Seduced by Love, Claimed by Passion~Summer Box Set

by Helen Conrad

“Sure,” Troy said. “It could have been his nose.” He looked at Craig and they both doubled up with laughter. “Hey, you watch yourself around our sister,” he added as they turned away. “You don’t want to lose any body parts.” And they walked off, one to his pickup truck, the other toward a jeep, still laughing.

  Once they were gone, Michael finally felt like he could breathe again. He looked at Jackie, then back at the vehicles heading off down the highway.

  “Wow,” he said, watching the dust settle. He shook his head as he started up the car and nosed it back toward the highway. “I guess I am glad you’re the one who found me.”

  “Ugly, aren’t they?” she agreed placidly.

  “I wouldn’t say that exactly.” Especially not where they could hear him. “But they look tough. Very, very tough.”

  “They are tough. We’re all tough in my family. You should see my father.” She sighed, wondering if it really was such a virtue. They’d always been proud of their toughness in the Crosswell clan. But there were times when she wondered why she’d bought into it with them. “They are part of the reason why I never had any dates in high school,” she added softly, almost to herself.

  “Why? Was it really like they said? I’ll bet they chased off all your boyfriends.”

  He could understand that. One look at those tough faces and most boys would decide there were better things to do with their Saturday nights. He had to admit, she certainly had her appealing qualities, but to think of having to deal with a group of men like that made your mouth go dry. What if one of them decided they didn’t like the way you were treating their sister? It wasn’t a pretty prospect.

  “I bet they scared off every male who even looked at you twice.”

  “That was what I used to tell myself,” she agreed. “‘If only I didn’t have these gorillas for brothers, some nice boy would dare to stop by and ask me to the prom.’ I thought it was all their fault.” She smiled, remembering. “I used to imagine that I would fall in love with the first man who could stand up to my brothers.” She sighed, then went on softly, almost talking to herself. “But that man didn’t ever come along. Now—I’m not so sure. Now I think it probably had more to do with me and how I am.”

  He couldn’t help it. She might be his kidnapper—oops, enforcer-- but he had to say it anyway. He glanced at her, took a look at her face, and then saying it was no problem at all. “Jackie, any man would want you. You’re beautiful. And I don’t mean just pretty. You’re….”

  “Whatever.” She was blushing again and her first instinct was to brush him away. But she stopped herself and added, “I mean, thank you.”

  His words warmed her. She knew better than to let a known philanderer flatter her. But what the heck. It was nice to be noticed, to be appreciated. Especially by a man she thought was a cut above the usual guy she dealt with in a lot of ways. She sighed, looking out the window into the night that was turning purple as the dawn began to stir.

  “It’s nice of you to say that. But we all have to face facts. There is something about me that puts some men off. I know that. I wondered about it for awhile, but I got used to the dateless life. I watched other girls act like ninnies over boys and I knew I couldn’t ever be like that. I decided I was better off this way.”

  He shook his head, unbelieving. The brothers were certainly a problem, but to think of this jewel lying untouched all these years boggled the mind. “You mean to tell me you really don’t date at all?”

  “Not if I can help it. Every once in awhile some well-meaning person sets me up and I get roped into the situation. But other than that, I’m better off on my own.”

  He was silent for a moment, digesting this bit of news. He’d never known a woman to have no interest in dating. Especially not a woman who made a man’s blood spurt through his veins like white water over rapids just by flexing her thighs. He swallowed hard, pushing back the surge of heat that thought generated.

  “How about that Donner guy?” he asked.

  She laughed, leaning back in her seat. “That wasn’t a date. That was an ambush. He kept hanging around everywhere I went and one night I finally let him drive me home.” She chuckled. “He never asked to do that again.”

  Amazing. It was like some modern day sleeping beauty syndrome. Here she was, the princess in the tower, guarded by trolls, no human contact. It turned him on. But then, everything about her was beginning to do that.

  “Here we go,” she said suddenly. “Take this side road. Turn left.”

  He wouldn’t have noticed it if she hadn’t pointed it out. They were out of the flatlands now, climbing into low rolling hills, but the road she told him to take was headed toward the mountains as far as he could tell. The night was letting go and he could make out the outlines at the horizon.

  He glanced at her. “Have you had any sleep at all?” he asked her.

  “Don’t you worry about me. I took a long nap early in the evening. I’m good to go.”

  “Are you.” He flexed his shoulders, wondering why he was the only one feeling the effects of lack of sleep. Time was running out. He was going to have to make his move. But what was he going to do, crash the car? And then how was he going to get back to civilization? He yawned and shook his head. If he didn’t watch out, he would be the one to fall asleep.

  “What do you do for a living?” he asked her, just to keep some sort of conversation going and keep him from dozing off.

  “I’m a physical therapist.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No, I’m not kidding. And don’t start about your bad back or your trick knee. I don’t give free advice, much less massages.”

  “Massages,” he muttered, thinking about how nice that would be. “Do you ever do that thing where they walk barefoot on your back?” he asked her.

  He could feel the glare without even looking at her.

  “I’m a physical therapist, not a masseuse,” she told him huffily.

  “Sorry. That barefoot thing has always intrigued me.”

  She muttered something, and he thought it might have been, “Men!”, but he wasn’t sure. Aloud, she asked him a question.

  “So how did you end up being a casino dealer?”

  “I’m not a casino dealer.” He went on patiently, “Jason’s the dealer. My name is Michael and I’m a lawyer.”

  She sighed. “Okay, then how did you end up being a lawyer?”

  He looked over at her, hoping they were getting someplace, but he saw right away she was only humoring him. “Well, that’s what happens when you grow up in Beverly Hills,” he told her. “You either go to law school, medical school, or you go to work at the movie studios.” He smiled, remembering how it was. “Anything else and your mother claims she doesn’t remember who you are at her bridge club meetings.”

  She was watching his profile as he spoke, and she was getting to like it. “You didn’t like the thought of the movie studios?”

  “Tell you the truth, I tried them. I spent a couple of summers as an intern at one of the bigger studios. But something about it just didn’t click with me. I’m not sure what it was. Everything just felt too….too…..” He paused, trying to remember what it had been that had put him off on a movie career all those years ago.

  “Phony,” she said emphatically.

  His head whipped around. “No, I’m telling you the truth. That was really the way…”

  “No, I mean the film business was full of phonies. Right?”

  “Oh.” He realized she’d hit the nail right on the head. “You got it. That’s exactly what was wrong with it.”

  “Sure.”

  For some reason, he felt an impulse to tell her more.

  “You see, when I was about twelve, my father—he was a corporate lawyer too—took a position with the Japanese Imperial Family.”

  “No kidding.” She was impressed, and that warmed him.

  “No kidding. But I was sort of in the way so they sent me to boarding school in the Philippines.”r />
  “Oh.”

  “No, it wasn’t a sad thing at all. In fact, it changed my life. I met some great guys there and we had a teacher named Ms. Olivia Chang, who taught us to see the world in a wider, more grand way than we’d ever been taught before. She encouraged us to dig deep and to live for something greater than our own selfish needs. She taught us to be men.”

  “Cool.”

  He looked at her and saw that she really meant it. She thought what he’d just told her was significant. She actually listened.

  Wow. In some ways, he was blown away by that. A woman—hell, another human being, who actually listened and tried to understand what you were saying. This was new.

  “Thanks,” he said to her softly.

  “What for?”

  “For taking me seriously.”

  She started to say something, and then she stopped, took a deep breath, and went back to the original conversation.

  “You know what? You and Carrie Ann really ought to live in some nice small town like Valley Springs. It’s a great place to raise your kids.”

  Michael stared straight ahead for a long moment, and then he began to laugh.

  “What is it?” she asked him, slightly unnerved.

  He couldn’t stop laughing. He shook his head, and went on laughing. The thought of marrying short, pretty and redheaded Carrie Ann and raising her short, redheaded children in Valley Springs, just struck him as funny.

  “I’m not marrying anybody,” he told her at last. “Don’t you get it? You can’t make me marry this woman.”

  He glanced at her. She looked wide-eyed, as though his laughter and his tone were making her very uneasy. “Listen, I can’t marry anybody. I’ve got a reservation on a Barefoot Cruise out of Key West in ten days. I’m going to learn to sail. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m going to start a new life. And it’s not going to be a life raising kids in Valley Springs!”

  For a moment, she didn’t say a word, and he began to relax. Maybe it was finally getting through to her.

  But then she spoke again and his hopes were dashed one more time.

  “Wedding day jitters, huh?” she said soothingly. “Don’t worry. Everybody gets nervous and tries to back out at the last minute.”

  He wanted to look at her, to see if she were serious, or just needling him, but the pavement had evaporated and the car needed all his attention to make it through a rough patch of pot-holed rock and gravel surface. This went on for almost a mile, then suddenly, they began to climb, and the way, though unpaved, was fairly smooth again.

  They came to a fork in the road. She pointed out the way toward the East, and he took it. The house appeared before them suddenly, just as they rounded a sharp curve. Set up against the hill, its glass and redwood structure seemed to sail majestically over the valley.

  “That’s some house,” Michael said, pulling to a stop at the path to the front door.

  “It started out as a cabin. Over the years, we’ve made improvements.”

  He sat back and looked at it, whistling low under his breath. It was hardly what he’d been expecting. The house was large and set among tall, ponderosa pine. A little stream meandered through the thick green grass of the yard. The path from the parking area to the front steps crossed a wooden bridge over the stream. The place looked as though Disney might have had a hand in its planning.

  “Has Architectural Digest been by to do a photo spread yet?” he asked her. “This place is beautiful.”

  “We like it.”

  Something in her voice made him turn toward her. He saw the gun and remembered why they were there. Looking into her eyes, he saw a flicker of uncertainty. She was apprehensive.

  For the first time since he’d met her, she wasn’t sure of herself.

  “Let’s go on in the house,” she told him, speaking in a cool, clear voice that belied what he saw in her eyes. “We’ll wait for the others in there.”

  “Sure,” he said smoothly.

  It was time. He had to do it now, or never. He had to get away. Stepping lightly from the car, he watched her without turning toward her, judging the distance between them. All he had to do was get the gun, and then everything would be okay.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It all worked so beautifully this time. He saw his chance, moved quickly, sent the gun spinning from her hand, then grabbed her other arm and pinned it behind her back. As she jerked forward, he pulled her back and they both tumbled down, bodies slammed together, arms reaching for advantage, heat and fear and sweat all mixed in a mass of flesh and heavy breathing.

  “Damn it!” she yelled as she slashed at him.

  “Hold still,” he ordered harshly. “Just cut it out, Jackie.”

  He pressed her body to the ground with his, this time being very careful to stay out of range of those amazing legs. He looked down. She growled at him fiercely and he grinned back. The fierceness seemed to drain slowly from her but she still glared at him.

  “Hey, you got me. I knew you would eventually.”

  He had her pinned and he had tossed the weapon out of her reach.

  “Aren’t you going to go after the gun?” she asked him.

  He shrugged.

  “In order to get the gun, I would have to get off you,” he noted.

  She glared again. “Well?”

  He gave her a crooked smile, letting her know he was enjoying the contact. “Give me a minute.”

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, but he could feel a trembling in her. Something deep and dormant was beginning to rouse itself. Tiny, hairline cracks were appearing in that hard, protective shell she carried around with her. Jackie was feeling things—feeling things she didn’t usually feel. Whether she would ever admit it was another question.

  He kissed her. He didn’t plan to. But somehow, once they were so closely twisted together, it seemed natural. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers and she stiffened. He used the tip of his tongue to find his way into her mouth, feeling her relax and open slightly, allowing him entrance. And then he deepened the kiss, showing her his potent hunger, and she gasped and began to beat at him with her fists.

  “Get off, get off!” she yelled at him.

  He rolled away, grabbing the gun and launching to his feet before she did.

  “Hey,” he told her. “I’m in charge now. I guess turnabout is fair play. Let’s go.”

  “Go?” She rose more slowly, looking confused and almost scared, wiping her mouth where he’d kissed her as though she could blot out what had happened. “Go where?”

  He looked up the hill. “Into the trees. Let’s go.” He waved the gun at her. “Before your brothers get back.”

  “Wha…?”

  “No questions. We don’t have time. Let’s go!”

  She hesitated, searching his eyes. She knew the gun wasn’t loaded. But he didn’t. What would happen if she defied him? What would happen if she didn’t?

  She glanced down the hill. No cars in sight. They had time. With a small shrug, she started up the hill, and he came right behind her. They reached the trees in minutes and then they plunged into the darkness of the forest. Small branches crunched under their feet. Birds called and one even flapped almost into their faces. Outside, the day was already turning hot, but in here, all was cool and crisp. It was as though they’d stepped into another world.

  “Is there a cabin?” he asked her. “Somewhere they would expect us to head for?”

  She nodded. She felt like she was in a dream. She knew she didn’t have to do what he said, but something in her wanted to. She wanted to see where this would lead. And the taste of his kiss was still on her lips and in her head.

  “Right over there,” she told him, pointing. “It’s not far.”

  “Good,” he said, turning. “We’re going the other way.”

  That made sense and she went along willingly enough. Finally they came to a small clearing where branches had collected between two trees. There was shelter and a protec
ted place to watch the hillside from and not be easily seen. They could even see a stretch of road below that led to the house.

  “This looks good,” he said, gesturing toward the makeshift shelter. “You first.”

  She bent down and crouched going in, then sat on a bed of leaves and looked up at him. He followed her in and sat beside her. They were both quiet for a moment, listening for followers. The only sounds they heard were natural to the forest.

  Michael took a deep breath and looked at her. “Okay then,” he said, suddenly marveling again at the situation he found himself in. “What do I do now?”

  “You go back down and marry Carrie Ann,” she said simply. “You accept your responsibilities.”

  He turned and looked deep into her eyes. He wasn’t going to bother to explain again. It didn’t seem to do any good.

  Maybe another kiss would convince her. He was tempted. He caught a hint of her sweet scent and remembered how good she’d tasted. Her lips were so pink, just like her nipples had been when he’d seen them through the lace of her bra. Energy swelled in him again, getting stronger every time. His need for her was beginning to feel like a wild thing, something that couldn’t be denied. It took his breath away. He bit down hard on his bottom lip and turned away, trying to keep from panting in front of her.

  “Where’s the gun?” she asked him.

  He turned back and looked at her. “I hid it. Stowed it in a secret place when you weren’t looking.”

  She made a face, not really believing him. “Oh well. It was never loaded anyway.”

  He stared at her. “You got me up here with an unloaded gun?”

  “Yup.” Her chin lifted and she smiled. “And I’m pretty proud of myself for doing it.”

  He shook his head. But then a thought occurred to him. She’d come with him even though she’d known he couldn’t have done anything with the gun that would hurt her. What did that mean?

  “Hey,” he said. “You going to help me escape?”

  “Of course not. I’m the one who caught you, aren’t I?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned at her and leaned closer. “But now that I’ve overwhelmed you with my charm….”