A slow smile danced over Rosabel’s mouth. “Oh, I’ve seen his videos. Jett’s more muscle than man. He’s a good friend to have around.” He was. Rosabel threw her arms around Hannah in a spontaneous hug, while Hannah still clung to Huxley’s leash. “I’m sorry I’m sweaty, but I just have to give you a squinch.”
Hannah laughed in return, her heart feeling freer now that she’d confided her problems. She should’ve told Rosabel sooner, but after Ryan, it felt too difficult to trust anyone. Huxley bounded around them in happy excitement. The leash got caught around their legs.
Rosabel carefully stepped out of it, hugging her again. “You’d better visit me while you’re here. And don’t move anywhere without telling me first. Okay?”
She nodded into Rosabel’s shoulder. “Okay.”
Rosabel rubbed her back and let her go. “I’m here for you.”
“Thank you!” Huxley tugged impatiently at his leash, and Hannah waved before she took off for Jett’s house, her heart feeling lighter. Maybe she could weather through this storm after all. She’d given Ryan too much power over her life. He hadn’t been able to find her after she escaped. His threats couldn’t touch her.
She jogged past the security station. This time, the security guard gestured her closer. Elton Philips’s face was a mask of self-importance. “Do you know why the police have been called to Jett Eastwood’s place?”
She had no idea, but she could guess. All her hopes of moving on with her life plummeted into a worried pit in her stomach. If Ryan had figured out where she was, he’d make trouble. Hannah hoped she was wrong.
Not answering Elton, she raced away, hoping that she could head off whatever disaster was about to happen. Her scare distracted her from the huge puddle looming in front of her, and too late, Huxley dove into a muddy puddle they’d avoided earlier. A huge splash followed, and Huxley emerged from it, his gray fur matted in mud and his ears springing up as he tried to go in again. She hauled him away, her lips twisting, while she rushed back for the house with no time to spare.
Chapter Eleven
Jett had to figure out a way to thank Hannah after all the help she’d given him this past month and a half. It had taken a lot of work and practice to reach the level that he had, and Hannah saw him through every step of the way. He’d do anything to make her face light up. The brightness of her smile warmed his soul.
His “Monster” invention was coming along nicely. He secured his first attachment to his prosthetic leg where his knee was supposed to be. This part was meant for scaling sheer walls. The sleeve that covered his stump was made up of a scaly, rough material, giving his thigh the skin of a merman, but the attachments that he fitted onto the joint with a magnetic ball looked futuristic like parts of a machine.
On the whole, the prosthetic was shaped like a leg until it bent, or until he switched out the attachments at the knee—he had one for scrambling over rocks, one for navigating narrow ledges, extenders and reducers, and—of course—attachments made for walking and running.
Jett had gone running with Hannah a couple of times already with it. Nothing felt better than to be by her side, breathing in the good summer air and watching her flashing eyes. He could get lost in those eyes. Oh man! I’m falling for her!
This was getting bad. He could barely focus on his daily exercises while he thought of her. Wincing in concentration, he practiced moving the prosthetic. His brain was sending the same signals to the attachment as it would to his leg.
He moved the ankle joint first and then concentrated on stretching it out as far as it could go until the claws sprang out from either side of the foot. He grinned. He’d be like a cougar getting over this mountain. Harry would’ve been proud. Jett’s eyes lifted to the rock that he’d placed on his desk. Somehow that heart of the mountain had become a symbol of courage and true grit. Someday soon he’d give it to Harry’s son, but the moment wasn’t just right.
This experiment was groundbreaking, but it wasn’t everything he wanted it to be yet. The grips on the knee were a little harder to engage. He jerked his knee up, shaking it until the curved claws clicked into place.
He let out a roar of triumph, just as Veronica walked in with two police officers, one of them a sheriff. The claws on his leg retracted back into the leg, much more instinctively than they’d come out. He’d barely had time to celebrate before one of the men drew forward. “This is Sheriff Price,” Veronica said.
The light glinted off the sheriff’s bald head. His tan uniform shirt bulged over a belly on an otherwise athletic build. The sides of his blue eyes crinkled—they were kind eyes, but stern as he stared between Jett and his pile of prosthetics.
Jett shrugged. “Some women have a lot of shoes. I have a lot of legs.”
The sheriff nodded while the second police officer pushed an ID at him wrapped in plastic. “You have time for a few questions?”
Glancing down at the ID, he recognized Hannah’s picture, and his ears started buzzing. What was going on? He knew she was hiding something, but he prayed to God that it wasn’t anything serious. He tensely waited for the sheriff to explain.
“We found an SUV practically burned to the ground at Black Bass Lake. It had collided into a tree. We found this ID in the wreckage.”
Why hadn’t the ID burned too? Not even the edges were blackened. He studied the ID. Hannah’s birthday was in two days. What a thing to notice at a time like this. He could barely take in what the sheriff was saying.
“When did Hannah first start working for you?”
He cleared his throat. “Two months ago. Um, is this a friendly visit, or do we need to get a lawyer?”
“Do you know what vehicle she drives?”
She hadn’t come with a car … and Jett wasn’t answering any more questions. “You’ll have to see if she wants to talk to you.”
Hannah bolted into the room, Huxley at her heels. Immediate relief filled him that she hadn’t truly turned into a villainess during the time she’d left for her run. Her peaceful presence eased most of his doubts, but was she too good to be true?
She pushed down Huxley’s head. The dog’s coat glistened with mud. Huxley had become Hannah’s shadow these past few weeks. Jett doubted he could drag the dog back from her now, though he tried. “Huxley, come!” He held his hands out, but the dog didn’t budge.
Sheriff Price approached her, and Jett watched carefully to make sure that he didn’t violate any of her rights. “Do you own a Subaru Forester?”
She paled. “No, I don’t.”
“We found the vehicle crashed into a tree, burned to a crisp,” Sheriff Price said. “We’ve never seen anything like it. The whole front end was missing and the tree knocked down. Nobody inside. The fire seemed too deliberate to be an accident. It might be foul play or vandalism—something kids might do to an abandoned vehicle. It was too badly damaged to identify the owner, but we found this.” He showed her the ID.
Hannah flinched and reached for it. “That’s all you found?” she asked carefully.
The sheriff kept it out of her reach. “Yeah, whoever was in that accident must’ve walked away … or something. We have no doubt they were badly injured. We were just hoping you could help us identify the owner.”
She glanced over at Jett, and he wondered if this had been what she’d been hiding. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wish I could help you.”
“How did your ID get inside?”
She nibbled at her lip before answering. “My purse was stolen a few months ago. Maybe that’s why.”
“That explains it.” Jett stood. If the sheriff pressed for any more information, he’d have to ask the man to get a warrant. “Someone stole her ID. Are you going to give it back to her?”
The sheriff’s eyes narrowed at him, but then he returned it to Hannah. She ducked her head.
Veronica pressed forward, her deep voice clipped. “Thank you for your concern, Sheriff. Will that be all?”
“For now, yeah. Thank you for your
time.” The sheriff turned to Hannah, giving her a pointed look that made Jett wonder what wheels were turning in his head. “Hannah, you think of anything else you want to tell us, my office is open. We’d appreciate any more information you might have.”
She squeezed her ID. “Yes,” she whispered.
Veronica extended her hand to lead them out. “This way.”
That left them alone with the smelly dog. Hannah fidgeted in the silence and finally walked over to him while he watched her carefully. “You’re doing your exercises without me?” she asked.
Well, that was a seamless change of subject. Too seamless. It was time to figure this out. “You were off robbing banks. What else was I supposed to do?”
She laughed and slid her arm around his waist to steady him while she inspected the prosthetic. He never had to depend on anyone like this, let alone a girl a quarter his size. Her touch felt more familiar than any of his girlfriends’ had been, and always left him wanting more.
“So, was that your boyfriend’s car?” he joked. “Or your accomplice’s?”
Her gaze slid up to meet his. “Both.”
“You’ve never told me about your boyfriend.” Suddenly, he felt nervous. “You don’t have one, do you?”
She laughed. “He’s in hiding.”
What kind of answer was that? There was definitely a wall there. It was amazing how little he knew about her, and yet he felt closer to her than anyone in his life. In normal circumstances, he’d already be dating her. He tried to forget that. He was broken … but worse, she was broken too.
“What are you doing for your birthday?” He surprised himself by asking.
Her eyes gleamed with astonishment. “How did you …?” She glanced over at her ID and laughed. “You’re a spy. I’d better be careful.”
“You didn’t answer the question.” Now that her arms were already around him, it was easy to lower his and catch her in place. “You have family around? Friends?”
The color in her cheeks heightened adorably, and she turned guarded again. “A birthday is just a day, you know? I’m not planning anything.”
Even though she’d avoided his questions about family and friends, his heart quickened when he realized that this was his cue. “Good. Keep the night open. The birth of Hannah Noah must be celebrated.”
“No, no!” She shook her head. The smile that took over her face on an hourly basis these days was back. “That’s too embarrassing. I can’t!”
His pulse raced at the challenge. “It’ll be fun. I promise I’ll keep the birthday spanks to a minimum.”
She gasped and swatted his arm. Huxley barked loudly and shot for them, and she tried to keep the dog from getting mud all over the place. “We need to get this dog cleaned up!” she exclaimed. “We can’t waste time on birthdays. We’ve got to get you ready. The HeatWave is in two weeks.”
He wasn’t that easily deterred, but he let talk of birthdays and boyfriends and her identity slip for now, in favor of showing how ready he was for the HeatWave. He sat down. “Look at this.” He flexed, and the claws came out through his knee.
Huxley let out a howl and barked in his confusion that his master had turned into a clawed beast. Hannah laughed and caught at the dog’s collar. “I’m not sure if I should ever get close to that.”
“No?” Jett came for her then, and she shrieked and jumped, but not before he caught her waist and pulled her closer. Huxley yelped and wriggled away.
Of course, now that Jett had Hannah, he didn’t know what he was going to do with her. He just didn’t want to let her go. Her beautiful skin grew pink around her cheeks. Her dark hair escaped from her ponytail, and he wanted to feel how thick it was for himself. They’d never have gotten together if it hadn’t been for her job, but he hated that he was essentially her employer. The gleam of interest in her eyes as she lifted her gaze to his told him she didn’t care. How would it be if he were completely free to hold her as long as he wanted?
Maybe he was. He caught sight of the ID she held in her hand. That was another reason to get closer to her. This girl had secrets, and he was looking forward to figuring out every last one of them.
Chapter Twelve
Hannah should probably pull away, but she got lost in the vibrancy of Jett’s almond-shaped green eyes. His gaze seemed even more passionate with his heavy, arched brows. His hair had always been longer than what she was used to, and now with the claws, he seemed more lion-like than before—very strong and tawny. That was because they’d been training outside for a while, and he grew tanner and more powerful every day.
“Put those claws away, Mr. Eastwood.”
He complied with a flick of his knee, and she marveled at the control he’d gained over these amputee attachments these past weeks. She didn’t know why he bothered to keep her around anymore—he’d surpassed her skills, but he watched her like she was the cause of his success. “How can I ever thank you?” His voice was low and gruff.
“It wasn’t me.”
“It was all you!”
Not at all. He’d put in the work; he’d gotten past the grief and heartache to give hope a chance. She’d deny it again, but she knew from experience how these conversations went.
“Hannah?” he whispered. His hands tightened around her. They were ginormous! And so, so muscular, but gentle. She leaned into him, wanting him to always hold her, especially after being reminded of Ryan again and again this evening. It had taken every acting skill in her to pretend that she had no idea why her ID had been in Ryan’s Subaru Forester.
And now just the memory of her horrible ex throwing her into his car made her want to bury herself closer against Jett’s strong chest. It made sense that she’d lost something in there like an ID, but now she wondered what had happened to Ryan. Was he dead? Hurt somewhere? She never wanted anything bad to happen to anyone, but at the same time, she wondered if this meant he’d stopped chasing her. She could be free to live her own life. Her heart lifted at the thought, and she directed a smile at Jett that left him blinking.
He brought up his fingers to trace her jaw. She wasn’t in a place where she should have a relationship. This wasn’t fair to him, not with Ryan looming in her thoughts. She should stop whatever this was between them. Jett’s fingers burned her skin everywhere he touched, and the smolder in his eyes did even more. Her arms slid around him, almost involuntarily. As if that was the signal Jett needed, he buried his hands into her hair, loosening the strands from her hairband until he’d completely taken out her ponytail.
She laughed, despite herself. “What are you doing?”
His lips quirked up, and then they met the top of her head, where he placed a kiss. “I’m kissing you. Do you mind?”
Her heart skipped. She’d wanted him to kiss her since the moment he’d saved her from his horrible friend. But should she? Battling with her desire and her caution, desire won out, and she smiled. “No.”
He cocked his head. “No, yes? Or no, no?”
Oh goodness! They were doing grammar lessons with the “do you mind?” shtick. She giggled through the giddiness that bubbled through her. “Yes, yes,” she clarified.
“Good.”
He was much taller, and he bent down, trailing kisses down her face until he reached her mouth, and she breathed him in. My, he smelled good—a mint and deep woodsy scent. He kissed her with a sincerity and confidence that was all him. Her hair was all over them now, and he slid his arms under her arms and picked her up so that they were cheek to cheek. Her feet dangled over the ground.
“Jett!” she cried, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, catching the ends of his hair while she tried to keep from tumbling down with him.
“What?” he asked innocently. “This is all part of the physical therapy, right? Learning balance?” He stumbled back against a wall and laughed. “Okay, not so much.” His breath was hot against her ear, and she melted against the deep timbre of his voice as he set her back on her feet.
He wasn’t th
rough with her yet. She smiled as he brought his nose against hers. His breath slowed as he took his time nudging open her lips, showing her exactly how long he’d waited for this moment, kissing her with all the passion he’d ever held in his amazing eyes.
Huxley barked and pressed two muddy paws against both their legs. Jett staggered back and laughed down at the filthy Irish wolfhound. “We’ve got to get Huxley cleaned up.” His sparkling gaze went to hers. “You want to help me give him a bath?”
She nodded and stepped back, feeling out of breath and giddy like she could dance. That was what she liked about Jett. He could easily call in the staff to take care of Huxley, but he did his own thing. Besides all that, it was a fantastic excuse to spend more time together.
He played with her fingers, winding his hand through them until he’d brought her closer to him again, and kissed her cheek. “Okay, we’ll make it a bubble bath. I’ll get the bath salts.”
This was going to be amusing. This dog lived in the lap of luxury. “Shall I get the candles?”
“For the dog?”
“For us,” she joked.
“Yes, most definitely do that. We’ll make it a romantic evening of washing the dog.”
Another laugh burst from her. Ryan had never made her so happy. No, Ryan doesn’t belong in this moment. She pushed all thoughts of him away and turned all her attention on Jett. He pulled her along with him out the door, not caring at all who saw them holding hands.
The first person to witness it was Veronica. She drew up, shooting Hannah an accusing glance, like Hannah had been the instigator of making the first move. Veronica didn’t know her boss very well.
“Veronica, could you find us some bath salts?” Jett asked her. If anything, the woman glowered even more. “We’ve got to make sure Huxley gets nice and clean,” he said.
“Well, there’s no reason for you to do that.” She gave Jett a pointed look.
Her Broken Hero Billionaire (Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Book 8) Page 9
