The Dangerous Jacob Wilde

Her hair smelled of flowers. Lily of the valley. Lilacs. He didn’t know enough about flowers to be able to identify the scent, he only knew that its fragrance was delicate and surprisingly old-fashioned.

Her breath was warm. Wine-scented. Her mouth would taste rich and sweet.

Her breasts were soft. God, she was soft. Sweet and soft. He thought what it would be like to sink into her, sink deep, have her wrap her legs around him.

In a heartbeat, he was aroused and erect and hard as a rock against her.

“Crap,” he growled, and he rolled away, shot to his feet, turned his back, stood with his head bent, his hands on his hips, his breathing rough and rapid.

The names she’d called him didn’t half cover the territory.

If Addison McDowell really did have a gun, she might as well shoot him because he was worthless. A man who’d get turned while a woman fought him in terror…

He took a long breath, expelled it and swung toward her.

She’d risen to her feet. She was holding the flashlight, the beam wavering unsteadily over him, over the ground, over everything. There was no gun.

He wanted to say something, but what? Finally, he cleared his throat.

“Are you—are you okay?”

She didn’t answer.

“Addison. Please. Are you—”

“Are you done?”

He winced. “I swear, I didn’t come here to hurt you.”

She made a little sound. He hoped it was a snort of disbelief but it might have been the sound of her swallowing her tears.

“Addison …”

“Go away,” she said wearily. “Just—just climb into your truck and—”

“I came to apologize. To tell you all the stuff I said back at El Sueño was—was just—”

“I don’t want your apology. I don’t want anything but the sight of you and that truck going away from here.”

Okay. She was pushing? Only a saint wouldn’t push back.

“Pretending you had a gun was pretty stupid.”

“Under the circumstances,” she said, “I think it was pretty smart.”

She was standing straighter. Her voice had taken on strength.

The lady had balls.

“Only if you don’t assume I might have had one, too.”

“Why would I think such a thing?”

Jake shrugged. “Hey, this is Texas.”

And, by God, she laughed. He breathed a little easier.

“You sure I didn’t hurt you?”