stillness made Ella shiver, like the calm before a storm rolled in off the bay.
“The last thing Sanctuary Island needs is a bed-and-breakfast bringing in tourists to trample all over the wildlife and wreck the peace.” His voice was low and devastating, almost a snarl.
Ella blinked, taken completely off guard by the rush of heat down her spine. She’d never been attracted to big, hot-tempered, aggressive guys in the past, but there was something about the passion in Grady’s voice and the intensity in his green eyes that got her blood pumping.
Flustered, embarrassed, and more than a little annoyed at both herself and Grady, Ella sputtered, “Look, Mr. Protector of the Island, I’m just making idle conversation here. I certainly don’t have any designs on the house or the land, so feel free to stop acting like I’m here to ruin your life, or Jo’s, or anybody else’s.”
Still scowling, Grady loomed closer until their lips were a breath apart and Ella was sure he could hear the thunder of her heartbeat. “Then why are you here?”
The reminder of what was at stake was like a glass of cold water dumped over her head. Drawing in a shaky breath that smelled like sun-warmed skin and saddle leather, Ella said, “I’m here for Merry. She wants a relationship with Jo Ellen, and I’m here for moral support. Nothing else.”
And I can’t let you distract me … no matter how good you smell.
The scowl faded from Grady’s face, but the focused power of his gaze never lessened, even when he cocked his head at an angle to study her. One corner of his mouth curled up, making Ella’s stare drop down to trace the sensual shape of his lips. She wondered how he would taste.
“I like the way you talk about your sister. She’s lucky to have you.”
Ella made her living off her ability to read people, to size them up and figure out the tactics that would work best to get what she wanted in any negotiation. But she couldn’t seem to get a handle on Grady Wilkes.
Rattled, she ignored the warm, speculative gleam in his eyes. “Are you almost done?”
“What? Oh. Should be. C’mon, give me your hands.”
He stood and she slid her hands against the worn, butter-soft leather of his gloves, suppressing a shiver at the way his eyes darkened as his fingers closed around hers.
“Here we go,” he said, lifting.
This time, Ella couldn’t bite back a thin cry as the move wrenched her ankle, sending a sickening jolt of pain up her leg.
She was still gasping when sudden, intense heat surrounded her. Grady dropped to his knees and scooted close enough to snake one long arm into the widened hole he’d made around her leg.
“I think my foot is caught on something,” she managed, her head still swimming from the pain.
His only answer was to tilt his chin down in concentration. Ella stared at Grady’s face bent so close, the solid bulk of his muscular body held still, his power leashed and tamed as his fingers groped her foot and ankle.
“Wait,” she cried, suddenly afraid. “I don’t think you should be touching that…”
“It’s okay,” he told her. “I’m trained for this.”
“You have training in getting women out of porches?” Ella wanted to laugh, but she was afraid to give in to the hysteria bubbling up in her throat.
“Sort of.” He paused for a long moment before reluctantly continuing. “Back before I moved here from Dallas, I was part of Texas Task Force One, an urban search-and-rescue team.”
Another puzzle piece slotted into place, and it calmed Ella’s nerves like nothing else could have. “So … I guess this isn’t even close to the craziest rescue you’ve ever attempted.”
A half smile tugged at his mouth, but didn’t reach his green eyes. “This ain’t exactly my first rodeo, no.”
Ella took a deep breath, bracing herself. “Okay. Go ahead.”
The fingers were back, but before she even had time to tense up, he said, “Got it.”
She felt a grating pressure against
“The last thing Sanctuary Island needs is a bed-and-breakfast bringing in tourists to trample all over the wildlife and wreck the peace.” His voice was low and devastating, almost a snarl.
Ella blinked, taken completely off guard by the rush of heat down her spine. She’d never been attracted to big, hot-tempered, aggressive guys in the past, but there was something about the passion in Grady’s voice and the intensity in his green eyes that got her blood pumping.
Flustered, embarrassed, and more than a little annoyed at both herself and Grady, Ella sputtered, “Look, Mr. Protector of the Island, I’m just making idle conversation here. I certainly don’t have any designs on the house or the land, so feel free to stop acting like I’m here to ruin your life, or Jo’s, or anybody else’s.”
Still scowling, Grady loomed closer until their lips were a breath apart and Ella was sure he could hear the thunder of her heartbeat. “Then why are you here?”
The reminder of what was at stake was like a glass of cold water dumped over her head. Drawing in a shaky breath that smelled like sun-warmed skin and saddle leather, Ella said, “I’m here for Merry. She wants a relationship with Jo Ellen, and I’m here for moral support. Nothing else.”
And I can’t let you distract me … no matter how good you smell.
The scowl faded from Grady’s face, but the focused power of his gaze never lessened, even when he cocked his head at an angle to study her. One corner of his mouth curled up, making Ella’s stare drop down to trace the sensual shape of his lips. She wondered how he would taste.
“I like the way you talk about your sister. She’s lucky to have you.”
Ella made her living off her ability to read people, to size them up and figure out the tactics that would work best to get what she wanted in any negotiation. But she couldn’t seem to get a handle on Grady Wilkes.
Rattled, she ignored the warm, speculative gleam in his eyes. “Are you almost done?”
“What? Oh. Should be. C’mon, give me your hands.”
He stood and she slid her hands against the worn, butter-soft leather of his gloves, suppressing a shiver at the way his eyes darkened as his fingers closed around hers.
“Here we go,” he said, lifting.
This time, Ella couldn’t bite back a thin cry as the move wrenched her ankle, sending a sickening jolt of pain up her leg.
She was still gasping when sudden, intense heat surrounded her. Grady dropped to his knees and scooted close enough to snake one long arm into the widened hole he’d made around her leg.
“I think my foot is caught on something,” she managed, her head still swimming from the pain.
His only answer was to tilt his chin down in concentration. Ella stared at Grady’s face bent so close, the solid bulk of his muscular body held still, his power leashed and tamed as his fingers groped her foot and ankle.
“Wait,” she cried, suddenly afraid. “I don’t think you should be touching that…”
“It’s okay,” he told her. “I’m trained for this.”
“You have training in getting women out of porches?” Ella wanted to laugh, but she was afraid to give in to the hysteria bubbling up in her throat.
“Sort of.” He paused for a long moment before reluctantly continuing. “Back before I moved here from Dallas, I was part of Texas Task Force One, an urban search-and-rescue team.”
Another puzzle piece slotted into place, and it calmed Ella’s nerves like nothing else could have. “So … I guess this isn’t even close to the craziest rescue you’ve ever attempted.”
A half smile tugged at his mouth, but didn’t reach his green eyes. “This ain’t exactly my first rodeo, no.”
Ella took a deep breath, bracing herself. “Okay. Go ahead.”
The fingers were back, but before she even had time to tense up, he said, “Got it.”
She felt a grating pressure against
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