hand flew upward. “Hey!” His voice was deep, gravelly with lingering sleepiness.
“Why are you still here?” She raked a hand through her sleep-tangled hair and belted her robe tighter.
“How could I leave you alone after some madman smeared blood on your mirror?” He propped himself up on his elbows. “Besides, your car is still at the newspaper parking lot. I figured you’d need a ride.”
She stood erect and forced a hard tone. “How thoughtful.” It would be a mistake to let him know how he’d stirred her emotions. Really, she was more furious at herself than him.
Her sharp look clashed with dazzling brown eyes. “There wasn’t any special newscast, was there?”
“Had to come up with something, or spend the night freezing in my car.”
“If you’d kept your clothes on you wouldn’t have frozen.”
He glanced down at himself, then back at her with an amused grin. “This is more than I wear at the beach, or at home.”
“I suppose you expect to be thanked for not sleeping in the raw.”
“It was a sacrifice.”
Jill turned up the collar of her robe and scowled, even though deep inside she liked the idea that he’d wanted to protect her. “You’ve overstepped your boundaries, Dane.”
“But you’re safe. Hey, I know a place that makes the best Belgian waffles in town. Hungry?”
She headed for the kitchen. “All I need is my pain pill, some coffee—and privacy.”
“You need to keep your strength up,” he said, following right on her heels. “You were just in an accident. Besides, having breakfast together will give us a chance to brainstorm this thing.”
Jill spun around and faced him. “I don’t need you for that.”
He moved closer. “Just what do you need me for?”
His deep voice and suggestive tone made her knees weak. She backed away. “Absolutely nothing!”
He leaned against the counter and folded his muscular arms. “To find Tess, you should be willing to deal with anybody who’ll speed the process. Including me.”
Jill lifted her chin. He knew all the buttons to push, but she wouldn’t fall for it this time. “I’m through dealing with the devil.”
His face hardened. “I don’t deserve that. Can’t you see how important it is to me to help you find Tess? I care about her, too.” He stepped forward again, this time close enough to touch. He towered above her. “Dammit, Jill, we’re on the same side.”
“Are we?”
His bare chest, matted with curly dark hair, irked her. A man who flaunted his body like some stallion stud could be involved in pornography.
She grabbed a clean glass from the dishwasher and tossed down a gulp of water and her pill. She slammed the glass down on the counter and brushed past him. “I have to get dressed.” She raked his torso with her gaze. “You might consider doing the same.”
While Jill slipped into a dark slacks suit, she thought about Dane’s connection to the studio and his friendship with young models almost half his age. If he were involved with the seamy side of the video world she would uncover it. She returned to the living room in a worse mood than when she’d left. Dane was waiting. The dark stubble on his face enhanced his rugged-male appearance. He handed her a cup of coffee. “You look like you need this.”
Probably his kindness was just a ploy to get his story. She wished it wasn’t so. “Thanks.” She took a gulp of the scalding liquid, then put the cup down. Were the blisters forming on her palate an omen?
Dane followed right behind her as she stomped out the door. “I like to glance at the headlines,” he said. “Do you get the paper?”
She leaned over the porch rail and yanked aside the camellia bushes, exposing The Chronicle’s usual hiding spot beneath her living room window. “Help yourself.”As Dane stooped to get the newspaper out of the muddy soil, he frowned. Jill saw the boot prints an instant after he did.
****
Tess hated her kidnapper, hated herself for being so
“Why are you still here?” She raked a hand through her sleep-tangled hair and belted her robe tighter.
“How could I leave you alone after some madman smeared blood on your mirror?” He propped himself up on his elbows. “Besides, your car is still at the newspaper parking lot. I figured you’d need a ride.”
She stood erect and forced a hard tone. “How thoughtful.” It would be a mistake to let him know how he’d stirred her emotions. Really, she was more furious at herself than him.
Her sharp look clashed with dazzling brown eyes. “There wasn’t any special newscast, was there?”
“Had to come up with something, or spend the night freezing in my car.”
“If you’d kept your clothes on you wouldn’t have frozen.”
He glanced down at himself, then back at her with an amused grin. “This is more than I wear at the beach, or at home.”
“I suppose you expect to be thanked for not sleeping in the raw.”
“It was a sacrifice.”
Jill turned up the collar of her robe and scowled, even though deep inside she liked the idea that he’d wanted to protect her. “You’ve overstepped your boundaries, Dane.”
“But you’re safe. Hey, I know a place that makes the best Belgian waffles in town. Hungry?”
She headed for the kitchen. “All I need is my pain pill, some coffee—and privacy.”
“You need to keep your strength up,” he said, following right on her heels. “You were just in an accident. Besides, having breakfast together will give us a chance to brainstorm this thing.”
Jill spun around and faced him. “I don’t need you for that.”
He moved closer. “Just what do you need me for?”
His deep voice and suggestive tone made her knees weak. She backed away. “Absolutely nothing!”
He leaned against the counter and folded his muscular arms. “To find Tess, you should be willing to deal with anybody who’ll speed the process. Including me.”
Jill lifted her chin. He knew all the buttons to push, but she wouldn’t fall for it this time. “I’m through dealing with the devil.”
His face hardened. “I don’t deserve that. Can’t you see how important it is to me to help you find Tess? I care about her, too.” He stepped forward again, this time close enough to touch. He towered above her. “Dammit, Jill, we’re on the same side.”
“Are we?”
His bare chest, matted with curly dark hair, irked her. A man who flaunted his body like some stallion stud could be involved in pornography.
She grabbed a clean glass from the dishwasher and tossed down a gulp of water and her pill. She slammed the glass down on the counter and brushed past him. “I have to get dressed.” She raked his torso with her gaze. “You might consider doing the same.”
While Jill slipped into a dark slacks suit, she thought about Dane’s connection to the studio and his friendship with young models almost half his age. If he were involved with the seamy side of the video world she would uncover it. She returned to the living room in a worse mood than when she’d left. Dane was waiting. The dark stubble on his face enhanced his rugged-male appearance. He handed her a cup of coffee. “You look like you need this.”
Probably his kindness was just a ploy to get his story. She wished it wasn’t so. “Thanks.” She took a gulp of the scalding liquid, then put the cup down. Were the blisters forming on her palate an omen?
Dane followed right behind her as she stomped out the door. “I like to glance at the headlines,” he said. “Do you get the paper?”
She leaned over the porch rail and yanked aside the camellia bushes, exposing The Chronicle’s usual hiding spot beneath her living room window. “Help yourself.”As Dane stooped to get the newspaper out of the muddy soil, he frowned. Jill saw the boot prints an instant after he did.
****
Tess hated her kidnapper, hated herself for being so
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