TrustintheLawe_w4282

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “I do now.”

  No. God no. She couldn’t live with Colton—it was bad enough working with him. “But, what about your apartment?”

  “I gave up my lease.”

  “Then you’ll have to get a different one. You can’t stay here.”

  He leaned forward and placed his palms on the table. Unconcerned arrogance switched to intense determination so fast she blinked. “I’ve already moved into the third room and there isn’t one single thing you’re going to do about it.”

  “There’s no way Joel will agree to this if I tell him—”

  “The only thing you’re going to tell Joel is that you have no problem with the arrangement.”

  “Don’t bet on that,” she shot back with false bravado.

  He reached to adjust the nine inch butcher knife, lining it up at a ninety-degree angle to the edge of the table before meeting her gaze once more. “Oh, I’d bet on it.”

  His cocky, self-confident attitude pissed her off, but what could she do? She didn’t take the gesture as a physical threat, but she read loud and clear the underlying threat—if she so much as said one word, he’d go straight to Joel and Britt and tell them what happened before she arrived on the ranch. Add the whole knife incident just now and she’d look like the deceitful, psychotic kleptomaniac Colton believed her to be. How long would Joel let her stay near his family then? He had her, dammit, and by the satisfaction in his expression, he knew it.

  Colton straightened, one corner of his mouth crooked up. “I’ve got groceries in the car.”

  After he’d strolled out the door, she reached for the knife and returned it safely to the wooden block. Should she just tell Joel? Get everything out in the open so Colton had nothing to hold over her head?

  No!

  The silent denial sounded loud and swift. After getting to know Joel these last few days and what Britt told her of his background, he would more than likely insist on involving the police. Word of her and Noah’s location would get back to Robert through the NYPD. She didn’t trust any cops to be able to protect them, and most especially she didn’t trust the NYPD. They’d done nothing when she was date-raped by one of their own and even less when she’d first reported her suspicion that Robert tried to kill her.

  She’d reported it to a captain, who’d assigned it to a detective, who’d known an officer who was a friend of the family. Jeremy. When the very man who’d raped her called to set up an appointment to take her formal statement about his best friend Robert, the warning threat in his voice had been unmistakable.

  That’s when she’d known the only way to be safe was to take Noah and get as far away as possible. They’d left in less than an hour.

  The slamming of the back door sent Kendra a couple inches off the floor. She made a frustrated sound under her breath. God, just thinking about Robert made her nervous. But he wouldn’t find them at the ranch, not if she kept her mouth—and Colton’s—shut until her birthday.

  Just over three weeks to go. A short time that would take forever, with her and Noah’s lives hanging in the balance every second.

  Colton set two brown paper bags on the counter. The thought of living with him made her nervous, too.

  He opened the fridge, one hand on the door and one braced above him as he bent to look inside. Involuntarily, her gazed dropped. His jeans were snug enough to show muscle, but not too tight. She had a flashback to the kiss in the barn. His lips had been warm and firm, awakening a desire inside that scared her. Even now, she could feel it stirring, curling in her belly and climbing up to make her heart flutter and her mouth water.

  “Hey.”

  He snapped his fingers for her attention, and she jerked her gaze up.

  “You want top or bottom?”

  She stared at him in shock, unable to believe his blatant proposition.

  He pointed to the open fridge as he pulled a container of cottage cheese from one of the bags. “Top or bottom shelf?”

  She straightened from where she’d leaned her hip against the counter, hoping the heat she felt didn’t show too much in her face. “I-I couldn’t care less.”

  A soft chuckle mocked her hasty retreat. Damn him.

  Fifteen minutes later, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, fuming. If Colton didn’t turn the TV off soon, so help him, she’d get the knife again!

  ****

  Colton glanced down the hall when he heard Kendra, then quickly averted his gaze back to the TV. Those pajamas of hers were dangerous to his peace of mind. Spaghetti strapped snug top and pants that rode low on her slim hips before skimming down to her ankles. Damn. Maybe moving in wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  She proceeded to stand directly in the middle of the living room, between him and the screen, hands on her hips. “This isn’t going to work.”

  He reclined on the couch, propped his feet on the coffee table and did his best not to look at her pierced navel as he made his silent statement that she had no choice in the matter.

  “Fine,” she snapped. “Then there’s going to be some rules. No TV after nine.”

  “Nine?” He snorted. “What are you, sixty?”

  “I don’t sleep well so I go to bed early.”

  “I don’t sleep so good myself so I go to bed late.”

  “Don’t you read?”

  He shrugged off her insult, which seemed to annoy her further. “I prefer TV. Close your door.”

  “I won’t hear Noah if he wakes up.”

  He sat up with sudden interest. “You’d hear him perfectly in the room next to his.”

  “With my door open, I can hear just fine.” She turned around to shut off the TV, then faced him again. Behind her, the TV flicked back on, and he held up the remote with a smug grin.

  “Colton, I’m serious. I can’t sleep with the noise,” she half fumed, half pleaded.

  After a measuring look, he raised the remote and clicked it off. “Ten.”

  “Nine.”

  “Thirty.”

  She conceded with a nod. “I can deal with that.”

  He tossed the remote on the coffee table when she turned to leave. “Hold on a sec…are you sure you wouldn’t like to trade rooms? You’d be more comfortable if you were closer to Noah, don’t you think?”

  “I’m fine where I am.”

  He rose with a disgruntled sound. “Look at you. Now look at me. You’ve got the room with a king bed and mine is barely a double. Doesn’t really make sense, does it?”

  She gave a soft laugh of triumph. “It makes perfect sense to me. Sweet dreams.”

  “Oh, come on!”

  “I was here first.”

  Colton tried to be rational and behave like an adult, while at the same time trying not to think about the small bed in his room. “The house was mine before you showed up.”

  “A technicality at best—possession is nine tenths of the law,” she stated.

  What did she know about possession? It struck him as an odd thing for her to say, until he considered all he knew about her. Maybe she had experience?

  She was right, though. He glanced down the hall. If he—

  “Don’t even think about it.”

  He pretended to consider it, then almost laughed when he pictured the two of them racing for her room. “It’s not like you could throw me out.” The moment the words left his mouth he regretted them. He winced at the flashback of being heaved over her small shoulder, but she didn’t notice.

  “Oh, grow up,” she said.

  “I did, that’s the problem.”

  “Your problem, not mine.”

  He watched her walk away before turning for his own room. He lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, his feet stretched to the very end of the mattress as he stared at the ceiling. He still had a hard time reconciling the fact that a woman half his size had pretty much laid him flat on his ass. One moment he’d been looking in on Noah and the next he’d been laying on his back.

  It made no sense. The little bird co
uldn’t even lift a forty-pound hay bale, yet she’d tossed him like a rag doll. His mouth quirked. Maybe not quite that easily—and she’d had the advantage of surprise. Still, his ego smarted when he thought of lying there, trying to catch his breath while she stood over him with that damn knife.

  Once he realized she had been protecting Noah, the tension in his shoulders eased enough for him to walk away. Until she’d chased after him and he’d seized up again, expecting the blade to plunge between his shoulder blades with his next breath. The entire encounter had been altogether too unsettling, especially when he considered the desperate air cloaking her defensive reactions.

  Who had she thought he was? She’d called him a monster, and considered him dangerous enough to warrant the use of a knife. Thank God he had quick reflexes. Her explanation of the weapon only raised his suspicion. She’d caught herself just in time, but he knew she’d been about to reveal something she didn’t want him to know.

  Something was definitely not right, and he decided he’d better sit down and have a talk with Joel tomorrow. His acceptance of his supposed sister and brother with open arms and no questions asked was great and all, but his friend needed to know there was far more to the situation than met the eye.

  No more of this wait and see attitude. If something bad happened that he could’ve prevented, Colton would never forgive himself—and he had enough guilt on his shoulders already.

  Chapter Seven

  Sleep eluded her most of the night. A few minutes after four a.m., Kendra gave up and went to brew a pot of coffee, the Basics of Horse Care book she’d borrowed from Britt the day before tucked under her arm. Halfway through her first cup, she found herself staring at the page, but instead of words, she saw a vivid picture. Wavy, caramel-colored hair hung over a prominent forehead that’d been tanned by the sun. Granny Smith apple green eyes framed by thick eyelashes, and a mouth that she knew from experience tasted of mint.

  Shaking her head to clear the image, she refocused on the text. By her third cup, she managed to read the first two chapters and was pleased with what she’d learned, even though the sleepless night made her eyelids feel like sandpaper.

  Shuffling footsteps on the hall carpet made her twist around in her chair. Colton stood in the doorway, squinting his eyes against the overhead kitchen light. “Do you know what time it is?”

  His voice was husky from sleep, low and mellow. He only wore cotton shorts; she had full view of his bare chest and toned abdominal muscles. Half-ton hay bales didn’t seem like such a stupid idea anymore.

  She forced her gaze back to his face only to discover the stubble on his jaw lent him an unlawfully sexy air.

  “Of course I do.” She turned away and waited for the sound of his footsteps to recede down the hall. When silence reigned, she heaved an annoyed sigh and demanded, “What?”

  “Nothing. I got up to use the bathroom, smelled the coffee and saw the light.” He entered the kitchen, running his hand through his hair, leaving it more tousled than before. She watched him rub his eyes and wondered why he didn’t go back to bed. It was five a.m., he could get at least another hour in, and she wasn’t in the mood to talk to the reason she hadn’t been able to sleep.

  A sexy Colton and her tired mind were a bad combination.

  “As you can see, everything is fine. Go away.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Not too chipper this morning, are you?”

  When he poured himself a cup of coffee—her coffee—her irritation increased. “There’s no reason to be.”

  He leaned against the counter with his mug in hand. “Oh, I don’t know. How about, you’re alive, the sun’s going to rise in an hour, and the coffee is hazelnut.” He closed his eyes and lifted his mug to inhale the rich aroma. “I love hazelnut.”

  Kendra stared, struck by the raw pleasure in his simple, gruff declaration. When he opened his eyes, she quickly looked away and mumbled, “Good for you.”

  He sat at the table, kitty-corner, and their knees bumped once. “Whatcha readin’?”

  She flipped her book closed and pulled it down out of sight. “None of your business.”

  He chuckled into his cup when she fixed him with a glare. Then he slouched down in his chair and cradled his mug in his hands as if settling in for a comfortable morning chat. Like she was supposed to be able to hold an intelligent conversation while he was half-naked? Especially when she’d already seen him completely naked?

  “You’re really not a morning person, are you?”

  Tearing her gaze from the smattering of light blond hair on his chest, she shoved her book behind her back and rose to her feet. “I like mornings fine. Today it’s the company I dislike.”

  “Ouch.” As she rinsed her mug, he asked, “What are you doing up at this ungodly hour anyway?”

  She didn’t respond at first. When she turned, he caught her gaze and his expression asked the question all over again. “I told you last night I don’t sleep well.” With a hint of malice, she inquired, “And how about you?”

  She imagined his tall frame in the small double bed and anticipated his answer with a glimmer of satisfaction.

  “Actually, I slept great.”

  She tried to determine if he was telling the truth or merely making sure she didn’t enjoy anything other than her coffee this morning. He appeared disgustingly well rested, while she felt grumpy and exhausted and was willing to bet she looked it—even after three cups of coffee.

  Enough of him. She made it as far as the doorway.

  “Kendra…we need to talk.”

  She closed her eyes for a brief moment before turning. “Gee, it sounds like you’re going to end our relationship.” It was the only thing she could think to stall him. “Okay, fine. I know it was you, not me. I forgive you, have a nice life.”

  She got two more steps.

  “Kendra.”

  She’d known it was coming; she heard it in his firm tone. Turning to lean against the doorframe, she folded her arms across her chest, the book tucked out of sight under her arm. Colton had risen to his feet, but she didn’t say a word to his somber expression. If he wanted to talk, let him talk.

  “Who did you think I was last night?”

  Her stomach gave a little twinge, but she forced herself to remain calm. “Nobody.” Good, she’d even managed to keep her voice flat. “Just a burglar.”

  “You called me a monster.”

  She’d forgotten about that, but it was easily explained. “You were in Noah’s room, I didn’t know what you were doing.”

  He shook his head. “There was something in your voice—”

  “Of course there was, I was scared.” Like now. Couldn’t he just leave it alone?

  “You were angry, too.”

  “I didn’t know it was you.”

  He took a step closer. “I know. And for once, I believe you. That’s my point. Now, who did you think I was?” he asked again.

  She lifted her chin to diminish the effect of his towering height. “It’s really none of your business.”

  “Hold on, let me get this straight. You stole my wallet, lied to my friends and almost stabbed me before tossing me over your shoulder.” While speaking, he’d casually ticked off each offense on the fingers of one hand. Now he pinned her with a sharp gaze. “But it’s none of my business? Care to explain your reasoning?”

  She flinched at the hard edge to his question. A mixture of anger, confusion and resentment made it difficult to hold eye contact. “I don’t understand why we need to go over this again. I apologized last night.”

  “Actually, you didn’t.”

  “Well, then, I’m sorry. In particular for…everything, I guess.”

  He made an impatient sound. “You guess? The lack of sincerity is exactly what I’d expect from you.”

  She swallowed an unexpected stab of hurt. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

  He inclined his head, with the barest hint of a smile. “Now that sounded real.”

  Kendra set
her jaw and said nothing.

  He advanced until only inches separated them. “You haven’t answered my question.”

  “You’ve asked so many,” she stalled.

  The distance between them closed yet another inch. “Who did you think I was that you were willing to use a knife on?”

  “I told you, a burglar.”

  “Yeah, then you said it was none of my business.” He braced his hands against the wall on both sides of her head. “You’re not telling the truth…again.”

  She drew a shaky breath because his nearness was really beginning to get to her. “I’ve answered your questions. Just because they’re not the answers you want—evidence of some scam you’re convinced I’m running—it’s not my fault.”

  His gaze narrowed. She wanted to push him away, but didn’t trust herself to lay her hands on the bare skin of his chest. Already his heat was raising her body temperature to a crazy level. As she sought to draw more air into her constricted lungs, something flickered in his eyes and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

  He leaned closer. She realized he intended to kiss her again. Rational thought fled. Anticipation raced through her veins. She even began to close her eyes in acceptance. At the last second, his gaze flicked to the left. He stiffened, shoved away, and backed into the kitchen with a deep frown.

  “Ken? Is everything okay?”

  Noah’s sleepy voice explained Colton’s abrupt retreat. And thank God! Thrusting aside a stab of guilt that she hadn’t even heard him get up, Kendra spun to see Noah rubbing his eyes as he shuffled toward the kitchen. “It’s fine, Noah,” she assured him. Good God, it sounded like she’d raced a mile at top speed. She took a breath and cleared her throat. “Go back to bed, it’s still early.”

  “I have to go to the bathroom.” He switched direction, but after a few steps, he halted and looked back at her. “I saw the light and was worried.”

  She hurried to give him a hug. “I’m okay, I just got up a little early, that’s all.”

  “You didn’t sleep again.” Concern shone in his young eyes. “I heard you talking—you sounded upset…was it the dream again?”