spine. The stinging wind as they whipped down the interstate blurred his vision. and he blinked rapidly.
He had to get another helmet once they reached Vegas. Who would have thought he’d be getting married? Jo was a sweet little thing, but she did try his patience sometimes. How did she manage to stay hidden for five years? Although it took a lot of courage to run off like she’d done, she didn’t strike him as a very strong type of woman. He’d be finding out soon enough.
The sign welcoming them to Vegas loomed ahead.
6
“Mother? It’s me.”
“Jocelyn? Where are you? Your father and I have been so worried.”
Jo leaned forward until her forehead laid flush against the plexi-glass panel of the phone booth. The grit accumulating there made her flesh crawl, and she stepped back, grimacing. The stench of urine and vomit flooded over her. Her stomach heaved, and she breathed through her mouth.
The door to the booth opened and Conley squeezed into the small space behind her. Her face heated. She tried moving into the corner away from him. There wasn’t enough room. She sighed. “What, Mother? I didn’t hear you.”
Conley brushed against her. A tingling sensation rose in the pit of her stomach. Her body tensed. She wanted to kick herself for the range of emotions welling in her. She tossed him a look. “Get back.”
Shaking his head, he gave her a slow, lazy smile. “I’m protecting you.” He leaned his head closer to the handset.
“Jocelyn!”
“I’m sorry.” She turned away and forced herself to focus on her mother’s voice.
“Who’s there with you?” Her mother’s voice was loud, apprehensive.
“The man you hired to shadow me.” She fought back her anger. Her knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the phone.
“Oh, good. He found you. Now come home.”
“I am coming home. But only to get my son.” Jo closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall of the old fashioned phone booth, ignoring the dirty graffiti and rust. “Blake stole him.”
“It’s not stealing when it’s your own son.” Her mother’s sigh floated across the air waves.
“I told you Alex isn’t Blake’s son.”
“Blake’s marrying you was that boy’s salvation, Jocelyn. He’s the devil’s own spawn. Blake should be rewarded for giving that boy his name.”
“That boy’s name is Alex, and he’s your grandson.” Related to you in more ways than one, Jo added mentally.
“Blake is a good husband, Jocelyn. A good provider. He’s an upstanding…”
Jo sighed and opened her eyes. “I’m through talking to you. If you see Blake, tell him…”
“Let me speak to that man with you.”
She handed the phone to Conley and tried to squeeze past him. With his free arm, he reached out and pulled her close. Although she found herself growing more conscious of his virile appeal, and the feelings caused her to grow increasingly uncomfortable, she felt very safe in the shelter of his arm. Almost as if she’d been created just for that reason. To be sheltered under Conley’s wing. Her anxiety from speaking with her mother began to dissipate.
“Yes, ma’am,” Conley drawled. “I’ll be sure to…that is what you’re paying me for.” He smiled down at Jo and rolled his eyes. “With my life.”
“What?” Jo met his gaze.
He smiled again. That lazy smile which made her heart
He had to get another helmet once they reached Vegas. Who would have thought he’d be getting married? Jo was a sweet little thing, but she did try his patience sometimes. How did she manage to stay hidden for five years? Although it took a lot of courage to run off like she’d done, she didn’t strike him as a very strong type of woman. He’d be finding out soon enough.
The sign welcoming them to Vegas loomed ahead.
6
“Mother? It’s me.”
“Jocelyn? Where are you? Your father and I have been so worried.”
Jo leaned forward until her forehead laid flush against the plexi-glass panel of the phone booth. The grit accumulating there made her flesh crawl, and she stepped back, grimacing. The stench of urine and vomit flooded over her. Her stomach heaved, and she breathed through her mouth.
The door to the booth opened and Conley squeezed into the small space behind her. Her face heated. She tried moving into the corner away from him. There wasn’t enough room. She sighed. “What, Mother? I didn’t hear you.”
Conley brushed against her. A tingling sensation rose in the pit of her stomach. Her body tensed. She wanted to kick herself for the range of emotions welling in her. She tossed him a look. “Get back.”
Shaking his head, he gave her a slow, lazy smile. “I’m protecting you.” He leaned his head closer to the handset.
“Jocelyn!”
“I’m sorry.” She turned away and forced herself to focus on her mother’s voice.
“Who’s there with you?” Her mother’s voice was loud, apprehensive.
“The man you hired to shadow me.” She fought back her anger. Her knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the phone.
“Oh, good. He found you. Now come home.”
“I am coming home. But only to get my son.” Jo closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall of the old fashioned phone booth, ignoring the dirty graffiti and rust. “Blake stole him.”
“It’s not stealing when it’s your own son.” Her mother’s sigh floated across the air waves.
“I told you Alex isn’t Blake’s son.”
“Blake’s marrying you was that boy’s salvation, Jocelyn. He’s the devil’s own spawn. Blake should be rewarded for giving that boy his name.”
“That boy’s name is Alex, and he’s your grandson.” Related to you in more ways than one, Jo added mentally.
“Blake is a good husband, Jocelyn. A good provider. He’s an upstanding…”
Jo sighed and opened her eyes. “I’m through talking to you. If you see Blake, tell him…”
“Let me speak to that man with you.”
She handed the phone to Conley and tried to squeeze past him. With his free arm, he reached out and pulled her close. Although she found herself growing more conscious of his virile appeal, and the feelings caused her to grow increasingly uncomfortable, she felt very safe in the shelter of his arm. Almost as if she’d been created just for that reason. To be sheltered under Conley’s wing. Her anxiety from speaking with her mother began to dissipate.
“Yes, ma’am,” Conley drawled. “I’ll be sure to…that is what you’re paying me for.” He smiled down at Jo and rolled his eyes. “With my life.”
“What?” Jo met his gaze.
He smiled again. That lazy smile which made her heart
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