by MJ Rodgers
But he did. With a crash.
Because she was suddenly putting her palms against his chest and pushing back out of his arms. Hard.
The last thing in the world he wanted to do was let her go. The absolute last. But he did. Barely.
And then fought for breath. For sanity. He could find neither looking into her beautifully flushed face or the sensual blue heat swirling in her shocked eyes.
He closed his and fought again for that superb control that had once been his to command. But his body was the one in command now. He’d been way too hungry for her, way too long.
If she hadn’t stopped him, he knew nothing else would have.
He had gotten a taste of the kind of passion with her that bred an exquisite kind of madness. That kind of passion that only came once in a man’s life-if he was lucky or cursed enough for it to come at all.
Matt’s body was one big, throbbing ache and it was all for Jamie. But his feelings for her had never been just physical. And they weren’t now. She had pushed him back. With all the force of his discipline and resolve, he willed his body and his blood to cool.
Still, it was another moment or two before Matt heard Jamie saying something. He opened his eyes. She was pointing toward the dented roof of the car. He realized now that she had been saying something all along, and he hadn’t been hearing it. He forced himself to concentrate on listening to her words.
“Matt, the helicopter. They’ve been calling your name over and over.”
Matt realized then that not all the roaring in his ears was coming from his blood. He listened and heard the whirling of the rotor blades. And then the electronically enhanced voice.
“Matt Bonner, are you inside that damn vehicle or aren’t you?”
Matt recognized the voice immediately. He poked his head and shoulders out of the window frame on the driver’s door and looked up to see the helicopter circling above. He waved at the silverhaired man holding the portable loudspeaker, signaling him to set the helicopter down.
Two guys with an assortment of tools and torches were out first. A medical team with a stretcher came next. They all made directly for the car. Matt shielded Jamie with his body as they cut a hole in the driver’s door.
Matt crawled out of the car when they were done. A paramedic immediately climbed inside to check Jamie out, despite her protests that she was fine.
While she was being examined, Matt walked over to the stocky man with the leathered skin and silver hair who was standing at the back of the chopper, keeping a watchful eye.
Matt held out his hand. “I appreciate the rescue, Keele.”
“Well, seeing as how you’ve pulled me out of a few tight spots along the way, I’d say I owed you this one,” the silverhaired man said as he took Matt’s hand for a shake. “This feels real good, like old times, Matt.”
“Yep, it sure does. Riding a desk all day gives a body the wrong kind of saddle sores.”
“Don’t know how you do it. If I were tied to a chair, I’d be going as crazy as an anthill what just been stepped on. The office said you’ve taken a couple of days’ leave. You want to tell me how you ended up out here?”
Matt gave Keele a brief description of his run-in with the eighteen-wheeler.
“Curious thing is, Keele, on the way into town, there were at least three signs a mile ahead of those deep rivets in the road. On the way out of town, no warning signs appeared at all. I was on those bumps before I knew it.”
“Sounds to me like someone took ‘em down, Matt. It’s time you told me what you’re doing out here and who the looker is.”
Matt glanced in the direction Keele was pointing. Jamie had come out of the wreck. Her high heels were off. She was arguing with the paramedics who loomed over her. They were trying to get her to lie down on the stretcher. She was having none of it. And she was getting her way.
Not for the first time that day, a smile for that gutsy spirit of hers stole over Matt’s face.
“She’s the reason I’m out here,” Matt said, “and she’s the reason I’m going to be needing more of your help.”
“Are we talking about an official kind of help here?”
“Unofficially, yes.”
“Matt, you know I cannot commit the Firm’s resources to something that isn’t its business. Why not just let the local sheriff track down your fender-bashing cowboy?”
“Because I need the best. You have to find that tractor-trailer rig for me, Keele.”
“Dang if you didn’t do yourself proud on that arm twist. Okay, you got me. What was the license number?”
“Hell, Keele, if I knew the license number I could find it myself. All I know is it wasn’t a Texas plate.” “Well, now, Matt, that’s real helpful. There are what, a few thousand interstate rigs traveling around West Texas roads today? Why, just as soon as I fly you and the lady on to San Antonio, I’ll be sure to come back and check out each and every one of them.”
Matt grinned at the sarcasm. “Come on, Keele. I know you’re one of those good ol’ boys who just thrives on a challenge. Besides, I can narrow this rig down for you some. It has a bullet hole in the windshield.”
“You got off a shot?”
“Not me. My passenger.”
Keele looked over at Jamie with new respect in his eyes and a long whistle on his lips. “A gorgeous petite blonde and she can shoot, too. Hot damn, but I just love Texas womanhood.”
“Well, don’t go getting any ideas about this Texas woman. Her name is Mrs. Jamie Bonner.”
“You trying to kick dust in my face, Matt? I know you’re not married.”
“She’s my brother’s wife.” Matt had purposely misstated Jamie’s marital status. He had no intention of telling Keele she was technically free. Keele was far too likely to come on to her.
Keele shrugged. “The soft-spoken veterinarian I met that time out at the ranch? Well, now that’s a heap of disappointing news. How fond are you of this brother of yours?”
There was no humor in Matt’s tone when he responded. “You make a move in Jamie’s direction, I’ll have to kill you.”
“That fond, huh? Well, damn, it don’t look like this is going to be my lucky day.”
Matt didn’t kid himself. He wasn’t protecting his brother’s claim on Jamie. Just the idea of any other man touching her was enough to make him crazy.
Even if that man was his own brother.
The realization hit Matt like a blow. What the hell was he thinking? And doing?
He’d gone way over the line back there when he’d kissed Jamie. Way over.
And now that he was taking a good look at himself, he sure didn’t like what he was seeing. He was going to have to get back on the other side of that damn line. And damn quick, too.
Before he lost his head completely. And his brother forever.
Chapter Eight
Jamie could barely sit still on her flight back. Matt’s friend, Keele-who was also obviously the boss of the crew-insisted that Jamie sit next to the pilot and let him explain the controls. Matt sat in the back of the helicopter next to Keele. Jamie saw their heads together over a map, obviously discussing something about it.
Her curiosity and emotions were running wild.
There was no insignia on the helicopter, nor on the whiteand-gray uniforms its crew wore. Jamie had no idea who these people were. She was determined to find out, however.
“How do you know Matt?” Jamie asked the pilot after he’d finished his short course in Chopper Aerodynamics 101, none of which she was paying attention to.
“We’ve met a few times here and there,” the pilot answered.
“He and Keele seem to know each other quite well.”
“They’ve met a few times here and there.”
“Were they in the military together?”
“Can’t say, ma’am.”
“Where does this helicopter come from?” she asked.
“It was built in the good old US of A ma’am.”
“I mea
nt, is it part of the military?”
“Can’t say, ma’am.”
This conversation was proving to be a challenge.
“You mean you won’t say.”
“Can’t say, ma’am.”
“Some regulation prohibits you from answering my questions?”
“Can’t say, ma’am.”
Jamie laughed at the conversational runaround, not taking offense, despite the lack of information. At the moment, she was finding it extremely difficult to take offense at anything.
Because no matter where her outward attention was directed, Jamie’s inward thoughts were all for Matt and that unbelievable kiss they had shared.
She felt suspended in an ecstasy compounded of incredible joy and insight. She understood now why it was that Matt’s unfriendliness had so disturbed her for so long. His kiss had revealed to her a depth of feeling she had never even imagined could exist. Her whole body tingled with it, reveled in it, radiated it like a beacon.
She had never known that a man could want her so hard or make her want him so hard right back. The things that Matt had communicated in that kiss had shaken her to her soul and still had her quivering and quaking and soaring inside.
The helicopter set them down on a hotel rooftop in San Antonio. They got a taxi out front. Matt was quiet all the way to her townhome. He didn’t touch her, but she could feel the solidness of him beside her. She understood why her nerves had always danced when she was around him. And why they always would.
Once the taxi pulled up out front, Matt got out and came around to open her door for her. When she had stepped outside, he leaned into the open window.
“Wait for me. I’ll be right back.”
Jamie was both startled and disappointed. “You’re not coming inside?”
“I have things to do.”
All that cold, aloof distance was right back in his voice. He stood in front of her as if he were at attention, as if nothing had happened between them. Jamie wondered what in hell was wrong.
She put her hand on his arm. “Matt, are you all right?”
He slowly but deliberately moved his arm away from her touch. “I’m fine. You’d best go in now.”
Stunned, she turned and walked toward her townhome, trying to sort through his behavior, to understand it. When she reached the door she turned back to him.
“You’ve hardly said a word to me since your friends rescued us. What’s wrong?”
“Jamie, there’s simply nothing to say.”
“Matt, you kissed me.”
“So I did,” he said with no emotion whatsoever. “Did you enjoy the kiss?”
He had a doubt? Was that the problem here? She smiled. “I’m still tingling from it.”
“Glad to hear it. Now maybe you can forget this Tony or whatever his real name is, and get on with your life. Like I said, there’s a good kisser around every corner in Texas.”
Jamie lost her smile. All the beautiful brightness of the day instantly dimmed, as if the batteries were giving out.
“Matt, are you saying that’s all it was? Proof to me that you’re a better kisser than Tony?”
“Did you think it was anything else?”
A sluggish ache began to emerge on the side of Jamie’s temple where she had struck her head. It had probably been there all along, but she had only just begun to notice it.
She couldn’t look at Matt’s remote, passive face another second. She dropped her eyes to her handbag and dug inside for her keys.
As she fumbled for them, she swallowed an ocean full of disappointment.
She pulled her keys out of her bag and put them into the lock. “I would appreciate it if you would send me your bill as soon as possible.”
“Does this mean you’re finally going to drop the search?” She kept her face to the door. “No. It means I’m going to hire another private investigator.”
She pushed open the door and started to step inside.
Matt’s hand shot out to circle her arm. “Jamie, wait.”
The warmth and strength of his touch charged through her body. The force of it was so strong it left her feeling dizzy. She was horrified to find herself wobbling.
His other hand came out to steady her. Suddenly she was surrounded by his warmth and strength. Her knees went weak.
She wanted nothing more than to lean right back in his arms and let them enfold her. The thought shocked her. This was not like her. No, this was not like her at all.
“I told Keele they should keep you under observation today. Concussions can lead to dizziness, double vision, not to mention a numbing fatigue. Come on. I’ll help you inside.”
“No!” Jamie grabbed hold of the door frame to anchor herself. She held on tightly to it, as if it were a lifeline. Which it was. A lifeline to her strength, to her independence, to her dignity, to her pride. To everything that defined her.
“I’m just a little dizzy because I neglected to eat breakfast this morning,” she lied. “I’ll be fine. Goodbye, Matt. Much obliged for everything.”
She stepped inside, forcing him to release her. She quickly closed the door and locked it behind her.
A few seconds later, she heard his boots retreating down the walkway back to the taxi at the curb.
Jamie slumped against the door. Her whole body was throbbing with the ache in her head…and her heart.
Oh, how could he have been so heartless as to open up a dazzling new world of feeling to her only to tell her it wasn’t real?
She wanted to hate him but she couldn’t. She had gotten to know him too well over the past few days to ever hate him.
He had stood by her side today-emotionally as well as physically. She’d never get over that wonderful feeling.
But she would get over him. She had to.
He didn’t want her. That left her no other choice.
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Charlene demanded as soon as Matt walked into his office.
“I’ve been on vacation, remember?”
“Some vacation. You look terrible.”
“Careful. You’re up for a raise.”
“Idle threat I know you already put it in the budget”
“It can come out again.”
“That’s aunt abuse.”
“Remind me again, Charlene, why did I hire you?”
“Because you thought it would give your P.I. firm a homey look to have your aunt around, and because you have a soft heart”
“It must have been my head that was soft that day. Has Keele called?”
“No. But I got this urgent fingerprint-check request back from the lab. I didn’t know you were having a greeting card and envelope evaluated. Since when did we get one of those cases?”
Matt took the report out of Charlene’s hands and quickly scanned it. The only fingerprints the lab had found were Jamie’s. Damn.
“Put Keele right through if he calls,” Matt said heading for his door. “Hold everything else.”
“Where did you go that you didn’t get any sleep? And couldn’t you be reached? I tried to get you all yesterday afternoon. You didn’t even answer your car phone.”
Matt exhaled a heavy breath as he turned back to her. Charlene was worse than his mama sometimes. Actually, all the time.
“I have a new car and phone.”
“You traded in the Caddy? I thought you loved that big, old gas guzzler.”
“Charlene, was there something else?”
“A bunch of stuff. Randy said you were right. Those network boys are real eager now to meet with him and you next Wednesday. And they already offered to buy that dinner.”
“No surprise there. What else, Charlene?”
“Perry talked to Sarita’s birth mama yesterday. He checked her out. She’s the real thing.”
“What did she have to say?”
“That she was married now and had two sons and she’d never told her husband of what she referred to as her ‘youthful disgrace.’ She also said that she has no intention of reve
aling it now. She doesn’t want to see her daughter. Not ever.”
“So why did she even call?”
“Because she apparently doesn’t want Sarita to go on looking for her. Didn’t want to get the girl’s hopes up, she said.”
Matt shook his head. “Instead she wants us to tell her daughter that her own mama doesn’t want her in her life.”
“You going to do that?”
“Do I have a choice? Damn, but there are days when I hate this job so much I just want to chuck it all in.”
“Don’t do it yet. Perry sent a package over from the studio. It’s regarding Jamie.”
“Where’s the package?” Matt asked.
“Right here,” Charlene said removing it from her desk drawer. She handed it to Matt. “There’s a tape of two telephone calls that came into the station while you were gone. Perry said Jamie has become one of those cases. Where did he get that idea?”
“I told him she was.”
“On whose authority?”
“On mine. You have any other questions, Charlene?”
Charlene put up her hands. “No sir, boss nephew. My, but you are testy this morning. What is it about our Jamie gal that always gets you so riled up, huh?”
Matt opened the door to his office and closed it behind him. He stomped over to his desk and slumped into his chair. Lord, he felt like hell. Trying not to think about Jamie had kept him awake all night When she had told him that she was still tingling from his kiss, he’d nearly lost his head again and taken her right back in his arms. The idea that she might want him to kiss her again…
Matt put the thought right out of his mind. Because if he didn’t, he knew he’d do something about to. And he couldn’t.
He couldn’t betray his brother.
Only now she was going to hire some stupid P.L who was probably going to screw up everything and maybe even get her hurt. Damn. Matt rubbed his throbbing temples and tried not to wince when he moved his bruised shoulder.
The intercom on his desk buzzed. He leaned over to press the button. “Yes, Charlene?”
“Cade’s on the line.”
Matt looked over at the framed photo sitting on his desk.
