by Robin Perini
“You’re not gonna want to be a cowboy, are you, Dylan? Not when you can be anything. I didn’t have much choice. This dirt had bored into my blood by the time I could walk. You won’t be brainwashed by the Texas sunset or the smell of fresh hay or the power of a quarter horse beneath you as you gallop across the summer grass.”
“Sounds like a little boy’s dream come true,” Courtney whispered.
At her intrusion, Jared jerked his head up and grimaced. “In the movies, maybe. I almost lost the ranch until they discovered oil.”
He slowed the rocking chair. “I think he’s asleep.”
“You can hold him awhile longer if you want to.”
He hesitated then shook his head. “I shouldn’t.” With care, he stood and handed Dylan to her.
Courtney took the baby, expecting Jared to escape through the bedroom door and retake his place in the hallway where he’d spent the last few hours. Instead, he hovered, an enigmatic expression on his face. She shifted her weight and looked down at her son. Even in sleep she could see Jared, from the shape of his mouth, to the tilt of his head, to the slight smile as he slept.
“Léon didn’t waste any time waiting for morning. CTC’s men are updating the cameras and installing a perimeter alarm tonight. By morning we’ll know if anyone unidentified sets foot beyond that two-hundred-yard point.”
“That’s a relief.” So, they were safe. For a while. She needed some time. To breathe. To think. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from today, or this trip, but her entire body ached with fatigue. She needed rest. She glanced over at the bed. They would make do. If he’d just leave. “Dylan and I will be fine for the night.”
She gave him a pointed stare, trying to get across the message.
“Where will Dylan sleep?” Jared asked, either immune or impervious to her insinuation.
“With me. I’ll use the pillows. We’ll be fine.”
Jared rubbed his neck. “Would a baby bed help?”
“Of course, but where—?”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He left the room and his footsteps faded down the hall. When he reappeared, he carried a good quality wooden crib. Roscoe gripped the other end, the old cowboy’s jaw tight with tension.
“The sheets are clean. Is over there okay?” Jared asked, pointing across the room.
She nodded, stunned.
Jared and Roscoe placed the crib flush with the wall. Before Courtney could thank them, Roscoe disappeared.
Still holding Dylan, she ran her hand along the smooth wood. “It’s beautiful. I don’t understand. It looks brand-new.”
He didn’t respond for a moment. His face frozen, Jared finally met her gaze. The pain in his eyes twisted her heart.
“Will it do?” he asked, his voice husky and so low she could barely make out the question.
“I’ll sleep better knowing he’s safe.” She placed Dylan in the crib and pulled a yellow blanket over him.
“Good night.” Jared’s soft words filtered through her. Before she could follow, he left, partially closing the door.
She couldn’t let him leave. His words and actions didn’t make sense.
She exited the bedroom. A passage of closed doors greeted her. Velma hovered at the end of the hall. She tilted her head toward Jared’s room and then made her way to Courtney. “I’ll watch the baby.” She pulled a revolver from the pocket of her apron. “He’ll be fine.”
With a deep breath Courtney turned the doorknob. Jared stood, stiff, his back toward her. “Leave it alone, Velma,” he said.
“It’s me.”
Jared’s back stiffened. He didn’t turn to face her. “It’s been a long day. How about we call it a night. Please.”
The rough tenor of his voice pulled her into the bedroom. With tentative steps she crossed to him. She placed her hand on his back. A shudder vibrated between them.
“How can I help?” She rounded him and looked up into his face.
He swiped at his eyes and gave her a halfhearted grin laced with pain. “A flash from the past. Just go back to your room, Courtney.”
His voice pled with her to go, but she couldn’t leave. She threaded her arms around his waist. For a moment he stood stock-still, stiff and unyielding. She lay her head against his chest. His heart thudded, strong beneath her cheek.
Finally he slipped his arms around her. “This is wrong,” he whispered. “I can’t let you stay.”
“But you want me.” She had no doubt of that. She pulled slightly away and placed her hand on his cheek. “I know you do.”
His thumb caressed her cheek, following the line of her jaw. He swallowed. “You are so beautiful. You make me hurt. I dreamed of you so many nights.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She’d wanted to lose herself in his arms from the moment she’d awoken in that hotel room without him. She called herself stupid at the time. People didn’t fall in love in a few hours. They didn’t know each other well enough to define whatever was between them as love.
A connection, certainly. She could feel the tug between them.
Before she lost her nerve she raised up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to Jared’s. Maybe everything between them had been part of a dream? That night couldn’t have been as amazing as she’d remembered.
The moment their lips touched she knew she was wrong. A flash of shock swept through her and settled low in her belly. She pressed harder, searching for a response.
What if he didn’t respond? What if he—
A groan rumbled in his chest. He cupped her cheeks and his lips moved against hers, opening, searching for those memories.
He pulled her close, plastering her softening body against the hard planes of his. Against her, his body trembled. Courtney clung to his shoulders.
This wasn’t what she’d expected.
He pulled away, his breathing harsh and shallow. She blinked once, then again, still in shock at the intensity of her response.
“You shouldn’t have,” he said, his voice husky.
He wasn’t wrong. She’d complicated everything. She’d been selfish, thinking of herself, and not Dylan.
He gripped her shoulders. “I can’t do this to you, Courtney. In the end, we’ll both be hurt. I know you don’t understand why, but I need to keep you safe. From the present, and the past. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. Or Dylan.”
Gently he stepped away.
“Jared—”
“Watch over our son. Please. And I’ll watch over both of you. It’s all I can do.”
His body rigid with tension, he led her to the door. She had no choice but to walk through. Her entire body hummed with unfulfilled longing, but he was right.
Until they could be sure Dylan was safe, nothing else mattered.
* * *
JARED STOOD FROZEN as Courtney’s bedroom door snicked closed behind her. His entire body shuddered. My God how he wanted her. He rubbed his face with his hands and cupped the back of his neck.
Resisting her might very well be as challenging as identifying who was after her.
He’d failed that night in New York. He’d entered the bar longing for a shot of tequila and to disappear in his room, get out of his suit and into some jeans.
Instead, with her first simple question, he’d been enthralled. She’d exuded elegance and sophistication until their conversation had shifted, and he’d caught a glimpse of her heart. He’d convinced himself that their differences didn’t matter. At least for the night.
Her devotion for their son, her fierce protectiveness. She obviously put him first. He admired the hell out of her. And that terrified him.
His cell phone rang and he looked down at the screen. CTC. Already?
“King.”
“Jared, it’s Zane Westin.”
&nbs
p; The CTC computer geek. “You found something.”
“I need to speak with Courtney,” he said. “And she needs access to a computer.”
Well, hell. “We’ll call you back in a few.”
Jared ended the call and shook his head in disbelief as he forced himself to cross the hall. Was God laughing at him? He tapped lightly on Courtney’s bedroom door.
She cracked it open, her eyes red, exhausted and emotion filled. “What could you possibly want now?” Her expression challenged him that any request better be important.
His brain went sideways, though, when his gaze veered down. She wore a silky, sapphire-blue, very short, very flowy scrap of material that cupped her breasts in a way that made him groan.
She glanced down at her attire and flushed bright red before disappearing behind the door and slipping on the shirt she’d worn earlier. It didn’t help. “What do you want, Jared?” she asked, her voice tired and defeated.
He’d done the right thing, hadn’t he? He was trying to protect them both from being hurt. Surely she could see that?
“Zane Westin from CTC wants to speak with you.”
She buttoned the top up to the neck and closed the bedroom door quietly behind her. “You have the phone so I can see Dylan?” she asked, her chin held high as if she weren’t half-naked.
He handed her his phone.
“We need to get on the computer,” he said and led her into the study.
He pulled up a second chair and they sat side by side at his desk. He tried to ignore the flowery scent emanating from Courtney while the computer booted up. Hell, it took all the strength he possessed to keep his distance. He’d give almost anything to touch her.
She hovered beside him and he dialed CTC.
“We’re both here and the computer’s up,” Jared said.
“Go to Courtney’s social media page.”
She logged in and a lively website displaying photos of Courtney at the museum and a few of a grinning Dylan greeted them. They looked happy and carefree. Courtney had created a good home for Dylan.
“I’m not sure I understand.” Courtney clicked around the site, searching for anything unusual.
Jared had to agree. He couldn’t decipher anything worrisome.
“Hold on. I’m sending you a link,” Zane said.
A private message popped up and she clicked on it. The computer page shifted and a short text appeared. She blinked at the angry words.
When you play with people’s hearts, they aren’t the only ones who get hurt. Your time will come and the agony will come back on you tenfold.
Jared’s shoulders tensed at the words. “Who does this guy think he is?”
“That’s why I called,” Zane said. “People say things on social media they would never express face-to-face. I need to know if this is someone who’s just a hothead online so I can strike him off the list, or if you believe he could be a threat.”
Jared turned to her. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head and he recognized the shock in her eyes.
“No, of course not.” Courtney covered her mouth with her hands. “I never even saw the message. I didn’t know I’d hurt him so badly.”
“Who is he?”
“Desmond Hanover. We dated for a few months a couple of years ago. He got very serious very quickly. At first I was flattered, but soon his real interest became all too clear.”
“Sex?” Jared asked.
“Something far more seductive. Money. He was more interested in what he assumed was my trust fund not the gallery’s, and a job with my father than me.”
“So you dumped him,” Jared said.
“He was using me.” She shrugged. “He came by a few more times. I threatened to call the cops and that was that.”
“Some men don’t handle rejection well.” Jared would have liked to teach this guy some manners. A swift kick down Fifth Avenue would’ve felt good.
“But most don’t concoct elaborate blackmail schemes requesting bizarre amounts of money, and they definitely don’t commit murder,” Zane commented.
Courtney tucked her legs up under her. “What if I just call him and ask,” she said.
“I’ve done a credit search on him,” Zane said. “He owes the bank over two million dollars and is about to go bankrupt.” The clicking of speed typing sounded through the phone. “The numbers don’t add up to our target, but he’s a good candidate.”
Jared reread the post. “The guy definitely has some anger issues.”
He sent Courtney a sidelong glance. “You look skeptical.”
“I can’t imagine him killing Marilyn in cold blood. He never did like to get his hands dirty. I remember him going ballistic over a little dirt on his cuff. Let me call him.”
“What do you think, Zane?”
“If I can eliminate this guy through a phone call and move on to other suspects, I wouldn’t argue. If we don’t like the sound of him, I’ll keep digging.”
Jared handed over his cell phone to Courtney. Zane read off Desmond’s number and she put the call on speaker.
“What?” a sleepy voice answered.
“Desmond?”
“Who is this?”
Someone groaned in the background.
“Desmond, this is Courtney.”
There was silence on the phone. “Courtney? Courtney who?”
Jared lifted a brow. Either the guy was a great actor or he’d forgotten the last name of the woman he was blackmailing.
“Courtney Jamison,” she said.
Desmond let out a small laugh. “Heard your old man went belly-up in the markets. Guess I dodged a bullet when you wouldn’t introduce me.”
Courtney shook her head. “And thanks for reminding me why I dumped you, Desmond. Sorry to bother you.”
Zane chuckled through the landline. “I’m putting a big red x through Desmond’s name. Sorry I had to bother you.”
“I want to help,” Courtney said. “Whatever I can do.”
“I appreciate the offer. I’ll be in touch.”
“Zane. How’s it coming?”
The man sighed. “The fact that I just called you about a loser like Desmond is a good indication I’ve got doughnut holes right now. Courtney, honey, except for this blackmailer thing going on, you’re one boring chick.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Jared shot her a quick glance. Her face had paled to almost porcelain.
“Don’t you worry,” Zane said. “This isn’t even close to my toughest search. Besides, it’s always darkest before the dawn. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, et cetera, et cetera. I’m doing the dive into your father next. No offense, but your dad’s data looks to be much more interesting.”
The phone clicked off and Jared shook his head. “Computer nerds are a different breed.”
Courtney didn’t say anything, just stared at the computer where an image of her and Dylan took up most of the screen. She wrapped her arms around her knees.
“Don’t let this discourage you.” Jared rotated her chair to face him. “They’ll find him. They’re just getting started.”
“I’m afraid.”
Her stark words tugged at Jared’s heart. He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come here,” he said softly.
He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned against him.
A visible shiver went through her. “If someone hates me so much they’d threaten a baby, why don’t I know who it is?”
Her voice caught in her throat. The pain of her words reached into Jared’s soul and twisted, jerking forward memories of confusion and despair.
He didn’t know how long they stood there, clinging to each other, holding on as if they were about to be torn apart.
She gripped his shirtfront and finally lifted her head. He cuppe
d her cheek and looked down at her.
“Better?”
She didn’t say a word, but nodded.
Her gaze met his. Her curves pressed against his torso. Awareness flared in her eyes. Her breathing grew labored and his own body grew heavy with desire.
No doubt the fire that burned between them eighteen months ago had flared to life.
“I should go,” she said. “It’s too much right now, you know what I mean?”
He stepped back, his entire being missing her closeness, leaving a bereft emptiness where only loneliness remained.
She crossed the study and at the door looked back. He could have followed her, could have probably seduced her with one kiss, one touch.
He let her go. She was right. It was simply too much.
Chapter Six
Dawn filtered between the slats of the blinders in Jared’s room. He sat in a chair in the open doorway of his bedroom, rifle within arm’s reach, and stared unblinking at the cracked-open door to Courtney’s bedroom. She hadn’t really slept. Every time he’d checked on them, her eyes had been open, staring at her son.
He hadn’t slept, either. Not that he could have even if he’d wanted to. Memories of losing himself in Courtney’s kiss warred with the risk. Even if the Criswells were arrested and the blackmailer caught, he couldn’t let his guard down. Each moment of Alyssa’s kidnapping played over and over in his mind.
He couldn’t come up with a win for the long term that included Courtney and Dylan.
Short term...he had to find a solution. Throughout the night he’d tried to work out alternatives. Léon had been right. Jared couldn’t send them back to New York alone; but they couldn’t go into hiding forever, either, especially without knowing the identity of the murderer. Jared knew better than most how much an unsolved case paralyzed life.
Someone had better find a lead fast, because they needed a plan. Jared hated sitting there waiting for some lunatic to make the next move.
A baby’s cry sounded from beyond the door, at first tentative, followed by an ear-numbing scream. Jared jumped to his feet and slammed into the room across the hall.
In the doorway to the bathroom, Courtney stood in all her nude glory. She was gorgeous.
