a $hange& @ou fe%ales are always harping about us guys2 about us not ha#ing anyself-$ontrol and gi#ing in to ourani%al urges and all that $rap2' he said with a derisi#e gri%a$e& 5e suddenly brightened& !;eeing the shoe on a s%aller foot is a refreshing $hange& 8f 8 see ,r& Gorgeous(' he shot a pointed look at Tina !(8 think 8ll thank hi%&' hase stood2 then pressed a kiss to her $heek2 %aking her sag in her $hair& !Thanks for dinner2 Tina2' he %ur%ured& !8t was wonderful2 as always&' Tina waited until he was gone2 then sighed& !No pro%ise to $all this ti%e2' she said2 her big eyes haunted with %elan$holy& ;arah =ane inwardly win$ed& ;hed noti$ed& !;orry2 Tina& )ut its better than ha#ing hi% lie to you2 rightN' !8 suppose&' !@ou know what 8 think2' she re%inded her gently& !8 do& )ut finding so%eone else isnt that easy&' ;arah =ane $ouldnt i%agine lo#ing so%eone who didnt lo#e you ba$k was any easier2 but kept that opinion to herself& Tina had no illusions where hase and his %ysterious feelings were $on$erned& 7rankly2 ;arah =ane thought a little friendly $o%petition(hed $ertainly been 3ealous enough o#er the !gorgeous' $o%%ent a few %inutes ago(would %ake the wily boy in blue sit up and take noti$e& At the %o%ent2 he knew Tina adored hi% and was a sure thing& 5e wasnt about the $hange the status <uo& A little un$ertainty would undoubtedly do hi% so%e good& !;oba$k to your photographer2' Tina said& !=ust be$ause hes here on business doesnt really %ean hes off-li%its2 does itN' she asked with skepti$al hopefulness& !5es %ade you blush&@ou& ,s& "nflappable& ,s& 5ard-ass&' !8 a% not a hard-ass2' ;arah =ane retorted auto%ati$ally2 though2 to an extent2 she i%agined it was true& ;hed ne#er been one to suffer fools gladly(stupid beha#ior dro#e her $ra4y(and she didnt %in$e words& ;hed ne#er %astered the $oy art of guarding her tongue or dan$ing around an issue& 8t was a waste of ti%e that2 %ore often than not2 resulted in $onfusion&
At any rate2 she i%agined the only thing that sa#ed her fro% being labeled a total bit$h was her notoriously soft heart2 whi$h she would freely ad%it to owning& ;he was a su$ker for a sob story2 a $onstant $ha%pion of the underdog2 and had ne#er %et a stray she hadnt kept or2 at the #ery least2 found a ho%e for& *h2 yeah2 she thought2 re%e%bering the half-do4en furry fa%ily %e%bers waiting for their kibble2 she was a real hard-ass& As for whether or not ,i$k was really off-li%its2 the answer2 though diffi$ult to %ake2 was a resounding yes& ;hed been wrestling with that <uestion and her da%n attra$tion to the %an all day& !:ont think 8% not te%pted2 and dont think %y being around hi% for the next two weeks isnt going to be sheer hell(it is& )ut hes here in a professional $apa$ity and2 botto% line2 8 need the business and exposure fro% the arti$le %ore than 8 need an orgas%&' Tina grinned& !8 think you need the orgas% worse&' !6ill your opinion pay %y billsN' !No2 but your inheritan$e would2' Tina <uipped& !Any lu$k with e$il this %orningN' ;arah =ane felt her ne$k $ra%p& !None&' 6hi$h was all the %ore reason she needed to forget about the unforgettable sex she %ight ha#e had with ,i$k hi#ers(e#erything within her wailed and rebelled at this thought(and $on$entrate on the issues at hand& 7rankly2 getting her hands on that will and seeing this arti$le through were %ore i%portant than a weeklong fling with the best-looking2 sexiest %an shed e#er seen& ,i$ks handso%e fa$e( %ore spe$ifi$ally2 that beautiful %outh and what he $ould no doubt do with itto her (rose in her %inds eye2 %aking her inwardly win$e with bone-deep regret& No doubt the fling would be %ore satisfying& )ut it wouldnt buy her a new tru$k& / !;*2 5*6; 8T G*8NGso farN' 5u$k asked& E#idently2 he was the one assigned to $he$k up on hi%& *r2 ,i$k supposed2 5u$k $ould be doing it independently2 trying to %ake sure that he didnt bot$h his first 3ob& 5ed re$o%%ended ,i$k2 after all2 ergo his $redibility was on the line2 as well&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ;wallowing a sigh2 and unable to shake the sensation that he was being wat$hed2 ,i$k $losed his bedroo% door2 lo$ked it and po$keted the key2 holding his $ell phone to his ear the whole ti%e& 5ed also s%elled a strange sort of aftersha#e when hed awoken this %orning(and it hadnt been his& >ery weird& !No illegal a$ti#ity last night2' he told 5u$k& "nder the pretense of !getting a feel for the town' ,i$k had done an open tail(%eaning hed allowed his <uarry to see hi%2 but had kept enough distan$e between the% that she hadnt been aware hed a$tually been following her& 7urther%ore2 be$ause the $o%%unity was so s%all and e#erything of interest was $entered around the town s<uare or within a $ouple of blo$ks2 running into her repeatedly hadnt $aused any suspi$ion& 8n addition2 he planned to always keep his $a%era with hi% fro% now on and use it as a prop when ne$essary& As for her %o#e%ents last night2 shed had dinner here with a friend(Tina ,artinese2 the ) and ) $hef2 whod pro#ided hi% with so%e of the best lasagna hed e#er eaten in his life(then dro#e by hastitys house2 but didnt stop& Afterward shed dri#en past the town li%its and2 after about ten %inutes2 turned down a long tree-lined dri#eway& ,i$k wouldnt ha#e been able to follow her without it looking odd2 so hed doubled ba$k and waited for her to %ake the return trip to town& 6hoe#er shed #isited $ouldnt ha#e asked her to stay2 be$ause shed been ba$k on the road within twenty %inutes& After her %ysterious stop(one he fully intended to $he$k out later(shed dropped by the lo$al #ideo store and then gone ho%e& There she took a da%n long ti%e in the shower(long enough to %ake hi% want to howl2 a$tually& Then she put on a tiny $otton $a%isolelike thingie(no bra2 of $ourse2 be$ause she e#idently wanted to kill hi%(and a pair of boxer shorts2 dished up a bowl of i$e $rea%2 $urled up on her $ou$h with her assorted %enagerie of pets and wat$hed a %o#ie& 5ed kept her under sur#eillan$e until he was $ertain(or as $ertain as he $ould be(that she was in for the night& 5ed finally %ade it ba$k to the ) and ) around two-thirty2 only to set off so%e sort of alar% that woke the entire house2 in$luding lara(whose hair2 interestingly2 had gone fro% red to blond so%eti%e between supper and his return& ;he grudgingly ga#e hi% the se$urity $ode to disar% the syste%2 but only after hed told her that he suffered fro% inso%nia and would %ore than likely need to take a walke#ery night& 5is $heeks burned as he re%e%bered that hu%iliation& 5e was only glad that none of his $ounterparts had seen or heard it&)adass se$urity spe$ialist at your ser#i$e2 he thought with a sardoni$ twist of his lips2 wondering if he $ould possibly s$rew this up any %ore& At any rate2 hed gotten #ery little sleep and had nothing to show for his efforts but a dull heada$he2 a general sense of uneasiness(he $ould ha#e sworn hed felt a hand on his thigh this %orning when hed woken up(and an atta$k of $ons$ien$e the likes of whi$h hed ne#er experien$ed in his %isbegotten life& ,i$k paused on the landing before going downstairs to breakfast& !8 gotta tell you2 5u$k& 8 feel like a first-$lass bastard&'
!6hat do you %eanN' !8 %ean the $o#er 8% using&' 5e leaned against the wall2 $he$ked to %ake sure he was alone and %assaged the bridge of his nose& !:id you know that shes spent the last week busting her ass to get her in#entory a$$ounted for and uploaded onto her 6eb site2 so shell be prepared for the influx of business shes expe$ting to pi$k up be$ause of this arti$leN The one thatsnot going to happenN' 5u$k paused2 then %uttered a $urse& !No2 8 didnt&' !8 know that 8 dont work for her2 and 8% not supposed to $are2 but e#idently 8% not as %u$h of a son of a bit$h as 8% supposed to be be$ause 8 think this is pretty da%n shitty&' ,essing with a persons li#elihood wasnot $ool& ,onu%ental s$rewup aside2 ,i$k had been %ore than a spe$tator for 3usti$e& 5ed been a $ontributor& :isar%ing terrorists2 fighting for the greater good2 ensuring freedo%(those were things hed always been able to be proud of& 5e wasnt proud of this& There was no greater good2 3ust greater greed on the part of hastity 6alker& *r at least2 thats what he suspe$ted at the %o%ent& !@oure right2' 5u$k said& !8ll see if 8 $an do so%ething about it&' !6hat $ould you doN' !,aybe get the% to run an arti$le& And if 8 $ant2 8% $ertain that -ayne $an&' 5u$k $hu$kled softly& !5ehas a way of getting people to do things us %ere %ortals $ant&' ,i$k laughed& !That way is $alled%oney2 %y friend&' 5ed heard ru%ors of -aynes wealth for years2 but $ould honestly say hed ne#er fully appre$iated the depth of the %ans po$kets until hed walked into the sleek Atlanta high-rise that housed Ranger ;e$urity2 not to %ention the additional building next door -ayne had a$<uired and turned into apart%ents for future Ranger ;e$urity operati#es& 6hen ,i$k had stepped into his fully furnished right-down-to-a-sto$kedpantry apart%ent2 hed been for$ibly re%inded of why -aynes friends had ni$kna%ed hi% The ;pe$ialist& The %an didnothing in half %easures& !8 know you dont like the $o#er2 ,i$k2 but well %ake it right& @ou 3ust do what youre supposed to do and keep snapping pi$tures& @ou $an gi#e the% to the %aga4ine when youre through&'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 7eeling %arginally better about it2 ,i$k released a s%all breath& !All right&' Taking photos of his target $ertainly wouldnt be a hardship& ;arah =ane wasnt a $lassi$ beauty by any stret$h of the i%agination& 5er nose was a little too s%all2 her $heeks too round2 but he $ouldnt deny that hed been drawn to her fro% the beginning& 8t was that fighters spirit ob#ious in the stubborn tilt of her $hin2 that underlying hint of %is$hief e#ident in those %elting-$ara%el eyes& 8n fa$t2 it was those #ery $hara$teristi$s that %ade her all the %ore $o%pelling& ;he was sexy and salt-of-theearth personified2 an intriguingly irresistible $o%bination& !8 heard fro% ,$-herson last night2' 5u$k said& !5e %entioned hed tried to $all you2 but hasnt had any lu$k& 8s there any parti$ular reason youre a#oiding hi%N' *ther than the fa$t that he was a $oward who $ouldnt bear to talk to a friend whod witnessed the biggest %istake of his life2 no2 ,i$k thought2 feeling like a bastard& Rather than answer2 he e#aded the <uestion& !8ll2 uh8ll gi#e hi% a $all&' And he would& 5e 3ust didnt know when& !,ake sure you do2 %an& 5es worried about you&' ,i$k didnt need the re%inder& A fellow adrenaline 3unkie and prankster2 Le#i ,$-herson was a good friend2 one who2 like 5u$k2 had been there to rally around hi% when hed s$rewed up& 5e hadnt tried to belittle ,i$ks regret with the standard its-not-your-fault platitudes2 but had been there to drink2 to listen and offer sports-related therapy& The guilt was ,i$ks $ross2 not his& Le#i didnt deser#e the silent treat%ent ,i$k had been gi#ing hi%& Another s$rewup2 he thought2 disgusted with hi%self& !And 8 should warn you2' 5u$k said2 thankfully $hanging the sub3e$t& ! hastity has $alled here se#eral ti%es asking for your $ell nu%ber& ;he wants to %eet with you to go o#er the $ase&' 5is gut response was a heartfelthell no2 but $onsidering hed already lost all perspe$ti#e( pro#ided hed e#er had it to start with(he didnt altogether trust his instin$ts& !8 know that 8% new to this whole se$urity thing2 but is that a risk we should takeN' !Not in %y opinion2 but shes ada%ant& ;hes looking for you&' ,i$k gri%a$ed& ! onsidering this is the only pla$e to stay in town2 8% definitely easy to find&' 5u$ks hesitation e$hoed o#er the line& !Are you sure youre good with this2 ,i$kN 8f you arent2 we $an pull you out and gi#e it a little %ore ti%e& None of these guys would bla%e you& They#e(' ;ha%e burned through ,i$k& 5u$k had stu$k his ne$k out for hi%2 had gi#en hi% a pla$e in the world when his life was in sha%bles& 8t still was2 for that %atter& !8 $an do it2 5u$k2' he insisted& 8t was a si%ple %ission& 6at$h ;arah =ane& !No ones saying you $ant2 ,i$k& 5ell2 %an2 youre the best da%n soldier 8 know& 7reaking fearless& @oure The 5ell-raiser2' he said with a re%inis$ent $hu$kle& 5u$k sighed2 see%ingly
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html looking for the right way to tell ,i$k he was a fu$kup& !)ut 8 $an tell your hearts not in this&' ,i$k $ouldnt deny that2 so he didnt e#en try& The only thing his heart had e#er truly been in was ser#ing his $ountry2 and that life was gone now2 lost to hi% through nobodys fault but his own& A single bad de$ision that had $o%e within a $ouple of $enti%eters of $osting another %an his life& Risk $a%e with the 3ob2 he knew2 and the higher up the $hain of $o%%and you were2 the %ore responsibility you had& 8n theory2 hed been fine with it& )ut li#ing with the reality of the %istake had turned out to be %ore than he $ould handle& 8f that %ade hi% weak2 then he $ould li#e with it easier than he $ould the alternati#e& Risking his own life was one thing& Risking so%eone elses was another thing altogether& ;till2 though he ad%ittedly saw %ore shades of gray than bla$k and white2 he $ouldnt shake the sensation that he was fighting on the wrong side on this one& 8t didnt %atter that hastity was paying for their ser#i$es(<uite possibly with ;arah =anes inheritan$e(it still felt off& And he had e#ery intention of finding out why& 8f hastity was using Ranger ;e$urity for so%ething other than what shed $lai%ed when shed hired the%2 ,i$k would find out and ad3ust his plan a$$ordingly& And she %ight not like the result& 6hile it was true that soldiers were taught to follow orders and respe$t the $hain of $o%%and2 they were also taught to assess situations2 think on their feet and $hange $ourse should the need arise& 7urther%ore2 $on$epts like truth and honor and 3usti$e werent 3ust pretty words bandied about by politi$ians(they were a %oral $ode& 6hen in doubt2 do whats right& ,i$k assured 5u$k he would stay on task2 thanked hi% for the heads-up regarding hastity2 then dis$onne$ted and finished %aking his way downstairs& The hea#y s$ents of ba$on and %aple syrup fla#ored the air2 %aking his %outh water in anti$ipation& 6hen -ayne had %entioned that laras was the hot spot for breakfast2 he hadnt exaggerated& The dining roo%2 a $har%ing spa$e littered with %is%at$hed tables and $hairs2 fresh-$ut flowers and braided rugs2 was pa$ked with people& *ld far%ers sporting o#eralls and =ohn :eere hats2 young professionals2 $ouples and fa%ilies2 a hungry sa%ple of ,onar$h Gro#es population all gathered at the altar of good food& 6earing a little tiara on her new platinu% lo$ks2 and bright red lipsti$k2 lara greeted ,i$k herself before showing hi% to a table& !8 hope you were able to sleep after your walk2' she said2 a polite2 unintentional re%inder that hed woken the% all up& 5e s%iled and resisted the urge to grind his teeth& !8 was2 thank you2' he answered2 settling into a $hair& !Nothing strange happened2 8 hopeN No %issing toiletries or fli$kering lightsN' !Erno&' 5e was $aught off guard by the strange <uestion&
8nstead of looking happy2 lara a$tually see%ed disappointed& 5er fa$e fell& !Ex$ellent2' she %ur%ured distra$tedly& ,i$k de$ided a sub3e$t $hange was in order& !8f breakfast is as good as it s%ells2 then 8% in for a treat&' ;he brightened& !@ou definitely are& Tinas a pheno%enal $ook& ;hes %y little a$e in the hole& The ) and ) has the best food in town2 no %atter what anyone tells you&' ;he leaned down as though about to share an i%portant se$ret& !;teer $lear of ,abels :iner2' she whispered& !;hes had a bit of a bug proble%2 if you $at$h %y drift&' ,i$k in$lined his head2 wondering why lara sounded slightly gleeful& The wo%an straightened on$e %ore& ! offeeN' !Erbla$k2 please&' ;he nodded briskly and hurried away& lara hadnt been gone fi#e se$onds before a busty blonde who looked as if shed $olored her extre%ely tanned fa$e with a paint-by-nu%bers kit suddenly slid into the $hair a$ross fro% hi%& hastity2 no doubt2 ,i$k de$ided2 inwardly re$oiling& 6hile attra$ti#e in the literal sense2 she had a hard2 $unning look about her& Though she wore bla$k2 the tight slee#eless shirt and short skirt hardly said !grie#ing widow&' ,ore like !streetwalker2' he thought un$haritably& ;he and ;arah =ane $ouldnt ha#e been %ore different2 and if he hadnt trusted this wo%ans story to begin with2 he sure as hell didnt belie#e it now& !@ou %ust be ,i$k2' she said2 s%iling& 7e%inine interest sparkled in eyes surrounded by $lu%ps of %as$ara-$oated lashes& !8 a%&' 6hen he didnt say anything else2 a %o%entary look of $onfusion stole a$ross her o#erly %adeup fa$e& !;oN' she prodded& !5ow are things goingN' !7ine& 6hen 8 ha#e so%ething to report2 8ll tell you& 6asnt that the agree%entN' 5e purposely kept his tone le#el2 knowing that any interest or e#en superfi$ial friendliness would only en$ourage her to stay&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !8% not sure2' she replied slowly& Those shrewd eyes $ontinued to si4e hi% up& ;he hesitated& !8s there a proble%2 ,r& hi#ersN' ,i$k swallowed a long-suffering sigh& ,ore proble%s than he $ared to enu%erate& Thankfully2 a petite2 dark-haired wo%an(Tina2 %aybeN($a%e to his res$ue by arri#ing with his plate& !Good %orning2' she said2 s%iling war%ly at hi%& !8% Tina2' she $onfir%ed& ;he didnt so %u$h as glan$e at hastity& !@oure the photographer whos working with ;arah =ane2 rightN' 7ro% the $orner of his eye he saw hastitys lips slide into a s%ug s%ile& Though it went against e#erything inside of hi%2 he %anaged to nod2 silently affir%ing the lie& 5e wasso not $ut out for this line of work& *r %aybe it was 3ust this $ase& Either way2 he knew he was s$rewed& And though hed been in the se$urity field for only a $ouple of days2 that was long enough for ,i$k to know it wasnt going to satisfy his soul& The 3ob entailed lots of wat$hing and less %o#e%ent2 and other than a$tually being with ;arah =ane2 it was a $o%plete bore& !6e didnt get a $han$e to %eet last night& 8#e got your to-go order ready in the kit$hen2 so dont forget to ask for it on your way out&' !8 wont2 thanks&' hastity $leared her throat loudly& !Arent you going to take %y orderN' E#ery %us$le in Tinas petite body went rigid and she turned a patently false s%ile in hastitys dire$tion& !8% not a waitress& 8% the $ook&' !Ne#ertheless2 you work here and 8% a paying $usto%er& 8d like what hes ha#ing&' !7ine2' she said2 baring her teeth in a frightening s%ile& !8ll %ake so%ethingspe$ial for you&' *nly if spit were spe$ial2 ,i$k thought2 resisting the urge to laugh& E#idently hastity wasnt as stupid as she looked2 be$ause she finally 3ust let out a disgusted breath and told her to forget it& >i$torious2 Tina grinned& !Are you sureN 8d be happy to personally take $are of your plate& Really2' she said through $len$hed teeth& !8 would&' !8 said no2' hastity repeated& ;he gestured i%patiently to ,i$k& ! ant you see youre interrupting our $on#ersationN' Tinas expression turned shrewd and spe$ulati#e& !@ou know ea$h otherN' :a%%it to hell2 this was exa$tly what hed been afraid of& !6e 3ust %et2' ,i$k said2 thankful
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html that he hadnt had to lie again& ;ee%ingly satisfied2 she nodded& !En3oy your breakfast2 ,i$k&' ;he %o#ed away fro% the table2 gi#ing hi% a $lear #iew of the door& 5e wished she hadnt& )e$ause ;arah =ane was standing there& An instantaneous frisson of heat stole through his belly and settled in his loins at the %ere sight of her& )ut it was the sight she was going to get(of hi% seated with her ene%y(that worried hi%& A sardoni$2 knowing s%ile rolled o#er her lips2 as though shed hoped hed ha#e better taste& ;he ga#e hi% a little nod in a$knowledg%ent2 then looked away& 7ollowing his ga4e2 hastity glan$ed o#er her shoulder2 saw ;arah =ane2 then2 s%iling %ali$iously2 stood& !,ission a$$o%plished2' she said& !6at$h her like a hawk and let %e know the %inute you $at$h her breaking into %y house& 8% looking forward to sending her ba$k to 3ail&'
!;5E :8:NT 6A;TE ," 5ti%e2 did sheN' ,ason %uttered under his breath& !8 swear 8 think that wo%an has got so%e sort of sonar for when new %en arri#e in town& 8ts like a Qfresh %eat alar% goes off and she swoops in2 ready for the kill&' ;eething2 reeling and bitterly disappointed2 ;arah =ane nodded to a $ouple of people as she walked through the dining roo%2 paused to listen to ,ae )ell 5odgess latest update on her husbands gout2 then $ontinued on to the kit$hen2 where she and ,ason typi$ally ate breakfast with Tina& Though she knew it was irrational and %ore than likely si%ply a produ$t of her sexually depri#ed2 lust-ridden brain2 ;arah =anes internal alar%s were ringing so loudly she $ould barely hear her own thoughts& ;o%ething about seeing ,i$k hi#ers with hastity wasoff& And it was %ore than the absurd 3ealousy and illogi$al anger turning her %ind first shades of green2 then bla$k& 8t didnt ha#e anything to do with the fa$t that shed a$tually applied a little %akeup this %orning2 had taken ti%e with her hair and had agoni4ed o#er whi$h friggin shorts %ade her ass look s%aller& 8f hastity was ,i$ks type($heap2 easy and stupid(then so be it& Good riddan$e& ;he sho#ed open the kit$hen door with a little %ore for$e than needed2 al%ost $rashing into lara& !;arah =ane2' the wo%an ad%onished2 ad3usting the little $rown on her newly tinted hair&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !Thats not how a lady enters a roo%& This is a bed-and-breakfast2 not a roadhouse bar&' !;orry2 lara&' ;he dropped into a $hair at the kit$hen table2 snagged a bis$uit fro% the tray and took an intentional bite to keep fro% s$rea%ing& Tina sent her a sy%patheti$ s%ile& !@ou saw&' !;he did2' ,ason said2 be$ause ;arah =anes %outh was still stuffed with food& 5e shook his head& !@ou know2 8% a %an and e#en 8 dont get it& @es2 the girl has got a ni$e set of breasts(' ;arah =ane glared at hi%& !;he does2 ;&=& =ust stating the fa$ts&' 5e frowned2 his pea$h fu44 bun$hing around his lips& !)ut theres nothing else there& ;hes not ugly2 but shes not beautiful2 either& ;hes spent so %any hours in the tanning bed(' !And by the pool she talked %y father into putting in2' ;arah =ane inter3e$ted& !(she looks like a da%n rotisserie $hi$ken& ;hes du%b as a box of ro$ks&' 5e shrugged again& !8 3ust dont get it&' Tina set a stea%ing plate in front of ea$h of the%2 grabbed one for herself and then 3oined the% at the table& !@oure 3ust a %an of better taste2 ,ason2' she said& !"nfortunately2 a lot of guys dont $are whether a wo%an is s%art or not&' ;he shot a look at ;arah =ane& !No offense to your father2 but he $ouldnt ha#e been thinking with his brain when he de$ided to %arry that shallow2 %ean-spirited slut&' !8 know2' ;arah =ane ad%itted2 though she belie#ed that her father had $o%e to regret it in the weeks prior to his death& 5ed said a few things2 but nothing that would ha#e really opened an honest dialogue about the situation& =ust enough to lea#e ;arah =ane with the i%pression that he hadnt been happy& And shed be lying if she hadnt hoped that ,i$k would ha#e better taste& 5onestly2 physi$al attra$tion aside2 she $redited hi% with %ore $hara$ter& 5e hadnt see%ed like the type who would be interested in hastity& ;arah =ane had thought he had %ore depth& ,ore $lass& ,ore sense& 7rankly2 by yesterday afternoon2 shed thought shed dete$ted a little interest inher& 6hile he hadnt blatantly flirted2 hed $ertainly been <ui$k with those slow2 %elting s%iles2 and thered been a hint of interest in those sho$kingly blue eyes& 5onestly2 shed ne#er seen eyes that parti$ular shade before& 8ntense2 $lear2 bold2 the $olor of an old bottle shed on$e found buried in the sand at the bea$h& And if it was true that the eyes were indeed the window to the soul2 then ,i$k hi#erss soul was a kaleidos$ope of re$klessness2 irre#eren$e2 honor2 pain and sorrow& 5ow did she know thisN The sa%e way she knew there was %ore to hastity and ,i$k than %et the eyeR intuition&
True2 hastity had a kna$k for pi$king up the s$ent of any new %an2 but fro% the strange look( a $o%bination of irritation and e%barrass%ent(;arah =ane had gli%psed on ,i$ks fa$e2 so%ething else was in play here& !8f it %akes you feel any better2 8 was in the dining roo% when she $a%e in& 5e didnt in#ite her to sit down& ;he in#ited herself2' Tina offered& Typi$al hastity& ;till !8#e got a weird #ibe about this2' ;arah =ane said& ;he speared a fresh strawberry and $onsidered it thoughtfully& Tina sele$ted a pie$e of ba$on and sni$kered& !That feeling is $alled 3ealousy2 %y dear&' ,asons ga4e widened& !=ealousyN 6hat do you %ean2 3ealousyN' Tina %erely rolled her eyes& !,ason2 you are a sweetheart2 but youre blind&' !These are new glasses2' he said2 offended2 straightening a bit in his $hair& !8ts 3ust taking %e a little while to ad3ust to the%&' ;arah =ane and Tina shared a look2 then both started giggling& "sed to their silent $o%%uni$ation2 he <uirked his lips& !6ant to $lue %e in on the 3okeN' !No2' ;arah =ane said& ;he $leared her throat and glan$ed at Tina& !8ts%ore than what you said& This situation 3ust doesnt feel right&' !;arah =ane2 it doesnt feel right be$ause the wo%an has been the bane of your existen$e sin$e kindergarten& ;he stole your father2 stole your house2 stole your inheritan$e2 and now shes put the %o#es on the first guy who has $ranked your tra$tor in %onths&' !8ts been %ore like a year or two2 thank you2' ;arah =ane $orre$ted glu%ly& ,asons eyes rounded and he ga4ed at her in astonish%ent& !*h2' he said knowingly2 shooting her a sheepish s%ile& !That explains a lot& 8 thought you were a$ting a bit funny yesterday& ;trange2 really& 8 3ust thought you were ner#ous o#er all those pi$tures he was taking of you&' Thathad been a bit ner#e-ra$king& 8t see%ed like e#ery ti%e shed turned around2 ,i$k had been snapping another photograph& 8t was also $lear that he knew a bit about $arpentry and ho%e repair& 5ed inspe$ted the house and %ade a lot of $o%%ents regarding the stru$ture and how it $ould be fixed& At one point2 hed e#en put his $a%era down long enough to help her loosen a parti$ularly stubborn bit of %olding& ;he $ould tell hed been it$hing to do %ore2 but she hadnt suggested that he pi$k up a ha%%er&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 8n her line of work(a predo%inantly %ale field(;arah =ane battled against what shed dubbed the !little wo%an syndro%e&' *n %ore than one o$$asion2 shed dealt with a $lod-brained2 big%us$led %oron who thought she was too weak and too ignorant to do the 3ob2 so shed be$o%e a bit sensiti#e to help fro% the opposite sex& ;he glan$ed at ,ason and felt her own lips twit$h& 5e didnt $ount(shewas %anlier than he was& At any rate2 if she were perfe$tly honest2 shed let ,i$k help her be$ause shed wanted to be $loser to hi%2 to wat$h those %us$les bun$h and tighten& And she hadnt been disappointed at all& The %an was2 in a word2glorious& And hed been sharing breakfast with hastity& ;arah =ane didnt $are what Tina said2 this feeling(this instin$t(was %ore than 3ealousy& Though she would definitely $op to that& ;hed planned on asking ,i$k to 3oin the% for breakfast this %orning2 so seeing hi% two feet fro% her ene%y hadnt been pleasant& !8 asked the% if they knew ea$h other2' Tina told her& !And he said theyd 3ust %et&' Rather than put her at ease2 ;arah =ane felt her nape pri$kle& !6hy would you ask thatN' !)e$ause your step%onster a$$used %e of Qinterrupting their $on#ersation&' ;he <uirked a brow in irritation& !5a#e 8 %entioned lately that 8 loathe herN )e$ause 8 do& 8 genuinely $ant stand her&' Tina took a sip of orange 3ui$e and sighed& !6el$o%e to the $lub2' ;arah =ane said with a gri%a$e& !@ou know what 8 think you should doN' ;arah =ane suspe$ted she wasnt going to like Tinas ad#i$e& !6hatN' !7orget this whole hes-off-li%its-be$ause-hes-here-on-business $rap and flirt with hi%& Reel hi% in&' ;he grinned and her eyes sparkled with e#il hu%or& !8tll kill her&' *h2 it would2 no doubt2 ;arah =ane thought2 te%pted beyond reason& A little <ui$kening thrill %ade her insides tingle with purpose2 and she felt a slow s%ile slide a$ross her lips as she i%agined hastitys furious fa$e& ;arah =ane paused2 re%e%bering all the reasons she shouldnt %ake a play for ,i$k2 the %ost i%portant of whi$h was her business& ;he $ouldnt dis$ount the fa$t that pursuing any sort of relationship with hi%(espe$ially one of the sexual #ariety(would be risky2 e#en potentially disastrous&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html )ut the idea of letting hastity win(again(was al%ost %ore than ;arah =ane $ould bear& 8t was galling& 8t was exasperating& 8t wasi%possible& !;hes taken e#erything else fro% you2' Tina said with a shrug2 e$hoing ;arah =anes own thoughts& !@oure a fool if you let her ha#e hi%2 too&' !;arah =anes no fool2' ,ason re%arked2 outraged on her behalf& 5e was always $o%ing to her defense2 e#en when he didnt need to& A beat slid into three2 then she looked at Tina and felt a resolute s%ile $ur#e her lips& !5es right& 8% no fool&' o%petiti#e2 %aybe& ;elf-destru$ti#eN -ossibly& )ut not foolish& 0 ,8 + :8:NT +N*6what kind of greeting to expe$t fro% ;arah =ane after shed seen hi% with hastity that %orning& A $old shoulder2 the silent treat%ent2 a dire warning about the $o%pany he was keeping& Those were the s$enarios running in his brain as hed dri#en out to the ,ilton -lantation after breakfast& The one s$ene hehadnt pi$tured2 howe#er2 was the one playing out before hi% now& ;arah =ane 6alker wasflirting with hi%& *rdinarily2 a beautiful girl %aking a play for hi%(parti$ularly this one2 who had the singular ability to turn hi% on si%ply by breathing(would be a good thing& 5ell2 an unbelie#ably freakingreat thing& 5e liked wo%en& 5e lo#ed sex& 5e was a %an2 after all2 and like %ost %en2 he spent the %a3ority of his ti%e thinking about getting laid2 getting into trouble and getting a bite to eat& A slow s%ile drifted o#er his lips& And not ne$essarily in that order& )ut if they happened in <ui$k su$$ession2 then all the better& At any rate2 ,i$k had de$ided that ;arah =anes interest had to be so%e sort of $os%i$ re#enge for all the hell-raising and wo%ani4ing hed done in the past& Too %any pranks2 too %any onenight stands2 too %any !too %anys&' 6hen kar%a de$ided to dole out a payba$k for al%ost getting arson 6ells killed2 ,i$k had i%agined it would be %u$h %ore heinous than what he
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html was about to go through with ;arah =ane& Not that it would be a $akewalk2 by any stret$h of the i%agination& 5e looked at her through the #iewfinder2 4oo%ed in on her %outh and felt his blood ra$e to his groin as he snapped yet another pi$ture that would ne#er %ake it into the %aga4ine spread& 8n fa$t2 he $ould safely say that:esigning 6eekly wouldnt be interested in about ninety per$ent of the photos he was taking& 5is lips <uirked& 5ed been taking %ore pi$tures ofher ar$hite$ture than that of this old house& )ut he $ouldnt see% to help hi%self& The s%ooth shape of her 3aw2 the sensual slope of her ne$k2 e#en the deli$ate shell of her ears see%ed to be irresistible on$e he got behind the lens& 5ed taken a $ouple of good shots of her %outh(the single %ost beautiful thing he had e#er seen2 period(and longed to $apture her eyes2 those $o%pelling pools of %elting toffee& Gorgeous2 war% and expressi#e& A guy $ould easily get lost in the%2 ,i$k thought broodingly& 6hen hed first noti$ed the $hange in her2 he had $halked it up to wishful thinking& 6hi$h was stupid2 $onsidering that he $ouldnt tou$h her& Gi#en the situation(that he was a paid spy who was te$hni$ally supposed to be $at$hing her doing so%ething illegal(it was beyond insane towish that she would flirt with hi%& 5e %ight be The 5ell-raiser2 but e#en he wasnt re$kless enough2 dishonorable enough2 that he would throw sex into this %ix& 5is pranks had always run along the lines of sha#ing the eyebrows off a drunken friend2 putting $ling wrap beneath the toilet lid2 and the one that had %ade hi% infa%ous at ,ars 5ill A$ade%y2 dis%antling a i#il 6ar-era $annon and reasse%bling it in the head%asters offi$e& ,i$k inwardly s%iled2 re%e%bering& That one had been good2 if he did say so hi%self& Ne#ertheless2 wanting her to want hi% was the physi$al e<ui#alent of hell2 be$ause he $ouldnt ha#e her& 6hile rea%s of paper $ould be filled with lists of his short$o%ings2 a faulty %oral $o%pass wasnt one of the%& 7urther%ore2 while he knew he was supposed to keep a $lose eye on ;arah =ane for Ranger ;e$urity2 he suspe$ted sleeping with her would fall well beyond the bounds of proto$ol& "lti%ately2 ,i$k had de$ided that he had to be %istaken& That she $ouldnt possibly be genuinely interested in hi% that way& ;he was %erely being friendly& ;outherners were notorious for their hospitality2 after all& That had to be it2 he told hi%self2 hoping that if he repeated it often enough2 it would be true& )ut then2 only %o%ents ago2 shed blown his theory(his ad%itted self-delusion(all to hell and2 as a result2 he was teetering on the #erge of hysteri$al laughter2 skating the edge of so%e sort of breakdown& 5ed fought terrorists& 5ed sur#i#ed ene%y fire& 5ed disabled bo%bs& And yet this hardworking2 down-to-earth little spitfire had so%ehow %anaged to shoot a dart of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html fear straight into his heart with alar%ing a$$ura$y& 6hyN 6ho knewN 5e suspe$ted it had so%ething to do with his inappropriate2 unna%ed feelings2 plus a healthy dose of self-preser#ation& Allowing hi%self to a$t on this attra$tion would be wrong on %ore le#els than he $ould $ount& 6hi$h was a $rying sha%e2 be$ause hed ne#er(ne#er(felt this bone-deep2 dri#ing2 al%ost ele%ental need to put hi%self inside a wo%an& *n a $i#ili4ed le#el2 he would i%agine it was as ad#an$ed as $lubbing her o#er the head2 then dragging her away to his $a#e by her hair& *r peeing around her yard2 %arking his territory& !8s so%ething wrong with your sandwi$hN' ;arah =ane asked& ,i$k blinked& !Er2 no& 8ts ex$ellent&' And the bite of $hi$ken salad shed $aught fro% the side of his %outh and fed hi% with her thu%b had tasted e#en better& 5e felt his groin tighten2 3ust thinking about it& ,ason set his sandwi$h down and gri%a$ed un$o%fortably& !Nothings wrong with %ine2 either2 but 8 $ant eat it&' A $on$erned line e%erged between ;arah =anes brows& !6hy notN 6hats wrongN' 5e took a s%all sip of le%onade fro% his ;tar Trek ther%os& !8% feeling a little <ueasy&' !:o you think its the heatN 5a#e you gotten too hotN' ,ason slowly shook his head& !8 dont think so& 8t hasnt been as war% today as it was yesterday& ,aybe its 3ust so%ething 8 ate&' !@ou#e eaten the sa%e things 8 ha#e and 8% not si$k& o%e on2' ;arah =ane said2 standing up fro% the s%all folding table theyd set up in the $orner of the old dining roo%& !8ll take you ho%e& @ou dont need to be here&' !No2' ,ason protested2 shaking his sweaty head& !8ll be all right& 8 3ust need a(' ;arah =ane rea$hed out and pla$ed her hand on his forehead2 then frowned& !@ou#e got a fe#er& 8% taking you ho%e&' 5is eyes widened in outrage& !5ow $an you tell 8#e got a fe#erN 8ts al%ost a hundred degrees in here&' !8 $an 3ust tell2' she said2 sho#ing the rest of her food into a bag2 now fully in %other-bear %ode& ! o%e on& Get your things together&'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ,ason looked as if he would like nothing better than to go ho%e2 but fir%ed his nonexistent $hin and prepared another argu%ent& !@ou dont ha#e ti%e to dri#e %e ho%e2 ;arah =ane& This 3ob is taking longer than we thought and ti%e is running out& 8ll be fine& 8(' !5ow about 8 do itN' ,i$k offered& !8 $ould gi#e you a ride2' he said to ,ason& ;arah =anes hopeful ga4e swung to ,i$ks2 unexpe$tedly pulling the breath fro% his lungs& !ReallyN @ou wouldnt %indN' !Not at all&' 5e shrugged2 trying hard not to feel like her knight in shining ar%or& !@ou need to work& 5e needs to go ho%e&' 7urther%ore2 it would gi#e hi% so%e ti%e alone with ;arah =ane( a blessing and a $urse(but %ost i%portantly2 it would gi#e hi% the opportunity to see if she %ight open up to hi% about her father& 5e needed to know if there really was a will2 and he $ouldnt ask her without tipping his own hand& !8 dont like you being out here by yourself2 ;arah =ane& 8ts dangerous2' ,ason protested weakly& 5er ga4e grew steely and her adorable $hin lifted at that stubborn angle ,i$k had $o%e to re$ogni4e& !,ason2 we#e been o#er this before& 8 a% perfe$tly $apable of working alone& 8 did it for years before you $a%e along& 8 a% able2 8 a% responsible and 8 a% $areful& 8 dont need a babysitter& @ou go ho%e& 8ll be fine&' 7ro% the beleaguered tone of her #oi$e2 ,i$k guessed this was an argu%ent theyd had %any ti%es before& Though she probably wouldnt like to hear it2 he a$tually agreed with ,ason& They were in a re%ote area and a bit of danger was inherent in her profession& ;he worked with sharp tools2 in old dilapidated houses that were al%ost falling down around her& *ne %ispla$ed step on a rotten board $ould result in a broken ankle2 or worse& Like it or not2 a$$idents $a%e with the 3ob des$ription2 and being here alone wasnt altogether safe& 8t wouldnt be for anybody2 not 3ust her& !8ll be $o%ing ba$k out2' ,i$k announ$ed& !8 need to get a few %ore pi$tures&' !Are you sureN' she asked2 <uirking a brow& !@ou#e taken <uite a few today&' ;o shed noti$ed2 he thought2 wondering if she suspe$ted hed been taking %ore photos of her than of their a$tual progress& 5e rubbed a hand o#er the ba$k of his ne$k& !8ll need to $atalog ea$h phase of the pro$ess2' he lied2 hoping it sounded belie#able& E#idently it did2 be$ause she nodded& !*kay2 then&' ;he s%iled gratefully at hi%& !8 really appre$iate this& "h2 why dont you let %e %ake it up to you by showing you around our fair $ity this e#eningN Gi#e you the grand tour2 so to speak&' E#en better for the $ase2 ,i$k thought2 though on a personal le#el2 he knew he was beyond s$rewed& )e$ause he gri%ly suspe$ted this was going to be a date&
And while he was new to the se$urity business2 he was relati#ely $ertain he was not supposed todate his target& )ut then2 the list of things he was not supposed to do or noti$e was already <uite long& 7or instan$e2 he was not supposed to noti$e the fullness of her breasts beneath her $otton T-shirt2 the way her shorts rode up on her rear when she bent o#er2 or the deli$ate tendrils of hair $linging to the ba$k of her ne$k& 5e wasnt supposed to want to su$k her botto% lip2 or taste that little pat$h of skin behind her ear2 or stret$h her out on a blanket beneath that huge oak tree in the front lawn& 5e wasnt supposed to i%agine her naked and hot and writhing beneath hi%& 5e wasnt supposed to want to fill her belly button with i$e $rea% and li$k it up& 5e wasnt supposed to drea% about eating bla$kberries fro% between her thighs or su$kling her sex until she $a%e& And he sure as hell wasnt supposed to(and for his own personal sanity didnt need to(agree to go out with her& )ut thats exa$tly what he did& 8t was the only way he was e#er going to glean all the fa$ts he needed to %o#e forward on the $ase& -ayne had told hi% to assess and ad3ust as ne$essary& This was ne$essary& !;ure2' he told her2 %entally $ursing hi%self& !That sounds great&' ;he s%iled at hi%& !:ont eat2' she said& !8ll treat you&' That was exa$tly what he was afraid of2 ,i$k %used2 i%agining all the ways hed lo#e for her to treat hi%& To a kiss2 for starters2 he thought2 eyeing her unbelie#ably $arnal %outh& Then to bare skin2 to pouting nipples and wel$o%ing thighs2 to her tongue on his body and her hands wrapped around his di$k& To soft sighs and s$rea%s of release& To breakfast in bed and a hot2 shared shower& Then to %ore of the sa%e& 5e released a shuddering breath as the a$he in his loins rea$hed %axi%u% $apa$ity2 and he shifted2 angling for any sort of relief& 8t didnt $o%e& And he gri%ly suspe$ted the only $ure2 ironi$ally2 %eanthe would ha#e to&
;ARA5=ANE L**+E:at the dis%al $ontents of her $loset and repressed the growing urge to s$rea%& E#idently bewildered by her un$hara$teristi$ beha#ior2 all three dogs and one of her $ats sat at her feet2 staring at the $olle$tion of deni% and T-shirts2 as well& ;he looked down at the%2 rolled her eyes and grinned2 thinking about the pi$ture they all undoubtedly %ade& !6hat do you say2 guysN @ou see anything in there that says Q$asually sexyN 5%%N' 5er shoulders sagged as she sighed hea#ily& Note to self2;arah =ane thought&The next ti%e you buy $lothes2 keep a %an in %ind as opposed
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html to $o%fort& *kay2 ti%e to get a grip2 she de$ided2 sele$ting yet another pair of deni% shorts and a red gingha% slee#eless blouse& ;he wouldnt %ake the $o#er of>ogue2 but she liked the way both ite%s looked on her2 and that was good enough2 rightN After all2 hed agreed to go out with her when shed been wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt2 dripping with sweat and $o#ered in dirt& :espite her appearan$e2 she knew he was attra$ted to her2 and to say that knowledge %ade her inwardly s<uir% with 3oy would be a %ild understate%ent& ;arah =ane ga#e another little eye roll& *f $ourse2 after the way shed pra$ti$ally thrown herself at hi% today2 she didnt i%agine shed left hi% with any $hoi$e2 she thought2 %ildly e%barrassed at her transparent beha#ior& ;hed s%iled2 shed laughed2 shed purposely stared at his %outh(and not-so-purposely2 as well2 be$ause she $ouldnt see% to help herself& ;hed brushed up against hi%& ;hed offered hi% water& ;hed $aught a little pie$e of his sandwi$h fro% the side of his %outh and fed it to hi% with her thu%b& ;hed %ade herself $lear& And hed said yes& Take that2 hastity2 you blea$hed-blond2 thie#ing bit$h2;arah =ane thought2 %entally doing a little hoo-yah dan$e be$ause she was going to win& And thoroughly en3oy herself in the pro$ess& 5onestly2 when his ga4e had tangled with hers and his lips had $losed around her thu%b2 gently su$king2 shed felt that little tug all the way down to the heart of her sex& ;hed $o%e within a gnats ass of ha#ing an i%%a$ulate orgas%2 a pheno%enon shed ne#er experien$ed& 8n fa$t2 she $ould honestly say that orgas%s had been so few and far between2 she was beginning to suspe$t they were like uni$orns and %er%aids2 the stuff of fairy tales& )ut they wouldnt be with hi%2 ;arah =ane thought2 releasing a shaky breath& ,i$k hi#ers hadthat look& That baby-8-$ould-ro$k-your-world-beyond-your-wildest-drea%s2 turn-you-inside-out-and-ba$k-again2 %ake-you-s$rea%-the-5allelu3ah- horus-until-your-eyesroll-ba$k-in-your-head-and-your-bones-%elt look& 8t was in the wi$ked $ur#e of that slightly $rooked s%ile2 written in the sloping sexiness of those hea#y-lidded2 ele$tri$-blue eyes& 8t was in the way he %o#ed2 unhurried yet deter%ined& 8t was in e#ery hard2 perfe$tly proportioned2 %us$led in$h of his body(sex appeal2 satisfa$tion guaranteed& No long-ter% warranty though2 she was sure2 be$ause he hadthat look about hi%2 as well& Aside fro% the fa$t that ,onar$h Gro#e didnt ha#e enough ex$ite%ent to satisfy ,i$ks a$ute sense of ad#enture(another point that had been ha%%ered ho%e again today when hed %entioned hed a$tually swu% with sharks off the $oast of Australia(,i$k was entirely too restless2 unsettled
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html and a bit wild2 she thought2 on$e again re%inded of a lonely %ustang& *nly a wo%an looking to ha#e her heart tra%pled would e#er drea% of trying to put a bit in that %outh2 she de$ided2 %aking a %ental note to keep it in %ind lest she %ake the fatal %istake of be$o%ing e%otionally atta$hed& This was about physi$al attra$tion2 about keeping hi% fro% hastity and nothing %ore& :id ;arah =ane like hi%N ertainly& ,i$k was $har%ing2 funny and intriguing& )ut he was also te%porary(and %ore i%portantlyda%aged& E#ery person had a story2 she knew2 but for whate#er reason2 she suspe$ted ,i$ks had re$ently taken a tragi$ turn& There were shadows lurking in those beautiful eyes2 a guardedness that spoke of untold pain& 6hat had happened to hi%N she wondered& 5eartbreakN ;he didnt think so& 8nstin$t told her it was %ore personal than that& 6ent deeper2 further2 than hed e#er let anyone plu%b& ;he shrugged into her top and tugged the he% into pla$e& )e$ause she had the !fix it' syndro%e2 shed like nothing %ore than to try to help hi%& ;arah =ane had always been that way& ha%pion for the underdog2 righter of any wrongs within the s$ope of her power2 she hated in3usti$e of any sort& And that was why hastity keeping her inheritan$e %ore than hurt her(it pissed her off to no end& 8t was the reason ;arah =ane fostered ani%als2 her %oti#ation in always adopting an !angel' fro% the tree at hrist%as2 why she %ade a point to befriend the friendless& ;he $ouldnt help herself& )eing a !do-gooder' was hardwired into her :NA& Any ti%e she saw a person in need2 she had the inherent urge to help& ,i$k hi#ers needed help2 but so%ething told her $o%ing to his aid would be to her own detri%ent2 and any effort would be rebuffed& )etter to let hi% ta$kle his own de%ons2 she thought2 knowing that was the prudent de$ision2 if not the easiest& A kno$k at her front door announ$ed his arri#al2 $ausing a flo$k of ner#es to wing through her belly& The dogs went wild and rushed to the entran$e ahead of her& ;arah =ane $he$ked her refle$tion on$e %ore in her bedroo% %irror2 dee%ed herself presentable2 then released a pent-up breath and2 pushing -er#(her biggest dog2 of unknown origins(aside2 opened the door& To her e%barrass%ent but not her surprise2 -er#2 true to his na%esake2 i%%ediately went forward and nudged her #isitor in the $rot$h& ,i$k grunted2 taken aba$k2 then $hu$kled un$o%fortably& !6hoa there2 buddy2' he said2 $arefully %o#ing the dogs head fro% his 4ipper& !82 uh8 dont know you well enough for that&' ;arah =ane s%iled a bit fatalisti$ally& !,i$k2 this is -er#& @ou $an i%agine how he got that na%e&' ,i$k $ontinued to pat the dogs head as he glan$ed up at her& !8 dont ha#e to i%agine2' he said2
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html a%use%ent in his #oi$e& !8#e got inti%ate knowledge&' Gri%a$ing2 she opened the door a little wider2 wel$o%ing hi% in& !,o#e ba$k2' she ad%onished the dogs& !Let the %an inside&' 5is hair was still wet and $urling fro% a re$ent shower2 and as he $o%plied2 she breathed in the s%ell of his aftersha#e& 5e earned points with her i%%ediately by bending down and taking ti%e to greet and pet ea$h of her ani%als& The dogs lapped up the attention2 while the $ats looked on in $urious distain& !@ou#e got a whole little 4oo here&' !8 know2' ;arah =ane said& !)ut 8 lo#e the%&' 5e looked up and <uirked a brow& !;traysN' ;he nodded2 on$e again broadsided by the al%ost o#erwhel%ing urge to slide her fingers o#er his lips& 5is %outh was <uite honestly one of the %ost beautiful things shed e#er seen& !--per# was abused2' she sta%%ered2 struggling to fo$us& !82 u%2 8 #olunteer at our lo$al ani%al shelter on the weekends2 3ust $he$king in on the ani%als2 and was there when his owners du%ped hi%& 5e was so bewildered2 so pitiful&' A droll s%ile tugged at her lips and she ran her hand o#er the dogs sleek ba$k& !:espite his la%entable habit of sho#ing his nose into unsuspe$ting $rot$hes2 hes a sweet2 loyal dog&' ;he gestured toward another of her brood& !Thats 6ink& ;hes part beagle2 part so%ething else&' !6inkN' !;hes got a droopy eye2' ;arah =ane explained& !8ts part of her $har%&' ;he pointed to the s%allest of her $anines and sighed& !And thats ;pa4&' "pon hearing his na%e2 the little dog started running in $ir$les2 leaped up on the $ou$h2 ra$ed fro% end to end2 then 3u%ped ba$k down and repeated the pro$ess& ,i$k $hu$kled& !No explanation needed on that one2 either&' !8#e also got three $ats(6inken2 )linken and Nod&' ;he gestured to ea$h in turn& !Their fa#orite pasti%e is sleeping2 so their na%es fit&' !Buite a group2' he said2 s%iling at her pets& !8#e always wanted a dog&' ;arah =ane blinked2 surprised& !@ou#e ne#er had oneN' ;o%ething dark shifted in his ga4e& Then he sent her a sheepish grin that see%ed %ore %anufa$tured than sin$ere& !8 was ne#er ho%e long enough2' he said& !8 spent %ost of %y life in boarding s$hool2 then 3oined the %ilitary right after $ollege&' Another shadow $louded his eyes& !And with %y $urrent 3ob2 8% gone for days at a stret$h& 8ts not ideal $ir$u%stan$es for a pet&' 5e s%iled again2 albeit awkwardly& !,aybe later&'
)oarding s$hool2 then the %ilitaryN ;arah =ane was a bit sho$ked and %ore than $urious& ;he knew that boarding s$hools were %ore popular in the Northeast2 but ,i$k definitely had a ;outhern drawl& ,ilitary s$hool thenN 5ad he been a proble% $hildN 5er ga4e slid o#er that restless fra%e2 the one that %ade her knees %elt2 and instin$ti#ely knew her guess $ould fit& Ne#ertheless2 it see%ed a bit harsh& Though she hadnt gi#en %u$h thought to $hildren(aside fro% wanting to ha#e the% at so%e point in her future(;arah =ane $ouldnt i%agine shipping the% off2 sending the% away fro% ho%e& 6hat sort of parents had he hadN she wondered& RobotsN ;he re%e%bered hi% %entioning that hed spent su%%ers with his grandfather2 a little tidbit hed shared today when shed $o%%ented on his $arpentry knowledge& ;oif hed spent %onths away at s$hool and su%%ers with his grandfather2 3ust exa$tlywhen had he been ho%eN Ne#ertheless2 the ad%ission about being in the %ilitary fit& There was a pre$ision in the way he did things2 a $onfiden$e in the #ery way he %o#ed that suggested so%e sort of spe$iali4ed training& 5ow long had he been in the ser#i$eN she wondered& 6hi$h bran$hN And how did one %ake the leap fro% soldier to photographerN Though ,i$k ob#iously knew his way around a $a%era and was $o%fortable behind the lens2 she had to ad%it2 gi#en his parti$ularly brand of energy2 it didnt see% the type of 3ob a %an like hi% would $hoose& 8nterestingly2 the only ti%e hed see%ed to truly settle was this afternoon when shed finally gi#en in and handed hi% a ha%%er& 5ed offered to help repeatedly2 and between his pa$ing and snapping pi$tures2 hed generally been e#en %ore of a distra$tion than usual& )ut on$e hed started helping her2 hed a$tually $al%ed down a bit and worked with i%pressi#e skill and attention to detail& 5e had an inherent ability2 a respe$t for the ar$hite$ture and an artisans eye& )uilding a house was easyP sa#ing pie$es of one was a lot tougher& )ut ,i$k see%ed born to this kind of work& ;hed been pleasantly surprised2 and for one ridi$ulous %o%ent of wishful thinking2 shed had the strangest feeling that he belonged there with her& 6eird2;arah =ane thought2 refusing to entertain the idea2 when she knew it was so far re%o#ed fro% a$tual possibility it was al%ost laughable& 8t was %u$h like her drea% of e#er owning -onder 5ill2 she %used& That old %ansion(now sitting e%pty2 slowly turning to ruin despite her $o#ert efforts to $arry out a few repairs2 owned by a %ad old wo%an who refused to sell(had been the ho%e shed longed for sin$e the instant shed first laid eyes on it2 when she was a little girl& ;arah =ane re%e%bered that day as if it were yesterday& ,aking the long trip up the tree-lined dri#eway2 seeing the glea%ing white house on the hill& ;hed been with her dad that day2 working as his !assistant2' though shed barely been big enough to hand hi% a ha%%er2 when hed gone out to %ake a <ui$k repair to one of the shutters& ;arah =ane had fallen instantly in lo#e with the house(the fan$y windows2 parti$ularly a pretty stained-glass pie$e on the se$ond floorP the sweeping por$hesP the beautiful $ourtyard& )ut %ore than anything2 there was so%ething about the way it had felt& The se$ond her foot had $onne$ted with the hardwood in the foyer2 shed feltho%e& As though the house had been waiting for her
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html and shed finally arri#ed& E#en her $hildhood ho%e on ,aple ;treet(the one where hastity was $urrently li#ing(had ne#er felt as right to her as -onder 5ill& Any ti%e her father had been $alled to do work on the old pla$e2 ;arah =ane had tagged along2 eager for 3ust a few %inutes2 howe#er brief2 to en3oy the ho%e of her heart& ;he lo#ed it there and2 %ore than anything2 wanted it& "nfortunately2 the $urrent owner didnt possess what one would $all a stable %ind2 and had no intention of selling it2 or sa#ing it fro% disrepair& Though ;arah =ane sneaked out and did what she $ould to keep it fro% getting any worse(repaired shingles2 %ade sure the pipes were wrapped in the winter2 those sorts of things(the years of negle$t were slowly taking their toll& The pla$e desperately needed res$uing& ,u$h like ,i$k2 she thought2 surprised at the strange re#elation& 5e was an enig%a2 she de$ided2 her ga4e lingering on the %as$uline angle of his 3aw2 that s%ooth2 perfe$t $heek& 5e was a riddle she wanted to sol#ethen taste& 5e looked up at her and his ga4e tangled with hers& A little 4ap of ele$tri$ity si44led in her nipples2 shot through her belly and rested hotly in her sex& !;houldnt we get goingN' Releasing a silent breath2 ;arah =ane nodded& ;he %ade sure the ani%als were settled2 then grabbed her purse and lo$ked up& !:o you %ind if 8 dri#eN' she asked& A knowing half s%ile $urled his lips& !Not if you dont %ind if 8 take %y $a%era&' !Not at all2' she said& ;he $li%bed into her tru$k and waited for hi% to 3oin her& !Though 8 dont know that youll find anything of interest to photograph&' ;he heard a telltale $li$k and turned 3ust as ,i$k was lowering the $a%era& 5is #oi$e was low2 al%ost inti%ate& !8 already ha#e&' 8%possibly2 ;arah =ane felt another blush rise on her $heeks&Two for two2 she thought2 wondering if shed e#er be the sa%e& !;owhere are we going firstN' ;he grinned& !7irst were going to take a little dri#e around the town s<uare(' so that2 with any lu$k2 hastity would see the%2%uah ha ha !(then well #isit one of ,onar$h Gro#es %ost interesting $iti4ens2 arl 5irs$h2 better known %ore re$ently as ;<uatting )u$k&' ,i$k $hu$kled and shook his head& !6hy do 8 ha#e a feeling this is going to be goodN' !)e$ause it is&' And she hoped it was only going to get better& M
RE;8;T8NG T5E "RGEto gnaw his tongue off after his !ne#er had a pet' slipup2 ,i$k settled into the passenger seat of ;arah =anes tru$k and perused her house and front yard& A FJLIs bungalow2 the old rafts%an-style ho%e sported a $o4y por$h swing and beautiful leaded glass in the front door& -urple and red petunias2 golden %arigolds and other flowers he $ouldnt na%e poured fro% e$le$ti$ pots and out of neat flower beds& )ird feeders2 parti$ularly those for hu%%ingbirds2 hung fro% #arious tree bran$hes2 and water in a little koi pond gurgled happily& !@ou#e got a ni$e pla$e2' ,i$k said& !:id you do the reno#ation yourselfN' ;he nodded& !,y dad helped %e& 8t wasnt in bad shape when 8 bought it2 but it still needed a little TL &' ountry %usi$ blared fro% the speakers when she $ranked the ignition and2 shooting hi% an adorably sheepish look2 she <ui$kly turned the stereo down before ba$king out of the dri#eway and %aking a right toward ,ain ;treet& !6e2 uh2 we put in new $abinets2 refinished the woodwork and floors2 updated the bathroo%s& ,y dad was a perfe$tionist in e#ery sense of the word when it $a%e to work2' she said2 laughing softly& !,edio$rity wasnt allowed2 so e#erything was done right&' 7ro% all that ,i$k had seen2 it $ertainly looked that way to hi%& And shed ob#iously inherited the gene2 be$ause he hadnt seen a bit of subpar work in her repertoire& ;he was <ui$k2 $areful and effi$ient2 and it was painfully ob#ious that she lo#ed what she did& 5e en#ied her that2 he ad%itted2 %issing that part of his life& Not so %u$h the Ranger days2 but si%ply knowing his purpose& ,i$k felt like a ship without a rudder2 adrift and dire$tionless& !8% sorry for your loss2' he told her2 on$e again %aking a %ental note to $all his grandfather& 7rankly2 he didnt %iss his parents(it was hard to %iss people you ne#er a$tually knew& )ut harlie was different& And he wouldnt be around fore#er& !Thank you2' ;arah =ane %ur%ured& !5e was su$h a for$e of nature& 8ts still hard to belie#e so%eti%es that hes gone&' !5eart atta$k2 rightN' ,i$k asked2 thankful that ,ason had brought up the topi$ yesterday2 whi$h explained ,i$ks knowledge of it and enabled hi% to essentially a#oid another lie& !@eah2' she $onfir%ed sadly& !*ne %inute he was helping a buddy with a pri#a$y fen$e2 the next' ;he shrugged2 lea#ing the worst unspoken& !Anyway2 its been rough& ,y %o% passed away when 8 was sixteen& )reast $an$er2' she added& !;o being offi$ially orphaned hasnt been easy to ad3ust to&' ,i$k had pretty %u$h been in the sa%e boat2 so he understood exa$tly where she was $o%ing fro%& !6hat about other fa%ilyN Grandparents2 aunts2 un$les2 $ousinsN' !No grandparents& ,y %other was an only $hild2 so no aunts or un$les on that side& ,y dad has a sister2 but she li#es in Little Ro$k& ;he $a%e down for the funeral2 of $ourse2 and 8 talk to her o$$asionally2 but you know how it is&' ;arah =ane released a little sigh& !Life gets in the way and2 despite tragedy2 it goes on&'
;o she had no real fa%ily to speak of2 whi$h explained her desire to hang on to her heritage( her fathers pipe2 her %others wedding dress2 her old ho%e(not to %ention the half-do4en pets that li#ed with her& ;hed %ade her own furry fa%ily of sorts2 $lung to friendships and was deter%ined to hang on to her past& ,i$k $ertainly $ouldnt fault her for that2 on$e again feeling like a traitor in the friendly $a%p& 5e gri%a$ed& -robably be$ause he was& ;he hesitated and a wry s%ile $urled her lips& !8 a$tually ha#e a step%other2 but $onsidering shes stolen %y ho%e and inheritan$e2 for ob#ious reasons2 8 dont $ount her&' ;arah =ane laughed bitterly& ,i$k felt his pulse <ui$ken& At last& ,aybe now hed get so%e answers& !Thats understandable2' he said& This a$ting-and-lying thing was not for hi%& 5e hated pretending as if this wasnt old news2 that he wasnt already fa%iliar with e#ery sordid detail of her troubles2 that he %ight possibly be there to $ontribute to the%& Though instin$t was telling hi% that wasnt the $ase& 8n fa$t2 he gri%ly suspe$ted hastity was using Ranger ;e$urity to keep ;arah =ane fro% finding the will2 as well as any personal %e%entos of her parents& !@ou %et her this %orning2' ;arah =ane added2 her light tone at odds with the white-knu$kled grip she had on the steering wheel& 5e $leared his throat& !*hN' !The wo%an you were ha#ing breakfast with when 8 $a%e in( hastity&' )e$ause he knew he was supposed to be surprised that her step%other was her own age2 ,i$k purposely widened his eyes in what he hoped was an appropriate expression of sho$k& This blew& Totally blew& !@oure kidding9 )ut shes(' !(a %oney-hungry slut2 8 know2' ;arah =ane finished& 5e s%othered a laugh and passed a hand o#er his fa$e& God2 she was wonderful& A beautiful hellion& !A$tually2 8 was going to say2 Qso young&' !That2 too2' she ad%itted& !6ere the sa%e age& :ont ask %e what %y father was thinking& 8 dont know&' 5er #oi$e de#eloped an edge& !8 3ust know that she was ne#er supposed to ha#e the house and things that belonged to %y %other&' -ay dirt& Tell %e what 8% looking for2,i$k thought&Gi#e %e a reason to ad3ust %y $ourse& Let %e help you& !5ow do you know thatN' !)e$ause2 in what was the only sound de$ision that $a%e out his lunati$ %arriage2 :ad %ade out
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html a will& 5e showed it to %e be$ause he didnt want %e to worry&' 5er 3aw worked& !)ut it has $on#eniently #anished fro% the filing $abinet where he kept it2 as well as the $opy at the attorneys offi$e& :id 8 %ention that %y step%onster is sleeping with the attorneyN' she asked& !:a%n2' ,i$k %uttered2 surprised at that last little tidbit& 8t was all he dared say& 7urther%ore2 he had absolutely no doubt she was telling the truth& As part of his training2 hed taken se#eral $ourses on body language and de$epti#e beha#ior& ;arah =anes posture2 word $hoi$e and story were right on target for the truth& 5e %entally relaxed and de$ided a new plan of a$tion was in order& *ne that $hanged the status <uo in ;arah =anes fa#or& !No worries2' she replied2 shooting hi% a deter%ined s%ile& !8% going to find it&' 5e knew shed been planning this2 but hearing her say it %ade hi% uneasy& 6hile he ad%ired her deter%ination and would undoubtedly take the sa%e approa$h if hed been in her shoes2 knowing that hastity had gone so far as to hire the% to keep ;arah =ane away %ade hi% a bit ner#ous& !6hat are you going to doN' !Get it ba$k2 of $ourse&' !5a#e you tried going to the poli$eN' !8ts %y word against hers2' ;arah =ane explained& !They $ant do anything&' !)ut what about the attorneyN ant he #erify that there is a will2 e#en if he $ant produ$e itN' !5e $ould2 but he wont& 5e says its been so long2 he really $ant re%e%ber drawing up a will for %y father&' ;he snorted& !5es lying2 of $ourse2 but theres nothing 8 $an do about it&' ,aybe not2 buthe $ould2 ,i$k thought2 surprised at how %u$h he wanted to tra$k down this attorney and loosen a few of his teeth& !Anyway2 you should wat$h yourself2' she said& !8f you get tangled up with hastity2 shell su$k the %arrow right out of your bones&' ,i$k $hewed the inside of his $heek2 en3oying what he $ould only assu%e was 3ealousy on her part& !8ll keep that in %ind& )ut to tell you the truth2 shes not %y type&' ;ee%ingly pleased2 ;arah =ane $ur#ed her lips in a s%ile2 and it was utterly ridi$ulous how happy that little grin %ade hi%& 8t was so wonderful2 in fa$t2 that he wanted to do it again and again2 wanted to %ake her laugh so that he $ould feel the sound resonate throughout his own $hest& 5e was in dangerous waters2 he reali4ed2 fearing hed already #entured out o#er his head&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Though he didnt ha#e any idea what the hell was going on with hi%(ad%ittedly2 his life was an absolute wre$k(today2 working with ;arah =ane2 had been the happiest hed been in re$ent %e%ory& 8t had taken a good bit of $on#in$ing on his part to get her to agree to let hi% help her2 but on$e he had2 and theyd a$tually started working together2 it had been the strangest thing& The rest of the world(the $onstant need to %o#e2 his perpetual adrenaline $ra#ing(had si%ply faded away& >anished& ,i$k $ouldnt des$ribe what had happened2 be$ause he genuinely didnt know& 5e 3ust sensed that hed dis$o#ered the antidote to his restlessness2 the re%edy to the youre-a-s$rewup %antra hed been li#ing with in one for% or another all his life& The noise in his head had stopped2 and hed been $ontent to si%ply hold a ha%%er2 do the work and be with her& ;elfishly2 he hoped that whate#er had put ,ason under the weather would keep hi% there for a while so that ,i$k $ould $ontinue to work with her on his own& GreedyN @es& )ut he $ouldnt help hi%self& !All right2' ;arah =ane said2 drawing his attention ba$k to her& ;he straightened and $leared her throat& !Lets begin your offi$ial tour& @ou#e seen the town s<uare2 of $ourse(the hot spot for all of ,onar$h Gro#es so$ial a$ti#ities(but theres a little bit of interesting history here 8 $an share&' ;he pointed to the ga4ebo in the %iddle of the grassy lawn& !7or instan$e2 that pretty pie$e of ar$hite$ture was donated to our $ity by ,r& and ,rs& 5o%er =enkins(' ,i$k nodded2 though he hardly found that !interesting&' !(on the $ondition that their $re%ated ashes be pla$ed inside the urn built into the %iddle of the floor upon their passing&' ,i$k swi#eled to look at her2 and felt his eyes widen& !;eriouslyN' !;eriously& They#e always been at the $enter of the so$ial s$ene and dont see any reason that should $hange after theyre(' her lips twit$hed !(dead&' !Thats not interesting2 ;arah =ane2' ,i$k said2 feeling a laugh bubble up his throat& !Thats 3ust plain weird&' !*h2 no2' she insisted& !6e#e got another stop before we get to weird& This is 3ust odd&' !;e%anti$s2' he teased2 settling %ore $o%fortably into his seat& 5is ga4e slid to her on$e %ore2 to the soft s%ile playing o#er her lips and the single strand of long hair $urling around her breast& 5e liked the blouse2 ,i$k thought& ;$oop ne$ked2 slee#eless& 8t show$ased the barest hint of $lea#age and her toned2 tanned ar%s2 and put hi% in %ind of :aisy :uke& -arti$ularly the shorts2 he de$ided2 su$king a slow breath through his teeth as his eyes feasted on the stret$h of bare leg next to hi%& 5e let the% roa% o#er her thigh2 past her knee2 down her shapely $alf& And there2 right abo#e her ankle2 his ga4e stopped short2 and he felt a s%ile tou$h his lips&6ell2 8ll be da%ned& ;he had a tat& A bla$kberry #ine2 $o%plete with flowers and
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html berries2 twined around her ankle and wound its way o#er the top of her foot& ;arah =ane looked up and saw hi% s%iling& !6hat are you grinning aboutN' she asked suspi$iously& !@our tattoo& 8 dont think 8#e e#er seen one <uite like that&' !6ell2 they are supposed to be original to their owners2 rightN' !8 suppose& 6hy a bla$kberry #ineN' ;he shrugged& !8 3ust like the%2' she said2 though the answer see%ed a bit e#asi#e& ;he swallowed& !,y %other always lo#ed the%2 parti$ularly the wild ones& 6e used to spend hours in the su%%er pi$king berries& ;hed %ake 3a%s and 3ellies and $obblers&' ;arah =ane %ade a hu%%ing noise in her throat2 as though re%e%bering the taste& !8ts her re$ipe 8 enter into the fried-pie $ontest e#ery year&' Ah2,i$k thought2 in$lining his head&Theres the signifi$an$e& That s%all wild berry represented happy %e%ories of her %other2 ones that2 like her life2 were short-li#ed and bittersweet& !8 $ant wait to try that pie2' he said2 surprised to reali4e 3ust how %u$h he %eant it& ;he $hu$kled& !8 hope it li#es up to the hype& 6hat about youN' she asked& !5a#e you got a tattooN' !8 do2' he ad%itted2 but didnt elaborate2 instin$ti#ely knowing it would dri#e her nuts& !6ellN' she prodded& ,i$k shot her a slow s%ile and had the pri#ilege of wat$hing her breath $at$h in her throat& !8ll tell you 3ust like 8 told -er#(8 dont know you well enough&' 5e paused and purposely let his ga4e drop to her %outh and linger& !@et&'
5ER E>8L -LAN 6A; 6*R+8NG2 ;arah =ane thought as she released a shallow2 shuddering breath& That !yet' hung like a pro%ise between the%2 si%ultaneously raising her heart rate and the te%perature inside the $ab of her tru$k& ,i$k finally stopped staring at her %outh2 whi$h had begun to water2 and his blue eyes tangled with hers on$e %ore& !;o we#e seen odd and ha#e one %ore stop to %ake before we get to weird& 6here are we going nowN' !)a$k by the ) and )2' she said& ;he pulled up to the $urb and stared at the old >i$torian %ansion& !8ts got a uni<ue history2 as well&'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 5e slid her a suspi$ious glan$e& !"ni<ueN' !6ell2 its haunted& 8d say thats pretty da%ned uni<ue&' ,i$k swore under his breath& !Are you shittin %eN' ;arah =ane $hu$kled at his slightly horrified tone& !No2 8% not& The house was built by )yron ,onar$h2 who founded our little town& )yron was an astute business%an2 a butterfly afi$ionado2 due to his last na%e2 whi$h is why there are butterflies worked into the ar$hite$ture all o#er town2 and(' she sighed hea#ily !(he was fla%ingly gay& 8f lara2 Tina and #arious other people who ha#e stayed at the ) and ) are to be belie#ed2 old )yron is still there2 o$$asionally $opping a feel of unsuspe$ting %ale guests&' A $hoked laugh broke up in ,i$ks throat& !A gay ghost who sexually harasses the guestsN' ;arah =ane $o$ked her head and lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug& !8% only repeating what 8#e heard& 8 personally ha#e no experien$e with )yron2 but hes legendary in our little town& lara a$tually en3oys that hes there2 saying it gi#es the ) and ) a %arketing edge& ;hes got a whole se$tion of her 6eb site dedi$ated to )yron sightings& 5as anything out of the ordinary happened to youN' ;arah =ane asked2 pushing hi% a little further& An odd look passed o#er his fa$e2 then he blinked& !No&' ;he $hewed the inside of her $heek2 not at all $on#in$ed& !6ell2 laras trying to get one of those paranor%al progra%s to do a do$u%entary on the ) and )(she says itll be good for business& ;o if you do experien$e anything odd2 be sure and let her know&' 5e darted her a wry look& !@ou %ean if 8 feel a $old hand grab %y ass2 or so%ething like thatN' ;arah =ane grinned& !Exa$tly& A $old hand on your ass would definitely <ualify& A$tually2 the %ost $o%%on thing thats been reported is a strong s$ent of aftersha#e in the air when none has been used&' ,i$k had that odd look again& !8ll be sure and let her know&' ;arah =ane pulled away fro% the $urb and tooled around town2 li#ing up to her role as offi$ial tour guide by show$asing %ore points of interest& !Thats ,abels2' she said& !)est pla$e in ,onar$h Gro#e to get a true ;outhern %eal2 but dont you e#er tell lara 8 said that& ,abel and lara ha#e got a food feud going on that %akes the 5atfields and ,$ oys look like a%ateurs&' ;he $hu$kled darkly& !And ,abel %ight be an old-fashioned na%e2 but shes far fro% an$ient& ;he tea$hes feng shui and beginning $o%puter $lasses at the senior $enter2 and holds a bla$k belt in karate&' ;arah =ane pointed to a little $rooked building a$ross the street& !Theres )u$ks )arbershop& 5es been in business sin$e he was sixteen& 5es se#enty-fi#e2 still has a steady hand and still uses a straightedge ra4or to $o%plete a sha#e&' ;%iling2 ,i$k nodded& !;ounds like %y kind of %an&'
;he felt her lips twit$h& !@ou use a straightedge ra4or to sha#eN' !No2' he ad%itted2 pushing a hand through those %essy $ho$olate wa#es& !8 use disposable& )ut you ha#e to ad%ire a %an who still ki$ks it old s$hool2 rightN' !This is a s%all town2 ,i$k& *ld s$hool around here is pretty %u$h theonly s$hool&' !8 wouldnt say that2' he argued& ! laras got 6i-7i&' ;arah =ane nodded and $hewed the inside of her $heek& !@oure right& ;he does& )ut only be$ause its al%ost i%possible for her to keep up with $elebrity gossip otherwise&' 5e <uirked a brow& ! laras addi$ted to $elebrity gossipN' !And shes been known to surf a little porn&' ,i$k stared at her in$redulously& !@oure yanking %y $hain&' ;%iling2 ;arah =ane shook her head& !,ason had to fix her $o%puter and found a little girl-ongirl a$tion on there&' 5is eyes widened farther& !;o shes' !Either that or she stu%bled on it by %istake& ;hes ne#er %arried2 though(to %y knowledge2 ne#er e#en dated(so %y bet is on the for%er&' !6ell2 8ll be da%ned2' ,i$k said2 turning to wat$h the passing lands$ape as they dro#e out of town& !;o %u$h for s%all towns being boring&' !And you thought all we had to offer was the 7ried -ie 7esti#al&' 5e frowned& !6hen is that2 exa$tlyN' !8t ki$ks off next 7riday afternoon&' !8n the town s<uare2 rightN' !Right& )ooths will be set up on Thursday& 8ts <uite a spe$ta$le2 a$tually&' !5ow soN' ;arah =ane %erely grinned& !@oull see& *kay2' she said& !8#e shown you interesting and odd& Are you ready for weirdN' ,i$k ga#e his head a s%all shake2 and an endearingly sexy s%ile tugged at the $orner of his lips&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ;o%ething about that half grin %ore than turned her on(it $aused an odd fluttering in her $hest& !8 dont know2' he said& !A% 8N' ;he gestured past his shoulder& !Look there&' A surprised sni$ker erupted fro% his throat& !AteepeeN 8nGeorgiaN ' !Thats not 3ust any teepee2' ;arah =ane explained& ;he turned into the long dri#eway that led out to arls new abode& !8ts an authenti$2 hand-painted teepee2 $reated in the ;ioux style&' ;arah =ane s%iled& !;<uatting )u$k will be happy to tell you all about it&' !5as he always li#ed in a teepeeN' !Er2 no& Thats the funny part& arl li#ed in a FJMIs bri$k ran$her $o%plete with a de$k and $arport right up until he %ade a fateful trip to the Great ;%oky ,ountains last fall and dis$o#ered the 8ndian portion of his %ostly Ger%an heritage&' ;he s%iled& !5e found hi%self at a 7irst Nations reser#e2 and he settled in for a while2 learning fro% the%& 5e was e#en gi#en an 8ndian na%e by the elders2 although personally2 8 think they did it as a bit of a 3oke& Anyway2 after a few %onths2 he returned ho%e wearing lots of feathers2 bones and tur<uoise2 and de$ided to Qli#e off the land2 as his an$estors had&' ,i$k grunted2 see%ingly a%a4ed& !"nfortunately2 his %arriage didnt sur#i#e the regression& 5e and Gladys parted ways a few %onths ago& ;he kept the house and furnishings and arl took their generator2 all their $a%ping supplies and the tru$k&' 6earing a bewildered youre-bullshitting-%e s%ile2 ,i$k turned to look at her& !:oes ;<uatting )u$k ha#e a 3obN' ;arah =ane nodded& !5e does& 5es the bank %anager at our lo$al sa#ings and loan&' ,i$k snorted& !8 dont know whether to be i%pressed or appalled&' ;he shifted into -ark and grabbed the 3ar of preser#es shed brought for arl& !A gift for his ti%e2' she explained at ,i$ks raised brow& 5e in$lined his head& !*ne <uestion& 6here does he batheN' !5e works out at the gy% e#ery %orning and showers there&' ,i$k passed a hand o#er his fa$e& !8#e heard of going green2 but thisthis is unbelie#able&' !8 thought we agreed that its weirdN' ,i$k whistled low under his breath when arl e%erged fro% the teepee wearing only a
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html loin$loth& A bone-and-tur<uoise $hoker en$ir$led his ne$k and a feather dangled fro% a short stubby braid in his e#er-lengthening light blond hair& !*h2 yeah2 we#e definitely arri#ed at weird&' ;arah =ane slid out of the tru$k and $alled a greeting to arl& !Good e#ening2 ;<uatting )u$k& 5owre you doingN' !)lessed with a $ool bree4e2 6arrior )leeding 5eart2' arl replied2 wrapping her in a war%2 slightly sweaty hug& !8 hope you dont %ind2' she said2 handing hi% the preser#es2 !but 8 brought a friend along with %e&' ! ertainly not2' arl told her& ,orphing s%oothly into banker %ode2 he extended his hand& !Ni$e to %eet you2 young %an& Any friend of ;arah =anes is a friend of %ine&' !,i$k hi#ers2' he said2 shaking arls hand& 5e glan$ed at the teepee& !This is an interesting setup you#e got here&' !5ardly $on#entional2 8 know2 but intensely freeing& -opular thought is that 8% ha#ing a %idlife $risis or going a little $ra4y2 but 8 ignore the gossip& 8#e got no %ortgage2 no bills& 8ts 3ust %e and %y thoughts2 and a better ability to listen to the land&' ;arah =ane wondered how he heard it o#er the )ra#es baseball ga%e blaring fro% the radio inside2 but she wisely kept that thought to herself& arl gestured toward his leather-and-$an#as ho%e& !6ould you like to see insideN 8ts <uite re%arkable2 a$tually&' ,i$k nodded2 see%ingly intrigued& !8f youre sure its not an in$on#enien$e&' !Not at all2 not at all2' arl told hi%& ! o%e on in&' !6arrior )leeding 5eartN' ,i$k asked under his breath as they #entured inside the teepee& :a%%it2;arah =ane thought& ;hed hoped hed %issed that& !8ts not an offi$ial 8ndian na%e like arls(tribal elders bestow those2 and its a$tually a great honor to be gi#en one2' she explained& !)ut arl thinks it fits2 and 8 appre$iate the senti%ent&' 5is #oi$e dropped low& !Are you a warrior2 ;arah =aneN' ;he felt a wry s%ile $url her lips& !8 think thats 3ust a ni$e way of saying 8#e got a nasty te%per&' ,i$k turned and studied her intently2 and the unexpe$ted s$rutiny %ade her <ueasy& ;he saw ad%iration and respe$t2 longing and the briefest shadow of what looked $uriously like regret in
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html those twin blue pools& 5e slid the pad of his thu%b along her $hin2 snat$hing the breath fro% her lungs& !:epends on who that te%per is dire$ted at and for what reason2 doesnt it2 6arrior )leeding 5eartN' And with that parting $o%%ent2 he du$ked inside& 7or the first ti%e in her life2 ;arah =ane wished she had so%e sort of $lair#oyant talent& )e$ause shed gi#e anything to know 3ust exa$tly what was going through ,i$ks %ind at that %o%ent& D !;5*"L:8)E *77EN:E:that he didnt gi#e %e an 8ndian na%eN' ,i$k asked as they pulled out of arls dri#eway& Though he $ouldnt argue with the !weird' assess%ent2 he also had to ad%it hed $o%e away with a bit of respe$t for the guy& arl had #oluntarily %ade a huge $hange in his life and had fully e%bra$ed it2 the good and the bad& ,i$k $ould honestly say he didnt know anybody who would willingly gi#e up running water(%ost notably a toilet(ele$tri$ity and $li%ate $ontrol& 8n the interest of his health2 arl did ha#e a s%all dor%-si4e refrigerator and a hot plate2 but %ost of his %eals were $ooked outside o#er an open fla%e& That part of ;<uatting )u$ks existen$e really appealed to the lone $a#e%an gene still lurking in ,i$ks do%esti$ated :NA2 but he i%agined hed grow weary of it pretty da%n <ui$k& arl had already sur#i#ed one winter out here(<uite $o%fortably2 hed said(and see%ed to be doing fine during this broiling su%%er& !No2 you shouldnt be offended& 8ts not like he tosses na%es out to e#ery person he %eets2' she teased& ,i$k grinned& !Are you trying to say that arl thinks youre spe$ialN' A$tually2 it was painfully ob#ious that arl thought a lot of ;arah =ane& 5ed asked her about her work and her ani%als2 and %ade a point to tell her to let hi% know if she e#er needed anything& 5ed also %entioned2 as $o#ertly as possible2 that her step%other had %ade a si4able withdrawal for a down pay%ent on a #a$ation ho%e& The worry that had wrinkled ;arah =anes brow had been e$hoed in ,i$ks $hest2 but the deter%ined $hew-nails-and-spit-bullets look i%%ediately following %ade hi% want to $hu$kle with pride& 6hyN 6ho the hell knewN And at this point he was tired of trying to %ake sense of his %oti#ation& ;arah =ane 6alker was so%ething else& 5er heart2 spirit2 sense of hu%or and work ethi$ were an a%a4ing $o%bination2 one he found in$reasingly hard to resist& Then there was the whole %atter of her %aking hi% want to ba$k her up against a wall and take her until her eyes rolled ba$k in her head& Then take her again until his did& This dri#ing need2 this utter desperation and in$reasing la$k of $ontrol were so%ething so new2 so uni<ue and so $o%pletely foreign to hi%& ,i$k felt hi%self slowly sinking into a pit of sexual hell where she was his only hope for sur#i#al& 5e $ouldnt look at her without feeling it2 an
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html in$reasingly insistent pull that affe$ted both his groin and2 %ore disturbingly2 a soft spot in his $hest& 7rankly2 ,i$k didnt ha#e any idea how %u$h %oney she stood to inherit2 though he probably should %ake it a point to find out& At any rate2 he knew it had to be a pretty hefty nest eggP otherwise2 hastity $ould hardly afford to pay for their ser#i$es2 nor would she ha#e gone to the trouble to hire Ranger ;e$urity to keep ;arah =ane fro% finding the will& 5ed seen the agree%ent2 been told his $ut and knew the sur#eillan$e didnt $o%e $heap& 7urther%ore2 if ;arah =ane had a prayer of keeping the re%ainder for herself or getting any of the other %oney ba$k2 shed better a$t fast& *therwise2 he had a sneaking suspi$ion there wouldnt be anything left& ,aybe that had been part of her step%others plan2 as well2 ,i$k thought2 his senses going on point& ,aybe hastity hadnt been happy with her part and had e#ery intention of depleting the a$$ounts before ;arah =ane $ould find and probate the will& ! an 8 help it if 8% spe$ialN' ;arah =ane asked2 batting her lashes at hi% playfully2 dragging his thoughts ba$k to the $on#ersation at hand& 5e grunted2 a%used& !No %ore than you $an help being full of shit2 8 guess&' !5ey2' she said2 feigning outrage& !,y 8ndian na%e is 6arrior )leeding 5eart2 not -rin$ess 7ull of ;hit&' 5er spe$ulati#e eyes raked o#er hi%2 si4ing hi% up2 and his di$k literally stood to attention2 as though shed stroked hi% with %ore than her ga4e& !@ou definitely need an 8ndian na%e2' she said& !And before you lea#e town2 8% going to $o%e up with one for you&' ;o long as it wasnt Little Li%p :i$k2 he wouldnt ob3e$t& 5e shrugged& !+no$k yourself out2 sweetheart& 8 dont %ind&' 5e paused& !5ow did arl wind up with ;<uatting )u$kN 8ts a bit' 5e struggled to find the right word& !8gnoble2' ;arah =ane suggested& ,i$k grinned& !That would be it2 yes& 8 wanted to ask2 but wasnt sure if it would be polite& ,y 8ndian eti<uette is pretty nonexistent&' !8 dont think he would ha#e had a proble% with it& arls last na%e is 5irsh2 whi$h is Ger%an for Qbu$k& 5e wanted so%ething that would refle$t that heritage2 as well&' ,i$k nodded thoughtfully& !,akes sense& )ut why Q;<uattingN 6hy not QRunning or Q6alking or2 hell2 e#en Q;ittingN ;o%ething a bit %ore dignified& :o bu$ks e#en s<uatN' he wondered aloud2 frowning& 5onestly2 hed ne#er wat$hed a deer do his business2 but $ouldnt i%agine one s<uatting to get the 3ob done& ;arah =ane shrugged& !To tell you the truth2 8 dont know why the tribal elders $hose Q;<uatting2 but 8% sure it has so%e sort of signifi$an$e&' ,i$k gri%a$ed& !8 think 8 would ha#e asked for another one&'
Another strangled laugh e%erged fro% her throat& !8% not up on 8ndian eti<uette2 either2 but 8 dont b-belie#e thats an o-option&' 5e paused and turned to look at her& !@oure laughing at %e&' !;orry2' she said2 her #oi$e $ra$king with suppressed a%use%ent& !8 $ant see% to help %yself&' ;he $leared her throat& !;o 8 take it you dont want the words<uatting to be any part of the 8ndian na%e 8 gi#e youN' 5is lips twit$hed and he nodded& !That would be an ex$ellent assu%ption&' ;till s%iling2 ;arah =ane again %ade that hu%%ing noise in her throat& The late e#ening sunshine was spreading out in an orange2 pink and purple display a$ross the hori4on& Rather than using the A 2 shed powered down her window2 $ausing her loose hair to whirl around her fa$e2 o$$asionally $linging to her eyelashes and %outh& ;hed abandoned the sunglasses and looked relaxed and $ontent2 at pea$e with her world& uriously2 though he definitely wasnt at pea$e with hisown world2 ,i$k felt an odd kind of serenity 3ust being with her& 5ed noti$ed it this afternoon2 after hed returned fro% taking ,ason ho%e& Thered been the two of the% in that old house2 %usi$ playing fro% her portable radio2 dust %otes dan$ing through the hot su%%er air& :espite her initial protest2 hed set his $a%era aside and pi$ked up a ha%%er and2 for the first ti%e sin$e the arson 6ells in$ident2 hed felt %ore ali#e(%orehi%self (than he had in %onths& 6hether it was her $o%pany or the work or a $o%bination of both2 he $ouldnt be sure& 5e 3ust knew that it had feltright& Though he hated that ,ason was si$k2 ,i$k wouldnt %ind in the least if the %an didnt show up for work to%orrow& *r the next day& *r the next& 5e selfishly wanted to explore this newfound well-being2 and he $ould hardly do that if ,ason was there& 7urther%ore2 though it was the height of idio$y2 ,i$k wanted to be alone with ;arah =ane& 5e wanted the opportunity to get to know her better& And not 3ust in the physi$al sense2 although that was an e#er-present urge2 $hugging through his #eins and swirling in his loins& 5e literally it$hed to tou$h her skin2 to feel the silken softness of her $heek against the pal% of his hand2 to taste her %outh and her ne$k and the deli$ate tips of her breasts& Though he would like to bla%e this supernatural attra$tion on the fa$t that she was supposed to be off-li%its(and e#en re$ogni4ed that it no doubt added to her appeal on his hell-raiser s$ale( ,i$k knew there was %ore to it than that& 5e was a %an2 after all2 and no stranger to his baser needs& 5ed been attra$ted to lots of wo%en before and2 frankly2 had had %ost of the%& 5ed always been goal oriented2 and when he set his %ind on so%ething(orso%eone (he typi$ally de#eloped tunnel #ision and single-%indedly worked away until hed a$$o%plished his ob3e$ti#e& That fo$used tena$ity had ulti%ately been his downfall2 ,i$k thought2 swallowing&
At any rate2 whate#er this was with ;arah =ane(this unshakable2 dri#ing2 had-to-ha#e-her need (he knew it was %ore than 3ust regular2 old garden-#ariety lust& 8t was %ore& 8t in#ol#ed $uriosity and intrigue and affe$tion and2 God help hi%2feelings& 5e $ouldnt na%e the%2 of $ourse2 and wouldnt if he $ould& )ut he $ouldnt deny the% all the sa%ewhi$h was going to %ake ignoring the% all the %ore diffi$ult& ;arah =ane hung a left onto a long2 tree-lined dri#e(the #ery one hed wat$hed her disappear down yesterday e#ening(plunging the tru$k into $ool se%idarkness& 5e peered out the window2 but $ouldnt see anything for all the trees& 5e lifted a brow& !6here are we goingN' ;he s%iled& !To %y drea% house2' she said& !8 was si$k o#er the fate of the ,ilton -lantation2 but if this one were to go the sa%e way' 5er #oi$e trailed off and she released a s%all sigh as a break in the trees finally re#ealed a beautiful old house sitting atop a knoll in the distan$e& ,i$k ga#e a low whistle2 instantly stru$k by the beauty and setting& !6ow&' And !wow' was an understate%ent& The two-story house sported large $olu%ns and a double #erandah2 and notably show$ased a pretty stained-glass angel in an o#al window on the se$ond floor& An o$$asional bla$k shutter hung next to one of the %ultipaned windows2 gi#ing a hint of what the pla$e %ight ha#e looked like in its heyday& ;arah =ane pulled to a stop2 turned off the ignition and opened her door& ! o%e on2 well ha#e to hurry& The lights fading&' ,i$k exited the #ehi$le2 as well2 and2 taking it all in2 followed her around to the ba$k2 where an unlo$ked door hung fro% its hinges& !Are we trespassingN' ;he shot hi% a look o#er her shoulder and snorted& !As if youd $are if we were&' ,i$k s%iled2 $on$eding the point& !Like so %any houses of this era2 the kit$hen was separate2 and all thats left of it is the foundation2' she said& ;he $arefully opened the door and gingerly stepped inside2 then gestured to the windows on her left& !8ts shaped like a horseshoe2 so all of the roo%s open onto the $ourtyard&' ,i$k nodded2 i%pressed& !6ere 8 to reno#ate this house2 this roo% would ha#e to be the kit$hen&' ;he walked into the
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html next one& !And heres the dining roo%2 of $ourse&' !,akes sense&' En$hanted2 he stuffed his hands into his po$kets and strolled along in her wake& The next roo% was bigger and grander2 with a giant firepla$e at one end& !7a%ily roo%&' ,i$k looked up& !6hat are theseN Ten-foot $eilingsN' !Twel#e&' ;he wandered o#er to a front window and stared out at the lands$ape& !There isnt a bad #iew in the pla$e2 ,i$k& 8 lo#e this little hill2 the trees %ar$hing along the dri#eway& 8ts pea$eful and elegantand lonely&' ;he looked o#er at hi% and s%iled a bit un$o%fortably& !@ou think 8% a nut2 dont youN' 5e rubbed the ba$k of his ne$k& !Not at all& @ou#e spent so %u$h ti%e working on old pla$es like this2 8d be surprised if you didnt feel so%e sort of $onne$tion&' !8ts stronger here2' she ad%itted& !8t has been e#en when 8 was a kid2 $o%ing out here to %ake the odd repair with %y father& 8#e e#en done a little resear$h2 wondering if perhaps any of %y fa%ily e#er worked here&' 6hy notli#ed hereN ,i$k %used& ;ee%ingly following his thought pro$ess2 ;arah =ane s%iled wryly& !,y heritage is stri$tly working $lass& ,y an$estors $ould ne#er ha#e afforded anything like this&' 5e bit the inside of his $heek& !;o ha#e you found anythingN' ;he shook her head2 $ausing a lo$k of hair to shift tantali4ingly o#er her breast& !Not yet& )ut 8 $ant deny the feeling that theres so%ething here&' ;he shrugged& !8% 3ust going to ha#e to keep looking2 8 guess&' And she would2 ,i$k knew2 be$ause it was i%portant to her& Another ad%irable trait to add to his growing list of %any& ,i$k wandered into the foyer2 keen to inspe$t the rest of the house before it grew too dark& A beautiful stair$ase $lung to the wall to the left2 paused at a large landing2 where it %ade an abrupt turn and $ontinued upward& ;arah =ane 3oined hi%& !)eautiful ar$hite$ture2 isnt itN' !A%a4ing2' he agreed& !And 3ust think& All of this was done before the age of the power saw2 nail gun and pneu%ati$ tools& )y hand& 6hen it took ti%e and attention to detail& No prefab work&' 5er eyes glittered with a hint of $hallenge& !:o you want to go upstairsN' ,i$k peered into the next roo%& !6hat about the restN'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ;arah =ane $arefully put a foot on the first tread& !8ts a %irror i%age of what you 3ust saw& Three %ore roo%s2 all open to the $ourtyard2 whi$h would house %y pool2 of $ourse&' ;he took another step& ! o%e on& 8#e done this so %any ti%es 8 know whi$h steps are sound and whi$h ones arent&' !7or your weight2' he said& !)ut what about %ineN' !8tll hold& And its worth it2' she pro%ised& !=ust wat$h where 8 go and gi#e %e a $ouple steps head start&' 8f hed been any other guy2 he would ha#e $hastised her for taking $han$es(old house plus rotten wood plus stair$ase e<ualed potential disaster& )ut he wasnt any other guy2 he was The 5ell-raiser& And she wasnt 3ust any other girl& ;he was a wo%an who wasnt afraid of hard work2 who wasnt afraid to throw a pun$h and who wasnt afraid to trespass on pri#ate property& 8n fa$t2 at the %o%ent2 he $ould honestly belie#e that she wasnt afraid of anything& En#y and respe$t grabbed hold of his insides and twisted& *h2 to ha#e that sort of $onfiden$e again2 ,i$k thought2 following her up the stairs& To ha#e that sort of assuran$e2 that faith in ones ability& ;till2 if he had any sense at all2 hed be afraid ofher& )e$ause2 God help hi%2 ;arah =ane 6alker2 if she put her %ind to it2 $ould undoubtedly bring hi% to his knees& And in ex$hange2 hed bring her to hers2 but not in the sa%e sense2 unfortunately& Like e#erything else hed been in#ol#ed with in re$ent %e%ory2 he would infe$t her with his bad %o3o and turn her life into a stea%ing pile that %irrored his own& 5onestly2 right now his world was so %essed up he didnt ha#e any business being anywhere near her& ;he was perfe$t(in e#ery way that he $ould see(and despite the issue with the will and inheritan$e2 she see%ed happy& 5e didnt want to s$rew that up for her& And be$o%ing e%otionally in#ol#ed would do it faster than laras resident ghost $ould say boo& ,i$k needed to alert 5u$k to the $hange in status of this $ase2 then get the hell out of here before he did so%ething $o%pletely stupid& Like kiss her& And %ore& 5a#ing rea$hed the landing2 she stood at the window o#erlooking the #ast lands$ape& ;eeing her silhouetted against the sunset2 the wistfulness in her eyes and the hint of pleasure in the $ur#e of her %outh2 was al%ost his undoing& 5e felt that ball of unna%ed e%otion expand in his $hest2 al%ost $hoking hi%& ,i$k silently released a shaky breath2 then sidled in beside her2 purposely in#ading her spa$e be$ause he si%ply $ouldnt stay away& ouldnt help hi%self& ;he was the only bright spot in his otherwise dis%al world2 and he was drawn to her like the pro#erbial %oth to a fla%e& 5e $aught the s$ent of her perfu%e(a $o%bination of apples and war%th(and he breathed her in2 sa#oring the s%ell& !@ou were right2' he %ur%ured&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !8 usually a%2 but about what2 spe$ifi$allyN' A $hu$kle erupted fro% his throat and he shook his head& !@ou dont ha#e a %odest bone in your body2 do youN' !8 do2' she said2 turning to look at hi%& A hint of %is$hief shone in her eyes2 and so%ething elseso%ething less easily defined& !)ut its #ery s%all&' "nable to help hi%self2 he laughed again& !8 %eant you were right about the #iew& 8ts gorgeous& And 8 lo#e the stained glass&' 5e paused2 %o#ed by the house and its surroundings %ore than he $ould ha#e i%agined& A faint grin2 rife with a hint of e%barrass%ent2 shaped her lips& !Thats %y wishing angel2' she said2 pointing to a figure et$hed in the stained glass& !6hen 8 was a little girl2 8 used to %ake wishes on it2 fan$ying that she $ould hear %e and would so%eday honor %y re<uests&' ,i$k felt his lips twit$h& !6hat did you wish forN' !*h2 the usual stuff& The o$$asional good grade2 a new bike2 for +irk a%eron to $o%e into town and fall instantly in lo#e with %e&' ,i$k $hu$kled& !+irk a%eronN' !5ey2 dont 3udge2' she ad%onished& !+irk was hot&' ;he sighed2 re%e%bering& !)ut %ostly 8 3ust wished 8 $ould li#e here& This is agreat house&' 8t was& The dilapidated ,ilton -lantation was sad2 but seeing this pla$e fall to ruin was far worse& The stru$ture wasnt past the point of no return2 but was getting there <ui$kly& !6hats the na%e of this pla$eN' ,i$k asked& !6ho owns itN 6hy ha#e they let it sink into disrepairN' !*ffi$ially2 its na%ed -onder 5ill&' ;he hesitated2 then blew out an uneasy breath& !"noffi$ially2 its $alled The 6idow-%aker&' ,i$k felt a s%ile tug at the $orner of his %outh& !8 think -onder 5ill is %ore aestheti$ally pleasing2 but for the sake of argu%ent2why is it $alled The 6idow-%akerN' !)e$ause 8%ogene hildress has buried three husbands who basi$ally worked the%sel#es to death keeping the pla$e up& ;he has no heirs2 is in her nineties and refuses to sell it&' ;arah =ane tu$ked a strand of hair behind the deli$ate shell of her ear& !;he hopes the whole thing falls to ra$k and ruin so that it doesnt Q$lai% the life of another good %an&' ;arah =ane deli#ered the last in a theatri$al2 <ua#ery #oi$e that would ha#e done )roadway proud& ,i$k grunted& !;ounds like 8%ogene has a flair for the dra%ati$&' !6hether she does or she doesnt2 its hers2 and 8 ha#ent been the only one whos tried to persuade her to sell& ;he absolutely refuses&'
!;owhatN :id her husbands fall off the roof %aking repairsN Tu%ble down the stairsN' 5u%or sparkled in ;arah =anes eyes& !5usband nu%ber one had a heart atta$k at the $ard table2 nu%ber two suffered a stroke in his sleep and nu%ber three died of $an$er&' ;he shrugged helplessly& !:id the house kill the%N No& )ut youll ne#er $on#in$e her of that&' ;arah =ane looked at the e#er-darkening sky& !6ed better get going& 8ts getting late&' Though he found hi%self relu$tant to lea#e2 ,i$k nodded and started ba$k down the stairs& !6ait2' she said& !8 should go first&' !:ont worry2' he told her& !8 know the way ba$k down&' ;he s%iled2 $onsidering hi%& !@oure sureN 8ts a little tri$ky&' 5ed sur#i#ed %ilitary s$hool2 so%e of the %ost rigorous %ilitary training in the world2 ene%y fire and $ountless stunts resulting in the o$$asional broken bone2 but ne#er wounded pride& *h2 yeah& 5e thought he $ould handle it& 6hat he $ouldnt handle2 he was beginning to reali4e2 washer&
!;*2 5A>E @*" *,E "-with it yetN' ,i$k asked2 as ;arah =ane pulled ba$k into her dri#eway& 6hile )linken was A6*L2 6inken and Nod sat in the front window2 and a flutter of $urtains told her the dogs were nosing the gau4y fabri$ aside2 e#idently re$ogni4ing the sound of her tru$k& A blanket of war%th settled o#er her as she wat$hed her furry fa%ily eagerly2 as always2 await her return& )ut for the first ti%e in her life2 ;arah =ane was ner#ous about $o%ing ho%e& ,i$k was about to walk her to her door2 and the anxiety of whether or not that first kiss(the one she wanted so desperately shed forgone the onion rings at ,abels(was going to happen was shredding her ner#es like a wood $hipper stu$k on 5igh& !5a#e 8 $o%e up with what yetN' she asked2 trying #aliantly to stay tuned to the $on#ersation& The s%ile that $ur#ed his beautiful lips was so sexy and knowing2 her sto%a$h a$tually ga#e a little roll& !,y 8ndian na%e2' he re%inded her& Thathad <ui$kly turned into a running 3oke2 she %used2 re%e%bering the !>irile )adass' suggestion hed tossed out o#er dinner& Buite frankly2 she thought !>irile )adass' suited hi% perfe$tly2 and the %ore ti%e she spent with hi%2 the %ore apt the %oniker see%ed& 5e was $ertainly both& ;till
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !5ow %any ti%es do 8 ha#e to tell you2' she said2 !that when 8 think of one 8ll let you knowN The na%e has to be organi$2 not dragged fro% the shadow of your enor%ous ego&' ,i$k $losed the tru$k door and followed her up onto her por$h& 5er gurgling koi pond %ingled with the other night noises2 $reating a natural soundtra$k to her e#er-growing ner#ousness and off-the-$harts attra$tion& 8t was insanity to want so%eone so %u$h& )eyond rational thought& !Enor%ous egoN' 5e s$offed2 feigning offense& !6here on earth did you get the idea that 8 ha#e an enor%ous egoN' 5er hands tre%bling2 ;arah =ane fished her house key out of her s%all purse2 but hesitated before slipping it into the lo$k& ;he felt a wry s%ile tilt her lips as she turned to fa$e hi%2 then al%ost 3u%ped when she reali4ed he was %u$h $loser than shed thought& ;he wasso definitely getting kissed tonight2 she de$ided2 feeling a wi$ked thrill whip through her %idse$tion& ;he resisted the urge to do a s$rea%ing little happy dan$e and felt a burst of anti$ipation $oursing through her blood& !6here would 8 get the idea that you#e got an enor%ous egoN' ;%iling2 she $hewed the inside of her $heek& !6ell2 lets re#iew a few of your suggestions tonight2 shall weN' ,i$ks twinkling blue ga4e dropped to her lips2 darkened2 then found hers on$e %ore& !8f you insist2' he %ur%ured& *y&Those blue fla%e eyes $oupled with that sexy2 endearing %outh were going to be her downfall& 6ith any lu$k2 right onto a %attress& learly2 shed lost her %ind& 5adnt she de$ided he was troubleN That he had %ore issues than she $ould take onN That hed ne#er stay hereN :idnt she know where all of this would leadN @es2 she did& The proble% wasshe didnt $are& ;he 3ust wanted hi%& E#ery wonderful2 %agnifi$ently proportioned in$h of hi%& !82 uh2 8 do2' ;arah =ane said& !Lets see6e#e $o#ered >irile )adass& Then there was )rilliant )adass and 5andso%e )adass&' ;he $o$ked her head to the side& !8% re$ogni4ing a the%e here& @ou see% to be obsessed with being a badass&' ,i$k laughed softly2 the sound $uriously inti%ate between the%& !8d hardly want to be a pansy ass2 would 8N' An unladylike grunt rose in her throat and she rolled her eyes& !8 dont think anyone would e#er %istake you for that&'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !@ou2 either2' he said2 in what was possibly the best $o%pli%ent anyone had e#er paid her& 6hether he was si%ply that insightful or her expe$tations were 3ust too low2 who $ould sayN All ;arah =ane knew2 as she blushed with pleasure fro% the inside out2 was that ,i$k hi#ers affe$ted her on a le#el shed ne#er experien$ed and instin$ti#ely knew would ne#er be dupli$ated& ,i$ks ga4e tangled with hers2 see%ingly drawing her $loser& At that #ery %o%ent she ho#ered on the edge of an existen$e that was about to be per%anently altered& Life as she knew it was a %ere few se$onds away fro% irreparable $hange& And for better or worse2 she didnt $are& ;he 3ust wanted to taste hi%& ;he had to& 5e $upped her $heek2 the gesture si%ultaneously sexy and affe$tionate2 pulling a soft sigh fro% between her lips !;arah =ane2' he said huskily2 his %outh a hairsbreadth fro% her own& !"%-h%%&' Talking wasnt an option& ;he $ould feel his breath2 s%ell hi%2 e#en& :ark2 dangerous2 %usky and %an all rolled into one drugging aro%a that %ade her lids grow hea#y and her sex a$he& 5er nipples tingled and her knees weakened2 %aking her lean $loser to hi%& ! an 8 kiss youN' 5is asking was <uaint and old-fashioned2 and while she would ha#e ne#er asso$iated those <ualities with this eternal bad boy2 to her surprise2 they a$tually fit2 %aking the %o%ent all the %ore spe$ial& Tou$hed2 she s%iled against his lips& !Not if 8 kiss you first2' she whispered2 then pushed her hands into his hair and drew hi% down to her& E#erything inside her si%ultaneously stilled and erupted at the first brush of his lips a$ross hers& 5er skin pri$kled2 her hair stood on end and a wa#e of gooseflesh engulfed e#ery in$h of her body2 in$luding parts she hadnt thought $ould shi#er& The anti$ipation of a first kiss was one of lifes great pleasures2 one of the few things that $ould ne#er be dupli$ated& ;$ores of odes and sonnets had been written about the pheno%enon of that first %ating of the %ouths2 that inti%ate %i%i$ry of another %u$h anti$ipated a$t& ;arah =ane 6alker had been the re$ipient of %any first kisses2 so%e of the% eager2 so%e of the% stolen2 so%e of the% to si%ply end a date& )ut absolutely nothing in her experien$e had e#er $o%pared tothis first kiss& 8t was heartbreakingly perfe$t2 desperate and dangerous2 the disease and the $ure& 8t was as though e#ery %o%ent up until this point had si%ply been a pre$ursor to this e#ent& 8f her brain had been anything but %ush2 she would ha#e been absolutely terrified& As it wasshe 3ust wanted %ore&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ,i$ks lips were surprisingly soft2 but war% and pliant and e#ery bit as %agnifi$ent as shed i%agined& A deep groan erupted fro% his $hest as he drew her $loser2 one strong ar% banding around her waist2 while his other hand slipped past her 3aw2 into her hair2 $upping her head& :eliberate fingers kneaded her s$alp as his tongue slid against hers2 a %ind-nu%bingly wonderful $o%bination of sensations that %ade her sto%a$h flutter and her pulse sing& ;he sighed in pleasure2 in relief be$ause shed wanted this so desperately& ,eanwhile2 another sort of urgen$y had taken hold& ;he felt her nipples pebble behind the fli%sy fabri$ of her bra2 and a rush of war%th pooled in her $ore& 5er blood surged hotly through her #eins2 %aking her feel both anxious and languid at the sa%e ti%e& ,i$k su$kled her tongue2 %aking her bones %elt and her body sag against hi%& The hard ridge of his arousal nudged i%patiently at her belly2 $ausing another wi$ked thrill to swirl through her %iddle& 5ot2 hard2 %ale& 8t had beenso long and he wasso perfe$t& ;he resisted the urge to whi%per as she kissed hi% %ore deeply2 %apping his body with her hands& ,us$les bun$hed beneath her fingers2 war% and supple& ;he inhaled his s$ent as she fed at his %outh2 growing %ore hungry and needy by the se$ond& Thankfully2 ,i$k was2 too& ;he $ould feel the tension ho#ering within hi%2 $ould taste it on her tongue2 heard it in the soft groans of pleasure bubbling up his throat& 5is hands slid slowly down her ba$k2 as though %e%ori4ing e#ery #ertebra2 then settled war%ly o#er her botto% and s<uee4ed& That s%all a%ount of pressure literally %ade the breath lea#e her lungs& 8t was strangely possessi#e2 whi$h should ha#e pissed her off2 but instead %ade her %oroni$ heart skip a beat& ;arah =ane pressed herself e#en %ore tightly against hi%2 deter%ined to eli%inate the barest hint of separation& ,i$k responded by holding her $loser2 branding her with his %as$uline fra%e& 5e ro$ked against her belly on$e %ore and $arefully ba$ked her up against a por$h pole2 where he nipped at her earlobe and li$ked a path along her ne$k2 tasting the pulse point and nu44ling her throat& ,eanwhile his hands had left her botto% and were %aking a deter%ined tra$k ba$k up her body2 along her hip2 up her side& ;he whi%pered aloud this ti%e2 longing to feel the weight of her breast in his big2 war% pal%& To feel his %outh there2 li$king and tasting and su$kling with those talented2 sinfully %ade lips& 5eat rushed to her $ore and she s<uir%ed desperately against hi%2 aligning herself %ore fir%ly against the i%possibly large ridge straining the front of his pants& ;he wiggled $loser as his hand finally brushed the underside of her breast2 gasping when the slight $onta$t %ade her skin pri$kle in anti$ipation&5igher2 she thought2 her nipple drawing into a tight bud&*h2 please2 3ust a little( A poli$e siren2 followed by a $at$all2 abruptly $ut through her foggy2 lust-ridden thoughts2 and
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html she sprang ba$k guiltily& !8ts a good thing youre on your por$h2 ;arah =ane2 or 8d ha#e to take you in for lewd and las$i#ious beha#ior2' hase $alled after hed pulled up in his s<uad $ar& ,ortified2 she felt her fa$e fla%e& !Go away2 hase& :ont you ha#e anything better to doN' 5e nodded toward ,i$k& !8s this ,r& GorgeousN' ,i$k frowned2 but hu%or dan$ed in his hea#y-lidded ga4e2 betraying a hint of %as$uline pride& !,r& GorgeousN 8s that %y 8ndian ni$kna%eN' ;he $hu$kled& !No& @our 8ndian na%e wont ha#e a Q%ister in it&'Goofball2 she thought2 en3oying his pleased s%ile& ! hase ollins2' hase $alled out to ,i$k& !*ld friend of ;arah =anes&' 5e shook his head regretfully as though she was a poor testa%ent to ;outhern hospitality& !;he see%s to ha#e forgotten her %anners&' ;arah =ane harru%phed& !,y tax dollars at work2' she gru%bled& !,i$k hi#ers2 new friend of ;arah =anes&' 5e shot her a look& !And 8hope 8% ,r& Gorgeous&' !@ou the photographerN' hase asked $on#ersationally2 while ;arah =ane entertained thoughts of throttling hi%& ,i$k nodded and his grin grew wider& !8 a%&' !*h& Then youre ,r& Gorgeous&' E#idently de$iding his work here was done2 hase nodded and2 s%iling like the e#il shit-stirring bastard he was2 rode off into the night& ,i$ks $uriously hesitant ga4e found ;arah =anes and he rubbed the ba$k of his ne$k& !;o what sort of friend is he2 exa$tlyN' =ealous2 was heN she wondered2 inwardly blushing with pleasure& !The sort that gets on %y ner#es&' Not the answer he was looking for2 she knew2 but ,i$k grunted& !That $o#ers a lot of territory&' ;arah =ane de$ided to take pity on hi%& !8#e known hase sin$e kindergarten2' she said& !*ther than a brief Q:o-you-lo#e-%eN he$k-yes-or-no flirtation in se$ond grade(where our ro%an$e $a%e to a tragi$ end on the playground after 8 beat hi% in the fifty-yard dash(we#e been nothing but friends e#er sin$e&' ,i$k $hu$kled2 the deep sound resonating through her& ! ouldnt stand losing to a girl2 ehN'
;he sighed dra%ati$ally& !8ts been a re$urring proble%2 8% afraid& 8 dont like to lose and dont see any point in doing it si%ply to inflate so%e boys pride& @all are the ones with balls2' she said2 rolling her eyes& !"se the%2 for pitys sake&' Another $hu$kle sounded in ,i$ks throat2 <ui$kly %orphing into a belly laugh& !8nteresting phphilosophy& And refreshingly blunt& @oure so%ething else2 ;arah =ane2' he said2 see%ingly i%pressed& !Truly uni<ue&' ;arah =ane nodded2 suddenly feeling a bit awkward& !Thank you& 8 like to think so&' 5is a%used ga4e found hers on$e %ore and the world again shrank into a %ore inti%ate fo$us& !8#e had a good ti%e tonight&' 5is #oi$e was low and sin$ere2 wrapping about her like an e%bra$e& !Thank you for showing %e around&' ;arah =ane nodded again2 suddenly feeling a bit awkward& !@oure wel$o%e&' !8 should probably get going& 8d hate for you to be arrested for lewd and las$i#ious beha#ior on %y a$$ount&' 7or the teeniest se$ond2 she $onsidered pointing out that she $ould hardly get arrested for those things if she in#ited hi% in2 but ulti%ately de$ided he was right& Though her body begged to differ2 her %ind had honed in on so%e long-forgotten sense of self-preser#ation2 and wasnt yet ready to surrender& ;he pursed her lips2 playing along& !@oure right2 of $ourse& 8 know Tina is growing weary of bailing %e out of 3ail&' 5e fingered a petunia petal& !5appens that often2 does itN' !Nah2' she said& !=ust often enough to keep e#erybody on their toes&' 5is wi$ked laugh $a%e again2 the one that %ade her want to $rawl inside hi% and ne#er $o%e out& !8 $an $ertainly see where you do that&' 5e leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss on her $heek& !Good night2 ;arah =ane& 8ll see you in the %orning&' 7ro% inside the house2 ;arah =ane heard her phone ring2 whi$h thankfully pre#ented her fro% standing on her por$h and wat$hing hi% dri#e away like a lo#e-stru$k teenager& As for her really keeping people on their toes2 she sin$erely doubted it2 and $ouldnt i%agineanyone keeping ,i$k hi#ers on his& "tterly laughable& )ut she knew thathers had been $urled for the better part of the e#ening& E
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ,8 + 6AT 5E:;ARA5=ANEdart into the house to $at$h her ringing phone2 and wished like hell he $ould follow her& *nly he wouldnt ha#e let her answer it2 instead insisting they take up right where hase ollins had2 <uite irritatingly2 interrupted& 6hi$h2 on the grand s$ale of ;tupid Things 5ed :one in 5is Life2 would probably rate right up there at the top2 dethroning the head%asters daughter(on the %ans offi$e desk2 no less(and sending arson 6ells o#er that ill-fated ridge when2 as tea% leader2 if anyone was going to take that $han$e2 it should ha#e been hi%& ,i$k had been $ertain(or as $ertain as he $ould be with the intel hed been gi#en(that the route was safe& 8t hadnt been& 5e swallowed& At any rate2 sleeping with ;arah =ane was %ore than beyond the height of idio$y2 it was 3ust plain wrong& 5e was here under false pretenses2 and gi#en what hed gleaned fro% her tonight2 he knew that he should $all 5u$k to alert hi% to the $hange2 and %o#e on& ;i%ply put2 he should lea#e& As -ayne had said2 Ranger ;e$urity wouldnt be a party to anything illegal& And hastity 6alker using their ser#i$es under false pretense to keep ;arah =ane fro% getting her rightful inheritan$e was definitely breaking so%e sort of law& 5e didnt know whi$h one2 pre$isely2 but that hardly %attered& 7urther%ore2 in the e#ent he slept with ;arah =ane and she so%ehow %anaged to find out who he really was(what hed originally $o%e here for(he didnt ha#e a single doubt that shed on$e again end up in 3ail2 only it wouldnt be for lewd and las$i#ious beha#ior& 8td be for %urder2 be$ause shed undoubtedly kill hi%& And he would deser#e it& This(being with her2 kissing her2 God help hi%2liking her(was all a %istake2 but one he didnt know how to $orre$t2 and frankly2 didnt want to& ,i$k slid into his tru$k2 $ranked the engine and relu$tantly pulled away fro% the $urb& Rather than return to the ) and )2 he de$ided to dri#e around town for a little while& +nowing that a ho%osexual ghost was probably responsible for the weird hand-on-his-thigh feeling this %orning when hed awoken didnt exa$tly %ake hi% anxious to get ba$k to laras2 he thought darkly& The town s<uare was lit with pretty anti<ue la%pposts2 illu%inating older $ouples holding hands and $hatting on park ben$hes2 kids playing in the fountain and the o$$asional Generation Her walking a dog& ,onar$h Gro#e nightlife2 ,i$k thought2 feeling a s%ile steal o#er his lips& 7unny2 hed always been under the i%pression that s%all towns rolled up their sidewalks after dark& )ut the people of this little burg see%ed %ore interested in talking to ea$h other than
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html wat$hing reality T>& 8f he didnt know better2 ,i$k would $halk up their habit to ha#ing no a$$ess to $able2 but he knew that wasnt the $ase& lara had a top-of-the-line satellite syste% pro#iding hundreds of $hannels2 so%e e#en in foreign languages2 whi$h a$$ounted for the o$$asional -ortuguese epithet he heard her %utter under her breath& At any rate2 this town along with its inhabitants(parti$ularly one dark blond hellion with %elting-toffee eyes(had turned e#ery pre$on$ei#ed notion hed had about it on its ear& Though his grandfather had li#ed in ,inot2 +entu$ky2 %ost of his life2 ,i$k $ouldnt help but think the older %an would lo#e it here& The last ti%e hed #isited harlies old ho%etown2 the pla$e had all but died& The few businesses that hadnt folded when the larger $hain stores were built out on the highway had abandoned the old town s<uare and %o#ed into strip %alls to sur#i#e& Little by little2 the new had eroded the old2 and #ery few s%all businesses had sur#i#ed the so-$alled !progress&' A%a4ingly2 ,onar$h Gro#e see%ed to ha#e been able to absorb the new without forgetting the old2 a rare balan$e that took a spe$ial brand of people& ,i$k snagged his $ell phone fro% the holder at his waist and dialed his grandfathers nu%ber2 asha%ed that it had been %ore than three %onths sin$e the last ti%e hed $alled& 5ed been a wre$k then2 ha#ing 3ust left the %ilitary& 6hile he hadnt wanted to share the news with his dad2 he $ouldntnot share the de$ision with harlie& 5is grandfather answered on the se$ond ring& !5ello&' !5ey2 Gra%ps& 5ows it going up thereN' !;a%e as it always is2 ,i$ky& ;low as %olasses2 boring as hell2 but a body gets used to it&' 5e paused& !5ow about youN 6orking your new 3ob nowN' 5isbody wouldnt get used to it2 ,i$k thought2 staring at the bustling a$ti#ity around the s<uare& 5is grandfather had always been so a$ti#e2 so full of purpose& !8 a%2' he ad%itted& !82 er8 dont think its going to work out2' he said2 gi#ing #oi$e to the niggling thought& 5ell2 hed suspe$ted when hed taken the 3ob that it wasnt for hi%2 but 5u$k had been so sure it was the right thing to do& And Le#i had see%ed al%ost en#ious2 whi$h had so%ehow %ade ,i$k think that he was %issing so%ething they $ould see& )esides his own 3udg%ent had been shot to hell 5ed 3ust said yes2 thankful that anyone thought he was worth ha#ing& "nfortunately2 ,i$k wasnt sure what sort of work he was $ut out for2 but the se$urity spe$ialist field wasnt for hi%& 8t didnt fill the #oid in hi%(and though it pained hi% to ad%it it2 e#en being a Ranger hadnt satisfied hi% the way hed thought it would& 8f there was any good thing that $ould $o%e out of his re$ent s$rewup2 it was the opportunity for hi% to finally find so%ething he lo#ed& Like harlie had2 ,i$k thought2 en#ying his grandfather his purpose& ;arah =ane2 too& !6ell2 youre not a <uitter and ne#er ha#e been('
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Though he knew that2 hearing his grandfather say it was %ore i%portant than he would ha#e e#er i%agined& ,i$k swallowed tightly& !(and if you ask %e2 8 think you need to be working with your hands& @oure too %u$h like %e2 ,i$ky& Restless and %iserable without a purpose& Thats why $arpentry always suited %e so well& 8t was %y outlet2 so to speak& All that energy had to go so%ewhere2 so 8 figured pouring it into a building was as good as any way to use it& ;tart with a blueprint2 end up with a ho%e2 so%ething to be proud of2 tangible proof of labor& Then on to the next pro3e$t&' Though ,i$k $ouldnt see hi%2 he $ould i%agine his grandfathers shrug2 the wisdo% in his lined fa$e& !At least2 thats what 8#e always thought&' !8ll think about it2 Gra%ps&' 8n truth2 he had to ad%it hed felt %ore $ontent working with ;arah =ane today than he had in %onths2 possibly longer& )reaking a sweat2 feeling the weight of a ha%%er in his handsit had all been #ery therapeuti$& 5ed $o%pletely lost tra$k of ti%e and had thoroughly en3oyed e#ery %inute& *f $ourse2 that $ould si%ply be a result of the $o%pany hed been keeping2 and not ne$essarily the work& ;till2 he didnt need to get too atta$hed to either& 5e was at a $rossroads at the %o%ent2 struggling to find his path2 and dragging so%eone else along on his blind 3ourney was hardly fair& !5a#e you talked to your fatherN Told hi% about your re$ent o$$upational $hangeN' his grandfather asked& ,i$k hesitated& !Not yet& 8 ha#ent heard fro% hi%&' And he hadnt $alled2 either& 7rankly2 though he shouldnt gi#e a da%n2 knowing the ine#itable disappoint%ent hed hear in his fathers #oi$e had pre#ented ,i$k fro% %aking any effort to $onta$t hi%& )e$o%ing a Ranger was his only a$$o%plish%ent that had e#er i%pressed the %an& !,e2 either2' his grandfather said& !5e and your %other %ust be on another one of their #a$ations& -robably off riding $a%els or looking for tigers or so%ething&' ,i$k $hu$kled at the distaste in harlies #oi$e& !Riding a $a%el %ight be fun&' !,en ride horses2 boy& Not $a%els& 6here are you2 exa$tlyN' ,i$k rested his head against the ba$k of his seat and s%iled& !8% in ,onar$h Gro#e2 Georgia( 5o%e of the 7ried -ie 7esti#al&' !@ou dont sayN' harlie replied2 sounding genuinely interested& !8 lo#e fried pies& 5a#ent had a good one in years& Not sin$e your grand%other passed away2 anyway& -ea$h was always %y fa#orite&' ,i$k felt his lips twit$h& !8 ha#e it on good authority that bla$kberry is best&' !*h2 8 bet that would be good& A fried-pie festi#al2' he repeated2 al%ost wistfully& !8 $ant say as
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 8#e e#er been to one of those&' ,i$k $ouldnt say hed e#erheard of one2 so his grandfather had hi% beat& !8t starts next 7riday afternoon2 Gra%ps& @ou should $o%e down& There isnt a roo% to be had in town2 but 8ll share %ine with you&' The spontaneous in#itation $aught hi% off guard2 but it suddenly o$$urred to ,i$k 3ust how %u$h he %eant it& !Nah2' his grandfather said2 albeit relu$tantly& !8#e got too %u$h air to breathe here& ,ight %ess up the deli$ate balan$e of things if 8% not around doing %y part&' ,i$k $hu$kled2 %ildly disappointed& !=ust thought 8d offer&' !And 8 appre$iate it& 8d lo#e to see you& ;peaking of whi$h2 when do you re$kon youll be in this ne$k of the woodsN Anyti%e soonN ;hould 8 $hange the sheets in your roo%N :ust off the $hessboardN' Another re%inis$ent s%ile tugged at the $orner of ,i$ks %outh& 5ow %any hours had he logged playing $hess with harlieN 5undreds2 possibly thousands& !;oon2 Gra%ps2' he said2 %eaning it& 8n fa$t2 when this was o#er2 hed go ho%e& After all2 his grandfathers old far%house was the $losest thing to a ho%e hed e#er known2 the lo$ation of so%e of his best $hildhood %e%ories& 6ere it not for his grandfather2 ,i$k gri%ly suspe$ted he wouldnt ha#e had any at all& :a%n selfish parents2 he thought& 5e hadnt been that bad& 6hat had been so wrong with hi% that they hadnt wanted hi%N 6erent they supposed to lo#e hi% un$onditionallyN 6erent they supposed to ha#e had so%e sort of senti%ental atta$h%ent to hi%N 5ed read stories of %others who perfor%ed heroi$ a$ts to sa#e their $hildren& 5is %other would2 no doubt2 be the ex$eption to the rule& ;hed sure as hell ne#er $o%e to his res$ue before& Not on$e2 ,i$k thought bitterly& 5e was an adult2 old enough to reason and understand2 %ature enough to $o%prehend that he wasnt responsible for their e%otional short$o%ings& )ut thered always been a s%all part of hi% that se$retly thought if he was so flawed his own parents hadnt been able to in#est a little lo#e in hi%2 then why would anyone else botherN !8 hope so2 boy2' his grandfather said2 pulling hi% ba$k to the $on#ersation& !8ts been too long&' ,i$k silently $on$urred2 then listened to harlie $o%plain about his neighbors fen$e and how hed had to fix it for hi%2 and how the portion si4es at the diner had gotten downright paltry& 5ow nobody took pride in doing things right any%ore2 and that was the proble% with the whole world2 and A%eri$a in parti$ular& !;poiled2 the lot of the%2' harlie %uttered& ,i$k answered where appropriate and pro#ided $o%%entary for the better part of half an hour before he finally ended the $all& ;till relu$tant to go ba$k to the ) and )2 he $ir$led the s<uare a $ouple %ore ti%es2 then parked
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html a few houses down fro% ;arah =anes2 under the pretense of putting her under his new-andi%pro#ed for% of sur#eillan$e(whi$h in#ol#ed keeping her out of hastitiys house2 and thereby out of 3ail2 until he $ould $o%e up with a better plan(when truth be told2 he 3ust wanted to $at$h a gli%pse of her& -atheti$2 hi#ers& "tterly patheti$& And yet he knew it was true& 5e $ouldnt deny that hed been $o%pletely en$hanted by her fro% the %inute hed looked at the blurry2 out-of-fo$us pi$ture& ;arah =ane 6alker was the real deal& ;he was honest and forthright2 hardworking and funny2 loyal and lo#ing& ;he $ould kiss like the #ery de#il and would undoubtedly take that sa%e skill and fer#or into the bedroo%& 5is di$k 3erked hard against his 4ipper2 where it no doubt bore a per%anent i%print after hed spent the entire e#ening with her& ,i$k honestly didnt think hed e#er en3oyed a wo%ans $o%pany %ore2 and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that hed ne#er been so affe$ted by a %ere kiss& 5e had always liked the taste of a wo%an against his tongue2 eating those soft inhalations2 the slide of fe%inine lips against his2 the su$kling of tongues2 the %i%i$ry of %aking lo#e with the %outh& 8t was eroti$ and pleasurable2 and in %any respe$ts2 3ust as en3oyable as sex& 6ould e#ery %an agree with hi%N No2 probably not2 he de$ided2 silently $hu$kling at the thought& )ut fro% the %o%ent hed stolen his first kiss in se$ond grade2 hed always been a huge fan& 8n his opinion2 a %an had a lot riding on that first kiss& 8f he was sloppy2 or too eager or too la4y2 he %ight as well forget %aking it to the next base& A kiss should enfla%e2 not be a hasty prelude to sex& And he $ould honestly say that if enfla%ing was truly the goal2 then hed definitely su$$eeded in setting hi%self on fire& ;i%ply put2 he wanted ;arah =ane& 5e wanted to kiss her until she %elted2 taste the side of her ne$k2 slide his tongue o#er her nipples and feast between her legs& Then he wanted to settle hi%self fir%ly in the wo%anly $radle of her thighs and plunge into her until they were both begging for release& "nfortunately2 dragging her into the $on#oluted %ess of his life was si%ply out of the <uestion& +issing her had been bad enough2 a brea$h of trust& ;leeping with her would lea#e his $ons$ien$e in shreds& 5e had to resist her& 7or both their sakes2 he really needed to do the right thing2 although the right thing in his instan$e felt horribly2 horribly wrong& )ut there was one thing he $ould fix2 ,i$k thought2 and he had e#ery intention of doing that& Thankfully2 -ayne had gi#en hi% the leeway to %ake his own $hoi$es regarding this $ase2 and unbeknownst to hastity2 ,i$k was swit$hing sides& 5e 3ust wasnt going to tell the wo%an until after hed found ;arah =anes fathers will&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 6hen had he de$ided this was the right $ourse of a$tionN 6ho knewN )ut it was2 all the sa%e& 8f hastity was willing to go to the expense of hiring the%(with %oney that wasnt rightfully hers2 ,i$k thought darkly(and hide her husbands will2 then she was fully $apable of following through with her threat to ha#e ;arah =ane put ba$k in 3ail& Not on his wat$h2 he de$ided& 5e opened his $ell on$e %ore and keyed in 5u$ks nu%ber& !7inn2' his friend answered by way of greeting& ,i$k outlined the situation for hi%2 alerting hi% to the $hange in fa$ts as he knew the%& !;hes sleeping with the attorney who ;arah =ane says drafted the will2' he said& !A$$ording to the lo$al banker2 shes withdrawn a si4able a%ount of $ash for a deposit on a #a$ation ho%e& ;hes bree4ing through the %oney like its growing on a da%ned tree2 as though she wants to spend as %u$h of it as she $an before the will surfa$es& 7rankly2 8 suspe$t we were hired to keep ;arah =ane fro% finding the will2not to keep her fro% stealing things fro% the house&' 5e snorted& !As far as hastitys $on$erned2 thats 3ust a little bonus&' 5u$k swore& !@ou#e got full dis$retion on this2 ,i$k& 8f you think its ti%e to pull the plug2 then by all %eans lets do it& Ranger ;e$urity doesnt want any part of this& 6ell <uietly withdraw&' ,i$k win$ed2 un$ertain how to pro$eed& !8f its all the sa%e to you2 8d like to keep hastity in the dark for a little while longer and do so%e poking around&' )ad %etaphor2 he thought as a beat slid into three& !;o long as you know what youre doing2' 5u$k said2 a hint of warning in his #oi$e& 5e didnt2 pre$isely2 ,i$k thought as he snapped the phone shut& A fateful s%ile slid o#er his lips& )ut when had that e#er stopped hi%N J !-LEA;E2 -LEA;E2 -LEA;Etell %e that ,ason has gotten in tou$h with you2' Tina said2 her #oi$e a beleaguered $o%bination of worry and dread& ;arah =ane felt her heart 3olt into o#erdri#e& !6hatN 8s he okayN 5e was si$k today and went ho%e2 but 8 didnt think it was anything ser(' !No2 no2 no&' Tina hurriedly reassured her& !8ts not that& 5es fine& 8 %ean2 hes si$k2 but not any si$ker than he was when you saw hi% earlier&'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html onfused2 ;arah =ane frowned& !8% afraid 8% not following& 8f hes okay2 then why has he been trying to get in tou$h with %eN' Tina released a weary sigh& !;arah =ane2 where is your $ell phoneN' ;he glan$ed down& !*n %y $offee table&' !8s there any parti$ular reason you didnt take it with youN' ;he felt a s%ile flirt with her lips& Tina knew shed gone out with ,i$k2 so that should be ob#ious& !)e$ause 8 didnt want to be interrupted&' !6hen 8 tell you what 8% about to tell you2 youre going towish youd been interrupted&' "neasiness tri$kled down her ne$k& !Tell %e whatN' !Are you sitting downN' *h2 hell2she thought2 sto%a$h roiling& !:o 8 need toN' !@es& Also re%o#e any sharp ob3e$ts and pro%ise %e that you will not flip out& @ou ha#e to $o%e up with an appropriate response& No atta$king anybody& -ro%iseN' !8f its bad enough that you think 8 %ight atta$k so%ebody2 then you ought to know 8 $ant %ake that kind of pro%ise2 Tina& =ust tell %e what it is& @oure s$aring %e&' !Theres no need to be s$ared& @oure 3ust going to be %ad as hell&' ,ad was definitely preferable to s$ared& ;he did !%ad' <uite well2 in her opinion& 8n fa$t2 she was bloody brilliant at it& ;he sank down onto her $ou$h2 but re%ained on the edge of the seat& !*kay& 8% ready& 6hats the newsN' !Tu$ker ,ills o#erheard so%e interesting gossip today while he was $leaning hastitys pool& 6hen he stopped by ,asons this afternoon to drop off so%e $hi$ken soup2 he shared it with hi%&' Tu$ker was one of ,asons good friends and one of the %ost a$ti#e gossips in town& 5e often passed along little tidbits #ia her assistant& 8t was how shed learned that hastity had gotten the tu%%y tu$k& ;arah =ane felt her %outh go dry and a horrible feeling settled into her belly& !Go on&' !;ee%s that hastity was on her $ordless phone2 roasting poolside2 talking to one of her friends (Laura probably(about how her Qse$ret weapon had arri#ed in town&' ;he frowned& !;e$ret weaponN'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !@ep& 5er se$ret weapon is a hired di$k whos supposed to $at$h you trying to break into her house to find your fathers will& 5es supposed to do$u%ent the e#iden$e so that she $an turn it o#er to the sheriffs depart%ent and ha#e you arrested&' Through the phone2 ;arah =ane heard her friends teeth grind& !Again&' 8t was true2 she de$ided as she shot up fro% the $ou$h and began to pa$e& )lood$ould boil& !That s$he%ing bit$h& 8ll kill her& 8ll pull her hair fro% its blea$hed-blond roots& 8ll(' !;arah =ane2 sit ba$k down&' Tina hesitated then2 i%plying that the worst hadnt $o%e& ;he drew up short and blinked& !5ow did you know 8 was standing upN' !)e$ause 8 know you2' Tina said2 exasperated& !Now sit9' 8%patient2 ;arah =ane sho#ed her hair away fro% her fa$e& !Tina2 if 8 $ant throw things or hit so%ebody2 youre going to ha#e to let %e pa$e&' ;he heard Tina release another sigh2 as though she truly dreaded what she had to say& !5er pri#ate di$k is a photographer2 ;arah =ane& 6hos posing as an e%ployee fro% a %aga4ine&' 8t took pre$isely three se$onds for the rele#an$e of that last senten$e to penetrate ;arah =anes $ons$iousness2 and when it did2 she wished shed listened to her friend and sat ba$k down& )e$ause her legs suddenly felt as if they were going to bu$kle& !,i$kN'she breathed& ;urely not& There had to be so%e sort of %istake& !;he didnt %ention hi% by na%e2 but after seeing the% together this %orning8 dont know& )ut 8 $ant think of anyone else it $ould be2 $an youN' ;arah =ane walked o#er to a $hair2 nudged )linken aside and sat down hea#ily2 reeling fro% the news& Though she desperately wanted to belie#e otherwise2 in her heart she knew her friend was right& ;he hadnt really <uestioned the:esigning 6eekly arti$le& ;hed 3ust $o%pleted a ni$e 3ob for an Atlanta-based $o%pany prior to that $all2 and figured word had gotten to an editor at the %aga4ine& )ut ;arah =anehad thought the photographer arri#ing on s$ene before the writer was a bit strange& Then seeing ,i$k with hastity this %orning5adnt she $aught a weird #ibe thenN 5adnt she known so%ething wasnt rightN 8nstead of listening to her instin$ts2 shed $halked up the rea$tion to 3ealousy(whi$h2 gallingly2 God help her2 was partly true(and had set about $lai%ing hi% for herself& 5er $heeks bla4ed right along with her te%per and her hu%iliation rea$hed $riti$al le#els when she re%e%bered flirting sha%elessly this afternoon2 then asking ,i$k out& 5er fa$e suddenly $ru%pled in horror& And oh2 God2 shed kissed hi%& ;hed been pra$ti$ally su$king his fa$e off and sliding all o#er hi%& 8f it hadnt been for hase2 things $ould ha#e gone past the point of no return5er eyes
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html narrowed into angry slits&And hed known& 5ed known2 the s$u%-su$king2 slea4y2 %iserable bastard& No doubt hastity did2 as well2 whi$h %ade it all the %ore unbearable& ;arah =anes eyes suddenly burned& 8n anger2 she told herself& ;he would not shed a tear o#er their de$eption& ;he would not be the butt of their 3oke& Too late2a little #oi$e $hided&Too da%ned late& ;he would not %ourn the loss of what shed thought %ight be the beginning of so%ething spe$ial& =ust be$ause shed felt %ore ali#e and %ore relaxed with hi% than she e#er had with anybody else was no reason to $ry& ,i$k hi#ers had been part of hastitys e#il plan2 a knowing parti$ipant& ;o what if ;arah =ane had felt a sparkN A glow of so%ething truly spe$ialN 8t wouldnt ha#e %attered2 anywayP she knew he would ne#er stay here& 5adnt she prepared herself for thatN 5adnt she known she needed to guard her heartN !;ay so%ething2 ;arah =ane2' Tina said& ;he 3u%ped2 ha#ing forgotten the phone was pressed to her ear2 then sighed hea#ily& !8 dont know what to say2 other than 8 feel like a total fool&' !5ow were you to know shed stoop to so%ething so lowN' Tina de%anded& !6ho $ould ha#e predi$ted thisN @oure not psy$hi$2 ;arah =ane& And thisThis has all gone too far& 8 knew she didnt want you to find the will2 but going to these lengths to keep you away fro% itN Either she hates you %ore than we knew2 or your dad put so%ething in that will she doesnt want you to see&' !-robably a $o%bination of both&' 8t really didnt %ake sense& @es2 hastity was a %eanspirited slut2 but there was so%ething %ore to this %o#e& The eternal <uestion2 of $ourse2 waswhatN !7orewarned is forear%ed2 though& @oure going to ha#e to be really $areful when you break into the house2 be$ause we now know youre being wat$hed& The asshole2' Tina %uttered& !5e sure had %e fooled& 8 a$tually liked hi%&' ;he had2 too2 ;arah =ane thought glu%ly2 her lips still tingling fro% his kiss& !Anyway2 while Tu$ker was ea#esdropping2 he also heard her %ention that she was going o#er to Atlanta for a Qpro$edure to%orrow %orning and wouldnt be ba$k until next Thursday& ;ounds like so%e substantial(and expensi#e(work2 doesnt itN' Tina said bitingly& That was 3ust the break shed been waiting for2 ;arah =ane reali4ed2 $hastising herself for not staying on task& 8nstead of thinking about ,i$ks beautiful lips and that hopeful but futile e%ber of so%ething extraordinary between the%2 she should ha#e been thinking about getting her inheritan$e ba$k before it was all gone& The longer hastity hid the will2 the %ore ti%e she had
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html to deplete ;arah =anes funds& ;he flexed her 3aw& ;he didnt gi#e a da%n if ,i$k was wat$hing her or not(shed still do what she had to do& And if she had to slug hi% in the pro$ess2 then so be it& !;owhat are you going to do about hi%N' Tina asked& !6hat do you %eanN' !Are you going to let hi% know you know who he is2 or are you going to blast hi% into next yearN' 7or the first ti%e2 ;arah =ane felt the ghost of a s%ile on her lips& !@ou %ean 8 ha#e to $hoose oneN' 5er friend $hu$kled& !Thats %y girl& ;eriously2 though2 what are you going to doN' !@ou know2 Tina2 as %u$h as 8 would like to play it the s%art way2 going along with this little far$e so that 8 $an keep an eye on hi%2 as well8 3ust dont think 8% that good an a$tress&' ;he ga#e a little groan& !-arti$ularly after tonight&' 5er friend win$ed& !:a%%it2 8 was afraid of that& 5ow far did it goN' !=ust a kiss2' she said2 downplaying the %assi#e groping session that had ro$ked her world a few %inutes ago& And it had been so %u$h %ore than a kiss& 8t had been wonderful2 fantasti$2 %o#ingunforgettable& ;hed seen stars and rainbows behind her eyelids& 8t was hands down the best kiss shed e#er had& E#en knowing what she knew now2 God help her2 she still longed for another& !;o youre going to send hi% pa$king2 rightN' !8 a%&' !;weetie2 8% sorry&' Tina tutted under her breath $onsolingly& !8 know you liked hi%&' ;arah =ane gri%a$ed as another altogether unpleasant reali4ation surfa$ed& !8 also liked the idea of being featured in:esigning 6eekly and the $ash 8 was going to pi$k up2 but it turns out thats a fig%ent of %y i%agination2 as well&' !8 thought about that2' Tina ad%itted& !8t was a terrible thing for the% to do&' ;arah =ane paused2 gathered her indignation around her and straightened2 hoping to dislodge a bit of the hurt& 8t reallywas a terrible thing& 6asnt it bad enough that hastity was running through her inheritan$e like a redne$k with a sudden influx of $ashN Now shed de$ided to %ess with her business2 as wellN 5er #ery li#elihoodN And hed gone along with itN To $olle$t %oney2 indire$tly2 throughherN
;arah =ane set her 3aw so hard she thought she heard her teeth $ra$k& !Let %e know when you figure out what sort of punish%ent youre planning for ,i$k2 be$ause 8 %ight want a p-pie$e of the a-a$tion for hase&' The tre%ble she heard in Tinas #oi$e i%%ediately for$ed ;arah =anes brain to swit$h gears& !6hat are you talking aboutN 6hats happenedN' ! hase has started seeing Laura again&' !*h2 Tina2' she said2 an apology in her #oi$e&That bastard2 she thought& ,i$k %ight not be the only person she was going to slug& !@ou#e got to be kidding&' ;he heard a sob o#er the phone& !8 wish 8 was& lara saw the% at a %o#ie in Ridge#ille last night& @ou know2 ;arah =ane2 8 3ust dont get it& 8f he doesnt want %e2 why does he string %e alongN' )e$ause hes a selfish bastard&!)e$ause hes not $ertain hedoesnt want you& 5es 3ust sure that he doesnt want anyone else to ha#e you&' Tina sniffled& !8 3ust wish 8 knew what to do&' !@ou know what 8 think2' ;arah =ane gently re%inded her& !@ou break off $o%pletely and throw a little $o%petition into the %ix& 5ell either let you go(and youll know on$e and for all how he feels(or hell $o%e running ba$k& Right now2 hes $alling the shots2 and that suits hi% 3ust fine& @ou#e got to take $harge& @ou $ant keepper%itting hi% to do this to you&' !@ou know what2 ;arah =aneN @oure right&' ;he heard Tina blow her nose into a tissue& !8#e known you were right all along2 8 3ust ha#ent wanted to exe$ute your ad#i$e be$ause it feels like gi#ing up2 and gi#ing up is going to break %y heart& )ut guess whatN 8ts already broken& 5e breaks it e#ery ti%e he pulls so%ething like this& E#ery ti%e he hooks up with that slea4y #indi$ti#e whore& 8% done2' she announ$ed with %ore $on#i$tion than ;arah =ane had e#er heard before& !8 a%so not letting hi% do this to %e again&' ;arah =ane inwardly ga#e a little $heer&7inally& !8 pro%ise you wont regret it2' she de$lared& Tina sniffed again& !8 wonder if youll be saying that when 8% bawling on your shoulder&' !@ou $an bawl on %y shoulder anyti%e and you know it2' she said2 s%iling& !,en are turds2' Tina announ$ed& !@ou know why2 dont youN' !No2 whyN'
;arah =ane grinned as a #engeful plan2 so perfe$t it %ight ha#e been deli#ered fro% a genuine Re#enge ,use2 stru$k her& !)e$ause theyre full of shit&' Tina %anaged a watery $hu$kle& !There is that&' !Are you busy right nowN' ;arah =ane asked in a de$epti#ely light tone& !Got anything planned for the rest of the e#eningN' !No2' her friend said hesitantly& !6hyN' !)e$ause 8 ha#e the perfe$t re%edy for their $onstipation& @ou ga%eN' A wi$ked laugh bubbled o#er the line& !@ou bet&' FI !G**: ,*RN8NG2 ,8 +2'Tina said in a #oi$e that was entirely too $hipper for this hour of the day& ;he stood outside his bedroo% door2 holding a pretty basket ofso%ething& !Good %orning2' he replied groggily2 surprised at her #isit& 5e looked ba$k o#er his shoulder and s<uinted at the bedside $lo$k2 blearily bringing it into fo$us& 8t was 0RII a&%&7i#e& 6hat the hellN !8 hate to bother you this early(' ould ha#e fooled hi%2 ,i$k thought& 8n fa$t2 she didnt look as if she hated it at all& 5er lips were $ur#ed into a $uriously happy yet strangely%ale#olent grin& !(but 8 wanted to gi#e you this before 8 start breakfast this %orning& ;arah =ane and 8 did so%e baking last night and she wanted you to ha#e these&' Tina extended the basket& !5o%e%ade brownies& And she wanted %e to let you know that shes had an unexpe$ted $all about a >i$torian %antel and wont be at the ,ilton -lantation until around noon& ;he didnt want you to get out there and ha#e to wait on her2' Tina $onfided2 ro$king ba$k on her heels& !,asons still si$k&' The ri$h s$ent of $ho$olate filled his nostrils& ;hed baked for hi%N ReallyN he thought2 pleased beyond reason as a sleepy s%ile slid o#er his lips& 5ad any wo%an e#er baked for hi%N 5is grand%other had2 of $ourse2 but no one else that he $ould re$all& *dd that the do%esti$ a$t should %ean so %u$h to hi%2 but he was ridi$ulously delighted& An i%age of ;arah =ane $lothed in nothing but an apron2 with a $ho$olate-$o#ered spoon in her hand2 rose in his %ind2 %aking a snake of heat $oil in his loins& !Thanks2' ,i$k said2 looking forward to sa%pling one& !8ll let you go ba$k to bed2' Tina told hi%& !And 3ust think2 now you $an sleep in&' ;he winked
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html at hi%& An ex$ellent idea2 ,i$k thought drowsily& 5e nodded his thanks to Tina2 s$arfed down a brownie2 then found his pillow on$e %ore& onsidering hed had another late night %aking sure she didnt do anything that would land her beautiful ass in 3ail2 he $ould do with a few %ore winks& 5ed a$tually seen Tina arri#e at ;arah =anes shortly after hed supposedly left& 5ed known they were in the kit$hen $ooking so%ething up2 but he i%agined theyd been working on fried-pie re$ipes& ;arah =ane had %entioned that Tina was going to enter the $o%petition this year2 as well& At any rate2 he thought2 tu$king a blanket %ore fir%ly around hi%2 he knew he wasnt ready to lea#e his bed 3ust yet& And when he awoke se#eral hours later2 only the pro%ise of another brownie2 followed by another fabulous breakfast(honestly2 hed eaten better in the past two days than hed done in his entire life(and then seeing ;arah =ane2 propelled hi% fro% beneath the $o#ers& ;taun$hly ignoring the sensation that he was on$e again being wat$hed2 ,i$k %uttered2 !+eep your hands to yourself2' to the resident ghost2 then <ui$kly showered2 dressed and %ade his way downstairs& The dining roo% was e%pty2 and when he poked his head into the kit$hen to in<uire about breakfast2 he found Tina handing a basket to hase2 the poli$e%an fro% last night& 8t was identi$al to the one ;arah =ane had gi#en hi%& !;orry to interrupt2' ,i$k said& 5e dire$ted a hopeful s%ile at Tina& !8% afraid 8 slept through breakfast& 6ould there happen to be anything leftN' Tina $o$ked her dark head with a regretful expression& !No2 sorry&' hase shot her a strange look& !)ut 8 3ust saw(' ;he sto%ped on his foot2 eli$iting a surprised grunt fro% hi%& !Thats for lara&' ;ee%ingly baffled2 hase win$ed and darted her an irritated frown& !*h& ;orry&' !5a#e a brownie2' Tina suggested& !Theyre ex$ellent& 8 3ust ga#e a basket to hase&' The $op s%iled down at her inti%ately& !@ou keep $ooking for %e like this and 8% going to get fat&' !Theyre low $alorie& All the goodness2 none of the guilt&' 5e grinned at her& !8n that $ase2 8ll eat the% all&' !That was the point2' Tina said& 7eeling a bit like an intruder2 ,i$k bade the% goodbye2 %ade the return trek upstairs for his brownies(he $ould do a lot worse for breakfast2 he de$ided(then2 after stopping for a bottle of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html %ilk to wash down all the $ho$olate2 %ade his way out to the ,ilton -lantation& Granted2 ;arah =ane wouldnt be there for a $ouple of hours2 but he knew what needed to be done& 5e $ould get a bit of a head start in helping her out2 parti$ularly sin$e ,ason was still under the weather& A little en#elope on the s$reen of his $ell phone indi$ated he had a #oi$e %ail(he %ust ha#e %issed the $all while he was showering(so he <ui$kly dialed in and listened to the %essage& !5ey2 %an& 8ts 5u$k& =ust got a $all fro% hastity that shes going to be out of town through next Thursday& 8 thought that %ight buy you the ti%e 8 suspe$t you were looking for&' 5e $hu$kled softly& !Also2 the:esigning 6eekly pie$e is a go and they#e agreed to use your photos& Thought youd want to know that& Theyre going to get in tou$h with ;arah =ane in the next $ouple of weeks2 so that the spread will run in the issue wed told her& 8 know youre offi$ially off the $ase2 but keep %e in the loop2 will youN' -leased2 ,i$k snapped the phone shut& Ex$ellent2 he thought& *n %ore than one le#el& ;arah =ane wouldnt lose the business shed $ounted on and2 with hastity out of town2 hed ha#e an opportunity to sear$h her house& Things were falling into pla$e ni$ely2 he de$ided2 feeling better about the situation as a whole& 5e pulled up to the front of the house and powered down his windows so the interior wouldnt turn into an o#en(%oot point in hundred-plus-degree heat2 he supposed(then grabbed what was left of his brownies and %ilk and %ade his way inside& 5e pi$ked up a ha%%er and set to work re%o#ing the oak paneling in the dining roo%2 where theyd left off yesterday& 8t took pre$ision2 extre%e $are and strength2 and the idea that he was sa#ing so%ething fro% $ertain ruin(so%ething hand%ade and beautiful that had stood the test of ti%e for %ore than a hundred years(%ade his $hest swell with a <uiet sense of pride& 5e wiped a bead of sweat fro% his brow2 ignoring a sudden sto%a$h pain& No doubt he should ha#e foregone a few of the brownies2 but in absen$e of breakfast hed pretty %u$h de$i%ated the entire basket& 5e $arefully pried a se$tion of panel loose fro% the wall2 growing %ore $onfident and %ore relaxed with ea$h su$$essful pie$e& Now this was work2 ,i$k de$ided2 the thrill of purpose $hugging through his #eins& Thishe $ould get used to&
T58; 6*"L: 5A>E )EENso %u$h easier if hed had a shirt on2;arah =ane thought as she silently wat$hed ,i$k sta$k the last pie$e of paneling onto the pile in the $orner& ;weat glistened off of %us$les shed tou$hed last night2 but hadnt seen2 and the sightoh2 the sight of the% literally %ade her %outh water& And there it was2 she thought2 spying the tattoo hed told her he didnt know her well enough to
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html show heryet& Lord2 how shed looked forward to that& *nly shed i%agined it would ha#e $o%e #ia an a$t a little %ore inti%ate than 3ust wat$hing hi% work with his shirt off& )ut there it was2 on his shoulder(an eagle& Gi#en the solitary aura that surrounded hi%2 it see%ed $o%pletely fitting& And da%n her traitorous body2 sexy as hell& )ut then2 so was the rest of hi%& 5e was tall and broad2 but lean and splendidly proportioned&A %ustang2 she thought again2 wishing that2 a1 she didnt still want hi% and b1 he hadnt turned out to be a s$he%ing2 lying2 in$ahoots-with- hastity bastard& ;arah =anes $hest a$hed with the weight of the betrayal& 5owe#er short-li#ed2 it still hurt be$ause2 3ust like -onder 5ill2 shed begun to spin drea%s about hi%& And her irritation returned full for$e when she reali4ed she was literally subsidi4ing her own downfall& 5er eyes narrowed& Thanks to hi%& ;he felt a per#erse 3olt of glee as she wat$hed hi% win$e in pain and rub his belly& Then she allowed hi% to work a few %ore %inutes(after all2 she was paying hi%2 wasnt sheN(before re#ealing her presen$e& 5ed %ade re%arkable progress in the dining roo%2 ha#ing al%ost finished it2 and though it galled her to ad%it it2 she found herself relu$tantly i%pressed& Rather than 3ust rushing in and stripping the roo%2 hed taken ti%e and al%ost re#erent $are with the work2 inspe$ting ea$h board and se$tion for da%age or weak spots before beginning the sal#age& 7rankly2 ,ason didnt ha#e the strength or the finesse to do the 3ob2 and though shed let a few younger $arpenters help her in the beginning2 theyd always been too eager and had done %ore da%age than good& ;in$e then2 shed forgone working with a partner be$ause she knew she was an exa$ting boss& )ut strangely2 in an ironi$2 e#il twist of fate2 shed thought she $ould a$tually work with ,i$k& ;hed e#en en3oyed herself yesterday when hed returned fro% taking ,ason ho%e2 and had helped her& 8t had been ni$e and2 %u$h to her regret2 had inspired a series of if-only thoughts2 first and fore%ost being if only hed stay& )ut it had all been a lie2 gi#en his purpose here& ;peaking of whi$h2 it was ti%e to put a stop to that& ;arah =ane stepped into the roo% and resisted the urge to return his s%ile& 8t looked so genuine2 so open2 inti%ate2 and his %outh;he swallowed ba$k a whi%per& ;he lo#ed his %outh& Lo#ed that little $rooked upper lip and the way it %ade his $heek $rease with an endearingly sexy di%ple& )ut she wouldnt be de$ei#ed again& ;he $ouldnt afford to be& Literally& learly2 he was 3ust a really good a$tor whod gotten into his part&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html And into her %outh and al%ost into her bed2 whi$h would ha#e undoubtedly let hi% into her heart& Thankfully2 hastity hadnt been able to keep her gloating piehole shut2 thereby pre#enting the worst& @es2 ;arah =anes pride was wounded2 but at this point2 she was less disappointed and %ore angry& And anger was good& 8t had the bullying ability to push e#ery other e%otion aside until she had the ti%e to deal with it& !5ey2' he said2 his ga4e falling to her %outh2 $ausing her traitorous lips to tingle& !Thanks for the brownies&' !@ou en3oyed the%N' ;he kept her tone de$epti#ely light& !8 ate e#ery one&' ;arah =ane win$ed in regret and strolled o#er to inspe$t his work& !@oure going to wish you hadnt done that&' 5e twirled the ha%%er2 still grinning& !Aw2 Tina said they were low $alorie2 so 8% not worried about it&' ;he $rossed her ar%s o#er her $hest and %ade a false %oue of $on$ern& !Thats not what 8% talking about&' 5is s%ile still in pla$e2 he swit$hed the ha%%er to the other hand& !*hN' ;arah =ane looked up and %et his ga4e dire$tly& ;he had the pleasure of wat$hing a fli$ker of trepidation for% there& !8 know who you are and why youre here2 ,i$k&' There was a %o%entary flash of guilt in his eyes before they grew guarded& An uneasy laugh bubbled up his throat& !8% afraid 8 dont follow&' ;he $hewed the inside of her $heek2 struggling to stay $al%& !@ou dontN 6ell2 then2 let %e illu%inate the fa$ts to you as 8 know the%& @oure not fro%:esigning 6eekly (thanks for that2 by the way2' she added& !8ts ni$e to know 8#e done all this prep work for nothing2 and the %oney 8 was expe$ting isnt going to $o%e&' !8(' !@ou are working as a pri#ate in#estigator for hastity2 and you#e been $harged with the task of $at$hing %e breaking into%y own house to find %y fathers will so that 8 $an $lai% %y inheritan$e before %y thie#ing slut of a step%other runs through e#ery bit of it and sells off %y ho%e to subsidi4e her future plasti$ surgery& 8f 8 understand things $orre$tly2 the only reason you#e brought a $a%era along is to do$u%ent the e#iden$e of %y so-$alled $ri%e&' ;arah =ane paused2 staring at hi%& !5a#e 8 left anything out2 ,i$kN' ;he rolled her eyes and snorted as if this was all laughable2 as if she wasnt hurt and angry2 as if she hadnt felt a spark of so%ething spe$ial between the%2 so%ething %ore substantial than sexual attra$tion& !8f ,i$k is
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html e#en a$tually your real na%e&' 5e didnt try to deny a single part of her story2 silently $onfir%ing his guilt& 5e %erely looked away2 rubbed the ba$k of his ne$k and swore& !Now2 8 reali4e that 8% a$tually paying for your ser#i$es(by proxy2 of $ourse2' she added sweetly& !)ut if its all the sa%e to you2 8d 3ust as soon you earn your keep so%ewhere else& 8#e got work to do&' !;arah =ane2 listen(' ;he stepped forward and #ery deliberately took the ha%%er out of his hand& !8#e finally figured out your 8ndian na%e2 ,i$k& 6anna hear itN' 5e gri%a$ed $o%i$ally2 %aking the %o%ent parti$ularly sweet& !;o%ehow 8 doubt it&' !8ts ;<uatting ;nake in the Grass&' 5is brows drew together in a <uestioning line& !;<uatting;nakeN' ;he pretended to be thoughtful& !Last night it was 3ust ;nake in the Grass2 but today' ;he felt her lips twit$h& !8 think adding the Qs<uatting is going to be parti$ularlysignifi$ant& ' 5is belly gurgled o%inously and his suspi$ious ga4e narrowed& !6hat(' !8% so glad you liked those brownies& @oure right& Theyre not the kind thatll truly sti$k to your ribs be$ause 8 added a se$ret ingredient 3ust for you&' ;he s%iled e#illy& !Those %o$ha $hunks in thereN :id you noti$e the%N' ;he didnt wait for hi% to answer& !Those were a$tually $ho$olate laxati#es&' Gratifyingly2 his eyes widened in horror& !No2' he said2 laughing ner#ously e#en as his sto%a$h %ade another interesting sound& !@ou didnt&' 5e swallowed2 the %us$les in his throat %o#ing uneasily& !6hy wouldnt 8N' she asked& !)e$ause it was underhanded and #indi$ti#eN' ;he frowned pointedly& !Like you&' !;arah =ane(' !8d hurry if 8 were you2' she said2 $utting hi% off on$e again& !8% sure you#e noti$ed theres no bathroo% out here2 and if you ate all of the% like you#e $lai%ed to' ;he shrugged2 lea#ing the rest unsaid2 and win$ed regretfully& !8ts a long dri#e ba$k to town&' Looking a bit pale and %ore sweaty than he had a few %inutes ago2 ,i$k grabbed his shirt and
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html shrugged into it& 5e pulled his keys fro% his front 3eans po$ket and sent her a $o%i$ally pained but deter%ined look& !This $on#ersation isnt o#er&' !The hell its not2' she retorted& !;tay away fro% %e2 ;<uatting ;nake in the Grass& 6ere done&' ;he su%%oned a sweet2 patently false grin 3ust for his benefit& !En3oy your afternoon& 8 belie#e lara keeps a sta$k of %aga4ines in the $o%%on roo%&' !8ll see you later2' he pro%ised2 $o%pletely ignoring her& 5e was a %an2 after all2 she thought2 wat$hing hi% awkwardly slide into his ;"> and roar out of the dri#eway as though he was being $hased by the hounds of hell& ;he s%iled& *r2 %ore a$$urately2 thebowels of hell& Either way2 she %eant what shed said& They were done& 7ool %e on$e2 sha%e on you& 7ool %e twi$e2 sha%e on %e& And as ,ason had said yesterday2 ;arah =ane was nobodys fool& Not e#en a good-looking2 lonely %ustangs2 who %ade her heart long for things it had ne#er wanted and her body burn like dry tinder tou$hed by a lit %at$h& FF ,8 + ;-ENTthe better part of the afternoon and early e#ening doing exa$tly what ;arah =ane had intended for hi% to do(the e#il2 spiteful she-de#il(so by the ti%e he got ba$k out to the ,ilton -lantation to speak to her again2 shed left for the day&;<uatting ;nake in the Grass2 he thought ruefully2 his poor sto%a$h still a bit <ueasy& *f all the fiendish2 diaboli$al things& Laxati#es in the brownies& 5e snorted& 5ed heard of the prank before2 of $ourse2 but had ne#er $arried out or been on the re$ei#ing end of su$h a heinous personal atta$kuntil now& Tina2 the she-de#ils partner in $ri%e2 had e#idently been on the lookout for hi%2 be$ause when hed rushed into the ) and )2 shed been leaning against the door3a%b2 all sweet and s%ug& 8f hases brownies had been infe$ted2 as well2 then ,i$k $ertainly felt for the %an& 5e $ould e%pathi4e& Literally& ;till2 for all his %oaning and groaning and bellya$hing(and he %eant that in the truest sense of the word(there was a s%all part of hi% that was relu$tantly i%pressed with her prank& 5e $ouldnt help it& 8t was a hell-raiser thing2 a %utual respe$t for a tri$k well playedand ;arah =ane 6alker had exe$uted it brilliantly& at$hing hi% off guard early in the %orning2 de#ising a plan to be late getting to work2 thereby allowing hi% to sleep through breakfast& And hed followed her $arefully laid trail one $ru%b at a ti%e2 de#ouring her payba$k brownies e#ery step of the way&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html A <ui$k $he$k at her house now re#ealed her tru$k in the dri#eway2 but after ten %inutes of kno$king on her door2 ,i$k got the i%pression that she truly wasnt ho%e& *f $ourse2 she $ould si%ply be a#oiding hi%2 but for whate#er reason2 he didnt think that was the $ase& ;arah =ane liked a good row& 5iding fro% hi% when he knew shed se$retly like to throttle hi% didnt see% her style& all hi% $ra4y(and %any people $ertainly had(but he was a$tually glad that shed found hi% out& )eing de$eitful had ne#er been his style& 5ad he intended to tell her about his original purposeN Truthfully2 no& 5ed planned to keep her out of trouble until he $ould find the will2 and use the %aga4ine arti$le $o#er to keep working with her& 6hyN )e$ause he selfishly wanted to spend %ore ti%e with her2 e#en knowing that it wasnt prudent& E#en knowing that being with her withoutbeing with her was tanta%ount to torture& As %u$h as he hated to ad%it it2 ,i$k feared hed de#eloped a bit of anatta$h%ent to her& onsidering that she didnt parti$ularly like hi% at the %o%ent2 that wasnt s%art& 8n this %essed up stage of his life2 de#eloping an atta$h%ent to anything probably wasnt wise& Espe$ially when2 he suddenly reali4ed2 his heart had be$o%e in#ol#ed& No2 he had to be %istaken2 ,i$k de$ided& This was a si4able a%ount of ad%iration $oupled with a %onu%ental <uotient of lust& ;he was no#el& "ni<ue& And he was in a $o%pro%ised $ondition2 that whole ship-without-a-rudder thing& 5ed $o%pletely lost perspe$ti#e2 that was all& Rather than sit outside her house2 waiting on her to %ake the next %o#e2 ,i$k de$ided to take ad#antage of hastitys absen$e and go o#er to ;arah =anes old ho%e& 5e po$keted a penknife and a flashlight2 then parked a $ouple of blo$ks away and <ui$kly %ade his way around ba$k& The gate was lo$ked2 but was easily pi$ked&At last2 he thought& Ranger training was $o%ing in handy& The ba$k door on the old >i$torian was new2 but the lo$k was e#en easier to disengage& "sing the flashlight2 ,i$k de$ided to %ake a <ui$k sweep of the house to learn the layout2 as well as to %ake sure he was alone before beginning an in-depth sear$h& The first floor re#ealed a kit$hen2 utility roo%2 parlor(where2 in a $ri%e against ho%e de$or2 hastity had installed a tanning bed (for%al li#ing roo%2 dining roo% and half bath& The se$ond floor $ontained three bedroo%s2 two full baths and what ,i$k instin$ti#ely knew had to be ;arah =anes fathers study& The roo% s%elled of $herry-toba$$o s%oke and housed a big desk and leather $hair& )ooks lined the walls2 filling the built-in shel#es& 5ed spotted a filing $abinet and de$ided that would be the best pla$e to begin his sear$h when a noise fro% the ad3a$ent bedroo%(;arah =anes old roo%2 he i%agined2 gi#en the purple frilly bedspread( $aught his attention& 8nstantly alert2 he swit$hed off the flashlight2 doubled ba$k and $o#ertly %ade his way to her old roo%& Adrenaline ki$ked his heart rate into o#erdri#e and %ade the skin on the ba$k of his ne$k pri$kle as he heard the noise again($o%ing fro% the window2 he was sure& 5e $rept $loser2 then peeked around the edge and waited2 $ertain hed $aught a gli%pse of so%ething outside& A break
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html in the $louds released a shaft of %oonlight and thats when he saw her& *r her hair2 rather& hu$kling softly2 ,i$k shone his flashlight through the glass2 illu%inating ;arah =anes irritated fa$e& 7ir% $hin2 narrowed eyes& Totally %utinous& *nly he would find that intensely sexy& ;he $lung to a tree bran$h a few feet fro% the window and glared poison-tipped daggers at hi%& ,i$k opened the window and leaned non$halantly against the sill2 as though seeing her in a tree was an e#eryday o$$urren$e& !7an$y %eeting you here2' he whispered& !6hat the hell are youdoingN ' ;arah =ane asked2 her #oi$e low and harsh& :ressed all in bla$k2 she wiggled farther out on the li%b2 $ausing the bran$h to %ake a threatening $ra$k& That a$$ounted for the noise& ,i$k frowned& !@oud better go ba$k& That li%bs not going to hold&' !@es it will2' she snapped& !8 know what 8% doing& 8#e $li%bed this tree do4ens of ti%es&' -redi$tably ignoring his ad#i$e2 she $arefully in$hed $loser2 and the bran$h ga#e another groan in protest& !As an adultN' ,i$k asked2 growing %ore $on$erned by the se$ond& !;eriously2 ;arah =ane& li%b down and 8ll let you in the ba$k door&' A bark of ironi$ laughter broke fro% her throat& !;o that you $an take a pi$ture of %e for hastityN 8 dont think so&' ,i$k exhaled an i%patient sigh and helpfully pointed out the flaw in her logi$& !8f 8 was going to take a pi$ture of you2 8d ha#e already done it& 8 dont e#en ha#e %y $a%era&' 5e glared at her& !Now get the hell out of that tree before you fall and $ra$k your beautiful skull and 8lllet you in the ba$k door& ' The last bit $a%e out %ore as a growl than a$tual words& ;arah =ane paused2 see%ingly una$$usto%ed to being told what to do2 and ,i$k belatedly reali4ed his de%and was tanta%ount to wa#ing a red flag in front of a bull& ;he si%ultaneously lifted her $hin and a single haughty eyebrow2 and said2 !8% $o%ing through the window&' 8t had been so long sin$e so%eone had disobeyed his dire$t order2 ,i$k was %o%entarily stunned& ;he hea#ed an exasperated breath& !;o2 if youre not going to help %e2 then at least get the hell out of the way2' she snarled2 taking hold of the s$reen to pull it loose& Leaping into a$tion2 ,i$k swore and popped the s$reen out& ;arah =ane $aught it and helped hi% angle it through the window2 and he propped it against the wall& 6hen he looked ba$k2 she was already halfway through the opening&
:eter%ined to help her(be$ause it see%ed #itally i%portant at the %o%ent(he grabbed hold of her beneath her ar%s and tugged2 sending both of the% tu%bling to the floor where they landed with a grunt& 5er knee $a%e perilously $lose to :i$k and the Twins2 but it was the feel of her lush body2 those dele$table breasts pressing against his $hest2 that %ade hi% unable to breathe& ;oft wo%anly body2 apple-s$ented hair against his $heek2 his hell$at2 his she-de#il 5e bit ba$k a blistering $urse as his body instantly rea$ted& 5is di$k sprang to attention and nudged2 re$ogni4ing that the proper anato%y was in line2 e#en if it was still fully $lothed& ;arah =ane angled up2 bra$ing her hands on either side of his head2 and her startled ga4e tangled with his& 5er own breathing was <ui$k and shallow2 as though she2 too2 was aware of e#ery part of her body $urrently pressed against his& ;he blinked2 then inhaled sharply& 5er eyes snapped with sudden insight and anger& !@ou were waiting for %e2 werent youN Guarding the house to $at$h %eN' 6ith a disgusted breath and se#eral garbled epithets2 she rolled off of hi% and s$ra%bled to her feet& !@ou low-down(' !;<uatting ;nake in the Grass2' he finished for her2 standing2 as well& !8 belie#e we#e $o#ered that&' 5is #oi$e hardened& !-arti$ularly the s<uatting part2 thanks to you&' And so%eone(either dear old )yron or Tina2 he $ouldnt be sure(had sneaked into his roo% and re%o#ed all the toilet paper& 5ed had to bellow fro% his bathroo% like a toddler and ask for a repla$e%ent roll& Thankfully2 lara had dis$reetly taken $are of it for hi%& !8 was going to saybastard2 ' she said& !)ut youre right& @ours works better&' !;arah =ane2 8 told you 8 didnt ha#e %y $a%era and 8 wasnt here guarding the da%n house&' 5e drew in a deep breath2 hoping to inhale a little patien$e2 as well& !8f you $ould stop leaping to $on$lusions for 3ust a %inute2 8d like to explain&' ;he paused and he wat$hed her $o$k her head in the darkness& !*h2 you %ean you $an explain working for hastityN @ou $an explain why2 in order to line your po$kets with %y stolen %oney2 you agreed to trap %e so that the bit$h ends up with e#erything thats supposed to belong to %eN @ou $anN ReallyN' she asked sar$asti$ally& !6ell2 by all %eans2 go ahead& 8 wont stop you& 8d really like to hear how you $anexplain that&' That wasnt exa$tly what hed intended to explain& o%e to think of it2explain probably wasnt the right ter%&:efend his position would probably work better& ,i$k s$owled at her& !5as anyone e#er told you that youre a s%art-ass2 ;arah =aneN' !@es2 as a %atter of fa$t2 they ha#e(' 5e grunted2 unsurprised&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !(but you#e got the 3a$kass title lo$ked down tight2 so no worries on that s$ore&' ;he flipped on her own flashlight2 %o%entarily blinding hi%& !8f youre not here to trap %e2 then whatare you doing hereN' ,i$k s<uee4ed his eyes shut2 grabbed the end of her light and angled it out of his eyes& !8 $a%e here to look for the freakin will& 8% trying to help you2 da%%it&' 5e hadnt planned to tell her that2 but she had a way of surprising things out of hi%& ;arah =ane ai%ed her light to the right of his fa$e2 on$e again illu%inating his expression& !@ouwant to help%eN ' ;kepti$is% dripped fro% e#ery word2 show$asing 3ust how hard he was going to ha#e to work to $on#in$e her& 5ed #entured behind ene%y lines2 sur#i#ed $ountless high-risk %issions and had %anaged $o#ert operations he i%agined were less diffi$ult than winning o#er her trust& )ut for whate#er reason(insanity2 he de$ided2 s%othering the pressing urge to howl(he felt he had %ore riding on this assign%ent than any other in his life& learly2 hed lost his %indand <uite possibly a little pie$e of a #ital organ farther south and to the left&
;ARA5=ANE 6AT 5E:,i$ks expression2 looking for any hint of de$eit& 5is unfairly handso%e fa$e2 the one shed $o%%itted to %e%ory o#er the past few days2 re%ained open and without the slightest e#iden$e of dishonesty& Gut instin$t told her he was earnest2 but she didnt know how %u$h to trust it& That $ould be wishful thinking brought about by intense sexual attra$tion and so%ething else& ;o%ething less definable2 but frightening all the sa%e2 that thing that had inspired all those if-onlys& 8f only you wouldnt be bored out of your skull here 8f only youd like to work with %e 8f only you wouldnt lea#e and we $ould explore this thing happening between us 8f only you werent da%aged 8f only 8 $ould trust you not to break %y heart That shadow of loneliness2 of untold sorrow shed periodi$ally gli%psed in those unusual blue eyes2 surfa$ed again2 fraying her heartstrings and instilling the annoying but persistent urge to help hi%& 5er ene%ywho $lai%ed he wanted to help her&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Talk about a <uag%ire& ;arah =ane expelled a s%all2 tired sigh& !6ho are you2 reallyN No bullshit2 no lies& )are-bones fa$ts2 please&' 5e $onsidered her for a %o%ent before answering& !8% ,i$k hi#ers& 8% for%er %ilitary2 now working for Ranger ;e$urity based out of Atlanta2 though after this assign%ent(%y first2 by the way2' he added2 $hu$kling darkly2 !8% resigning fro% their e%ploy& 8% twenty-nine2 originally fro% +entu$ky2 pra$ti$e a%ateur photography2 but dont work for:esigning 6eekly& Although they will do the spread on you as planned2 and ha#e agreed to use %y photos2 whi$h is why 8ll ha#e to $ontinue to take pi$tures while you finish the sal#age pro3e$t at the ,ilton -lantation& 8% allergi$ to shellfish2 %u$h to %y regret2 en3oy a$tion-ad#enture %o#ies2 ;outhern ro$k and reading true-$ri%e no#els& 8% a registered 8ndependent2 nons%oker2 o$$asional drinkerand 8 like you2 ;arah =ane&' 5e paused 3ust long enough for her to re%e%ber their kiss2 %aking her intensely aware of the fa$t he was less than a foot away2 shrouded in darkness& !:oes that answer all of your <uestionsN' Not by a long shot2she thought2 a relu$tant s%ile pulling at her lips& !8ts a start& ;othis Ranger ;e$urityN 8s this the first 3ob you#e had sin$e you left the %ilitaryN 6hat bran$h were you inN' !8t is&' There was a guarded tone in his #oi$e2 barely dete$table2 but there all the sa%e& !8 was in the ar%y2 a Ranger2 spe$ifi$ally&' ;he heard hi% swallow& !8 ser#ed ten years&' Ten years and hed walked awayN she thought2 stru$k by the ad%ission& 7ro% being a RangerN :idnt it take years of spe$ial training to be$o%e one of the ar%ys eliteN 6erent those %en usually in for lifeN 6hy would he do thatN ;arah =ane wondered2 intrigued& 6hat would %ake hi% want to lea#e after all that ti%e2 all that trainingN ;he longed to ask2 but instin$ti#ely knew better& Ne#ertheless2 intuition told her that his re$ent %isery had so%ething to do with lea#ing the %ilitary& ;he knew it& ould feel it& !6hy are you lea#ing Ranger ;e$urityN' That $hu$kle $a%e again2 the one that slipped into her blood and ine#itably %ade her s%ile& !)e$ause 8% ob#iously not $ut out for it& =ust look at how 8#e bot$hed this 3ob& @ou were offi$ially %y target2 ;arah =ane2 and so far 8#e %anaged to abandon %y %ission in fa#or of taking up your $ause(with Ranger ;e$uritys per%ission2 of $ourse(and be$o%e inti%ately in#ol#ed with you& 8d say 8#e broken a $ouple $ardinal rules2 wouldnt youN' !8 wouldnt $-$all it inti%ate2' she sta%%ered2 feeling herself blush at his ter%inology& ;he inwardly s<uir%ed& !8t was 3ust a kiss&' As though drawn by an in#isible $ord2 he sidled forward2 lessening the distan$e between the%& !=ust a kissN' he said2 his low #oi$e la$ed with an under$urrent ofdesperationN !82 uh2 8 think you need a little re%edial instru$tion on what defines a kiss2 sweetheart&' 5e pressed his lips to the $orner of her %outh2 the gentle a$tion %aking her eyelids flutter shut& !Thats a kiss& ;weet2 si%ple2 a %ere brush of %y lips against yours&' E#ery word he said %ade her %elt and sway toward hi%& ;he was putty in his hands2 utterly patheti$& ;he swallowed a whi%per2 and wished she $ould resist hi%& 7or the first ti%e in her life2 she reali4ed what her friend Tina %ust feel like
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html around hase& To be a hopeless sla#e to her body2 her heart& ,i$k fra%ed her fa$e with his war% pal%s2 drawing her $lose& !ThisThis is a bit %ore inti%ate&' 5e lingered o#er the last word2 then fastened his lips to hers as though hed been dying to taste her2 that e#ery breath away fro% her %outh was one wasted& This kiss was hungry2 al%ost punishing2 as though all of this(this attra$tion2 these $ir$u%stan$es(were so%ehow her fault& *h2 hell no2;arah =ane thought2 answering his unspoken $hallenge as her $ontrol literally snapped& ;he wasnt taking the wrap for this& ;he kissed hi% ba$k2 her tongue dueling his& ;he dropped her flashlight2 abandoning any pretense of restraint2 and wrapped her ar%s around his ne$k2 her legs around his waist& -ropelled by her unexpe$ted assault2 he stu%bled ba$k against her old bed2 taking her slowly down with hi%& 5e fed at her %outh2 su$kling her tongue2 dragging her further and further down the slippery slope of desire& 8n a s%all2 di% $orner of her %ind2 ;arah =ane suspe$ted this was not the right path(sleeping with ,i$k was the height of idio$y& 5e was still possibly her ene%y(though she sin$erely doubted it& )ut he was definitely te%porary2 and %ore disturbingly2 had the potential to break her heart& 6as it in danger at the %o%entN -robably not& )ut a week fro% now when he was gone2 when he left town ne#er to returnwho knew about thenN Right now she skated the thin edge of being e%otionally in#ested2 but feared a single %isstep or a single endearing $rook of these de#ilishly talented lips $ould send her reeling into %isery& 8f she had a brain in her head2 shed retreat fro% this battle hed started2 stop tugging the shirt fro% the waistband of his 3eans( 5ot bare skin2 supple %us$le ;he groaned low in her throat2 a purr of pleasure2 and her roa%ing pal%s feasted on his flesh& ;hed %ake hi% re%o#e his wonderful hands fro% her ass2 and shed run as fast as she $ould ba$k to her own house and barri$ade the door& "nfortunately2 her brain had already $eded $ontrol to the fe#er in her blood2 the fight being ena$ted through sexual warfare2 an ulti%ate winner-take-all war for the upper hand2 and she knew she had a better $han$e of da%%ing the ,ississippi with ;illy -utty than resisting hi% now& )e$ause she didnt want to&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ;hed wanted ,i$k hi#ers the instant shed seen hi%& 5ad longed to feel hi% tou$hing her like this2 kissing her2 hea#en help her2taking her the way he was right now& 5e was laying siege and2 while she was putting up a #aliant fight2 she would gladly lose if it %eant shed get to $o%e apart in his ar%s& 8n fa$t2 shed gladly let hi% $on<uer the hell out of her& 6hat was that old sayingN Ne#er take a hill you werent willing to die onN Thats what this felt like& Laying it bare2 gi#ing it e#erything2 lost and beyond $aring;he $ouldnt help herself& ;he$ouldnt stop& ;he wanted hi% too desperately2 te%porary or not& 5e dragged her shirt up and o#er her head2 tossed it aside2 then <ui$kly popped the front $lasp of her bra& A se$ond later2 wonderfully sexy lips were on her pouting nipple2 tugging it into the hot $a#ern of his %outh& ;arah =ane gasped2 pleasure bolting through her2 and set about re%o#ing his $lothes2 as well& E#ery $ell in her being s$rea%ed for instant release2 desperate to put the hardest part of hi% into the softest part of her& ;he $ould feel her pulse beating a steady tattoo in the heart of her sex2 her folds sli$kening2 readying for hi%& ,ore i%portantly2 she $ould feel hi% beneath her2 hot2 hard and huge2 nudging deter%inedly against her& ;he ripped the shirt fro% his body and flung it aside2 then aligned herself %ore fir%ly against hi%2 flexing her hips on the hard2 3ean-$o#ered ridge of his arousal& ;he whi%pered2 <ui#ered as sensation whipped through her& 8t wasnt nearly enough& ;he needed to be $loser& As though reading her %ind2 ,i$k slipped his hands beneath her bla$k leggings and panties and2 not e#en bothering to unbutton or un4ip2 slid the% o#er her ru%p& ;he wriggled2 on$e2 twi$e2 helping hi% along2 then ki$ked the% off and onto the floor& ;he was naked& 5e wasnt& )ut that was easily re$tified2 she thought2 her hand going to the snap of his 3eans& 5e drew in a startled breath2 su$king his belly away fro% his waistband where the tip of his swollen penis sprang free& 5er fingers brushed hi% as the 4ipper whined& !;onofabit$h2' he whispered& ;he %o#ed his boxers o#er his hips and out of the way2 then took hi% in her hand and worked the slippery skin against her pal%2 %ilking a single bead of hot %oisture fro% the tip& E%boldened2 she swirled her finger o#er the top and heard hi% swear again2 this ti%e e#en %ore #ehe%ently& ;arah =ane s%iled& 5ed wanted a war2 hadnt heN )efore shed e#en $o%pleted the thought2 he had her on her ba$k and was li$king a deter%ined path down her belly2 his hands ski%%ing o#er her sides2 as though %e%ori4ing e#ery indentation2 e#ery in$h of skin& 5e paused at her belly button2 slipping his tongue inside2 e#en as his fingers brushed her soaked $urls& 8t was as though his tongue had depressed a $at$h in her hips2 %aking her legs fall open for hi%2 baring herself to hi%& ,i$k dragged a finger through her folds2 unerringly honing in on the sensiti#e nub nestled at the top of her sex& 5e pressed a finger deep inside2 then hooked his thu%b around and knu$kled her
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html until her ba$k bowed off the bed& !,i$k&' !@es2 ;arah =aneN' 5is #oi$e was ladened with %ale $onfiden$e2 and she i%agined that sexy grin in the darkness& !Thats a n-neat tri$k& -$an you do it w-with so%ething other than your f-fingerN' A wi$ked $hu$kle sounded2 and a heartbeat later he was la#ing and su$kling2 lapping at the heart of her with his tongue& ;arah =ane felt her eyes widen2 her belly <uake and a startled part gasp2 part laugh tear fro% her throat& That wasnt what shed %eant2 but sweet God2 it would do& A shuddering breath leaked out of her lungs as the first flash of $li%ax $aught fire& ;ee%ingly sensing that she was $lose2 ,i$k drew ba$k2 hastily grabbed his 3eans and withdrew a $ondo% fro% his wallet& 5e tore open the pa$ket with his teeth2 fished the prote$tion out and swiftly rolled it into pla$e& !;arah =aneN' )a$k to being $hi#alrous2 was heN she thought2 suppressing the wild urge to laugh& 5ed 3ust stripped her naked and tasted e#ery inti%ate part of her& :id he ha#e to askN ;he angled her hips up2 brushing purposely against hi%& !@es2 ,i$kN' 5e bent forward and sipped at her nipples2 abrading her skin with his fi#e o$lo$k shadow& ! an 8 $o%e into youN' he asked2 his #oi$e low and hoarse with need& ;he angled up against hi% on$e %ore2 then bent forward and nipped at his shoulder2 li$ked that deli$ate skin at the hollow of his throat& 8f shed had a white flag2 she would ha#e wa#ed it& 8 surrender& )ut her answer would ha#e to suffi$e& !@es2' she breathed& ! o%e into %eand %ake %e $o%e2' she added wi$kedly& FK AN: ,A+E ,E *,E& 8t was an absolute %ira$le that he didnt ha#e a s$rea%ing orgas% right then2 ,i$k thought2 $hu$kling softly at her sinful $o%%and& !@ou bet2' he said& An instant later2 he was inside of her2 buried to the hilt in her wel$o%ing
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html folds& 5e groaned as her fe%inine %us$les $la%ped around hi%2 holding hi% in pla$e& And e#en as his body de%anded the ex<uisite fri$tion of %o#e%ent2 e#erything inside hi% went still as a pea$e %ore fulfilling than anything hed e#er experien$ed swept through hi%2 %ending fissures2 $leaning out the $lutter stu$k to his soul& 5e felt strangely energi4ed2 but $al%soothed2,i$k reali4ed with a flash of insight2 the thought so uni<ue and profound he felt a $urious tingling in the ba$k of his throat& 7or the first ti%e in his life2 he reali4ed he was exa$tly where he was supposed to be& 6ith her& 8n her& ;arah =ane wrapped her legs around his waist and ro$ked beneath hi%2 her greedy body absorbing his thrusts& 5e pushed deep and hard2 then harder and faster and faster still& 5er dark blond hair fanned out beneath her head2 the %oonlight pi$king up strea%s of $ara%el& 5er soft breath whispered against his skin2 her eager hands slid o#er his ba$k and grabbed his ass2 urging hi% on2 as if she was desperate for the release that ho#ered 3ust out of rea$h& 7unny2 ,i$k thought& 5ed wanted to punish her for belittling their kiss2 when theyd both known it had been so %u$h %ore& +issing her had rattled hi% to the #ery $ore& 5ow dare she say that it was !3ust a kiss'N That was like saying the Ta3 ,ahal was 3ust a building or the Atlanti$ was 3ust an o$ean& That kiss had shaken hi% to the soles of his feet2 had %ade hi% abandon what was left of his good sense and his restraint and had %adeher prioritieshis& )ut2 too late2 he saw the flaw in his reasoning(an o$$urren$e that was happening with entirely too %u$h fre<uen$y for his $o%fort& 8f %erely kissing her had rattled what was left of his already i%ploding world2 what the hell had he expe$ted to happen when he %ade lo#e to herN 5ow $ould he ha#e thought for an instant that it would 3ust be sexN =ust an attra$tionN 5ow $ould he think that hed walk away fro% her an un$hanged %anN )e$ause2 ,i$k reali4ed2 as her heels dug into his ass2 her beautiful breasts slid against his $hest and her s%all hands lo#ingly %apped his ba$k2 desperate and re#erent2 eager and in awe2 there was no way hed e#er be the sa%e& The knowledge should ha#e spooked hi%2 should ha#e s$ared the hell out of hi%2 be$ause hed ne#er felt this way before& 5ed ne#er %et a wo%an who si%ply did it for hi% the way ;arah =ane did& )ut ,i$k hi#ers had ne#er been afraid of anything in his life and hed be da%ned if hed start now& ;he was 3ust a girl2 he told hi%self as he pu%ped in and out of her2 desperate to belie#e it& ;he was 3ust a girland he was 3ust a guy who $ould <uite possibly fall in lo#e with her& 8f he hadnt already& ;arah =ane %ade a keening $ry low in her throat and her ne$k ar$hed ba$k2 e#en as her hips upped the te%po between the%&
!*h2 ,i$k& 8 need(8 want(' ,e2he %entally supplied&@ou need %e& @ou want %e& ;he thrashed wildly beneath hi%2 %aking little %ewling sounds that2 i%possibly2 %ade his swollen di$k stiffen e#en %ore2 3ust shy of the point of pain& 5is balls hardened until he thought theyd shatter& 5e $ould barely breathe2 his lungs were so tight& 5e $ould feel his release gathering for$e in his loins2 building and building2 but refused to let it go until shed gotten hers& ,ake %e $o%e2shed said& And he would2 if it freakin killed hi%& 6ith his heart threatening to pound right out of his $hest2 ,i$k rea$hed down between their 3oined bodies and knu$kled her $lit on$e again& That teeny a%ount of pressure was all it took to send her flying o#er the edge& 5er ba$k bowed off the bed2 her %outh opened in a soundless s$rea% and he $ould feel her tight little body $losing around hi%2 again and again2 hard $ontra$tions that ulti%ately set hi% free2 as well& The orgas% blasted fro% the ba$k of his loins like a bullet down the barrel of a gun2 and with ea$h $ontinuing pulse fro% her body2 he <ui#ered and shook& Gooseflesh ra$ed up and down his spine2 and it took e#ery bit of strength he possessed not to $o%pletely $ollapse on top of her& 5ands down2 it was the %ost in$redible sex of his life& And he knew why& 5e knew2 though he didnt want to ad%it it2 didnt want to e#en a$knowledge what was happening to hi%& The differen$e was her2 ,i$k knew& ;arah =ane 6alker2 his hell$at2 his she-de#il& 5e $hu$kled softly2 gently pressing a kiss to her $heek& 5is little badass& The <uestion was3ust what in the hell was he supposed to do with herN -arti$ularly when he didnt know what he was going to do with hi%self&
!6ELL2 T58; 8; ERTA8NL@a signifi$ant $hange in e#ents2' Tina said2 staring at ;arah =ane in wide-eyed astonish%ent& !@ou know2 when you $alled this %orning and said you were going to %iss breakfast2 8 didnt think that %u$h about it& 8 3ust thought you were staying ho%e and li$king your wounds&' 5er lips twit$hed& !)ut that wasnt the $ase at all2 was itN @ou were too busy li$kinghi%& ' ;arah =ane finished putting a $oat of paint on the pi$ket fen$e that would go around their 7ried -ie 7esti#al booth2 and felt the tops of her ears burn& !*nly after he $a%e $lean2' she said&
Tina $o$ked her head in be%use%ent& !5e $a%e $leanN ReallyN 8n %y experien$e its always been a little(' she ga#e a deli$ate shudder !(%essy&' ;truggling to keep a straight fa$e2 ;arah =ane glared at her friend& !:id you $o%pletely %iss the part where 8 said he was going to help %e find the willN That he hadnt felt right about any of this sin$e the beginningN That hastitys e#il plan has ba$kfired be$ause the la$key she thought she was hiring isnt a la$key at all2 but a heroN' ;arah =ane <uirked a brow2 pra$ti$ally giddy at the thought& !6ere you listening to %e at all2 or are you %ore interested in teasing %e about the best sex 8#e e#er had in %y lifeN' Tina dipped her brush on$e %ore& !;eriouslyN The best e#erN' !Tina&' !7ine&' 5er friend relented& !8f you want to fo$us on the whole #illain-to-hero aspe$t of this( whi$h ad%ittedly is pretty da%ned ro%anti$(then 8 suppose thatll work for %e&' ;he slid her a look& !)ut its still not as 3ui$y as the sex news if you ask %e&' >illain-to-hero aspe$t2;arah =ane thought2 se$retly pleased with her friends assess%ent& That $ertainly see%ed fitting& =ust a $ouple of days ago ,i$k had been the instru%ent of her destru$tion2 but things had definitely $hanged& And though theyd sear$hed e#ery nook and $ranny of her old house(and shed departed the pre%ises with her %others wedding dress2 her fathers pipe2 as well as a few photo albu%s shed wanted(and they still hadnt found the will2 ;arah =ane felt $onfident that2 together2 they would& As a %atter of fa$t2 next week during the festi#al2 while e$il was busily 3udging the $o%petition2 they planned to sneak away to sear$h his offi$e& 6ith any lu$k theyd lay hands on it and be ba$k at the town s<uare by the ti%e the winners were announ$ed& 8n the %eanti%e2 hastity was going to be lulled into a false sense of se$urity2 i%agining that her wat$hdog was in pla$e2 espe$ially sin$e ;arah =ane had e#ery intention of spending %ost of her ti%e next week with ,i$k& ;he grinned& And so far2 her plan was working out splendidly& Though he hadnt stayed with her last night2 ;arah =ane had e#ery intention of asking hi% to do so tonight& ;hed %et hi% first thing this %orning at the ,ilton -lantation and2 despite se#eral lengthy kisses2 whi$h led to so%e pretty intense sex2 theyd %anaged to get an in$redible a%ount of work done& No doubt she would finish ahead of ti%e2 whi$h was better for e#eryone all around& Er#ins do4er s$hedule wouldnt be interrupted2 and with ,i$k at her side for the next week2 shed en$ouraged ,ason to take ti%e off to s$ope out a few lo$al $olleges2 so%ething hed been postponing in fa#or of working with her& Though shed always done the %a3ority of the sal#age work herself2 ;arah =ane had to ad%it ha#ing a $apable se$ond on the 3ob with her wasni$e& Not to say that she didnt appre$iate
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ,ason(she did& )ut ,i$k,i$k worked with the sa%e $are and effi$ien$y that she did2 and while shed always lo#ed her 3ob2 she had to ad%it shed lo#ed it %ore the past $ouple of days with hi% by her side& 6hyN A %illion little reasons(that $rooked s%ile2 the hu%or in those unusual blue eyes2 the way his $ho$olate wa#es be$a%e %ore endearingly unruly as the day wore on& 5e was s%art and funny and e#ery on$e in a while(usually when he had the $a%era pointed at her(shed $at$h hi% looking at her in a %ost pe$uliar way& *ne that %ade her heart swell with the bloo% of so%ething spe$ial& ;o%ething rare& 5ow did she know thisN )e$ause she was gi#ing hi% the sa%e unsure $an-8-trust-what-8%feelingN look& 6hen shed said last night had been the best sex shed e#er had in her life2 ;arah =ane hadnt been lying& 5ands down2 the absolute best sex e#er& 8t had ro$ked her world2 shook her uni#erse2 sent her sailing past $loud nine and ba$k again& )utit had been so %u$h %ore than that& :a%n those if-onlys2she thought& ,i$k hi#ers2 a da%aged2 restless2 guarded island unto hi%self2 a lonely %ustang2 for%er %ilitary2 soon to be for%er se$urity spe$ialist2 with see%ingly no plans for the future2 whod spent %ore ti%e at a boarding s$hool than at ho%e2 whod learned $arpentry fro% his grandfather and ne#er %entioned parents or siblings(a %an she knew see%ingly nothing about(had %anaged2 with 3ust a $rook of those de#astatingly sexy lips2 to insinuate hi%self into her affe$tions& No2 as %u$h as ;arah =ane would like to tell herself this was %erely a har%less flirtation pun$tuated with %agnifi$ent sex2 she knew better& ;he knew herself better& 7or the first ti%e in her life2 she $ould look ahead and see a future(one that was as i%aginary as the life shed planned on -onder 5ill& ;till2 in her %ind she $ould see hi% by her side in her drea% house2 the% %aking lo#e in the blue glow of stained glass beneath her wishing angel& "nfortunately2 she didnt know ,i$k as well as she knew herself& )ut with any lu$k that would soon $hange& Tonight2 they planned to order a pi44a2 then ;arah =ane had pro%ised to show hi% the fine art of fried pie %aking& 8t was 3ust an ex$use2 of $ourse& ;he would ha#e in#ited hi% o#er to wat$h paint dry if it %eant she $ould spend another %inute with hi%& =ust knowing that he was lea#ing soon(an unspoken assu%ption(hung like a bla$k $loud o#er their otherwise rosy new ro%an$e& )ut rather than think about that unpleasantness2 shed borrowed another page fro% ;$arlett *5aras book and tried not to think about it& To%orrow was another day& 8t wasnt the brightest or %ost %ature ta$k2 shed ad%it2 but shed work with what she had&
And right now all she had was a li%ited ti%e fra%e that was going to ha#e to last her a lifeti%e& !;o no lu$k finding the will2 thenN' Tina asked2 drawing her ba$k into their $on#ersation& !None2' she ad%itted2 frowning darkly& !8 think shes destroyed it&' 8t was 3ust the sort of thing hastity would do& 5er fathers last wishes2 tossed aside like so %u$h garbage& Tinas worried ga4e %et hers& !;urely to God e$il has %ore sense than that&' !*ne would hope2' ;arah =ane said with a shrug& !)ut you ne#er know with %en&' 5er friend snorted& !@ou $an say that again&' ;he slid ;arah =ane a #eiled look that instantly pi<ued her $uriosity& !@oure not the only one who had so%e interesting a$tion last night&' !6hatN' ;arah =ane breathed& !:id you hear fro% haseN' Tina $hu$kled& !8n a %anner of speaking& 5e $alled and left a %essage on %y %a$hine2 saying hed be o#er after he Qfinished spilling his intestines into our lo$al sewer syste% to ha#e a little $hat with %e&' ;arah =ane $hoked on a laugh& ;he $ould 3ust i%agine his outrage& ;er#ed hi% right for hurting her friend& !;o 8 in#ited ,ark 5iggins o#er for dinner and ser#ed hi% %y le%on arti$hoke $hi$ken2 roasted new potatoes2 peas in white sau$e and' Tinas eyes twinkled with #engeful hu%or& !)anana pudding2' ;arah =ane finished breathlessly2 awestru$k at her friends diaboli$al plan& hases %eal&5is absolute fa#orite2 the one Tina %ade only for hi%& 8f the way to a %ans heart was indeed through his sto%a$h2 then wat$hing another %an en3oy his bounty had to ha#e positi#ely eaten hase up& !8% so proud of you2' ;arah =ane said2 i%pressed& !That sounds like so%ething 8 would do&' !8 know&' ;he s<uealed delightedly2 apparently sho$ked at herself& !8 opened e#ery blind and e#ery $urtain in the dining roo%&' ;he giggled& ! hase beat on the front door like an outraged elephant& 8t was wonderful&' !6hat did you doN' !8 $al%ly told hi% that 8 had a date and we were trying to en3oy our %eal& 8f he was hungry or looking for $o%pany he $ould try /FI 7irst ;treet&' ;arah =ane felt her eyes widen signifi$antly& !Lauras address& ;troke of genius2' she said2
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html nodding& !"tterly brilliant&' Tina %ade a %oue of regret& !8% not sure how brilliant ,ark thought it was& 5e knows how 8 feel about hase&' ;he ga#e a little %iserable snort& !5ell2 the whole town knows that&' !:ont worry about ,ark2' ;arah =ane told her& !5es always happy for a good %eal& As for hase8ll bet hes <uestioning what heknows today&' Tina $rossed her ar%s o#er her $hest& !8 hope youre right& 5e $ertainly see%ed 3ealous&' !5as he $alledN' !;e#eral ti%es& 8#e been ignoring hi%& 5e $a%e by laras this %orning and she wouldnt let hi% into the kit$hen&' ;arah =ane grinned& !Ex$ellent& 8 think this is 3ust what he needs&' !8 dont know about that2 but it feels good to stop being the #i$ti%2 8 $an tell you that&' Tina s%iled sadly& !8 should ha#e listened to you a long ti%e ago&' Re%e%bering the little insight shed had last night about her friends feelings2 ;arah =ane shook her head& !Nah2' she said& !8 belie#e that e#erything happens in its own ti%e for its own reason& "ntil now2 you ha#ent been ready&' ;he ro$ked ba$k on her heels& !Now you are&' Tinas $on$erned ga4e %et hers& !6hat about you2 ;arah =aneN Are you going to be Qready when ,i$k lea#es townN' ;arah =ane ignored the pri$k of uneasiness in her $hest and shrugged& At this rate2 ;$arlett *5ara wouldnt ha#e enough pages in her book to %atter& !5onestly2 Tina2 8% trying not to think that far ahead&' !6hether youre thinking about it or not2 its $o%ing&' Tina win$ed2 her fa$e a %ask of $on$ern& !8 3ust dont want to see you get hurt& 8 know that ,i$ks ended up being a really great guy(and 8% thrilled that hes going to help you(but that boy looks like the type whos always sitting onG2 waiting on*& ' ;he hesitated& !8 guess what 8% trying to say is(' ;arah =ane s%iled sadly& !8 know what youre trying to say2 and 8 know2 so no worries2 okayN 8 know what 8% doing&' Lies2 lies2 all lies& ;he didnt ha#e any idea in hell what she was doing& ;he 3ust knew she $ouldnt stop&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html FL ,8 + -L" +E: AN*T5ERberry fro% the basket on ;arah =anes kit$hen $ounter and wat$hed her $arefully flip another fried pie& ;he wore a frilly apron o#er her trade%ark slee#eless shirt and shorts2 her hair pulled into its usual ponytail& There was a s%udge of flour on her adorable $hin2 and while he knew he should tell her about it or wipe it off hi%self2 he thought she looked too da%ned $ute& *ne of her $ats(Nod2 if %e%ory ser#ed(wound around her legs while she stood at the sto#e2 and all three dogs lay sprawled under the kit$hen table& Norah =oness #oi$e floated fro% an under-the-$ounter : player2 and the strong s$ent of $inna%on sugar fla#ored the air& !All right2' ;arah =ane said2 transferring a war% pie onto a plate for hi%& !8% a pie purist2 whi$h %eans 8 dont want any whipped topping or i$e $rea%& 5owe#er2 if youd like so%e2 8 ha#e one or both&' ,i$k grinned& !A pie puristN' 5er answering s%ile was $hiding& !:ont %o$k %e& 8 told you we take our pie seriously around here&' 5e nodded and rea$hed for the fork she handed hi%& !8 re%e%ber&' ;he giggled2 the sound #ibrating through hi%& !@ou thought we were all $ra4y2 didnt youN' !8 dont know where you would ha#e gotten that idea&' ;arah =anes lips $urled& !@ou %ean that Q8#e-landed-in-@okel#ille look on your fa$e wasnt supposed to tip us offN' ,i$k $ar#ed off a $hunk of flaky pie and lifted his $hin& !8 dont know what youre talking about& 8#e already told you that 8 was too busy staring at your ass to think about pie or anything else&' !@ou were fa$ing %e when we were talking about pie2 boy genius&' 5e s%iled e#illy& !;orry& 8 %eant your breasts&' ;he gasped and wha$ked hi% with a dish towel& !Try it2' she said2 gesturing to his loaded fork& ,i$k winked at her2 then took a bite& 6ar%2 sugary2 the perfe$t blend between tart and sweet&Like her2 he thought again& 5e groaned in pleasure and his ga4e swung to hers& !This is wonderful2' he said thi$kly& !No wonder you win e#ery year&' !8 ha#ent won e#ery year2' she said& !=ust the past three&' ;he s%iled& !)ut 8#e got so%e new $o%petition this year that 8% a little worried about&'
!*h2 reallyN 6hoN' ;he grinned& !Tina&' ,i$k in$lined his head& !Ah& 6hat sort of pie will Tina be enteringN' !8 dont know& Though we#e ne#er kept se$rets fro% ea$h other in our li#es2 shes guarding her entry like its the holy grail&' ;arah =ane <uirked her lips& !8ts <uite annoying of her2 a$tually&' !6ell2 8 dont $are what she enters2 you#e got her beat&' !Thank you2' she said2 nodding pri%ly& !8% glad you like it&' !;eriously2 ;arah =ane& 8ts fabulous&' 5e took another bite& !5a#e you e#er thought about trying to sell the% through any of the lo$al stores around hereN' ;he shook her head and a shadow passed behind her eyes& !Nah2' she said& !This re$ipe belonged to %y %other& 8ts a pie$e of %y past2 not a %arketing strategy&' ;he took a dish$loth and wiped down the $ounter& !This is 3ust %y way of honoring her2 if that %akes sense&' ,i$k swallowed& !*f $ourse&' ;he turned to look at hi%& !6hat about youN Any fa%ily traditionsN' )efore he $ould stop hi%self2 he snorted& !Erno&' ,i$k glan$ed at her2 then away& :a%n2 this was awkward& !8% not what youd $all $lose to %y parents2' he ad%itted& 5er lips twisted& !8 gathered that when you %entioned boarding s$hool&' !8 wasra%bun$tious2' ,i$k said2 glossing o#er the !bad seed' $o%%ent hed on$e heard his father %ake& !And %y parents werent $ut out to ha#e kids& Theyre both $ollege professors2 s$holarly2 studious& They were always so wrapped up in their 3obs and ea$h other that 8 think 8 3ust(' he swallowed and gestured !(got in the way&' A flash of outrage lit her eyes2 %aking so%ething in his heart shift& !)ullshit& They be$a%e parents& They should ha#e nurtured you2 treasured you2 not dubbed you a proble% $hild and shipped you off to %ilitary s$hool&' ;he blushed2 e#idently fearing shed o#erstepped her bounds& !;orry2' she said& !8 know its not %y pla$e(' ,i$k wa#ed his hand again2 se$retly pleased with her outrage on his behalf& 5ed barely re#ealed the tip of the i$eberg and she knew exa$tly what she was dealing with2 right out of the gate& !8ts fine& 6ater under the bridge&' !,aybe now2 but 8ll bet it nearly drowned you as a kid& :id you stir up a lot of troubleN Try to get sent ho%eN'
5e blinked2 surprised& !Er' ;he lifted one sli% shoulder in a shrug and s%iled& !8ts what 8 would ha#e done&' !8 did in the beginning2' ,i$k found hi%self telling her2 surprised at how easily the words were $o%ing& !)ut then 8d get ho%e and 8d be %ore %iserable&' 5is ga4e found hers& !)elie#e it or not2 it ended up being the best thing for %e& 8 was always pulling so%e sort of prank2 always getting in trouble& 5ell2 8 told you what %y ni$kna%e was2 the one 8 got in =u%p ;$hool&' !The 5ell-raiserN' ;he nodded2 and those gorgeous eyes2 lit with hu%or2 tangled with his& !8 re%e%ber& And 8 $an see where that would fit& @ou do see% a bitrestless&' !RestlessN' !*r as Tina says2 Qsitting onG2 waiting on*& ' ,i$k laughed& !Thats a new one&' !8 ha#e %ore&' !6hy a% 8 not surprisedN' !5opefully2 be$ause 8% fas$inating2' she deadpanned2 $ausing a bark of laughter to ru%ble fro% his $hest& !@ou are that2 ;arah =ane2' ,i$k said2 sidling $loser to her& 5e pi$ked up a bla$kberry and fed it to her2 felt his di$k twit$h as her ripe %outh $losed around the su$$ulent fruit& !And %ore&' 5er ga4e sear$hed his& ! an 8 ask you so%ething2 ,i$kN' 5e gri%a$ed& !"sually that <uestion is followed by a %ore personal one&' !8t is personal2' she ad%itted& !)ut 8% $urious and its not in %y nature not to ask <uestions& @ou $an reser#e the right to refuse&' 5e nodded& !All right& ;hoot&' !@ou said this was your first 3ob sin$e lea#ing the %ilitary& )ut you#e ne#er saidwhy you left&' ;he win$ed slightly2 waiting for his response& !Too personalN' :a%n& !No proble%2' she said2 stepping away fro% hi% when he didnt respond& !7orget 8 asked& 8 3ust
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html (' !8 s$rewed up2' ,i$k ad%itted& !Thats the short answer& 6ill that suffi$eN' ;he studied his fa$e and the flash of pity he saw in her eyes %ade hi% wonder what hed re#ealed& 5e felt raw and open2 as though she were del#ing into his thoughts2 seeing things he wanted to keep hidden& !8t will& Thank you&' !Tit for tat2' ,i$k said& !8 want to ask you so%ething&' ;he shrugged& !Ask away&' !Last nightwhat %ade you de$ide to trust %eN' 5e didnt know why her answer was i%portant2 but it was2 and hed been wondering about it all day& 5ed de$ei#ed her six ways till ;unday and yet shed still so%ehow %anaged to find %erit in hi%& 5owN *n$e again that penetrating ga4e $aught and held his& !)e$ause you were so desperate for %e to belie#e you2 to belie#ein you& 8 knew you had to be telling the truth&' ;he shrugged and offered a slightly wi$ked grin& !8 was also hopelessly in lust with you2 and sleeping with you see%ed like an ex$ellent $onsolation pri4e&' Another $hoked laugh got strangled in his throat& ! -$onsolation pri4eN' 5ed been $alled %any things in his life2 but that was definitely a first& !8t see%ed only fair2' she said& !@oud put %e through hell& 8 figured the least 8 should get was an orgas% out of it&' !*nly oneN' ,i$k said2 playing along& !8 was a total bastard& 8 think 8 owe you %ore than one2 dont youN' ;arah =ane pi$ked up the basket of bla$kberries and a $an of whipped $rea% and started out of the kit$hen& ;he shot hi% a sidelong glan$e and grinned& !@ou dont really think youre here 3ust to eat pie2 do youN'
-RE:8 TA)L@2 ,i$k followed her into her bedroo%& 5e pulled his shirt up o#er his head2 re#ealing a $hest so heartbreakingly perfe$t she wanted to weep& !8 thought you said you were a pie puristN' !8 a%&' ;arah =ane set the berries and $rea% on the nightstand2 then wiggled out of her $lothes2 lea#ing nothing but the apron on& !6ho said the whipped $rea% was for pieN' The look on ,i$ks fa$e was pri$eless2 and a slow2 knowing s%ile slid o#er that endearingly sexy %outh& !@ou like sho$king %e2 dont youN @ou like telling %y heart that its okay to ha#e an atta$k&'
!6rong& 8 need you to stay healthy2 otherwise 8 $ouldnt $lai% %y $onsolation pri4es&' 5e nodded2 $o%ing purposefully toward hers2 his 3eans unbuttoned and sagging at the waist2 his %anly feet bare& All %ale& All hers& !Ah2 yes2' he said& !And that would be a tragedy& 8 would hate for you to feel slighted&' 5er ga4e dropped to the i%pressi#e bulge in the front of his pants and a shuddering breath leaked out of her lungs& !8 $an assure you2 8 ha#e yet to feel slighted&' 5er eyes widened $onsiderably& !*#erwhel%ed2 but ne#er slighted&' ,i$k fingered the gau4y la$e along the edge of her gingha% apron& !Ni$e2' he %ur%ured& !8% glad you appro#e& Take off your pants&' 5e $hu$kled2 %u$h to her delight& !@oure bossy&' !And yet it turns you on&' ;he ga#e hi% a gentle sho#e onto the edge of her bed and <ui$kly stripped his pants and boxers off2 then swept the% out of the way& !6hate#er ga#e you that ideaN' ;arah =ane painted the head of his penis with a %ound of whipped $rea%2 $ausing a hissing sound to e%erge fro% between his teeth& ;he took hi% in her hand and deliberately li$ked it off& !This&' ,i$k lay ba$k on the bed with a shaky laugh& !*h2 well& 8ts hard to argue with that e#iden$e&' ;arah =ane grinned and li$ked hi% again2 %aking a slow2 deliberate path around the engorged head of his penis& !*r when the e#iden$e is so hard&' 5e let out a growl2 one that %o#ed into her bones& ;he su$kled hi% deep2 li$ked and la#ed2 en3oying e#ery in$h of hi%& 5e was s%ooth and hard2 slippery and wet2 and she lo#ed the way he felt against her tongue& 5er body grew languid2 yet energi4ed with e#ery pull of hi% deep into her throat& ;he $upped his tautened balls2 gently playing with the% as she upped the te%po2 su$king harder2 fli$king her tongue o#er the sensiti#e head& ,i$ks thigh %us$les abruptly tightened2 heralding his i%pending $li%ax& As %u$h as she wanted to keep tasting hi%2 she wanted to feel hi% $o%e inside of her %ore& ;he snat$hed a waiting $ondo% fro% the bedside table2 opened the pa$kage2 then swiftly rolled it into pla$e& A se$ond later2 she was straddling hi%& The first bu%p of hi% against her throbbing $lit pushed the breath fro% her lungs2 and feeling hi% slide in$h by in$h inside of her all but %ade her go boneless& ,i$k leaned forward and lat$hed on to a nipple2 his hot %outh tugging at her2 inad#ertently pulling at a ner#e that ran between her breast and her sex& ;he $la%ped her %us$les around hi%2
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html dragging up2 then pushing ba$k down2 riding hi%(hea#en help her2 lo#ing hi%(with her body5e was glorious beneath her2 all sleek %us$le and supple skin2 with a dusting of hair o#er his $hest& 7eeding at her breasts2 pushing up inside of her The beginning of $li%ax stirred in her a$hy wo%b and she rode hi% harder2 her thighs burning fro% the exertion& 5er breath $a%e in winded little gasps2 and with e#ery thrust of his hips2 she spiraled $loser and $loser to the point of no return& ,i$k bu$ked #iolently beneath her2 %o#ed to the other breast2 su$kling hard& 8t was down and dirty sex2 ;arah =ane thought2 knowing the ti%e for tenderness would $o%e later& After they both did& )ut right now she 3ust wanted this(hi%2 hot and hard2 dri#ing into her as though his #ery life depended on bringing her to release& The orgas% $aught her unaware2 broadsided her& 5er body $ontra$ted around hi%2 e#ery throbbing pulse weakening her further and further& ;e$onds later she was $o%pletely spent2 wrung dry2 but wet and satisfied& ,o%entarily sated2 ,i$k <ui$kly rolled her onto her belly2 dragged her hips up off the %attress and pushed into her fro% behind& !8& Lo#e& @our& Ass2' he said2 pun$tuating ea$h word with a hard thrust& 5e pal%ed her botto% lo#ingly2 slid his hands o#er her ru%p in that possessi#e %anner that put her in %ind of a $a#e%an& *r a beast& *r a hell-raiser& Either way2 she 3ust knew she liked it& 5e bent forward and li$ked the s%all of her ba$k2 %aking her ar$h into hi%2 unwittingly %eeting hi%& 6ith e#ery brutal push2 his balls slapped at her a$hing flesh and2 i%possibly2 she felt her sex ripen for release on$e again& Too soon2she thought2 $ertain shed pass out fro% the pleasure& 5e rea$hed around and unerringly found her $lit2 %aking a #ee with his fingers so that e#ery thrust s<uee4ed with 3ust the right a%ount of pressure& ;he shattered& 6hite turned to bla$k and bla$k to white2 then the whole world went gray before returning to $olor& ;arah =anes %outh opened in a s$rea%2 but she didnt hear it& ouldnt& E#ery sensation2 e#ery ner#e ending2 e#ery bit of per$eption was $on$entrated between her legs2 and it was all that she $ould do to $ling to $ons$iousness& ,i$k thrust on$e2 twi$e2 three ti%es2 then buried hi%self to the hilt and stayed there& ;he $ould feel hi% pulsing inside of her2 his big body <uaking behind her2 a pool of heat where his release
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html gathered at the end of the $ondo%& 5e kissed the s%all of her ba$k on$e %ore2 $arefully withdrew fro% her2 re%o#ed the prote$tion with the help of a tissue fro% the nightstand& Then2 still breathing a bit unsteadily2 he rolled her into the $rook of his ar% and tenderly stroked her hair& !@ou know what 8 think2 ;arah =aneN' he asked2 his #oi$e rusty and a bit weak& ;he s%iled against his $hest2 feeling safer and %ore $ontent than she e#er had in her life& !6hat2 ,i$kN' 5e pressed a re#erent kiss to her te%ple& !8 think youre the pri4e&' 5er throat $logged with e%otion&And you#e won %e2 she thought2 i%agining handing her heart o#er to hi%2 silently praying that he wouldnt break it& F/ !GRA,-;N' A week later ,i$k drew up short at the sight of his grandfather $o%ing out of the ) and )& !8ts bad for% to in#ite a %an down for a #isit2 then stay out all night2 boy2' harlie hi#ers said& !8 hope youre not getting into any trouble&' *nly the kind that $ould ruin hi%2,i$k thought2 on$e again wondering what the hell he was doing with ;arah =ane& 6ell2 te$hni$ally2 he knew what he was doing(he was falling in lo#e with her& ;e$ond by se$ond2 %inute by %inute2 hour by hour2 day by day he was growing %ore and %ore atta$hed to her& "nfortunately2 his life was utterly dire$tionless2 and though hed like nothing better than to stay in this $o$oon of happiness hed found with her for the past week2 the %ore he thought about it2 the guiltier he felt for dragging her into the fray& ;he was happy& ;he was $ontent& ;he had a town she lo#ed and a $areer she $ared about& ,eanwhile2 he was still at odds2 without any sort of $ohesi#e plan for his future& All he knew at the %o%ent2 besides the %illions of little things hed $o%%itted to %e%ory about ;arah =ane2 was that e#erything he tou$hed e#entually turned to shit2 and he didnt want that to happen to her& 5e $ared about her too %u$h& Though it had been a #ery unpleasant $all(be$ause he feared hed be letting another friend down(hed rea$hed 5u$k on his $ell phone this %orning while ;arah =ane was in the shower2 and let hi% know he wouldnt be returning to Atlanta or $ontinuing to work for Ranger ;e$urity&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 5u$k had a$tually laughed& !8 didnt figure you would2 ,i$k& 8ts her2 isnt itN' :a%n know-it-all2 ,i$k thought& 5ed ne#er been able to get anything past his buddy& Le#i2 either2 who% hed also $alled& -ast ti%e2 but better late than ne#er& Rather than answer 5u$ks leading <uestion2 hed offered to rei%burse the $o%pany for hastitys lost in$o%e(thankfully2 he had a si4able nest egg stashed away in sa#ings(and $ould easily $o#er it& 5u$k had assured hi% that wouldnt be ne$essary2 then predi$tably asked hi% what his plans were& Ex$ellent <uestion2 ,i$k thought2 still at a loss for any kind of an answer& Right now2 other than finding that will for ;arah =ane and getting out of town before he $ould do any %ore har%2 he didnt ha#e one& oward2a little #oi$e taunted&@oure s$ared& @oure afraid of falling in lo#e with her& @oure afraid of letting her $are for you& @oure afraid of s$rewing this up2 too& 5e wished he $ould argue with that little #oi$e2 tell it to go to hell2 then eat bla$kberries fro% ;arah =anes belly button for the rest of his life2 but he knew better& "ntil he got his head on straight2 he didnt ha#e any business getting $loser to her2 or worse yet2 letting her get any $loser to hi%& The idea of hurting her %ade his skin go $la%%y and his pal%s sweat& And the idea of lea#ing her %ade hi% si$k to his sto%a$h& )ut he $ouldnt do this& Not now& Not with her& ,essing up his own life was one thing2 wre$king hers was another& 5adnt he learned that with arson 6ellsN 5adnt that nearly destroyed both of the%N This last week with ;arah =ane had been pheno%enal& 5ed gotten a gli%pse of what his world $ould be like with her in it& )eer and pi44a2 hard work and a sense of satisfa$tion2 laughter and lo#e2 hot sex and sweet affe$tion& Apple-s$ented hair and bla$kberry tattoos2 the $li$k of puppy feet on a hardwood floor& :o%esti$& 6onderful& 5appy& Things hed ne#er really $onte%plated before& 5e sighed& )ut ulti%ately beyond his rea$h& At least at the %o%ent& !6hat ti%e did you get in2 Gra%psN' ,i$k asked as his grandfather began to stare at hi% with an odd expression& !8 thought you said you $ouldnt %ake it&' !8 $hanged %y %ind2' he said& !8 got into town about six last night2 8 re$kon& -retty little burg2
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html isnt itN 5opping s<uare& 8 played $hess with a guy last e#ening2 did a little flirting& Good food2 too&' 5e nodded& !That ,abel knows how to fry a $hi$ken&' 5is grandfathers faded blue eyes sear$hed his& !5ows the 3ob $o%ingN' !8ts not2' ,i$k ad%itted2 gri%a$ing& 8n <ui$k su$$ession he presented the fa$ts to harlie2 lea#ing out the bit about how hed fallen for ;arah =ane2 and $on$luding with his new and i%pro#ed plan to beat the hell out of e$il ;i%%ons until he ga#e up the will& Naturally2 he hadnt shared his alternate plan with ;arah =ane(shed want to help2 and hed rather she stay out of it& 8f anybody went to 3ail today2 it would be hi%& harlie %o#ed the toothpi$k hed been $hewing fro% one side of his %outh to the other2 then said2 !;ounds to %e like this was a bad deal fro% the start2 ,i$ky& @ou ne#er were a good liar& 8ts what %ade you su$h a good soldier&' ,i$k swallowed& !Thanks2 Gra%ps&' !*f $ourse28d be lying if 8 said 8 wasnt glad to see you out of the %ilitary& Too %u$h a$tion there for a guy like you& 8 knew youd ne#er settle down2 find a wife and ha#e a few babies so long as you were a Ranger&' ;tartled2 ,i$k glan$ed up& !:ont look so s$ared2 boy2' he said2 $hu$kling under his breath& !Granted2 lo#ing a wo%an is a hellu#a lot %ore terrifying than war2 but 8% sure youll get the hang of it&' 5e paused& !@ou need any help with that ;i%%ons guyN 8 %ay be old2 but 8 aint dead yet& 8#e de$ided its ti%e to start li#ing that way&' -leased2 ,i$k grinned& !Thanks2 Gra%ps2 but 8ll handle it& 8d hate for you to %iss any of the festi#al&' 5is grandfather $lapped hi% on the ba$k& !:ont you know it& 8 $ant wait to get one of those bla$kberry fried pies you told %e about& Theyre the talk of the town&' 6histling tunelessly2 with a pro%ise to see hi% later2 harlie %ade his way down the sidewalk and headed to the s<uare& ;arah =ane2 ,i$k knew2 was already there2 setting up and getting ready& 5e instin$ti#ely knew his grandfather would lo#e her& ;he 3ust had that way about her& 8n fa$t2 the best he $ould tell2 the only people in town who didnt $are for her were hastity2 who was 3ealous2 and e$il ;i%%ons2 who was s$rewing hastity2 so he disliked ;arah =ane by asso$iation& 8t was ti%e for both of the% to lea#e his girl alone& And good old e$il was about to find that out the hard way&
:eter%ined to $at$h the lawyer in his offi$e before he2 too2 left for the festi#al2 ,i$k <ui$kly %ade his way to the %ans pla$e of business& The re$eptionist looked up when he walked in& !Good %orning& an 8 help youN' ,i$k grinned at her& !8 sure hope so2' he said2 going into full-blown !aw-shu$ks' ;outherngentle%an %ode& !8 dont ha#e an appoint%ent2 but 8 $ould really use 3ust a %o%ent of ,r& ;i%%onss ti%e& 6ould he happen to be a#ailableN' ;he frowned& !8% afraid hes finishing up a few things before he lea#es to 3udge in the festi#al& -erhaps ,onday would be betterN' ,i$k win$ed& !8t really $ant wait& 8ll only take a %inute&' 5e ai%ed another s%ile at her2 pleased when he saw her hesitate& !8 pro%ise2' he added& !All right&' ;he relented& ! o%e with %e&' ;he kno$ked on e$ils door& !,r& ;i%%ons2 you#e got a $lient here to see you& A ,r&(' ;he looked o#er her shoulder at hi%2 waiting for hi% to fill in the blank& ! hi#ers2' ,i$k said& !8 thought you said 8 didnt ha#e any appoint(' ,i$k pushed through the door and $arefully $losed it before e$il $ould get any further& 5e le#eled a hard stare at the portly older %an2 taking note of the weak $hin and re$eding hairline& 5e inwardly snorted& :efinitely an easy %ark for hastity& !:o you know who 8 a%N' ,i$k asked& There was a brief fli$ker of re$ognition before e$il %ade the wrong $hoi$e and lied to hi%& !8% afraid not2' he said2 s%iling indulgently& ,i$k walked forward2 planted both fists on e$ils desk and leaned in& !Then allow %e to introdu$e %yself& 8% ,i$k hi#ers2 for%er "&;& Ar%y Ranger& 8#e been trained in lethal $o%bat and $an break your ne$k before you $an blink&' 5is #oi$e hardened& !,ore i%portantly2 8% the %an whos going to beat the hell out of you unless you produ$e George 6alkers last will and testa%ent& A% 8 %aking %yself $learN' The lawyers ga4e narrowed& !8s this a testN :id hastity send you hereN' !8 dont work for hastity any%ore2 ,r& ;i%%ons&' ,i$k sla%%ed his fist into the %ans fa$e2 sending hi% reeling ba$kward& )lood spurted fro% his nose(probably broken2 ,i$k thought2 ti$kled that hed gotten to hit so%eone2 be$ause it a$tually %ade hi% feel better(and e$il $ried out in pain&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !5eres the way this is going to work2' ,i$k explained& !@oure going to get %e that will so that 8 dont hit you again& And 8% going to pro%ise not to ha#e you disbarred for withholding it to start with&' The $olor lea$hed fro% his fa$e& !6hatN 8(' ,i$k $a%e at hi% again& !8ll get it9' e$il s$rea%ed2 $owering away& !,r& ;i%%onsN' the re$eptionist $alled worriedly& !Are you okayN' !Tell her youre fine2' ,i$k said& !8% fine2 ,elissa2' he answered in a nasal tone& !Now get the will2' ,i$k ordered& 6ith his handker$hief $lut$hed to his fa$e2 e$il ignored the filing $abinet and instead %ade his way to a book$ase on the far wall& 5e withdrew a leather-bound book(The ount of ,onte risto2,i$k reali4ed2 one of his fa#orite reads(and fro% within its pages2 pulled a #elu% en#elope& >ery relu$tantly2 ;i%%ons handed it o#er& ,i$k <ui$kly withdrew the $ontents and2 after a brief s$an2 on$e again %et e$ils ga4e& 5is lips twisted bitterly& !6ell2 8 $an see why hastity wasnt happy with this arrange%ent& ;he got a fi#e thousand dollar settle%ent and the $ar2 and ;arah =ane got e#erything else&' !;he $an fight it2' e$il said2 drawing hi%self up& !*hN And whos going to represent that $lai%N @ouN' ,i$k grinned again& !8 doubt it& )ut let %e tell you what you are going to do& @ou are personally going to rei%burse ;arah =ane e#ery penny abo#e fi#e grand that hastity has gone through&' ;i%%onss eyes widened in pani$ as he no doubt tallied up the plasti$ surgery2 the new $ar2 the deposit on the #a$ation ho%e& !6hatN No9 8 $ant possibly(' !@ou $an and you will2 or 8ll see to it that youre disbarred& The end& @ou dont ha#e a $hoi$e2 e$il& @ou let hastity take that away fro% you& Another protest and well ta$k on so%e e%otional distress bu$ks for ;arah =ane& After all2 you#e put her through hell&' The older %an see%ed to deflate before his eyes& 5e had the %ost bewildered look& Lost2 stupid and %iserable& !8 dont know what the hell 8 was thinking2' he %uttered& ,i$k doubted whether hed been thinking at all2 but kept that tidbit to hi%self& 6ith the will in
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html hand2 he walked to the door2 then stopped short as another thought stru$k hi%& !*ne %ore thing& 8f her pie is the best2 it wins& No taking this out on her&' e$il drew hi%self up2 as though his honor had been i%pugned& !*f $ourse2' he said& !8 take %y 3udging duties #ery seriously&' !@eah2 well2 youd ha#e a lot %ore %oney right now if youd gi#en your lawyering duties the sa%e attention&' And with that parting shot2 ,i$k left& 8t was ti%e to hand the will o#er2 then do ;arah =ane an e#en bigger fa#or and get the hell out of her life while it was still on tra$k& 5is $hest a$hed at the #ery thought2 and an odd pang pri$ked his $ons$ien$e2 but he straightened his spine and deter%inedly ignored both& ,an up2 hi#ers2he told hi%self& 8f it was easy2 then it wouldnt be right2 would itN
;ARA5=ANE :8:NT +N*6what had happened between last night and early this %orning2 but so%ewhere in between2 ,i$k had gotten<uiet& And a <uiet ,i$k2 <uite frankly2 s$ared the hell out of her& 5er ga4e slid to hi% now and2 though she $ould tell he was happy that shed won her fourth $onse$uti#e #i$tory for her bla$kberry fried pies2 she $ould also feel hi% pulling away& Retreating& !Land sakes2 girl2 8 think this is the best dessert 8#e e#er put in %y %outh2' harlie hi#ers2 ,i$ks grandfather whod arri#ed unexpe$tedly2 told her& !8ll ad%it that pea$h used to be %y fa#orite2 but theres so%ething in this that 3ust %akes it a little bit better&' 5e took another bite and frowned thoughtfully& !@ou wouldnt tell %e2 now would youN' har%ed2 ;arah =ane grinned& !;orry2' she said& !8ts a fa%ily se$ret&' 5e looked at his grandson2 then glan$ed ba$k at her2 and a twinkle lit those fa%iliar blue eyes& !8 $an wait2' he said %ysteriously& ;arah =ane frowned& 6hat had he %eant by thatN ,i$k sidled forward2 his own eyes hidden behind his sunglasses& !6hy do 8 feel like hes getting %e in troubleN' !8% not getting you in trouble2' harlie said& 5e snorted& !@ou do enough of that on your own without any help&' !Thanks2 Gra%ps2' ,i$k told hi%& !Glad to know you#e always got %y ba$k&' ,erely $hu$kling2 harlie wandered o#er to ,abels booth&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !Tina doesnt see% to be taking losing too hard2' ,i$k said2 3erking his head in her dire$tion& hase had arri#ed at their booth the %inute the festi#al opened and2 despite her protests2 bought e#ery single one of her pineapple $rea% $heese pies2 deter%ined that ,ark 5iggins(or any other %an2 for that %atter(wasnt going to get another bite of Tinas $uisine& ;arah =ane grinned2 glad that hase see%ed to be $o%ing around& !8d say shes happier winning hase ba$k than a blue ribbon&' ,i$k in$lined his head& 5e hesitated2 and in that %o%ent she $ould ha#e sworn she heard her heart break& ;he knew what was $o%ing& 8nstin$ti#ely knew that whate#er he had to say was going to hurt her& !Listen2 ;arah =ane2 8 was wondering if we $ould go so%ewhere and talk for a %o%ent&' Erno& 8f she stayed here2 she $ould keep it together& 8f she walked away with hi%2 who knew what she would doN ,ake a fool of herselfN ;$rea%2 $ry2 ask for another $onsolation pri4eN ;he shook her head and pretended she didnt think anything was o%inous about his re<uest2 when in reality she $ould already feel her legs shaking& !A$tually2 8 shouldnt lea#e %y booth&' !*h&' !8s so%ething wrongN' 5e laughed darkly& !6ith youN No& 6ith %eN E#erything&' 5e looked away2 s%iled as he spotted his grandfather sha%elessly flirting with ,abel& ,i$k released a breath2 then withdrew a long en#elope fro% his front po$ket and handed it to her& 5is knu$kles were s$raped and bore the telltale signs of a re$ent fight& !8 went to see e$il this %orning and 8 got this for you&' ;arah =anes fingers went nu%b and her heartbeat ki$ked into an irregular rhyth%& 5er fathers willN ;tunned2 her ga4e flew to his& !,i$k2' she breathed& !5es going to pay you ba$k for e#ery $ent abo#e what hastity was supposed to get& *therwise2 8 ha#e pro%ised to ha#e hi% disbarred or worse&' ,i$k ga#e a grunt of disgust& !8ts no wonder she didnt want you to see it& 8 dont know if this was the will you saw2 but in this one hastity only gets fi#e thousand dollars and your fathers $ar& Thats it&' ;arah =ane sank down onto her stool and $arefully re#iewed the paperwork& 8t was 3ust as ,i$k had said& !No2' she told hi%2 swallowing hard& !This isnt the will 8 saw& :ad had left her his life insuran$e pro$eeds and part of his retire%ent fund&' ;he shook her head2 flabbergasted& !5e %ust ha#e $hanged his %ind2 %ust ha#e(' ;he stopped short as a handwritten note slipped fro% the pages& ;he instantly re$ogni4ed her fathers %as$uline s$rawl2 and a huge lu%p welled in her throat2 %aking her gasp for breath& @ou were always %y first girl& 8 hope this pro#es it& Lo#e2 :ad
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html That was it& ;i%ple and to the point2 a wealth of %eaning behind a few little words& )ut that was her dad& Though shed suspe$ted that hed reali4ed hed %ade a %istake2 he was too proud to ad%it it to her fa$e& 8nstead2 generous as always2 hed done this instead& ;arah =ane blinked ba$k tears and looked up at ,i$k& !Thank you2' she said2 her #oi$e $logged with unshed e%otion& !8 dont know how 8ll e#er %ake it up to you&' ,i$k swallowed2 shifted awkwardly& !@ou dont ha#e to& 8 3ust $ouldnt lea#e without %aking sure that you had it&' And there it was& ;he $leared her throat2 inwardly bra$ing herself& ;he knew this about hi%& +new that he was restless2 and that e#er trying to put a bridle on hi% would be an a$t of futility& ;hed been telling herself that o#er and o#er fro% the %o%ent she first saw hi%& !@oure lea#ingN' !@eah2' he said& 5e laughed2 but the sound was brittle and $o%pletely unnatural& ;o unlike hi%& !8#e2 uh2 8#e got to get a rTsu%T together2 start looking for a 3ob&' !8% hiring2' ;arah =ane said2 laying it all on the line& ;he didnt so %u$h as $ra$k a s%ile& ;he was serious and he knew it& -ain sli$ed a$ross his woefully fa%iliar fa$e& !;arah =ane2 8(' !@ou dont ha#e to de$ide now2 ,i$k2' she said& !)ut youre a great $arpenter and we work well together& Think about it2' she added& !Thats all 8% asking&' 5e see%ed to be wrestling with a de$ision& 5is 3aw worked and the e#er-present shadow he ne#er see%ed able to shake darkened around hi%& !8 ha#e thought about it2 ;arah =ane&' 5e ga#e a bark of ironi$ laughter& !The thing is2 e#erything 8 tou$h lately falls apart and 88 $ant let that happen to you&' ;o he was sa#ing her2 was heN she wondered2 instantly irritated&Thank God2 ;arah =ane thought& ;o%ething she $ould get angry o#er& *f all the $ra$k-brained2 ridi$ulous2 testosterone-inspired horseshit& !Listen2 ,i$k2 while 8 appre$iate the senti%ent2 8% a big girl& 8 $an look out for %yself& 8f you want to bail on us(' she gestured between the% !(onthis2 whate#ers happening here2 then at least pay %e the $ourtesy of ad%itting that youre a $oward or that youre 3ust not interested& :ont tell %e youre sa#ing %e2 be$ause thats total bullshit&' Though he didnt %o#e a %us$le2 she felt a $hange in hi%& That perpetual tension rea$hed breaking point& !)ullshit2 ehN 5ows this for bullshitN @ou want to know why 8 left the %ilitary2 ;arah =aneN 8ll tell you why& )e$ause 8 %ade a bad $all and sent a %an o#er a ridge and al%ost got hi% killed2 thats why&' ,i$ks #oi$e #ibrated with self-loathing and pain2 and her heart a$hed for hi%& !8 al%ost $ost a wife her husband and his $hildren their father2 be$ause 8 ordered hi% to take a risk 8 should ha#e taken& 8 went too far and he al%ost paid the pri$e&'
;arah =ane felt herself soften& !,i$k2 you $ouldnt ha#e known(' 5e laughed darkly& !8 know2 and yet nobody see%s to understand that it doesnt %ake a differen$e&' 5e paused& !Another friend helped land %e the pla$e%ent with Ranger ;e$urity& 7irst assign%ent2 what do 8 doN 8 $ross the line and get personally in#ol#ed with you&' !;urely you dont think(' !8 know it was the right thing to do2 ;arah =ane2' ,i$k interrupted2 passing a weary hand o#er his fa$e& !)ut it doesnt $hange the fa$t that 8 ha#e bot$hed another 3ob2 and while 8 ha#ent ruined a friendship2 8 sure as hell ha#ent done it any fa#ors& 8 feel like 8#e betrayed another trust&' Though she knew it was futile2 she had to argue with hi%& 5ad to try and %ake hi% understand& !,i$k2 what youre des$ribing islife2 not bad lu$k or a losing streak& Life is %essy2 its $o%pli$ated& @ou get dirty& @ou get kno$ked down2 then you pi$k yourself up again&' ;he rea$hed out and $upped his 3aw& ;he lowered her #oi$e& !These are setba$ks2 not a per%anent way of life&' !6hate#er %y life is2 ;arah =ane2 its a %ess right now2 and its not fair to drag you into it& 8% sorry&' 5e exhaled hea#ily2 then kissed her $heek2 turned and walked away& ;he wat$hed hi% find his grandfather and tell hi% so%ething2 whi$h %ade the older gentle%an frown and look ba$k at her& harlie shook his head at her in apology and followed ,i$k away fro% the festi#ities& =ust her lu$k2 ;arah =ane thought& ;he finally found a guy she $ould fall in lo#e with2 and the fool belie#ed he was being noble by abandoning her& Tears burned her eyes and a lu%p the si4e of Arkansas swelled in her throat& Tina wandered ba$k into their booth& !6ell2 you were right2' she announ$ed happily& !*ur e#il plan worked& hase has(' ;he drew up short2 gli%psing ;arah =anes fa$e& !6hats wrongN' !@ou were right2 too2' she said& !;-sitting onG2 w-waiting on*& ' ;he swallowed tightly& !5es gone&' Tina inhaled sharply& !*h2 honey2' she said& !8% so sorry&' ;arah =ane %anaged a watery s%ile and rattled the will signifi$antly& 5er friends eyes widened& !8s that what 8 think it isN' !@ep&' ;he snagged a napkin and blew her nose&
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ! o%e on2' she said& !8% going to $onsole %yself by e#i$ting hastity&' Then shed work on e#i$ting ,i$k fro% her heart& F0 *ne %onth later ;T8LL A )8T 8N ;5* +2 ,i$k helped his grandfather load the last of his stuff onto the %o#ing tru$k2 then stepped ba$k and $losed the door& !8 guess thats it2 Gra%ps&' 5e ki$ked at a loose pebble in the dri#eway& !Are you sure about thisN' !5ow %any ti%es ha#e 8 got to answer that <uestionN' harlie gru%bled& !8% %o#ing& 8% taking ,organ 7ree%ans ad#i$e fro%;hawshank Rede%ption & ,e%ber that lineN QGet busy li#ing or get busy dying&' ,i$k swallowed a long-suffering sigh& @es2 he re%e%bered& 5ed only heard it about a do4en ti%es o#er the past three weeks& !;in$e 8 aint ready to die2 8 re$kon 8ll li#e& 8 dont want to li#e here any%ore2 whi$h 8 ha#e explained to you repeatedly&' harlie paused and s$rat$hed his head& !"sually you aint so thi$k& 8 dont know what your proble% is& @ou#e been in a terrible %ood lately&' !8% not thi$k2' ,i$k explained2 su%%oning patien$e& !8 3ust think youre %aking a snap de$ision based on ,abels fried $hi$ken and an annual festi#al $entered around a dessert&' 5onestly2 when his grandfather had announ$ed that he was %o#ing to ,onar$h Gro#e(into ;arah =anes old house2 no less(,i$k $ouldnt ha#e been any %ore stunned than if harlie had suddenly announ$ed he was going to start buying foreign-%ade #ehi$les2 or planned to %ar$h in a Gay -ride parade& iting the need to be alone2 ,i$ks grandfather(despite an interesting runin with )yron2 whi$h had in#ol#ed the breaking of glass and a few $hoi$e words about keeping his $old hands to hi%self(had stayed in ,onar$h Gro#e for a few days after his grandson had left& ,i$k had assu%ed it was to gi#e hi% so%e spa$e& 5ed ne#er drea%ed the old %an had a$tually been looking for a new pla$e to li#e& !6ell2 8 hate %o#ing off and lea#ing you2 but you know where 8 a%2 and youre always wel$o%e to #isit2' harlie said& !That arti$le in:esigning 6eekly has done a%a4ing things for ;arah =anes business2 so 8% going to help her out until she finds a per%anent partner2' he added slyly2 knowing it would dri#e ,i$k $ra4y& !That ;arah =ane2' harlie added fondly& !;hes a pip& 5ard worker2 good heart2 easy on the eyes&' 5is grandfather stared at hi%& !A %an $ould do a lot worse than a girl like her&' ;o hed said2 ,i$k thought2 on$e again ignoring the pointed atte%pts at %at$h%aking& As if he didnt know exa$tly what kind of person ;arah =ane was& As if he didnt %iss her with e#ery
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html fiber of his being2 with e#ery %iserable beat of his heart& *#er the past %onth ,i$k had $o%e within a gnats ass of going ba$k2 of taking her up on her offer& After all2 he sure as hell wasnt getting anything done here& 5ed pi$ked up breathing right where his grandfather had left off2 %aintaining the deli$ate balan$e of the +entu$ky e$osyste%& 5e inwardly snorted at the thought& 5ed been restless and %iserable2 like a $at pa$ing a $age2 e#er sin$e hed walked away fro% her& And no %atter how %any ti%es he tried to tell hi%self that he was doing her a fa#or2 that until he got his head s$rewed on straight he didnt need to be$o%e any %ore in#ol#ed with her than he already was2 ,i$k $ouldnt help but think he was a first-$lass full-of-shit ass& 5is grandfather exhaled %ightily2 as though hed finally lost patien$e with so%ething& *r so%eone& Na%ely hi%& !*kay2 ,i$ky& 8#e got to say so%ething to you&' 5is bushy brows drew together in a straight line& !All %y life2 8#e tried to %ake up for the fa$t that you pretty %u$h got the shaft fro% your parents& 8 brought you ho%e with %e e#ery su%%er and 8 taught you a trade2 so that youd always ha#e a way to earn a li#ing& No2 8 didnt %ake you a ro$ket s$ientist2 but $arpentry is honest work2 and if it was good enough for =esus2 then 8 re$kon it ought to be good enough for anybody&' 5e paused& !)ut the one thing 8 ha#ent been able to tea$h you is so%ething that you $ant learn&' ,i$k blinked2 $onfused& !8f you $ant tea$h it2 then how $an you learn itN' !:ont sass %e2 boy2' his grandfather snapped& 5is sil#er head bobbed with indignation& !8ts good old $o%%on sense9 ;orry to say so2 but you dont see% to ha#e any& *r you#e lost it& Either way2 youre %aking a total %ess of things right now and2 well2 what sort of grandparent would 8 be if 8 didnt try to helpN' !The kind that doesnt insult and interfereN' he suggested& !Thats not %y style&' 5e didnt think hed be so lu$ky2 ,i$k thought2 swallowing a long-suffering sigh& !Anyway2 8 know that you#e been going through a rough pat$h lately& 8 $an tell that your $onfiden$e is shot to hell2 and with good reason& 8% not going to tell you not to bla%e yourself for that %istake with arson 6ells& )ut 8 would ask you to put one of those buddies youre so proud of into your shoes2 and tell %e if you thought they ought to feel responsible&' ,i$k paused& !@ou %ean if it had been 5u$k or Le#i whod %ade the $all to send arson o#er the ridgeN'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !Thats exa$tly what 8 %ean&' !8 dont know2' he said2 though he was lying& 5ad it been one of the%2 he would ha#e told the% the sa%e thing theyd been telling hi% for %onths& That they werent %ind readers and a soldiers orders were only as good as his intel& !6ell2 8 suggest you think on it2' harlie had told hi%& !And in the %eanti%e2 you need to get your butt ba$k to ,onar$h Gro#e and pat$h things up with ;arah =ane&' !Gra%ps(' !8 saw the way you looked at her2 ,i$ky2' his grandfather said2 his #oi$e low and knowing& !8 %ay be old2 but 8% not blind& @oure in lo#e with her&' 8t wasnt a <uestion2 but a state%ent2 one that was a$$urate and on target& !And youre %iserable&' harlie slapped hi% on the ar%& !;ee%s to %e you need to follow ,organ 7ree%ans ad#i$e2 too& Get busy li#ing or get busy dying& =ust be$ause youre young doesnt %ean you#e got a golden ti$ket&' And with that parting ad#i$e2 he $lapped ,i$k on the ba$k2 $li%bed into the $ab of the tru$k and dro#e away& To ,onar$h Gro#e& To ;arah =ane& An i%age of a big old ho%e pla$e2 restored and filled with dark blond $hildren and a %enagerie of pets2 the s$ent of bla$kberry pies in the o#en2 suddenly o#erwhel%ed ,i$k& 5e i%agined working with her e#ery day2 lying down with her e#ery night2 waking up with her e#ery %orning and all the wonderful things that $ould happen in between& 6ar% thighs2 soft breasts2 breakfast in bed2 hrist%as %ornings 5e i%agined his life with her2 and knew e#ery %o%ent away fro% her was one wasted& 5ed been su$h an idiot2 ,i$k thought2 disgusted with hi%self& A total and $o%plete idiot& And stupidity of this order de%anded a grand gesture& Thankfully2 ;arah =ane had gi#en hi% the infor%ation he needed to %ake one&
!;ARA5=ANE2 8% afraid 8#e got so%e bad news2' ,ason said2 staring at her with a hangdog expression that instantly put her on alert& 8n the pro$ess of putting her tools away2 she stilled& Theyd been working at another old house in a neighboring $ity for the better part of two weeks2 and had finally finished the sal#age& :e$iding a #a$ation was in order after su$h a hard su%%er(not to %ention the whole broken-
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html heart thing(shed booked a $ondo in *range )ea$h2 and was looking forward to taking a bagful of books and so%e suns$reen2 and hitting the sand for a little relaxation& 8f ,asons bad news 3eopardi4ed her plans2 shed <uite possibly pit$h a good old-fashioned2 bu$ket-ki$king fit2 turning her inner redne$k loose& !6hatN' she asked $autiously& !That was arl2' he said2 gesturing to his $ell phone& !8%ogene hildress has sold -onder 5ill&' 5orrified2 ;arah =ane gasped& ;ho$k lan$ed through her& !)ut 8 3ust tried to buy it fro% her a $ouple of weeks ago9 ;he swore she wasnt going to sell9' ;arah =ane began to pa$e2 sho#ing her hands into her hair2 pulling until her s$alp a$hed& !:id he say who bought itN' ,aybe if she offered that person enough %oney2 she $ould $on#in$e the% to sell& ;he felt tears pri$k the ba$k of her eyes2 and resisted the urge to drop onto her rear end and s<uall& 5onestly2 she hadnt shed a tear o#er ,i$k(shed told herself that $rying indi$ated shed gi#en up on hi%2 and she hadnt(but losing that house2 her drea% ho%e2 suddenly %ade e#erything else2 e#ery repressed e%otion2 e#ery bit of irritation2 fear2 longing and hope2 bubble up within her and pour out of her eyes& 5uge sobs $aught in her throat2 then es$aped2 one gasp at a ti%e& ;ee%ingly unsure of what to do2 ,ason hurried o#er and put a s$rawny ar% around her shoulders& !*h2 ;arah =ane2 dont $ry& arl says the buyer is interested in restoring the house and wont work with anyone but you& 8 told hi% wed go straight out there&' ;arah =ane hi$$upped and looked up& !6hatN Restore the houseN' !@es2' ,ason said& !Thats good news2 rightN' !No2 ,ason2' she said2 e#en %ore %iserable& Now2 not only was she not going to li#e in her drea% house2 she was going to be asked to restore it to so%eone elses spe$s& ;he shook her head& Nope& ;he $ouldnt do it& ! all arl ba$k and tell hi% the buyer is going to ha#e to $o%e up with an alternate solution& 8% not doing it&' ,ason blinked2 see%ingly $ertain hed %isunderstood& And with good reason(shed ne#er turned down work before& )ut this was one 3ob she $ouldnt do& !;arah =ane2 at least %eet with the guy& ;ee what his plans are&' ;he frowned& !8ts a guyN'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 5e nodded& !That was %y understanding& 8ts on the way ho%e& Lets 3ust swing by and see what he has to say&' ;hed swing by and kiss her drea%s goodbye2 ;arah =ane thought& ,ake a final wish on her angel& )ut shed be da%ned if shed fix up her house for so%eone else& Twenty %inutes later2 she $li%bed out of the tru$k and stared up at the old %ansion2 her throat tight& Rather than 3oin her2 ,ason powered the window down& !8% going to run down to arls for a %inute& 5e asked %e to $o%e by and $he$k his $o%puter& 5es ha#ing so%e trouble&' ;arah =ane frowned& 5e was lea#ingN !,ason(' !Go on inside2' he said2 %aking shooing %otions& !8ll be right ba$k&' And with that odd beha#ior2 he was off& *h2 well2 she thought& 8t didnt look as if the new owner was here2 either2 whi$h was a$tually kind of ni$e& ;hed like to spend a %inute in the old house before she left2 to say goodbye& ;he doubted whoe#er it was would appre$iate her habit of breaking and entering& Then again2 shed been in 3ail before and had sur#i#ed the experien$e& ;he lingered a %inute in e#ery roo%2 on$e again i%agining how she would ha#e restored things2 arranged the furniture2 put up her hrist%as tree and installed her $law-foot tub& Ridi$ulous2 she knew2 but she $ouldnt help it& ;hed always2 always lo#ed this house& E#entually she %ade her way upstairs2 to her fa#orite spot in the whole pla$e2 her angel window o#erlooking the property& Another lu%p welled in her throat as she stared out a$ross the lands$ape& ;he had one wish left2 ;arah =ane thought& ;hed better %ake it $ount& !;end hi% ba$k to %e2' she whispered2 tra$ing the angels robe with her index finger& !-lease&' ,i$k stepped out fro% a bedroo% on the right2 startling her& ;he inhaled sharply and $lasped a hand o#er her %outh& That gorgeous s%ile2 sexy and irre#erent and 3ust the slightest bit unsure2 $urled his lips& !5i2 ;arah =ane&' ;he stared at hi%2 unable to %ake it all %ake sense& !@ouN' she asked2 her #oi$e raw with e%otion& !@ou bought this houseN' 5e nodded& !8 did& 8t took a bit of persuading and %ore $ash than 8d planned to part with2 but after e#erything 8#e put you through8 thought it would %ake a ni$e(' his ga4e tangled with hers !($onsolation pri4e&' ;he blinked2 $onfused& onsolation pri4eN E#erything hed put her throughN !8ts yours2 ;arah =ane2' he said patiently& !8 bought it for you& A$tually2 8 bought it for us2 but 8 didnt want to get ahead of %yself&' Again that endearing s%ile appeared2 the one that %ade her
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html heart a$he& God2 shed %issed hi%& ;he $leared her throat again& ! onsidering you bought the house before talking to %e2 8d say you#e already done that&' !8 wanted to %ake a grand gesture2' he said& !;ee if 8 $ould get rid of that ;<uatting ;nake in the Grass %oniker& ,aybe ex$hange it for so%ething a little better& Like 6arrior )leeding 5earts 5usbandN' ;arah =ane grew utterly still as the i%pa$t of that little <uestion ro$keted through her& !5usbandN' 5e shrugged& !8% already doing e#erything else ba$kward& Thought 8 %ight as well go for broke and throw a proposal in there2' he explained2 as though this logi$ was $o%pletely reasonable& !7or the re$ord2 ,i$k2 typi$ally2 wo%en like it when a %an gets down on one knee and offers a ring&' 5e sidled $loser and slid the pad of his thu%b o#er her botto% lip& !,aybe so2 but 8% not asking a typi$al wo%an& 8% asking you&' 5is #oi$e grew raspy2 as though his throat was $losing up2 and his brilliant blue eyes pier$ed her& !And you are anything but ordinary2 ;arah =ane&' 5e $ouldnt ha#e found a $o%pli%ent she would ha#e appre$iated %ore2 she reali4ed2 her $hest so full she feared it would burst& !:o you want an answer nowN' she asked2 wrapping her ar%s around his ne$k& ,i$k dropped his forehead against hers in relief& !Now would be ni$e2 yes&' ;he tsked regretfully& !,y life is a %ess right now& 8 dont know if it would be fair to drag you into it2' she said2 shooting his words right ba$k at hi%& 5e laughed2 the wret$h2 then lifted her off her feet and planted a long2 hot kiss on her lips& 5er insides %elted& !Lifes %essy2 ;arah =ane& )ut 8d rather be in a %ess with you than anywhere else&' ;he grinned2 reali4ing that e#ery wish shed e#er %ade to her angel had $o%e true in this %o%ent& ;he ro$ked suggesti#ely against hi%& !Then lets get dirty&' Epilogue *ne @ear Later !6ELL2 65AT :* @*" T58N+N',i$k asked&
;arah =ane sur#eyed the outside of the house with a $riti$al eye& !That wreath2' she said2 pointing& !8t needs to be a hair to the right&' 5e expelled an exasperated breath2 but did his wifes bidding& !8snt that the one 8 3ust %o#ed a hair to the leftN' !@es2 but 8 was wrong then&' ;he bea%ed at hi% as he %ade the $orre$tion& !@ep2 thats better&' !8% glad2' he said2 $li%bing down off the ladder& !8 prefer the na%e -onder 5ill to The 6idow-%aker& And if 8 ha#e to ad3ust another da%ned hrist%as wreath 8% going to(' ;he stopped his words with a long2 slow kiss& !Take %e inside and %ake lo#e to %e before a roaring fireN' she suggested silkily& ,i$k growled low in his throat and s%iled down at her& !That sounds like an ex$ellent plan&' 5e looked through the parlor-roo% window and sighed& !8% assu%ing you %ean after our guests lea#eN' ;he s<uee4ed his waist& !6e ha#e four firepla$es2' she offered& !;urely one of those would work& 8% partial to the one in the upstairs bathroo%&' Ah2 a wonderful idea2 he de$ided& 5appier than he $ould e#er i%agine hi%self being2 ,i$k felt a $ontented grin slide o#er his lips& !5a#e 8 e#er %entioned that 8 like the way you thinkN' !,aybe on$e or twi$e&' ;he kissed the underside of his 3aw2 slid her hand up his $hest and into the hair at his nape& !5ow long until we $an run the% offN' ,i$k asked& !Lets let the% wat$h it one %ore ti%e2 then send the% pa$king&' The !it' in <uestion being their %ost re$ent ultrasound :>:& harlie and ,abel2 as well as Tina and hase(whod %o#ed into ;arah =anes old fa%ily ho%e the instant shed e#i$ted hastity (were all looking forward to wel$o%ing the next generation of potential pranksters& ,i$k grinned& True to for%2 they were beginning their fa%ily in proper hell-raising2 she-de#il style( with twins2 a boy and girl& Nowthat was a $o%pensation pri4e& And he had one %ore for his lo#ely wife& ,i$k withdrew a little box fro% his po$ket and handed it to her& !An early hrist%as present2' he explained at her un$ertain look& 7unny how the holidays used to be the %ost %iserable ti%e of the year for hi%2 but now he looked forward to the% with all the 4eal of a kid who still belie#ed in ;anta laus&
;%iling2 ;arah =ane re%o#ed her glo#es and $arefully opened the box& ;he frowned at the little pie$e of paper she found inside& !6hats thisN' !Look at it2' ,i$k said& ;he flipped it o#er and ba$k2 studying both sides2 a <uestioning expression on her fa$e& !8t looks like an old re$eipt&' !8t is2' he $onfir%ed& !7or the stained glass window upstairs& Look at the na%e on the re$eipt&' A se$ond later2 her delighted gasp e$hoed between the%2 war%ing his heart& !Lillian ,ae 6alker& )ut thats(' !@our great-great-grand%other2' he stated& !@ou were right about your $onne$tion to the house& Lillian %ade your wishing angel&' ;arah =anes eyes sparkled with tears of 3oy& !5ow did you find thisN' she asked& 5e shrugged& !8%ogene kept good re$ords2 and %ade it a point to keep e#erything that had to do with this house& 8t was 3ust a %atter of going through her old files&' ;arah =anes ga4e dropped ba$k down to the re$eipt2 then to the upstairs window2 after whi$h she hugged hi% tightly& !5a#e 8 %entioned that 8 lo#e youN' she asked& !@ou ha#e2' ,i$k said& !5a#e 8 %entioned that 8 lo#eyouN ' ;he pressed a kiss to his 3aw& !All the ti%e2 and in ways 8 ne#er expe$t&' 5e grinned& !Good& 8% The 5ell-raiser2 you know& 8d hate to be predi$table&' ;he $hu$kled softly& !8%possible2' she said& !"tterly i%possible&' 8;)NR JDE-F-/KME-KIKK-J T5E 5ELL-RA8;ER opyright U KIIE by Rhonda Nelson& All rights reser#ed& Ex$ept for use in any re#iew2 the reprodu$tion or utili4ation of this work in whole or in part in any for% by any ele$troni$2 %e$hani$al or other %eans2 now known or hereafter in#ented2 in$luding xerography2 photo$opying and re$ording2 or in any infor%ation storage or retrie#al syste%2 is forbidden without the written per%ission of the publisher2 5arle<uin Enterprises Li%ited2 KK0 :un$an ,ill Road2 :on ,ills2 *ntario ,L) L+J2 anada& This is a work of fi$tion& Na%es2 $hara$ters2 pla$es and in$idents are either the produ$t of the
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html authors i%agination or are used fi$titiously2 and any rese%blan$e to a$tual persons2 li#ing or dead2 business establish%ents2 e#ents or lo$ales is entirely $oin$idental& This edition published by arrange%ent with 5arle<uin )ooks ;&A& A and T, are trade%arks of the publisher& Trade%arks indi$ated with A are registered in the "nited ;tates -atent and Trade%ark *ffi$e2 the anadian Trade ,arks *ffi$e and in other $ountries& www&e5arle<uin&$o%
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The Hellraiser - Rhonda Nelson (Blaze)

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The Hellraiser - Rhonda Nelson (Blaze)

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