by Mari Carr
The End
Preview the next book
Three Reasons Why
Madison Girls, Book 2
Mari Carr
Prologue
Christmas
“Are you all right?” Jill Harper asked when Wes began fidgeting in his chair. No doubt he was uncomfortable due to the injuries he’d sustained in his last DEA mission. Simply thinking of how badly Wes had been hurt sent a cold chill through her. She could have lost him. Then she pushed the thought away. Hell, he wasn’t hers to lose.
“Yeah,” Wes answered. “Just bored.”
They were celebrating the holidays with Jill’s sister Kate and Wes’s best friend Rick. Unfortunately, the revelry had been curtailed for a little while—two hours’ worth of a little while—when Kate and Rick escaped upstairs to open their last gifts in private. Jill was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the sexual sounds emanating from the upstairs bedroom. She’d like to say she was annoyed, but actually she was uncomfortably hot.
Fuck. She was horny as hell.
Wes’s fingers thumped against his cast absentmindedly. “How about you and me go rustle up some breakfast? I’m starving.”
Jill jumped out of her chair, grateful for Wes’s suggestion. She’d cook. That might help beat down her building arousal, even though, God knew, she should be used to the sizzling physical reaction she suffered whenever she was with Wes.
“Sounds good.” She crossed the room and offered Wes a hand to help him up. With his broken leg and ribs, rising was still difficult. He grimaced as she approached. He was tired of being helpless. Wes was an active, strong man. Relying on her help—as well as Kate’s and Rick’s—was rubbing against the grain. Hopefully, the healing would happen fast and life could go back to normal.
They’d been together way more than usual lately and it was throwing Jill for a loop. She’d always recognized the slight tug of attraction when it came to Wes Robson, but lately it didn’t feel like a tug as much as a hurricane-force wind blowing at her back, shoving her none too gently toward the man.
Wes reached for her outstretched hand. However, rather than allowing her to pull him up, he used their clasped palms against her. Pulling hard, Wes yanked her down and across his lap, quick as a flash.
“Wes!” She was startled by his impulsive move.
“I want to give you your other gift,” he said gruffly.
He’d already been far too generous, giving her a beautiful broach that had belonged to his mother before she passed away. She’d been equal parts touched and alarmed by the thoughtful gesture. He’d said it was to thank her for taking care of him while he was in the hospital, but a tiny part of her thought it was something more. That something more left her uneasy.
Before she could respond, Wes pulled her closer and kissed her. His lips grazed hers for just a moment. There was nothing tentative or apologetic in the touch. Wes wanted to kiss her and while he wouldn’t ask or force, he was gonna get his wish. She liked that. She had a strong personality that tended to intimidate men. Sometimes she got tired of being the aggressor, the decision-maker.
Wes deepened the kiss and she let him lead the way. His lips were a mixture of strength and softness, a perfect reflection of the man. She’d learned so much about him in the hospital, watching him work through his physical therapy sessions with sheer determination and drive. Then he’d surprise her by stopping at the children’s ward on the way back to his room to perform magic tricks for the kids.
She reached up to run her hands through his thick brown hair. She didn’t want this moment to end. Not yet. It might not be the wisest decision of her life, but she liked the way Wes kissed. He held her like she was precious, important…special.
“Wes,” she said after several minutes of the best kissing of her life.
“Shhh. Not yet. Let’s disappear for a little while, Jill. We can think about what this means tomorrow. Today, it’s Christmas and I want to kiss you.”
She smiled and pressed her cheek against his. “It’s Christmas.”
Wes cupped her face, pulling her lips back to his. She let herself get lost in the sensations, the beauty of the moment. He was right. They could pay the piper tomorrow.
For today, it was ho ho ho.
Chapter 1
March
Wes stood outside the diner and watched his little pixie flit from customer to customer as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Damn woman had been leading him on a merry chase these last few months and he’d had enough. It was high time he called a halt to her cat-and-mouse game once and for all. Since his last DEA mission in December, he’d been laid up with a bunch of injuries that left it too hard for him to pursue his quarry effectively.
He grinned as he glanced down at his cast-free left leg. The ungainly thing had been removed two weeks ago and his physical therapy was going great. For the first time in months, he felt like a whole man—a one hundred percent red-blooded man—and Jill Harper wasn’t going to know what hit her. He spied the sign his best friend and former partner Rick had mentioned this morning at breakfast.
Part-Time Handyman Needed. Inquire Within.
He pulled the posting off the window, tucking it in his back pocket as he passed under the jangling bell hanging above the door and into the busy diner Jill owned and operated.
“Hey, Wes,” Cheryl called out from behind the counter. Cheryl Pantino, a fifty-seven-year-old divorcee, was Jill’s right hand at the diner. Between the two of them, they kept the fine folks of Madison well fed and happy at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“Hi, Cheryl. How’re you doin’ today?”
“Busy, but the lunch rush is just about over. Going to finish cleaning things in here, then head up to my apartment to catch my soaps on TV before the dinner crowd rolls in.”
Like Jill, Cheryl lived in one of the two apartments above the diner. They claimed living so close saved them the trouble of having to drive back and forth to work. Because of their long hours, they preferred to have as much time in the comfort of their homes as they could manage.
“Where’s the boss?” he asked casually.
Cheryl pointed behind her. “She just headed to the storage room. We got a shipment today from the food distributor and she’s doing inventory.”
He grinned and nodded, then strolled toward the back room. This day was getting better and better. With Jill trapped in a confined space, there was no way she would escape until he laid down the law once and for all.
After returning from his ill-fated mission, he had been stuck in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Jill, always a good friend, had shown up and planted herself on the couch beside his hospital bed, nagging him to listen to the nurses and take his meds. While he’d grumbled about her meddling, he secretly loved having her all to himself. She was a spirited, vivacious woman. She was fun to be with, constantly keeping him on his toes.
As he reached the doorway to the storage room, he spied her unloading cans of vegetables from boxes and placing them on the shelves. Her back was to him and he took a moment to appreciate the view. She was no more than five foot four, with long blonde hair. His fingers itched to touch the thick, silky mass. At the moment, she wore her lovely hair in what she referred to as one of her work ’dos. It was pulled up on the back of her head, twisted into a loose bun and held in place by what looked like a pair of chopsticks.
Despite the fact that she was constantly surrounded by mouthwatering food, she was slim. He could see the muscles in her calves, left bare by her miniskirt. She was an avid runner and it showed in her fit body.
He could have continued to stare in silence at her pert little rear end all day, but she must have sensed his presence, and she turned toward the door.
For a split second, he recognized genuine happiness in her gaze when she spied him, only to see it quickly replaced by the damn indifference he’d come to hate these past couple of months.
“Wes,” she said quietly. “You scared me. How long have you been
standing there?”
“Just a few minutes.” He grinned. “Enjoying the view.”
In the past, his teasing would have provoked an equally witty rejoinder and the two of them would spar with words until one cried “uncle”. This time, she merely shook her head in annoyance and returned to her work. He swallowed his anger at her dismissal. If Jill Harper thought she could be rid of him that easily, then she didn’t know him at all.
He stepped into the storeroom and shut the door. She spun around in time to see him turning the lock.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, pixie, the way I see it, you and I have some unfinished business to attend to and I aim to see that you stay in place while we do it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” A blush covered her cheeks. She knew exactly what he was referring to. He hadn’t been the only one celebrating under the mistletoe, and it was time Jill understood exactly what that kiss meant to him.
“Yes, you do.” He inched closer as she tried to back away from him. He couldn’t help but grin when she hit the shelf and realized she was truly trapped.
“I see you got your cast off.” Obviously she was attempting to dissuade him from his pursuit.
“Yep. Two legs now. All the better to chase you with, my dear.”
She rolled her eyes. “And your ribs? Your wrist?”
“All healed. Two hands.” He raised his palms. “All the better to catch you with.”
“Wes.” Her breathing was labored, but he wasn’t in the mood to be lenient. Ever since their first kiss on Christmas day, she had avoided him like the plague, and now he was going to finish what they’d started.
He continued forward until their bodies were only a few inches apart. He reached down and grasped her small waist, pulling her toward him until every part of them connected.
“You’ve been a very hard girl to capture.” His lips descended toward her cherry-red ones.
“I have?”
He was finished talking. Claiming her mouth, he laid waste to her lips and tongue, drinking in every bit of her sweet breath. He was thrilled when she returned his heated kiss with an even hotter one of her own. She gripped his hair so tightly, he sucked in a breath at the pain she produced while pulling him closer. Sex with her would be an adventure. She was passionate and not shy about expressing it.
“Easy, pixie,” he murmured. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”
She shoved him away.
“Damn you, Wes Robson. How dare you come in here and attack me like this. I have work to do.”
“Attack you?” He chuckled as she struggled to catch her breath. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sweetheart, I’m surprised I’m not completely bald after that so-called attack of mine.”
He took a step back to study her flushed, annoyed face. It was the same look she got every time he’d tried to get close to her since the holidays. She would offer her friendship freely but the second he tried to press for more, she pulled away, hissing and clawing at him like a cornered cat. He simply couldn’t understand her continued refusal. “Why are you fighting this, Jill? Why can’t you admit you feel this thing between us as much as I do?”
“What thing?” She tried to pass him to get to the doorway. When he refused to budge, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “I’m not kidding, Wes. I have a shitload of work to do.”
“I just saw Cheryl and she assured me the lunch hour was over. I have no doubt she’s finished cleaning and has already locked up for the afternoon.” He glanced at his watch. “That means we have two hours until you reopen. Plenty of time for what I have in mind.”
“Two hours is plenty of time? Pity. I’d have thought you had more stamina.”
He laughed, relieved to see her fighting with him again. “I was plotting a quickie since you’re so busy. If you’d prefer something longer…” He wiggled his eyebrows and let her fill in the rest.
“God. Spare me. I’m busy,” she insisted. “And I have no idea what’s gotten into you, but we have nothing, no thing to discuss.” As she said the word thing, she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers.
“Is that right? That’s funny, because I think you know exactly what I’m referring to, pixie. It’s that thing that’s making you run from me.” He repeated her finger gesture.
“Stop calling me pixie. If you think you’re so smart, say what you have to say and get the hell out.”
He ran the back of his hand lightly down her cheek and tried not to grin at her slight shudder. “I’m talking about the thing that makes it impossible for us to keep our hands off each other. The thing that makes me think about you all hours of the day and night, desperate to strip those clothes off your body. The thing that makes me want to tie you to my bed and never let you loose.” As he spoke, he watched the effect his words were having.
She wasn’t as unaffected as she tried to pretend. The tight buds of her nipples poked through her T-shirt, and the breathing she had gotten under control after their kiss was suddenly labored again.
“Why can’t you just admit that you want me too, Jilly?” He flashed her a charming grin, the one most women couldn’t resist.
“Ha!” Her laugh was forced, and he was annoyed by the return of her inexplicable defensiveness. What the hell was going on with her? They were friends, and he knew without a doubt the woman wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
Her tone, when she spoke, was light and easy. Her words, however, were not. “Wes, your conceit is only surpassed by your arrogance. You think you can flash those dimples at any woman and she’ll fall down drooling at your feet. Well, I have news for you. I’m immune to your charms. I’m not the slightest bit interested in anything you might have to offer, so if you will kindly step aside…”
“No.” He crossed his arms. “Not this time. You and I are going to settle this once and for all. I would like to know why in the hell you run from me like I’m Satan incarnate every time I come around. I want to get closer to you, Jill, and I don’t mean in this goddamn friendship trap you’re hell-bent on maintaining. Damn it, woman, give me one good reason why you think we can’t make a relationship work.” He sucked in a breath, cursing his anger. He hadn’t meant to lay it all on the line quite like this, but she had a habit of pushing all his buttons.
She gave him a grin. “Oh no, Wes, I won’t give you just one reason. I’ll give you three. Three reasons why this thing…” She paused as if unsure what to call their undeniable attraction. “Three reasons why you and I could never be more than friends.”
Obviously, she’d given some serious thought to her denial of his suit and was now ready to lay all her cards on the table. Unwilling to let her get the upper hand, he took a couple steps back as a peace offering to encourage her. Then he raised his eyebrows and gestured for her to proceed.
“Number one, we are like oil and water. We fight all the time.”
He waited for her to elaborate, but she simply looked at him as if her words were all the explanation needed. “That’s number one?” His voice was laced with disbelief. “That’s it?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t that enough? Wes, you have to admit we get on each other’s nerves more than the average couple.”
“Jill, we don’t fight. I don’t think you and I have ever had one serious argument the entire time we’ve known each other. We bicker, we pick on each other, we spar, but all of that is in good fun. It’s just the nature of our friendship. You’ve never done anything that’s really angered me and I have a sense that, in truth, our arguments—should we pursue a relationship—would be few and far between.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows creased as she considered his remarks.
“Besides, pixie, think how much fun we’d have making up after one of our little disagreements.” Leaning forward, he captured her hand in his and brought it to his lips. She watched, her face flushed, as he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles before turning her hand over and runni
ng his tongue suggestively across her palm.
She pulled her hand back. “Stop distracting me.”
He struggled to look chagrined. “Sorry to interrupt. You were about to give me two more reasons, I believe, as to why you and I shouldn’t become lovers.”
“That’s right and that actually leads me to my next argument.” Her face became more composed and he braced himself. “I’m not in the slightest bit attracted to you.”
He laughed—loudly. Her words were such a blatant lie he didn’t even pretend to fall for them. “Is that right?” He reached down and gripped her hips tightly. Pulling her closer, he let her feel the erection that was fighting to escape its denim cage.
Jill’s eyes drifted shut and for just a moment, she pushed against him. Then her gaze lifted to his face. “All that proves is you’re attracted to me. We already knew that.” She gave him a cocky grin that made him smile.
He lifted his hand and tweaked her tight nipple. She gasped at his unexpected attack. “You go to hell for lying, Jill,” he teased. “Should I dip my fingers into your panties to see just how big your lie is? How wet are you?”
Jill was nothing if not resilient. “I was fantasizing about Gerard Butler when you walked in. Needless to say, I’m soaked. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to bend over for the first guy who walks by with a hard-on.”
“So that kiss at Christmas meant nothing?” He refused to accept her second reason. He knew she was interested, knew she was as hot for him as he was for her. It simply made no sense for her to deny it.
“It meant we were under the mistletoe and you were laid up in a wheelchair over the holidays. Consider it a gift.”
“You expect me to believe it was a sympathy kiss?”
“Well, it probably started out that way. I’m not going to lie to you, Wes. You’re a pretty decent kisser. Let’s just say it was a gift that kept giving…for a few minutes.”
“Thirty,” he amended. They’d made out like a couple of teenagers in the backseat of a car for half an hour before Rick and Kate returned to the living room.
