Taking Aim by Elle James

her hands swiping at the tears. “Shouldn’t you be getting some rest?”
    “I wanted to know if your boss agreed to using his helicopter.”
    Jacie sniffed and glanced away. “I didn’t have to ask. He volunteered its use. We will leave at sunup.” She glanced back at him as she rose. “If that’s all, I’ll be calling it a night.”
    Zach should have let her go, but he couldn’t, knowing she’d go on to her bed and probably continue her tears into the early morning hours. He reached out and grabbed her arm before she made it to the door. “Your sister is tough. If she’s still alive, we’ll find her.”
    Jacie whirled. “Not if. My sister is alive. I know it. Either you believe it, or leave.” Her chin tipped up and she glared through tear-filled eyes.
    A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You two are twins in more ways than one. I wouldn’t be going after her if I didn’t believe there was a chance of bringing her back alive.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek, scraping away an errant tear.
    “She has to be.” Jacie’s lips trembled. “I’ve gone over and over everything I saw and heard since Tracie got here. There has to be something. Some indication as to what happened. I feel like she came here for a reason.”
    Zach gripped her arms. “What do you mean?”
    “She’s never shown up unannounced until last night. Tracie has been all about the bureau since she trained at Quantico. I thought she really missed me, but the more I think about it, the more I realize she wouldn’t have come without telling me ahead of time.”
    “Did she say anything about anyone? Was she working undercover?”
    “I asked her why she’d come. She only said to get a break from work and stress.” Jacie’s eyes narrowed. “What worries me is that when I called her boyfriend, the man she lives with, he didn’t know where she’d gone.” She glanced up at Zach. “She didn’t even tell him where she’d gone.”
    Zach didn’t like it. Something wasn’t right about what Jacie was telling him. “Did she say anything about the men you were guiding? Did she give you any indication that she knew them?”
    “No and no.” Jacie dragged in a deep breath and stared up at the sky. “I wish I’d been more persistent. But she wasn’t being very forthcoming with her answers. I didn’t want to butt in if she wasn’t ready to talk.” A single tear slipped free and trailed across her skin. She swiped at it, a frown marring her brow. “Damn it, I never cry.”
    “It’s not a crime.” Zach pulled her into his arms and held her, stroking his hand across her hair, the silken strands sifting through his fingers, the scent of honeysuckle wafting around him. She fit perfectly against him, molding to his body, her soft curves belying the strength it took to lead a hunting party into the dry, dusty terrain of Big Bend country.
    She wasn’t wearing a bra and her breasts pressed into his chest, the material of her shirt providing little barrier between her naked skin and his.
    His gut tightened, and without realizing it, his hands slid lower, pulling her hips against his.
    After a while, she looked up, her lips full and far too luscious for a tough hunting guide, her blue-gray eyes limpid pools of ink tinged with the reflection of the stars.
    Zach fought the urge to bend closer and capture her lush mouth, his hands tightening around her waist.
    Finally he gave in and cupped her cheek. “I’m going to hell for this...but I can’t resist.” He claimed her lips—gently at first.
    When her hands slipped around his neck and drew him closer, he accepted her invitation and crushed her mouth, his tongue pushing past her teeth to slide the length of hers. He wove his fingers through her hair and down her back. Capturing the soft curve of her buttocks, he held her hard against his growing erection.
    Her mouth moved over his like a woman starved and hungry for more.
    When breathing became necessary, he dragged his