Dedication

To my wonderful adult children who never read my books but give me really great

ideas.

To my terrific writing partner Cerise Deland, who keeps my brain straight.
To my fabulous beta reader Margie Hager, who gave me a gift from her heart and

catches all my mistakes.

And finally to my fabulous readers. I love you all.

Chapter One

Why in hell did I ever agree to do this? Am I out of my mind?
Jinx Malone looked around at the newspaper’s small break room, a far cry from what

she was used to, asking herself the question for the tenth time since she’d said yes. But
she already knew the answer. She needed a major life change, and after ten years she’d
come home to Rowan County, Texas to find it. The place she’d been in such a hurry to get
away from.

She refilled her coffee mug from the pot and sipped at the bitter brew. The first thing

she needed to do as the new publisher and editor of The Hill Country Herald was buy a
better brand of coffee. Or maybe get one of those Keurig machines where every cup was
brewed fresh. It would probably be the most modern piece of equipment in the building.

“Miss Malone?”
She looked up to see Lew Donato standing in the doorway to the tiny break room.

What now?

she thought. She’d only been here an hour, yet the list of problems already

filled two pages of a lined yellow pad.

She reached down and dug up a smile. It wouldn’t do to antagonize Lew, who at

twenty-three was one of the few full-time members of what was laughingly called a staff.

“What is it, Lew?”
Lew shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans as if he had no place else to put them.

Would he always be this nervous talking to her? Sheesh.

“Uh, your father’s getting ready to leave and he wanted to see you first.”
Of course. Dennis Malone was handing over the reins and getting the hell out of

Dodge.

Jinx sighed. Well, she’d asked for it, right? Although at the moment she’d forgotten

why. Carrying her mug carefully so she didn’t spill any, she made her way through the
big open space where the work desks were set up and into her father’s office, a glassed-in
cubicle in a corner of the area. He rose from his chair and waved as she walked toward
him.

“All yours.” He grinned as he dangled a key ring in front of her.
Jinx groaned. “Maybe I should have looked before I leaped here. I didn’t know you and

Mom were going to beat feet out of town the day I took over.”

The man had been the owner, managing editor and sometimes chief cook and bottle

washer for The Hill Country Herald for the past thirty years. He had taken over the reins
from his father and now he was ready to hand them over to her. He and her mother
already had their big travel trailer loaded, ready to start out on their fifty-state odyssey.

“Honey, you’ve been in and out of here since you learned to walk,” he told her. “I

don’t think there’s a thing about this place you don’t already know.”

“I’ve been gone for ten years,” she reminded him. “Things change.”
He laughed. “Not around here. You should know that.”
“Dennis, aren’t you ready yet?” Linda Malone’s voice floated across the newsroom.

“I’m finished getting the groceries. We need to get home and get this stuff in the

camper.”

Jinx turned to see her mother waving at her from the doorway.
“Come say goodbye to us, Jinx,” Dennis said. “Wish us luck.”
“You’ll need it,” she mumbled under her breath.
The thought of her father driving that monster machine all over the country gave Jinx

a huge stomach ache. She followed him to the front where she gave her parents a
goodbye hug and kiss.

“Drive carefully,” she told them, “and text me every night when you stop so I won’t

worry.”

“We’ll be fine, honey.” Her mom squeezed her hand. “And I know you’ll do just great

with the newspaper. Your daddy is so happy you’ve come home to take it over.” She
winked. “Me too.”

Taking over wasn’t exactly why Jinx had come back to town with her tail figuratively

between her legs. But she should be grateful for the opportunity. She’d have more to do
than just sit around feeling sorry for herself. And how hard could it be to put out a
weekly newspaper? After all the years in New York as a reporter, she knew the
mechanics and she sure didn’t think she’d have to worry about any late-breaking news
around here. Of either the personal or professional kind.

As she followed her parents out the front door her heel caught on the metal threshold

and she tipped forward.

“Careful.” Dennis caught her by the elbow. “Darlin’, you’ve been in New York for too

long.” He dropped his gaze to her high heels, frowning. “You need to put those stilts
away or you’ll break your fool neck. Around here women wear stilts in court or on a
date, not to work.”

She grimaced. “And still chauvinistic too, I see.”
“Around here we come to work in jeans and boots.” He grinned. “What about the ones

you dug out of your closet?”

She made a face. “They’re older than dirt and look like it. But don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll

take care of it first thing.” The heels not only gave her much needed extra height but
were also part of her professional persona. She had to keep reminding herself though,
that what was professional in New York wouldn’t work here. Except, of course, for
special occasions. “You all go on now. Get on the road.”

She stood on the sidewalk, watching as they pulled away, her emotions a swirling

mixture. One the one hand, she was glad they had the opportunity to do what they
wanted. On the other, she had just returned home and had hoped to have more time
with them.

Suck it up, kiddo. Be happy for them and get your own life on track.
Inside, she nodded to Sheila Bradbury, who was back at the front counter. The woman

was the general everything in the office—receptionist, secretary, writer of obits and
classifieds and anything else that fell on her desk. She was the lynchpin that held the
newspaper together, and Jinx planned to take full advantage of her. She wound through
the desks to her dad’s office—no, her office—and dropped into the chair her father had
occupied for years. Staring at the screensaver on her computer, she wondered if she was

out of her mind.

No one had ever been able to understand why she took off for New York as soon as she

graduated college. But the printer’s ink in her blood had told her that was where the
action was. Her road to fame and glory. And for a while, after cutting her teeth on
neighborhood newspapers and small magazines, it had been. She’d finally gotten a job
with one of the top wire services, her life filled with deadlines and Max.

Oh, yeah. Max. Gorgeous Max. Hot-shot sports reporter. Darling of the sports world

and of many, many women. Several of them after she and Max were married. And in
their bed. The worst part was he’d become so enamored of himself he didn’t even
understand why she was so upset. He’d argued with her about the divorce right up until
the day she’d bid him adios, had a truck pick up all her belongings while he was out and
flown to Nevada. Six weeks there in a motel to establish residence and she had her
divorce. And Max was out of her life for good.

She figured he was pretty busy with his harem since he’d never bothered to track her

down after that. Good riddance. But the whole ugly episode had dealt a blow to her self-
esteem and sent her running from the New York high life to the quiet life of the Texas
Hill Country. Sanctuary that, she told herself, she badly needed. But now she had to
decide what to do with the rest of her life. Taking over the newspaper would work for
now, but she couldn’t see herself doing it forever. She just didn’t see what she’d be doing
after that.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she turned to her computer and was about to pull up the

next week’s schedule when a familiar voice made her look up. Amy Stark Montgomery
stood in her doorway, grinning at her.

“Jinx!” The petite brunette threw her arms around her in a big hug. “I heard you were

back, but you’ve been hiding in that big old house of your parents’. What’s up with
that?”

Jinx hugged her back. Amy had been two years behind her in school but in a county

where one high school served everyone the age lines became blurred. Although the two
of them had never been close friends they’d been friendly. For a while Jinx had even had
a crush on Amy’s older brother Matt.

“Hi, Amy.” She studied the radiant younger woman. “I have to say marriage agrees

with you.”

“You bet.” Amy flashed her dimples. “Wait until you meet my hunk.” Then her face

sobered. “I wanted to call you, but your mother passed the word you really wanted some
time to yourself. You doing okay?”

Jinx shrugged. “As well as someone who found her husband in the sack testing the

new king-sized marriage bed with not one but two other women.”

“Oh, honey.” Amy put her hand on Jinx’s arm. “I am so sorry.”
Jinx found a smile from somewhere. “As they say—whoever they are—this too shall

pass. Got time to come in for a cup of coffee?”

Amy glanced past her at the entrance to the building. “I heard you were going to take

over the paper for your dad. That’s great. It’s all he could talk about.”

Jinx sighed. “Yeah, well, it will keep me busy and that’s what I need. For now. I don’t

want to spend any more time thinking about the bastard than I have to. So, coffee?”

“I wish.” Amy checked her watch. “I have a committee meeting for the Cattleman’s

Association in fifteen. But soon? In fact, why don’t you come out for dinner? Like
tonight?”

“I’ll probably be working late today, making sure I know what I’m doing. But can I

have a rain check?”

“How about this weekend? Saturday. We’ll grill some steaks. I’ll invite Reenie and

Matt too. You haven’t met my sister-in-law but you’ll love her.”

An evening out when Max and his sins wouldn’t be the topic of conversation? How

could she resist?

“Sounds good. I’ll bring dessert.”
“Let me give you the directions to our place.” Amy reached into her big purse to pull

out some paper. “I’m dying for you to see the ranch and meet my hunky husband.”

Jinx held up her hand. “I’ve got it. One of the things Dad did was give me a map of the

county with all the important places marked. Yours is one of them.”

Amy laughed. “Figures. Okay. Seven sound good to you?”
“I’ll be there.”
She watched Amy hurry off down the street then headed back inside.
Lew was sitting at his desk, working diligently at his computer. Two of the other desks

were occupied by stringers, freelance reporters who were paid by the column inch.
Thank God, this week’s edition would run in the morning and be bundled for Friday
delivery. That gave her until next Wednesday to get the first edition ready all on her
own. She’d have time to really dig in and get a sense of everything.

But before she buckled down to work she really had to do something about getting

decent coffee in the place.

Dillon Cross signed off on the latest paperwork in front of him and tossed it into the

wooden box on his desk. Terrie Molina, his secretary, would fetch it after a while and
finish processing it. Leaning back in his chair, he placed his booted feet on his desk and
crossed his hands behind his neck. Through the open door to his office, he could see the
activity in the bullpen. Two deputies were filing reports. Cheryl, his dispatcher, was on
her headset with someone. Another deputy was just coming in from the break room with
coffee. His entire staff as sheriff of the county was four office employees and twenty
deputies. For a county the size of this one that was more than enough.

This was a far cry from his last job as a homicide lieutenant in San Antonio. The SAPD

was ten times this size because it had a far greater population to serve. He’d worked
damn long hours, seen the worst side of humanity and had a scar on his thigh to show for
it. He rubbed the area automatically, still remembering the sharp bite of the bullets, the
overwhelming pain and the tremendous discipline it took to still take down the shooter
before he collapsed.

He’d thought at first he might go back to the department, even on limited duty. He

sure wasn’t ready to take disability retirement. But between the shooting and the shock
of his almost-fiancée’s deception, he’d decided he’d had enough of San Antonio. Maybe

of any big city. When his boss had told him about the opening here and offered to give
him a recommendation, he’d decided it was a sign to make a change.

The pace of life here was slower. Much more enjoyable. In two years he’d have to

stand for election, but according to Matt Stark there weren’t a lot of people waiting in
line for the job. Matt had been one of three people who’d interviewed him when he
applied and they’d taken an instant liking to each other. In fact, Matt was the only person
besides his old boss who knew the entire story of what had happened in San Antonio. He
planned to keep it that way. Burying the memory was the only way to deal with it.

Little by little, he made himself a part of the community. He’d bought a small house at

the edge of town, one with a couple of acres where he could keep a horse if he ever tried
to ride again.

Gotta have a horse when you work in horse country.
He was actually looking forward to it. Not much happened around here except for

some malicious mischief, a few speeders and maybe unlawful discharge of firearms. The
pace here was slow enough that he could enjoy life a little. That had been one of the
biggest draws when he’d interviewed for the job. If he ever thought about changing his
mind, the constant ache in his thigh was enough to dissuade him.

“Glad to see you working so hard.”
Dillon grinned at Matt Stark standing in the doorway to the office.
“Your tax dollars at work, my friend.”
Matt laughed and dropped into one of the uncomfortable chairs in front of the desk.

“Maybe we can drum up a little more crime in the county.”

Dillon sat up in his chair and leaned forward. “Actually, what we’ve got here is just

fine with me, thank you very much.”

“Not missing the tempo of the big city? All those criminals you had to keep chasing?”
Dillon rubbed his thigh. “Nope. Not missing the gun battles either.”
Matt’s face sobered. “No, I don’t imagine you are. How’s the leg, anyway?”
“Still reminding me that I made the right move coming here. And thanks for your help

with that, by the way.”

Matt shrugged. “Just wanted the best man for the job.”
When the previous sheriff had a heart attack and died literally at his desk, the county

had advertised for a replacement. Matt had headed up the interview committee and
convinced the others that Dillon Cross and Rowan County were a good fit for each other.
The two men had become friends, a situation that continued to ease Dillon’s way into the
community.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the visit,” Dillon said, “but did you drop by to shoot the

breeze or do you have some crime you need to report?” He chuckled. “Cattle rustling,
maybe?”

Matt owned one of the biggest ranches in the county. His sister had been an active

partner until her recent marriage. Now she served as ranch manager for the spread she
and her new husband Buck Montgomery owned.

“Actually, I’m here with an invitation from my sister to come to her ranch for dinner

Saturday night. Reenie and I will be there, of course. Nothing fancy. Just cold beer and

steaks on the grill.”

“I hate to horn in on a family meal.”
“You aren’t. Like I said, just a casual evening. Give you a chance to talk to someone

besides yourself.” He grinned. “But I warn you, Reenie will be eying you as a prospect for
the Cattleman’s Ball, trying to decide which of her friends she wants to match you up
with.”

Dillon laughed again. “Tell her to do her best. I’m single and glad to stay that way.”
His relationship had blown up when he got shot, his fiancée deciding she couldn’t take

the strain of being married to a lawman after all. He was blessedly single now and
determined to stay that way.

After Matt left, he went back to studying a report on his computer, trying to absorb the

details, until Cheryl called to him from her dispatch station.

“Hot call, Sheriff. Neil Guthrie says he’s got a body on State Road 45 about four miles

out of town.”

Dillon stood up so fast he nearly knocked over his chair. “A dead body? In Rowan

County?” he looked at Matt. “You didn’t tell me you had real crime here.”

“We don’t, usually.”
“He says the body’s naked as a baby,” Cheryl added.
“A naked body?” Matt groaned. “That ought to be interesting. I’d better get out of

your hair so you can get going on it.”

“Does he know who it is?” Dillon asked.
“Says it’s such a mess he can’t tell. Someone blew his face off with a shotgun.”
Well, hell.
He thought he’d left all that behind.
Matt lifted his eyebrows. “Damn. We haven’t had something like that in as long as I

can remember. You’d better get to it.”

“Tell him I’m on my way,” Dillon called to the dispatcher. He picked up the keys to his

county-owned SUV and rounded the desk. “And get someone else out there with him to
help contain the scene.”

“Neil said Greg Benson was patrolling not too far away and is already headed there.”
“Good.” He opened the door of one of the interview rooms where his forensics officer,

Lieutenant Ric Nevada, was reviewing some files. “Hey, Ric. We’ve actually got a crime
that can use your skills. A body on State Road 45. A naked one at that.”

Ric looked up, an expression of disbelief crossing his face. “No kidding? Let me blow

the dust off my kit and get it there.”

“Cheryl will give you the exact location. Dillon turned to Matt. “Listen—”
Matt held up a hand. “I understand. Go ahead, get going. See you Saturday night.

About seven o’clock.”

Jinx was making notes for the staff meeting she planned to have in the morning when

Lew yelled at her from the bullpen.

“Hey, Jinx. Come hear what’s on the scanner. Hurry.”
The newspaper kept a police scanner on the wide counter mostly because her father

liked to know what was going on in the county.

“You never know when a hot story will show,” he’d always said with a grin.
Jinx thought it was just because he liked having one, like a toy. She couldn’t imagine

what would have Lew so hot and bothered. Her heel snagged on something on the floor
and she caught the edge of a desk to keep from falling.

“You shouldn’t run around here in those high heels,” Lew admonished. “You might

break your neck.”

Shit, him too? “My shoes are fine,” she snapped. “What’s up?”
“Listen.”
She heard Neil Guthrie’s voice speaking to dispatch. “Yeah, Cheryl. That’s right. A

dead body. On State Road 45 about four miles west of town.”

“Are you serious?”
Even with the distortion from the scanner, Jinx could hear the surprise in Cheryl’s

voice.

“As a heart attack. And it’s totally naked.”
“I’ll get the sheriff out there right away.”
Holy crap. A murder here in laidback Rowan County? She thought she’d left all that

behind in New York, but it seemed crime happened anywhere. Jinx looked at her watch.
If she hustled she could get the bare bones of a story and at least one photo to go with it
for Friday’s edition.

“Beep Andy in the print shop,” she hollered to Sheila. “Tell him I’ll be making a

change to the front page.”

She ran for her office to get her keys, trying at the same time to catch the rest of the

transmission. Heading toward the back door to the parking lot she hollered to Lew,
“Grab a camera and come on. We need to get there before they move the body.”

Lew grabbed what he needed and followed her, jumping into her car as she cranked

the ignition.

“Holy shit!” He clutched his camera as Jinx made a sharp turn onto the street. “I don’t

know if we’ve ever had a dead body here.”

“I’m sure you have at some time or other.” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her

voice. “After all, everyone dies sooner or later.”

“I meant in a ditch. And naked. Like this. Oh, wait.” He smacked his forehead. “Can

we show a naked body in the paper?”

“Let’s get there and see what’s going on before we decide what we can and can’t

print.”

But she could feel a tiny thrill race through her just the same. Her first day as publisher

and she had a story more likely to be found in the city. It beat the story on the new
cooking school and the latest meeting of the zoning commission by a hot mile.

She didn’t have to look hard to find the crime scene. The circus might have been easier

to overlook. Cars and trucks were lined up on the shoulder on both sides of the road, the
gawkers crowding as close to the action as they could get. Some people were sitting on
open tailgates with coolers and sandwiches, watching the show unfold. It reminded her
of the time Hank Genessee’s big field of coastal hay caught fire and half the county

showed up and made a tailgate party out of it. Then again, up until today nothing very
exciting had happened in Rowan County, population twenty-five thousand, so anything
exciting brought out the lookie loos.

The new sheriff’s SUV as well as two deputy cars were parked at angles, blocking one

lane. Neil Guthrie and another deputy were doing their best to direct traffic around the
mess and desperately trying to move along the people who wanted to stop and stare.

Orange cones marked off the area where the body had been found and yellow crime-

scene tape was strung as a barricade. The body itself was barely visible, mostly concealed
by the people surrounding it. She recognized Ric Nevada crouched down with what she
assumed to be his crime-scene kit open next to him. On the other side of him, she spotted
Don Obregon, a doctor who doubled as the head of the family clinic that served the
county and the medical examiner if and when they needed one.

But it was the man standing behind Ric who caught her attention. She guessed his

height at six feet. His broad shoulders strained at the seams of the sport jacket he wore
with an open-collared shirt and jeans that clung to long legs that ended in western boots.
She’d heard the new sheriff didn’t like wearing the tan uniform that came with the
office.

“Informed the commissioner that people should respect the law no matter what he

wore,” her father had told her.

Jinx guessed he was right. His presence fairly shimmered with a quiet air of obvious

authority and control.

Just as she reached the scene, he turned in her direction and a shock sizzled through

her as if electrodes had been attached to her skin. Everything in her body tightened and
throbbed and unwanted heat warmed her skin. Instantly, her nipples hardened and her
thong became soaked, her body responding to the sight of him with an unexpectedly
visceral reaction.

Holy shit!
After the disaster with Max she had so sworn off men, especially hot ones like this one.

So why didn’t her body get the message?

His gaze connected with hers and heat flared in his eyes for a quick second.

Apparently the same electricity had zapped him too. Then the professional mask was
back in place. He placed his hands on his hips, which brushed back the lapels of the
jacket just enough for her to catch a glimpse of the gun he wore in a shoulder holster.

“Sorry.” His voice was deep and slightly raspy. “This is a restricted area. My deputies

should have stopped you from coming so close.”

She swallowed, hard, and hoped her reaction to him didn’t show.
“Your deputies know who I am.” She held out her hand. “Jinx Malone. I’m the

publisher of The Hill Country Herald. I believe you met my father when you first arrived
in town.”

“Sheriff Dillon Cross.” He shook hands briefly. “Yes, I did. I thought he ran the paper.”
“Only until this morning.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I think he mentioned he was thinking of retiring.”
“Well, that’s what he did. Gave me the keys and took off with my mother in their

camper for parts unknown.”

“Just like that?” The sheriff frowned. “It’s really none of my business, but shouldn’t

you know something about running a paper before taking it over?”

What a smartass.
“I know a lot about it,” she snapped. “I grew up with that newspaper and I’ve spent

ten years in New York learning even more. I assure you, the Herald is in good hands. And
you’re right, it isn’t any of your business. As long as I get the facts right you have nothing
to complain about.”

Holy cow, Jinx! Back off a little. Why are you letting this guy push your buttons?
Maybe because I had instant lust the minute I saw him? I can’t afford that. Not now. Not

again. Not ever.

“Glad to hear it.” She watched his eyes as he took note of the way she was crowding

the tape roping off the area. “I’m sure in New York you also learned you can’t go
tramping around crime scenes.”

Jinx pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It wouldn’t do any good to get this

man angry at her right off the bat. The publisher of the newspaper was supposed to
cultivate goodwill with the locals, not tromp all over it. She’d have to get back to the less-
than-frantic ambience of the area all over again.

“You’re right. And I’m not—what did you call it?—tramping around your crime

scene.” She tried on a smile. “Just trying to get the facts to report them to my readers. I,
um, had them hold the paper so I could get this on the front page of this week’s edition.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I don’t much care for reporters.”
She wanted to smack him. “Well, we should get along just fine since I don’t much care

for cops.”

“Fine.” He ground out the word between clenched teeth.
“Fine.” She could be as abrupt as he was. “I’m so glad we understand each other.”
For a long moment he said nothing, just studied her as if she were an alien who had

suddenly appeared from outer space. Then he glanced at the three-ring circus taking
place along the roadside with the same frown of annoyance.

“Don’t people have anything else to do around here?”
She took in the scene again and couldn’t hold back the laugh. “They’re just curious.

You’ll have to get used to it if you plan on staying around. This is the biggest thing to
happen around here in the last century.”

“They can be all the curious they want,” he told her, “as long as they don’t get in my

way and mess things up.”

She tilted her head, giving him a quizzical look. “Is that meant for me too? I assure

you, I know enough to stay out of the way.” She lifted her iPad. “I’ll get the background
details down. Then, when you get a second, I’d just like enough from you to put a story
together. Oh, and my photographer wants to snap a couple of shots.”

Dillon Cross glanced at the scene behind him again. “You don’t think the good folks in

Rowan County might be a little shocked to see a naked corpse on the front page of the
paper?” His voice had a definite edge to it.

Her eyes widened. “So he really is naked?”

He nodded. “Not a stitch on him.”
“Do you know who he is? Has anyone identified him?”
“No and no. There was some damage to his hands too.”
“No kidding. In what way?”
“I’m not prepared to discuss any details yet. The crime scene is still fresh.”
“But—”
He blew out a breath. “Listen, Miss Malone—”
“Jinx,” she interrupted. “Call me Jinx.”
He nodded. “And you can call me Sheriff.” He was poker-faced and Jinx saw no

humor in those dark coffee-colored eyes.

“All right, Sheriff. Speak your piece.”
And do it quick so I can get away with my dignity intact.
“I’m not trying to be a hard case here,” he told her, “but take a look.” He waved his

hand at the activity behind him. “I need to keep the area as contained as possible, but you
can see what’s happening. This is a crime scene, not a social gathering.”

Jinx bit down on her tongue to keep the nasty comebacks in check. She was used to the

confrontational situation with cops in New York, where they seemed to regard the media
as the enemy. Not to mention the holdover resentment from the past century against
female crime reporters. Disliking law enforcement had become second nature to her.
She’d had to toughen up to get stories and interviews. But this wasn’t New York, and she
didn’t want to create antagonism her first day as publisher.

She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and pasted a smile on her face.
“Okay, Lew and I will get out of your way if you’ll give him a chance to get his shots

before you take the body away. And then you take a few minutes to give me the bare-
bones outline. I’m holding the print run so I can get this story in.”

He nodded. Once. “Fair enough. As long as I have the space to do my job. But I’m

warning you, the scene is far from a pleasant one.”

“I’ve seen gruesome before,” she told him. “More than you can imagine. And

whatever goes on, we won’t chew you up like the big-city papers do, Sheriff. It doesn’t
hurt to have us on your side. Especially when election time rolls around.”

“Duly noted.”
She backed up, suddenly needing to put space between the two of them. What was up

with her hormones today, anyway? Not even Max had aroused her just by his presence
the way Sheriff Dillon Cross did. When she found herself mentally undressing him, she
knew she had to move away from him. Maintaining professional composure was a must,
especially in a first impression. Lusting after the sheriff was hardly in the reporter’s and
publisher’s handbook.

As she turned to go back to her car, her heel caught in a crack in the pavement and she

fell forward. Dillon Cross steadied her with a warm hand on her elbow.

“Wearing those heels around here might not be such a good idea,” he told her. “You

could fall and hurt yourself. I’d think you’d have at least one pair of boots in your closet.”

“Crap.” His touch carried heat with it that burrowed its way beneath her skin and she

yanked her arm away. “Does everyone have an opinion about my footwear?” She’d had

it in her head to present herself very professionally her first day on the job. She’d just
forgotten that professional meant different things in New York and Rowan County.
Everyone was right. She’d break her damn fool neck if she didn’t get rid of the stilts. She
just didn’t want Dillon Cross pointing it out to her.

He took a step back, palms out. “Sorry. Just trying to give some helpful advice.”
“I think I’ve had about all of that I can take for today.” Then she forced a smile. “But

thanks anyway.”

He studied her for a long moment, his eyes slowly taking in her body from head to toe.

Her pulse throbbed in inconvenient places and there went that intense flash of heat
surging through her again.

Bad, bad, bad. Get your mind off men. Remember Max. Remember your promise to yourself.
“Wait at your car for me like you suggested. I can give you ten minutes when we’re

finished here.” He waved at the mob scene again. “In the meantime, if any of these
people are your friends, maybe you can convince them to go home and stay out of my
crime scene.”

She swallowed the sarcasm that bubbled up. Lord, this guy pushed her buttons. “I

would, Sheriff, but this is your crime scene, not a social gathering.”

Jinx turned away from him, careful not to trip in her heels again, as he mumbled

something under his breath. She glanced over her shoulder.

“Did you say something?” She put on her sweetest voice.
“I said thanks for all your help.”
“Same to you.” She marched back to her car, satisfied that she got in the last word. This

time.

Lew was still at the car, waiting for instructions from her.
“He’s still watching you.” He inclined his head in the direction of the scene. “The

sheriff, I mean.”

Jinx yanked open the car door and sat down, half-angry, half-aroused.
“Let him watch, as long as I get my interview.”
And that’s all she wanted from him. Dillon Cross was the epitome of the alpha male, a

species she’d sworn to stay away from. She supposed she should be grateful that her
emotions and sensual awareness were still active after the battering her ego had taken
from Max’s actions. Except she had absolutely no plan to act on any of it. She’d had
enough of sexy alpha males. Maybe there was an instant cure she could take before he
finished and came over to talk to her.

Dillon watched Jinx Malone trip back to her car on those ridiculous heels. Just what he

needed. Another fucking reporter in his life. Why did he think things would be different
out here in cow country? Because he was stupid and wanted out of San Antonio so badly
he didn’t stop to think. And what was with her, anyway? Did the woman still think she
was back in New York? She’d grown up around here, for God’s sake. Where was her
common sense?

Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t her common sense that was at the forefront of his

mind. Or the naked body behind him either. Unfortunately. No, it was that trim figure in

the cotton skirt and blouse, with a hip sway that made his cock try to fight its way out of
his fly. Lustrous auburn hair bounced at her shoulders as she moved, hair that was a great
complement to the sea-green eyes she’d stared at him with. Eyes that alternately spit
irritation and heat. The irritation he could handle. The heat was definitely a problem.

He wanted to bite or kick something. His reaction to her was so instantaneous it almost

knocked him on his ass. The heaviness of a sudden erection pushed against his fly.

Great. Just great.
It would be goddamn embarrassing for him at his first major crime scene here if people

spotted his inconvenient hard-on.

He tried to tell himself the whole instant-attraction thing was just an accident of

human chemistry, but the heat and desire pooling in his groin told a different story. He’d
just been without for too long. His choice, but it didn’t help the situation.

Haven’t you learned anything?
He reminded himself women like Jinx Malone were poison. Been there, done that, had

the scars and taken the cure. He hoped. But watching the sway of her shapely ass as she
walked away from him on those ridiculous high heels he felt lust boiling through him.
He needed to stick to his vow of nothing but one-night stands, with women who
understood the rules from the beginning. And a one-night stand with the publisher of
the county newspaper sure wouldn’t be a career builder. Even in peaceful Rowan County
his job could get dicey. Witness today’s dead body. It would help to have the press—such
as it was—on his side.

He didn’t think he could go through the emotional turmoil again of getting attached to

a woman only to find out why she really had attached herself to him. Or that she chose to
inform him about it in a way that made him draw back into himself. Besides, he was still
defining a place for himself in Rowan County and this new job. Getting involved with
the wrong woman could really screw things up.

But Jesus. Apparently his hormones weren’t paying any attention. Her body practically

had fuck me written all over it, from the nicely rounded breasts to the curve of hip and
ass. He wanted to grab her and kiss that sassy mouth until she was senseless and melted
into him. Except he didn’t think Jinx Malone would ever be senseless or ever melt into
anyone.

“Hey, Sheriff?”
Ric Nevada’s voice broke into his mental wanderings.
“Yeah, Ric?” He walked back to where the naked body lay.
“We’re ready for Don to transport the body for autopsy. I’ll hang out for a bit after that

and make sure I didn’t miss anything.”

“Good enough. I’ll tell Neil and Greg to get these lookie loos moving on their way out

of here. I’ll be in the office when you get back.”

Then, with emotions that were definitely mixed, he walked across the road to Jinx

Malone’s car to give her the promised interview. He just hoped his cock would get the
message his brain was sending it.

Chapter Two

Jinx tossed a handful of copies of The Hill Country Herald in her car. She’d managed by

the skin of her teeth to change the front page of the newspaper before the print run. Now
her story and Lew’s photograph—such as it was—took up the entire front page above the
fold. It wasn’t The New York Times but it looked pretty damn good, if she did say so
herself.

The phone had started ringing in her office on Friday afternoon as soon as the paper

hit the stores that carried it and went live on the website. By Saturday when people
fished it out of their mailboxes she was sure she’d heard from every single resident of
Rowan County.

No, she had no idea who the victim was.
No, the sheriff didn’t have any additional information yet.
Yes, he was trying to identify the body. Did they think he was an idiot?
Yes, she hoped to have more to report by next week’s newspaper.
With all the questions and emails, Jinx wondered if maybe she should start an update

site online for the Herald. Lew, who she discovered loved all things electronic, would
probably jump at the chance to manage it. She pulled out her cell phone and made a note
on her Reminder list to talk to their web designer about it.

For the first time since the discovery of the body, she felt she could draw a full breath.

She’d known it would be like that. The residents of Rowan County were chewing over
the murder like vultures over the carcass of a dead animal.

Says a lot for the excitement level around here.
This afternoon she’d finally made time to stop in at Wally’s Western Wear and treat

herself to a new pair of boots—with definite heels, thank you—and jeans that weren’t
left over from high school. Now she was more than ready to kick back for the evening
and enjoy some great Texas beef. She wondered if Amy would make some of her world-
class margaritas? The two of them had certainly drowned their share of sorrows in them.
But even if it was just barbecue and beer Jinx was definitely up to it.

She was proud of the way she’d handled getting the paper out, proud of the way she’d

managed to take hold of things, and happy with the way she looked when she left the
house. She found the local country rock station on her radio and punched up the volume.
As she ate up the miles on the county highway, she let the music roll over her, even
singing along with some familiar lyrics. For the first time since she’d crawled back from
New York to lick her emotional wounds, she felt good. Even lighthearted. Maybe even on
the way to happy.

She turned into the entrance of the Montgomery ranch and followed the winding

gravel driveway to the cedar and limestone house, a warm-looking building with a
welcoming wraparound porch. Two super-cab pickup trucks with the Montgomery
Ranch logo on the door were parked in a gravel area just to the left of the house along
with one that had Stark Ranch on it. There was a fourth one, no name on it, and Jinx
wondered if Amy had invited someone else for dinner. Maybe someone they’d gone to

school with.

Conversation drifted out from the backyard but she couldn’t identify voices. Oh, well.

Whoever it was, she was determined to enjoy her evening. She lifted the double
chocolate cake from the back seat of her car, stuck the newspapers under her arm and
headed toward the sounds of the conversation. She had just rounded the corner to the
patio when she caught sight of a familiar figure and nearly dropped the cake.

Fortunately, Amy spotted her and hurried to take the dessert from her with a big grin.
“Ooh! Chocolate cake. Yummy.” She set it down on a table. “And you’re just in time

for margaritas. Come on. I have some people for you to meet.”

Jinx managed to walk without stumbling, all the while trying to calm her heart that

unexpectedly kicked into cha-cha rhythm at the sight of Dillon Cross. Dressed in jeans
and boots as he’d been the other day, he stood next to a patio table talking to Matt Stark.
Without the jacket he’d been wearing she could get a better view of his body, the
muscular build, the wide shoulders and lean hips. Today there was no hat to cover the
sun streaks in his hair or shade that strong-jawed face.

“Hey, all.” Amy waved a hand. “Look who’s here.”
Conversation came to a halt and everyone turned to look at Jinx.
“Thanks for the spotlight,” she grumbled under her breath.
Matt grinned at her as he came forward to give her a hug. “I hear you’ve kicked New

York City to the curb and come home to roost,” he teased.

“So it seems.” She just hoped they didn’t all know the sordid details of her retreat from

the East Coast. “And I brought you some extra copies of my first front-page story.”

“And a yummy chocolate cake,” Amy added. She picked it up from the table where

she’d placed it. “I’ll just take this into the kitchen and get it out of the heat.”

She handed the newspapers to Matt who put them down on a chair. Then he reached

out a hand to draw forward a very pretty blonde standing by the big patio table.

“Jinx, this is my wife and the love of my life, Reenie.”
“I’m really glad to meet you.” Reenie Stark gave her an impulsive hug. “Amy and Matt

are very excited that you’ve come back to Rowan County. Especially since you’re taking
over the newspaper from your dad.”

“You get a big medal for getting Matt to settle down,” Jinx told her. “Amy and I

weren’t sure it would ever happen.”

“I made him work for it.” She chuckled.
“And this is my hunk.” Amy reached out to a man whose size easily dwarfed Amy’s

petite frame.

Jinx looked at the tall dark man as he moved to stand with his arm curled protectively

around his wife. Solid strength rolled from him in waves and the look of absolute love in
his eyes was so intense it nearly brought her to her knees. She wondered if a man would
ever look at her that way.

“Matt suggested inviting our new sheriff tonight too,” Amy went on. She waved at

Dillon, standing to the side, apart from the happy couples. “I don’t guess he’s had much
time to develop a social life here.” She shifted her gaze to Jinx, mischief sparkling in her
eyes. “And I hear the two of you have already met.”

Dillon Cross looked at her, his face expressionless but his gaze sliding over her like the

glide of smooth satin on her skin.

Jinx dipped her head in acknowledgment. “We have.”
Dillon’s mouth curved in a hint of a grin. “We met over the dead body.” He nodded at

her feet. “I see you got rid of the New York shoes for some sensible boots.” A touch of
humor tinged his voice.

What was it with people here and what she put on her feet?
“I didn’t realize my footwear would be such a topic of conversation.”
Amy laughed. “It’s just that people around here aren’t used to seeing women tripping

around in spike heels and short tight skirts. We’re a lot more casual than that.”

“Boots and jeans are the Rowan County fashion statement,” Reenie added.
“Okay, enough about my shoes. Or boots. Or whatever. Ooh, look.” She forced a

deliberate change of subject. “Amy, I was jonesing for one of your famous kickass
margaritas.” She accepted the salt-rimmed glass Amy handed her and took a grateful sip.
The cool spicy liquid slid easily down her throat. “Just as good as ever,” she pronounced,
licking her lips.

“Reenie and I were getting blitzed on them the night she and Matt met,” Amy told

her. “That’s quite a story.”

“Which we don’t need to discuss in polite company,” Matt cut in. “So, Dillon. What’s

new with the corpse?”

Jinx glanced over at Dillon who was standing a little apart from everyone else. He had

the air of a man not quite comfortable socializing, at least in a small situation like this.
Did he feel like the odd man out because he was a newcomer to the area? Had someone
twisted his arm to show up tonight and not bothered to tell him she would be there, just
as they’d kept her in the dark? She could smell her friends’ matchmaking plans and it
irritated her. There was little worse than happy couples who didn’t think anyone else
should be left in a single state.

Emotional Typhoid Marys.
She’d taken that trip and didn’t plan to do it again, thank you very much.
But when she looked more closely at Dillon she was startled to discover him staring

intently at her with an unexpected look of heat in his eyes. Wait. Heat? Wasn’t this the
same man who’d given her such a hard time just two days ago? And oh, shit. Damn. Her
traitorous body was answering back with its own throbbing pulse in embarrassing places.
Would it look too weird if she just stood there with her thighs squeezed together and her
arms protecting the stiff peaks of her nipples?

What is wrong with you, girl? You don’t even know this man. You just managed to get out of

the frying pan. Don’t jump into the fire.

“Yes,” she prompted. “Anything more on who it is?”
Dillon shrugged. “Not yet.”
“What about fingerprints?” she pressed.
“Can’t do it. Whoever blew his face off also poured acid on his fingers. Without any

fingerprints we don’t have a whole lot to go on.”

“Someone went to a lot of trouble to hide whoever this is,” Jinx commented. “I can’t

believe anyone in Rowan County would do something this complicated.”

“True.” Dillon nodded. “My deputies and I are checking everywhere anyway. Asking

questions. No one’s missing in either of the towns.”

“Someone must know who he is,” she pointed out, “or whoever killed him wouldn’t

have taken the trouble to make him so hard to identify.”

“True enough. We’re digging around. Investigating. You know?” Humor flashed in his

eyes quickly then was gone. “We do that when there’s a crime.”

“Since you’re the sheriff I would imagine so.” She tried to match her tone to his. Was

he actually flirting with her? Why? They’d just met and he hadn’t seemed all that taken
with her the other day. Of course, there had been that flash of heat in his eyes…“Do you
have any information I can share with my readers? Public’s right to know and all that.”

For a moment, she thought he was going to bite back at her, but then he gave her a

slow grin that nearly melted her panties. An I-dare-you look glinted in his whiskey eyes.

“If you’d like to make an appointment with me next week maybe I can give you an

update. In person.”

Okay. He wanted to talk to her? He didn’t want to talk to her? What the hell was going

on? If only she could dial down the heat consuming her own body.

What am I, a teenager? And what’s with the sheriff?
Matt, Amy and their spouses were turning their gazes from one to the other like

spectators at a tennis match.

Matt cleared his throat. “Something going on here we should know about, guys?”
Jinx gave herself a mental shake and slugged down the rest of her drink. “Just trying to

make sure the sheriff understands the power of the press.”

“Oh, I understand it all right.” There was as much bitterness as humor in the

statement.

She’d love to know the history behind that. “So, you know where I’ve been. Where

were you before Rowan County?”

Every vestige of humor left his face as if a hand had wiped it away, and his eyes

suddenly took on a haunted look.

“San Antonio.” He cleared his throat. “Glad to be here now, though.”
What was that all about? Had he been in trouble? Was he hiding something? Jinx

opened her mouth, but before she could put her foot in it Amy picked up the tall pitcher
from the table.

“Why don’t we put all that aside and talk about something else for tonight.” She

turned to Jinx. “Another drink?” Without waiting she refilled Jinx’s empty glass.

“Want to come to the horse auction with us tomorrow?” Matt asked. “We’re helping

Dillon buy a horse.”

Jinx lifted her eyebrows. “Buy a horse?”
“Yeah.” He took a pull on the beer in his hand. “I bought a place just at the edge of

town with enough land so I can keep a horse or two. Just need to get something to put in
the stalls.”

Buck, who had said very little so far, nodded at Jinx. “I’m sure Amy would love to have

you along. She’s pretty excited about you being home again.”

Jinx couldn’t stop herself from studying Dillon over the rim of her glass, watching for

his reaction to the invitation. What did he think about her being included?

“Maybe Dillon doesn’t want a big mob trailing after him.”
He lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. “I don’t think one more body will make a

difference. Sure. Come on along.” One corner of his mouth turned up in the hint of a
smile. “Maybe you could bring along a camera and take pictures. Write up an article
about it. I hear horse and cattle auctions are pretty big things around here.”

Jinx frowned but kept her tone light. “Are you making fun of me, Sheriff?”
“Absolutely not. Just making sure you cover all the news in the county.”
But there was more than that beneath his teasing tone. Conflict, tension and an

unwilling heat. The same heat she’d seen yesterday sizzled in his gaze again, unleashing
something hot and wild inside her. Good Lord. She wasn’t even sure she liked the man
and her body was ready to jump into bed with him. Hadn’t history taught her anything?

They stared at each other, gazes locked, until Amy cleared her throat.
“Buck, honey? Why don’t you come get that platter of steaks in the fridge and find out

how everyone likes theirs cooked? Jinx, you and Reenie come help me carry everything
else out here to the table.”

The moment they were all in the kitchen and Buck had taken the meat outside, Amy

turned to Jinx and closed her fingers over her wrist.

“Okay, girlfriend. Spill it. What’s with you and the hunky sheriff?”
“Yes,” Reenie chimed in. “We thought you’d only met when you did the story on the

naked body.”

“Nothing. We did. That’s all.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “I mean there’s

absolutely nothing going on here. Not. One. Thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Amy grinned. “Tell it to someone who believes it. Deny it all you want, but

I know what I saw. The air between the two of you is so hot I was afraid we’d all get
burned.”

“I’m telling you,” she insisted, “I only met him that once.”
She winked at Reenie. “If that’s so, I can’t wait for tomorrow to get here. Imagine what

things will be like after tonight.”

“Dream on, kiddo.” Jinx busied herself gathering the silverware from the counter and

putting it on a tray. “I’m off men forever. At least for the foreseeable future.”

Reenie looked at her with a sober expression. “Bad experience? I am so there with you.

That’s what made me leave Los Angeles and end up here. Bad guy, bad karma.” Then she
glanced at Matt and smiled. “But look what I ended up with. The prize.”

“Maybe you will too,” Amy chimed in. “If you give the guy half a chance that is. I

wouldn’t kick him out of my bed.”

“You’re a married woman,” Jinx reminded her.
“If I was single, of course.” She shrugged. “Just sayin’.”
Somehow Jinx made it through the rest of the evening without self-destructing,

although it wasn’t easy. She couldn’t remember the last time her body practically sat up
and begged for a guy. What about the moratorium on sex she’d promised herself after
Max?

Amy, the minx, maneuvered things so she and Dillon sat next to each other, and she

wondered how she didn’t go up in flames. The heat from his hard, muscular thigh
pressing against hers singed every nerve in her body. She was sure he felt it too. The
vibes were unmistakable. The conversation throughout the evening was light, mostly
ranch talk. No one asked any personal questions, for which Jinx was eternally grateful.

Dillon didn’t add much more to the table talk than she did. Mostly they listened to the

others and pretended to ignore each other, but the sexual awareness was unmistakably
there.

Damn it.
By midnight they’d finished their dinner and dessert, most of the beer and all of the

margaritas. Jinx pushed her chair back and stood up.

“Let me help you clear this stuff away, Amy. And then I need to get going.”
Amy lifted her eyebrows. “So early? You always used to be such a night owl. Anyway,

I thought people in New York stayed up really late.”

“I’m not in New York anymore,” she reminded her friend. “And it’s been a busy few

days.” She stacked the plates and silverware on a tray and headed back toward the house.

“I’ll take that.” Amy easily relieved her of what she was carrying. “Reenie and I will

finish. Go on. Go home. Sleep off those margaritas. And don’t forget tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Jinx frowned.
“The auction? Helping Dillon pick out a horse?”
Jinx nibbled her lower lip. “Listen, Amy, I don’t think—”
“Right. Don’t think. You’ll have a good time. When was the last time you went to a

horse or cattle auction?” When Jinx didn’t answer, she gloated, “Aha. See there? You
need to get back in the ambience of the Hill Country. Get your mojo going again.”

Jinx stared at her. “My mojo?”
“Mm hmm. We’ll pick you up at eleven. The auction starts at noon and we can all go

out for a late lunch afterwards. Don’t give me any lip because we’ll be there to fetch you
and hunt you down if you’re not home.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” At the moment she just wanted to get away and cool down her

overheated body.

She said her goodnights to everyone, politely nodding at Dillon, and headed toward

her car. Wondering how she’d gotten herself dragged into this auction thing, she
fastened her seat belt and turned the ignition key. And turned it. And turned it. But no
matter how many times she tried it, the starter just made an irritating grinding noise
while the engine itself remained silent.

Shit!
She rested her forehead on the steering wheel. How could this happen to her?
She was about to try it once more when someone rapped on the driver’s side window.

She looked out to see Matt staring in at her, motioning for her to open the door.

Reluctantly, she depressed the handle and pushed the door open.
“Pop the latch on the hood and let me take a look inside,” he told her.
“Listen, I’m sure if I just give it a minute—”
But he was already standing at the front of her car, waiting. She blew out a breath and

leaned back while she waited for him to work some kind of magic.

“Try it now,” he hollered.
She turned the key, but again all she got was that irritating grinding sound. The macho

contingent gathered to use their collective wisdom, pointing at some things, touching
others. Finally, Matt closed the hood and shook his head.

“It’s either the starter or the alternator. Buck says he can have one of the hands take a

look at it in the morning.”

She bolted upright, banging her knee on the steering column. “Did you say in the

morning?

”

“’Fraid so. Come on.” He walked over to her open door and held out his hand. “One of

us will run you home.”

“I take excellent care of my car,” she insisted. “I try to avoid situations just like this

one.”

“Shit happens.” Matt gestured for her to get out. “You know it. No biggie. Reenie and I

will give you a ride.”

“But…” But what? “I hate breaking up the party.”
Now Dillon was standing beside her, holding out his hand. “I’m leaving now anyway.

Come on. I’ll take you home. No problem.”

Without thinking, she put her hand in his and was shocked by the electricity that

crackled along her arm and into her body. She yanked her hand back.

“I don’t…that is…I can’t…”
“Jinx?” Amy joined the growing crowd outside her vehicle. “Like Matt said, stuff like

this happens all the time. Fortunately there’s no shortage of taxi services right here.
Come on. Let Dillon drive you home.” She grinned. “I promise he won’t jump your
bones.”

“Jesus, Amy,” Matt swore.
Jinx saw Dillon take a step back. “Yeah, Jesus, Amy,” she echoed.
Dillon stood with his hand still held out to her. “Forget them. They’re just yanking

your chain. It’s my pleasure to see you get home okay. And I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Somehow, before she could unscramble her brain, Jinx found herself in Dillon’s truck,

buckled in as he backed out of the parking space. They sat in a thick silence until they
were well out onto the highway into town. Jinx was like a statue, hands folded tightly in
her lap, eyes staring straight ahead through the windshield.

Dillon’s laugh broke the silence. “No bones jumping, I promise,” he teased.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Could they have been any more obvious?”
He shrugged. “I thought I was the obvious one. I wanted a chance to spend some alone

time with you.”

She turned to look at him. “Why? I got the feeling I annoyed you.”
“Maybe at first. I may not have been here long but enough to know a naked body in a

ditch around here brings out all the loonies. Trying to keep order and preserve the scene
was driving me nuts.”

“And I came along demanding my rights as a reporter.” She swallowed a smile. “Sorry.

Old habits die hard.”

He was silent for a moment. “I believe in cultivating the goodwill of the press. But I’ve

spent my life in big cities where most of the media is cutthroat and just looking for blood.
Literally and figuratively.”

She nodded. “I can understand that. I spent ten years in New York and we had to

shove elbows to get a story most of the time.”

“So.” He cleared his throat and Jinx sensed a discomfort with what he was planning to

say. “Apology accepted? New beginning?”

Wow. The last thing she’d expected. She imagined apologies didn’t come easily to him.

Dillon did his best to focus on the road and his driving, but Jinx’s voice as she gave him

directions had the sensation of velvet skimming his skin. Desire was a low simmer
beneath the surface and he had to clench his jaw to force it back. He could swear a
magnetic force field had suddenly snapped into place around them, ramping up this
unexpected sexual reaction. It was taking every ounce of his discipline to contain the
feelings doing a riotous dance through his body.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had strong sexual reactions to other women. He wasn’t a

monk, for God’s sake. And certainly he and Naomi had burned up the sheets.

Naomi.
Just the thought of her made the inside of his mouth taste like cold ashes. That last

night was burned into his mind as if etched into it with acid. What a fool he’d been,
falling for her the way he did. Letting her use him and then knock him to the side of the
road.

Don’t think about it and ruin a perfectly good evening.
Right. Better he should think about how he wanted to strip every bit of clothing from

Jinx Malone’s body and fuck her senseless.

He swallowed a groan. Offering to drive her home had seemed like the right thing to

do, but sitting so close to her, the light scent she wore drifting across his nostrils, was
turning out to be the worst kind of torture.

Buck up, Dillon. You can behave.
He’d had reservations about accepting the invitation to dinner at the Montgomerys’.

Socializing wasn’t at the top of his list at the moment. And having Jinx included was a
surprise. His stupid body had gotten the same flush of lust he’d felt the day before.
Trying to hide it for an entire evening had been a real exercise in self-control. He wasn’t
sure how he’d deal with the whole auction thing tomorrow except to keep as much
physical distance between them as possible.

And how the fuck had he let himself be talked into it? Matt Stark had just

steamrollered over him.

Now, to complicate matters, he’d offered to drive Jinx home and her presence and

scent filled the cab of the truck.

“You’re very quiet over there.” Her voice broke into his mental conversation with

himself.

“Sorry. It’s just been a long day. A long couple of days, as a matter of fact.”
To say the least.

“You know this naked body will be like a nine-days wonder,” she pointed out to him.

“Rowan County isn’t noted for that kind of excitement, so it will be the main topic of
discussion.”

“Yeah, I figured that.” He slid a glance at her. “I’m still feeling my way here, you

know. I don’t want to piss anyone off, so you think we can come to an agreement? I’ll do
my best to keep you in the loop and you give me a little space to investigate this?”

From the corner of his eye he saw her turn toward him. “I’d say that’s a good deal.

Listen, Dillon.” She put her hand on his arm and he nearly combusted just from her
touch. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot a little. Part of that’s on me.” Her laugh was
a soft bubble of sound. “I guess I still have too much New York for this place. Anyway, I
promise to do better.”

“Me too.”
Silence dropped over them again. Dillon struggled to find something to talk to her

about but he found himself strangely tongue tied. When they hit the outskirts of town, he
realized he at least had to ask for directions.

“Where to now?” he asked.
“Straight through town then left at the little shopping center.” Jinx guided him

through downtown to the northwest residential area and onto her street. There was an
old-fashioned streetlight at each corner and a couple of the houses still showed a light in
a window, but for the most part the row of older homes was dark. “It’s the house at the
end of this block. The one with the big porch in front.”

Dillon turned into the driveway and put the truck in park, taking in the sight of the

large, well-tended house and what he could see of the front yard. A porch fixture cast a
limited amount of light, just enough to see the front door and a small portion of the
porch. To Dillon it looked—settled. Permanent. Much as his parents’ home did. He had
trouble matching it up with Miss New York sitting next to him.

The snick of the seat belt as she released the catch nudged him into reality.
“Thanks for the ride.” Jinx opened the door to climb down.
Dillon turned off the ignition and nearly broke his neck getting out of the cab. She was

already in the driveway by the time he got around to the other side of the truck.

“Sorry. My mother would smack me for not opening the door for you.”
She lifted a shoulder. “No biggie. I can do this myself.”
“At least let me walk you to the door.” He closed his fingers around her elbow and the

same bolt of desire speared through him straight to his cock.

Well, shit. What the hell’s happening here?
Just like two days ago and just like earlier tonight, he didn’t seem to be able to get

anywhere near Jinx Malone let alone touch her without wanting to rip off her clothes
and plunge himself inside her very sexy body. As he guided her up the steps to the porch,
he wondered if she was having the same reaction.

When they stopped at the front door, Jinx slipped the narrow strap of her purse from

her shoulder to fetch her keys. At the same time, she turned toward him and his hands
automatically lifted to rest on her shoulders. She looked up at him, a quizzical expression
on her face, and it seemed the most natural thing for him to lean down and brush his lips

against hers. She quivered beneath his touch, her breath hitching.

Before he could change his mind or give her a chance to change hers, he deepened the

kiss, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened and let him in. God,
she tasted like everything sweet he’d ever had in his life. He licked every inner surface,
wanting to swallow her whole. He tightened his grip on her, not wanting to give her the
chance to pull away, but she surprised him by clutching at his arms. He slid his fingers up
through the silk of her hair, cupping her head and tilting it one way then another to give
the kiss a better angle. And when she opened her mouth, her own small tongue thrust
forward to dance erotically with his.

He broke the kiss only when his breath ran out. Lifting his head, he stared at Jinx

through lust-fogged eyes. She had a startled expression on her face and her gaze was
locked with his. The pulse at the hollow of her throat beat furiously and he was sure the
heat radiating from her body singed his skin.

“What…what was that?” Her voice was shaky.
“I don’t know, but I think I’m gonna do it again.”
This time he took her mouth with unrestrained hunger, plundering it with his tongue,

sealing his lips to hers as if he’d never let her go. All rational thought left his mind as he
pressed her close to him. It took a moment for him to realize that her hands were
pushing at his chest and she was trying to twist away from him. Shaking the fog from his
brain, he backed away a step.

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
But she was already opening the door and grabbing his hand to drag him inside.
“One of us is crazy,” she said in a husky voice. “I’m hoping it’s me. And that I’ll wake

up in the morning and be able to pretend I didn’t make a fool of myself.”

“That’s for tomorrow.” His heart raced as he realized she didn’t mean to send him

away after all. He tried to think of what to say, but all the blood in his head seemed to
have headed south to his groin. Unwilling to give her a chance to have second thoughts,
he swept her up in his arms and headed for the stairs. He halted at the top. “Which
way?”

She pointed to a room at the end of the hallway. He nudged the door open with his

foot, carried her inside and set her down beside the bed. Weaving his fingers through the
strands of her hair again, he touched his mouth to hers and licked the outline. He wanted
nothing more than to tear her clothes off and throw her on the bed.

Slow, asshole. Don’t give her a reason to change her mind. This is a woman to savor and

worship, so don’t fuck it up.

Dillon couldn’t believe how impatient his body was or how ravenous he was for her.

But tearing off her clothes in three seconds wasn’t his style, and he didn’t want to start
now. Especially with this woman. He tasted her lips then trailed his tongue across the
smoothness of her cheek to the tender spot behind her ear. With his teeth, he drew a faint
line along the column of her neck, biting very gently where her neck and shoulder met.
She shivered at his touch and a soft little moan drifted from her mouth.

Dillon took his time kissing and nipping while he tugged her top from the waistband

of her skirt, stopping only to ease the fabric over her head. With each movement, he held

his breath, praying she wouldn’t suddenly tell him to stop. Send him on his way. He
opened the front clasp of her bra and cupped her breasts in his palms, brushing the
nipples with his thumbs and drawing out another one of those sensual little moans.

He dipped his head to press his lips to the hollow of her throat, felt her pulse beating

wildly beneath the delicate skin. She tilted her head back, giving him better access and he
sucked hard, squeezing her breasts at the same time. Taking a stiff nipple into his mouth,
he tugged and pulled it and rolled his tongue around it. When he’d tormented one to its
fullest, he moved his mouth to the other.

As he sucked lightly on it he felt tugging at his waist and realized Jinx was pulling his

shirt from his jeans. She slid her hands beneath the fabric to glide up his back, her heat
branding him wherever she touched. Impatiently, he lifted his head and yanked his shirt
off, tossing it to the side in his eagerness to feel her touch on his bare skin. Wrapping his
arms around Jinx, he held her tight to his body, her plump breasts pressing into the hard
wall of his chest.

Damn!
He could stand here like this all night if he didn’t want to get to other things. A lot of

other things.

He kissed every exposed area of skin, forcing himself to slow his pace. Not easy to do

while she ran her hands over his back, his shoulders, and around to his chest. She raked
her fingernails lightly over his flat nipples, sending shockwaves through him. The contact
made his head spin and his balls ache. They were both panting with a need and
impatience that filled the room like a third person.

Kissing a trail down the valley between her breasts and onto the smooth skin of her

tummy, Dillon unfastened her jeans. He lifted his mouth from her long enough to ease
the jeans down her body. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he lifted first one foot
and then the other so he could drop the jeans on top of his shirt. On his knees, he pressed
his face to her pussy and inhaled her scent. If his cock had been hard before it was
painfully so now, straining for both relief and release.

He gave into temptation and licked her through the thin fabric of her thong, rolling

her taste around on his tongue. Gripping her thighs with his fingers, he pulled her taste
into his mouth, ravenous to taste as much of her as possible. He shifted slightly so he
could slowly lick the inside of each thigh, running his tongue through the creases where
hip and thigh met.

She rocked her hips into him, her whimpers of need filling the air. She gripped his

head as she pulled it more tightly against her and held it in place. He glanced up once to
see her eyes closed, her mouth slightly open, face rosy with need. She was breathing
heavily, as transported by what was happening as he was.

When he’d tortured himself as long as he could possibly tolerate, he rose, toed off his

boots and shucked his jeans and boxers. His erection sprang free, thick and swollen, a
bead of fluid sitting right at the slit. Jinx stared at it, wetting her lips slowly with her
tongue before reaching out to wrap her fingers around him.

“Jesus!” His breath whistled through his teeth. “Don’t squeeze too hard, honey, or

we’ll be finished before we start.”

Despite his warning, she stroked the length of him slowly, her slim fingers dusting

every single nerve, and he had to grit his teeth to maintain any kind of control. He’d
never been this aroused before, not with any other woman, and he wanted both of them
to enjoy every minute. Finally, he brushed her hands away, pulled back the covers on the
bed and lifted her to the crisp cotton sheets, stripping away her thong in the process.
Kneeling between her thighs, he bent to capture her clit in his mouth, twisting his tongue
around it and sucking it while Jinx groaned in pleasure.

He could have feasted on her all night, but his body was sending him a signal he

couldn’t ignore. Placing a kiss on the nest of curls covering her cunt, he reached off the
bed for his jeans and took out his wallet. Tucked into it was a lone condom, albeit one
that had been there for some time. Holding it in his hand, he looked at her, naked and
beautiful before him, eyes glazed with heat, face flushed with desire.

His mouth was so dry he could barely get the words out. “I feel honor bound to tell

you this has been hanging around my wallet for a long time. I’m not sure I can vouch for
its reliability.”

Her smile, equal parts of hunger and unexpected shyness, could have tempted the

devil. “Let’s take a chance. I’m on the pill anyway.” She reached her hands out. “Let me
do it.”

He shook his head. “If you touch me again I’m done.”
“Then be quick,” she urged. “Hurry. Please.”
It stunned him to realize his hands were shaking as he tore open the foil and rolled the

latex on his aching shaft. Spreading her legs wide, he took a moment to drink in the sight
of her cunt gleaming wetly for him. Ignoring the twinge in his leg, a constant reminder
of the shooting, he knelt at the apex of her thighs and carefully peeled open the lips of
her pussy. When he touched her clit with the tip of a finger she jerked in response and
cried out.

“Please,” she begged again, as hot and hungry as he was.
Grinding his teeth against the chronic ache from the surgery, he nudged her opening

with the tip of his erection then inched it in as slowly as he could. When the head
bumped up against the mouth of her womb, he closed his eyes in ecstasy. Her inner walls
were like a tight wet fist around him, clamping down on him, gripping him. He drew in
a deep breath, bracing himself on his hands, pulled back and plunged into her with a
hard stroke.

He tried to slow himself down, but that horse had already left the barn. His inner

caveman rose up, brushing all restraint aside. He thrust into her again, and yet again,
over and over, her pussy milking him, her cries mingling with his. They came together,
an explosion of such force it totally blew his mind. The only sound in the room was that
of air rasping into their lungs and the heavy beating of their hearts.

Long seconds passed before he could pull himself together. Then he lifted himself to

catch his weight on his forearms, aware that he was heavy on her slight frame. He looked
down at her, trying to figure out what to say, and realized she had the same stunned
expression in her eyes that he was sure was in his.

She wet her lips. “Well,” she said at last.

“No kidding.” He studied her face, trying to read her expression. Wondering if she was

as completely stunned as he was. “What the hell was that?”

“Damned if I know.” She let out a ragged breath. “I don’t even know how it

happened.”

His laugh was uneven. Ragged. “At least that’s one thing I can tell you.”
She looked away from him. “That’s not what I meant. What I wanted to know was

how we even let this happen? I’m not even sure we liked each other?”

“Maybe. At least not at first.” He eased himself slowly from the wet clasp of her body.

“Let me clean up a little here and we can talk about it.”

“Bathroom’s through that door.” She pointed. “But I have to warn you. I don’t want to

talk this to death.”

Neither did he. But he also had no intention of writing this off as once and done.

Whatever was between him and Jinx Malone was a lot bigger than one night—one very
short night—of hot sex.

Chapter Three

Jinx pushed herself up from the bed, dug her short robe out of the closet and tied it

around her waist.

“I’m getting us cold drinks,” she hollered at the bathroom door. “Back in a sec.”
She heard him mumble something back at her as she headed downstairs to the kitchen.
What on earth was I thinking? Have I lost my frigging mind?
There was no denying the level of heat that had ignited the moment she and Dillon

Cross laid eyes on each other. The very last thing she’d been looking for when she came
home was another entanglement of any kind. She still fell asleep with nightmares of Max
in their bed with two women. Not one, but two. She was sure it would be a very long
time before the image faded. And even longer before she trusted another man with
either her body or her heart.

Yet here she was, fresh from the most outstanding, combustible, erotic sex she could

ever remember having. She’d been a more than willing participant.

She pulled two cans of soda from the fridge and rolled one against her forehead,

hoping it would cool down her still overheated body.

“Jinx?” Dillon’s voice drifted down to her from upstairs. “Did you run out on me? I

hope not. This is your house.”

“Coming.”
Oh, wait. That might not be the right word to use.
She grabbed two glasses and hurried up the stairs to find him waiting in the hallway,

glorious in his nudity and totally unself-conscious about it. She swallowed a laugh
thinking how he put Max the braggart to shame with his equipment.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a hint of a grin.
“I certainly hope so, but I think I need a minute to recharge.”
So he’d caught the double meaning of her answer. Damn. Heat crept up her face.
“Here.” She thrust a can of soda and one of the glasses at him. “I thought we could use

this to cool off. We certainly need it.”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he nudged her back toward the bed. “Thanks

for the cold drink.” He stretched out his legs on the bed, unconsciously rubbing his thigh.

Jinx noticed and frowned. “That’s some scar you’ve got there.”
“Reminder of a battle with a reporter.”
“Are you kidding?” She sucked in a breath. “A reporter shot you?”
“Might as well have. Anyway, it’s the hazards of the job. Come on. Let’s talk a little.

And not about that.”

Hummingbirds were doing a nervous dance in her stomach as she adjusted herself on

the bed next to him. She kept her robe on, deciding she needed as much protection from
him as possible. Or was it from herself?

Dillon took a long swallow of his drink before he said anything.
“I’m sure neither of us expected what just happened here. Or was looking for it.”
She nodded her head. “You’re right. And if I did anything—”

“Stop.” With his free hand, he took one of hers, linking his fingers with hers. “There’s

no blame here, Jinx, except maybe on my part. I don’t know. What I do know is the heat
between us has been off the charts since we met at the crime scene.”

She couldn’t stop the giggle that broke loose. “Not the usual way people meet, right?”
“Believe me, I’ve seen stranger.” He lifted their linked hands and kissed her fingers.

“But my point is there’s something going on here, and except for this incendiary
explosion I sense you’re not any more eager to jump into something than I am.”

The hummingbirds disappeared to be replaced by tight knots. What was he saying?

Thanks for the great sex but it was a mistake? Wait. Shouldn’t that be her line? And no,
she wasn’t looking for any kind of relationship. Situation. Whatever. But perversely, she
didn’t want to give this up. This first time had been hot and fast, but the overwhelming
desire still hung in the air. One time hadn’t even taken the edge off.

She chose her next words carefully, not wanting to let him see this might have meant

more to her than to him.

“You’re right. That’s very sensible. I’m sure we can forget all about this and pretend it

never happened.”

“What?” He tightened his hand on hers and pulled her around to face him, anger

flashing in his eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I mean…” The words trailed off
and he filled the space by taking a long drink of soda. “I’d like to keep seeing you, Jinx,
but I’m in no condition mentally or any other way to think about a real relationship. I’m
just trying to be fair to you. That’s all.”

Okay, she could deal with this. She hoped.
“You’re right that I’m not looking for anything. Or anybody. Not now.” She gave an

unladylike snort. “Maybe never. But this—” she waved her hand in the air, “—whatever
it is, I don’t want to back away from it either.”

“I still don’t like reporters,” he reminded her.
“I still don’t like cops.”
“So noted. And just so we’re clear. We’ll enjoy each other’s company—in private—and

that’s all it will be.”

She nodded. “Sex with no strings.” And didn’t she just sound so sophisticated saying

that.

“Exactly. Because I definitely want more.” He set his glass down on the nightstand.

“There’s something I need to say first.”

Really? What could be more important than “I want no-strings sex?” This isn’t even friends

with benefits.

She waited a heartbeat, and when he didn’t say anything she prompted, “Well?”
“Just so we’re clear, I don’t normally fall on a woman like an ape in the jungle the way

I did with you. I just want you to know—”

He was worried about their instant combustion? Hell, she hadn’t been any better than

he was.

She touched a finger to his lips. “Not a problem. I don’t usually let someone do that

either. So we’re square.”

“I feel like I’m in the middle of a minefield here,” he told her. “I like this place and I

like my job. I don’t want to do anything to screw that up.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t let that happen.”
“Then we just have one more problem.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“We used up the only condom I had with me.”
She burst out laughing. “Then I guess we’ll just have to be more inventive.”
Inventive was a mild word for what happened next. He took away her drink and

arranged her on the bed so she was lying with her head on the pillows. Taking her wrists,
he pulled her hands over her head and curled her fingers around the spindles of the
headboard.

“Keep them there.” His voice was thick with unsatisfied hunger. “Don’t move them

until I tell you to.”

Just the demand was enough to moisten her pussy again and set her inner walls to

throbbing. And this was despite the fact that he’d just exhausted her with an intense and
rapid coupling that had drained everything from her.

He began with her mouth, a gentle kiss at first, tasting her lips before pushing his

tongue gently inside. Very slowly, he traced the entire inner surface with just the tip of
his tongue. Waking up nerves she didn’t even know existed. Her fingers itched to thread
through his thick hair, but she made herself stick to his command. Just the idea of giving
him that control turned up her inner flame.

While he used his tongue to explore her mouth, he cupped her face with his hands,

stroking his thumbs over her cheekbones, his breath a warm breeze on her skin. The
hunger was there, just as strong, but she also sensed a need on his part to taste slowly and
savor. To linger with every touch and enjoy the sensations. She whimpered in protest
when he moved his mouth from hers, but in the next moment he was trailing tiny kisses
along her cheek to the tender spot behind her ear, nipping her earlobe then soothing it
with his tongue.

Somehow he managed to balance himself so his entire weight wasn’t pressing down

on her. Still, she felt the hard wall of his chest and the crisp chest hairs against her
breasts, making her nipples stiffen and peak. She tried to turn her head to find his hot
mouth again but he moved it again, this time to her neck and down to where it joined
her shoulder. Light nips at the sensitive tendon sent another flash of heat through her
from her nipples directly to her cunt.

“Mmm.” She twisted her body beneath him, his swelling cock hot and thick against

her thigh.

He had a very educated mouth, knowing exactly where and how to use it. He teased

the swell of her beasts with whispers of kisses and circled her areolas with tiny licks with
his tongue. Her nipples all but begged him to wrap his lips around them but he took his
time, laving every inch of surrounding flesh before finally pulling one taut bud into his
mouth. When he closed his teeth around it gently she felt the tug clear to the center of
her cunt. She squeezed her inner muscles hard against the insistent throbbing.

When he’d paid long seconds of attention to the one nipple, he shifted to the other and

gave it the same sensual treatment. Her body was so ready for him Jinx wanted to cry out

in frustration. But there was no rushing Dillon. He obviously intended to make up for the
haste with which they’d dived into each other the first time.

He shifted his body to move lower on the bed and swirled his tongue in the furled

flesh of her navel then licked a path to her mound. Reaching up, he took her nipples
between thumb and forefinger and rolled and pinched them. She arched her body up to
his touch, every nerve firing in rapid rhythm.

And then… Oh God, and then he shifted to allow himself access to her pussy. Parting

the lips and exposing her aching clit, he took it in his mouth and feasted on it, nibbling
and lapping until Jinx wasn’t sure she could bear it for one minute more.

She wanted so badly to tangle her fingers in his hair, to feel the flex of the powerful

muscles in his back, but she kept her hands at the headboard as he’d commanded. It took
a great effort of will to do so.

Feeling a climax building inside her again, she wrapped her legs around his neck and

pulled herself up to his mouth.

“One minute,” he gasped, moving her legs so he could shift his body around. “Move

your hands now. I’m giving you something to hold onto.”

His thick shaft bobbed at her mouth as he sucked her clit into his mouth while

thrusting two fingers inside her. She closed her fingers around his cock, licking the thick
fluid sitting right at the slit before pulling him into her mouth. When she slid her other
hand between his thighs to cup his balls, his groan told her how close he was this fast,
just as she was.

Dillon worked his fingers in and out of her while she took him into her mouth and

proceeded to suck him dry. It didn’t take long for either of them to reach that peak,
despite the fact they’d had such an intense orgasm just a short time ago. Her pussy
clenched just as she felt Dillon’s cock pulse and his body tighten.

When the surge hit her every one of her muscles convulsed, her cunt clamping down

hard on his fingers. As he emptied himself into her mouth, she poured her own liquid
into his hand, riding those fingers until the last tremor faded away.

She closed her eyes and dragged air into her starving lungs. Dillon wrapped his arms

around her hips and rested his lips at the crease of her thigh. After long moments, he
shifted himself so he was lying full length next to her, her head on his shoulder, one arm
loosely holding her.

When she could catch her breath she said, “That was—”
“Definitely inventive,” he finished. “I’ll have to work hard to top it next time.” He

tilted her face up so she was looking into his eyes. “And there will absolutely be a next
time.”

“Got a minute, Sheriff?”
Dillon looked up from the fax he’d been trying to read for the past fifteen minutes to

see his chief deputy, Nick Savage, standing in the doorway. The man was holding a
printout in one hand and running the fingers of the other through his hair. From the look
of it, he’d apparently been doing that for some time.

“Sure, Nick.” Gratefully, he put aside the damn fax and motioned the man into the

office. “What’s the problem?”

Nick dropped into one of the two chairs in front of the desk, his forehead creased in a

frown.

“Greg Dinardo and I have been going through everyone on the rolls for Rowan

County. Which,” he added, “isn’t all that difficult when the total population is just shy of
thirty-four thousand.”

Dillon cocked his head. “And?”
“And if anyone’s missing no one knows about it. Or wants to own up to it.” The

deputy shook his head. “I can’t figure it out.

“You checked all the ranches to see if all the hands are accounted for?”
The deputy nodded. “And the Wal-Mart employee list, the feed stores, the groceries,

just about every damn thing.” He brushed his hand against the papers. “We got nada.”

Dillon swallowed a sigh. He supposed it was too much to hope that this had been the

result of a fight between two drunks and one had gotten a little overactive with a
shotgun.

“I was afraid of that.” He rubbed his jaw. “We’ve had a brawl or two or five but

nothing that got out of hand. And no one seems aware of animosity between two people
so strong it would lead to something like this.”

“I’ve had everyone asking questions as they run their patrols too.” Nick told him.

“And of course since they know most everyone in the county so they’d hear if something
was going on.” He gave a short laugh. “Rowan County isn’t exactly a hot spot for action.”

Dillon laughed. “Why do you think I wanted this job? It means I might actually live to

a ripe old age.”

“Anyway,” Nick went on, “I’m suggesting we look outside the county now. Nothing’s

come over the wire about a missing person who might fit this situation. Obliterating
someone’s face is more about delaying identification than rage.”

“I have to agree with you on that.”
“I’ll reach out to the two counties that are contiguous to us, but I thought you might

want to get with San Antonio yourself.” He looked at Dillon, questioning. “Figured you
still had connections there and could get around the closed doors and bullshit.”

“I can do that. Although why someone would want to haul a body out here to dispose

of when there are so many great dumping places in Bexar County is beyond me.”

“Especially with his face blown away.” Nick rubbed his jaw. “But maybe whoever did

the deed thought the same thing. That no one would come out here from the city to
dispose of a body. Maybe drop the body here to confuse things?”

Dillon spread his hands. “Anything is possible. If that’s the case, our headache just got

bigger, because it means we have to search regionally and nationally for missing
persons.”

“And call dozens of police departments to see if they’ve lost anyone.”
“Let’s start a little closer.” He picked up the telephone receiver. “I’ll call my former

sergeant. Maybe he’s heard some rumors. Or they might be looking for someone who’s
just disappeared off the map. And you can widen your search geographically.”

“Good enough.” Nick rose from his chair. “I’ll call some deputies I know in

neighboring counties, too. See if anything’s shaking.”

“Good. Let’s check back with each other in a while.”
“Good enough.”
As soon as Nick had left the office, Dillon started to lift the telephone receiver but

paused with his hand on it. He needed to be coherent when he spoke to Charlie
Whittaker. The problem was his brain had been scrambled since he’d left Jinx Malone’s
house Saturday night. He’d had to use every bit of control to keep his distance on Sunday
during the auction and dinner afterwards.

He had to hand it to her. She was as good as her word. No sly glances, no suggestive

innuendos like other women he’d dated. She laughed and chatted with her friends often,
all but ignoring him. But she looked so cute and casual in her jeans with her hair pulled
back in a ponytail. And he loved the cute way she crinkled her nose when she laughed.
Cute? Wait a minute. Did you call women in their thirties cute? Did it please them? Insult
them?

And why the hell was he worried anyway? It wasn’t as if this was any kind of

relationship. Right?

Just sex, he reminded himself.
But what incredible sex it was.
Hell and damnation, the woman made his cock stand at attention every time he came

within five feet of her.

He could still feel the sensation of being inside her. Still remember the unique flavor of

her pussy. Still feel the weight of her breasts in his palm. The Starks and the
Montgomerys had given them both knowing glances all afternoon but had been smart
enough not to say anything. He and Jinx had managed to keep other people between
them at the auction, but somehow their well-meaning friends maneuvered them at
dinner so they sat next to each other.

Not that he minded inhaling that slightly spicy scent of hers. Or feeling her thigh

pressed against his.

But then he remembered what she looked like naked, heat blazing in her eyes, nipples

swollen and rosy, pussy lips glistening, and he thought he’d have to douse his fly with ice
water before he could get up from the table. He was just grateful he’d insisted on taking
his own vehicle, pleading the necessity to be available if he got a call.

Last night she’d invaded his dream, strolling into his bedroom wearing nothing but the

high heels he’d first seen her in and his Stetson. Holy shit. If he hadn’t taken himself in
hand when he’d woken up, he’d have had a hard time walking today. And the image of
her in heels and hat just wouldn’t quit. One of these nights he’d have to insist she dress
like that.

One of these nights?
Just how long did he think this whatever it was would last? Sex with no strings, they’d

agreed. He didn’t even have to worry about cultivating a friendship. They could just heat
the sheets when the fire blazed. Exactly what he wanted, especially with a reporter.
Jesus, how he hated reporters. This should be a no-brainer for him.

So why, after only one night with her, did he have a niggling little feeling that he was

missing something here? That whatever he was doing, he was doing it wrong?

He gave himself a mental shake. He had work to do here. Bad enough he dreamed

about this woman at night. He couldn’t afford to let her take residence in his mind
during the day.

Lifting the receiver, he dialed a number from memory and waited to hear Charlie

Whittaker’s voice.

Jinx hit the Send key on her computer to forward this week’s editorial to the graphics

people for formatting. The subject had swirled around in her mind ever since the auction
the day before. The horses being sold were animals that had been rescued from owners
that abused or abandoned them, nursed back to health by rescue facilities until they were
in shape to find a good home.

She was surprised that Matt and Buck had steered Dillon to this auction to buy the

horse he wanted. But as he pointed out, he didn’t need a cutting horse or one who could
go the distance on the trail. He just wanted a comfortable ride, he’d told them. He’d
found one in a big appaloosa about seven years old. Jinx’s heart had caught slightly when
she watched Dillon walk up to the horse, hold out his hand and the big gelding nuzzled
it with no fear. Impulsively, she snapped the shot with her camera. It might make good
art for a story.

She’d hung back while Dillon took care of paying the auctioneer and arranging to have

the horse picked up. Seeing the two of them together—horse and man—had warmed
something inside her. Or maybe it was just the incredible heat that consumed her
whenever she was within five feet of him.

Jinx leaned back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. Images from the

night with Dillon kept flashing in her mind. Images of him standing before her naked, his
cock thick and swollen, his eyes dark with desire. Closing her eyes, she felt again the
sensation of that cock sliding inside her, her pussy throbbing in response. Unconsciously,
she squeezed her thighs together and felt the muscles in her tummy tighten. In one more
minute—

“Uh, Jinx?”
She snapped upright so fast she almost knocked over her chair. Lew stood in front of

her, a strange expression on his face.

Holy shit!
Just what she needed. To be caught in the middle of an erotic fantasy by one of her

employees. Especially Lew, so young and impressionable. She cleared her throat and
smoothed her hand down the fabric of her jeans, wishing she had ice water to dump over
her head.

“I’m fine. Fine.” She pasted a smile on her face. “Did you need something?”
“I heard the new sheriff bought a horse. Everyone’s so hungry for information about

him I wondered if you wanted a personal-info feature. Show him really settling in here.”

The next words popped out of Jinx’s mouth before she could swallow them. “I thought

I’d call him or go by and see if there’s anything new on the body. I can talk to him and

see if he’s up for a photo shoot.”

Damn. Why didn’t she just let Lew do it so she didn’t have to get up close and personal

with Dillon Cross? Good sense dictated that she keep her distance from him except in
bed. Except who said she had good sense? Witness the debacle with Max.

“So you’re taking care of it, then?”
Lew’s voice broke into the fog in her brain again.
“Yes. I said yes.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sorry, Lew. I have a lot

of things on my mind.”

Lew frowned. “Are you sure you’re alright? Can I get you anything?”
Yes. A new brain.
“No, I’m fine. Thanks. I’ll get ahold of Sheriff Cross and see what we can do.”
She sat there for a long moment after Lew walked away, trying to figure out the best

way to handle this. Just walking into his office would be presumptuous and probably
reinforce his distaste of the attitude of reporters. Making an appointment seemed a little
too formal in a county where informality was keynote. Finally, after running every
possibility through her brain, she thought about what her dad would have done and
picked up the phone to call the sheriff’s office.

“Is this a personal or professional call?” Dillon asked when she was put through to

him.

“Professional, of course,” she told him, then lowered her voice. “Personal is in a whole

other arena.”

He cleared his throat. “Then what can I do for you, Miss Malone?”
She swallowed a smile. “The publisher of The Hill Country Herald would like to invite

the sheriff of Rowan County to lunch to discuss current stories and other details.”

He waited so long to answer her she thought maybe he’d hung up.
Finally, he said, “I can make it at one o’clock. Does that work for you?”
“Of course. The Bit and Bite okay with you?”
“Fine. See you then.”
Jinx leaned her elbows on the desk and cradled her head in her hands. What was she

getting herself into? Just the sound of Dillon’s voice made every pulse point throb and
her panties dampen. Her breasts ached with the memory of his touch and her nipples
stiffened, hungry for his mouth on them. She had never considered herself sexually
needy or excessively aroused. Maybe it had been Max and not her. Or maybe the
combination of the two of them just hadn’t worked, and that was one of the contributing
factors to his cute little threesome. She just didn’t know.

What she did know was just the thought of Dillon Cross was enough to make her want

to break down every sexual boundary ever invented, and that scared her. It was a good
thing there wasn’t an emotional situation here or she’d be cooked.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
She pushed back her chair and headed for the break room. Maybe a cold drink from

the fridge would cool her off.

Chapter Four

Jinx watched as Dillon walked through the Bit and Bite toward their booth, exchanging

nods and greetings with people along the way. God, he was a mouthful and a half. His
tall, lean body moved with the grace and ease of a jungle cat. A good match for the
predatory gleam in his eyes when he spotted her. He stopped to exchange a few words
with someone before sliding into the booth opposite her. When he took off his Stetson
and placed it on the seat beside him, she wanted to reach over and run her fingers
through his sun-streaked hair.

I have got to get my hormones under control.
The waitress who had brought Jinx coffee earlier showed up and placed two menus in

front of them. Dillon asked for coffee also and water as well. Then he leaned back in the
booth.

“So what’s on your agenda today, madam publisher?”
“Two things, actually.” She took a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee. “As I’m sure you

can guess, I’m hungry for any update on the naked body in the ditch. Has he been
identified yet? Any clues as to who left him there? ”

Dillon took a moment before he answered her as if organizing his thoughts.
“I really don’t have a lot to tell you,” he said at last. “What I do have is really not for

public consumption yet. And I haven’t had a lot of good luck sharing information with
reporters and asking them to keep it confidential.”

Jinx had a feeling this animosity was as much personal as professional. She’d love to

know who put that kink in his brain and how.

“The Hill Country Herald has an excellent reputation,” she told him. “Because we are a

small town in a small county, a lot of what happens is based on trust. I wouldn’t be in
business long if I broke that trust.”

Again he was silent, his eyes studying her. Then he nodded. Once.
“Don’t make me regret this, Jinx. I’ll make sure you know what you need to know

when you need to know it as long as you keep the faith.”

“You won’t know if you can trust me unless you try,” she pointed out.
He took a slow sip of his coffee then set the cup down carefully in the saucer.
“We’ve checked everywhere in Rowan County,” he began,” and the deputies are

working their contacts in the contiguous counties. There’s no one unaccounted for
anywhere. Trust me, we’ve reached out to everyone and anyone.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t stop there.”
“You’re right. Today I called my old sergeant with the San Antonio Police Department

and asked him to look at recent disappearances. See if there’s anything that fits this
situation.”

Jinx lifted her eyebrows. “You think someone dumped a San Antonio body out here?”
“I think it’s highly possible. Whoever it was blew his face away and dumped him in a

county where violent crime is almost nonexistent. I suspect they figured we’d be
inexperienced rubes chasing our tails over this.”

“So have you heard back from him?”
Dillon shook his head. “Not yet. I only called him this morning. But he should get back

to me before too long.”

The waitress materialized again and they placed their order.
“So.” Dillon gave her a curious look. “You said two things. What’s the other?”
She told him about Lew’s idea for a human interest story. “You know. Sheriff buys

rescued horse, support’s organization’s efforts.”

He twisted his mouth in a grimace. “I’m not really looking for that kind of publicity.”
“But in Rowan County this is the kind of stuff people just eat up. And the more they

identify with you personally, the easier it is to keep the peace.” She curved her lips into a
teasing grin. “Come on. Let us make people love you. Besides, it’s good publicity for your
department.”

He blew out a breath. “Okay. I don’t really like this kind of stuff, but you’re right. I

need to connect on different levels with everyone.”

“Thank you.” She gave him a genuine smile. She really did appreciate him doing this.

“If you’ve got time after we eat I can do the interview. Then we can set up a time for Lew
to come out to your place and get some shots of you and your horse. Did you name him
yet?”

“He came with one. Warrior. I thought I’d keep it since he already answers to it.”
“Good. That’s good. I like it. A strong name.”
Dillon reached for the bill when it came but Jinx grabbed it away from him.
“My treat,” she insisted. “I invited you, and besides, it’s a business expense.”
“Thanks.”
“You too. For keeping me in the loop regarding the naked body. I appreciate it.”
“I’m trusting you to keep things to yourself until we have something to go public

with.” He stopped just outside the restaurant with her. Heat burned in his eyes. “You
planning on being home tonight?”

She cocked her head, studying him. “Yeah. I’m taking a break in my busy social

schedule. Why? You have something in mind?”

“Thought I’d drop by about nine if that’s okay with you.”
Immediately, the pulse in her cunt beat a heavy tattoo and her nipples stiffened. Every

muscle in her body clenched. “Nine would work for me.”

“Good. See you then.” He started to walk away then turned back and flashed a grin. “I

still don’t like reporters.”

“I still don’t like cops,” she shot back at him.
“Got it. See you at nine.” He strode away with his loose-hipped gait.
Jinx just stood there and laughed. How had she gotten herself into this, anyway?


Dillon found a message on his desk to call Charlie Whittaker and was about to pick up

the phone when Terrie buzzed him.

“What’s up?” he asked.
“You have a visitor, Sheriff.” Her voice sounded strange. “Are you available?”

He looked at the intercom.
What the hell?
Sheila usually just let him know who wanted to see him and he’d tell her to send them

on back unless he was really tied up.

“What kind of visitor?”
“A woman is here asking to see you. I tried to tell her you were very busy right now.”
Now he was really curious. Sheila never turned anyone away. She might come back to

the office to prep him for someone but never this.

“Does this woman have a name?”
“She just said she’s an old friend of yours.”
Then he heard a voice in the background say, “Tell him Naomi Richardson is here.”
Dillon’s stomach knotted and bile rose in his throat. Naomi? What the fuck was she

doing here? Why wasn’t she in New York?

His first reaction was to tell Sheila to send her on her away. But knowing Naomi, if she

had something to say she’d be like a dog with a bone. Best to get it over with and send
her on her way. Fast.

“It’s okay, Sheila. Send her on back.”
In less than a minute, a knock sounded on his door. He thought about standing up to

greet Naomi then decided not to. He didn’t want her to read anything into simple
courtesy or get the idea that he was happy to see her.

“Come in,” he called.
She looked much the same as the last time he’d seen her, except perhaps more brittle

and with a new hardness about her. Or had that always been there and he’d just never
seen it, drawn as he was to her sexuality? Her glossy black hair fell in waves to her
shoulders and her makeup looked as if an artist had just applied it. The navy slacks she
wore accentuated her long legs and the matching jacket that hit just at her waist was
open to show the white silk blouse beneath. To give him a shadowy glimpse of her
breasts, no doubt.

But Dillon’s cock didn’t even twitch at the sight of her. Her betrayal had been so harsh

and cut so deep that he doubted he’d ever find anything about her attractive ever again.

She stood in the doorway and gave him what he assumed was supposed to be a sincere

smile.

“Hello, Dillon. I’m really happy to see you again.”
“I can’t say the same. What do you want?”
She stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. “Not even a hello, how are

you?”

He didn’t move from behind his desk. “I don’t really care how you are. What are you

doing here?”

“Not going to ask me to sit down? No problem.” She dropped gracefully into one of

the chairs in front of the desk. “I’ll just seat myself.”

Dillon had to grind his teeth to keep from spewing out every bitter word he’d been

storing up since the day she’d betrayed his trust both personally and professionally and
waltzed out of town with the man he’d found her in bed with.

“I’ll ask you again, what do you want? I’m busy.”
Her smile faltered a tiny bit. “Too busy for an old friend? Too busy to spend some time

catching up with each other?”

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “We aren’t friends, Naomi, and

I’m not interested in what’s going on with your life now. And I sure as hell don’t intend
to discuss mine with you. Why the hell aren’t you in New York, anyway?”

“I thought I could catch you up on that in someplace more…” her voice trailed off as

she looked around, ”…conducive to a personal conversation.”

“This is as personal as any conversation between us is going to get.”
Now the smile disappeared completely and an expression of regret mixed with sadness

washed over her face. Dillon wondered how long she’d practiced it in front of a mirror to
get it just right. He’d learned the hard way just what a consummate actress she was.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I was hoping we could have dinner tonight. Maybe talk about

old times.” The smile was back. “Pick up where we left off.”

Dillon looked at her silently for a long moment, wondering if she’d really deluded

herself into believing that such a thing was possible.

“I’ve managed to forget about those old times,” he said at last. “And I’m busy for

dinner. If you want something specific, say your piece and get out of here. I’m busy.”

Her eyes widened slightly, as if she’d forgotten what a disaster their breakup had been.
“I was hoping that by now you’d have gotten passed that. When I heard you left the

SAPD and took this job I was hoping it was because you’d moved on. Started a new life
for yourself and maybe we could have a fresh start too.”

“Naomi.” Her name stuck in his throat like barbed wire. “It’s a little hard to get passed

the fact that someone has broken your trust the way you did. Let’s forget for a moment
that when I went to your place and opened the door—with the key you’d given me, by
the way—I found you heating up the sheets with the big hot New York producer. That
wasn’t the worst of it.”

“You don’t know how I regret that,” she said in a rush.
Dillon held up his hand.
“I’m not finished. You used me to get the inside information on a big case I was

working so you could have your so-called scoop. Breaking it early the way you did made
us move up our timetable. One of the unfortunate byproducts of that was me getting
shot. That’s not something you ever get passed.”

He saw the moment she realized he wasn’t giving an inch. That she couldn’t get

around him the way she used to. The way he’d always let her.

She looked around the office now with open curiosity. “So what made you decide to

come out here to Noplace County? Licking your wounds?”

“Goddamn it.” He slammed his hand on the desk. “My wounds landed me in the

hospital for two weeks and on disability leave for weeks after that.”

Color drained from her face. “I–I’m sorry, Dillon. That wasn’t what I meant.”
“And if you think I came here to forget about you, in a way you’re right. The people

here are real. They’re genuine. You always know where you stand with them and who
you can trust. Now, I have no idea why you aren’t in New York or why you’re sniffing

around me again, but I haven’t got time for you. I’m busy.” He buzzed Sheila. “Would
you mind coming back here and escorting Miss Richardson out? I wouldn’t want her to
lose her way to the front door.”

“Right away, Sheriff.”
Naomi rose from her chair, her face pinched with anger. “We’re not done yet, Dillon.

I’m the best thing that ever happened to you. We were good together. I screwed it up
and I’m sorry, but I’m not giving up.”

“Don’t waste your time,” he told her.
The door opened and Sheila stood there, her official smile on her face.
“Please follow me, Miss Richardson.”
For a moment, Dillon thought Naomi was going to refuse. Finally, she turned and

followed Sheila toward the reception area.

Dillon leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, wiping his hand over his face. He

felt sick to his stomach. He’d considered himself a lucky bastard when the two of them
hooked up, the glamorous television reporter and the homicide detective. An unlikely
duo, his partner kept telling him. But he, the loner, had fallen hard for her. That’s what
had made the betrayal so much more intense. He’d wondered sometimes how he’d react
if and when he saw Naomi again. Now he knew, and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. If he
could erase that time in his life from his memory, he would.

He wondered again just what she was doing here. Nothing good, that was for sure. He

certainly hadn’t followed her career in New York, but there must be a damn good reason
why she was here instead of there. He dampened the curiosity that edged into his brain.
No, not going there. Whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with him and he didn’t
give a flying fuck.

Unbidden, the image of Jinx Malone flashed into his brain. The connection between

them had been raw and unexpected. The unbridled sexual attraction—raw lust—that he
felt for her was beyond anything he’d ever experienced before. He ignored the buzzing
of something that might be a strong emotional connection. Or the fact that despite the
ten years in the Big Apple that had given her a patina of sophistication, there was
something very real about her.

But facts were facts. She was a reporter and he had no way of knowing just how much

difference there was, if any, between Naomi Richardson and Jinx. Naomi had screwed up
a case so badly it had forced his partner and himself into a dangerous situation and
resulted in him getting badly wounded. He had both the physical and emotional scars to
show for that relationship.

He’d told himself no more relationships, reporters or otherwise. Looking forward to

years alone because he had real trust issues wasn’t all that appealing, but it beat the
alternative. People never thought about men putting their hearts out there and getting
them broken. It violated man rules. He’d promised himself never to walk through that
door again. Yet here he was trying to rationalize this attraction to Jinx Malone.

He gave himself a mental kick in the pants for sharing with her what little information

he currently had on his investigation. He just hoped he hadn’t made a big mistake in
doing so.

Or that he wasn’t making another one by going to her house tonight.
Just sex.
Pushing Jinx and X-rated thoughts of their upcoming night firmly to the back of his

mind, he picked up his phone and dialed Charlie Whittaker’s number.

“I couldn’t give you this when you called,” his old boss began. “It’s a sensitive case and

I had to get clearance to discuss it with you.”

“Appreciate it. So what’s landed in our collective laps?”
“We’re keeping way off the radar,” the man continued. “But I had a hunch as soon as

you described the body to me, especially that part about the face blown away and the
damage to the hands. Definitely halts identification.”

“So what have you got?” Dillon asked.
He could almost see Charlie shaking his head in irritation. “It’s the damndest thing,

Dillon. Ever heard of the Pinnacle Hedge Fund?”

“Just vaguely. Way beyond my financial capabilities.”
“Know what you mean. Mine too. Anyway, one of their clients figured out there was

something wrong with the statements he was getting, wanted to discuss the status of his
account and got the royal brushoff.”

Dillon frowned. “That’s not such a good sign.”
“No kidding. So he decided to call for an audit, and surprise. Bernie Madoff all over

again. A carefully constructed pyramid scheme with new investments paying off the old
ones. And somehow the money has all disappeared.”

Dillon leaned forward, his interest definitely piqued. “Just gone?”
“Bank accounts all but cleaned out.”
“What do the partners say?”
“Funny you should ask.” Whittaker’s chuckle had a dry sound. “We’ve only been able

to question one of them. Vince Drummond. He blames it all on the partner who’s
suddenly gone missing. Bert Redmond. Says he didn’t know anything either, until the
audit.”

“But you think he’s lying,” Dillon guessed.
“You got it. There’s just something about him that isn’t ringing true. Now with this

body, well, the captain and I chewed it over. We think the body is Redmond’s, that
Drummond’s the one who stole the money and has it stashed somewhere. As long as we
keep looking for Bert, he’s in the clear.”

“And when everything dies down, he can relocate and start tapping into the funds.”
“But why dump the body so close to home?” Dillon asked. “Didn’t he think it would

stick out like a sore thumb in a place as sparsely populated and rural as Rowan County?”

“Maybe he was afraid to make the dumping too complicated. Kill the guy, strip him

down and dispose of him without having to make complicated arrangements.”

“So where do we go from here?” Dillon wanted to know.
“I’d like to send someone from forensics up there to get DNA from the body. We

searched Redmond’s house and bagged his toothbrush just in case, so now we can see if it
matches.”

“Go ahead. Just have whoever it is call me and give me a time so I can make sure

everything’s ready.”

“Will do.” There was a pause. “Think maybe I can talk you into coming into the city

one of these days for a drink or a cup of coffee?”

Dillon had not set foot in San Antonio since he’d given up his place there and headed

to Rowan County with all his worldly goods in a big truck, towing his vehicle behind.
He’d had no desire to ever go back again. And now, with Naomi back in the area, he
definitely wanted to stay away.

“How about if you come up here?” he suggested. “I’ll give you the nickel tour and take

you out for some good barbecue.”

After a moment, Charlie said, “If that’s what it takes to see you, we’ll make

arrangements. I’ll call you. And forensics will give a shout when they’re ready to head
out your way.”

After the call ended, Dillon sat back in his chair, letting his thoughts jump around. If

the body was indeed the missing financier, Dillon could be drawn back into the San
Antonio crime scene again. That meant the media.

And Naomi.
Was she back in the San Antonio media scene? He was pretty sure she hadn’t heard

about the possible link to the corpse found in his county, so why was she here? Just to
make his life miserable?

Shit.
He rubbed his temples, feeling the beginning of a headache. Why did his life have to

keep getting complicated?

Chapter Five

Jinx felt like a bride on her wedding night.
No, scratch that. The less she remembered about her wedding and the years following

it the better. She didn’t need those memories intruding on the night ahead.

Okay. Just call it what it was. A woman getting ready for her exciting lover.
And Dillon Cross was definitely exciting. As she soaked in a tub filled with scented

bubbles, she recalled in vivid detail the prior night they’d spent together. He was an
inventive and demanding lover, but he gave as much as he took. Just the thought of his
hands and mouth on her, not to mention his delicious cock inside her was enough to
almost make her come in the bathwater.

Draining the last of the white wine she’d brought into the bathroom with her, she set

the glass on the floor and stood up. Water sluiced from her skin as she stepped out and
reached for a big soft bath towel. She hummed to herself as she slathered scented lotion
everywhere on her body, rubbing some into the secret places he liked to explore.
Brushing her hair until it shone, she shook her head so the strands would fall loose in
what she hoped was a sexy way.

Minimal makeup. Jinx wasn’t and had never been one of those women who made up

her face for bed as if photographers were coming. Maybe that was another reason Max
had sought stimulation in other places. He had never seemed quite comfortable with the
private her as opposed to the public her.

Stop. Don’t think about him. Don’t let him ruin tonight.
The great thing about a relationship that was just sex was you didn’t have to worry

about impressing or entertaining your partner. Except, of course, in bed. The menu didn’t
include long conversations or all the other usual getting-to-know-you things. Of course,
that didn’t mean you just fell on each other like rutting animals. Although Jinx
swallowed a smile as she remembered the first time when haste had been so important.
No, it meant seduction, teasing, arousing each other beyond the boiling point. Being
inventive.

From the bottom drawer of her dresser where it still lay in its original tissue paper, she

drew the sheer midnight-black shortie gown she’d bought before the divorce. At the
time, she’d had some wild idea about setting up the perfect seduction scene with Max to
celebrate their anniversary. Surprising him. Well, the surprise had been on her. But she’d
kept the gown, hoping that one day she might have the opportunity to wear it in the
right situation.

That day had come.
She was in the kitchen opening the bottle of white wine she’d had chilling when the

doorbell rang. And suddenly she was hit by an attack of nerves. What if he was just
coming here to tell her he’d changed his mind? What if things got hot and heavy again
and he had second thoughts right in the middle?

The bell rang again, more insistently.
Don’t give yourself a panic attack. This is what you want. Be a big girl and take it.

“I thought maybe you’d decided to forget the whole thing,” Dillon said as she opened

the door.

“Oh, no.” She swallowed and rubbed her hands against the fabric of the gown. “I was

just in the kitchen getting the wine.”

His gaze took in every bit of her body, barely concealed beneath the flimsy material.

Heat flared in his eyes and his breathing hitched.

“You’d better let me in, sweetheart, or I’ll take you right here on the porch and give

the neighbors a great show. Whatever you’re almost wearing should be illegal.”

“Oh.” She wet her lips. “Of course.” She stood back to let him enter and had barely

closed and locked the door then she found herself pushed back against it with Dillon’s
mouth hot on hers and his hands cupping the cheeks of her ass.

“I had a hard time not thinking about this all day,” he murmured, his lips against hers.

“Wouldn’t have looked right for the sheriff to walk around with an obvious hard-on.
Open for me, Jinx.”

She opened her mouth and he swept his tongue in, hot and searching. He kneaded her

ass while he took and took and took from her mouth. The wooden door was hard against
her back, but the force of it barely registered with her. Liquid soaked the insides of her
thighs and her pussy demanded satisfaction. His fingers. His mouth. His cock. She lifted
one leg and hooked it around his thigh, pressing herself into him, seeking the thick
length of his cock behind the soft denim of his jeans.

“Jesus!” Dillon tore his mouth away from her and dragged in air. “What is it with you,

anyway? The minute I get you alone I just want to fuck you and never stop. It’s like I
have no control. ”

“Same goes,” she told him in a breathless voice, barely able to speak.
“I promise I’ll take it slower the second time.” He nipped the lobe of her ear.
“You said that before,” she reminded him.
“I’ll probably say it again.” He gave a strangled laugh. “Give me a second here.”
He moved her leg from his hip and reached in the pocket of his jeans. Jinx’s eyes

popped when he pulled out a string of condoms.

“Planning on a lot of action tonight?” she asked.
“As much as you can handle.”
When he pushed his jeans down past his hips Jinx saw that he was commando. All that

naked skin made her lick her lips. But then his cock popped out, thick and hard and long,
and for a moment she couldn’t catch her breath. She watched impatiently as he tore open
a foil wrapper and sheathed himself.

“You wet for me, Jinx?” He rubbed the lips of her pussy then easily thrust two fingers

inside her. “Oh, yeah. Plenty wet.”

Moving her leg back to his hip so her stance was widened for him, he pressed her back

against the door, wrapped the fingers of one hand around his cock and thrust it inside
her in one easy glide.

Oh! Oh! Oh!
Jinx sucked in a breath as he filled her completely, the inner walls of her cunt clamping

down on him with ecstatic pleasure. Heat blasted through her body and the ripples of the

onset of orgasm began almost at once.

“I can’t last.” He ground the words out between his teeth.
“Me either.”
He plastered his mouth to hers again as if he was a man dying of hunger and only she

could feed him. His hips pistoned, ramming into her again and again. He managed to get
one hand between them without toppling them over. Finding her clit, he rubbed and
rubbed it.

They exploded like rockets going off, bodies shuddering so hard it was difficult to

remain upright. With half of her brain functioning, Jinx was glad for the support of the
door.

At last the shudders subsided, and Jinx let her leg fall to the floor and tried to regain

her balance. Dillon rested his head on her shoulder a moment, his lips pressed against her
neck. Finally, he stood back and jacked up his jeans then made sure Jinx was steady on
her feet. He stared at her face, heat still shimmering in his eyes.

“I think I owe you an apology.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “For?”
“I guess I didn’t leave my caveman personality home tonight.”
“It’s okay. I’m not complaining. I wasn’t any better.” Her laugh was tremulous. “So

much for self-control, right?”

“My self-control doesn’t seem to be worth shit when I’m alone with you.” He cupped

her chin and tilted her face up so he could lightly brush his lips over hers. “Let’s try it
again from the top, okay? Like civilized people?”

“Okay.” She took another moment to gather herself. “Would you like a glass of wine?

Or I have beer if you prefer.”

“What are you drinking?”
“Wine.”
“Then I am too.”
He followed her into the kitchen, standing close enough to her while she poured that

she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She was proud of the fact that her hands
were almost steady on the bottle.

“That thing you’re wearing should be illegal,” he told her, running one hand lightly

over the fabric to the curve of her ass. “I’m sure it’s what lit my fuse.”

“Good. Then it’s doing its job.” She turned into him. “Shall we take this upstairs?”
“Only if you walk up in front of me so I can watch that gorgeous ass while you do.”
She laughed again. “No problem.”
He kept touching her all the way to the top of the stairs, light caresses barely there, all

the more stimulating because of it. By the time they reached her room she was wet again.

Oh my God. I’m becoming a sex maniac.
“Your guy’s coming out tomorrow to take the pictures of Warrior and me,” he told her

when they were settled on her bed. “I talked to Matt about it. He’s got a couple of rescue
horses too, if you want to throw them into the mix.”

“Great idea.” She sipped at her wine. “I’ll call him and get a little background about

them too.”

They sat in silence for a long moment. He rested his free hand lightly on her thigh,

fingertips brushing faintly back and forth.

“So, how’s the publishing business?”
“Great. How’s the cop business?”
“Technically,” he told her, “I’m a sheriff.”
She shrugged. “Okay, how’s the sheriff business?”
“Same as always.”
She took another swallow of her wine. She would not—not—ask him anything about

the naked body. That would be abusing their fledgling relationship. She had to trust that
when he had something to tell her he would, just as he’d promised. Tonight she wasn’t
running the paper. Tonight was a night for wild, wild sex.

She set her wine glass on the nightstand, rolled to her knees and bent over him. When

the sheer fabric of the nightie brushed against his skin he slid a hand beneath it to find
the crevice between the cheeks of her buttocks. She wrapped her fingers around his cock,
bent lower and took him into her mouth, letting him slide easily along her tongue. He
drew in a breath and his fingertips pressed farther in the warm clutch of her ass. And
when she drew her head back slightly, giving her room to lazily run her tongue over the
purplish head and lap at the thick fluid beading at the slit, he pressed the tip of one
finger hard against the ring of muscle at her anus.

She dipped the tip of her tongue into his slit, exerting some pressure of her own,

drawing an oath from him.

“Jesus, Jinx. Way to drive a man nuts.”
She smiled around his shaft. “Maybe this will make you even crazier.”
Slipping one hand between his thighs she cupped his balls, feathering her finger over

the skin and the soft hair covering it. As she slid her mouth up and down his shaft, she
rhythmically squeezed his balls. He swelled in her mouth, filling it to capacity, and she
hummed in satisfaction.

And all the time his fingertip pressed harder and harder against her rear opening. The

familiar throbbing pulsed in her cunt and her breasts ached with need.

Suddenly, Dillon pulled his hand away from her body and tossed her flat on her back.
“What—”
“We’ll get back to that later. Right now it’s my turn.”
He licked the line of her jaw and the sensitive spot behind each ear, making her

tremble with a new rush of desire. Moving slowly, he tasted her neck before reaching the
hollow at the base of her throat, pressing a kiss to the pulse beating furiously beneath the
skin. Then, with agonizing slowness, he moved first to one breast then the other, tracing
the fullness before taking her nipples one at a time into his mouth.

Jinx threaded her fingers in his hair, pressing his head to her body, reveling in the

wicked magic he created with his tongue. Her nipples swelled and stiffened as he gently
raked his teeth over them, the friction a mixture of pleasure and pain. Impatient for him
to do more, she tried to push his head lower.

His chuckle rumbled against her, the vibrations streaking right to her pussy.
“Impatient, are we?”

“Yes. No.” She tossed her head. “I want it all.”
“That’s what I’m giving you, sweetheart. Every bit of it.”
His hands were gentle yet possessive as they roamed over her skin, following the curve

of waist and hip. With his mouth, he traced a pattern between the valley of her breasts
down to the indentation of her navel, swirling the circlet of flesh with the tip of his
tongue. She widened her legs, urging him to move his attention lower, but he seemed
determined to stretch out every taste and every touch.

At last, he parted the lips of her cunt with his thumbs and blew softly on the wet flesh.

Every muscle clenched in need and hunger. When he pulled her clit into his mouth she
arched her hips, tightening her fingers in his hair and silently urging him to do more and
more. When the tip of his tongue rimmed her opening little moans drifted from her
mouth.

“Please,” she begged.
“Please what?” he asked, his mouth still covering her cunt.
“I want you inside me. Right now.”
“Exactly what part of me are we talking about here?” His voice was unsteady, his own

need coloring it.

“Your tongue.” She nearly shouted it. “I want your tongue inside me.”
With a soft, sucking sound he thrust his tongue into her hot channel, at the same time

pinching her clit between thumb and forefinger. The pressure built inside her until it was
almost unbearable. Jinx wrapped her legs around his neck and pulled hard on his hair,
pushing herself against his mouth. He worked his tongue harder and faster, dragging it
against her inner walls. He squeezed harder on her clit and she exploded, bucking against
his mouth, spasms rocking her body. He swallowed her essence, holding her hips firmly
and riding her though the storm.

Her breathing was ragged as the tremors subsided, but Dillon gave her no rest. He

grabbed one of the condoms and rolled it on, lifted her legs over his shoulders and drove
into her with one hard, fast plunge. For a long moment, he stared into her eyes,
exchanging a silent message that neither seemed to want to acknowledge. Then he
moved, pistoning in and out, dragging the head of his shaft against her G spot each time.
Driving her so crazy she would do anything if he’d just let her come. Again. He was so
deep she felt him in every space in her body.

Beneath him she felt the rising tension in his body, the tightening of his muscles. She

concentrated on his movements and the power they unleashed inside her. He pushed her
higher, farther than she’d ever been.

She didn’t need him to shout out to know they had reached the combustion point.

Then she was flying, tumbling into space, whirling in a sea of black velvet as the walls of
her pussy milked him again and again. He shouted her name as he emptied himself into
the latex, his entire body convulsed in rhythm with hers.

Jinx had no idea how long the shudders lasted, only that she shuddered over and over

again until she was completely spent. Lowering her legs took an effort. Her heart raced
and her lungs struggled for air as her body came down from the incredible high.

She opened her eyes when she felt Dillon brushing the damp hair back from her face.

He was staring at her with the same expression in his eyes she’d seen earlier, one that
scared her in its intensity. What was going on here? For a moment, she was tempted to
pull away from him, to tell him to leave.

Then the moment passed and his mouth curved into his killer smile.
“I think that should hold us for a while.”
She huffed a laugh. “I should say so.”
He slid one hand beneath her buttocks, finding that hot crevice again and pressing a

fingertip against her opening. “I want to take you here.” His voice was rough with desire.
“Do you know I dream about it?”

Heat crawled up her body and something dark fluttered low in her belly. “You do?”
“Mmm hmm. Trust me, Jinx. It will happen. Not tonight but soon.” He levered himself

off of her and rolled to his back. “I don’t know about you, but I could use another glass of
that wine.”

Jinx was reading the piece on Dillon and his Appaloosa when Lew knocked on her

door jamb. She turned from her computer and motioned him forward.

“Nice piece on the sheriff and the horses,” she commented.
“Thanks for letting me do the write-up. I was just checking to see what you thought

about it.”

“You’re welcome and it’s great.” She glanced at the computer again. “Excellent photos

also.” She smiled at him. “I think you might make a reporter yet.”

His face reddened. “I just wanted to say how much I appreciate all the stuff you’re

giving me to cover. I’m learning a lot.”

Her smile softened. “That’s what it’s all about, Lew. Experience is the best teacher. I’m

glad to have you on the staff.”

She was afraid he was going to rush over and hug her at the compliment. Thankfully,

her phone rang just at that moment. She waved him away before she answered it.

“Jinx Malone.”
“My, aren’t we official-sounding.” Amy Montgomery’s voice was tinged with

laughter.

“You bet.” Jinx leaned back in her chair. “Just call me madam publisher.”
“Well, madam publisher, I just called to see how things are going with sheriff hottie.”
Heat crept up her cheeks and her hand tightened on the receiver. “What do you mean?

Nothing’s going, as you put it.”

“Uh-huh. Buck said he saw the two of you having lunch together. And last night Matt

happened to be passing your house to drop something off to one of your neighbors and
he saw Dillon’s car parked in the driveway.”

Note to self: have Dillon park in the garage.
“We were discussing the big story,” she told her friend. “He was bringing me up to

date.”

“Is that what they call it?” Amy laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, Jinx. I think it’s great if

there’s something going on between the two of you. You deserve it after that rat fink
Max. So does Dillon.”

Jinx tried to keep her tone level. “What does that mean? I know he got shot during his

last arrest. Did he have another problem? Another reason why he left San Antonio? ”

On the other end of the line, Amy was silent for a long moment. “It’s really not my

story to tell, but I’ll say this much. He was involved with a reporter in San Antonio and
everything—the case and the relationship—went to shit at the same time. If you want to
know how she was tangled up in it you’ll have to ask him.”

Jinx picked up a pen from her desk and fiddled with it.
“A reporter?” Maybe whatever happened was why he felt the way he did about the

press. “Just out of curiosity, do you know who it was? I thought the crime reporters for
the San Antonio paper were all men.”

“Uh, this was a television reporter. Naomi Richardson. She didn’t start until long after

you were gone.”

“I know her.” A funny feeling settled in her stomach. “She started at one of the New

York stations before I came back here. Did she blow him off for the Big Apple?”

“Something like that.” Amy’s tone was noncommittal. “Like I said, anything else you

want to know you’ll have to ask him.”

“None of my business. We’re just professional acquaintances.”
Amy laughed. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Then her voice sobered. “I just don’t want to see

either of you hurt again. You and I have been friends for a long time and I’ve really
gotten to like Dillon in the short time I’ve known him.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Jinx assured her. “But thanks for your concern.”
“So how about lunch tomorrow? I’ll bring Reenie and we can share some girl talk.”
The offer was really tempting. Jinx knew she needed to really reconnect with Amy and

she’d liked Reenie instantly. If she was making this place her home now she needed a
circle of friends.

“Sure. That sounds good. The Bit and Bite?”
“Hell, no.” Amy chuckled. “Someplace where we’re not on display. How about

Bristol’s? They have great lunches and we’ll have privacy.”

“All right. Want me to meet you there?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind. One o’clock okay for you?”
“You got it.”
After Jinx hung up, she sat back in her chair and thought about what Amy had said.

She’d love to solve the mystery of Dillon’s relationship with Naomi Richardson and what
it was that had affected him so badly. There had to be a lot more to it than just the usual
kind of breakup story. And it probably was the reason he hated reporters so much. But
she wasn’t about to pry. When you had a relationship that was just about sex you didn’t
share those kinds of things.

Only…last night had a different feel than the first night with Dillon. More intense.

More emotional. They talked together easily and the moments between incredible sex
weren’t uncomfortable or strained. She liked the way when they fell asleep he had his
arm around her and his fingers linked with hers. And then there was the shower play
that had started out as a game and turned into something far more intense.

She wanted things with him she’d never wanted with Max. And she didn’t feel as if

she was always on stage, primed to perform at his command.

Well, shit, Jinx. Have your head examined, why don’t you? What happened to a relationship

that was just sex?

She had an uncomfortable feeling that in a very short span of time she and Dillon were

moving way beyond just sex. And she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Dillon took a swallow of his coffee and waited for Charlie Whittaker to say something.

His old boss had asked to meet with him and they’d settled for an out-of-the-way truck
stop where they wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. The SAPD was still keeping the murder
and the investigation of the hedge-fund partners on the down low, but Charlie had called
to say he had information for him. Information he didn’t want to trust to a telephone,
either cell or landline.

“I suppose you’ve heard Naomi Richardson is back in San Antonio,” the older man

said finally.

Dillon nodded. “More than heard. She dropped in to see me.” He grimaced. “Said

she’d made a big mistake and wanted to pick up where we left off. As if.”

“Yeah.” Charlie nodded. “Once around with her is enough. I don’t suppose she told

you she fell on her face in New York.”

Dillon shook his head. “Of course not. You think she’d admit that?”
“Seems she didn’t quite cut it and the producer she took off with got tired of her in his

bed.” Charlie shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I was an idiot,” Dillon said. “Never again. So, what have you got?”
“We got a match on the DNA on your corpse. It’s Bert Redmond all right. No doubt

about it.”

“So now what?”
Charlie motioned to the waitress for a coffee refill, waiting until she moved away

before speaking again.

“We’ve got a forensic accountant on the trail of the money now that we have an idea

which trail to follow. And we’re slowly building the case against Vince Drummond.” He
shook his head. “The asshole is still running around blaming poor Bert for everything and
acting like he’s more innocent than a new babe. But we’re going through every
movement he’s made for the past two years. There are strings there to pull, and we’re
tugging away on them.”

“What do you want to do about the body?”
“If you can hold onto it for a little bit more I’d be very grateful,” Charlie told him. “I

don’t want anyone to know who it is until we get Vince wrapped up good and tight.”

Dillon nodded. “No problem. Just keep me in the loop.”
“You can even get in on the arrest, if you want to.”
Dillon rubbed his thigh, a gesture that had become almost automatic for him. “Thanks,

but I think I’ll pass. I’ve had enough excitement in my life.”

Charlie gave him a questioning look. “So you really like it out here? It’s not too quiet

for you?”

“Quiet is good. And yeah, I’m happy here.”

“Now if you could just find the right woman to settle down with.”
Dillon’s thoughts immediately flashed to Jinx, naked in bed, her body flushed with

sated hunger, her lips swollen from his kisses. He thought about her sense of humor and
how easy it was to be with her.

No. Don’t go there.
Anyway, they’d only really been together twice. Hardly enough time to get to know

anyone. Besides, it was just sex. They’d agreed.

“Dillon?” Charlie’s voice pierced his mental fog. “You already got someone on the

brain?”

“Not at all.” Dillon finished his coffee. “I’m living a life of single-blessedness.”
Charlie laughed. “Single is right, but I’m not sure how blessed. You’ll know when the

right woman comes along. And she won’t be anything like Naomi.”

“That’s for damn sure.” Dillon rose and tossed some bills on the table. “Good to see

you again, Charlie.”

“Same here. And I’ll keep you up on what’s happening.”
The two men shook hands then Dillon climbed in his SUV. He was surprised by the

fact that he hadn’t wanted in on the arrest even a little bit. Maybe it was a sign he was
finally putting the past behind him. He just wished he had a better handle on his future,
especially where Jinx Malone was concerned.

Chapter Six

Two weeks passed and Dillon was still sitting on the dead body, fielding questions and

avoiding giving direct answers.

“We can’t move it until we know who it is,” he kept repeating.
Jinx had been as good as her word about not pressing him, something that surprised

him. She’d even emailed him two short follow-up pieces she was doing to satisfy the
readers, asking him to approve them. He wondered if she was taking drugs. No
bloodhound reporter he’d ever met acted like that. Certainly not Naomi.

Just the thought of Naomi made his stomach twist in knots. He wasn’t sure he’d ever

get passed what a fool he’d been. An idiot. And if he ever tried, to the scar on his thigh
was enough to remind him.

Charlie Whittaker had touched base with him several times since their meeting. The

department had nearly all the evidence they needed to arrest Vince Drummond,
including what had happened the night Bert was shot. An informant had even led them
to the gun. They were waiting for one more piece of evidence before moving forward.

“Vince isn’t going anywhere,” Charlie told him. “Not yet anyway. He’ll wait until the

heat is off completely, then decide to relocate someplace where he can tap into the
money he stole.”

“You getting a lot of pressure from the media?” Dillon wanted to know.
“About what we usually do. And Naomi’s trying her act on everyone connected with

the case to see if she can get any information. She badly needs to break the story herself.
Word on the street is she’s only back at the television station on a trial basis.”

“Not my problem,” Dillon pointed out. “Or yours. Well, give me a call when you’re

ready to move.”

“You got it.”
Life had moved along from one day to the next. He and Jinx had spent several more

nights together, nights that left him with an unfamiliar longing. He’d also had lunch
with Matt a couple of times and once with Matt and Buck. He thought to himself how
nice it was to have friends outside the law enforcement community. Normal friends.

Now, at the end of a very long day handling a lot of nuisance stuff, he wanted nothing

more than to go home, take a hot shower and unwind. Preferably with Jinx Malone, who
was becoming more and more an integral part of his life. And just how had that
happened? They’d both been very careful to observe boundaries. The just sex had turned
out to be just unbelievable sex but it was more than that. He relaxed with her more than he
ever had with any other woman, including Naomi. Even more than that, he’d come to
respect her as a professional, something he’d never felt about the reporters who used to
pester the shit out of him. He’d even surprised them both by asking her on a ride along
one night.

He knew the smart thing was to pull back, but the problem was he didn’t want to.
Well, shit.
He wondered if he could talk her into coming to his house tonight. They always spent

time at hers, but maybe it was time to switch things up a little. Before he could stop
himself, he picked up the phone and dialed her number.

“Is this a phone-sex call?” she joked when she answered.
He smiled. “It would be if I didn’t have an office full of people out there. Tonight’s

when you put the paper to bed, right?”

“Uh-huh. Got something in mind?” she teased.
“I wondered if I could put you to bed, only this time at my house.”
When she was silent for a moment, he wondered if he’d overstepped. Somehow

keeping things at her house had given her a control she told him she needed.

“Listen, if you’d rather not—”
“No, no. I mean, yes, your house is fine. I won’t get out of here until almost eight. How

about I pick up Chinese on the way?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll leave the door unlocked so you can let yourself in.”
“See you later.” Her voice was rich with sexual desire.
Dillon was hard as a rock when he hung up. Tonight couldn’t come soon enough for

him.

Even with nothing major on the books, he was still kept busy at the office until after

seven. If he didn’t hustle, Jinx would get to the house before he did. At home, he stripped
off his clothes and stuffed them in the hamper then turned on the shower. He was
standing there, letting the hot water sluice over him, when he heard someone in the
bathroom with him.

Good. Jinx had finished up early and they could have hot shower sex.
But when the glass door slid open it wasn’t Jinx who greeted him. It was Naomi, naked

except for a wicked smile.

“This is just like old times.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her

body to his.

Dillon grabbed her arms and dragged them away from him. “Are you out of your

mind? What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

“The door was unlocked. Darling, you really must be more careful about that.”
She tried to move closer to him again, but he held her at arm’s length.
“No shit.” He turned off the water and opened the shower door. “Out.” He lifted her

bodily and placed her on the bath mat. “Get dressed and get the hell out of here.”

She put on the pouty face that he’d once thought endearing. “But I need your help,

darling. I’m hot on a story that no one will give me answers to. I thought maybe you’d
get me connected with your old boss.”

Of course. The story. It was always the story.
“So you thought what? That you’d trade sex for a news break?”
She smiled. “We were always so good in bed together. We could help each other out

here.”

“Oh, I get a booty call in exchange for information?” He shook his head. “You disgust

me, Naomi. Get the hell out of here. Now. And don’t come back.”

He tossed a towel at her and wrapped another one around his waist just as he heard

footsteps on the stairs. His heart sank when he realized who it was.

“Dillon?” Jinx’s musical voice floated in from the hall. “I left the food in the kitchen.

Whose car is that in the driveway?”

She walked into the bedroom and stopped, frozen when she saw him with Naomi

through the open bedroom door. Every bit of color drained from her face.

“Oh. Sorry. I must have gotten my signals crossed. That seems to be the story of my

life.”

“It’s not what you think.” He grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. “This is not what

you think.”

“Really?” She yanked her arm away. “That’s what they all say. I hope you and your

friend

enjoy the Chinese food. I got your favorites.”

She raced down the stairs before he could catch her, slamming the door as she left.
“Well.” He heard Naomi’s amused voice behind him. “Playing house with the local

talent? No wonder you’re too busy for me.”

Dillon fisted his hands in rage.
“You ruined my life once. I won’t let you do it again. Either you get dressed and get

the fuck out of here or I’ll throw you out naked. And if you ever come back here again I’ll
arrest you for stalking.” He picked up her clothes from the chair where she’d left them
and threw them at her. “Now, Naomi. I mean it.”

He tugged on clean underwear, jeans and a shirt and stuffed his feet in a pair of

running shoes.

“You can’t do this to me,” she protested. “I need this story. You’re my only hope to get

the scoop.”

“Did you hear me? No scoop. No nothing. And if you aren’t out of here in one minute

I’ll run you in for breaking and entering, naked or not.” When she didn’t move, he
snapped, “Now, damn it.”

She frowned at his words, her body language clearly showing her resentment, Naomi

dressed, grabbing her purse and shoes as Dillon hustled her downstairs and out the door.
He opened the driver’s side door of her car and practically tossed her inside.

“Try this again and I’ll make sure everyone in the industry knows what a fucking bitch

and conniver you are. Now get on the road.”

He watched as she gunned the engine and roared out of the driveway, sick to his

stomach about what had just happened. He had to fix this. Somehow. Some way. Because
tonight had smacked him in the face with something that had been just creeping up on
him. Suddenly he realized Jinx Malone meant a hell of a lot more to him than just sex.
Way more. He wasn’t even sure he knew how to handle it, but if he didn’t fix things he’d
never find out.

Of course, to straighten out this mess he first had to find her, which turned out to be

much harder than he thought. She wasn’t at her house. He thought maybe she wasn’t
answering her door but he peeked in the side window of the garage and saw that it was
empty. No car. He tried the newspaper next, but Lew, who was working late for some
reason, said he hadn’t seen her since she left earlier in the evening.

Dillion drove up and down the streets of the town checking any place she might

logically have retreated to with no results. Finally, he headed out of town. The Stark

ranch was closer, so he stopped there first.

“Not here,” Matt told him. “Did you lose her?”
“Shit. I hope not.” He looked at Reenie, peeking over Matt’s shoulder. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she told him. “I’ve heard the word before. Even said it myself a time or

two.”

“You want to tell me what happened?” Matt asked.
“Damn.” Dillon took a deep breath. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Swell, come on in. I’ll give you a beer and you can tell me all about it.”
Dillon shook his head. “I have to find her. I’m trying Amy next.”
Matt laughed. “If she’s there you’ll need a shotgun to see her. Amy’s very protective of

her friends.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll think of something. Thanks anyway.”
The nausea still clung to him as he turned into the Montgomery driveway and parked.

He was still trying to figure out what he’d do if she weren’t here when the front door
opened. Only it wasn’t Amy, it was Buck. He closed the door behind him and motioned
for Dillon to take one of the chairs on the front porch.

“I don’t even get to come in the house?” Dillon asked.
Buck snorted. “Not hardly. You’ve got yourself in a shitload of trouble, my man. I

don’t think there’s a shovel big enough for it right now.”

Dillon leaned against the porch railing, raking his fingers through his hair.
“You don’t understand. She doesn’t understand. It was all a mistake.”
Buck shook his head. “Then you didn’t have a naked woman in your bathroom?”
“No. I mean, yes, but it wasn’t what it seemed.”
“I don’t know.” Buck dropped into a large wooden chair and stretched his long legs

out in front of him. “There aren’t many choices to pick from when a woman’s in your
house naked. Especially in the bathroom.”

“At least let me explain.”
Buck sat there expressionless while Dillon paced and talked. He told Buck everything

—his relationship with Naomi in San Antonio, the situation with Jinx, all of it right up
until tonight’s fiasco.

“You gotta give that Naomi woman credit for moxie,” he told Dillon.
“I don’t have to give her anything. She ruined my life once and she’s trying to do it

again.”

Buck was silent for a long moment before he spoke again. “Sounds to me like you’ve

got a lot more going on with Jinx than a good roll in the hay.”

“Damn it.” Dillon raked his fingers through his hair again. “Don’t refer to her like that.

She’s not—she’s different.”

A smile twitched at the corner of Buck’s mouth.
“Oh? How exactly do you want me to refer to her? Maybe your feelings for her run a

lot deeper than you want to admit.”

Dillon sighed. “Maybe they do. But we’ll never find out if I can’t talk to her.”
Buck pushed himself out of the chair. “I can tell you that won’t happen tonight. Amy’s

guarding her like she’s the chicken and you’re the fox in the henhouse.”

“I don’t suppose you could plead my case?”
At the same time Buck shook his head the front door opened and Amy stepped

outside.

“You aren’t coming in, Dillon,” she said in a flat voice. “You need to leave her alone.”
“I need to talk to her,” he begged. “What she saw isn’t even close to what happened.”
“I don’t care if it is or it isn’t. You still can’t come inside.” She glanced at Buck then

back at Dillon. “Jinx was hurt very badly by her ex-husband. I don’t know if you’re aware
of the story—”

He waved a hand at her. “She told me all about that bastard.”
“Then you’re an even bigger rat for pulling something like this.” In the light of the

porch her eyes were spitting fire. “You’d better get out of here.”

Dillon’s shoulder slumped. “I have to see her.”
“And I’m telling you, that’s not happening.”
Buck came to stand beside his wife, his arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t we send

Dillon on his way and I can fill you in on what happened. Then we’ll see what Jinx wants
to do.”

“I don’t care what he told you,” she said stubbornly.
“Okay, but let’s get off the porch and inside, okay?” He turned to Dillon. “Give it a rest

tonight. I’ll give you a call in the morning.”

“Do I have a choice?”
“No,” Amy told him.
“Will you just tell her one thing for me?”
“What’s that?” she asked suspiciously.
He drew in a long breath and exhaled slowly, feeling as if he was stepping off a

precipice. The same jolt of astonishment that had struck him earlier slammed into him
again and words just fell out of his mouth.

“Tell her I love her.”
Holy shit!
As soon as the words left his mouth shock pounded through him. Had he lost his

fucking mind? Where did that come from? He started to tell Buck and Amy it was a
mistake until he realized, no, it wasn’t at all. In the short time they’d been together—
having just sex—she’d lodged herself in his heart.

What a time to discover it.
“Dillon?” Amy called.
He just shook his head and walked slowly to his truck. He was still dazed when he

turned onto the road and headed toward home. And a long night during which he was
sure he wouldn’t get a wink of sleep.

“Is he gone?”
Jinx looked up from the couch where she’d crumpled herself into a corner.
“Yes. I watched him leave.” Amy sat down next to her, handing her fresh tissues from

the box on the end table. “You’ll need cucumber slices to take down the swelling on
those eyes if you keep tearing up this way.”

“You’re right. You’re right.” Jinx rubbed at her already tender eyelids. “I don’t know

what’s the matter with me. I never blubber like this.”

Amy took her hand. “Honey, you have every right to blubber. A really nasty thing

happened tonight and it’s not easy to deal with.”

“Jinx?” Buck’s voice was gentle. “Here. I think you could use this.”
He handed her a glass of water, which she accepted gratefully. The cool liquid eased

the rawness in her throat. She tried to take a big gulp and choked on it.

“Easy, easy.” He folded his big hand around her smaller one. “Don’t chug it. Amy,

make her take it easy.”

“I will.”
Jinx could hear the smile in Amy’s voice when she spoke to her husband. Her friend

was so damn lucky to have found Buck Montgomery. Jinx wondered if she’d ever have
that same kind of luck. She’d secretly begun to think something like that was happening
with Dillon, but past history told her if something looked too good to be true it usually
was. Tonight had certainly proved that.

“Listen.” He crouched down so his face was even with hers. “Dillon told me what

happened tonight and you might want to hear his side of things before you toss him in
the trash.”

Amy groaned. “You men are all alike. And you stick together no matter what. I can’t

think of any other possible explanation for having a naked woman in your bathroom.”

“I hear you.” He grinned. “We’re all assholes, right?”
Amy smiled back at him and they exchanged a look so intimate Jinx had to turn her

head away.

“But some are better than others,” Amy said in a soft voice.
Buck rose to his full height. “I suspect Matt knows this little story too. You might want

to ask him. I could tell you, but you’ve known him a lot longer. You could tell if he’s just
making an excuse for his friend. I’ll be in the den. Holler if you need me.” He touched
her hand. “Jinx? We’ve got plenty of room here if you want to spend the night.”

Jinx gave him a watery smile. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”
He bent down to brush his lips over his wife’s and again a pang of longing shot

through Jinx. Fresh tears welled in her eyes and she blotted them with the tissue.

“Okay. That’s it.” Amy stood up. “Sip on that brandy. I’m going to give my brother a

call.”

“I don’t know what he can say,” Jinx protested. “I know what I saw.”
“Sometimes our eyes deceive us. I’m not ready to cut Dillon a break, but I’d at least like

to hear what this big secret is. I’ll be right back.”

Jinx had finished the brandy by the time Amy returned. Slightly buzzed, she listened

to the story her friend related with a growing mixture of anger and dismay. It was hard
for her to take a step back and look at things from Dillon’s side. The image of Naomi,
completely nude with her arms draped around Dillon’s almost naked body, was still
burned in her brain.

“But he must have let her in,” she protested. “Otherwise, how—” She stopped short,

her mental reminder list flashing. “Oh, shit.”

“What? Did you think of something?”
“Uh-huh. I told Dillon I’d be bringing Chinese food when I came over. He said he

might be in the shower so he’d leave the door open for me.”

Amy cocked her head. “So maybe he’s telling the truth after all. We’ve only known

Dillon for a short while, but he doesn’t seem at all like the type to betray someone that
way. Does he know about Max?”

“In ugly detail.”
“Even more reason why he wouldn’t hurt you this way.”
“I hear you.” Jinx nibbled her lower lip.
“Jinx.” Amy touched her arm. “He’s not Max. Not even close. Shit happens to people.”
“Yeah.” Jinx snorted. “People like me.”
“Like all of us. Some night when we’ve downed a pitcher of margaritas I’ll tell you

about Buck and me.”

Jinx looked at her friend. “Don’t tell me you thought he cheated on you.”
Amy shook her head. “Worse than that. But that story’s for another day. Tonight we’re

talking about you and Dillon.” She paused. “Why don’t you spend the night here? I’ve
got a sleep shirt I can lend you. The paper’s put to bed. You’ve got staff who handle
distribution. Hide from the world for a couple of days. Let things settle.”

“And then what?”
“When both of you are in a better state of emotions, you and Dillon can sit down and

talk. Really talk. See exactly where the two of you are going and if it works.”

Jinx dabbed at her eyes again. “I didn’t expect to feel this way about him. About

anyone.” She gave a hysterical giggle. “I hate cops.”

“Yes, well, he told you he hates reporters, yet here you are, the two of you. Do you

think it’s possible Naomi is the reason he feels the way he does?”

She shrugged. “I guess. Oh, Amy, I’m so mixed up. I didn’t mean to fall for him. Didn’t

want to.”

“I think it sneaks up on all of us. Come on.” Amy took the empty glass and set it aside.

“Let me show you to one of the guest rooms and get you fixed up for the night. Things
will look a little different in the morning.”

Jinx wasn’t at all sure about that.

Dillon’s first inclination after he left Buck and Amy’s was to get stinking drunk, but he

realized all that would accomplish was to give him a headache and make him sick. And it
wouldn’t fix anything. Somehow he had to get through the night and go back to the
Montgomery ranch in the morning. Make Amy let him talk to Jinx. His feelings for her
were so jumbled he wasn’t sure how to tell her what he felt. Except he did love her. He
could hardly believe it himself so he wasn’t sure how to convince her, but he’d find a
way.

Or at least convince her to give him a second chance. He’d show her how he felt. How

it really was more than just sex.

He pulled into his driveway and hit the garage door opener, but before he could drive

in his cell phone rang.

“Sheriff Cross,” he answered.
“Dillon, it’s Charlie. We’ve got the goods on Drummond.”
“No kidding.” Dillon rubbed his temple, trying to ease back the headache that was

building. “Good deal.”

“Yup. Found the money. That allowed us to get a warrant to search his house and car.

Can you believe the dumbass hadn’t even cleaned out his trunk? We found traces of
Bert’s blood in it. And he even left his fingerprints on the shotgun.”

“What would we do if these guys were all smart, right?” Dillon commented.
“No shit. I’ll be sending someone out to your place for Drummond’s body tomorrow.”

He paused. “Anyway, we’re bringing him in tonight. Sure you don’t want to come into
the city and watch the show? We’re doing it all under the radar to keep the media out.”

“No, thanks anyway but—” He sat up straighter as something clicked in his head.

“Actually, I think I might. When are you doing it?”

“In about two hours. We’ve had surveillance on him and he’s at dinner with his family.

We’ll wait until they get home.”

“Charlie, can I ask a huge favor of you? A really big one?”
“A favor? Well, yeah, I guess if I owe anyone it’s you.”
Dillon explained what he wanted, listened to Charlie’s arguments and agreed to follow

his orders. Then he hung up and dialed Amy Montgomery.

“Is Jinx there?” he asked.
“Yes, but I don’t think she wants to talk to you tonight,” Amy argued. “Tomorrow

would be better.”

“I have an idea, and it would really help if you’d work with me on this.”
It took a lot of persuasion, but he finally got her to agree to the plan. He was so jacked

up when he finished he could actually feel the adrenaline flowing through his system.
There wasn’t a lot he could do that would convince Jinx of his feelings, but this might do
the trick.

“I will never forgive you for this,” Jinx snapped, sitting as far away from Dillon as she

could in the truck. “And I’m not sure I’ll forgive Amy and Buck either. Are you ever
going to tell me why they insisted I let you shanghai me like this?”

“In just a few minutes.” Dillon kept his voice as even as he could. “Have a little bit

more patience and you’ll understand.”

Jinx tried to hold back the anger and irritation surging through her. How dare Amy

and Buck hustle her out of the house and into Dillon’s truck? How dare they take his side
when she herself hadn’t had a chance to ask him what was true and what wasn’t? Buck
had practically dragged her out to the truck, Amy hustling along beside them trying to
soothe her. Dillon had simply nodded his thanks, lifted her into the cab and buckled her
in.

Not to mention the fact he hadn’t answered any of her questions. If not for Amy and

Buck insisting she go along with this, she’d have dug in her heels and refused.

Finally, she broke the thick silence filling the cab. “You’ve hardly said a word all the

way into the city. What’s that all about?” She saw his hands tighten on the wheel.

“When we talk, I want to be able to answer all your questions and have you believe

me. But first I have to show you just how much you mean to me. Ah. Here we are.”

They had left the interstate and driven into a high-end residential area. Now Dillon

pulled to the curb and parked beneath an ancient tree that hung over the roadway.

“What—”
He held up his hand. “Just wait. Only a few more minutes.”
She folded her arms across her chest and gritted her teeth. In five minutes, she was

going to unfasten her seat belt and get out of his damn truck, even if she had to walk
back to Rowan County.

But at that moment, Dillon touched her arm and pointed down the street. Her eyes

widened as she saw an SAPD patrol car and another unmarked one glide to the curb
three houses down. Two uniforms climbed out of the patrol car, one of them standing by
it while the other accompanied the three men from the unmarked car as they walked up
to the front door of the house.

“Whose house is this?” she asked. “And why are we watching this?”
“Just watch,” he said again.
The front door opened and a man stood outlined in the light behind him. He shook his

head and tried to close the door but one of the men in sports jacket and trousers pushed
back, and in seconds the man was in handcuffs and being led to the patrol car.

“Who is that?” Her body thrummed with curiosity.
“Remember the John Doe that introduced us?” he asked.
“Well, introduced is stretching it, but yes. What about it?”
“He’s been identified and the man being arrested is his killer.” In short, succinct

sentences, he explained to her what Charlie had told him and what was going on. “Now
we get to go to the station and watch him being booked.” He started the truck and
moved out to follow the other vehicles.

“My God, it will be a madhouse there.” Jinx frowned. “But I don’t understand.

“Where’s the media? This should be a three-ring circus with a guy like that.”

“No media. Charlie Whittaker, my old boss, has kept this completely under wraps. But

as a favor to me he’s giving you an exclusive.”

“What?” She sat up so straight the seat belt jerked against her. “You’re letting me in on

this story before the rest of the media gets it?”

He nodded. “I want The Hill Country Herald to have the scoop. I know how this works.

You can send it out on the wire and every other paper and most television stations will
pick it up. And you and the paper will get credit for the story.”

Her jaw dropped. Are you kidding me?
“Not one bit.” He reached over and tentatively wrapped his fingers around one of her

hands. “I wanted to do this for you to show you how important you are to me. How
much you mean to me.”

For the second time in two nights, Jinx felt tears gather in her eyes, only these were not

the result of sadness or pain.

“Naomi means nothing to me,” Dillon went on. “Amy told you what happened, right?

Jesus, Jinx, maybe it took this for me to discover how much you really mean to me. Why

would I ruin that with a bitch that already burned me once?”

“I don’t understand.”
“You never really asked me why I hate reporters, but Naomi’s the cause. You got the

gory details. She thought being in bed with me was her ticket to all the big stories. When
I wouldn’t release details of a bust we were about to make, and demanded she tell me
how she even knew about it, she got royally pissed. Let me walk in on her with a hotshot
news producer from New York.”

“Oh my God!”
“Indeed. Somehow she wormed everything out of one of the younger guys on the

team and broke the story on the news. We had to push up the timeline, they were ready
for us and that’s when I got shot.”

Jinx thought she might be sick to her stomach. “What about scruples? Ethics? Love?”
Dillon snorted. “I don’t think Naomi’s even heard of those words. Jinx, do you

seriously think I’d jeopardize what we have with a woman like that?”

His hand squeezed hers and she responded.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But you didn’t have to do this for me just to

prove a point.”

They were downtown now and entering the parking area at the police station. Dillon

parked the truck and turned off the ignition.

“I wanted to do something to show how much I trust you and care for you. What

better gift for a reporter than a scoop, right?”

Her heat cracked, swelled and filled her chest. She undid her seat belt and threw

herself at him, loving the feel of his arms as they came around her.

“Thank you.” She looked into his eyes. “Thank you so much. Oh, Dillon, I was so hurt

when…when…when I thought—”

His mouth on hers effectively cut off any more words. His tongue sought hers, leaving

fire wherever it touched. He groaned and, without moving his lips from hers, undid his
seat belt so he could pull her tight against him. She ran her fingers through the silk of his
hair and along the stubble on his jaw. They were both breathing hard when she forced
herself to break the kiss.

“I guess I don’t hate cops so much anymore,” she told him with a breathy little laugh.
“And I may hate reporters in general, but you’re definitely the exception as far as I’m

concerned.

“Um, aren’t we supposed to go inside?”
He gave a strangled laugh. “Uh, yes, we are. Give me a minute here so I don’t walk in

with my cock at attention.”

She giggled. “Just don’t put it all the way to sleep. We may want to use it later.”
“I can get with that program.” He pulled her against him for one last hug.
“I just need to ask you a question.” She turned her face up so she could see the

expression on his. “Did you mean what you told Amy and Buck? About your feelings for
me?”

“That I love you?” He nodded. “I know it came out of left field, and I don’t even know

if you feel the same way—”

She touched her fingers to his lips. “I thought I was in love with Max, but what I felt

for him is nothing compared to my feelings for you. I want you to know that.”

“Then let’s get this done and get on with the rest of our lives. Together.”
She smiled. “Together. You bet.”

About the Author

Desiree Holt’s writing is flavored with the rich experiences of her life, including a long

stretch in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to
heavy-metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency
handling any client that interested her, many of whom might recognize themselves in
the pages of her stories. She is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a
Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the
Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award for best BDSM book
of the year, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by five
different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing
erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”

You can find her at

www.desireeholt.com

and

www.desireeholttellsall.com

.

Look for these titles by Desiree Holt

Now Available:

Naked Cowboys

Stark Naked

Buck Naked

Sometimes out of the frying pan and into the fire is the best way to burn.

Buck Naked

© 2013 Desiree Holt

Naked Cowboys, Book 2
Amy Stark has it all together—except for chronic bad taste in men. She’s firmly in

hands-off-all-men mode when a flat tire forces her to accept the help of exactly the type
of man she’s sworn off. Arrogant, cocky and condescending.

When she runs into him again later that day and then finds out her brother has invited

him for dinner, the fire between them has a sizzle of a different kind.

At eighteen, Buck Montgomery left home to make his mark on the bull-riding circuit.

He may have had wild success in rodeo but his personal life is in the dust, and while he’s
ready to start a new life he’s wary to expose his heart. Buck knows he should tell Amy
the truth, but every time he opens his mouth, hers is right there with kisses like molten
lava.

When his past resurfaces at the worst possible time, Buck can only wonder if Amy will

love the man he has become…or if the man he was will chase her away.

Warning: Contains barnyard language and clap-your-hands-over-your-mama’s-eyes sex

between a cowboy with a checkered past and a ranch girl with all the right moves.

Enjoy the following excerpt for

Buck Naked:

“Haven’t done much furniture shopping yet.” He made a joke of it, trying to cover his

sudden attack of nerves. “You’re my first visitor.”

Pleasure washed over her face. “Then I feel honored. Anyway, from what little I can

see at night, you’ve been spending your time and money on getting the buildings and
land in shape. And I certainly know you’re working to build up your herd. I’d say you’ve
got your priorities straight.”

“Hope so. Anyway, I’m not even sure how I want to furnish the house. Got the

bedroom set and that’s all.” Then, not wanting her to get the wrong idea, he added,
“Need a good bed to sleep on at night.”

“I agree.” She nodded. “Anyway, it pays to take your time. Get exactly what you

want.”

He turned her to face him and cupped her face in his hands. “I know exactly what I

want. Do you?”

Her eyes stared back at him clearly, with no sign of indecision. She ran her tongue over

her lips as she’d done in the restaurant, and he was lost. He pulled her against his body,
bent his head and took her mouth in a kiss that scorched him to the soles of his feet. She
wound her arms around his neck and lifted herself on her toes to bring herself closer to
his head.

She tasted of chocolate and coffee and just pure Amy, a heady combination of flavors

that made his blood race and his pulse pound. He skated his tongue over every inch of
the inside of her mouth, even her teeth and gums and the inside of her lips. He was so

hungry for her he didn’t think he’d ever break the kiss, except he was running out of
breath. They both were.

When he lifted his lips from hers, he stared into her eyes again. All day he’d been

thinking about the fact he’d never actually brought a nice woman home to a nice place.
Since he’d lost his virginity behind the Smoky Saloon when he was sixteen, the only
women he’d been with were buckle bunnies and, later, women only looking for one
night in a motel. By that time sex had been more exercise than anything. He wasn’t sure
how to act or what kind of etiquette was involved in this kind of situation, and he
definitely didn’t want to screw this up.

Instinct

, he told himself. It’s all you’ve got. Go with it.

He swung her up into his arms and carried her down the hall to his bedroom. He’d left

both bedside lamps on, turned low, and they cast a warm glow over the room. At least
he’d figured out how to set the scene. He hoped. And in the nightstand drawer were the
brand-new condoms he’d stored with great hopes and expectations.

He set Amy on her feet, letting her slide down the length of his body. He skimmed his

fingers down her cheeks and threaded them in the silk of her hair.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “Just beautiful.”

A thrill ran through Amy’s body. Not just because of Buck’s words, but at the way he

looked at her. Touched her. His moves weren’t those of a man who’d done this so often it
came across as practiced and slick. And if she wasn’t mistaken, his hands were shaking a
little. Who’d have thought that a man as sexy and good looking, as strong and confident,
as Buck Montgomery would actually be nervous? Unless it was a damn good act—and
she didn’t think it was—it gave him a lot of points in her book. Maybe she’d misjudged
him, put him in the wrong category because that was what she was used to.

When his lips touched hers again, the remnants of rational thought fled from her brain.

His tongue was a hot flame dancing over hers in seductive movements. Stealing her
breath. She clutched his forearms, slipped her hands around to touch his broad back,
feeling the hard muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt.

She almost didn’t notice it when he slid his hands from her hair to the edge of her top,

his fingers finding their way up her rib cage to cup her breasts in his big palms. He found
the peaks of her nipples beneath the satin of her bra and rasped his thumbs slowly back
and forth over them. She was wet, instantly, her thong soaked and the muscles of her
pussy clenching in need.

Their love never died, but her secrets could break his trust beyond repair.

Texas Two Step

© 2012 Cynthia D’Alba

Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1
After six years and too much self-recrimination, rancher Mitch Landry is ready to

admit he was wrong. He’d loved Olivia Montgomery but commitment wasn’t high on his
list back then. That was his first mistake. He’s just divorced his second, and he’s set to do
whatever it takes to convince Olivia to give him another try.

Through hard work, determination and more than a few tears, Olivia survived the

break-up with Mitch. She’s rebuilt her life around her business and the son she loves
more than life itself. She’s not proud of the mistakes she’s made—particularly the secrets
she’s kept—but when life hands you manure, you use it to make something better of
yourself…lest you get stuck in it.

At a hot, muggy Dallas wedding, they reconnect. Olivia’s first instinct is to play it cool,

but after one devastating kiss things flare real out of control, real fast. Maybe a quick roll
in the hay will get him out of her system once and for all. Funny thing about hay though,
once it’s tangled in your hair, getting it out risks revealing things that were never meant
to see the light of day. Warning: Bourbon shooters, shirtless cowboys, and a hot
rendezvous or two…

Warning: Contains hot sex, a vindictive ex-wife and hot chocolate-chip cookies.

Enjoy the following excerpt for

Texas Two Step:

He kissed her and the world stopped revolving. She swayed into him. Ran her fingers

into his thick, wavy hair. Stroked his tongue with hers. Tasted the champagne inside of
his mouth. Sucked gently on his tongue. Soaked him up like an arid desert in an
unexpected rainstorm.

Olivia could have blamed the dim lights, or the romantic setting, or even Mitch’s raw

animal magnetism for her response to his kiss. Instead, she admitted she wanted this
night, this man, his touch, his kiss. All of her fantasies started this way.

Could reality be as good as her imagination?
What would it be like to be with him again? Make love with him again?
There was curiosity, but that wasn’t what was driving her response to his kiss. Desire

ran rampant through her veins. A soul-deep lust consumed her.

Their love story was history, so she’d waste no time planning a future that would

never come. She’d take what he offered, take what she wanted. Here and now, not a
future. Tonight was all there was. She’d not walk away from his arms until she’d gotten
what she needed.

Mitch’s mouth scorched her lips as he took her mouth with a rough passion that left no

doubt of his intentions. He pulled the pins holding her chignon and threaded his fingers
through her hair, holding her head in place as he plundered her mouth with his tongue.

Returning his kiss with a fervor matching his, she allowed the all-consuming yearning

to fill her. The desire to touch him, be close to him, make love with him overwhelmed
her.

She flattened her hands against his chest. His heat seared through the shirt’s material

and burned into her flesh. She stroked hard muscles sculpted from years of physical
labor. His nipples stiffened to her caress. The soft cotton of his shirt teased the nerve
endings in her palms.

He leaned his huge body over her and cupped her breast in his work-roughened hand.

He squeezed and flicked her now distended nipple.

Ripples of sexual longing echoed through her. She moaned into his mouth and, arching

her back, pressed her breast firmly into his palm, wordlessly begging for more.

Mitch gave her what she wanted, fondling and stroking her breasts until she wanted to

rip her clothes off. She groaned, burning with a frantic desperation to feel skin against
skin.

Olivia slipped the buttons on his shirt through the holes with ease. She separated the

shirt’s edges until she could feel the crinkle of his chest hair and the direct hot flesh of his
chest beneath her hands.

The tantalizing scent of Mitch filled her nose. She’d probably smelled the same cologne

on other men, but the cologne’s interaction with Mitch’s body chemistry produced a
bouquet unlike any other on Earth. She lowered her head to his chest, first kissing then
flicking her tongue on his turgid nipple before wrapping her lips around it. His skin was
a dichotomy. Sweet and salty. Dangerous and comforting. Past and present.

There’d be no turning back for her now. She’d had a sample of her addiction, and she

had to have more.

When she sucked his nipple between her lips, he groaned and slid his hand under the

hem of her dress. Her abdominal muscles danced and jerked when his thick fingers
touched her inner thigh.

He stroked fingers along the inside of her thigh, the silk of her stockings tickling and

enflaming her flesh at the same time. “Your silk stockings drive me wild,” he said,
nibbling along her chin. “Your skin was always silky and smooth. I love to touch you. I’ve
always loved to touch you. I loved the way you moaned and twisted at my touch. The
way your eyes would glaze over when I stroked you.” His hand moved higher, stopping
at the top of the stocking. “But tonight, I want—no, need—to see you in these stockings.
These stockings, my necklace and nothing else.” His voice was coarse and guttural and
harsh.

Olivia quivered at his words. Emotional fires she’d suppressed since finding out she

was pregnant with Adam flared. She’d believed them stomped out and dead. She’d been
wrong. She was dry tinder to his lit match.

He stood, took her hand, pulled her to standing.
Her legs were weak and rubbery, threatening to collapse under his relentless assault.
Gazing intensely into her eyes, he said, “I want you. I want to be deep inside you. If

you want to stop, say it now, because in a minute I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

He waited. Gave her time to say no. Gave her time for rationality to return.
But she didn’t want rational thoughts. Didn’t want to think about tomorrow, or the

next day, or the next. Didn’t want to let go of all the sensations surging through her.

She’d made up her mind when she’d unbuttoned the first button on his shirt. For her,

there was no going back.

She shook her head. “Don’t stop. Please.”

Stripped Naked

Desiree Holt

She didn’t shoot the sheriff…but she’d sure like to strip him down.

Naked Cowboys, Book 3
Taking over as publisher of The Hill Country Herald was supposed to help Jinx Malone

put her personal and professional disasters in New York behind her. Instead, she’s barely
settled at her desk when news of a murder hits the police scanner.

Who knew Rowan County could be this exciting? And who knew her first story would

bring her into head-butting, hormone-pumping contact with something that’s an even
bigger pain in her ass than a cheating ex—a know-it-all cop?

Sheriff Dillon Cross thought retreating to Rowan Country would help him get over a

bad case of burnout. But only a few weeks into his job, he’s standing over a dead body in
a ditch, arguing with his least favorite thing: a sexy, in-your-face reporter.

Before they’re through buzzing around each other like angry hornets, the last thing

either expected happens. They’re in bed, burning up the sheets. But is it a new beginning,
or just a bad rerun of past mistakes?

Warning: This book contains a nekkid cowboy and enough graphic sex to singe your

eye balls. Cool compresses recommended.

eBooks are

not transferable.

They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or

have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events,

locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B

Cincinnati OH 45249

Stripped Naked

Copyright © 2013 by Desiree Holt

ISBN: 978-1-61921-731-7

Edited by Heidi Moore

Cover by Angela Waters

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written

permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

electronic publication: August 2013

www.samhainpublishing.com

Table of Contents

Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
About the Author
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