meant getting closer to Laramie Cardwell. But being here with him, standing this close to him, looking into those blue eyes...
She felt a small tremor move through her. He knew. It was time to quit kidding herself. He was just waiting for her to make a mistake. But that wasn’t all she saw in his eyes or felt being this close to him. Some kind of chemistry was arcing between them and he felt it, too.
Sid tried to convince herself this was about nothing more than foreplay, flirtation. But the attraction was so strong between them that there was no denying it.
Worse, she liked him. Look at the interest he’d taken in Western art since the first night they’d met, she thought with a hidden smile. He’d become intrigued, just as she had become intrigued by him. She couldn’t say that about most of the men she’d dated. Her last serious relationship had been in high school. Fortunately she’d been smart enough not to marry him.
But whatever feelings she might have when it came to Laramie Cardwell, the question now was how far she would go to get the painting back.
* * *
L ARAMIE SAW THE WAY Sid was clutching the coffee mug in both hands. “Your coffee must be getting cold. Let’s go back down. I want your opinion on that big wall in the living room.”
He’d noticed the change in her. What he’d told her had upset her. But by the time they reached the kitchen, she seemed her cool, calm self again.
This woman would be the death of him. The thought surprised him as if it was a warning. But there was no denying whatever was going on between them under the surface. It wasn’t his imagination. This woman did things to him. That alone made her dangerous—not to mention the fact that she was a criminal. A thief. Or worse.
He told himself he wouldn’t be stupid enough to let her steal his heart.
“If I’m going to help find the right art for you, then I’ll need to figure out what you like,” Sid said after he’d warmed up her coffee and showed her the large, high-ceilinged wall in the living room.
“How do you suggest doing that since I don’t know what I like?” he asked, inexplicably still intrigued and attracted by this woman. He really had to be careful. Austin was right. He had no idea what he was getting into.
She smiled as she looked up at him, her eyes locking with his. “I guess we’ll have to spend more time together so I get to know you better.”
He felt a dart of desire puncture his already weak reserve. She was flirting with him.
“I completely agree,” he heard himself say, all the while reminding himself who he was dealing with. Austin was afraid this woman was dangerous. His brother had no idea given the mix of emotions Sid evoked in him.
She smiled. “Any suggestions?”
She definitely was flirting with him. Laying some sort of trap for him?
He decided to play along. “We could start by going horseback riding, but it’s supposed to snow this afternoon.”
Sid laughed. “I love riding in the snow, but if you—”
“No, I’m in. Just let me call my cousin Dana.”
* * *
T AYLOR W EST TRIED his wife’s cell phone number again. It went straight to voice mail—again. Only this time, the message said that her voice mail was full.
He slammed down the phone. Since seeing Jade’s car in Rock Jackson’s barn, he hadn’t been able to sleep—except for the hours he’d drunk so much that he’d passed out.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” fellow artist Hank Ramsey had told him. Taylor hadn’t wanted to tell anyone, but he was going out of his mind, so he’d called Hank for advice.
“Don’t do anything crazy ?” he’d demanded after hearing Hank’s advice. “Rock has stolen my wife ! And who knows what else he’s done.” He’d stopped short of telling Hank what else he suspected Rock Jackson of doing. Did he trust either Rock or Hank? Not anymore. Not since he’d seen the painting Laramie Cardwell had in his possession.
“You don’t know for a fact that
She felt a small tremor move through her. He knew. It was time to quit kidding herself. He was just waiting for her to make a mistake. But that wasn’t all she saw in his eyes or felt being this close to him. Some kind of chemistry was arcing between them and he felt it, too.
Sid tried to convince herself this was about nothing more than foreplay, flirtation. But the attraction was so strong between them that there was no denying it.
Worse, she liked him. Look at the interest he’d taken in Western art since the first night they’d met, she thought with a hidden smile. He’d become intrigued, just as she had become intrigued by him. She couldn’t say that about most of the men she’d dated. Her last serious relationship had been in high school. Fortunately she’d been smart enough not to marry him.
But whatever feelings she might have when it came to Laramie Cardwell, the question now was how far she would go to get the painting back.
* * *
L ARAMIE SAW THE WAY Sid was clutching the coffee mug in both hands. “Your coffee must be getting cold. Let’s go back down. I want your opinion on that big wall in the living room.”
He’d noticed the change in her. What he’d told her had upset her. But by the time they reached the kitchen, she seemed her cool, calm self again.
This woman would be the death of him. The thought surprised him as if it was a warning. But there was no denying whatever was going on between them under the surface. It wasn’t his imagination. This woman did things to him. That alone made her dangerous—not to mention the fact that she was a criminal. A thief. Or worse.
He told himself he wouldn’t be stupid enough to let her steal his heart.
“If I’m going to help find the right art for you, then I’ll need to figure out what you like,” Sid said after he’d warmed up her coffee and showed her the large, high-ceilinged wall in the living room.
“How do you suggest doing that since I don’t know what I like?” he asked, inexplicably still intrigued and attracted by this woman. He really had to be careful. Austin was right. He had no idea what he was getting into.
She smiled as she looked up at him, her eyes locking with his. “I guess we’ll have to spend more time together so I get to know you better.”
He felt a dart of desire puncture his already weak reserve. She was flirting with him.
“I completely agree,” he heard himself say, all the while reminding himself who he was dealing with. Austin was afraid this woman was dangerous. His brother had no idea given the mix of emotions Sid evoked in him.
She smiled. “Any suggestions?”
She definitely was flirting with him. Laying some sort of trap for him?
He decided to play along. “We could start by going horseback riding, but it’s supposed to snow this afternoon.”
Sid laughed. “I love riding in the snow, but if you—”
“No, I’m in. Just let me call my cousin Dana.”
* * *
T AYLOR W EST TRIED his wife’s cell phone number again. It went straight to voice mail—again. Only this time, the message said that her voice mail was full.
He slammed down the phone. Since seeing Jade’s car in Rock Jackson’s barn, he hadn’t been able to sleep—except for the hours he’d drunk so much that he’d passed out.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” fellow artist Hank Ramsey had told him. Taylor hadn’t wanted to tell anyone, but he was going out of his mind, so he’d called Hank for advice.
“Don’t do anything crazy ?” he’d demanded after hearing Hank’s advice. “Rock has stolen my wife ! And who knows what else he’s done.” He’d stopped short of telling Hank what else he suspected Rock Jackson of doing. Did he trust either Rock or Hank? Not anymore. Not since he’d seen the painting Laramie Cardwell had in his possession.
“You don’t know for a fact that
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