Bucks promise mysterious adventures book 2 elizabeth lennox

Buck's Promise (Mysterious Adventures Book 2) Elizabeth Lennox

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Buck’sPromise

ByElizabethLennox

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Copyright2021

ISBN13:9781950451463

Allrightsreserved

This is a workoffiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the productoftheauthor’simaginationor usedinafictitiousmanner. Anyresemblancetoactual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited, unlessyouhavethedirectconsentoftheauthor.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

Excerptfrom“Longingfor Diesel”

A scream shattered the silence of the humid, sultry night. Sitting on the front porch of his friend’s house, Jack Winthrop turned and shot a look at his friend. “Tell me you aren’t the cause of that scream.”

BuckOwenshrugged his massive shoulders and tookanother sip ofhis scotch, stretchinghis legsontherailinginfrontofhim. “Idon’tknow whyyouwouldasksucharidiculousquestion.”

Jack chuckled at his friend’s “innocent” expression and sipped his own scotch. “So, your prettyneighbor still won’tgooutwithyou?”

Buck hid his smile behind the glass. “Her name is Nina and she’ll come around. I have a special waywithwomen.”

A moment later, both men heard several loud, barely muffled thunks emanating from his neighbor’s house. Buckwanted nothingmore thanto get up and go to the beautiful woman’s rescue, butshe’dbeencrystal clear: shewantedhimtobackoff.

There was a longmomentofsilence brokenonlybythe crickets chirpinginthe distance. No morethuds,thunks,or screechesoffrustratedfury.

Thatlastedfor perhapssixtyseconds.

“All part of your charm, eh?” Jackreplied, laughingas he shookhis head. “Youknow, you could just ask her to dinner. Start off just being friendly and, if it goes well, maybe progress to somethingmore.” Jack’s gaze moved past his friend’s shoulders, lit up onlybythe interior lights of his neighbor’s house. “Or help her move the furniture that she…” Another loud thunkindicated that the prettywomaninthe next townhouse was shiftinganother piece ofheavyfurniture around. “What thehell wasthat?”

Bucktilted his head slightly, peeringthroughthe windows of his neighbor’s house. “Aclub chair. Sheshoveditagainstthewall.”

Jacknodded witha heavysigh. “Right. Chair. And I’mprettysure that youknow whythe womanneedstomovefurniture?”

Another easy shrug. “I suppose she just didn’t like the way she’d arranged everything initially.”

Jackdidn’tbelievehisfriend. Withagroan-likechuckle,Jackfinishedoffhisscotch. “What didyoudo?”

Buckhid his grinbehind his glass. “Ihave no idea whatyou’re talkingabout. I’mjustsitting out here, enjoying the evening.” He peered at Jackover the edge of his glass. “Did you see me do something? Have I done anything inthe past five minutes that would cause the womanto decide to moveher furniture?”

Jack rolled his eyes, but Buck couldn’t see the expression in the darkness. “I know you, man,” he said withanother chuckle. “And you’re one ofthe mostdevious bastards I’ve ever met. So yeah, I don’t know what you’ve done to make your lovely neighbor crazy. But I’m pretty sure that

you’ve done something. And I ask again, why don’t you just ask her out to dinner? Or even better, cookameal for her?”

“She’s got anindependent streak,” Buckexplained. “She wants to learnto do things onher own, figure life out byherself. And she’s all excited about finallyowningher ownhome and doing thingsfor herself.” Heshrugged. “Ifshe’djustask,I’msureIcouldfixwhatever itisthat’sbothering her. Butthe womandemands to do things onher own.” He tilted his head slightly. “Irespecther for that,actually.”

Jackgroaned,shakinghishead. “Exceptthatyou’vedonesomethingtodriveher nuts.”

“I’m just sitting here,” he repeated, lifting his free hand. “I’m not even talking to her. I’m barelytalkingtoyou.”

Jacksnickered. “You’reanass.”

Buckchuckled,confirmingJack’s assumption. “I’ve offeredtohelpher several times. When thatmovingvanpulledupwithher stuff,sheletthemovingguysmoveher furnitureintoher house,but thensheinsistedoncarryingall oftheboxes.”

Jack thought about that for a long moment, contemplating the moonlight through the nowemptyglass. “Man,Ibetshehassomeawesomearms.”

Buck didn’t reply, but he silently agreed with Jack that everything about his dark-haired neighbor was hot. She had long, silky, darkhair, a heart shaped face witha cute, stubbornchin, and flashinggreeneyes. Eyes that glared daggers at himwhenever she saw him, whichwas often, since histeamhadn’thadamissioninweeks.

“Soyou’rejust…what? Goingtotormenther until sheagreestogooutwithyou?”

Buckshrugged. “Inever said Iwas tormentingher,” he pointed outsmoothly, hidingthe grin whenanother shriekechoedfromhisneighbor’shouse.

“You’retrulyevil.”

“Another roughnight?”Jinxasked,reachingfor aglasstopour her bestfriendadrink.

Nina dropped onto the bar stool, slumping over the bar with exhaustion. “I ordered a stethoscope,”shetoldJinx. “I’mgoingtofindit.”

Jinxpaused,blinkingather friendwithconfusion. “Astethoscope?”

“Yeah,”Ninereplied,soundingmoreexhaustedbythemoment.

“Youmean,thatthingthatdoctorsusetolistentoheartsandlungs?”

Nina nodded. “I’ve looked everywhere. I’mthinkingthatthe chirpingsound is comingfrom within the walls. Or maybe under the floors.” She closed her eyes for a long moment. “Maybe someone renovated the house at some point and didn’t realize that the smoke detector got stuffed behind something. Now the batteryhas died and itis justchirpingaway, tryingto letsomeone know thatthebatteryisdead.”

Jinxshrugged,tiltingher headtothesideas ifNina’s thinkingmadesense. “Areyousureit’s asmokedetector?”Jinxasked,slidingtheginger aleacrossthebar.

Nina paused to take a long sip of the cold drink, then sighed. “Thank you,” she whispered, then hid her face in her hands for a moment before sliding her fingers into her hair, mussing the previouslysilkylocks. “FromwhatIcanfind onthe internet, it’s the onlyanswer thatmakes sense. There’s a chirp every thirty-seven seconds. It never stops. The sound radiates outward in no particular direction. Just like the sound from a smoke detector after the battery has died.” She rubbed her hands over her face, closing her eyes as she tried to quell her fury. “If you know of anythingelsethatitmightbe,pleaseletmeknow.”

Jinx leaned her hands on the bar, shaking her head. “Why don’t you let James look into the situation? Iknow hecould…”

Ninaopenedher eyesandstaredather friend. “Youknow why.”

Jinx pressed her lips together with disapproval. “Nina, your ex-boyfriend was a jerk and mocked youconstantlyfor your inabilityto performanysortofhome maintenance tasks. Butatsome point,youneedtoaskfor help. Thischirpinghasbeendrivingyounutsfor over aweek.”

“Yeah,that’swhyIboughtastethoscope,”Ninaannounced.

Jinxchuckled. “And youthinkthat’s goingto help youfind the dyingsmoke detector? Ifthe stethoscopedoesn’twork,thistormentcouldgoonforever.”

Nina laughed, but there wasn’t a lot of amusement in her voice. “I don’t know! I certainly hope so! The stethoscope is so I can listen through the walls and…I don’t know! Maybe narrow downthevicinityofthesmokedetector!” Shegrippedher hair asher frustrationincreased. “Ithasto be inthe walls or the floor somewhere. I’ve lookedeverywhere else. I’ve evenunpackedboxes that Ididn’tneedtounpack,thinkingthatthedamnthingwasinone.”

“Yousaid that the previous owner of your house did some renovations. Do youreallythink thattheysealedasmokedetector inthewallsor inbetweenthefloors?”

Nina groaned, dropping her head onto her crossed arms on the bar. “I don’t know! It’s the onlyexplanationthatmakessense!”

Jinxbither lipbeforesheasked,“DidyouaskBucktohelpyoulocatethischirpingsound?”

Nina closed her eyes, inhaled slowlyand released the breathbefore she replied, “If youare referringtothemountainpretendingtobemynextdoor neighbor,thenyes. I’veaskedhimifoneofthe smokedetectorsmightbechirpingathishouse.”

Jinxlaughed, noddingher head. “Mountainman? Yeah, that would be Buck. He is big, but don’tunderestimate him. He’s smarter thanyouthink.” Jinxtilted her head, opened her mouth…then closeditfirmly.

“What?” Nina demanded, her bodytense as she waited to hear whatever her friend had been abouttosay.

Jinxopened her mouth, thenclosed it again. “No,” she sighed. “It’s nothing. I was just…” she pursed her lips and glanced at her husband, who was sitting at a table with the man in question alongwithhis former teammates. Buck, Jack, and Diesel were laughingabout somethingJames had said. Theywere sittingata table setapartfromthe others because theysometimes needed to discuss top secret issues pertaining to their missions. James was no longer their team lead; that position havingbeenfilledbyJack. ButJamesstill consultedonanasneededbasis.

“Tell me,” Nina interrupted Jinx’s contemplation of Buck, who was sitting with his back againstthe column. The positionallowed himto keep aneye onthe other patrons butJinxsuspected thatitwasn’tthebar patronshewassurveilling.

JinxturnedtolookatBuckdirectly. Washe that evil? WouldBuckhave…?

No! Buckwas brilliantand devious. Buthe would never hurtNina. Jinxsuspected thatthe bigguywasmorethanhalfinlovewithhislovely,new neighbor.

Dismissingthe possibilitythatBuckwas behind Nina’s chirpingproblem, she turned backto her friend. “Youknow,Buckreallyisagoodguy.”

Nina stared at Jinx for a long moment, clearly trying to catch up. When Nina realized that Jinxwas playingmatchmaker, the womangroaned. “Jinx, I’msure Buckis verysweet. But he’s…” she paused and looked at the man in question using the mirrors behind the bar. Unfortunately, Buck wasdoingthesamethingandtheir eyeslocked.Ninaswallowedasighasher heartbegantoracelike italwaysdidwhenBucklookedher way.

She turned away fromthe mirror, tightening her grip on her ginger ale. “Buck is gorgeous. Andyeah,ifIhadafreenight…or ten,”shejoked,“I’dtotallypropositiontheguy. He’sdelicious.”

“But…?”Jinxadded,drawingthewordout. “Iknow there’sa‘but’inthere.”

“But…” Nina laughed, loving that she had a friend who knew her so well, “…Buck only wants sex. And I’m sure that the sex would be…” she shivered. “Well, it would probably be amazing. But I’m not looking for good sex. I’m looking for a guy who wants the forever kind of relationship. I’mtwenty-seven years old. I want a guy who is interested in marriage and kids and beingaround to pickthose kids up after soccer practice or girl scouts or…whatever activityour kids areinto.”

“Andyoudon’tthinkthatBuckisinterestedinthatkindofthing?”

Nina sighed. “Look at him, Jinx. He’s gorgeous. He’s out with a different woman nearly everynight. He’sclearlynotthemarriagemindedkind.” Ninagrabbedher purseandpulledacouple ofdollarsoutofher wallet. “Arewestill onfor aspadaynextweek?”

Jinx shoved the money back at her friend, refusing to let her pay for the soda. “Yes, I’m totally ready for a spa day.” She looked down at her nails. “I haven’t had a manicure in over two monthsbecauseyoubailedonmelastmonth.”

“I had a client trip!” Nina laughed, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I gotta go,” she said, hugging Jinx over the counter. “I’m meeting with a new client tonight.” She pulled back and waved.“Wishmeluck!”

Jinxsnorted. “Youdon’tneed luck, myfriend. Youare one ofthe best accountants ever! If you need a reference, just give them my name. Or James’ contact information. Your accounting servicesareawesome!”

“Thanks Jinx!” she replied, as she headed outthe door. Itwas the middle ofthe afternoonso the lunch crowd had already dispersed and the early evening crowd hadn’t wandered in off of the beach yet. Jinx used to manage a fabulous place about two blocks down the street, but it had been across the street from the beach and…well, the owner had tried to frame Jinx for robbery. Thankfully,her handsomehusbandhadfoiledtheman’splans,butnotbeforeJinxhadbeenarrested.

Thankfully, everything worked out in the end, plus Jinx sued her former employer, winning millions inthe settlement. Thathad allowed Jinxto buythis place and, withher friends’help, turna run-downbeachbar into one of the hottest restaurants inthe area. Tourists could grab take out from the window onone side or theycould wander into enjoyinterestingcocktails or cold beers. And if theywerehungrywhilesunningthemselvesonthebeach,therewasacasual burger placeononeside, or a more upscale restaurant on the other side. It was a brilliant setup. Plus, Jinx was constantly changing the menu, always creating new recipes that lured customers in season after season. The easy,casual atmospheretemptedtouristsandthelocalswereenticedbythechangingmenuoptions.

Plus, Jinx knew, and loved, everyone! She loved humanity and it showed in the way she treated her customers. Jinxwas never happier thanwhenshe was feedingpeople. Or whenshe was homewithher handsomehubby! NinaadoredJinxandconsideredher tobeaspecial friend.

WhatNinadidn’tlovewasthechirpingsoundthatwas justloudenoughtowakeher upevery night. Actually, now that she thought about it, the sound didn’t go onall night. Whichonlyadded to the frustratingmystery! She onlyheard itsporadically, usuallyearlyinthe morningor earlyevening. Unfortunately,thatmadeitevenharder for her tofindit!

But when she finally found it, Nina had a special sledgehammer that was going to demolish thatdevice!

The rest of the afternoonwas extremelyproductive. Her new client signed onwithher and they discussed her accounting needs, which wouldn’t be complicated, but the business owner hated dealing with numbers. Nina loved numbers! They made sense to her and she especially loved helping her clients save money during tax season. While most people considered tax time to be a dreaded annual burden, Nina considered it to be a game, a challenge to find the most legitimate tax deductionsfor her clients.

That night, Nina drove home witha lighter heart now that she had a new contract inher bag andaspringinher stepthatwas thecompleteoppositeofhow she’dfeltearlier,whenexhaustionhad befuddledher brain.

Unfortunately, the huge, gorgeous mansittingonthe front porchof his townhome diminished thathappiness.

For a moment, she considered notgettingoutofher car. Maybe she could pretend thatshe’d forgottenanerrand?

No, that wouldn’t work. Not withBuckwatchingher as if he knew exactlywhat was going throughher mind. Drattedman!

Instead, she shut off the engine, grabbed her tote bag, and stepped out of her car, trying to remember why she hadn’t chosen a townhome with a garage versus street parking. Oh yeah! Expense!

“How are you, Buck?” she asked, trying to be polite and ignore the tingle that shot up from her stomachtotheregionaroundher heart.

“I’mdoinggreat. How aboutyou? Everythingokay?”

Nina glanced up at the window of her bedroom. Should she ask? Whynot? What could it hurt?

“I’m okay. I was just…” she bit her lip, starting to shake her head and just go inside. He wouldn’t help her. He’d just ask her out again. Unfortunately, she was too tired and famished to cope.“Nothing. Never mind.”

“Tell me,”heurged.

Maybe because he remained on his front porch, leaning back in his chair, Nina didn’t feel threatened. Or maybeshewasjusttootiredtoresistanymore.

Either way, she took a deep breath and inched closer. “I know I asked before, but I have looked everywhere inmyhouse. Ijust…Ican’tfind a smoke detector thatis beeping. ButIcanhear somethingthat sounds like a smoke detector comingthroughthe walls. Iwas wonderingifyoucould check,justonemoretime,toseeifoneofthesmokedetectorsinyour househasalow battery.”

He stoodup,butbackedupa step. “Ihaven’theardanything,butdoyouwanttocome inside andinvestigate? MaybeI’mjusthardofhearingbecauseofthepower tools.”

Nina hesitated, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. Could she do it? Could she go inside this man’s house? The townhomes were nice, but not large or spacious. Cozy was the word she’d use to describe them. Okay, theywere “cozy” whenshe was inthe rooms. Would theybe cozy when she was in one of the bedrooms with a man the size of Buck? Probably not, she told herself, lettingher eyes move over his big, deliciouslymuscular body, thankful that he couldn’t see her eyes throughthedarkness.

Thenshe rememberedthe damnchirpingsoundand…she neededtofindthatsmoke detector!

Nina pulled her eyes away from the muscles in his arms. “Fine. If you don’t mind me invadingyour space?”

Helaughedandsheenjoyedthesound. Toomuch!

“Invadeaway,”hesaid,movinghisarminasweepinggesturetoinviteher in.

Relieved and hopeful that she could finally find whatever it was that was chirping, Nina movedtowardsthefrontdoor. Theoutsidelightswereoff,buttherewassoftlightinginside,although there was onlyone bigchair and anottomaninthe livingroom. Jinxhad explained thatBuckflipped houses duringhis offhours, whichwould explainwhyhe onlymoved a minimumoffurniture into the space.

That’s when she noticed the woodwork. It was beautiful! The honey tones of the crafted wood glowed in the room, making the whole space feel warmand inviting. “Did you do this?” she breathed, noting the wainscoting and wood surround on the column. Even the fireplace had a beautiful woodmantlewithagorgeoustilesurround.

“Yeah. I love workingwithwood. I love takingold houses that just need a bit of love and careandcleaningthemupsotheylooknew again.”

“It’s amazing!” she whispered, running gentle fingers over the mantle. “The details you’ve putintothispieceareimpressive!”

“Thankyou,”hereplied,hisvoicesoundingdeeper.

“I wishI could create this kind of mantle inmyhouse,” she told him, turningawayfromthe piece. She grimaced. “My mantle is just a plain block of wood. Nothing interesting like what you’vedone.”

“Icould teachyouhow to….” He stopped, eyeingher warily. “Wait. What’s wrong? Did I saysomethingbad?”

Nina blinked and realized that her mouth was hanging open. She snapped it shut and straightenedher shouldersback. “Youwouldbe…you’dteachme?”

Heshruggedoneofthoseamazingshoulders. “Sure.It’s notdifficultandyou’reintelligent. I couldshow youafew tipsinaboutanhour andI’dbetyou’dbeoffdoing…whatdidIsay?”

Buck could read people pretty well, but Nina stumped him. His job required himto know when someone was lying or telling the truth. He’d honed the skill of reading people over the years and it had saved his life more than once. But Nina’s lovely features were a mystery to him. Maybe becausehecontinuouslylosthimselfinher eyes,forgettingtotakeinher wholeface.

“You just…you’d really teach me how to do something like this?” she asked, running her fingers over the honey-colored wood, caressingit as if it were somethingprecious. Immediately, he wonderedwhatitwouldfeel liketohaveher touchhimlikethat.

Pulling his gaze away fromher delicate fingers, Buck focused on her face and question. It tookhima momentto process her question, butwhenhe did, somethingclicked inside ofhim. Trying to remain casual even as he wondered about the new puzzle piece, he shrugged nonchalantly. “Absolutely. Whywouldn’tI?”

Ninadroppedher headslightlyandhewatchedher carefully,suspectingthatshewasaboutto

reveal more pieces ofthe puzzle. So far, she’d kepther distance. Buthe could feel her interest, and knew that she was attracted to him. He knew it deep downinhis bones. Just like he knew that she was the onlywomanwhocouldfill thatvoidinhis life,fill thatemptyspace. He didn’tjustwanther sexually. Hewantedall ofher. Thewholewoman,quirksandall.

“My boyfriend…” she sighed, clasping her hands in front of herself. “I broke up with him about a year ago. He used to…” she squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before opening them. “Well,hejust…hemadefunofmeifItriedtodoanykindofmaintenanceonmycondo.”

He stared at her, stunned by this revelation. “Is that why you bought a house that needs so muchwork? Becauseyouwantedtoprovehimwrong?”

She laughed, but the sound was brittle. “No. It was to prove it to myself.” She smiled, but the expression was self-deprecating. “I’mlearning by watching videos, but…well, it’s hard. I have toovercomeyearsofdoubtingmyself.”

He wanted to step closer, so he could feel her warmth. He wanted to pull her into his arms andholdher,tell her thatshe was anintelligent,wonderful womanwhocouldlearnanything! People whoputothers downwerejust…bullies. Theywereinsecurebastards whodidn’twantbeshownup, especiallynotbyamerewoman.

Instead, he kepthis distance, notwantingto spookher. Liftinga hand, Buckrubbed the back ofhis neck, shufflinghis feetslightly. “Hell, Nina. I’ll show youanythingyouwantto learn. Justask and I’ll show you, thenstep back, and let youdo whatever the hell youwant. I’ll evenhighfive you afterward.”

She looked up, eyes shiningwith…tears? Damn, he could normallyresist a woman’s tears. Inhis line of work, tears were merelya tool, to be used withprecision. Too manywomenover the yearshadusedthemandhe’dbuiltupasolidresistance.

ButthiswasNina. Nina’stearsweregenuine! Hisstomachlurchedatthesight.

“Hell, honey,” he mumbled, and stepped closer, giving in to the overwhelming need to comforther. “I’ll teachyoutomorrow night. Whatever youwantto learn, I’ll show you.” Bucktook her into his arms, feeling the softness of her, the slenderness in her figure as he tightened his arms aroundher. Shewassoslight,so…wonderful!

For several moments, he heard her sniff as she leaned into him. He savored the moment, knowing that she’d pull away as soon as she realized that he was holding her. But for this one moment in time, she was warmand sweet, accepting his comfort. Even laying her head against his chestasifsheenjoyedbeinginhisarms.

As expected, and way too soon, Nina pulled away, sniffed a little, wiped at her tears, and nodded. “Thank you.” She stepped back, looking self-conscious now. She wiped at her cheeks again, blinked those long, dark lashes, and looked around before finally smiling nervously at him. “I…um…I…will take youup onthatoffer.” She forced her smile to brighten. “Buttonight, I’d like to investigate a chirpingsound. I’massumingit’s a smoke detector thathas runoutofbatterypower. The sound goes offeverythirty-sevenseconds. ButIdon’thear itall the time. It’s usuallyjustinthe earlyeveningor earlymornings. SoIcouldbewronganditmightbesomethingelse.”

He nodded, hookinga finger throughhis belt. Witha jerkof his head, he said, “Well, come

mewherethesoundiscomingthroughthewalls. We’ll looktogether.”

“Thanks,” she replied, her head bowed as ifshe were suddenlyshy. Shyness? FromNina? He wanted to laughat all of her wonderfullycomplicated expressions! She was sucha mysteryand he enjoyed solving mysteries. Buck figured he could spend the rest of his life trying to solve the mysterythatwasNina.

Fortunately,Ninaturnedandheadedupthestairs,droppingher bagonthefloor bythedoor.

He followed her up, trying…and failing…not to stare at her ass. But damn, she had a very niceass!

“You’renotlookingatmybutt,areyou?”shedemanded,still walkingupthestairs.

“Absolutely not,” he lied straight-faced. “I’d never be so ungentlemanly as to stare at a gorgeousderrierewalkingupthestairsdirectlyinfrontofme.”

She smiled, shaking her head as she turned right at the top of the stairs, going down the hallwaytowards the frontbedroom. Itwas where he was sleepingatthe moment, so there was a bed in the room, but not much else. He followed her, trying to remember if he’d made his bed this morning. As soon as he stepped into the room, he sighed with relief. Everything made. Years of trainingtobe readytogoata moment’s notice hadtaughthimtokeepthings cleanandorganized. But therewereoccasional lazydays.

“Just as I thought,” Nina was sayingand Buckpulled his eyes, and his mind, awayfromhis bed. “Your closetis againstmybedroom.” She rested her hand onthe doorknob. “Do youmind ifI peekinside?”

“Gofor it,”hesaid,restingashoulder againstthedoorframe.

“Thanks,” she replied, addinga smile as she opened the slidingdoor. He knew exactlywhat she’dfindandstuffedhishandsintohispockets. Waiting.

“That bag!” she gasped, pointing to the bag filled with old odds and ends of building materials. “It’sprobablyinthere!”

“What?” he asked, tryingto sound innocent. Yeah, he was probablyfailing, but he was ina bitofpainashewatchedher slender bodypushhisslacksandjeansaside.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, smiling with hope. “The smoke detector. It’s been chirpingfor over aweek! Everythirty-sevenseconds!”

Nina was down on her knees, peering into the black plastic bag. She moved several items out of the way then triumphantly pulled out the offending smoke detector! “I found it!” she gasped, jumpingupwithrelief.

“Thatwas inwithall the other stuff?” he asked, pushingawayfromthe door. He reached out for thegadgetjustasitchirpedagain. “Iguessthat’sthesoundyoucouldhear throughthewall?”

She laughed, sounding almost giddy. With relief? “I guess so!” When he started to take it fromher, she shookher head and held itbehind her back. “Ohno, this babyhas beenkeepingme up for far toolong! Ihaveaspecial planfor thisgadgetfromhell!”

Helaughed,followingher outoftheroomandbackdownthestairs. Hedidn’twatchher butt

thistime,tryingtobeagentleman. “What’syour plan?”

She tookitoutside andwalkednextdoor toher house. After droppingher bagjustinside her doorway,shepickedupsomethingelse,whichturnedouttobeabighammer,andtookbothoutsideto the sidewalk. “This thing kept me up too many nights!” she declared and, with a slam, she smashed the old smoke detector into bits. Shattered plastic parts flew everywhere. She did it again. And again.

Buck stepped back out of range. As he watched, impressed with her fury and zeal, he wondered if perhaps he’d gone too far with the smoke detector. Some of the pieces flew out to the side, but Nina simply picked themup and daintily put themback onto the concrete sidewalk then… smashedthemtosmithereens.

When she was done, Nina stood up and surveyed the destruction with a soft, sexy, satisfied smile.

“Feel better?” he asked, smothering his laughter. And his lust. Damn, she looked hot with thathammer inher hand. Thespikeheelswereprettynicetoo!

“Yeah! I feel so much better!” she replied, smiling blissfully at himand looking like she’d justhadsex. “Thankyou!”

“Mypleasure,” he replied, chucklingat the wayhis mind had gone downa paththat he was fairlycertainwouldmakeher blush.

Hiscell phonepingedandheglancedatthescreen. “Damnit,”hemuttered.

“Problem?”

He looked up fromhis cell phone, cursingsilently. He’d finallygottenNina to smile at him and now…he had to go. The damnmission! They’d beentrainingfor a while, butdamnit, the timing couldn’thavebeenworse.

Okay, it could have been worse. He wasn’t kissing Nina. Or making love to her, only to havetojumpoutofbedandleave. Soyeah,thetimingdefinitelycouldhavebeenworse.

With a sigh, he rubbed a hand over the top of his head, mussing the short hair. “Yeah,” he replied, thenpulled the keys to his truckout of his pocket. “I’ll be out of townfor a few days. Can youkeepaneyeonmyhousefor me?”

“Sure,”shereplied,brushingastrandofhair outofher eyes. “Everythingokay?”

“Yeah,”hesaid,tossingher asetofkeys. “Justaworkthing. ThanksNina!” Hejumpedinto histruckandbackedout,wavingashedroveoff.

“LeftonCalvert.”

Thevoicecameintohisear andBuckhadtosnapbackintofocus. “Damnit!”

“What’sup?”Jackdemanded,instantlyalert.

Buck sighed, turning left onto the next street, where he caught sight of the target again. He breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to be the point of failure for the mission. “All good,” he replied,themicrophoneonhislapel transmittinghisvoiceacrosstheairwaves.

There was a longsilence as Buckstruggled to maintainsightofthe guy. They’d beentailing someone the teamsuspected was “Jasper”. Thatwasn’tthe man’s real name. His teammembers had assigned him the name because they’d first identified him as a threat near Jasper National Park in Canada. With the help of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they’d been able to get more information, and track the guy to Colorado. He looked like a typical man, although taller than average. Whichdidn’tmeanmuchsince he, Diesel, and Jackwere all taller thanaverage. Butthere was something about the guy that made the hairs on the back of Buck’s neck stand up. Something wasn’tright. Jackand Diesel agreed withhim, butnone ofthemknew exactlywhytheyfeltthis man was more dangerous thanthe average terrorist. Unfortunately, theydidn’t have anyevidence against the maneither. Whichwas one ofthe reasons the RCMPs hadn’tpicked himup, nor could Buckand histeam.

If they could find even one piece of evidence tying this particular man to the bombings in Colorado, Buck could swoop in and grab the bastard. But if he wasn’t the man, if he was merely a decoy, then they didn’t want to spook him, or the real culprit. If the terrorist named “Jasper” ever wentintodeephiding,they’dnever findhim.

“He’s turningrightinto the alleybehind the chocolate shop,” Bucksaid into his microphone. Buckwouldn’tpursue the mandownanalley. There was no better wayto announce one’s interestin someone thanto follow himdownanalley. Instead, Jackand Diesel would circle around and watch theother exits,thenstarttailinghimfromwhereheemerged.

Tailinga suspectwasn’tas easyas movies make itlook. One couldn’tdo itinone vehicle. Although the average citizen didn’t pay attention to the cars in their rearview mirror, the average criminal did. Atleast,theydidiftheywereanygoodattheir job.

Sitting back, he listened to Jack and Diesel as they gave succinct updates on the man they were trailing. Meanwhile, Buck mentally berated himself for losing the guy. He’d never done that. Ever! While onmissions, he was always focused, always inthe present, and constantlyensuringthat histeammateshadthemostupdatedinformationpossible.

Nina. He’d been thinking about Nina. He’d been wondering if she’d tried doing the woodworkbyherself. Was she beingsafe? Did she have goggles while cuttingup boards? Did she have gloves on? Some of the wood he used had a tendencyto splinter if it wasn’t cut at the correct angle.

Sighing,herubbedahandover hisface. “Buck?”

Snapping back to the present, he looked up, mentally berating himself for losing focus. Again.

“I’mhere.”

“He’sheadingyour way.”

Bucklooked around. He should have beenalert. He should have beenwatchingthe building theasshadgoneinto.

Forcing himself to concentrate, he spotted the suspect coming out of the building. Buck watched, waitingfor a sign. Whenthe mandidn’tmove, Buck’s guttwisted. He knew that something wasgoingdown. Somethingbad.

Speakingintohismicrophone,hesnapped,“Getout! Somethingiswrong. Getoutnow!”

And inthat moment, he instinctivelyducked behind his dashboard. For a split second, Buck wondered if he’d made a huge mistake. Yelling into one’s microphone meant passersby could hear him. They’dbelookingathim,wonderingifhewascrazy.

Nothing happened. He was just about to sit up and apologize to Jack and Diesel, already feelinglike anidiot. Butthen,he heardit. Anexplosionshatteredthe relative quietofthe afternoon. The sound was deafening. Literally! Noises like explosions tended to damage the eardrums, atleast temporarily. Car sirens followed and Bucksatup, lookingaround. Sure enough, the upper windows ofthebuildingthetargethadjustexitedhadblownout.

“Report in!” Jack ordered through the intercom, his voice sounding calm, but filled with authority.

“One inplace,” Buckannounced, shiftinginthe driver’s seatofhis vehicle so thathe wasn’t asvisible.

“Twoinplace,”Diesel answered.

“I’m here as well,” Jack told the team. There was a series of muttered curses and Buck could picture Jack pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair. Jack was an excellent teamlead,butBuckknew hewasalsoabitofaperfectionist. He’dblamehimselffor this. Inreality, there was no way that they could have anticipated that the suspect they’d been tailing had gone into thebuildingtoplaceabomb.

But on the upside, at least they knew for certain they were after the right man. Now it was justamatter ofcatchinghimandbringinghimin.

“Roundupone,”Jackcalledout.

Buck shifted his body, his eyes scanning the area. Several people were running around, a few more were ontheir phones, mostlikelycallingthe police. Still others remained crouched down behindvehicles,trashcans,or whatever theycouldfindasabarrier totheexplosion.

Buck ignored the visual confusion, zeroing in on the man who was now casually strolling awayfromthe explosion. Thatcasualness alone would have alerted Buckto the man’s guilt. Buthe continued to watch as the man in question moved on down the street. “I have the suspect in sight. Proceedtoroundupor continuefollowing?”

Buck stepped out of the car, reminding himself to stay in character. They were all in disguise, mostly because they were too big and noticeable to just walk around the city following a suspect. Buckwas at least a head taller thanmost, as were Diesel and Jack. Their disguises could beahindranceonmissions,buthadalsosavedtheir livesmanytimes.

As he walked, Buck hunched over a bit, shuffling his feet as he moved quickly towards the corner where the suspect had turned. As soon as he made the turn, Buck found his target and proceeded to follow the guy. He was completelyontask, functioningat a higher level now that they knew what theywere facing. The bomber had to be stopped. He was a danger not just to the team, but since he’d just blown up an apartment building, albeit an abandoned building, the guy had also endangeredcivilians.

For the next three days, Buck helped trail the bastard, trying to get more information on the man’s plans. But by the fourth day, just when they were about to spring a trap to capture the guy, “Jasper”vanished.

“Whatintheworlddidyoudotoyourself?”Jinxdemanded. Shecarefullyhuggedapainfullyslender womanwithwhatlookedtobeabrokenarm.

Nina looked up from her computer. The woman was tall and lovely, but so thin that she looked…gaunt! Not to mention, haunted. The shadows in her eyes whispered of things best left unsaid.

Nina smiled a welcome at Jinxand extended her hand to the new comer. “Hello, I’mNina, Jinx’spolitefriend.”

The other woman laughed, shaking Nina’s hand with her uninjured one. “I’mKaia, James’ sister.”

The woman’s gaze seemed…weary. Tired,obviously,butitwas more thanjustfatigue. This woman was bone tired, and more. She was…scared? No, that wasn’t right, Nina thought. But something was very wrong. Nina’s heart immediately went out to the woman, wondering how she couldhelp.

Jinxshookher head atthe newcomer. “Kaia, you’ve lostatleasttenpounds since James and Isaw youinHouston!” Jinxannounced. “And eventhen, youwere too thin. Sitdown! I’mgoingto getyousomethingtoeatandthenI’mgoingtomakesureyoueatit!”

Jinx disappeared into the kitchen of her restaurant. Jinx loved feeding people. It gave her joyto see someone smile atone ofher food creations, butJinxwas also a kind, concerned, nurturing kindofwoman. Sheneededtocarefor people,whichmadeher anideal restaurantowner.

“She’salwayslikethat,”Ninaexplained.

Kaia satdowninthe chair nextto Nina and smiled. “She’s bossy, butshe’s inlove withmy brother. Thatmakes her perfectinmymind.” Kaia glanceddownatthe table where Nina was toying withher glassofginger ale. “Whatintheworldhappenedtoyour hands?”

Ninacringedasshelookedather handsaswell,flexingher fingerscarefully. “Oh,Ijust…”

“She tried cuttingand sandingwood parts and missed,” Jinxexplained, settinga plate piled highwithchipsandsalsainfrontofKaia. “Several times,”Jinxadded.

“Isee,”Kaiareplied.

Jinx tsked, looking at both of them. “James is going to yell at you,” she told Kaia. “And Nina…”shestopped,shakingher headagain.

KaiagrinnedandNinawasstunnedbythewoman’sbright,opensmile. Oh,whycouldn’tshe be sofree andopen? Ah,tobe anextrovert! ButNina’s introvertedheartjustsimplycouldn’thandle that kind ofopenness. Give her a bookand a quiet roomand Nina was happyas a clam! The smile onKaia’slovely,ifgaunt,featuresbrightenedher eyesandbanishedthewearinessbriefly.

Kaia leaned forward in the chair, taking one of the chips and loading it with salsa. “That brother of mine convinced me to come here for a vacation. He says I work too hard and that I’m becomingacavedweller.”

Jinxlaughed. “Youdoworktoohardandyouaren’tgettingenoughsunshine. You’regoingto getsickifyoudon’tgetsomefoodintoyou.”

Kaia rolled her eyes and shrugged her too-thin shoulders. “I’mhere. I just…” she sighed, twirlingher glass ofwhatever cocktail Jinxhad mixed up for her. “Ionlycommitted to one weekof vacation.”

Jinxproppedher chinonher hand. “Youarrivedhere yesterdayandsleptfor fifteenhours. I was here working or I would have insisted that you eat something before you slept. What time did yougetoffofworkthedaybeforeyouflew here?”

Kaiasquirmeduncomfortablyinher chair. “Idon’tknow. Butisthatreallyrelevant?”

Jinx laughed. “Yes. And you know that it is. You haven’t taken a vacation in four years. JamesmissedyouandIlovehavingsomeoneelsetospoil.”

Both women turned their attention to Nina and she knew that she was in trouble. “I should havekeptmymouthshut,”shemuttered,hidingher handsunder thetable.

James stopped by with fresh drinks for the table, but when his gaze landed on Nina’s forearms, he froze. “What inthe world happened to you?” he demanded, bendingdownto brace his handswideonthetablesohecouldgetabetter lookather wounds.

“Nothing,” Nina assured him. Obviously, James didn’t believe her since he continued to glareather,clearlywaitingfor her to‘fessup. “Justamishapwith…apower tool.”

James’eyesnarrowedsuspiciously. “Whatkindofpower tool?”

Nina groaned, glancing at Jinx, then Kaia and finally bringing her hopeful gaze back to James. “You’regoingtokeepthisunder your hat, right?”

James’eyesnarrowed. “Probablynot. Buttell meanyway.”

Nina sighed, wishingshe could ignore James’commands. Buthe was justso…commanding! Before she knew it, Nina beganspillingher story. “Well, Isaw the stuffBuckwas doinginhis house and…”

HiseyebrowsshotupandevenJinxleanedforward. “YouwereinBuck’shouse? When?”

Again, Nina glanced from Jinx and James, then to Kaia. The slender woman was nibbling another chip, notevenattemptingto hide her amusementatNina’s discomfort. Probablyrelishingthe factthather bigbrother wasfocusedonsomeoneelsefor achange.

Ninareturnedher attentiontoJames,wishingshe’djustkepther mouthshut. “Rightbeforehe disappearedthislasttime.”

“Whywereyouinhishouse?”Jamescontinuedtheinterrogation.

“Thechirping,”sheexplained.

There was a pause and Nina watched James’ eyes as the man tried to make sense of the abbreviatedexplanation. “Whatchirping?”

Nina’s eyes once againbouncedtoJinx,thentoKaia. Neither lookedlike theywouldtohelp her. She looked backat her best friend’s husband. He was one ofthose overlyprotective types and

hadapparentlyadoptedNinaasasister.

Accepting that there was nothing to do but tell the whole story, she took a deep breath, then slowlylet it out. “Last week, there was a chirpingsound inmybedroom. Ilooked everywhere but I couldn’tfind it. Butapparently, Buckhad beencleaningoutsome ofthe rooms and he stuffed anold smoke detector intoa bagandjustshoveditintothe backofhis closet. He couldn’thear it,butIsure could.” She shrugged, then quickly tucked her arms under the table again so the cuts and bruises weren’tvisible,andforcedher lipstosmile. “It’sall fixednow. Buckletmetakealookinhishouse andIfoundthesmokedetector andkilledit.It’sdead.Notaproblemanymore.”

James staredather for a longmoment. Whatshe didn’tknow was whatconclusionhe finally came to. Butthe manpushed awayfromthe table, a slightsmile hoveringonhis features. “Buckhad adeadsmokedetector inthedebris.”

It wasn’t a question, but she felt the need to answer himanyway. “Yes. Simple issue. He wasquiteniceaboutit.”

Was he laughing at her? Nina’s eyes narrowed as he watched amusement flutter around the man’s eyes. “Got it.” Amoment later, he walked away, headingbackto a table onthe other side of thebar wherehiscomputer sat.

Ninawatchedhimleave,thenstaredatJinx. “Whatwas that all about?”

Jinxchuckled, sippingher lemonade. “Inever know withthatman. His mind is a mystery.” She laughed at Nina’s doubtful expression, then grinned mischievously. “Okay, not always. Sometimes, he’s very easy to read.” Jinx looked over at her handsome husband, beaming. He must havesensedher lookbecauseheshotaslow,sexysmileather.

“Oh, yuck! That’s my brother!” Kaia hissed, shaking her hands as if to brush away Jinx’s words. “WeareNOTtalkingaboutsexual relationsinvolvingmybrother!”

Jinxlaughed, leaningbackinher chair. “I wasn’t talkingabout sex. You were talking about sex.”

Kaia shuddered and Nina laughed. But they changed the subject, chatting about work and comingupwithaplantoheadtoaspafor pamperingover theweekend.

Nina eventually drove home, smiling for the first time since…she wasn’t going there. She hadn’tsmiled since Buckhad leftso abruptlylastweek. Nope, she wasn’tgoingto admitit, evento herself. There was too much significance to that admission so she simply wasn’t going to admit anything.

Except…Nina ignored the rushof delight whenshe saw Buck’s truckwas parked infront of his house. Instead of going to Buck’s door and asking about…anything, she grabbed her purse and tote bag, hauling everything into her own house. Safe, she told herself. She was safe from his disturbinglooks and thatsexysmile thatwhispered thathe was thinking…well, thatwasn’tsomething she wanted in her life right now. Nina wanted a husband and children and a long-termlover and a friend. Notadistractingneighbor.

Buckwas…!

Before she could finish that thought, her doorbell rang. Turning, she dumped her bags and

opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a furious Buck who literally shoved his way inside andslammedthedoor closed.

“Show meyour hands,”heordered.

For a longmoment, Nina simplystared up athim, stunned bythe power ofhis presence. He was a bigmanoutside, but indoors, he tookup all of the space. She almost stepped backwards, but thenrememberedhiscommandandhidher handsbehindher back.

“I’mfine,”shetoldhimfirmly. “DidJamescall you?”

“Hands,”herepeated,histonesofter thistime,butnolesscommanding.

“Buck,I’m–”

“Fine. Iheard.” This time, he didn’twaitfor her to show himher hands. He simplystepped closer, sliding his hand down her arm, pausing when his fingertips touched on one of her scrapes. Whenhe reached her hands, he pulled bothofher arms forward, thenstepped backslightlyso thathe couldsurveythedamage.

“Whathappened?”heaskedsoftly.

Nina was so stunned by the electrifying touch and the sweet, gentle tone that she didn’t respond immediately. Thenhe led her over to one ofher chairs and nudged her until she satdownin it. Amomentlater, he did the mostremarkable thing. Buckpulled a tube ofantibiotic ointmentoutof hisbackpocketand,withanincrediblytender touch,soothedeachofthescrapes.

“That feels good,” she sighed, pretending that her heart wasn’t racing against her ribs with everystrokeofhisfingersagainsther skin.

“The ointment has a bit of a numbing agent to it.” He stroked the medicine over another scrape. “Tell me,Nina. Whathappened?”

She groaned, but wasn’t sure if it was because of the way he touched her, or because she didn’twanttoremember thesandingdebaclethathadcausedthemajorityofher wounds.

“Looks like you messed up this area pretty badly.” He looked up into her eyes. “Electric sander?”

Oh, he was good! “Yes,” she admitted. “I…wasn’tpayingenoughattentionand itjust…slid offthetableandmyarmhappenedtobeintheway.”

Henodded. “Ididthatonce,myself. Hurtliketheverydevil!”

She laughed, charmed byhis admissionand some of the tensioneased inside of her. Her ex boyfriendnever wouldhaveacknowledgedanysortofmishap. He’dsneer ather,tell her toleavethe power toolstohimandswagger awaywithasuperior attitude.

“Aren’t you going to remind me that you were going to teach me how to use the tools correctly?”sheaskedwarily,bracingherselffor theexpectedtaunt.

“Hell no!” he laughed, squeezingmore ointment onto his finger so that he could soothit into the scrapes on her other arm. “The only way I figured out how to do things was to try it. I’mjust sorrythatyouwerehurt.”Helookedupather. “Therearewaystokeepyourselfsafe,butsometimes, weneedtolearnthehardway.”

Onceagain,her heartmelted. Maybeshecould…justonce? Justalittlekiss?

“No!”shegasped,pullingback.

Bucklooked up, startled byher response, as well as the haunted lookinher eyes. “No? No what?”

Nina was horrified thatshe’d spokenaloud. She stood up, and backed awayfromhim. “I’m notgoingtokissyou,”sheannounced,crossingher armsprotectivelyover her chest,feelingawkward andoddlyhot.

Buckstood as well, his eyes confused. “You’re not?” he asked blandly, puttingthe top back onto the tube and tossingit onto her coffee table. “Here,” he added, pullinga pair of leather gloves outofhisbackpocket.

“What are those?” she asked, staring at his hands instead of the gloves. Of course, Nina recognizedtheofferingasgloves,but…wasthereadeeper meaningtothatpresent?

“They are leather gloves. They’ll protect your hands from the power tools in some situations. Not all,”headdedwithasidewaysgrin.

Sheblinkedagainandsmiledtentatively.

“Thankyou,”shewhispered,huggingtheleather glovestoher chest.

Buckcontinuedtostandinfrontofher,lookingawkwardandbigand…incrediblysexy!

“Okay, well, put more of that ointment onyour scrapes before bed,” he told her, thenturned andheadedfor thedoorway.

Ninawatchedhim,her mindrebellingatthethoughtofjustlettinghimwalkoutthedoor. She needed to say something, but she wasn’t sure what to say. She felt an overwhelming need to thank him, to throw herself into his arms and beghimto show her…what? More kindness? No, kindness definitelywasn’twhatshe wanted rightnow. She opened her mouth, reached for something, anything thatwouldconveyher feelingsfor thishuge,amazing,mysteriousman.

Hereachedfor thedoorknob,andNinablurtedouttheonlythingshewassureabout.“Ireally wanttohavesexwithyou!”

Holy…! Whatthe hell had she justsaid? Nina feltherselfgo hot, thencold as Buckslowly turnedbacktoher.

He stared ather, his grayeyes unreadable. For a longmoment, neither ofthemmoved. They simply…stared.

“Thefeelingismutual,”herepliedcalmly,thosemassivearmsfoldingover hischest.

“Youscare me.” That was a true enoughadmission. Okay, so was the first. But she hadn’t meanttoblurtthatout. Evenifitwastrue.

“Thatfeelingismutual aswell.”

Ninarolledher eyesandhuffedabit. “Nothing scaresyou!”

He chuckled, dropping his hands as he moved closer. “Not true. I hate mice. And horses terrifyme. Aswell asgorgeouswomentoobeautiful totouch.”

She stared at him, his words echoing through in her mind. “You just touched me,” Nina pointedout,noddinginthegeneral directionoftheantibioticointmentsittingonher coffeetable.

“You’re beyond beautiful, Nina,” he repeated, steppingcloser. There was barelyaninchof spacebetweenthem.

She swallowed hard, notsure she could admithow appealingshe found him. So instead, she lifted her hand so thatitcupped his cheek, closingher eyes as the warmthofhis skinsoaked into her palm.

While her eyes were closed, she jumped slightly when she felt his lips brush against hers. Her eyes flew open and she stared into his. Nina realized that he was waiting. Waiting for permission…fromher?

Oh, that was even more amazing! Nina lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. It wasalonger kissthanthebrushhe’dgivenher,butitconveyedthepermissionthatheneeded.

He pulled her into his arms and Nina sighed with relief as she looped her arms around his neck, pressing against him. She moaned as she felt his incredible hard, delicious muscles envelop her.

Buckwasn’ta gentle kisser. His mouthdevoured hers and it feltas ifthe manhad beenlost ina desertfor decades andshe was his firstdrinkofwater. He kissedas ifhe neededher. Her! Not justarandomwomanthathewasmildlyattractedto. Buckneeded her!

She lostherselfinthatkiss, kissinghimbackwithall the pent-up desire thatshe’d bottled up since the manhad bought the house next door. For too long, she’d tried to denyher attractionto this man. Itwasbetter now thatshedidn’thaveto!

She felt herself tilting and, moments later, he sat down with her straddling his lap. For a briefmoment, she stared downathimas desire washed over her. He shifted slightlyand she felthis erection press against her core. There was no holding back after that. She probably should have closed the blinds, but Nina couldn’t thinkbeyond gettinghis shirt off and finallytouchingthat chest. She’dseenhimworkinginhis backyardwithouta shirtone afternoonandshe couldn’twaittorunher fingersover thoseamazingmuscles.

“Getitoff,”shewhimpered,tuggingatthebuttons.

Hepulledtheshirtover hisheadanddumpeditonthefloor.

“Yes!” she gasped,pullingbacksothatshe couldtouchhim,explore the intriguingridges and dents alonghis chest. She rangentle fingernails over his nipples and smiled whenhe hissed. Butthe soundwassoexcitingthatshekeptdoingit,feelinghisgroanvibrateall thewaydowntoher groin!

He pushed her hands awayand Nina tried to fighthim, eager to keep exploring. He tookher shirtoffandpulledher forward.Heexpertlyremovedher braandtosseditaway.

His hands onher backpulledher closer andNina shiveredinanticipationas she watchedhis mouthmovecloser andcloser. Her wholebodytightened,eager for whatsheknew wastocome.

When his hot, wet mouth closed over her nipple, she almost screamed. Her mouth opened, her head fell backwards and Nina arched her backas her fingers dove into his hair, holdinghis head inplaceashislipsandteethteasedher breathless.

“Too much!” she gasped when he started sucking. The movement caused red hot sparks of desire to shoot straight downto her core and she rolled her hips, grindingagainst him, tryingto find relieffromthisaching,desperateneed.

“Not enough,” he warned as his mouth moved over to her other nipple, creating the same havoctoher system.

“Buck!”shegasped,thenshiftedandrolledher hipsagainsthisthrobbingerection.

He ignored her pleas, of course. He continued to tease and torture her inthe most delicious way. Nina shifted againand again, holdinghimcloser as her bodytightened. She didn’trealize that her skirt was up around her waist, nor was she aware of the erotic movements of her hips. All she knew wasthatshewasclose! Sodamnclose…!

“Iwanttobe inside youwhenyouclimax,Nina,” he growled. Nina lookeddown,fascinated as he unzipped his jeans and pulled his erection out. It was thick and beautiful and she wanted to taste him. Sliding from his lap in a haze of lust, she started to do just that. But Buck caught her, pullingher right backto his knees as he ripped opena condomwithhis teeth. “Stayright there,” he ordered,hisvoicelow,husky,andincrediblysexy.

“CanIdothat?”sheasked,lickingher lipseagerly.

“Not this time, honey,” he told her as he rapidlyrolled the protectiondownhis shaft. When he was done, he reached for her hips and, with a single rip, her panties were gone. “Now, let’s try thatagain,”hegrowledout,“Butthistime,Iwanttobeinsideyou. Iwanttofeel…”

Nina was alreadythere, shiftingslightlyso thathis shaftwas poised ather opening. For one breathless moment, she hesitated, watchinghimas she slowlyimpaled herselfuponhis erection. She shivered,hisfingersdiggingintoher hipsasNinagasped,lettingher bodyslowlyadjusttohissize.

Buck couldn’t believe how erotic it felt to hold Nina like this. He watched her face as she tookcontrol. For the moment, he corrected. Inabout two seconds, he was goingto take it back, but rightatthismoment,helovedit. Hewantedtofeel andseeandtouchher insomanyways.

She lifted her hands, bracing them on his shoulders as she began to ride him. It felt better thananythinghe’d ever felt inhis life! Feelingher hot, tight bodygrip his shaft like that, feelingthe frictionassheslowlyloweredherselfdown,hethoughthe’ddiedandgonetoheaven!

He could feel her body tightening and he pulled her closer, giving her more friction against that sensitive nub. And because her nipples were so sensitive, he leaned forward, taking one in his mouthandnibblingever sogently.

That was all it tookto bringher to a screamingclimax. Her arms tightened around his neck and she shivered, her hips rollingagainst his as she abandoned the rhythmand gave into her body’s reaction. All of that, plus her soft, full breasts pressed against his face pushed himover the edge as well and he groaned, his hands gripping her hips tightly as he thrust into her again and again as his orgasmseemedtogoonforever.

As their breathingslowed, he couldn’t stop kissingher. Nina had the softest skinhe’d ever touched. Andher hair! Goodgrief,her hair smelledlike apples! How inthe worlddidshe dothat?

She started to stir inhis arms and he wanted to pull her incloser, to keep this moment from ending. Anymoment, she was goingto realize that she’d made a mistake and tell himto get the hell outofher house.

But when she lifted her head, she wore a soft, satisfied smile and his body hardened again immediately. Ninanoticed,her eyeswidening.

Again, he waited for her to tell himto get the hell out. And once again, she surprised him, her featuressofteningandthoseamazingfingers…fingersthatheknew wereconnectedtosomesortof electrical outlet…stroked his hair, sending bolts of electric currents throughout his body. “I have a bedupstairs,”shewhispered.

Buckwas so stunned, he could barelyrespond. He grabbed a tissue fromthe boxbeside the chair and dealt withthe condom. She was alreadystandingup, shimmyingher skirt backdownover her hips. Hesaw theblushsteal over her cheeksandwantedtolaugh,delightedwithher. Butheheld back,notwantingtoembarrassher.

“Show metheway,”hesaid,eventhoughheknew exactlywhereher bedroomwaslocated.

Lacingher fingers throughhis, she bent downto grab her shirt, pressingit against her naked breasts, then she stood up and headed for the stairs. Nina peered over her shoulder once, as if she couldn’tquitebelievethathewashere,inher houseandfollowingher upthestairs.

Butas soonas theybothstepped into her bedroom, Buckclosed the door and started kissing her. He didn’tstop until theywere bothcompletelynaked and gaspingfor breath. And then, he only stopped kissingher so that he could explore the rest of her glorious curves. For the rest of the night, Buck made love to her in every way he knew how, worried that if he stopped, he might never get another chance.

Nina woke up feelingwarm. Too warm!And sore. Gosh, she was sore all over! Whatinthe world was goingon? Thenthe memories of the previous night came floodingbackto her and she beamed, snugglingagainstBuck’swonderful chest.

“You’refinallyawake,”hegrumbled,liftinghisheadtokissher bareshoulder.

Nina blinked, peeringathimover her shoulder and thinkinghow sexyhe looked this earlyin themorning. “How longhaveyoubeenawake?”

“About an hour,” he admitted. His hand slid idly down her hip, making her shiver. “You steal theblankets.”

“Ido not!” she yelped, thenlooked around. “Where did the blankets go?” she asked, pulling thethinsheetupover her breasts.

He chuckled and Nina noticed how much she enjoyed the sound. It was a sexy morning sound. The perfectsoundtowake uptoas the sunrose over the horizon. “Ithinkyoukickedthemoff lastnightwhenI–”

Ninaslappedher handover hismouth. Hegrinned,thennibbledonher fingers.

“Wedon’tspeakofthingslikethatinthebrightlightofday,Buck,”shetoldhimprimly.

He couldn’t help it, Buck burst out laughing since, in the ‘bright light of day’, she was still naked and still wiggling her adorable ass against his body. And of course, his body couldn’t help reactingtoall ofthatwigglinginaverypredictablemanner.

Nina realized what that wiggling was doing to him and stopped. Wiggling, that is. “You can’t be serious!” she laughed, sliding out of his arms. She grabbed a robe out of her closet and slipped it on before turning to smile at him. She looked at him as he stretched out over her bed. Blinking,shestared,thenlether eyesmoveover his amazinglymuscular body. “You’renaked.” That muchwasobviousandshebither lip,wonderingwhyshe’dsaidsomethingsoobvious.

Buckwas lyingonhis back, butwithher comment, he pushed himselfup onto his elbows. “I am,indeed. Isthat…abadthing?”

Nina licked her lips as her hands tightened the satinbeltofher robe. “No. Ijust…” her eyes dropped to that magnificent erection. “Don’t you want to…” she waved her fingers in the air. “I don’tknow. Cover up?”

Hethrew backhishead,laughingattheblushthatstoleupher cheeks.

“Nina,after everythingwedidtogether lastnight,you’reembarrassedbyanerection?”

She sighed, bitingher lip. “Notembarrassed, precisely.” She turned around, headingfor the bathroom.“Ineedto…”

She headed for the bathroom, then yelped as Buck scooped her up into his arms. Nina laughedasBucknibbledataspotonher neck.

“Youwantme. Admitit!”

She laughed again, pretending to try to get away fromhim. She didn’t really want to. She enjoyed this playful side of Buck. Over the month she’d known him, he’d always been a tease, but he’d been an annoying tease. This kind of teasing was fun and flirtatious and…well, he was still naked. Even after everything they’d done together last night, Nina discovered that she still wanted himto…

“We’re showering,” he announced, puttingher downand thentakingher hand to lead her into thebathroom.

“Idon’tthinkthere is enoughspace inthe shower for bothofus. Especiallywhenone ofus iswell over sixfeettall andhasshouldersthesizeofTexas.”

He reached out to turn on the water. “I believe I already proved quite effectively how perfectlywe fit together,” and he pressed a kiss to the side ofher neck. “But apparently, youhave a veryshortmemory. IguessIneedtoprovewhataperfectfitweareagain.”

Nina moaned, her bodyalreadyonfire for him. “I have to…” he nipped at her neckand all of her plans for the day evaporated like dew. The water warmed up as Buck stripped her robe off and helped her into the shower. And true to his word, he showed her exactly how well they fit together. Nina’s fingers curled into fists against the tile wall of her shower as Buck thrust into her frombehind. She closedher eyes,tryingnottoscreamwhenher climaxcame over her this time. But itwas nouse. Buckknew exactlyhow totouchher,whentotouchher,andhow tomakeeveryclimax moreintensethanthelast.

When the water started to cool, Buck leaned over her shoulder, his strong arms supporting her andsaid,“Now whatwereyousayingaboutwhatyouhadtodotoday?”

Nina couldn’t stop the laughter that burst out of her. He just looked so cute and innocent, evenmomentsafter he’ddonethemostdecadentthingstoher body!

An hour later, they were sitting at her breakfast table sipping coffee and reading the news. Buck had made scrambled eggs and bacon while she’d cut up fruit for a salad. It was the nicest breakfastshe’dever hadwithamanpostsex.

“Want me to show youhow to fixthat mantle?” he offered, startlingher attentionawayfrom anarticleshewasn’treallyreading.

“I’msorry?”sheasked,settingher cupofcoffeedownonthetable.

“The mantle,” he repeated, reaching to pour himself more coffee and topping hers off as well. “You’re right. It looks a bit off. But all it needs are a few supports to visually even out the weightandsize. Thenyoucanmatchthemantletotheshelvingunitontheother side,tyingeverything together.”

She peered over his shoulder as if she could see her family room from the small kitchen table. “Whatdoyoumean?”sheasked.

He stood up, takingher hand and tuggingher withhim. Standingbehind her, he wrapped his arms aroundher waist,pullingher closer andleaninghis cheekagainstthetopofher head. “Seehow themantletiltsever soslightly?”

“Yeah. Ijustthoughtitwasmadethatway.”

“It was. But if you add a support right here,” he explained, pointingto the underside of the lower portionofthe mantle, “and add a bitofdetail here, thatwill fixthe issue withoutbeingoverly flowery.” He pointed to the built-in bookcases. “And if you add the same detail here against the ceiling,itwill tiethelooktogether.”

Nina tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but it was difficult because he felt really good! His stomach was hard and…okay, several parts of his body were hard. She smiled, wonderingwherehegotthatkindofstamina.

Focusing,she listenedtohis advice onthe changes andevensuggesteda few ofher own. He nodded,kissingthetopofher head.“Ilikethatidea. I’mgoingtodoitinmyhousetoo.”

Shepeeredathimover her shoulder. “Really?”

He laughed and tookher hand. “Absolutely. Come on. Let’s hitthe hardware store and I’ll show youhow tobuildit.”

They drove to the hardware store where he explained the various options for the wood and tools she’d need. Nina was excited to get started. When they brought the new supplies back to her house, he brought out several of his power tools and showed her how to use them, adding safety glassesandleather glovesfor protection.

The changes he’d suggested were easier to do thanshe’d expected and, bythe end ofthe day, her livingroomlookeddramaticallydifferent,eventhoughthey’donlymadeafew small changes.

“Iloveit!”shelaughed,clappingher handsdelightedly.

They had pizza that night, and afterward, he took her into his arms and made love to her again. Nina kept waiting for the moment when he would tell her he needed to go. But until that moment,shewasgoingtosnuggleintothosebig,strongarmsandenjoyeverymomentwiththisman.

Nina hummed as she wandered throughthe grocerystore, wonderingifBuckwould prefer chickenor beef. Thenshe thoughtaboutthe muscles inhis arms and added bothto her cart. The manwas large, but he ate healthy foods, so she grabbed a bag of pearled barley and quinoa, ingredients for roasted vegetables and salads. She should askJinxfor recipes. James was about the same size as Buck, so JinxwouldhaveplentyofadviceonfeedingamanaslargeandactiveasBuck.

She was justreachingfor a bottle ofolive oil whenshe hesitated. Would he evenbe around to eat all of this food? She loved the idea of cooking for him, but what if he wanted some time alone? Whatifhe needed to work? He wentoffand did mysterious stuffduringthe day, and came to her house every night. They’d been together for over a week now and things didn’t seem to be coolingoff. Justtheopposite,infact.

Andwhatdidshewant?

Okay, that was a no brainer, she thought as she stared ahead. She wanted Buck. Forever. She loved the biglug! She loved himmore thanshe’d ever thought she could love anyone. He was sweet and tender, patient, and…good grief, he was funny! Not to mention, he was the most amazing lover!

“Excuseme.”

Nina jumped, startled to discover that she’d beenstandinginthe aisle, staringblanklyat the various mustard options. “I’m so sorry,” she stepped back, glanced apologetically at the man who reachedaroundher togrababottleofspicybrownmustard.

“No problem,” he replied, tossing the mustard into his basket before moving off down the aisle.

Nina sighed and looked around, trying to remember what she was going to cook for dinner thatnight. And itsuddenlyoccurred to her thatshe wasn’tevensure ifBuckwould be joiningher for dinner. Ofcourse, he’d come over for dinner everynightover the pastweek. Butshould she assume thathe’dbeover for dinner tonightaswell?

Sheprobablyshouldn’tmakeassumptions,Ninatoldherself.

“I’ll talktohimtonight,”shetoldherself.

Nina finished her shopping and paid for her groceries, then loaded them into her car. She was distracted,butas sheslippedbehindthedriver’s seat,somethingniggledather. Lookingaround, shetriedtofigureoutwhyshefeltawhisper ofunease.

Slipping her sunglasses on, she started her car and backed out of the parking space while scanning her surrounding for…something. She wasn’t sure what was wrong. She just knew that somethingdidn’tfeel right.

As she drove away, Nina thoughtshe recognized a minivaninher rearview mirror thatshe’d seenearlier today. Butthatwas crazy, right? Abad guywouldn’tdrive a minivan! Nope, criminals drove Lamborghinis and Ferraris! Everybad guyineveryJames Bond movie drove a sexy, fastcar! Notaminivan!

Still, Nina drove through several other neighborhoods, circling back to make sure that the blueminivanwasn’tstill behindher beforeshefinallydrovehome.

Feelingsilly, she parked and got out ofher car. Moments later, Buckcame out ofhis house, hiseyesglowingwithjoy.

“You’relater thanusual,”hesaid,pullingher intohisarmsandkissingher softly.

Shesmiledupathim,enjoyingthewayheheldher. “Istoppedbythegrocerystore. Iwasn’t sureif…well,Iknow thatwe’veeatendinner together for several nights now. But...”sheshruggedas she reluctantlypulled out of his arms to openher trunk. Sighing, she tucked her hair behind her ear, needingto explainand be honest withhim. “Buck, Idon’t want to make anyassumptions about your time. I know that you and James work together. I’ve also heard Jinx talk about how James used to disappear suddenly.” She grabbed several bags of groceries, angry with herself for stumbling over thisconversation.

Her shoulders drooping, she looked up at him, then quickly glanced away. “I’m really messingthisup,aren’tI?”

He kissed her as he collected all four ofthe bags. “Ihave no idea what you’re tryingto tell me, but if you’re asking me if I want to come over for dinner again tonight, then the answer is heck yes.” He looked at her, all teasinggone fromthose wonderful eyes now. “It’s goingto be yes until yougetsickofme and kickme out. So yes, Nina. Iwantto have dinner withyou. Butwhenyouget tiredofthis…arrangement,thenyou’regoingtohavetosaysomething.”

Nina’s tentative smile grew and she nodded. “Sounds like a good plan,” she said, although she silently wished that they had something more solid than an “arrangement”. She wanted to know that he was her man. That they were a couple. Seriously, what should she call him? He wasn’t a boy, so calling him a boyfriend sounded silly. So what was he? Lover? Nope, that seemed too intimate,asifshewererevealingsecretsthatwerenooneelse’sbusiness.

Walking into her house, she put the groceries away while they chatted about their days and her thoughtswentover hiswords,tryingtofigureoutwhattheyweretoeachother. Shelistenedashe told her about the new bathroom shelves he’d installed and Nina told him about the accounting nightmare she was tryingto sortoutfor one ofher clients. As theytalked, he prepped the vegetables for their saladandNinacookedthechickeninaspicy,oliveoil recipeshe’ddiscovered.

And whenthey’d finished dinner and the kitchenwas cleaned up, Bucktookher into his arms as theywatched a movie together. She snuggled up againsthim, and once more, Nina wondered what this was. Where was their relationship going? She didn’tknow, butnor did she have the courage to ask.

She knew she wanted a husband and children. But now that she’d become intimate with Buck, she knew that she wanted himas her husband and she wanted to have childrenwithhim! She couldn’t tell himthat. Nina knew fromexperience that the fastest way to end a relationship was to talkaboutthefuture.

So instead, she showed him. Whenthe movie ended, she turned and kissed him, slidingonto his lap as she made love to himthat night. Later, he lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairstoher bedroomwheretheycurledupagainsteachother,sleepingineachother’sarms withouta careintheworld.

“Notthatone,” Bucksaid,tuggingNina’s handandleadingher downa differentaisle inthe hardware store. “This would workbetter because ofthe sharper edges and the stronger materials. Lookatthe grains here,” he said, taking her hand and putting it on the wooden board. “It feels softer and smoother,right?”

Nina closed her eyes, wishing that they somewhere more private than the hardware store. “I’ve never considered the hardware store to be an erotic experience,” she whispered, then glanced around to see if anyone else had heard her. Thankfully, they were alone. At least for the moment. ThehardwarestoreonaSaturdaymorningwasnever asolitaryexperience.

“Ah,butyou’venever beentothehardwarestorewith me,”hepointedout,hisvoicelow and sexyinher ear. “AndI’venever beentothehardwarestorewithawomanwithsuchamazinglegs.”

Nina laughed, shaking her head. “I would have thought you’d gotten enough of my legs already.”

“Never!” He selected a board, aligning it carefully to see if it was straight. When he was satisfied,heputitonthecart,thentookNina’shandtowalkher towardsthenextitemontheir list.

“You’re trainingfor somethingnew atwork, aren’tyou?” she asked, leaningher head against his shoulder as he surveyed the screwdrivers. He’d been gone for hours each day, making her wonder whatitwas he didall day,butshe knew he couldn’ttalkaboutit. Whatever itwas thatBuck, Diesel,andJackdid,itwasn’tsomethingthattheycoulddiscuss.

Buck didn’t take his eyes off of the tools, but she felt himtense. “What do you mean?” he asked,hisvoicelow.

“Jinxexplaineda few things.” She shookher headwhenhis headswiveledabruptlytowards her. “Nothingthat would violate protocol. Just that, sometimes you, Jack, and Diesel have to leave suddenly.”

He sighed and turned, pullingher into his arms. “That canand does happen. And yes, it is probablygoingtohappensoon.”

Ninasnuggledagainsthim,tuckingher headunder his chin. “Thankyoufor beinghonestwith me,Buck.”

“I’ll always tell you whatever I can. But sometimes, I have to leave suddenly and without anywarning.”

“I understand.” She kissed him sweetly and pulled away. “Well…no, actually I don’t completely understand. I know that you work for some super-secret government agency. And you renovate houses in your spare time. I don’t understand more than that.” She selected a screwdriver thatlooked as ifitmightworkfor their project, thenaimed the carttowards the pipingarea. “Iknow youcan’ttell me.”Shepausedandlookedupathim,“Andmoretothepoint,Ibelieveinyou. Iknow you’ll comebacktome.”

Buck stared down at her, his heart pounding in his chest. He would. He wanted to always come back to her. Hell, right now, he didn’t want to leave her. Not for anything. He wanted to be withher everynightandwakeuptoher smilingathiminhisarms.

What the hell was he thinking? Was he thinking what he thought he was thinking? James wouldlaughifheknew thatBuckwasactuallyconsideringgettingoutofthegame.

Andyet,the idea ofstayinghere andrenovatinghouses withNina spoke tohim. He coulddo itfull time. Hell,hehadenoughmoneytostarthisownbusinessandmakeaproper goofit.

Now that the thought had come into his brain, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. James had gottenoutofthe business after makingmillions onhis video game. He wouldn’thave to workfor the restofhis life after that. Plus James was workingonanother videogame thatwouldprobablybe just aslucrative.

What if Buck got out? What if he started his own renovation company? Started flipping houses? There were definitely enough run-down houses to keep him in business for the rest of his life! Sure, the market would change, but so could he. When house flipping started to slow down, whatwouldhedothen?

Buckconsidered thatfor a while as theyfinished shopping. Theywere buildinga pergola in the back of Nina’s house. She wanted a place where she could sit and read during the summer months. She planned to grow climbingroses over the top ofthe pergola. Buckloved the idea. Hell, he wanted to be sitting right next to her as she read those books. Or even better, he wanted to be pushingtheir kidsonaswingsetassheread!

Buckstopped,stunnedbythatmostunexpectedthought.

Ninashotaninquiringlookhisway. “Areyouokay?”

Buck blinked at her, not sure how to answer. Kids? He’d never even considered having kids! ButwithNina…yeah,he’dlovetohavechildrenwithher! HethoughtaboutJamesandtheway his friend was talkingabouthavingkids withJinx. James would be anawesome father. Buckwould probablybethesameway,dotingonhiskidsandspoilingthemrotten.

Hell,hewantedtospoil Nina rotten! He wantedtowhiskher awaytoa tropical island,give her fruitycocktailsandmakelovetoher under theshadeofapalmtree.

“Buck, you’re scaringme!” Nina whispered, movingcloser and squeezinghis hand. He felt her soft breast pressing against his armand gazed down at her worried face. What would she look likeintenyears? Fiftyyears? She’dbegorgeous,heknew. Absolutelygorgeous!

He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “Nothing to be scared about. I was just contemplatingtheoptionofhandcuffs.”

Nina blinked and Buck waited, wondering how long it would take her to realize what he’d just said. Every time he introduced something new to their sexual escapades, he watched as she mulled the idea around in her mind, contemplating his suggestions before finally nodding in agreement. But handcuffs…that was probably a whole new level for her! Sure enough, it took her aboutsixtyseconds before she started to sputter her outrage, and looked around to see ifanyone else hadheard. For amoment,hethoughtshemightsayno,thathe’dgonetoofar withthatsuggestion. But thenhewatchedher mouthsoftenandthosegorgeous eyes lightupwithinterest. “Whatwouldyoudo

withthem?”shewhisperedback.

Bucklaughed,thinkingshe was the mostwonderful womaninthe world! “Justyouwaituntil wegethome.”

Buck began loading the tools onto the conveyor belt, thinking about all of the things that he coulddowithher handcuffedtothebed.

“CouldItakethefirstturn?”

Buckchuckled.“Iwanttomakesurethatyour wristsareprotectedfirst,buthell yes!”

Nina was quiet for a long moment and he looked down at her. Those lush lips…those sparklingeyes.

“Imeant,” she murmured,liftingontoher toes sothatshe couldwhisper inhis ear,givinghim aflashofher lacybraandbeautiful breastswhenher shirtgaped. “Imeant,couldIhandcuff you?”

Buckdropped the tools witha clatter. Several customers turned around and Buckcould feel his bodytighteningalmostpainfully. Hell, he could barelystayonhis feet! Movingbehind the wood stacked on the cart to hide his body’s reaction, he pulled her into the crook of his arm. “Nina, you can’tsaythingslikethattomewhenwe’reoutinpublic.”

Her only response, damn her, was a soft, sexy snicker. Buck shifted her in front of him, hidingtheveryobviouserectioncausedbyher suggestion.

Aflashofyellow caughthiseyeandBucklookedup.

That’s whenhis gaze landedonthe manperusinga nearbydisplayoftools. Was it…?! Buck frowned at the man and, sure enough, the guy looked up and stared back at him. Then he pointedly glanced at Nina. When the man’s eyes returned to Buck, Buck’s blood ran cold. “Jasper”! It was him! The manthey’d tailed inColorado!Ateamhad gone inafterwards to discover thatthe building had contained a hideout, most likely where “Jasper” hid out when things were tense and the authoritieswereafter him.

The glance at Nina was a crystal clear warning. Pursuing him at this particular moment would put Nina in danger. Buck stood still, fighting with his instinct to get the ass and his need to protectNina. Onthe one hand, he wanted to go after him. Itwould be extremelydifficultfor the guy to getoutofthe store before Buckcould reachhim. And yet, there was always the possibilitythatthe guy could get to Nina. Or another customer. Or he might have planted an explosive device for just suchasituation.

Hecouldn’triskit. All Buckcoulddowas standthere,likeanidiot,as theass leftthestore. Whistling!

“Buck?”Ninawhispered,placingahandonhischest.

Instantly, he calmed, her touchreassuringhimthatthe world was okay. He stared atthe man, makingmental notes abouthis facial features, the wayhe walked, the wayhe tucked his shirtinto his slacks,andevenhishaircut.

The ass had made a mistake tauntingBuck. Before, they’d knownlittle bits and pieces about theman. Now Buckhadmuchmoreinformation.

“Yousaw something,”Ninawhispered,understandinginhiseyes.

“Yes. We need to go,” he murmured firmly, taking her hand and pulling her out of the line. Thankfully, Nina didn’t argue. He sent up a silent prayer that Nina understood, that she trusted him enoughtoblindlyfollow himoutofthestore.

At the entrance, Buck stopped, looking around. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up andhepressedbackagainstthewall.

“Jasper” was out there. Waiting. Buck wasn’t willing to go out into the parking lot, which would give the guymore informationabouthimself. Nor would he allow the other manto playtarget practice.

Pullingout his phone, he pressed a number. Jackanswered almost immediately. “Go,” was all Jacksaid. Whenthisphonenumber wasdialed,hisfriendsandteammateswereall business.

“Justlettingyouknow thatyour bird is loose. Ithinkit’s flutteringaround, butIdon’tthinkI canwhistleandgetittocometome.”

“Understood. Whattime?”

“I think I saw it just now. It might be in the parking lot if you want to try to catch it. But it mightbedifficult. Toomuchnoiseisgoingtospookit.”

“Ihaveyour location. Sendingbackupnow.”

Buckputhisphoneaway,wishinghehadanearpiecetocommunicatewithJack.

“Tell mewhattodo,”Ninasaidinasoft,calmvoice.

He glanced down at her and his stomach clenched. He had to keep her safe! Nina was standingbehindthedoor,notlookingaround. Shewasjustverystill andtryingtolethimdohisthing.

“Helpisontheway.”

She nodded,still staringdirectlyathis chest. “Ifmytranslationofthatcall is correct,there’s a threat in the parking lot and you just reported it to your teamlead and they are sending back up.” Shepausedandsmiledfaintly.“How’dIdo?”

He hugged her, needing to protect her from harm with his own body as a shield, but not wantingher toknow whathewasdoing. “Nailedit.”

Five minutes later, Buck heard a car drive into the parking lot with music blaring. He recognized the song and relaxed. The cavalry had arrived! Moments later, Buck watched a blue minivan drive out of the parking lot and the hairs on his neck relaxed. The threat was gone. In a minivan? Whatthehell!

Still, he made note of the vehicle’s plate number, not that the guywould leave those tags on theminivanafter this. Butitwasyetanother pieceofthepuzzle,somethingtheycouldusetotrackthe man. Ifhe stole plates fromanother car, thentheywould know one place where the guyhad been. It wasastart. Alamestart,butitwasmorethanthey’dhadtenminutesago.

Nina’s hand tightened in his and she slipped her sunglasses on. “You have to go in, don’t you?”