Buch lesen: «The Battling McGuire Boys»

Chapter One

Everyone loved a good wedding. Or at least, people were supposed to love a wedding. And the wedding that she’d just watched had certainly been incredible. The bride, Ava McGuire, had been glowing as she took the hand of her husband, Mark Montgomery. The guests had erupted into cheers when the couple was pronounced man and wife. Shouts and whistles had filled the air when the two kissed.

Yes, everyone was supposed to love a wedding.

But Jamie Myers had spent the past hour wishing she could slip away from the crowd. Wishing she could pretty much be anywhere else. Sure, she liked both Ava and Mark. They were great people. It was just...the crowd. All the noise. The voices. The people.

And seeing what I’ll never have.

The big family. The ease, the comfort that came from that connection. It was too much. Because Jamie stared at all of them, and she remembered what she’d lost.

“Time to throw the bouquet!”

Jamie flinched. Scarlett McGuire had shouted the announcement as she strode past Jamie, and now she was flashing a rather wicked grin her way, as if she realized Jamie would rather walk through hell than make a grab for that bouquet. Of all the women at that wedding reception, Scarlett probably knew Jamie the best. So she knows this is when I’ll run.

Jamie tried to inch away, but a swarm of other women and a cloud of perfume surrounded her. She was pushed forward. Pushed up closer to the bride.

No, no, no! She threw up her hands, trying to knock the bouquet away when it actually came right at her.

Jamie thought she heard a sharp bark of male laughter, and she realized that she’d squeezed her eyes shut. Jamie cracked open one eye just in time to see the bouquet bounce off her hand and fly toward one of the bridesmaids. The woman let out a shriek of joy and fist-pumped like a football player who’d just crossed into the end zone.

Jamie felt a surge of relief. The crowd thinned. It was finally late enough for her to leave the party and head back to the safety of her little house and—

“I’ve never seen anyone actually hit a bouquet away quite like that,” a deep, dark male voice drawled. “Got to say, it was impressive. I bet you would make one hell of a volleyball player.”

Her gaze slid to the left, and she found trouble. Right there. The tall, broad-shouldered man with the thick, dark hair and the glinting green eyes... Oh, yes, he was definitely trouble.

He was also one of the bride’s brothers.

Davis McGuire lifted one brow as he stared at her. His hair was a bit darker than Ava’s, and while Ava was a beautiful woman... Davis was one dangerous-looking man. His face was hard angles—high cheekbones, a square jaw. In the time that she’d been in Texas, Jamie wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the guy smile. He just oozed a brooding intensity. An intensity that frightened her.

Because I’ve seen trouble like him before. And she still had the scars from that encounter.

But when she gazed at Davis, Jamie didn’t feel afraid. She felt oddly...good. Right. He’s here now. Such a strange thought to have. One that didn’t really make sense to her.

The bride and groom rushed away in a hail of laughter and well wishes. Jamie waved to them, caught for a moment by the joy that she could see on Ava’s face. Ava had certainly lived through her own hell—she deserved every bit of the happiness that she had.

Don’t we all deserve to be happy?

And then...the bride and groom were gone. Riding off to their happy-ever-after ending.

Some people actually got those.

Others didn’t. Others got nightmares. Jamie shivered.

Davis stepped closer to her. “I’m guessing it’s safe to say that you’re not real interested in getting married right now.”

“I... It’s very safe to say that.” Her words trembled. She hated that sign of weakness. She straightened her shoulders and stretched her spine. Even in the heels, she only stood at about five feet six inches tall, so she was nowhere close to Davis’s towering height. At least six foot three. Maybe more.

His head cocked as he studied her. “You look...very, very nice tonight, Doc.” Male appreciation lit his gaze as it swept over her blue dress, a blue that she knew matched her eyes. “But I’ve got to say—” his gaze rose back to her face “—I’ll never forget the way you handled that bouquet.” And he smiled.

An actual, serious smile.

In that instant, his face went from dangerous to drop-dead gorgeous. She even thought that she saw a dimple wink in his cheek.

Davis offered his arm to her. “Want to dance?”

She’d met Davis shortly after moving to the area. His family owned the McGuire ranch, but the ranch itself only had a few horses on it. Jamie was a veterinarian, and she’d been called out a couple of times to check on those animals. She’d spoken briefly with Davis on each visit.

Davis didn’t have a passion for the ranch. Like his brothers, he spent most of his time working at McGuire Securities, a private investigation firm in Austin. She knew he was ex-military and she’d also heard rumors about him being an adrenaline junkie who thrived on the thrill of a dangerous hunt—

“Jamie?” Davis murmured. “It wasn’t a hard question. Do you want to dance?”

Her gaze cut to the crowded dance floor. “There’s...so many people out there.” She shook her head and eased back a step. “I don’t... Um, it’s probably not a good idea. Not in that crush.”

Before she could turn and flee—and Jamie was giving a full-out run serious consideration—Davis caught her hand in his. At his touch, she stilled because she was pretty sure she felt a surge of heat snake from her fingers straight to her heart. Her breath caught, and her gaze shot up to meet his.

He still had that faint smile on his face. “I don’t like the crowds, either. But I do know a good dance spot. Come with me, and I’ll show you.”

She shouldn’t. Really.

But she found herself walking with him. She hadn’t taken a starlit stroll with a man in...

Jamie’s shoulders tensed, and she immediately shut down that thought. “I should go. I have calls in the morning and—”

“Are you afraid of me?” He’d already led her away from the crowd. They were out at the McGuire ranch because Ava had wanted her wedding to be there. She’d wanted to turn a place of tragedy into a place of joy again.

“Of course not.” Jamie was very good at lying. Too good, most days. But when your life was a lie, you had to learn how to adapt quickly.

“Good.” He kept walking, and he also kept his hold on her hand. A few moments later, they’d left the party behind and were beneath the tall branches of a tree that overlooked the lake on the ranch. The decorators had really gone above and beyond out there—they’d put up twinkling lights everywhere, and they looked like little stars nestled in the tree. The music drifted in the air, easily reaching them, as Davis turned and pulled her into his arms. “How about we dance right here?”

“I, um, don’t think my heels were made to dance out there. It’s—”

He bent. His hand slid her shoe right off. Then his fingers were gently lifting her other ankle. Lightly rubbing the flesh. Making her breath catch. And just like that, her other high heel was gone, too.

“Better?”

Her brows rose. “If dancing barefoot is better, then, yes.” It was a good thing the night wasn’t cold.

He laughed, the sound a little rusty but oddly warming. He put her shoes down and wrapped his hands around her waist.

“Don’t expect fancy moves,” she told him. Once upon a time, she’d danced in ballrooms. She’d learned all the right steps to take. But that had been years ago, and she’d stayed as far from ballrooms as possible since then.

“I don’t expect anything but for you to just let go. Relax with me a bit.”

Right. Because she was supposed to relax while Davis McGuire held her tightly. His body was so hard, muscled, against hers. His right hand held hers, cradling it lightly, and she could feel the edge of calluses on his fingers. Davis was a man used to hard work.

Hard work and danger.

“You smell so sweet.” His voice was even deeper. Rumbling. She could almost feel that voice inside her.

“It’s, um, lavender. My body lotion.” And that was so not a savvy, sophisticated thing to say back to him. But her sophisticated days were long gone. Not that she’d really had them, anyway. But every part of the life she’d led was gone.

He pulled her even closer. “I like your hair down. Usually, you keep it in that little twist at your nape. I didn’t even realize how long it was.”

And she hadn’t even realized he’d noticed her hair. Davis hadn’t seemed to pay her that much attention when she visited the ranch to tend to his animals. Sure, he’d been there each time she’d come out, and that was a little surprising since she knew he worked so much in Austin, but—

“You’re a million miles away,” Davis said.

Jamie shook her head. “No, I’m right here.” She’d put her head on his chest. It had seemed so natural to do that. The music was soft, romantic, and their bodies were swaying together. She wasn’t nervous. Wasn’t scared. She was just...

Almost happy.

“If I said I wanted to kiss you...” Davis murmured, “would you tell me to go to hell or...?”

She tensed. “Do you want to kiss me?”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Doc. Don’t sound so surprised. I know there are plenty of men who have wanted to kiss you.”

She stopped the swaying of her body and eased back, but didn’t lose her hold on him. She liked touching him. Odd, when she made a point not to get physically close to too many people. “I’m not talking about plenty of men right now. I’m talking about you.”

His eyes gleamed. “You’re a direct woman. I like that. I don’t have time for lies and tricks.”

Too bad. I’m all about lies. “You’re a man with secrets,” she threw right back. “So don’t give me that line. Everyone is more than they appear to be. We all wear masks for the world to see.”

His hold tightened on her waist. “You keep surprising me. Not many people can do that.”

The heat from his body was wrapping around her. Tempting her to get closer to him again. To put her head back on him, to let go, just for a little while.

“I do want to kiss you,” Davis said. He seemed to be staring at her mouth, and, nervously, she wet her lips. “I’ve wanted that for a very long time. Probably since the first day I met you.”

Was he serious? Or just trying to charm her into bed?

“But what do you want, Jamie?”

Ah, now he’d just called her Jamie and not “Doc” like he often did. She’d rather grown used to hearing his drawl when he used that little nickname.

And what do I want? She stared up at him and knew that—for an instant—she’d like to let go of her fear. To just feel. To just get lost in a man’s arms and in his kiss. It would be wonderful to act like any other woman. To simply let go...

Do it.

Davis McGuire was one of the good guys. He and his brothers helped people. They were all ex-military. Davis was a former SEAL. Tough, but good. True hero material. Sure, the things he’d done might scare her because she realized the guy knew how to fight hard and dirty but...

He won’t hurt me.

If there was any man she could trust, it should be him.

But you trusted the wrong man before.

His head lowered toward hers. “One kiss.”

One. One sounded fair. Or maybe that was just the champagne talking. She found herself leaning up on her tiptoes. Clutching his shoulders. Their lips were almost touching.

Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe she’d already let things go too far. But...

One kiss. What could it hurt?

Jamie opened her mouth. Her lips pressed to his.

One kiss.

It should have been gentle. It should have been light. It shouldn’t have wrecked her world. Passion like that wasn’t real. It was in movies. It was—

Consuming.

His arms wrapped around her as he brought her even closer. His tongue thrust past her lips, and he kissed her deep. Kissed her hard. Kissed her as if he’d been desperate to taste her for so long.

And she kissed him the same way. As if a flood of need had just erupted within her—and it had. Passion burned, and she couldn’t get close enough to him. Couldn’t touch him enough. She knew desire, she’d certainly felt it before. This was different. This was...

Jamie kept kissing him. She stopped thinking and she just felt.

* * *

THE HUNT WAS OVER.

It had been such a very long hunt. So many miles. So many years. She’d run from him. Hurt him. Lied to him.

But he’d found her. He’d found his Jamie again. And it was finally time to claim her once more.

He stared at her little house. So very far removed from the home where she’d lived when she was his. The stars glittered behind the house. There were no nearby neighbors. No one to watch out for Jamie.

No one to hear her scream.

He smiled. Would she be scared when she saw him again? Or happy? Probably both. After all, Jamie had been bad, so he’d have to punish her. At first.

But he loved her. She loved him. That was what mattered most.

He headed toward her door. This was the first time he’d gone so close to the house. Because it’s time to have my Jamie again.

His gaze flickered down, and he saw the welcome mat. So warm with the spray of flowers across the top. So Jamie. His head tilted back and he gazed at the wind chime that hung near her front door. His fingers lifted and brushed against that chime, sending a light peel of music drifting in the air. Then he reached for the door. Locked, of course, because Jamie was the careful sort. Quickly, he glanced under the welcome mat, hoping she’d left a key out for him.

Not there.

Like that was supposed to stop him.

He walked around her house. Found a nice, easy-to-reach window. He grabbed a rock and threw it right through that glass. The window shattered—

And an alarm split the air.

What the hell?

A dog started barking, snarling from inside the house, and he saw a very sharp pair of teeth lunge toward the broken glass, as if the beast were trying to get out of that window and come after him.

He hated dogs. Jamie knew that.

Damn her.

Backing away now because he knew the alarm would mean the arrival of cops, he kept his eyes on that growling animal. The alarm and the dog...they wouldn’t stop him. Nothing would stop him, not now. His plans had been put in careful motion. He’d be back. He’d get his Jamie again.

He’d searched long and hard for her, and she would not get away from him again.

He’d see her dead first.

* * *

DAVIS PUSHED JAMIE against the trunk of the nearby tree. The lights gleamed down on them, as her body responded—hell, the woman was about to drive him right out of his head.

He couldn’t stop kissing her. Her sweet taste was making him frantic. Champagne and candy...that was what she tasted like. And she was definitely making him feel a little drunk.

He’d wanted her since the first moment he saw her. That sun-streaked blond hair, her gleaming blue eyes...and her full, sensual lips. It was her lips that had really caught his attention. Jamie had an incredible mouth. Bow-shaped, sensual—he’d wanted her mouth under his.

And now I have her.

Only he hadn’t quite realized he’d go full-on nuclear once he actually got to taste her. Normally, control wasn’t an issue for him, but...

He kissed her harder. Her curves pressed against him, and Jamie had plenty of perfect curves. Full breasts, round hips. She was—

Ringing.

Davis stilled. Then his head slowly lifted, mostly because Jamie was pushing against his chest. She fumbled to pull a phone from a hidden pocket in her dress—very hidden. Her fingers were trembling a bit; he could see that small shake clearly.

Jamie had been just as affected by that kiss as he had been. Good to know.

“I—I’m sorry,” Jamie said. “But I have to take this call. It could be an emergency.”

He knew she handled plenty of emergency cases in her practice. Just a few months back, she’d been called out when the groom—Mark Montgomery—had discovered that his prize stallion had been poisoned. Only Jamie’s immediate response had saved that animal. Others in the area relied on her, too. Jamie was the best vet they’d seen in those parts in a very long time.

So he backed away. He sucked in a deep breath. And he adjusted his pants because he was seriously turned on by her.

Jamie put the phone to her ear. “This is Jamie Myers—” She broke off, her breath stuttering out a bit. “No, no, I’m not home.” She surged away from the tree. “Yes, please, send the cops over. I’m on my way now.”

He tensed. “Jamie?” Davis didn’t like the sharp edge of fear that he’d heard in her voice.

She shoved her phone back into that hidden pocket and hurriedly scooped up her shoes. She didn’t even pause to put them on before rushing toward the line of parked cars up on the crest.

“Jamie, wait!” He ran after her. Caught her arm and spun her around to face him. “What’s happening?”

“The alarm went off at my place. It could be a break-in.” She pushed his hand away. “I have to go. I’m sorry, I—”

Davis swore. “Don’t be sorry. But let me come with you.” A break-in...and she thought he was just going to stand back while she raced home? That wasn’t his style, not at all.

“No, no, you don’t have to—”

He caught her hand in his. “I want to. You take your car, and I’ll follow behind you, okay? But when we get to your house, don’t even think of going inside without me.” Because he’d witnessed too many bad scenes before. “I need to make sure you’re safe.”

“Why?”

He just stared at her.

“Why does it matter to you that I’m safe?” She seemed legitimately confused about that point.

“Because you matter.”

She laughed. “No, I don’t.” Jamie pulled away from him. “The kiss was great, amazing really.”

Yes, it had been.

“But I have to go. Good night, Davis.” She was running away from him. Literally.

He shook his head. She really thought he was going to let her walk—run—into danger?

Not this time.

He started jogging after her. And his brother stepped into his path.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down man,” Brodie said. Brodie was Davis’s twin...and folks often mistakenly thought Brodie was the more easygoing of the two. Those people were wrong. Davis knew that neither of them had the word “easy” in their vocabulary. “Where’s the fire?” Brodie wanted to know.

Davis elbowed him out of the way. “At the doc’s place.” He pointed after Jamie. The woman had moved fast. She was already at her car. “She just got a call from her alarm company. Something set off the system. I’m going over with her.”

“You need me?” Brodie shouted after him.

Because that was the way it was with his twin. Brodie had his back, always.

“Not this time,” Davis called. “I’ll check in when I know she’s clear.” He gave a quick wave over his shoulder. “It was one hell of a wedding!” And I still can’t believe our baby sister is married. Sweet Ava...she’d finally found happiness. He’d worried about her for so many years. The pain in her eyes had torn at him. But that pain was gone now. Ava was happy. The demons of her past had been put to rest.

He knew Mark Montgomery would do everything possible to make sure that Ava never had another moment of fear or pain in her life. Mark loved Ava. She was his number one priority. A good thing...because if she hadn’t been, then Davis would’ve needed to knock some sense into the guy—friend or no friend.

Davis reached his truck. He jumped inside and caught the flash of Jamie’s taillights. The woman was driving hell-fast. She needed to slow down. “Be safe, sweetheart,” he muttered as he cranked up his ride. Jamie didn’t realize how serious the situation could be.

He knew that danger waited, though. Even in the so-called safe places, like in the home where you let down your guard, danger could be hidden.

Once upon a time, he’d thought his ranch was the safest place on earth. He’d left the ranch, gone all over the world to fight and taken on so many dangerous missions...

Then he’d gotten the worst news of his life. His parents had been murdered in their own home. Ava had been the only witness, and she’d been shattered.

He drove away from the ranch, following behind Jamie.

Jamie. Now, that woman was a mystery to him. Beautiful, smart...

And...sometimes, I can see pain in her eyes. Pain and fear.

The same stark expression that he’d caught in his own sister’s eyes. Jamie had a dark past, one that she hadn’t shared with anyone. He knew the signs.

He also knew... I don’t want anyone to hurt her again.

Jamie wasn’t like other women. There was something different about her. Something that pulled at him. Something that called to him. Not just desire, though he sure felt plenty of lust for her.

The woman had made him laugh that night. Since his parents’ death, he hadn’t exactly had a whole lot to laugh about. Jamie—she was just different.

He sped up a bit as he headed toward her place.

Whatever was waiting for Jamie, he wanted to be there with her. She might not be used to threats, but he was.

His truck ate up the miles. Her home was a little cottage nestled on two acres, a place that gave her plenty of privacy. When he pulled onto her lane, he didn’t see the flash of police lights, and he knew they’d beat the cops there.

Jamie was already exiting her vehicle. Hurrying to the house.

Dammit. Davis jumped out. “Jamie, stop!” The burglar could still be inside the place.

Jamie whirled toward him. He stalked toward her. As he approached, he could easily hear the blare of her alarm and the frantic barking of a dog.

“You should wait for the cops.”

Jamie looked over her shoulder. “I have to make sure it’s not him.”

Him? “Jamie?”

She pulled away. “You didn’t need to come. I—I’ve got this.”

Then she was rushing toward her house again. This time, he ran right with her. She unlocked her front door. Stopped that blaring alarm. A big brown dog ran forward, and when the dog saw Jamie, its loud barks gave way to softer cries as the animal pushed his head against her.

“It’s okay, Jinx, I’m here.”

Davis eased deeper into the house. He made sure to keep Jamie within his line of sight. Nothing looked disturbed. No furniture overturned. Nothing smashed. Nothing—

He saw the shattered glass on the floor. “The window.” Davis headed toward it. “The guy probably thought he’d break the glass and unlock it. Then your alarm went off.” He slanted a quick glance at Jinx. “And so did your dog.”

Jamie had bent near the dog. She was stroking the animal’s broad head. “Jinx is a great watchdog,” she said. “He’s—”

Jinx snarled and lunged away from her. He raced right out of the front door and into the night.

“Jinx!”

Davis was already running after him. “That great watchdog has a scent,” Davis said. And that meant...Is the burglar still here? Now, that didn’t make sense. The guy should have fled the scene as soon as the alarm went off.

But...

Davis ran toward the woods on the right of Jamie’s property. The dog was bounding up ahead, and Davis heard the growl of an engine in the air. A rumble... The distinct rumble of a motorcycle.

He is still here.

The burglar had been hiding in the dark...waiting for Jamie to return?

Davis lunged forward, following that sound because his instincts had just shot into overdrive. If the guy had been hanging around, then he’d had other plans—plans that involved Jamie. He’d nearly reached the trees when the light from the motorcycle flashed into him, momentarily blinding Davis.

He heard Jamie scream as that motorcycle came right at him. Davis lunged to the side, and the bike missed him by inches as it shot past him. He jumped right back to his feet, his eyes on that motorcycle. The rider wore a dark helmet, so he couldn’t see the guy’s face. The dog was running after the bike, but there was no way Jinx was going to catch him.

“Davis!” Jamie grabbed his arm. “Are you hurt? I’m so sorry!” Her hands flew over him. “I didn’t mean to drag you into this! I’d never want for anyone else to be hurt, I—”

He caught her hands. The tumble of her words stopped. The growl of the motorcycle was a distant sound now. “What’s going on, Jamie?”

“B-burglar.”

He didn’t buy that. Especially because that hitch in her voice had been a telling sign of a lie. “Want to try again?”

“Are you hurt?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t even scratch me.” The guy had been too intent on fleeing. His goal hadn’t been to attack Davis. So just what did the guy want? “You said you didn’t mean to drag me into this... What is this, Jamie? Tell me what’s happening.”

But she pulled away from him. Her arms wrapped around her stomach even as her shoulders hunched. Her dog rushed back to her side and pressed against her legs.

“Jamie?”

She looked toward her house. The lights blazed inside. The growl of the motorcycle was gone. And there was still no sign of the cops.

She’s too isolated out here. What if she’d come back alone and that jerk had been waiting? His hands clenched as he thought of just what sick things the guy might have planned.

“You were nearly run down. That’s what I meant.” She backed up a step. “I shouldn’t have let you play Good Samaritan tonight. I shouldn’t—”

He reached out. Touched her arm. Felt the tremble that shook through her. “Sweetheart, sometimes, I can almost feel your secrets between us.” Did she think he hadn’t noticed them?

She became very, very still. “You don’t want to know my secrets.”

Yes, I do. And I’m not going to stop digging until I uncover every single one of them.

“I don’t even want to know them.” She turned from him and headed toward her house with slow, certain steps. “That’s why I spend most days pretending they don’t exist.”

She kept walking toward her house. Jinx looked at Davis, whined, then hurried after Jamie. Davis’s gaze swept the scene once more. Danger was out there, waiting to close in on Jamie. And whatever trouble the woman had stalking her...he wasn’t going to leave her to face it on her own.

* * *

NOT ALONE. NOT ALONE. Not alone!

His gloved fingers tightened around the motorcycle’s handlebars. Jamie should have returned to that little house by herself. Some hick in a pickup truck shouldn’t have followed her. He shouldn’t have touched her.

He shouldn’t have been with my Jamie!

When he heard the shriek of police sirens, he killed the lights on his motorcycle and took the ride off the road. He hid beneath some trees, watching as two cruisers rushed by. Those cars were heading to Jamie’s place. Her house was the only one out on that long road.

He glanced at his watch. Hit the button for fast illumination. And he smiled when he saw the time. It had certainly taken the cops a long time to respond to that alarm. If Jamie had been alone, he would have been able to spend plenty of quality time with her before the police showed up. So much time. Time to catch up.