Caught by Surprise
by Samantha Hunter

As a private investigator, Natalie’s gone incognito more than once, but never quite like this! The Miss Muffet costume she rented to crash a Halloween party doesn’t keep much under cover, and it’s caught the eye of a fellow partygoer, a hot guy apparently undressed as walking, talking sex in little more than body paint!

But Natalie has also attracted the attention of someone else at the party—the man she’s investigating! Fearful that her cover is about to be blown, Natalie grabs her nearly naked admirer and drags him into the coat closet for an instant alibi. Luckily for her, playboy bartender Ryan is more than willing to help her keep up the ruse…

Chapter One

Ryan Scott was dressed as walking, talking sex for Halloween. Wearing only a black Speedo and edible body paint, he made his way over to where his brother, Mason, dressed as a vampire, watched his approach.

“This is your costume?” Mason teased.

“I bet you don’t want to hear another joke about bloodsucking lawyers,” Ryan threatened back in good humor.

“Point taken.”

“Where’s your date?”

“She went back to her ex.”

“Tough break, man,” Ryan commiserated, though he’d never cared much for Cynthia anyway.

Mason shrugged. “It was never anything serious.”

Ryan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Mason was serious about everything.

“You here with anyone?” he asked Ryan.

“Nope, but hoping I won’t go home alone.”

“You never do.”

“I can’t imagine settling down with one woman.”

“Someday. Someday, Ryan, maybe you’ll find the one that makes you forget the rest.”

Ryan grunted his doubts, leering at a sexy demon as she passed them on her way to the bar, sheathed in red spandex, her tail flicking wickedly behind her.

“I hope that day is far, far away,” he said, making eye contact with a sexy Miss Muffet again, before she turned away.

“See you later, brother,” Ryan said, walking toward her.

* * *

When Natalie Gardener ordered the Miss Muffet outfit, she had something much, much more innocent in mind, but at least this had gotten her into the party. She’d had to strap her gun so high on her thigh it was almost indecent.

She’d been tracking Jace Harrington for days, hired by Fiona Kay to get evidence of harassment. Fiona couldn’t prove her former lover was causing her trouble, so she’d hired Natalie to do it.

Jace was a powerful guy, one of the partners in the law firm that was throwing this party. No one knew better than Natalie how a heartless, powerful man could ruin your life. She’d been on him every minute to see what he was up to.

“Hey, gorgeous,” someone said, and she looked into sexy brown eyes that were suddenly trained on her with great interest.

Speedo guy. She’d seen him eyeing her across the room. He was…well, he was hot, but she wasn’t interested.

“I was wondering—” Speedo guy started, but she lost what else he was saying as she saw Jace staring right at her.

“Come here,” she said urgently to Speedo guy, pulling him in for a kiss, hoping that would discourage Jace’s interest. She’d just look like another partier.

When her lips touched the ones of the man talking to her, it didn’t take long for his surprise to switch over to full-on seduction. Hard, toned arms came around her as his mouth nibbled hers before plunging in for a deeper kiss that made her knees knock.

Whoa. Hold on a minute!

Pulling away to catch her breath, she saw her ploy had failed. Jace was coming right at her through the crowd.

“In here,” she said, pulling Speedo guy with her.

They quickly ducked into the deep coat closet, and she plastered herself up against the wall in the corner. Speedo guy helped, reaching behind to push the coats closed behind him, taking her mouth in another hot kiss when she opened it to explain.

Good gravy, where had this man learned to kiss?

Heat scorched over her skin as he slid his hands down behind her and gripped her backside, pressing his hardness against the barely-there panties under her floofy skirt. It was more difficult than she would have thought when she pulled away, though the wall didn’t give her much leeway.

“Wait, stop,” she said, her own breathing heavy.

“What’s…wait. What the hell?” he asked as she realized his hands had traveled low enough to find the butt of her gun. “Is that a—”

“Shh! Don’t touch that,” she said through her teeth as she saw Jace through a crack in the coats. He stood for a moment, looked around, consternated, before walking away.

“I didn’t pull you in here for a quickie,” she said, trying to ignore how he was pressed up against her.

How long had it been since she’d had a man in this position? A good while.

“You could have fooled me,” he said.

“Listen, I’m in trouble. Someone’s looking for me and I need to get out of here. I need your help. And please, take your hand away from my…gun.”

Shocked silence was his only reply.

Chapter Two

Ryan was shocked at first, but his Miss Muffet was obviously a danger junkie who liked a little role play.

“Oh, darlin’, I can help you, for sure. Just tell me what you need,” he said under his breath, trailing kisses up the side of her long, graceful neck. He felt her nipples pebble under the thin fabric of her revealing top, pressing into his bare skin.

She started to say something and he dove in for another kiss, sliding his hands down to find the edges of her panties, hooking his thumbs under them.

The singer out in the main room was belting out a sexy song, and it just added to the moment, not to mention the dozens of people on the other side of the coats who could find them at any second.

He started to edge her panties down over silky hips, when her own hands pushed his away, and she turned her head when he came in for another kiss.

“This gun is real—and I know how to use it,” she said breathlessly, but the threat was clear.

“Who are you?” He was confused by whatever game she was playing. “And you’d better have a good explanation for carrying a weapon into my brother’s party, or maybe we should all find out together,” he said, turning to leave the closet.

“No, please. Listen, I crashed the party. I’m a private investigator. I’m here following someone, but they spotted me. I’m in kind of a bad spot, and I need to get out without him noticing.” She looked a little desperate, but sincere. “I can show you my license if we get out of here—it’s in my car.”

Ryan took a deep breath, unsure whether or not to trust her, but his gut told him she wasn’t lying. If she was in trouble, he couldn’t walk away.

“What does he look like?”

“He’s the only devil.”

“Let me look,” he said, peering out into the room and seeing no sign of anyone in a devil costume. “C’mon. We can leave through the kitchen and you can go around the back.”

“Okay.”

“Stay close,” he said, taking her hand.

He helped her wind through the crowd, everyone distracted by the cabaret singer. Finally they walked into the brightly lit kitchen where the caterers were just cleaning up for the night.

He smiled conspiratorially. “The back door’s this way.”

* * *

Natalie was relieved, quickly following Speedo guy down a narrow hall to a back door. He flicked on a light and she saw the evidence—multicolored body paint was now all over her, and looking down, she saw it was all over her clothes as well.

“Tell me this washes out of clothes,” she said.

“It should. It’s actually edible,” he said, lifting her fingers to his lips where he sucked off the paint from one tip.

Her toes curled.

“Cherry,” he said, meeting her eyes and holding the sexy, daring look.

Natalie swallowed hard, words deserting her.

“Mmm-hmm,” he said, licking another finger.

“Stop that.” She tried to sound threatening, but it came out breathless instead.

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

No way was she answering that. “I have to go. Thanks for your help,” she said, pulling her hand back.

“Wait,” he said and she felt his hand, warm on her arm in the cool, dark backyard. “So that gun is real?”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s just…that’s pretty sexy,” he said with a chuckle.

“You think my gun is sexy?”

“Strapped on with that garter, you bet.”

She was quiet. Most guys had the opposite reaction.

“Maybe you should hang out here, with me, until you’re in the clear,” he said, his underlying suggestion clear.

Natalie paused as she started to blurt a definitive no. She was with a gorgeous guy who turned her on, and it had been a long, long while for her. If she left, she’d go home, alone, wash the costume, review her notes.

Alone.

“Out here?” she said doubtfully.

He moved in close, ran his hands up and down her arms, and leaned in to offer a gentle kiss, a seductive, slow meeting of their mouths that didn’t end until they were pressed up against each other again.

“There’s a gazebo,” he said against her ear. “It’s closed down for the season. There’s furniture,” he said with a smile.

He was letting her decide, allowing her to walk away. Suddenly she wanted this more than she could say. Maybe it was time for a different kind of excitement in her life. Besides, she was the one with the gun, and she did know how to use it.

“Show me,” she said, taking his hand again as he led her back to the small structure where they made their way inside.

“Come here,” Speedo guy said to her as he closed the door.

Heart slamming in her chest, she joined him.

Chapter Three

Natalie couldn’t remember the last time she’d been nervous. Nervous people didn’t become private investigators, or if they did, they didn’t last long in the job.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, why?”

“You haven’t said a word,” he replied as she sat down next to him on a wicker bench. He didn’t touch her, he just waited.

She took a deep breath and slid her palm over his bare thigh, enjoying his indrawn breath.

“I didn’t think we came here to talk.”

“You are direct, aren’t you?”

“Does that bother you?” she said, slightly stung. She’d been critiqued on that one often enough from men who liked shy and submissive better. She started to draw her hand away, but he grabbed it and stopped her.

“No way. You’re a complete turn-on in every way, Miss Muffet,” he said as his lips captured hers in a hungry kiss.

She let him guide her up and over so that she was on his lap with her legs over the other side of the bench, their torsos pressed close. Wiggling so that she could maneuver the hardness of his erection just so, they both groaned in anticipation.

“Hey, wait,” she said, breathing hard.

“What?”

“What about protection? We’re not doing this if you’re not prepared.”

“You’re right,” he said, and her hopes took a nosedive until he added, “I’ll be right back—just have to run to my car. Do. Not. Move.”

He was out the door of the gazebo before she could answer, and she sat on the bench, feeling awkward. She should leave. This was crazy.

He came back in before she’d finished the thought and threw his wallet on the bench beside her. “Now, where were we?”

Natalie gave herself over to the moment, reaching behind to undo her top, sliding it off of her arms.

“Your turn.”

She watched eagerly as he reached to push the Speedo down powerful legs, and threw it on the bench beside her.

* * *

Ryan pulled her to her feet, turning her around and pressing his erection up against her soft bottom while his hands worked around to cover small, firm breasts. Kissing her neck, finding the sensitive spots that made her cry out softly as he massaged the soft globes of flesh beneath his fingers, tweaking her nipples to hard perfection.

Sliding her skirt down, he followed the movement with a trail of kisses down the length of her graceful back. His probing touch found her hot and slick, and he lightly bit her derriere as he rubbed the hard nub of flesh that made her shudder from head to toe.

He felt her tense. “Let go, Miss Muffet,” he said provocatively, sliding one finger deep inside.

Seconds later he was gratified to feel the wash of heat released from her body as a climax worked through her. He loved the sounds she made, the way she had to lean over and brace herself with her hands on the bench to ride it out.

She started to stand, and he stilled her with one hand. “Hold that pose? If it’s okay with you?”

She slid a look back at him. “No problem here,” she said sexily, giving him such a jolt that he dropped the condom package.

“What’s your name?”

“Natalie Gardener.”

“Pretty.”

“Thanks. Yours?”

“Ryan Scott,” he said, touching her again, wanting to make sure she was ready for him.

“Scott? As in, Mason Scott, the guy hosting the party?”

“Yeah. He’s my brother,” Ryan said, slightly frustrated—he wasn’t interested in talking about his brother at the moment.

Natalie turned away, and he was utterly confused.

“This was a bad idea, I’m sorry,” she said flatly, and he watched in stunned amazement as she started pulling on her skirt and top. “Sorry, but I can’t go through with this. If I’d known who you were, I never would have come back here.

Ryan wasn’t so much angry, as confused. What did it matter who he was?

“Bye,” she said, and she was dressed and out the door before he found the Speedo, slamming his knee on a post in the process.

“What’s going on?” he yelled after her.

No answer.

He ran to his own vehicle, parked in his brother’s wide driveway. He took off after her, though he had no idea what he intended to do when he caught up.

Chapter Four

Natalie knew she was driving too fast, but she couldn’t get away from the gazebo quickly enough. It was bad enough that she’d almost had sex with a guy she’d never met before. That was definitely not her usual M.O., but even worse, he was not the kind of guy she ever wanted to be involved with in any way. She’d watched her mother run through a string of guys just like him after her divorce, and it had wreaked havoc with Natalie’s life and her mother’s.

Of course, that hadn’t been enough to keep Natalie from dating the same kinds of guys in college. She imagined she would be able to handle them far better than her mom, who eventually became depressed and brittle when she realized her hopes for romance had hung on a string of empty affairs and promises. Natalie supposed she was trying to prove something—that she wasn’t her mother, maybe? She still wasn’t sure.

She also wasn’t as sophisticated as she thought—which she proved in spades when she fell in love and ended up pregnant by the son of a local politician. He was perfect—on the outside, anyway. Handsome, charming and witty, and absolutely uninterested when she told him about their problem. Except it wasn’t their problem, it was her problem, according to him. He’d told her to “handle it,” and walked away. Changed his phone number. That was that.

A week later the clinic told her that the pregnancy test had reported a false positive—she wasn’t really pregnant at all—but the damage was done. Her trust was gone.

The upside was that it made her a great private investigator. In her line of work, it was useful to suspect everyone, and she got more than an eyeful of the sleazy things people did. Particularly men cheating on their wives and girlfriends.

Taking a deep breath, she gained control of her emotions and started to merge onto the more populated road along the coast. She hit the brake to slow down, but her foot just pushed to the floor. The car continued to speed up, which made no sense—the area was completely flat, and she had let off the gas. Prodding with her toe, she couldn’t find the gas, either.

She was going too fast and traffic was slow up ahead. If she didn’t act fast, she’d plow into the back of the cars lined up at the light.

Swerving at a sharp angle to the left, she headed back toward the water. Peeking into her rearview, she saw headlights behind her. Jace?

He’d probably messed with her car while she’d been fooling around with Ryan Scott.

She was heading for the beach—her only option to stop the car was to run into the sand, and maybe the ocean. Reaching down, she rolled down her window, in case she had to get out under water. Luckily, she didn’t have to face that.

Her little car slid across the road, over the walkway and into the sand, jolting to a stop. Natalie jolted with it, teeth clenched, closing her eyes, thankful that no one had been on the sidewalk or on the beach where she ended up about ten feet from the water.

When her door was yanked open, she reached for her gun, but stopped when she saw it wasn’t Jace, but Ryan Scott.

Chapter Five

Ryan wasn’t sure if he’d survive trying to keep up with Natalie as she barreled down the road. Was she this anxious to get away from him?

What had spooked her?

She was going to get killed, or kill someone else, he thought as she headed for a line of cars parked at a light, and then took a mad curve to the left back toward the water. Something was wrong.

He dialed 911 on his cell and reported a motorist in trouble, hitting the gas and trying to catch up with her. He held his breath as he watched the small car catapult off of the curb as she steered toward the beach, slightly airborne for a second before landing in the sand, her tires finally digging into the deep sand and stopping short of the water’s edge.

Breathing again, Ryan’s heart slammed in his chest as he pulled her door open, and saw her reach for her gun.

“Natalie, it’s just me, Ryan,” he said quickly, and saw her pause.

Who had she thought he was?

“Are you okay? What the hell happened? You were driving like a maniac, like you were out of control. You could have killed someone.”

“Thanks for the update.”

“What’s going on, Natalie?”

“My car was tampered with, okay? The brakes gave out, and the accelerator stuck to the floor and I couldn’t slow down.”

“Son of a bitch,” he said, extending a hand and helping her out of the car. “I didn’t think things like that happened in real life.”

“I guess they wouldn’t, to you,” she said, sinking down to the sand.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You are who you are. Nothing bad has probably ever happened to you, has it? A charmed life, and so forth,” she said, and Ryan couldn’t figure what was bringing out this scathing response. She looked up and nailed him with a narrow-eyed gaze.

“Why were you following me? Come to think of it, why did you approach me at the party? Drag me into that gazebo?”

Shock made him pause. “I hate to be less than gentlemanly, but I didn’t drag you anywhere. You wanted to be there just as much as I did,” he reminded her.

“Strange that you managed to keep me from going to my car for a while, and then you follow me,” she said lightly.

“You think I had some part in this?”

“Did you?”

“No! I was trying to help after you took off like your ass was on fire and almost got yourself killed, not to mention anyone who was in your way. I called the cops, lady, not you. Would I do that if I was trying to kill you?”

He turned away, his temper getting the better of him. She’d had a shock, but she certainly seemed calm enough as she leveled her accusations at him. Sirens screamed close and they didn’t have another chance to speak as officers and EMTs flooded the street.

Ryan told the officers what he knew, and slid a sidelong look at Natalie, who spoke with someone else. The chick was obviously more than a little on the crazy side, and he should get in his car and leave.

Instead, he walked back over to where she stood. He’d pulled on jeans and a T-shirt that he had in his backseat, and felt the foolish urge to cover her up as the men working the scene snuck admiring glances. Natalie was hot. She was also passionate, strong and a little wild.

For whatever reason, he didn’t want to walk away.

Ryan’s life was changing. He might have talked the same old game with Mason at the party—no commitment, yadda yadda—but he was going to put his dormant MBA skills to work. He’d put in an offer on the bar—he’d be the owner, not just the bartender. He had some big plans, too. He’d enjoyed his carefree, surfer lifestyle up to this point, but now he wanted more. He needed a challenge.

Natalie posed more challenge than anyone he’d known in a long time.

He was bored with the women he dated. They were nice enough, but all of a type, predictable. Much like his life had become. He put on a good face of it, but somewhere along the way, the one-night stands with pretty women who had no expectations had become monotonous.

Natalie was anything but, and he wanted to know more about her. Would she let him close enough to find out?

Chapter Six

Natalie was tired and Ryan hadn’t left yet. Why was he hanging around?

Porches across the way lit up as people came out to see what was going on, as she talked with the police and let the EMTs check her over. No way was she going to the hospital. The EMT she was speaking with backed off, and went back to his truck as Ryan returned to where she stood.

“They’re taking the car back to the police impound, to see what they can find. The brakes were definitely cut and the fluid drained. The accelerator was rigged from the inside. I doubt there are prints, but it’s worth checking,” she said, watching the tow truck taking her car away.

“You need a lift?” he offered, and she shook her head.

“I can catch a ride,” she said, and stopped, watching the patrolman pull away, following the truck. “Or I can call someone.”

He caught her shoulder, turned her so that she was looking at him. Gone was the flirty playboy; a serious and concerned man somehow taking his place.

“Let me take you home, okay? No games, I just want to make sure you’re okay. This was…scary,” he said gravely.

“I’m fine, Ryan, really.”

He blew out a breath. “I’m not so sure I am. When I saw your car barreling up on the other ones at the light, I have never felt so helpless in my life. You could have been killed,” he said.

She was touched by his concern, which appeared genuine, though it was unnecessary. These things happened.

“When did you change?”

“While you were talking to the police—I had clothes in my car.”

“Why are you here, Ryan? I believe you weren’t involved, but why follow me?”

“I didn’t understand why you took off when you found out who I was.”

“Girls usually fall at your feet, huh?” she commented with an edge. So his concern had really been about his own ego. “Give it up, Ryan. This is a bad idea.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Just because. Listen, thanks for your help tonight, but I’m tired, and I’m stuck here in this stupid costume, and I just want to go home,” she said, suddenly exhausted. Why wouldn’t this guy just back off?

“Let me take you home, Natalie.” The way he said it sounded like he was asking, or offering, so much more.

She should walk away. She should walk all the way home as punishment for even considering it. Get away from this guy and his seductive smile and sincere eyes as quickly as possible. Still, she knew that even if she walked to another state, she couldn’t get away from the genuine concern he showed, or deny that she wanted more. She knew that the minute she went to bed, the moments in the gazebo when he’d had his hands all over her were going to come back with screaming clarity.

It was foolish. Reckless. Stupid.

But she wanted him. He was right. She could have died, or killed someone, and normally, that was just part of the job. But tonight, she had a scare. Though she wasn’t going to admit it out loud, she wanted to remind herself that there was more to her life than danger and suspicion. She hoped she could open herself up and trust someone, just for one night. With guys like Ryan, that’s all it ever was, or could be, but maybe that was okay.

She nodded, playing along. “Okay, thanks. I could use a ride.”

Natalie had experience, savvy and when all else failed, she trusted her gut. Her head was brimming with doubts and recriminations but her instincts told her that against all reason, Ryan Scott was different, too.

Chapter Seven

Ryan waited as Natalie stood in the doorway of a modest apartment talking to her client, who was petite, tanned—probably all over—and had obviously had some work done up top. She was the kind of woman he’d dated plenty of times in the past. For some strange reason, it really did feel like his past all of a sudden.

The apartment was part of a beach complex, but not one of the nicer ones. It was late, and he’d seen a few questionable characters hanging around near the street, though Natalie was probably tough enough to handle anything that came her way.

Still, he’d seen her hands tremble when she’d gotten out of her car earlier. The woman wasn’t made of stone. Some brass, maybe, and a whole lot of silk, he thought with a smile, his eyes on her hair.

Finally, she closed the door and made her way back to him. “Thanks for waiting. Fiona had her phone off. I wanted to make sure she knew what happened.”

“What is she going to do?” Natalie had explained in the car about the harassment Jace had committed—slashed tires, nasty phone messages, even messing with her credit cards. It sounded pretty bad.

“Lay low until we can get some proof, or give up and move.”

“I’ve only met him a few times at Mason’s home but he just never seemed the type to me,” Ryan said, not starting the car just yet. “I always thought he was a nice enough guy.”

“Yeah, like the guy next door that everyone loves who ends up being the one with all the bodies under his porch.”

Ryan frowned. “You see a lot of tough things in your line of work. How long can you do that without letting it poison your view of the world and everyone in it?”

“I just see what I see. Powerful, connected men—men who are used to getting what they want. They play by different rules. Or think they do. Women like Fiona, we’re fooled at first. They fall for the act, the charm.”

Ryan whistled softly. She hadn’t caught it, the slip she’d made. “You have some personal experience, some bad experience, with this yourself, don’t you? That’s why you freaked out when you found out who my brother is.”

She pulled back. He wondered if she realized how much she gave away. “Why would you assume that?”

“You said ‘we’re fooled,’ not ‘they’re fooled.’”

Her head dropped back against the headrest, revealing a long, graceful line of her neck, and Ryan’s heart flipped slightly.

“Listen, I’m just tired. It was just a slip of the tongue. Can you just take me home?”

“I was thinking about that.”

“Good—let’s go.”

“Well, what I was thinking was, if someone went after your car, wouldn’t it be safer for you to be somewhere else tonight?”

“I can take care of myself, Ryan. No way am I going to be scared out of my house into some hotel—”

“No, not a hotel. My place. You could come back with me,” he said, catching her gaze and holding it.

“Are you kidding me?” She looked at him and smiled for the first time in hours, laughing lightly. “You’re still trying to get in my pants?”

He frowned. “Don’t try to put me off by being crude, Natalie. I really do want you to be safe,” he said, reaching over and touching her chin. “I also want to have a little more time with you, to get to know you. What’s so bad about that?”

“Listen, I know I left you, uh, hanging back there, but this isn’t going to happen.”

“That’s not what this is about. You come back to my place, we have a drink, relax. I have a guest room. Unless you say otherwise, because I won’t pretend I’m not interested.”

He could see the uncertainty play across her features—he’d surprised her, and the tough mask fell away again, just for a moment.

“I must be exhausted, crazy, or losing it. Or all three,” she muttered.

He smiled more widely. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes for staying over at your place—you said it was closer anyway. Not for anything else,” she warned.

“Fair enough,” he said. It was a start.

Chapter Eight

Natalie was somewhat surprised when she stepped inside Ryan’s condo. She’d expected some kind of typical bachelor, beach-bum pad with surfboards leaning up against the door and empty beer bottles on the table or something.

Hardly.

“Wow…this is gorgeous,” she said on a breath, unable to hide her admiration of the masculine lines of the furniture with rich brown leather cushions and sturdy tables by each chair and the sofa. The brightly colored, painted walls and funky geometric rugs made the place modern and classic all at once.

“Thanks. Can I get you a drink?” There were no seductive overtones; he was just being polite.

“I’d love to shower and get out of this getup. Do you have anything I could wear?”

“I can find something. The bathroom is at the top on the left—” he pointed up the stairs “—and towels and anything you need will be in the closet there.”

Natalie nodded. “Thanks.”

Before she went upstairs she couldn’t help but walk to the sliding doors that took over one side of the small dining room. White crests of waves were still visible in the dark where they slapped up on the beach.

How did he afford a place like this on a bartender’s salary? Oh, right, he was a Scott. Family money, probably. But that didn’t make him a bad person, did it?

After her shower, she felt like a new woman and walked out to find Ryan and some clothes. She almost collided with him as he appeared with some sweatpants and a T-shirt in hand.

“Will this do? They’re mine, but they shrunk and might fit.”

“Thanks. I feel so much better. I think I must have cranked my neck when the car stopped in the sand. Do you have any aspirin?”

“Even better. I have these,” he said, holding up his hands.

She shook her head, confused.

“I don’t think I have aspirin—I don’t take it—but I could go to the store. Or I could work the kinks out of your neck for you,” he said.

Her heartbeat spiked a little, but she really didn’t want to make him run out to the store, and her neck did hurt.

“Probably not a good idea.”

“Just to get the kinks out, Scout’s honor,” he said sincerely.

How could she refuse without looking like a freak? The guy was being so nice. “Okay, thanks. Uh…where?”

“The guest room is down here.”

“Oh,” she said, admiring the vintage look of the pretty bedroom with its four-poster, cast-iron bed.

“My mom did this one. She had a blast,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s a little on the feminine side, but she enjoyed doing it for me so much.”

“Sounds like you have a nice relationship.”

“I do. My parents are both great. Lie down and relax,” he said, pointing to the bed.

She lay down on the huge bed and rolled over to her front while being very careful to keep the towel in place. She knew he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want him to.

She trusted him, at least a little. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t. The realization was startling.

“Relax,” he said again, and she sucked in a breath as she felt the bed sink under his weight.

His hands were warm, almost hot when they touched her back, and she couldn’t hold back a sigh.

“It’s the oil—it heats with touch and motion. Very good for loosening up muscles. With the surfing and other activities I do, I’ve learned a lot about how to take care of sore muscles and injuries,” he said. “And I had a girlfriend who was a certified massage therapist,” he added with some cheek, making her laugh.

“Of course you did,” she said, not caring about anything but how good Ryan’s hands felt. He worked slowly and patiently, his touch gentle but firm, turning her into little more than melted butter.

“I need to shift to reach the other side,” he said, levering himself over and straddling her butt.

Natalie had been dozing off, but she became very alert when he leaned forward to reach the other side of her neck. She was so turned on by the time he finished, she couldn’t breathe, even though he’d been a perfect gentleman.

“Better?”

“Yes, very much.”

“I’ll leave you to get some sleep,” he said, and started to get off the bed.

“Um, no? I mean, don’t leave?”

“Why?” he asked, standing very still.

“I want you,” she said plainly. There was no point being coy.

The next thing she knew, the towel was gone.

Chapter Nine

“Stay right where you are,” Ryan said as she turned her head to watch him peel off his clothes and reach into a drawer for protection.

He was slim and strong, gorgeous. She reached out to touch his jutting erection. He moved into the touch, groaning as she ran her hand lightly over him, learning him. He moaned lightly, smiling at her.

“Careful,” he cautioned. “I want you too much,” he admitted, and rolled her over to her back, lying over her so that they were melded together chin to toe, everything delightfully pressed together as he kissed her with ultimate patience, exploring every part of her mouth, until she thought she would cry from wanting more. She tried to open her legs, to put him down in between where she needed him, but he deftly moved away.

“Turn back over, like you were,” he said huskily.

“Y-you don’t have to keep up the massage,” she said, though she complied, flipping over. “My neck isn’t sore anymore.”

“I’m glad, but I wasn’t thinking about that kind of massage,” he said with mischief in his voice.

He kneaded her back for a few minutes with those warm, strong hands, but this time his palms slipped underneath her, cupping her breasts and massaging there, too.

“Ohhh,” she moaned, giving in to the urge and lifting slightly, rolling her hips against him in a sexy massage of her own. It had been a long time for her, and Ryan’s hands seemed to wipe out the memory of anyone else’s touch.

“You’re strong,” he said, “but so soft,” he added, biting her shoulder lightly as he pinched plump nipples, making her writhe beneath him. She wanted to touch him, too, to explore and tease. She tried to move, to take some control back, but he wouldn’t allow it. She groaned first in protest, and then in ecstasy as he slid his fingers down.

“Ryan, I want you, too. Now,” she said.

“You’re so beautiful, Natalie, do you know that?” he said, his cock sliding teasingly along her sex before slowly entering her as he whispered more sexy encouragements.

“Oh, yes,” she cried, sucking in a breath at the pressure and fullness as he filled her, wanting him from the bottom of her soul as he withdrew and thrust inside again, making sparks burst behind her eyelids.

The warm tension of an orgasm blossomed quickly, the relief she craved not far away. Still he teased, pushing deep and staying there, touching her until she begged him to move again. Natalie wasn’t one to beg, but she didn’t mind one bit at the moment.

“Please, I need you to move more,” she heard herself say, her voice sounding not quite like her own.

She pulled up back against him, turning her head for a kiss as he increased the tempo, going deeper, faster.

This time he didn’t stop, and suddenly her body buckled with pleasure—fierce, fiery tendrils of release seeming to explode everywhere, turning her limbs to water. She sighed, her body limp, but he held her tight and she somehow managed to keep moving with him as he broke the kiss, groaning and thrusting hard into his own climax.

He held her close, their bodies cooling, not saying another word until he gently lowered her back down to the bed.

She rolled to her back, watching him, feeling like something had changed. Something important. It wasn’t just the orgasm, which was amazing, it was…him. How he had kept her close, how he’d talked to her, how he was looking at her now.

How he made her want more.

Chapter Ten

Ryan opened his eyes to look at the lacy edge of the canopy, forgetting for a moment that they’d never made it out of the guest room. A silk scarf had stuck to the side of his face in sleep, and he peeled it off. He’d never realized how useful the cast-iron structure of the ultrafeminine bed could be, but he and Natalie had put it to very good use. She’d told him she had handcuffs at her place—real ones—and his fantasies went wild.

Smiling, he slid a hand over her hip and up the smooth curve of her back, over to her breast where a soft nipple pebbled in his hand before moving down to the soft thatch of hair where he stroked lightly. He loved touching every bit of her.

“You awake?” he whispered.

She shook her head, but he saw her shoulder shake slightly with a repressed laugh.

“Faker,” he said, willing to play. Natalie loved to play in bed, and it delighted him.

He found the hard nub of desire nestled in between the folds of her sex, already warm and slick, and stroked. She tensed slightly, but didn’t make a sound.

A new game, he thought with a smile.

What he didn’t expect was for her to turn and face him, her eyes open and drugged with desire, sparkling with pleasure, as her hand curled around his erection and stroked.

“We’ll see who gives in first,” she whispered naughtily.

“You make a sound, I stop,” he offered up as a sexy threat, knowing she’d love the challenge.

They drove each other silently mad for several minutes before both of them came, and he smothered his groan and her cry with a deep kiss, both of them emerging breathless and laughing.

“You’re fantastic,” he said with gusto, meaning it. No one had captured his attention, or turned him on so completely, as Natalie.

“Um, you too,” she said, almost shyly.

“How is it that there’s not some guy breaking down my door right now, wanting to kick my backside for being here with you?”

It was the wrong thing to say, he could tell.

“I wouldn’t be here if there was,” she said coolly, rolling away slightly and he caught her, brought her back.

“Sorry, I know. That wasn’t what I meant. Just…I’m glad there’s no one else, but I find it hard to believe.”

“Not so hard. I have a strange job, strange hours and I’m not exactly the cuddly type most guys like,” she said matter-of-factly, relaxing and seeming to forgive him for the gaffe. “What about you? How come no Mrs. Ryan Scott at home polishing your surfboard?”

He laughed a little but then shrugged. “I’ve never been interested in commitment. Nothing against it. My parents have been together for a long time, but I figured they just got lucky. The evidence around me seems to suggest that that kind of relationship is rare these days.”

She nodded. “I think you’re probably right. You’re lucky your parents are together. I don’t know if I’ve ever known anyone in a happy relationship.”

“Really? Not anyone?”

“Not personally, no. It’s probably a side effect of my work, but not my parents, that’s for sure,” she said, but didn’t elaborate.

“What else don’t I know about you?”

“That I’m starving,” she said, smiling, and he sighed. She was going to be a tough nut to crack, and something told him he’d enjoy every second of trying.

“Want to go out, or eat in?” he asked, trailing a finger lightly along the inside of her thigh and up the front of her to press against her beautiful mouth. She caught it, biting lightly.

“In, as long as you have coffee.”

It was what he’d hoped she’d say, because he wasn’t ready to let Natalie leave just yet.

Chapter Eleven

“You do have quite a life here,” Natalie said, feeling like a different woman as she sat on a chair by the beach bar, looking out over the sunny sand. Ryan had to work a short lunchtime shift, and had invited her to tag along.

Good thing his next-door neighbor, June, had dropped by, though at first Natalie was surprised by a surge of possessiveness. But it was clear they were friends, and June had even offered her some clothes to borrow for the day.

Natalie didn’t say no. She didn’t want this to end; not quite yet.

Relaxed from their night together and reluctant to return to the reality of her work, she gave herself permission to have this one day, this escape, from everything. His eye caught hers and the shiver turned to something else, warm and melting.

“Joe will be here to replace me in a few minutes. You want to take a walk?” he asked.

“That would be nice,” she agreed.

For the first time in a long time she wasn’t thinking about work and nothing else.

Be careful here, her mind cautioned, but she waved away worry. She knew what she was doing. Having some fun, enjoying herself for a change. It wasn’t like she was falling for him or anything….

No, I’m not, she insisted silently, her smile fading to a frown as she looked intently down into her drink.

“You ready?” Ryan asked, looking far too sexy in long, loose surfer shorts and nothing else. Mentally picturing him without the shorts, she smiled.

“Absolutely.” She took his hand, enjoying the feel of the warm sand between her toes.

“I missed you,” he said, kissing her fingers and working his way to her mouth. She knew it was silly because she had been sitting at the bar the whole time, but weirdly, she’d missed him, too—or missed being this close.

His mouth was warm and firm, and she was so mesmerized with the kissing that she didn’t notice he had walked them backward toward the water. Before she could gasp in realization, he’d scooped her up and ran in a few more feet, falling forward and dunking them both completely.

Natalie came up spitting, narrowing a warrior gaze on him. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she warned, stepping closer.

He crossed his arms, challenging her with a look. “Really? What are you going to do about it?”

She proceeded to show him, and it went on for a while, the two of them engaged in horseplay until they were exhausted and made their way back to shore.

“I’m not sure this top was meant to double as a bathing suit,” she said, looking down at the material that now clung to her bare breasts. Ryan was looking, too, and she saw him swallow hard, his eyes hot. Did she affect him that much? As much as he affected her?

Natalie was having the time of her life. Near dusk, they joined a game of black-light volleyball. The players and the ball were covered with special paint, reflecting the purple glow from lights placed around them. She had fun, but on the way back to the bar reality kicked in. Fantasy time was over.

“I should go home. I need to get back to work.”

“One more night,” he said seductively. “I’ll take you right home in the morning, promise.”

Oh, how she wanted to.

“Ryan!” a voice interrupted them, and a tall woman with long black hair and a knockout body approached them.

The woman put her hand on Ryan’s shoulder for a long moment and dipped in for a kiss, though he turned his face so that she ended up kissing his cheek.

“Susan,” he said, squeezing Natalie’s hand. He sounded friendly but not overly enthusiastic.

“Who’s your friend?” she asked.

“We were just leaving,” he said.

“I see. Well, I have a new number. In case you wanted to get together,” she said seductively. “I’ll just leave it at the bar.”

Natalie froze when the woman turned, her wedding rings flashing in the nearby lights.

She was married. And she and Ryan clearly had had a relationship of some sort. No, not had. Have. Present tense.

Natalie went cold.

“I—I have to go,” was all she could say. “I have to get home. I have to work tomorrow,” she said in stiff, staccato sentences.

“Natalie, wait—what’s wrong?” Ryan said, grabbing for her hand but missing as she ran back to the condo, a few hundred feet away.

She had to get her gun, her keys and leave. This had been a terrible mistake. Ryan was shouting behind her, running to catch up, but it wouldn’t make any difference.

What bothered her most was how much it hurt, because that wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to feel anything for him. She should have known better, but she knew now, and kept moving.

Chapter Twelve

“Natalie, what the hell happened back there?” Ryan caught up with her at the condo, only because she couldn’t find her things. Her eyes stung as he took her by the shoulders and turned her around.

“Can you get my gun for me, please?” she asked, not making eye contact. No way would she let him see her cry.

“Not until you tell me what this is about.”

“It’s time for me to go,” she said tensely.

“Is this about Susan?”

He tipped up her chin, making her look at him, and she fought back the tears, drawing on the anger instead. “It’s about this being over.” Then, hating herself for giving in to the urge, she added, “Why don’t you go get your friend’s number, if you’re still looking for some action? I’m out of here.”

“I could care less about Susan. She has nothing to do with us.”

“It has everything to do with us!” Natalie yelled, breaking free of his hold and getting some distance. “I see it every day. God, I grew up with it, and still, what happened? Some charming, sexy guy comes along and I make the same mistake all over again,” she said in disgust.

“If you’re talking about us, this wasn’t a mistake,” he said quietly, but with a thread of steel in his tone.

“No, not for you. You get want you want, and then move on to the next one, even if she’s married, and consider it a job well done,” she said bitterly, wiping insistent tears before they could show. She was fully aware she’d lost it, but there was no going back now. “I guess sleeping with married women is just more exciting, right? I’ve always wondered what the draw is, frankly.”

“What are you talking about?” Ryan watched her, appearing truly mystified. “I don’t have affairs with married women, and you are not just another conquest. What’s this all about?” he asked again.

Too much emotion—all of the things from her past, her childhood, her work and the last day or so with Ryan—emerged in one painful mess. “Don’t lie. Susan is clearly married—and you clearly have a relationship with her. I may be stupid, but I’m not that stupid.”

He strode up to where she stood, looking angry himself now. “First, you aren’t stupid, not even close. So stop that. Second, I am not an adulterer. Susan and I had one, I repeat one, night together. It was last summer, and she wasn’t married then. Now that she is, there’s no way, no how. I don’t go there,” he said adamantly.

“Right, sure,” she said dispiritedly. “Can you please just get my gun so I can go?”

“In this mood? No way am I handing you a gun.”

She glared at him for the joke.

He took her hands in his, and she tried to yank them back, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Listen, Natalie, I haven’t been a saint. I’ve had a lot of lovers, and very few serious relationships, but I don’t cheat. I know what commitment is. My parents are literally each other’s life. It’s only been a day, but I don’t want you walking out that door, like one more one-night stand,” he said earnestly, and caught her eye. “If you walk away, you’ve made us that, not me.”

Natalie stood, stunned, listening. All of the air seemed to have gone out of her, and she shook her head.

“I don’t know, Ryan. How can I believe you?”

“Why can’t you? Tell me, Nat,” he said gently.

Suddenly, everything rose up. She told him about her mother, about the men, the desperation, the hurt…and about her close call in college. She told him about the myriad men whom she saw cheating, men who seemed to have everything and wanted more, with no thought to the price.

When she finished, they were both quiet. She didn’t know what she expected, but it wasn’t for him to pull her close and hold her for endless minutes on end. She still had doubts, maybe more than ever, but she held on, too.

Chapter Thirteen

Ryan held on tight, more worried than he liked to be that if he let go, Natalie was going to leave, and that would be that. When he heard everything she’d gone through, he wanted nothing more than to give her everything, give her more. He couldn’t blame her for not trusting. His life, at least on the surface, was everything that had scarred her in the past. How could he convince her that he wasn’t just one more user out to break her heart?

He didn’t release her. What could he say to make her stay? He felt needy and foolish, but Natalie had worked her way into his heart, and she had all the power in the world to walk out the door.

Love wasn’t much of a choice sometimes, he realized.

He didn’t know if what they had was love—it had only been a day, after all—but he knew it was something different, special. It certainly wasn’t anything he’d ever experienced before. He liked the women he slept with—some of them were good friends whom he cared for quite a lot—but he’d never thought twice about leaving in the morning, or being left.

He didn’t like Natalie thinking he was the kind of man for whom any woman would do. Though he supposed he’d kind of lived his life that way for a while, mostly.

Natalie wasn’t just any woman. He had to find a way to let her know that, and decided to share one more secret.

“I bought the bar.”

She pulled back, looking spent, and a little confused.

“What?”

“I bought the bar. I wanted something more permanent in my life, I guess. Something real. A challenge, you know? I’ve always had ideas about how the business could be run differently, better. Maybe expanded. I have an MBA. I could do it. I had some money stashed, invested, so I bought it.”

She blinked, looking at him with something between a frown and amazement. “Why are you telling me this?”

He pushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Because I wanted you to know. No one else does, not yet. I’m excited about it,” he confessed, and found himself rattling on about changes he wanted to make, plans he had.

She listened, and the mood shifted between them. They’d made their way to the sofa, and she listened to every word, asking questions, feeding his excitement. He looked at the clock and winced.

“Crap, sorry…I’ve been going on about this for an hour,” he said, chagrined.

She smiled. Amazingly. His heart leaped.

“I don’t mind. It’s exciting. And the idea of adding on a small theme café is brilliant. You’re obviously on fire about it. I’m touched that you wanted to tell me.”

Pride blossomed along with other emotions. “Thanks,” he said, unsure what to say next, but just took the leap. “So…if you want to leave, I’ll get your stuff. But I wish you wouldn’t,” he confessed, touching her face, leaning in for a kiss. “I really wish you wouldn’t.”

She hesitated. “I don’t know, Ryan. I get it, that you bought the bar, and you’re thinking of making commitments. I don’t know that I am. I don’t know that I can. Or want to.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t think things last, I guess. This is good, what you and I had, but it’s just sex, right? Maybe we’d better not mistake it for something more.”

“Maybe we should wait and see if it is before we write it off?” he countered.

“I don’t know. I’m in the middle of this case, and there’s so much going on,” she said, standing, walking away. “Maybe if we’d met some other time. I don’t know if I can think differently than I’m used to.”

Ryan stood, determined to convince her that they deserved a chance. He just had to find the way to do it.

Chapter Fourteen

Natalie wasn’t afraid of much, but she was afraid of where Ryan was going with this. They’d had one night together—one night—and he was telling her his dreams and asking her for more.

She didn’t know how to handle it. Mostly because more than anything, this guy who was so open with his heart made her want to be with hers, too. Her damaged, lonely heart felt full again with him, but she didn’t trust it. Not really.

“Natalie,” he said, walking up behind her, the question in his voice.

She was quiet for several long moments, and then she turned and leaned in, slid her hand around the back of his head, deepening the kiss that she meant to be a goodbye. She’d let him down gently, then walk out and try to chalk this up as a nice memory.

Only, the kiss went on and on, and she didn’t let go. Neither did Ryan. Instead, heat leaped between them and he moved closer, pressing her back against the wall, trapping her.

“You’re like a drug I can’t stop,” he said, chuckling, peeling away the light clothing she had on.

She didn’t stop him.

It’s just because you’ve been without sex for so long, she told herself.

Liar, another part of her mind, or her heart, taunted.

“Maybe you’re right—maybe we don’t have anything special here, anything that would last, but then what’s the harm in finding out, right?” he said, arguing against her skin as he left kisses everywhere.

She smiled, tugging on the edge of his shorts. “You talk too much.”

They laughed and he shucked his pants, not saying one more word as he kissed her again, working his way down her throat to her shoulders and breasts, sucking one tender nipple between his lips until she was gasping, her knees giving way. He picked her up and brought her back to the couch, laying her down and letting his eyes drift over her.

She’d never had anyone look at her naked body so closely, but with Ryan, she didn’t mind one bit. What was happening here? Why couldn’t she walk away, or say no to this guy?

He wiped out any more coherent thoughts, exploring her stomach, her navel and lower to the juncture of hip and thigh. To her great satisfaction, he gently opened her more fully to his kisses, tasting the warm honey between her thighs.

She arched beneath him, mindless, begging him, giving herself over completely as he sucked gently on her clit, flicking his tongue in a way she loved. His hands slid beneath her, holding her firmly in place as release racked her, her moans and sighs taking the place of conversation.

Quietly she pulled him up, nestling his hardness in the warm core of her body. She knew this much—that this was perfect.

He filled her slowly and completely, everything inside of her clicking into place as he watched her and she watched him.

For that moment she wasn’t afraid of anything, and certainly not of Ryan. No one had ever brought her such pleasure. Maybe he was right—what was the problem in seeing what they could have together? If it didn’t last, she’d at least have had something good for a little while… All she had to do was let go, to believe, just a little bit. He made her want that, too, though she found it difficult to admit.

They moved slowly, enjoying the gentle tension, soft words punctuated with kisses until they couldn’t wait anymore and collapsed into each other on a mutual wave of release.

Ryan’s heart beat steadily against hers as they lay together on the couch, both of them unwilling to move. Natalie gave in to the moment, and in to her heart; right now, in Ryan’s arms, her doubts were gone and everything felt right.

Chapter Fifteen

Natalie had the most unfamiliar sensation dogging her all morning. Ryan had gotten up earlier, leaving after a phone call that sounded urgent. She took a leisurely shower, and was now sipping a cup of coffee, looking out at the beach.

She was happy. Imagine that.

Letting go of all the things she had bottled up for years was like releasing poisons that had been in her heart and her mind since she could remember, coloring everything she looked at, everything she perceived.

Those experiences were still with her—always would be—but now they felt distant. A part of her past, able to interfere with anything good that might be part of her life now.

Like Ryan.

It was scary. It was a risk, to believe in someone, but she couldn’t walk away this time.

She heard him come in the back door and turned to find him grinning widely as he nearly ran across the room and picked her up, swinging her around with laughter.

She had to laugh, too, though she wasn’t sure why they were laughing.

“What? What’s going on?”

He kissed her on the forehead, then the nose, then the mouth, and they didn’t talk at all for a few minutes.

“I signed the papers. That’s why I had to leave so quickly—they wanted to close the deal, and so I jumped on it. It’s done. The bar is mine,” he said, taking a huge breath, as if to steady himself.

“That’s fantastic! Calls for a celebration, don’t you think?” she said, pressing up against him in a way that left no doubt as to how she’d like to celebrate.

“I’d like that, believe me, but I have to go back out for a meeting. How about we celebrate later? With champagne?”

“I like how you think. I need to get back to work today, too. I have to talk to Fiona again.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I think it’s gone too far. I’ll talk to the cops again, especially after what happened with my car, see if she can get a restraining order and go from there. He’s too dangerous. Harassment is one thing, but attempted murder is a whole other ball game. The cops need to investigate this,” she said thoughtfully. “Maybe if we make this more public, if nothing else he might back off. He has his reputation to protect, after all.”

He looked at her intently. “This job… Ever consider doing anything else?”

She paused and shook her head. “I thought about getting into formal law enforcement, FBI maybe, but I love the freedom of what I do, being my own boss. I don’t know how I’d do in a formal setting.”

“Ah, I see.”

“That bother you?” She felt that tightness in her chest, the strangling doubt.

“I can’t help but worry. Your work is dangerous,” he said honestly. “But if it’s what you want, if you love it, then I’m behind you all the way. It’s part of who you are.”

The words sank in and her heart expanded. There were no words to tell him what that meant to her, so she nodded shortly, looking away so that she didn’t lose it and embarrass them both.

“Okay, so I guess I should get going, too—I can take a cab back, no problem.”

He frowned. “If you want to wait a bit, I can drive you back later and—”

She shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I have to get some stuff done, too. I don’t mind grabbing a taxi, really.”

“Okay, I have a feeling life is going to be crazy busy from now on, what with a new business and a new woman in my life,” he said.

She smiled and offered one more kiss. “Yeah, well, I think I’ll have to make some adjustments, too, with this new guy in my life…but something tells me he’s worth it.” Her life was changing so quickly, she couldn’t keep up.

They parted ways with more kisses, and Natalie had a hard time focusing on work for the whole ride back to her place, thoughts of Ryan taking over everything. She made her way back up to her apartment and heard something behind her. Instinct kicked in, her body tensing, senses on alert as she reached around for her weapon.

When she turned, Jace was standing behind her.

Chapter Sixteen

Natalie reached instinctively behind her for her gun—which wasn’t there. She’d left it at Ryan’s. It was the first time she’d ever forgotten to bring it with her.

“What do you want?” she asked, holding her ground. “How did you find me?”

“You aren’t the only one with resources. Mason has security cameras at his house, and private investigation licenses are public record. So who are you working for, and why are you harassing me? Someone hire you to do the dirty work? Send me the packages, the e-mails?” he accused, staring her down.

Natalie studied him. His body language wasn’t aggressive, he didn’t have a weapon. In fact, he looked pretty stressed.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been getting strange packages—women’s underwear, dead flowers, and I keep getting these untraceable e-mails. I’m giving you one chance, warning you to stop. I don’t know why you’re doing this, but I will call the police and have them here at your door, and I will press charges. Your license will be revoked.”

She gave in and nodded; something was way off here. “I’m not stalking you. I’ve been following you because you’ve been harassing a young woman named Fiona Kay.”

He looked utterly confused and shook his head. “I don’t know anyone by that name. I haven’t harassed anyone. I’m the one being stalked!”

Natalie paused. She hated to admit it, but she believed him. There was nothing in his demeanor that said he was faking.

“Can you tell me more about what’s going on?”

He threw his hands up. “Phone calls in the middle of the night, but then she started asking for my wife, my kids, telling them lies…and it started at work, too. Then the packages, the e-mails…now this. Are you working for this nutcase?”

Natalie’s stomach sank. She’d been played. If what Jace said was true, then it was very likely that her client was using her to get at him—and Natalie had been logging the guy’s daily routines, who he met, where he went, for weeks. She’d been a patsy.

“So I guess it wasn’t you or someone you hired who rigged my brakes at Mason Scott’s Halloween party?”

She knew the answer by the expression of shock on his face.

Great.

“Listen, Jace, my client is a beautiful woman, twenty-eight, long black hair, blue eyes. Ring a bell?”

He shook his head.

“Maybe someone you messed around with? An affair? Someone you pissed off in court?”

“No! I have never cheated on my wife in thirty-four years, and that’s the truth. I piss people off all the time, though, in court. But she doesn’t sound familiar.”

Natalie nodded. “Well, the good thing is that I know who she is and where she is. We’ll call the cops and we’ll get this straightened out at the station. You have these packages, these e-mails?”

“Yeah. I’m a lawyer. I saved evidence and I’ve already reported it to the police.”

“Good. Well, get them and meet me there, then. We’re getting to the bottom of this now.”

* * *

Ryan remembered halfway through his meeting that he’d never given Natalie her gun back. He was surprised she hadn’t missed it and called him already. He decided to deliver it promptly—a handy excuse to see Natalie again, he thought with a sheepish grin.

So this is what it’s like to be smitten.

Turning into the drive of the apartment complex she’d said she lived in, he drove along the winding road until he saw her building and stopped by a row of hedges, throwing the car in Park.

When he got out of the car, he saw Natalie heading back out across the lot—and she wasn’t alone.

She walked stiffly, reluctantly, and Ryan saw the woman from the other night—Nat’s client—right behind her. Something wasn’t right.

Ryan took a step forward, starting to call out her name, before he saw that the woman, Fiona, was holding something at Natalie’s back, and was pushing her into a car. Against Natalie’s will.

He eyed the glove box where he’d put Nat’s gun, but the other woman was already getting into the car. He only had one choice, and so he got back into his car and started to follow.

Chapter Seventeen

“You won’t get away with this,” Natalie said, sounding more confident than she felt. There was every chance Fiona would get away with whatever she was pulling.

“Oh, I think I will. You’ve disappeared off the radar for a few days with your new boy toy, and that’s very convenient for me. Not too many people will miss you, will they?” Fiona said with relish.

Unfortunately, she was probably right. Fiona didn’t know that Ryan was more than a boy toy, and he would certainly miss Natalie—or would he just think she’d left him and moved on?

“Why are you after Jace?”

“Jace has to pay. You know how it is, don’t you? The way these rich, powerful men can ruin your life? He’s that kind. It’s why I chose you. I knew you’d do a particularly good job of watching him.”

Natalie’s hands turned cold. When Fiona had shared her tearful story, Natalie had reassured her that she understood. Normally, she didn’t share any personal info with clients, but Fiona had been so distraught…and Natalie had played right into her hands by sharing her own past with powerful playboys. If there was anything worse than knowing you were going to die, it was that you were dying because of your own foolishness.

“The one thing I’ve always learned over the years, Fiona, is that the truth always comes out. There’s always a catch in the plan,” she said lightly, and saw the other woman’s lips draw tight.

“Not this time.”

“The deeper you get in, the more evidence you leave for them to find you, and the worse you pay later. Right now, you’re guilty of harassment, threats, maybe kidnapping or assault. You let me go, disappear, no harm no foul. You kill me and I can practically guarantee they won’t stop until they have you—and they will get you.”

“Shut up! Just be quiet,” Fiona ordered.

Natalie thought about taking the wheel and battling it out, but the road was busy, and people were driving fast—it was likely they’d end up seriously hurt or killed and perhaps some other innocent motorist would be as well.

For now, she sat back and did as Fiona asked, weighing her options silently. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many of them.

* * *

Ryan kept a few car lengths behind, and did what he had to do not to let the red Mustang out of his sight. Fiona wouldn’t think anyone was following, so that gave him a little bit of an advantage. He felt like he’d inadvertently been thrown into a cop show on TV, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

That morning, when they had talked about her work, the danger had still seemed theoretical. But he thought about the brakes going out on her car, and now this… Is this what Natalie’s life was always like?

Could he deal with that?

He’d have to find a way, as he couldn’t imagine life without her, either.

Taking a turn that went toward De Soto Park, he grabbed his phone and called his brother instead of 911. Mason had direct ties to local law enforcement. If anyone could get help, and fast, it would be Mason.

“Ryan, what’s up? I’m kind of busy at the moment,” Mason said, sounding unusually stressed. Ryan heard a woman in the background, and some other voices, and wondered what was going on, but he didn’t have time to ask.

“I need your help. I’m following a friend, she’s been taken in a car at gunpoint…they’re heading to De Soto Park. Can you pull some of your magic strings and get someone down here quick?”

“Are you kidding?”

“It’s no joke, Mason—she has Natalie. She’s going to kill her, I think. I’m keeping close.”

“Ryan, you stay out of this, whatever it is,” Mason ordered. “I’ll call the police now—you keep your distance.”

Ryan saw Fiona and Natalie stop and pull over to the side of the highway. He watched them get out and walk to the grassy area off the road.

“They’re heading into Sawgrass Lake Park, from the highway… I gotta go,” he said, ignoring Mason’s loud objections as he pulled to the side as well.

Mason could yell all he wanted to. No way was Ryan letting Natalie out of his sight.

Chapter Eighteen

Natalie dragged her feet and did what she could to attract attention as Fiona pushed her along the wooden walkway through the groves and swamp. Looking down, she sucked in a breath as she contemplated the dark water under the tangle of trees and grass shrubs.

Perfect way to dispose of a body, she figured. She’d be pretty hard to find in the swamp, even though thousands of people came here each year. The park was sprawling, and she hadn’t seen anyone so far. Fiona had obviously thought this through.

Just her luck.

“Can you at least tell me what’s going on, why you’re after Jace? You said he had to pay—what for?” she asked, stalling.

Maybe someone would happen along the trail, or see them and call for help. It was unlikely, as her captor kept the gun beneath her jacket. No one would think twice about two women out for a walk.

Turning, she faced Fiona and crossed her arms.

“Listen, I’m not taking another step. You can shoot me where I stand, but I want to at least know what the hell is going on,” she said, aware that they were in too open of a spot for Fiona to risk it. More stalling.

Fiona’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and Natalie thought for a moment that she might have pushed her luck.

“Fine. He’s a scum-sucking divorce lawyer who took my sister for everything she had. He managed to leave her with nothing when she was the one who supported her good-for-nothing husband all those years. They have their ways of bending the rules, don’t they?”

“Yes, they do,” Natalie said truthfully, wrinkling her brow. “But why are you doing this? If she doesn’t want to get her own revenge—”

“She can’t. She’s dead. She killed herself after the divorce. She just couldn’t pull herself back up again,” Fiona said tightly. “Because of those bastards. Now they’re going to pay. First Jace, then her ex.”

“So why not just go after them directly? Why put me in the middle of it?”

“If they saw me, they’d know. As for Jace, I wanted to make his life miserable in every way I could, and in the meantime, I needed someone in between to be a decoy. I planned to make sure he lost everything, just like Nancy did, and with any luck, he might off himself, too. Or I would do it.” She shrugged. “Either way is fine with me.”

“But why cut my brake lines?”

Fiona smiled. “I needed to keep your suspicions focused on him. Made you a believer, huh?”

Natalie nodded. She had believed Fiona’s lies—because of her own blindness and biases, her own negative past experiences—and made what could be the biggest mistake of her life.

“So now you know,” Fiona said, gesturing with the gun that Natalie should keep moving. “In fact, you just gave me the perfect setup. Once you’re dead, I think it would probably be much easier to just plant this unregistered gun in Jace’s car and be done with it. I’ll phone in an anonymous tip to the police about seeing a man out in the swamps with you, and voilà.”

Natalie’s stomach turned as Fiona’s face nearly shone with evil glee. She made a desperate attempt to try to break through to this woman, who was obviously insane with the need for revenge.

“No one will believe it. Jace is at the police station right now, waiting for me—I was coming to get you. The cat is out of the bag.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Fine. Would Nancy want this? Did she know her sister was a killer?”

Fiona’s features turned dark and ugly, and she took a deep breath. “Walk, or you die here, now.”

Natalie knew she was running out of time. Her only real chance was to take Fiona on, rushing the other woman and fighting for her life.

It was then that she saw Ryan appear on the other side of the walkway, holding her gun, which made the decision for her.

Chapter Nineteen

Ryan had just about given up hope when the women had come into his view. He approached slowly, keeping low, the gun an unfamiliar weight in his hand. His brother was a marksman and Ryan had gone out to the range with him a few times, but it wasn’t something that he cared for. Still, he knew how to shoot, in theory, but what chance did he have of actually hitting his target? And if he missed, what then?

“Just hang on, babe, and we’ll figure a way to take this bitch down,” he said to himself, walking softly and hoping he could get close enough to communicate with Natalie.

As he came closer, he heard angry voices and saw the woman with her back to him gesturing with the gun. She wanted Natalie to move. Obviously too out in the open to kill someone, he thought scathingly.

Suddenly Fiona moved slightly, and his eyes locked with Natalie’s—she knew he was there. He tried to signal her not to let on to his presence. If she could just hold the other woman in that spot for another minute, and he could get closer…

Then Natalie did something that stopped him in his tracks.

Seeing him, she turned her attention back to Fiona and then rushed the woman in front of her, colliding with her and pushing them both down to the wooden surface of the bridge—the only thing separating them from the water and anything that was in it.

Ryan ran forward, hoping to help, when he heard the gun go off, his heart in his throat. Had Natalie been hit? He watched as both women rolled to the side and into the swampy section of the lake.

“Natalie!” he yelled and ran to the edge, looking down at where they had submerged. A second later they came back up, still fighting. The water was so dark and murky that he couldn’t tell if anyone was bleeding, or had been shot.

“Stop! Let her go! It’s over!” he yelled at Fiona, who barely glanced at him as she grappled with Natalie.

Sirens screamed in the distance, and Ryan saw flashing lights in a far parking lot across the water. They were too far away to help. It was up to him.

Fiona still had the weapon in her hand, and lifted it up out of the water, bringing it down hard on Natalie’s neck. Natalie went limp and then sank under the water. Fiona, her expression fierce, held her there.

Ryan threw the gun down and dove in.

***

Natalie choked, trying to fight, but her head hurt and she’d blacked out for long enough that when she came to, she gasped for air and ended up sucking in water instead.

Not good.

There was a lot of thrashing in the water and she panicked for a moment, thinking about alligators, and then realized Fiona was holding her down, her fingers tangled in Natalie’s hair.

Rage fueled Natalie’s need to survive, and the fact that Ryan’s face was the last thing she’d seen before going for it. He was up there somewhere, trying to help, and Fiona still had a gun.

Then suddenly she was free, and she pushed her way to the surface, fighting nausea and looking for air. But as she came up she saw another terrifying image—Fiona was up on the bridge, with a gun, and she was pointing it directly at Ryan, who was in the water with her.

Natalie submerged, pushing closer to the side of the bridge, fighting weeds and grass in the murk. She surfaced again, directly behind Fiona. Pushing up over the top, she launched at the other woman’s legs, just as the gun fired. Natalie pulled herself up, crying, in pain and searching frantically for Ryan. The thump of hard footsteps shook the bridge as she lay over it, spotting a dark ribbon thread along the water.

Blood.

“Ryan!” she screamed, feeling herself being picked up, police swarming around her. Fiona was trying to swim away, and there was no sign of Ryan.

Natalie tried to jump back in but was restrained. She fought, crying, trying to get them to understand.

“In the water…he’s in the water,” she said before losing consciousness.

Chapter Twenty

Two days later, Natalie paced the hall of the police station, her body still sore. She sported a huge shiner, but she was more or less in one piece. She’d given her statement and was now waiting for Ryan, who had come down to the station to deliver his after being released from the hospital.

It was a blessing that his wound was minor, though he’d taken the bullet in the shoulder and had his arm in a sling. When she hadn’t thought he would come up from that water alive, she’d realized how much she felt for him. They hadn’t talked about it since then.

She couldn’t care less whatever happened to Fiona, as long as she was behind bars. Natalie could feel sorry for what had happened to her sister, but not for Fiona.

Finally Ryan emerged from the offices, but he looked worried, on top of being bruised and exhausted.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I keep trying to get hold of Mason. I haven’t talked to him since the other day, and his phone keeps going to voice mail. I can’t contact his assistant, either. They had a vacation message on their business phone. His partners said they don’t know where he is, but something’s up.”

She shrugged as they stepped out onto the sunny sidewalk. “Maybe he just took an impromptu vacation?”

“Mason doesn’t do anything impromptu. He doesn’t leave anything to chance. It’s just…weird. He would normally return my message, at least.”

“Do you want me to look into it?”

Ryan slid her a sideways smile and her heart melted. Not so much the tough P.I. now, she thought wryly.

“I’ll give it another day and we can stop by the house. Right now I have more important things to do.”

“Restaurant business?”

“Us business,” he said, pulling her over to a park bench under a tree where it was shady and cooler.

“Oh.”

He faced her, pushing some hair back from her face. “Things have been too busy to talk, and we need to do that.”

She nodded, her spine stiffening.

“What are you thinking, Natalie?”

“That I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore. I almost got you killed. That would put anyone off of a relationship,” she said, trying to keep it light though her heart was breaking.

“You saved my life. You hit her from behind and that diverted the shot. I would have been dead otherwise.”

“You never would have been in that spot if you hadn’t met me.”

“Well, that’s true,” he admitted, and they both laughed a little. He moved in closer, and she caught the scent of his soap, breathing it in. “How could you think I wouldn’t want to be with you?”

She shrugged, shaking her head.

“Natalie, it all made everything very clear. I know it’s fast, but I think I love you,” he said earnestly.

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. The words would have sent her running days ago, but not now.

Natalie looked into his face, framing his jaw with her hands. “I think I love you, too. I never thought I’d say that to anyone again, but when I thought I’d lost you, I knew I’d give anything to see you come up out of that water. And then you did,” she said, letting tears fall.

With Ryan, she could feel all of the things she’d never felt, or was too afraid to feel. It was stunning, like coming back to life again, a second time.

Ryan found her lips in a hot, deep kiss that told her how much he needed her, wanted her. She returned it without reserve.

“How about we go back to my place,” he said huskily, nibbling at her neck, sending shivers everywhere.

“But your arm…”

“I’ll manage,” he said with a laugh, and she could only imagine all of the ways they could work around that sling.

“I’ll play nurse,” she said sexily, standing and holding her hand out to him.

“I might need a live-in—the permanent, on-premises kind? You up to that?”

If Natalie had learned anything over the past days, it was that time was not to be wasted. Living with the man she loved sounded far less scary now that she knew what real fear was.

“I think that would be best,” she said with a smile, ready for whatever life would bring them, as long as they had each other.

THE END