lips away and sucked in a deep lungful of air. He dropped her arms and stepped back. “I don’t know what the hell just happened, but that was totally unprofessional on my part.”
Jacie raised a finger and pressed it to his lips. “Don’t. It takes two.” She backed a few steps, inching toward the cabin’s front door. “I’d better get to bed. Morning will come soon and I want to be awake and alert.” She touched a hand to her swollen lips. “Thanks for being here.”
Zach pushed his hand through his hair. “Right, I’d better go.” He turned, paused and faced Jacie again. “You gonna be all right?”
“Do I have a choice?” Jacie squared her shoulders. “Good night.” Then she entered the cabin and closed the door behind her with a soft click.
For a long moment, Zach stood on the porch, his lips tingling from the unexpected kiss and the desire urging him to repeat it.
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Chapter Five
The alarm clock blasted through the nightmare Jacie had been having, saving her from falling over a cliff in the canyon. She sat straight up and blinked. No sunlight shone through the windows, and a glance at the clock proved it was early.
After lying awake for hours, she must have fallen asleep...for what it was worth. Her dreams had been horrifying, leaving her drained and fatigued more than ever. Used to getting up and going before dawn, she hauled herself out of bed and, in less than five minutes, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, washed her face and ran a toothbrush over her teeth.
Pausing for a brief moment, she stared at her reflection, wondering why a guy as gorgeous as Zach would kiss a woman who didn’t wear makeup or fix her hair. She touched a finger to her lips, the memory of Zach’s kiss sending shivers across her skin.
“Get a grip,” she muttered, and dressed quickly in jeans, a T-shirt and her well-worn cowboy boots. Ready for the day, she grabbed her cowboy hat and stepped outside onto the porch. The eastern horizon showed signs of the predawn gray inching up the sky. It wouldn’t be long before the sun rose and they could take the helicopter over Wild Horse Canyon and hopefully find her sister.
“Sleep much?” A deep, warm voice spoke to her from the corner of her porch.
Jacie gasped and stepped backward, her face heating as the object of her musings chuckled nearby.
Zach’s amusement had the opposite effect of setting her heartbeat back to normal.
After their kiss, just being around him took her breath away and made her pulse hammer through her body. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t been this aware of a man...ever.
“Did you spend the night on my porch?” she asked, her voice a bit more snappy than she’d have preferred, but then he’d startled and...unnerved her.
He leaned against a thick cedar beam, his arms crossed over his chest, his boots crossed at the ankle, cowboy hat tipped down over his forehead, shadowing his eyes. He appeared relaxed, yet poised to move in a flash. “No. I slept.” He tipped his hat back and studied her. “You don’t look like you slept at all.”
“I take that to mean I look like hell. Gee, thanks.” She stepped down one step and stared out at the road leading into the ranch compound. A plume of dust rose in the distance, moving closer at a fast rate. Jacie stepped down one step. “Wonder if that’s the FBI or DEA. I thought they’d be basing out of Hank’s ranch headquarters since it’s closer to the canyon than here.”
Zach faced the oncoming vehicle. “I spoke to Hank a few minutes ago. He said both agencies called and are on their way from El Paso but not expected until around noon.”
As the vehicle neared, Jacie noted it was a dark pewter pickup with no noticeable markings, and it was coming fast. She dropped down the last two steps and made her way toward the lodge.
Zach followed, his boots crunching in the gravel.
As Jacie rounded the side of the lodge to the front, she noted
Jacie raised a finger and pressed it to his lips. “Don’t. It takes two.” She backed a few steps, inching toward the cabin’s front door. “I’d better get to bed. Morning will come soon and I want to be awake and alert.” She touched a hand to her swollen lips. “Thanks for being here.”
Zach pushed his hand through his hair. “Right, I’d better go.” He turned, paused and faced Jacie again. “You gonna be all right?”
“Do I have a choice?” Jacie squared her shoulders. “Good night.” Then she entered the cabin and closed the door behind her with a soft click.
For a long moment, Zach stood on the porch, his lips tingling from the unexpected kiss and the desire urging him to repeat it.
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Chapter Five
The alarm clock blasted through the nightmare Jacie had been having, saving her from falling over a cliff in the canyon. She sat straight up and blinked. No sunlight shone through the windows, and a glance at the clock proved it was early.
After lying awake for hours, she must have fallen asleep...for what it was worth. Her dreams had been horrifying, leaving her drained and fatigued more than ever. Used to getting up and going before dawn, she hauled herself out of bed and, in less than five minutes, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, washed her face and ran a toothbrush over her teeth.
Pausing for a brief moment, she stared at her reflection, wondering why a guy as gorgeous as Zach would kiss a woman who didn’t wear makeup or fix her hair. She touched a finger to her lips, the memory of Zach’s kiss sending shivers across her skin.
“Get a grip,” she muttered, and dressed quickly in jeans, a T-shirt and her well-worn cowboy boots. Ready for the day, she grabbed her cowboy hat and stepped outside onto the porch. The eastern horizon showed signs of the predawn gray inching up the sky. It wouldn’t be long before the sun rose and they could take the helicopter over Wild Horse Canyon and hopefully find her sister.
“Sleep much?” A deep, warm voice spoke to her from the corner of her porch.
Jacie gasped and stepped backward, her face heating as the object of her musings chuckled nearby.
Zach’s amusement had the opposite effect of setting her heartbeat back to normal.
After their kiss, just being around him took her breath away and made her pulse hammer through her body. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t been this aware of a man...ever.
“Did you spend the night on my porch?” she asked, her voice a bit more snappy than she’d have preferred, but then he’d startled and...unnerved her.
He leaned against a thick cedar beam, his arms crossed over his chest, his boots crossed at the ankle, cowboy hat tipped down over his forehead, shadowing his eyes. He appeared relaxed, yet poised to move in a flash. “No. I slept.” He tipped his hat back and studied her. “You don’t look like you slept at all.”
“I take that to mean I look like hell. Gee, thanks.” She stepped down one step and stared out at the road leading into the ranch compound. A plume of dust rose in the distance, moving closer at a fast rate. Jacie stepped down one step. “Wonder if that’s the FBI or DEA. I thought they’d be basing out of Hank’s ranch headquarters since it’s closer to the canyon than here.”
Zach faced the oncoming vehicle. “I spoke to Hank a few minutes ago. He said both agencies called and are on their way from El Paso but not expected until around noon.”
As the vehicle neared, Jacie noted it was a dark pewter pickup with no noticeable markings, and it was coming fast. She dropped down the last two steps and made her way toward the lodge.
Zach followed, his boots crunching in the gravel.
As Jacie rounded the side of the lodge to the front, she noted
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