Reckonings. Cynthia Eden

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ pair of teeth lunge toward the broken glass, as if the beast were trying to get out of that window and come after him.

      He hated dogs. Jamie knew that.

      Damn her.

      Backing away now because he knew the alarm would mean the arrival of cops, he kept his eyes on that growling animal. The alarm and the dog...they wouldn’t stop him. Nothing would stop him, not now. His plans had been put in careful motion. He’d be back. He’d get his Jamie again.

      He’d searched long and hard for her, and she would not get away from him again.

      He’d see her dead first.

      * * *

      DAVIS PUSHED JAMIE against the trunk of the nearby tree. The lights gleamed down on them, as her body responded—hell, the woman was about to drive him right out of his head.

      He couldn’t stop kissing her. Her sweet taste was making him frantic. Champagne and candy...that was what she tasted like. And she was definitely making him feel a little drunk.

      He’d wanted her since the first moment he saw her. That sun-streaked blond hair, her gleaming blue eyes...and her full, sensual lips. It was her lips that had really caught his attention. Jamie had an incredible mouth. Bow-shaped, sensual—he’d wanted her mouth under his.

       And now I have her.

      Only he hadn’t quite realized he’d go full-on nuclear once he actually got to taste her. Normally, control wasn’t an issue for him, but...

      He kissed her harder. Her curves pressed against him, and Jamie had plenty of perfect curves. Full breasts, round hips. She was—

      Ringing.

      Davis stilled. Then his head slowly lifted, mostly because Jamie was pushing against his chest. She fumbled to pull a phone from a hidden pocket in her dress—very hidden. Her fingers were trembling a bit; he could see that small shake clearly.

      Jamie had been just as affected by that kiss as he had been. Good to know.

      “I—I’m sorry,” Jamie said. “But I have to take this call. It could be an emergency.”

      He knew she handled plenty of emergency cases in her practice. Just a few months back, she’d been called out when the groom—Mark Montgomery—had discovered that his prize stallion had been poisoned. Only Jamie’s immediate response had saved that animal. Others in the area relied on her, too. Jamie was the best vet they’d seen in those parts in a very long time.

      So he backed away. He sucked in a deep breath. And he adjusted his pants because he was seriously turned on by her.

      Jamie put the phone to her ear. “This is Jamie Myers—” She broke off, her breath stuttering out a bit. “No, no, I’m not home.” She surged away from the tree. “Yes, please, send the cops over. I’m on my way now.”

      He tensed. “Jamie?” Davis didn’t like the sharp edge of fear that he’d heard in her voice.

      She shoved her phone back into that hidden pocket and hurriedly scooped up her shoes. She didn’t even pause to put them on before rushing toward the line of parked cars up on the crest.

      “Jamie, wait!” He ran after her. Caught her arm and spun her around to face him. “What’s happening?”

      “The alarm went off at my place. It could be a break-in.” She pushed his hand away. “I have to go. I’m sorry, I—”

      Davis swore. “Don’t be sorry. But let me come with you.” A break-in...and she thought he was just going to stand back while she raced home? That wasn’t his style, not at all.

      “No, no, you don’t have to—”

      He caught her hand in his. “I want to. You take your car, and I’ll follow behind you, okay? But when we get to your house, don’t even think of going inside without me.” Because he’d witnessed too many bad scenes before. “I need to make sure you’re safe.”

      “Why?”

      He just stared at her.

      “Why does it matter to you that I’m safe?” She seemed legitimately confused about that point.

      “Because you matter.”

      She laughed. “No, I don’t.” Jamie pulled away from him. “The kiss was great, amazing really.”

      Yes, it had been.

      “But I have to go. Good night, Davis.” She was running away from him. Literally.

      He shook his head. She really thought he was going to let her walk—run—into danger?

      Not this time.

      He started jogging after her. And his brother stepped into his path.

      “Whoa, whoa, slow down man,” Brodie said. Brodie was Davis’s twin...and folks often mistakenly thought Brodie was the more easygoing of the two. Those people were wrong. Davis knew that neither of them had the word “easy” in their vocabulary. “Where’s the fire?” Brodie wanted to know.

      Davis elbowed him out of the way. “At the doc’s place.” He pointed after Jamie. The woman had moved fast. She was already at her car. “She just got a call from her alarm company. Something set off the system. I’m going over with her.”

      “You need me?” Brodie shouted after him.

      Because that was the way it was with his twin. Brodie had his back, always.

      “Not this time,” Davis called. “I’ll check in when I know she’s clear.” He gave a quick wave over his shoulder. “It was one hell of a wedding!” And I still can’t believe our baby sister is married. Sweet Ava...she’d finally found happiness. He’d worried about her for so many years. The pain in her eyes had torn at him. But that pain was gone now. Ava was happy. The demons of her past had been put to rest.

      He knew Mark Montgomery would do everything possible to make sure that Ava never had another moment of fear or pain in her life. Mark loved Ava. She was his number one priority. A good thing...because if she hadn’t been, then Davis would’ve needed to knock some sense into the guy—friend or no friend.

      Davis reached his truck. He jumped inside and caught the flash of Jamie’s taillights. The woman was driving hell-fast. She needed to slow down. “Be safe, sweetheart,” he muttered as he cranked up his ride. Jamie didn’t realize how serious the situation could be.

      He knew that danger waited, though. Even in the so-called safe places, like in the home where you let down your guard, danger could be hidden.

      Once upon a time, he’d thought his ranch was the safest place on earth. He’d left the ranch, gone all over the world to fight and taken on so many dangerous missions...

      Then he’d gotten the worst news of his life. His parents had been murdered in their own home. Ava had been the only witness, and she’d been shattered.

      He drove away from the ranch, following behind СКАЧАТЬ