Suspicions (The Battling McGuire Boys Book 3) by Cynthia Eden Page B

brothers, she got. But Mark?
    He shrugged. His fingers caught hers. He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a quick kiss to the back of her knuckles. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
    “I...I have to go meet my brothers.” They’d planned a family dinner for her. And she wanted to check in and see if they’d discovered anything else about her stalker.
    I didn’t see anyone suspicious today or have the weird feeling that I was being watched.
She’d felt that way a few times, back in Houston. Today had been different.
    “Are you staying at the guest house?”
    She nodded. “You know I can’t stand the thought of sleeping in the main house.” Honestly, being in that guest cottage was too close for her comfort.
    “Then I guess I’ll be seeing you soon.” His fingers slowly released hers. But he didn’t back away.
    Neither did she, because she had to know. “Why?”
    His brows lifted.
    “You’ve been keeping me at a distance for so long.” She wasn’t going to waste time trying to hint around at this thing between them. “And now you’re kissing me in public? Touching me?”
Almost having sex with me in your guest room.
“Why now?”
    But he didn’t speak. He just stood there.
    Ava shook her head. “What is it that you want from me?”
    “Everything.”
    * * *
    M ARK M ONTGOMERY WAS a problem. The fool wasn’t backing away from Ava. He was following her, trying to get closer to her, to kiss her.
    And Ava—he’d warned her about Mark. Why couldn’t she see him for the jerk that he was? Mark wasn’t some hero to save the day.
    He was a killer. Cold-blooded. Evil to the core. He didn’t deserve Ava.
    He didn’t deserve any happiness.
    It was time to make Mark pay for the things he’d done. And when Mark fell, when Mark lost all that he had, then Ava would see the man for the liar and betrayer that he really was.
    He’s not the one for you, Ava. I am.
    When would she ever learn the truth? Just how much more would he have to do before she appreciated him?
    Cars whizzed past him on the street. Ava pulled away from Mark. She hurried down the steps. Mark watched her, his gaze far too intent on her fleeing figure.
    She’s not for you.
    Mark would learn that lesson soon enough.

Chapter Four
    They had dinner at the guest cottage. It was sweet, really, the way Davis prepared all of the food up at the ranch and then brought it over to her. Davis was actually an amazing chef, and whenever she ate one of his meals, Ava knew she was tasting a bit of paradise.
    Grant came with his wife, Scarlett. As soon as she’d entered the cottage, Scarlett had pulled Ava close and whispered, “Are you okay?”
    Scarlett had her own violent and far-too-scary past, so if any woman could understand Ava’s pain, it was her. Ava had nodded even as she blinked away the ridiculous tears that had wanted to sting her eyes.
    Brodie and Jennifer had come over for dinner, too. They’d talked, laughed and tried to keep Ava distracted. Oh, she’d recognized the technique for exactly what it was.
    But when the meal came to an end, she got down to business. “Did you find out anything about the man who broke into Mark’s house?”
    Davis slanted a quick glance toward Grant, then shook his head. “No, the guy’s pretty good. Made it on to the property without leaving any signs of a break-in. He slipped inside during the confusion caused by that alarm sounding at the stables—”
    “Betting he set that off deliberately,” Brodie interrupted with a quick nod.
    “Why?” Jennifer asked. “He made it that far without sounding the alarm, so why do it then.”
    “So that there
would
be plenty of confusion,” Brodie said flatly as his gaze slid to Jennifer.
    Brodie and Davis looked so much alike. The only difference? Brodie’s face softened when he glanced at Jennifer.
    And he glanced at her plenty. Jennifer’s dark hair had been pulled back into a loose knot at the base of her head. Her dark eyes gleamed when she looked at