Savor the Danger

But next to the men Alani admired, did he fall short? She was a classy lady, always done up just right, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Even now, with the late sunshine warming her skin, leaving it dewy, she looked fresh and sweet. A breeze stirred the humid air, teasing her beautiful hair and carrying her unique scent to him. Jackson inhaled, filling his lungs with the aroma of woman.

His woman.

He wanted to drag her close, to stake a claim.

And the guys knew it. With their presence alone, they taunted him.

Jackson swallowed hard, tried to loosen up, and asked, “Everybody all talked out? We can drive a stake through the clandestine crap? Good. I’ll show you to the door.”

Not fooled at all, Dare snorted. “We still need to work out the setup.”

Moving to Jackson’s side, Alani took charge. “You should be sitting down.” She put her arm around him as if for support. Ignoring the fact that he outweighed her by more than a hundred pounds and stood damn near a foot taller, she tried to urge him back toward the couch.

Unmanned by her mollycoddling, he stiffened. “I don’t need you to—”

Trace pushed past them. “If he can’t walk on his own steam, then leave him outside.”

“Wanna hold my hand?” Dare asked him.

“Ignore them,” Alani told Jackson. “I plan to.”

Provoked beyond reason, Jackson rubbed the back of his neck.

“Are you okay?” She cupped the side of his face gently. “Does your head hurt?”

This mothering tendency of hers made him really uncomfortable. He hadn’t blushed since his early teens, but damned if he didn’t feel his ears getting hot.

“You’re warm,” she fussed. “Do you think you have a fever?”

“Poor baby,” Dare muttered, then snorted.

Jackson’s restraint broke. He wanted to take care of her, not the other way around. To prove to her that he wasn’t handicapped in any way, Jackson scooped her up into his arms.

“Jackson!”

He kissed her hard, and when she would have pulled away, he kept on kissing her, hugging her close, tilting his head for a better fit. He kissed her until she stopped fighting him.

Against her lips, he said, “Unless you want further proof that I’m fine, stop babying me.” And then he headed inside.

Dare snorted again, but he closed the door behind them.

Back in the living room, Jackson stood her on her feet. “Now, we need—oof.”

Her pointy elbow landed with unerring precision. He hadn’t braced for it because he hadn’t expected it. After being so sick that morning, his innards still felt sore, and she’d gotten him good.

A hand to his midsection, he straightened and stared at her. Her angelic expression lacked remorse.

As he stared down at her, incredulous, she smiled like a sinner. “Unless you want further proof that I object to manhandling, stop pushing me.”

By slow degrees, Jackson’s frown faded into a grin. “You want to play, darlin’?” More than a little aware of Dare and Trace standing back, giving him the opportunity to spar with her, Jackson said, “Oh, I love to play. Just know that paybacks are hell.”

Her eyes widened. “But you’re the one who started it by—”

“Children, please,” Trace said. “Recess is over.”

Wanting them gone, Jackson announced without preamble, “I’m taking her to my place.”

Dare rejected that idea. “Your place is where this all started.”

“No, not my apartment. My house.” To Alani, he said, “It’s not done yet, but it’s livable. It’ll give you a chance to think about designs and stuff. The plumbing is operational, and the security is already in place.”

Alani shook her head. “You’re taking a lot for granted.”

Ignoring that, Jackson added to the men, “It’s plenty private, too. We won’t have to worry about passersby or visitors.”

Dare considered it. “You used a different name when hiring the builders?”

“Alternate identity down the line.” In an aside to Alani, he explained, “I always use an alias. Safer that way.”

“Get real, Jackson. Trace is my brother, so I’m already aware of the need for secrecy.”

“Oh, yeah? That’s why you didn’t give old Marc my last name the day I met him?”

“Of course.”

“Brains are so damn sexy.” And while she sputtered over that, he said to Dare, “Everything was paid for in cash. No one can track the location to me.”

Trace chewed on the idea. “You’re what? An hour or so from where I live?”

“’Bout that.” Close enough to appease Trace, but far enough away that he’d have plenty of alone time with Alani. It’d just be the two of them, sunshine, water, nature…a perfect setup for romance.

Alani shook her head again. “No.”

“It’s isolated enough,” Dare said. “You have a boat?”

Jackson put a hand to the small of Alani’s back. He wanted her aware of the necessities, but he also wanted her to trust him to take care of everything. “One obvious, one hidden.”

“I’m not going.” Alani crossed her arms.

Figuring he’d get her there one way or another, Jackson hugged her—while also guarding against another blow. So far she’d waffled between treating him like an invalid and inflicting pain upon his body. “Everything will be fine, honey, you’ll see. This is just a preventative measure, so don’t get worked up about it, okay?”

“I am not worked up.”

“Great. Just give me another minute here, and then I’ll help you get packed.” He addressed Trace again. “No one can get on the property without me knowing. We can hang out while you two do a little digging.”

“I’m not—”

“I already have the basics on Tobin,” Trace mused aloud, speaking over Alani’s attempted protests. “Should be easy enough to see what he’s been up to lately. If he had anything to do with drugging you, I’ll know it by the end of the week.”

Alani gasped. “You were spying on him?”

Jackson gave her a “duh” look. “You thought Trace wouldn’t?” She thought he wouldn’t?

Slowly but surely, her ire gathered. “Have you spied on every guy I’ve dated?”

Trace and Jackson said together, almost as one, “Who else is there?”

She glared at them both, then deflated. “No one.”

Redirecting everyone’s attention again, Dare said, “I’ll go by your apartment to see if I can unearth anything. I know you said you did that, but it can’t hurt to have fresh eyes.”

“Especially since my brains were numbed,” Jackson agreed. Beneath the hand he had at Alani’s waist, her muscles tensed. He liked the feel of her, the supple strength, the dip of her waist and the slight flair of her hip, the warmth of her sweet little body.

The sight of her naked would be forever emblazoned on his brain, but he wanted to see her again. He wanted to visually explore her to his heart’s content.

“Need us to grab anything for you while we’re there?” Trace asked.

“I’ll text you a list if I think of anything.” He didn’t want to drag out their visit any longer than necessary. By the second, Alani got more rigid. That wasn’t what any of them wanted, so the sooner he got rid of the guys, the quicker they could settle down and she could relax. “Molly’s more reasonable than Priss, so maybe Dare could talk to the single women in the apartment complex and see if any of them know anything.”

“Any single women in particular?”

Jackson shrugged. “Any that are good looking, I reckon. You could start with the description Alani gave, but don’t limit it to that. Maybe check in with Brigit next door. She’s single, has her girlfriends over on occasion.”

Dare said, “Got it,” while Alani slowly turned her head to stare at him.

“And maybe Carly. She’s offered to help me around the place. She got in the door once, so she knows the layout of the place. And maybe—”

Alani shoved Jackson. Hard.

Rather than drag her off balance with him, he released her before stumbling back a step. Her shove had been hard enough that she had probably hoped to knock him on his ass.

Silly woman.

At the continued show of violence, all three of them stared at her.

Jackson spoke first. “What the hell was that for?”

“Language,” Trace reminded him again.

Alani’s stance gave away her frustration. “You’re all three being impossible. Listen up—I am not going anywhere tonight!”

“Just calm down,” Dare said.

“No, you calm down.” She glared at Dare until he held up his hands in surrender. “Look, I get it that you guys want to protect me. Great. Thanks. Appreciate it.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Jackson asked her.

She turned to shove him again. He caught her hands and yanked her close so that she tumbled against his chest. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “Settle down before you hurt yourself.”

Staying against him, she stated, “I will not be steam-rolled. I will not be treated like an idiot.”

Again, they all went mute.

Jackson wanted her to be his responsibility, not anyone else’s, so he was the first to speak. “No one thinks you’re an idiot. That’s just dumb.”

Her expression turned incredulous.

“God help us,” Trace muttered.

Hoping to smooth things over, Jackson asked, “You can’t get the time off work?”

“It has nothing to do with work.”

“So you are free?”

She gave him a killing frown. “I’m not currently involved with any redesigns. I cleared my calendar to work on your house, as you requested.”

Huh. “That’s why you came to see me yesterday?” Satisfaction sank into his bones.

“Maybe.” She glanced at Trace and Dare, and pushed away from Jackson. “In part.”

So maybe the other part had been intimate interest? Hell, yeah. “Then this is perfect. I think you’ll like my house.”

“Yes, well…” Going all prim and proper, she smoothed the skirt of her dress. “I’m guessing it has to be better than your apartment. But that’s not the—”

“You don’t like my apartment?”

Her gaze slanted his way, extreme dislike in her eyes. “There are naked women everywhere.”

Imagining her reaction to his decor, Jackson smiled. “Yeah.” He added with a shrug, “Women’s bodies are beautiful.”

She again looked at Dare and Trace. “Have you two seen—”

“It’s entertaining,” Dare told her.

Trace smiled.

“Well, I think it’s absurd! Every picture, every knick-knack, even a few statues, they’re all naked women.”

“I’m a connoisseur,” Jackson told her.

“You’re a…” She drew up short, probably remembering that she’d been intimate with him last night, all night from her telling, and that everyone in the room knew it.

Mulish, she crossed her arms. “If I decorate for you, there’ll be none of that.”

“You’re the designer.” Considering it settled, he turned back to Trace and Dare. “So we’re all set?”

Trace nodded. “You can be out of here before dinnertime?”

“No problem on my end.” Trying to be a gentleman, he asked Alani, “You need more time than that to get ready?”

“No.” She smiled. “Because I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

Stubborn. But he’d win her over. “Both Dare and Trace just finished up jobs.”

“Oh?” She didn’t hide her confusion.

Jackson nodded. “No matter how small the threat might be, do you really want them distracted with their concerns for you, instead of enjoying their downtime?”

The confusion morphed into resentment. “Dirty pool, Jackson.”

He shrugged. Whenever necessary, he fought dirty. “We’re the experts, right?”

“Yes.”

“And we’d prefer that you not be alone until we get a handle on what’s going on—so make a choice.”

“What choice?”

“Me.” He nodded toward Dare and Trace. “Or them.”

Her narrowed eyes made her look really mean. Finally she muttered, “Then I guess it’s…you.”

Such a grudging concession. Pleased with her, Jackson smoothed his thumb over her cheek. “I promise not to make it a hardship.” He couldn’t touch her without the sharpening of awareness, both carnal and emotional.

As they stared at each other, Alani’s anger melted away, replaced with breathless understanding.

Dare gave a theatrical cough.

Trace said, “For God’s sake, pump the brakes on that, will you, Jackson? We need to make some decisions here.”

Jackson smiled at her and bent and kissed her before she could turn away. With his arm slung around her shoulders, he turned to both men.

That Dare and Trace had so far stayed out of convincing her, leaving it up to him, suited Jackson. Unless they were waiting for him to fail so they could take over. He frowned at that possibility.

“I’d just like to point out—” Alani encompassed them all in her sweeping gaze “—none of you are thinking clearly.”

Instead of taking offense, Jackson said, “Everything is fine.” He punctuated that with a comforting hug.

“Oh, please. Only an idiot wouldn’t be worried at this point.” Her pointed look at Jackson drove home that barb.

“So now I’m not only a wimp, but an idiot, too?”

“I never said you were a wimp.”

“You think I need someone hovering over me, like I can’t take care of myself.”

“Well, forgive me for caring.”

Jackson went on the alert. “You care?” What did she mean by that? Did he want her caring for him? Well, beyond the sexual, because he definitely wanted her to care about getting sexual with him again. Over and over—

“Oh, for the love of…” Unaware of his mental fumbling, Alani propped her hands on her hips. “You’re the one who was drugged, so if anyone has reason to come unglued, it’d be you.”

Trace whistled low.

Dare looked up at the ceiling.

Alani glared at them both. “Oh, stop it. If he can dish it out, he can take it, too.”

Jackson clenched his molars. “I have never come unglued.”

She waved a hand, dismissing his outrage as negligible. “If I wasn’t involved, if I wasn’t part of the equation, what would the three of you be planning?”

“I don’t know, because you are a part of it.” Jackson would remember that, even if she didn’t. Losing all sense of discretion, he tipped up her chin. “And I’m telling you right now, one way or another, you’ll be removed from even the most remote possibility of danger.”

Her outraged gasp nearly choked her. “You’re threatening me?”

“To protect you?” He gave one sharp nod. “Damn right, darlin’. Whatever it takes. And don’t bother pouring that long wounded look on your brother, because he feels the same.”

Trace shrugged. “Told you it wouldn’t be easy.”

Damn it! He’d already known that Trace would try to talk her away from him, but now he had proof. “It’ll be easy enough if you don’t fight me.”

Alani took a step back, but not in fear. It looked more as if she braced to attack. “You’re all being…idiotic!”

Jackson eyed her militant stance, crossed his arms and sighed. “I guess I had to see your not-so-sweet side sooner or later, huh?”

She fumed in silence for only a moment. “If any of you would stop to think, you’d realize that Jackson needs to go back to his apartment so whoever was approaching him can find him again.”

Astute as well as stubborn. Jackson chewed the side of his mouth. He put his hands on his hips and glared at her.

“You know I’m right.”

He opened his mouth to set her straight and said, “Maybe.”

His agreement stole some of her indignation. “Obviously you’ll be more careful about what you drink now. And…well…” Her gaze avoided his. “You probably shouldn’t sleep with any women since at this point, you don’t know who to trust.”

Ah, a little jealousy. He grinned. “I know I can trust you.”

Turning to Trace, her voice a little high, a little shrill, she said, “If he hides away with me, then whoever is responsible might just disappear and we’ll never know who was behind this, or what he wanted.”

Jackson looked at Dare and Trace. They looked back. Jackson saw the same surprise on their faces that he felt.

Alani had nailed it. Remove her from the equation, and he definitely would have set himself up as a target to draw out the bastard.

“You know it’s true,” Alani said. “And even if Jackson’s okay with not knowing, I refuse to live that way.”

“Sorry.” Trace crossed his arms over his chest. “Fact is, you are in the middle of this, so we’ll adjust.”

Stepping around Jackson, she appealed to her brother with a hand on his arm. “I’d rather know than wonder. Besides, you know the sooner we find out what’s going on, the safer I’ll be.”

Jackson hated to admit she was right, but…

“I have a suggestion,” Dare said, “if Alani will work with us a little on this.”

“How so?”

“Let Jackson play watchdog for the night. That means the two of you staying here until Trace and I can scope out his place. If it’s all good to go, then he can head there tomorrow or the next day.”

Jackson studied her. As soon as possible, they’d settle a few things—like how the relationship would work…if they had a relationship. He still wasn’t sure about that. “She can be reasonable.”

Alani lifted her chin. “Certainly, I can. But that doesn’t mean—”

“Yeah, it does.” He would not give on this point.

Dare continued as if the interruption hadn’t happened. “As to that, if folks see the two of you together and know that Alani isn’t alone, it might discourage anyone from targeting her.”

“Or make her a target,” Jackson said, grim at the prospect.

Trace shook his head. “No one can get past you—”

Jackson appreciated the confidence, since Alani didn’t seem to share it.

“—and since we don’t want to alert anyone that we’re on to them, the ruse of a relationship between the two of you will work as well as anything else.”

Alani licked her lips. “Anyone paying attention will think Jackson is sticking close because we’re involved, not because he’s a protector.”

“Exactly.”

“When we go back to his place, you’ll make sure he’s kept safe?” Alani wanted to know. Jackson said, “Woman…”

His tone didn’t faze her. “You’ll be the one under attack if any of this backfires.”

“We’ll be vigilant babysitters,” Trace promised her, cutting short Jackson’s retort.

Jackson knew they’d be needling him for a year over Alani’s misplaced concern. “I can take care of myself, damn it.”

Dare grinned. “I think she’s more worried about a woman getting to you than anything else.”

Alani looked like she might strangle Dare, but he just laughed at her.

Well now, that was different.

“’S that right, sugar?” Jackson took in the telltale jealousy in her bright eyes. “You feeling possessive?”

This time he was ready for her when she shoved past him on her way to the door. He didn’t stumble a single inch.

“Now that that’s settled.” Alani grasped the doorknob and looked back in expectation for Dare and Trace to follow. “Well?”

Trace turned to Dare, who let out a long sigh. “Yeah, sure, why not? I’ll be a distraction.” Dare went to Alani while Trace went to Jackson.

Alani tried to protest, but Dare still managed to catch her slapping hands. “Let’s take a breath of fresh air. You look like you could use it.”

Jackson watched as Dare practically carried her outside. She must’ve been used to the high-handed treatment, given that she allowed it to happen.

For some reason she glanced back at Jackson as if he was somehow responsible.

Expression hard, Trace leaned in close to Jackson. “No private visitors.”

“I know.” Already his heart thumped with anticipation. Very soon now he’d have her alone. “I’ll play doorman in case anyone does come calling on her.”

“No unmonitored phone calls, either.”

“I know.” It seemed he’d suffered a combustible cocktail of emotions all day—lust, need, curiosity and tenderness… “I’ll vet any and all calls.”

“If you two decide to go out for anything, make sure—”

“Damn, man.” Jackson shifted his stance. “You think this is my first rodeo?”

“With my sister, it is.” Trace’s expression hardened. “And even you know that you’re distracted.”

True enough, not that it mattered. “I’d die for her, if it came to that.”

“And then she’d be left unprotected.” Trace put a finger to Jackson’s chest. “So no dying.”

Jackson laughed at that somber, direct order. “Right. Got it. Wouldn’t be my first choice anyway.” He clapped Trace on the shoulder. “Anything goes down, I’ll be in touch.”

“You armed?”

“Yeah.” He had a Glock in a back-belt holster, a knife in his boot, and the skill and imagination to make a weapon out of about a dozen things in her kitchen.

“Enough?”

“It’s covered, okay?”

Dare stuck his head back in. “We’re good?”

“Yeah.” Trace looked at Jackson again. He lowered his voice even more. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…sleep near her, okay? Don’t let her force you out to the couch. I can’t put a finger on it, but something about this doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Right outside her door, if that’s what it has to be.” In their line of work, gut instincts were never ignored. But where he slept was up to Alani—and Trace knew it. “I’ll be able to hear her breathing. You have my word.”

Trace studied him a second, then nodded. “All right then.”

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