“Trust me, Max.”
Doubt flickered across his face. She could see he was wavering. He lowered the gun.
“If that beast hurts anyone, including Lucky, I’m getting rid of it.”
He turned on his heel and stalked away.
CHAPTER NINE
Max sat in his recliner and stared at the top of the Jose Cuervo bottle he could see sticking out of the top of the cabinet where he’d hidden it over a year ago. He knew he should have thrown it away, should have removed all temptation from the house. But he hadn’t been able to part with that last bottle. He’d kept it, just in case. He hadn’t had a drink in over a year, but the temptation clawed at him now, urging him on. Trying to lose himself in the drink hadn’t helped before. All it had done was turn everyone against him. He knew better than to think it would help now.
Don’t do it. Don’t be a fool.
He forced his gaze away from the bottle. He ground his teeth together.
Just one sip. To ease the pain. You know you want one.
Max leapt up from the chair. He strode toward the cabinet. Toward the tequila.
Jennie walked around the corner with Lucky. Max paused, his heart pounding in his chest. Her gaze locked on his. Could she see the liquor? Did she know what he’d been about to do?
Then he spied the mangy wolf hobbling behind her. He’d seen his share of abused animals over the years, but that wolf had to be the scariest looking thing he’d ever seen. With its shaved neck and missing hind leg, its matted coat and limping gait, and those too intelligent yellow eyes…If Max hadn’t been in such a sour mood, the animal might not look so horrific to him. But in his pissy mood, the beast looked like a creature from a horror movie.
He puffed out a breath and turned away from the cabinet. Away from temptation.
“Max,” Jennie said gently. “Can we talk?”
He plopped back into his recliner and picked up the television remote. “No.” He knew he was being surly but he didn’t care. He was pissed. At everyone and everything. At himself. His chest constricted. He just wanted Emily back. Wanted her safe. The thought of someone hurting her made him sick inside. Oh God, what if Jennie really had seen her through the wolf’s eyes?
He scoffed. Impossible. He cast an angry glance Jennie’s way. She was full of shit.
She regarded him with that steady blue gaze. Damn her! He’d been trying so hard not to be aware of her as anything more than one of his animal patients, but he couldn’t deny the attraction he’d felt from the moment she’d first opened her eyes. She was definitely not an animal. Jennie was as softly feminine as any woman he’d ever met and, dammit, he was very aware of her. Her pretty eyes. Her soft skin. The gentle sway of her hips. Those small, perky breasts. He even found her wild, tangled blonde hair sexy. It seemed to enhance her delicate features, making her appear more feminine. And those soft, kissable lips...
He jerked his gaze away. Heat crept into his cheeks. Why had she kissed him out in the snow? He’d been so stunned he’d just sat there like an idiot. It had been so long since he’d felt a woman’s touch. Since he’d felt anyone’s touch. Jennie had inched her way into his life in a very short amount of time and it made him more uncomfortable than he wanted to admit. She made him long for things he’d given up on years ago, things he hadn’t believed he deserved. He liked being alone out here. Away from the rest of the world. Away from any kind of pain.
Away from feeling.
Not having to care about anyone but himself suited him just fine. But damn her, she was thawing the ice away from his heart. And it scared the hell out of him. She’d brought memories of Emily to the surface, painful memories that he’d managed to lock away before. Now they swarmed in his head, reminding him of what he’d lost. She made him want to believe that Emily was alive. She gave him hope.
He sucked in a breath.
He needed Jennie gone. Before he became too attached to her.
Don’t even think about falling for her. She’ll just stomp on your heart and leave.
He glanced up at the tequila bottle. He could drown all the pain away…at least for a while.
No. She’s watching.
Jennie’s gaze followed his to the cabinet. She glanced back at him.
“It helps if you talk about it. I’m a good listener.”
Max snorted. He’d heard that before. From his stepmom. His sisters. He’d told them all to go to hell. Told them to go away and leave him alone. And they had. He hadn’t heard from any of them since. He told himself he was glad they’d left him alone, but a part of him wondered why they didn’t care enough to come back, to check on him, see if he was okay. Was he that unlovable?
He flicked on the television, scrolled through the channels, trying to find something to watch. Trying to block Jennie out.
Jennie eyed him from across the room with a concerned look on her face.
He glared at her. “Go away, Jennie. You’re nothing but trouble.”
A hurt look crossed her face. “I will, as soon as the weather clears. Until then, we’re stuck with each other.” She stepped up to his chair and looked down at him. “I’ll make a deal with you. You tell me about Emily, and I’ll tell you everything I see through Gray’s eyes, okay? And as soon as I remember something, I’ll tell you, even if it doesn’t pertain to you or Emily in any way. Deal? I’m an open book, Max. Anything you want to know, if I have an answer, I’ll give it to you.”
Max hesitated. Had she remembered something that she hadn’t told him about? He couldn’t deny he was curious about Jennie’s past, about what had happened to her. But he was also afraid to learn more about her. If she’d been abused as he suspected, then she was probably suffering from deep scars, both mentally and emotionally. That kind of shit scared the hell out of him, because he was familiar with those types of scars. Not the abuse kind, but the emotional trauma that came with a traumatic loss. His own scars were so deep he still struggled with them all these years later. He’d tried to drown the pain away with alcohol, but it hadn’t worked.
Time heals all wounds.
My ass!
His stepmother’s words still pissed him off. He hadn’t ever talked to anyone about what he was feeling. About the loss of his daughter. About the loss of his wife. He’d never been a sharing kind of guy. And he wasn’t about to start now.
“Go away, Jennie. I want to watch football.”
“Fine,” she said. “Go ahead and wallow in your misery. Watch your damn football. Drink your frickin’ tequila! Pass out on the floor for all I care! But when I learn something from Gray, or remember something on my own, don’t think I’m going to tell you about it.”
She spun on her heel and marched from the room. The wolf hobbled after her.
Lucky hesitated. He glanced after Jennie, then looked back at Max.
“Go on, go with her.” Max waved the dog away. “You traitor.”
Lucky bolted after Jennie, leaving Max alone to stew.
* * *
Jennie managed to avoid Max for the next several hours. She spent that time reading about herself on the internet, hoping to refresh her memory in some way. But all it did was raise more questions. There was no mention of her mother. Or any siblings. Just her father, Steve Jones. She supposedly owned a ranch in Coeur d’Alene not far from the lake and lived there with her father. She wasn’t sure if her father owned the ranch and she lived with him or if she owned the ranch and he lived with her. She was supposedly a well-known horse trainer who used natural horsemanship techniques. She was what some people referred to as a “horse whisperer”. That was something she could believe, because when she’d been out in the corral with Max’s stallion, she’d just somehow known what to do. It had felt familiar to her. But the flashback she’d had about being in an arena with a different horse…that made her a little uneasy. It had felt wrong somehow and made her question the person she’d been before. Who was Jennie Jones? What kind of person had she been? And how had she used her “animal telepathy” before?
&
nbsp; Jennie leaned back in the chair and thought for a moment. Communicating with animals through telepathy was a special gift as far as Jennie was concerned. Had she used that gift to her own advantage in the past? For her own gain? The thought made her stomach churn. Dishonesty was wrong. She felt adamant about that. Jennie vowed that no matter who or what she’d been before, she would always be honest in the future. Even if it hurt.
At one thirty, her stomach growled. She got up from Max’s computer and went into the kitchen to fix herself a sandwich. At the last second, she decided to make one for him too. A peace offering. The man was moodier than a woman with PMS. Jennie sensed he was suffering from deep emotional scars. She desperately wanted to help him, but she wasn’t sure how. He was too guarded, too distant. Hopefully she could cheer him up with some food.
Jennie brought the sandwich to him on a paper plate with some Fritos, a napkin, and a cold Pepsi. When she neared his recliner, she realized he’d fallen asleep. He was lying back in the chair, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. He’d turned the television down so that it was just a quiet rumble. Unable to stop herself, Jennie stared. She’d never seen him relaxed before. And Lord help her, but she found him attractive. That sexy dark hair, those thick black eyelashes, a hint of stubble beginning to shadow his lean, chiseled jaw. And those lips...
Her face grew warm. The man had nice lips. She still couldn’t believe she’d kissed him earlier. Maybe that was why he was so mad. Maybe she’d offended him.
Her gaze traveled down. His shirt was open at the collar, revealing tanned skin, a throat she wanted to explore with her lips. She knew a strong hard chest lay beneath that shirt, for she’d felt it when he’d picked up her and carried her from the kennel when she’d had her first flashback. And those muscular arms...A dreamy sigh escaped her lips. She wanted to curl up on his lap and snuggle close. For a very long time. He made her feel safe.
“Is that sandwich for me, or are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day?”
Jennie jerked her gaze to his face. Her cheeks flamed. Crap, how long had he been watching her while she stared at him?
She dumped the plate and the soda on the end table next to his recliner, nearly dropping the sandwich on the floor. She turned away without a word. His soft chuckle followed after her and, damn him, it made her smile. At least his foul mood was gone. She liked him when he wasn’t such a grump.
“Thanks for the sandwich, Jennie. You’re cute when you’re flustered.”
She reached the doorway, paused, and turned back. She lifted her gaze.
Jennie nearly melted right there on the spot when his eyes blazed into hers with a smoldering heat that took her breath away. She let out a soft gasp and yanked her gaze away. Could Max really be attracted to her? Could he really want her? Her stomach filled with butterflies. No way. Not after the way he’d acted earlier. And not with all the ugly cuts and bruises on her face. She may have been pretty once, but she wasn’t right now. She must have imagined that look in his eyes.
Her voice unsteady, she whispered, “You’re welcome. Sorry I woke you.”
She started to take a step into the kitchen when his voice halted her again.
“Come sit with me while I eat. Please? I promise to be nice.”
Her lips twitched. She turned back around. “Pinkie swear?”
His eyes twinkled. It was the closest to a smile she’d seen from him so far, unless she counted the chuckle, but her back had been to him then, so she hadn’t witnessed that. And oh how she wanted to see the man’s sexy mouth turn up in a smile.
He lifted a hand and wiggled his pinkie at her.
A giggle bubbled up her throat. She took two steps back into the room. Paused. “Are we going to talk?”
He bit into the sandwich. Chewed. His gaze never wavered from hers. She waited while he opened the soda and took a sip.
“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a try.”
He was willing to try to talk about Emily, but he couldn’t promise he could do it. She’d take that. It was better than nothing. She could only imagine what Max had gone through and how difficult it must be for him to even think about telling someone else about his private pain.
She stopped before his chair. He held his pinkie out. She hesitated, her gaze darting to his. Jennie slowly wrapped her pinkie around his. He curled his pinkie around hers.
“Pinkie swear,” he said softly, his finger tightening around hers. Heat swept through her. She jerked her gaze away, staring down at their locked fingers. Jennie swallowed hard. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She lifted her gaze to his again. That same hungry look was back in his eyes. Butterflies returned to her stomach all at once. Her knees went weak. Oh God.
She stepped back, yanking her hand free, before she did something stupid, like kiss him again.
He lowered his gaze, then bit into the sandwich. Jennie moved shakily to the couch and sank down onto the soft cushions. She entwined her fingers together while she willed her heart rate to slow down. Max was attracted to her. She’d seen the look in his eyes. It excited her and scared her at the same time. What would he have done if she’d kissed him again? Pulled her onto his lap? Kissed her back? Made love to her in the chair? Heat gathered between her thighs. Getting involved with Max Montgomery was probably not a good idea. The man was damaged. But so was she. She just didn’t know how much, because she couldn’t frickin’ remember. And that frustrated the hell out of her.
Her gaze moved to his face. She watched as he finished his sandwich, took a sip of the soda, then popped a Frito into his mouth. Crunched. Damn, the man was sexy even when he was eating. Crunch. Sip. Crunch. She imagined those lips on her body, kissing up her neck, nuzzling her earlobe...And her lips on his body, tasting that dark sexy skin and those hard muscles underneath…
His gaze shot to hers. “Stop looking at me like that, Jennie.”
Heat crept into her face. “Like what?” Crap, how had she been looking at him?
He set the paper plate aside. “Like I’m a tasty morsel you want to gobble up.” He tossed back the remainder of the soda with one large swallow.
Her cheeks grew warmer. That was exactly what she’d been thinking. “You are.”
Surprise flickered across his face at her boldness. He choked, dropping the empty soda can on the end table. Color crept up his neck and into his cheeks. She couldn’t believe she’d said that either. Was she always this bold? God, she hoped not. If she was, then she was probably perpetually embarrassing herself.
His gaze held hers for a long moment. Then he sighed and shook his head. “Jennie, Jennie, Jennie…I’m not like other guys, so if you’re looking for a quick roll in the hay, you better count me out. I’ve never been the love ‘em and leave ‘em sort.”
Jennie cleared her throat. He thought she was only after a quick roll in the hay? What type of girl did he think she was? She tried not to be insulted, but she was.
She glared at him. “For the record, I’m not that kind of girl. I might think you’re good looking, but that doesn’t mean I want to have sex with you.”
He stared back. Then he let out a soft chuckle. “You’re a breath of fresh air, you know that? You boost a man’s ego, then kick it to the curb. I didn’t mean to insult you. I just wanted to set some boundaries. You and me and sex…it’s not gonna’ happen.”
She let out a snort. “Oh, I got that loud and clear. You’re not attracted to me, that’s fine. I get it. I can still have my fantasies, can’t I?” Had she only imagined that heated look she’d seen in his eyes?
Something flickered across his face. He puffed out a breath. “That’s not what I said and you know it.” He paused. “Fantasies?”
When had the conversation taken such an embarrassing turn? Her skin grew even warmer. She stared down at the carpet. She needed to shut up before she made an even bigger fool of herself.
“Jennie.” His soft voice had her gaze jerking back to his. “Don’t
waste your breath on me. I’m…damaged goods. I’m not worth it. I’ll only hurt you.”
He was warning her off. But instead of deterring her, it only made her that much more determined to figure out what made him tick. And why he was so determined to keep her at a distance.
Jennie sighed out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Time to change the subject before she dug a hole so deep she’d never climb out of it.
“Tell me about Emily,” she said softly.
A shadow passed over his face. He stared down at the carpet.
“Pinkie swear,” she reminded, her cheeks heating when she recalled his finger wrapping around hers. Crap. Don’t go there.
A vulnerable expression flashed across his face. “I’ve never told anyone about Emily before. It…hurts too much.”
Jennie waited patiently. She sensed he was on the verge of telling her and she didn’t want to crack that fragile trust that was forming between them.
Lucky wandered into the room, followed by Gray. Lucky went to Max’s chair. He settled on the floor near Max’s feet. Max absently scratched the dog behind the ears.
Gray hesitated just inside the living room. The wolf glanced at Max, then hobbled past to lay at Jennie’s feet. Her yellow gaze remained warily on Max as Jennie gently stroked her head.
Max stared at the wolf. “Did you really see through her eyes?” His gaze flicked to hers.
“I think so, yes.”
He cleared his throat. “Can you give me some sort of proof?”
Jennie glanced down at Gray. “Like a…demonstration?” She looked back at Max.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“I…don’t know if I can.” Jennie glanced back down at Gray. Can you help me remember, Gray? Like you did before?
Gray cocked her head to the side, her yellow gaze settling on Jennie’s.
Nothing happened.
Jennie looked at Max. “She’s not showing me anything right now. I’m not sure if she’s willing. I guess I can try later.”
Max’s gaze hardened. The distrust was back in his eyes.
“Not later. Now. If you’re legit, then show me.”
Abducted (Unlikely Heroes Book 2) Page 7