Reckonings

by Cynthia Eden

  “Not yet.” He stroked her. Kissed her. He’d said it would be rough and wild, and it was. Her hands flew back and grasped the bedspread. She fisted that material in her grip, straining because she felt so out of control. The way he was touching her, kissing her, all of her...she wasn’t going to be able to take much more.

  Then he slid away.

  “No!”

  But she heaved up and saw that he’d grabbed protection from his jeans. He tore the foil wrapper, then came back to her. Her legs wrapped around him. She arched her hips, and when he drove into her, Jamie lost her breath.

  Their gazes locked.

  She saw his need. The hot passion. The desperate yearning. And she knew he read all of that in her stare, too. He had to feel it. The desire was too much, the need consuming her.

  He withdrew, thrust, and the rhythm between them became frantic. Harder. Wilder. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she arched her hips toward him and took him in deep. She wanted everything that he had to give—and she was giving herself to him, completely, freely.

  No fear.

  No hesitations.

  Nothing but pleasure.

  The release swept her up, and she called out his name. Her body shook as the climax lashed her. She held on to him, gripping him even more tightly as the rest of the world fell away.

  Then he was growling out her name. Driving into her, deeper, kissing her, and she could taste his pleasure.

  The drumming of her heartbeat filled Jamie’s ears. Slowly, that frenzied pounding faded. Davis braced himself on his arms and stared down at her.

  She tried to think of something to say, but Jamie was far too out of control for that. Her body still quivered, and her emotions were all over the place. So she didn’t speak. She sank her fingers into the thickness of his hair and pulled him closer. Then she kissed him.

  And the desire built once more.

  Chapter Six

  “I’m sorry,” Jamie whispered. “So sorry...it’s my fault...”

  Davis opened his eyes and saw that streaks of sunlight were falling onto the bed. He turned his head to look at Jamie. She was curled in bed beside him, a sheet pulled up to the curve of her breasts. Her lashes were still closed, but her head moved restlessly against the pillow.

  “Sorry,” she muttered again. “My fault... I—I told him... Sorry...” Her breath heaved out. “Don’t, don’t—Warren, don’t!”

  Warren?

  Then she screamed. A loud, terrified cry.

  “Jamie!” He shook her once, lightly. “Sweetheart, wake up. It’s just a nightmare.”

  Her breath heaved out, and her eyes flew open. At first she stared at him in horror, not even a hint of recognition on her face. But then she blinked, and some of that terror faded from her gaze. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice husky. “I—I should have warned you about those.”

  The sheet had fallen, revealing what he truly thought were absolutely perfect breasts, but Jamie pulled away from him before he could admire them longer. She twisted and rose from the bed, taking the sheet with her. He watched, silent, as she secured that sheet, toga-style, around her.

  “I don’t ever really have sweet dreams.” She bit her lower lip, a lip that still appeared a bit swollen from the night before. He’d been frantic for her mouth, for her. He’d kissed her again and again, just as he’d gotten lost in her body again and again. “I should have told you to leave sooner, so you didn’t have to deal with...this.”

  His brows rose, and Davis made no move to exit the bed. “A nightmare? It’s not a big deal. Everyone has them.” He had his share. But, curious now, he asked, “Is that what you do, though? You don’t let your lovers stay the night?” And even as he asked the question, a hard tightness pushed down onto his chest. He didn’t want to know about her other lovers. The men who’d been lucky enough to see the pleasure flash on her face and to watch her go wild as she—

  “Lovers?” Jamie shook her head. “I, um, I probably should have told you. I’m not exactly very experienced at this sort of thing.”

  He blinked. She’d driven him insane the night before. Given him the best releases he’d ever had.

  “After Henry, I was with... I was with one other man. Back in college. We were together for a few months but that just—” She broke off and looked away. “It didn’t work out. I didn’t get close to anyone after that. It just seemed safer that way.”

  Safer. Now, that was a damn odd way of putting things.

  “I guess with you...” Jamie lowered her gaze to the bed. The bed they’d wrecked. “I wanted to take a risk. I wanted you more than I wanted safety.”

  He rose from the bed. Naked, he stalked to her. “You know you can have both.” She needed to see that. “You can have me, and—” his fingers trailed over her bare shoulder “—I’ll always keep you safe.”

  Her lips parted.

  “I don’t want last night to be a one-time deal.” No, he was already desperate to have her again and again. “I don’t want you running from your past any longer. You have a life here. A home. A practice.” You have me. “We can find this guy, Jamie. We can stop him.”

  “What if someone gets hurt? Because of me? Because I—”

  “It’s not because of you.” The guilt in her voice pierced him to the core. “You didn’t do this, Jamie. It was some sick freak who got obsessed with you. You were just a kid. You didn’t—”

  “That’s not what they said,” she whispered.

  He frowned at her. “What?”

  “Do you think you know me?” Jamie’s head tilted to the side as she stared up at him.

  “Yes.” He did. “I know you’re smart and dedicated. I know you care about the people here, that you—”

  “Everyone has a dark side, hidden beneath the surface. Even me.”

  He could see the faint mark he’d left on her neck. He knew there was plenty of passion to Jamie, but a darkness? No, he didn’t see it.

  “I almost killed Henry.”

  He shook his head. Sullivan had been digging, but he hadn’t found anything to suggest that Jamie had gone after the other man.

  “After he shot my brother, I took the gun from him. Henry was just standing there, staring at me, and smiling. Smiling while my brother bled out. He told me... ‘I found you, just like you wanted.’ As if I’d wanted him to hunt me down.”

  “Jamie—”

  “I had the gun in my hand, and I think I would have shot him. My fingers were tightening around the trigger. Then campus security rushed up. They surrounded us. They took us both away.” She looked down at her hands. Stared at them for a moment as if they weren’t even her own. “You’re not supposed to want to kill someone, but I did. If those security men hadn’t arrived, I would have shot him. I would have—”

  He caught her hands in his. “He was terrorizing you. Your reaction was normal.” He knew that better than most. With all of his times in battle, he understood exactly how hard a mind could be pushed—and that push could only go so far until the instinct for survival kicked in and obliterated everything else. “You wanted to live, sweetheart, you wanted—”

  “I wanted him to suffer, the way he’d made me suffer. I wanted to hurt him.” Her smile was sad. Bitter. “See, I’m not all sunshine and light.”

  “No one is.” He wanted that jerk to suffer, too. “You think I’m going to judge you for that? Hell, no. I’ve done things, too. Things that I won’t ever forget. In battle, it’s kill or be killed. I’ve seen my share of hell, and I’ve got the nightmares to prove it.” If anyone could understand the dreams that haunted her, it was him. “You’re strong, sweetheart. You’ve had to be in order to survive the pain that has plagued you. But you don’t have to keep running. We’ll face the man coming after you. We will stop him.” He needed her to believe that.


  The struggle was plain to see on her face. “What if he comes after you again?”

  Let him. He’d be ready for the joker. “Then that will be his mistake.” Because he’d be ready. He’d make sure to stop the guy, once and for all. “I’m not going to let him hurt me, and I’m sure as hell not going to let him hurt you.”

  Didn’t she understand? Didn’t she see how much he needed her? Jamie was becoming so important to him. He didn’t want to lose her now.

  “Stay,” he said, his voice too gruff. He should be using pat lines to persuade her. Should be trying to charm her. But that wasn’t him. “Stay with me.”

  She hesitated. Fear flickered in her gaze. That beautiful gaze. But then...

  Jamie nodded.

  * * *

  ONCE SHE WAS back in her office, Jamie realized that she was making a mistake. Jamie was sure of it. She should have closed down her clinic, made arrangements for another vet to see her patients, and she should have left town. Then no one else would have been put in harm’s way. She could get to work starting over, someplace new.

  But...

  I don’t want to leave Davis.

  Something had happened during their night together. Not just pleasure—though, yes, her body still tingled in some pretty awesome places. But so much more. She’d felt close to him, close enough to confide her darkest fears. And he’d just understood. Accepted. No one had ever done that before. No one had just told her that it was okay...that she was normal...

  Stay.

  When she was with Davis, Jamie actually felt as if she belonged. Her house had gone up in flames, but she still felt as if she was at home there because of Davis.

  “So, um, what’s with the guy in the lobby?” Sylvia asked as she tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear. “Is there a particular reason Mackenzie McGuire is sitting in our reception area?”

  Jamie risked a quick glance over the counter. Her gaze collided with Mac’s. She didn’t know much about that McGuire brother. He wasn’t usually at the ranch. Like his brothers, he was tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair and those intense green eyes. “He’s, um...watching out for me.” Actually, Mac had been given guard duty. She’d told Davis that she didn’t need someone with her every minute, but he’d been adamant. While he was searching the area for Henry, he’d wanted her protected.

  And that protection had come in the form of Mac.

  “Watching out for you?” Sylvia leaned closer. She peered over at Mac, then gave him a friendly little flutter of her fingers. Mac just frowned back at her. “Right. I heard about the fire.” She focused on Jamie. Sylvia’s fingers squeezed her shoulder. “You know if you need anything, I’m here. You can even stay with me if you want. I mean, you’ve probably been bunking at a hotel, and that’s just not necessary.”

  Not so much in a hotel.

  But in a bed with Davis.

  “I’m your friend,” Sylvia continued doggedly. “You know you can count on me.”

  Yes, she did. “Thanks, Sylvia.” Sylvia never pressured Jamie, she just accepted her. Good. Easy. Sylvia had been welcoming from the instant that Jamie had arrived. They’d met at a local store long before Jamie had hired the woman as her assistant. Sylvia didn’t have a mean bone in her body. The woman was friendly to everyone she met.

  Even to Mac McGuire.

  “So...” Sylvia flipped open her planner. “Looks like we’ve got a lot of house calls today.”

  And maybe all of those calls would help to keep Jamie’s mind off Henry. Because...

  I know he’s out there. He has to be close. I can practically feel him watching me.

  * * *

  “ACCORDING TO HIS SECRETARY, Henry Westport was at the family estate in Travers, Connecticut, yesterday,” Sullivan said as he paced in front of Davis’s desk. They were at McGuire Securities headquarters—Davis, Sullivan, Brodie and Jennifer. “She swears that he hasn’t left the city in the past month. Apparently, the guy is working on some big charity project for the homeless, and it’s taking up all of his time.”

  “She could be lying,” Jennifer said immediately. “It sure wouldn’t be the first time an employee lied for her boss.”

  The door opened, and Grant stepped inside. Davis had already briefed his older brother on the situation. “I called in some favors and checked the flight records,” Grant said, shaking his head. “Unless he is seriously under the radar, Henry Westport hasn’t left Travers, at least not by plane. Not commercial and not private. According to all my intel, the guy is at work right now, settled in at Westport Industries and not setting fires in Texas.”

  He was just backing up everything Sullivan had said, but Davis wasn’t buying that Henry was clean. His instincts were in overdrive, and they were all screaming that Henry Westport was a serious threat to Jamie. “Then he hired someone,” Davis said. “The guy has plenty of money.” Enough money that his parents had managed to buy his freedom. “So he tracked Jamie down, and he hired someone to come after her.”

  Brodie was sitting on the couch next to Jennifer. “Definite possibility.” He inclined his head. “So in that case, we need to be monitoring the guy’s financials. Because if he’s put some kind of hit on Jamie, then we can trace the money and see where it leads.”

  “We need to find this perp, fast.” Davis paced toward the window. “But even if Westport took out a hit on her and he has someone else doing his dirty work, the whole mess still traces back to Henry. He’s the one who’s obsessed. He’s the one we have to stop, he’s—”

  “There are some things you need to know about Henry,” Sullivan said. His voice was stilted, and when Davis glanced over at him, Sullivan’s face was expressionless. “I spent the night digging up intel on the case against him.” His lips thinned. “It’s not as black-and-white as you might think.”

  Davis squared off against his brother. “The man stabbed Jamie six times. He attacked her. I’ve seen the scars. I—”

  “According to testimony from Henry Westport’s parents, Jamie enticed their son. She manipulated him for weeks. Played mind games, deliberately sent him into jealous rages—”

  “Stop.” Davis had clenched his hands into fists. “What the hell, Sully? Blaming the victim? This isn’t you. You know better. You—”

  “When Jamie’s brother was shot, she told the cops on scene, ‘It’s my fault. I did this.’”

  He remembered the tortured words Jamie had whispered in her sleep. “She meant that she’d brought that jerk into her brother’s life. Into her life. She was just a kid, man. Seventeen. She didn’t—”

  “Has she ever mentioned a man named Sean Nyle to you?”

  The others just stared at Davis. He shook his head. “No. Is the name supposed to mean something?”

  “He was her lover.”

  After Henry, I was with... I was with one other man. Back in college. We were together for a few months but that just—it didn’t work out. I didn’t get close to anyone after that. It just seemed safer that way.

  “Want to know why Henry Westport is out on the streets now? It’s because Jamie’s ex-lover...Sean Nyle...testified at one of his hearings. He said Jamie confessed to manipulating Henry, to playing with his emotions. She hated her parents, and she wanted Henry to help her escape from them, from her whole family. Her wounds were just for show. Not deep enough to kill. She had a whole plan in place and—”

  “Stop,” Davis snarled. “That’s not Jamie.”

  Silence. Thick, uncomfortable.

  “How do you know?” Sullivan asked him as he approached with slow but determined steps. “I don’t get what’s going on between you two. One minute, you’re strangers, the next...you’re almost obsessed with her. But that’s what Henry and Sean said she did. I read their accounts. They got caught up in her. Lost. Willing to do anything for the woman.” His
gaze searched Davis’s. “Does that sound familiar to you?”

  He grabbed Sully’s shirtfront. “You don’t know her!”

  “And neither do you! Not really! Dammit, I’m just asking you to slow down. To be careful. Because you could have died when that car hit you, but she would have just walked away with a scratch or two and—”

  Brodie pulled them apart, then took up a protective position right next to Davis.

  Always has my back.

  “You’ve changed,” Brodie said flatly to Sullivan. “I don’t know why, but I’ve seen it, over the past few months. You didn’t used to be like this. You wanted to help, just like we did.”

  “I still do,” Sullivan gritted. “But my family is first. I want to know exactly what we’re getting involved with here! People lie, they make you think—”

  “I lied.” Jennifer’s voice was soft.

  Sullivan swung toward her.

  “I pretended to be someone I wasn’t for so long. So long that I almost forgot myself.” Sadness whispered over her face and deepened even more in her voice. “People can lie for all kinds of reasons...to protect themselves, because they’re desperate, because they have no choice.”

  Sullivan yanked a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t talking about you, Jennifer. Hell, you know that. You’re family—”

  “I wasn’t.”

  Brodie hurried toward her. He put his hand on her shoulder and glared at Sullivan.

  “I was a stranger to everyone but Brodie. And when I came back into his life, I brought so much danger with me. People were hurt. I thought I’d lose Brodie.” Her hand lifted and curled around Brodie’s. “But he fought for me, and I fought for him. We made it. If you’d known the truth about my past from the beginning...” She exhaled and her shoulders sagged. “Would you have told him to walk away from me, too?”

  “I—”

  “I wouldn’t have done it,” Brodie said immediately. Then he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Jennifer’s temple. “Nothing would have made me leave her. Family or no family.”