Deadly Shadows by Jaycee Clark Page A

quietly.
    “Ah, Timothy has been talking again.”
    She heard the scratch of his fingers on his stubble, like sandpaper. For some odd reason she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Jesslyn looked at him.
    She needed sleep.
    “Actually, he was warning me off you.”
    She blinked. That didn’t sound like Tim. “Really?”
    “You sound surprised.”
    “I am. Normally, he’s trying to set me up and get me to move on with life.” She really didn’t want to get into the past tonight. Maddy. Jerrod. Hannah. Holden. Too many deaths, too much pain. Shoving the thoughts aside, she took another deep breath of mountain air and tried to identify the smells. It was a trick she’d learned when she’d first moved here. It relaxed her. Sometimes.
    “I’m sorry too about your family.” He shook his head, frowning.
    “You didn’t know them.” Realizing that was rude, she added, “But thanks.”
     
     
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    “I can’t imagine,” he muttered.
    No one could. The pain she’d gone through after the accident had taken her entire family.
    Her husband, her children. “I’d never wish for you to.”
    “Yeah, well, sometimes we find out anyway, don’t we?” His voice hardened.
    “Who did you lose?” she asked.
    He opened his mouth, looked at her, then shook his head. “I’m sorry. Damn, I seem to say that a lot to you. I didn’t mean to bring all this up.”
    She took another drink of the lukewarm coffee. Pain twisted her stomach, harder to ignore than the ones she’d had earlier. Maybe she should go in and get something to eat, but food didn’t sound appealing. An antacid would be good.
    “I know,” she muttered, at his remark. “Death is one of those sticky subjects people tend to avoid.”
    He made some noise in the back of his throat. She had no idea what it meant, let alone what to say back to this man sitting on her front porch with her at dawn.
    Life was strange.
    She really should have eaten something. Nausea swirled through the pain in her stomach.
    The espresso was already hitting her system, she could feel it skitter along her limbs.
    Aiden was silent, pulling her gaze back to him. His eyes were so intense as he studied her. Jesslyn tried to think of everything she’d said, but her tired brain wouldn’t cooperate.
    “Sorry. I’m probably not making any sense. I’m tired.”
    “You could always go to sleep.”
    “Not a chance.” She vehemently shook her head. “Soon as I do, especially in this state, the dreams will come.” And she had enough to deal with right now besides worrying about nightmares.
    “Normally women like dreams of me,” he said lightly. His lips spread into a grin and that dimple winked at her from his cheek. Jesslyn took a deep breath.
    Big mistake, his cologne filled her nose and mouth.
    If nothing else, the man made her smile. “It’s probably the only place they get satisfied.”
    His eyes widened and he shifted as if ready to pounce. “Care to test that theory?”
    What the hell was with her when she talked to this guy?
    Care to test that theory? The thought warranted some consideration, but … well….
    “It would be sad to see your ego deflated.” She knew she was talking too much, but it seems she wasn’t exactly normal around Aiden. The early morning light played with his face, casting it in shadows, highlighting the planes and angles. Eyes, such a rich blue stared back at her. His hair was a little long for her image of a CEO, but that was okay. The black stubble peppering his strong jaw gave him a sexy early morning look. God, what a face. She saw he was tired, not like her. She didn’t think his had anything to do with emotions. Or maybe they did.
    Aiden watched her study him, the way her dark eyes narrowed, the way she pulled her bottom lip in. His gut twitched and his body responded to her. Care to test that theory ? What the hell was he thinking? “Like what you see?” he asked.
    “Thank God,” she muttered, a smile edging her