Why was my inner core already heated to about a million degrees?

  He cocked his head, a knowing smile crossing his face. “Ah, the fairly new medical examiner.”

  “You know of my reputation?”

  “There’s little that goes on in Cartersville I don’t know about.”

  “So, you’re a legend around here.”

  There was something sultry about his laugh that drew me in.

  “I’m no legend, just a businessman. Tell me about other aspects of your life other than carving up dead bodies. Now, I have a question for you. Does my confidence still turn you off?”

  Actually, I thought it was pretty sexy. I wasn’t going to tell him that. “Not as much, but you do come on fast and hard. Be mindful of that next time.”

  “Why, yes, ma’am.”

  “Maybe I was a little harsh.”

  “You were,” he said in his deep voice that was like smooth velvet, “but I can be a jerk. Perhaps we can start over.”

  His statement broke the ice, allowing me to feel more comfortable around him and one drink turned into two, our conversations centered on everything from our love of music to favorite movies. There was no discussion about his business or mine, no repulsive come-on techniques. Just… conversation.

  I liked him, his appeal not just about his dazzling good looks or angular face. When I noticed that over two hours had passed, he didn’t push me to stay for another round, merely paying the tab and escorting me back to his car.

  I’d kept the location of where I lived from everyone except my closest friends. Few people had my new cellular number and I was cautious making new friends at all. But with him, I felt comfortable. Connected.

  Electrified.

  As he pulled into the driveway beside my tiny car, I was sad to see the night end. He didn’t say anything, allowing the engine to idle as I gripped my clutch purse.

  Sighing, I made a decision I hoped I wouldn’t regret. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”

  “Only if you have the time.”

  Or the desire…

  I could feel the question in the air, but he was going to allow me to address our intense feelings. My entire body was vibrating from a level of energy and longing that I’d never experienced. Maybe it was the wine followed by vodka, but in the back of my mind I knew better.

  Karma had finally brought sunlight instead of wretched storms into my life. Maybe only for tonight. Maybe for longer. I wasn’t a fool to believe this would lead anywhere else. But I also wasn’t certain I cared.

  “I have the time. Tomorrow is Sunday.”

  Oops.

  I’d lied to Mattie and my other friends.

  Another bad girl moment I’d admit to later.

  I opened the car door, still admiring the gorgeous sports car. I’d seen a fleet of them on commercials, but sitting in the butter-soft leather seats, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla or something just as delicious, had reminded me of all the things I was missing out on in my life.

  Maybe Mattie was right. It was time to live a little.

  Or a lot.

  The stars were twinkling above me, which was a good sign. Only then did I think about the two men who’d tried to assault Mattie and me. What if Jax hadn’t been there? And what the hell had he done to prevent them from attacking?

  My curiosity remained as high as the edge I had about the incident.

  I unlocked the front door, thanking the skies above my babe was staying elsewhere for the weekend. Mattie’s insistence. I’d need to thank her later.

  Damn it.

  At least I was smiling as I allowed him inside, turning on a couple of lights before heading to the kitchen. “I don’t have much. Wine. Bourbon, I think. And vodka.”

  “Whatever you’re having.” Jax, as he’d told me he preferred to go by, was leaning against the jamb of the kitchen door. His long, muscular legs were crossed at the ankles, his hands in the pockets of his charcoal trousers.

  He was watching me with the same intensity as he’d been doing all night. At least now, with the bright light of the overhead kitchen fixture, I was able to see just how incredible his eyes truly were. They were mesmerizing, his gaze something whatever enemies he faced should be terrified of.

  “Make yourself at home.” I turned away before I couldn’t, concentrating on pulling out two rocks glasses, and dumping ice from the freezer into both. He didn’t make a sound as I prepared the drinks, using the freshly squeezed orange juice with vodka instead of the bottled crap from the grocery store.

  “You’re not from around here,” he said a few seconds later.

  “How can you tell? My accent?” I’d been told I had a slight Virginia twang, even though I’d only heard that when arriving in Chicago and the university.

  He laughed and the sound sent a series of bottle rocket-type vibrations through me. “Hardly. You can tell someone who lived in a larger city easily in comparison to the locals.”

  “You’re right. Richmond, Virginia. I was born and raised there.”

  “Why Cartersville? Not that I don’t enjoy the beautiful surroundings, but you’re a long way from home.”

  “Because I was offered a job. Plain and simple.”

  Big fat lie.

  Well, not completely.

  “I applied to something like sixty forensics units in various parts of the country. I was ignored, and laughed at given my lack of experience, or told come back when I was older. No kidding.” When I turned around, I couldn’t help taking a beat to stare at him like some lost little girl with a crush.

  He’d taken me at my word, removing his jacket and rolling up his long white sleeves. His forearms were just as muscular as it seemed the rest of him was, both sporting black ink reminding me of vines growing in a summer garden. For several reasons, his tats seemed out of place to a man driving a two-hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle and sporting a watch that cost more than the house I was living in.

  If I could even afford to purchase it. Renting was just fine at this point.

  He walked closer to me, which sent another series of tingles dancing throughout my body. The moment he reached for the glass, our fingertips touched and I was instantly lightheaded.

  I had to be honest with myself. I didn’t like feeling this way. No man should have any level of power over me.

  Even as I tried to shut down my emotions and my strange yearning, my thoughts drifted to the single intimate enjoyment I’d gotten over the last year plus. The corded mechanism had been used far too often.

  Maybe I needed a battery-operated vibrator instead. Perhaps I’d purchase one in hot pink that could be used in the shower.

  I couldn’t believe what I was thinking when I had a stranger in my house. Although I had to admit that Jax didn’t feel like a stranger any longer. It seemed as if I’d known him for years.

  “Their loss,” he said. “Our gain.”

  He made the statement as if he and his family owned the town. If what Mattie had told me was true, they basically did.

  “I’m happy to be here. There is something very special about a quaint town where people know everyone else.”

  His laugh was followed by a quick wink. “Nice try. The town is quaint as you say, but you’d prefer to be working in a big city morgue where you could get your hands on a dozen bodies a day if possible.”

  “Well, dissecting a hundred bodies a day isn’t possible, but guilty as charged.” We both laughed, which erased some additional tension. It was interesting how nervous he could make me. I took a sip of my drink as the laughter died off, even looking away from him for fear I’d expose my thoughts.

  My needs.

  “You don’t need to feel so anxious around me, Sedona,” he said in a deeper voice than usual.

  Oh, lord. He was walking closer, pushing all those tasty buttons and boosting my longing. I shifted by a few inches, sliding down the counter. He wasn’t deterred, suddenly standing right in front of me.

  Meanwhile, as every geeky girl did around a hot man, I hid behind a prop. In this case, my drink, taking sip after sip. The marvelous scent of his aftershave had impressed me before. Now it was intoxicating.

  So much so I was lightheaded, my chest constricting so much I had to fight to breathe.

  His breathing was just as labored as mine as he took my glass from my hand. Every gesture he made was methodical, allowing me to push him away if I wanted.

  But I didn’t.

  Looking into his hypnotizing eyes wasn’t possible. I was too lost in the fear of failing myself at this moment. I could tell by the slight thud he’d placed his drink down as well. Why did the man have to be so damn good looking?

  “You’ve been hurt,” he said as he placed the tip of his finger under my chin, slowly turning my head.

  “Haven’t we all at least once in our lives?” Maybe not him. He was as close to perfection as I’d met.

  The unwary girl hovering inside reminded me that many times, looks and initial actions could be deceiving.

  “How true.”

  Maybe it was the fact he was much older than I was. Maybe my inclination to trust him to a point was simply because contrary to words I’d spouted off to Mattie, I was very lonely. Or maybe my slow yet growing reason was because he was so damn good looking.

  I’d question my reactions and my motives later, but for now, I wanted nothing more than to feel a couple of hours of passion.

  I placed my hand on his chest, struggling with the unwavering vibrations flowing from head to toe.

  His nostrils flaring, he shifted his hand to my face, curling his fingers and brushing his knuckles lightly across my cheek. I studied his face, savoring his strong jaw and his striking blue-gray eyes. They still seemed luminescent, soulful in a way I hadn’t seen before.

  He slid the same hand around the nape of my neck, pulling me closer.

  “I don’t know if this is a good idea.” I had about a million reasons why but didn’t want to muddy the mood.

  “Maybe not. But right now, I don’t care. Do you?”

  There was no need to think about my answer. “No.”

  He allowed the single word to answer all those for the evening. As he captured my mouth, he tugged me onto my toes. The kiss was soft at first, but there was a strong sense of urgency in both of us. So much so, I rubbed my hand forcibly up his back, tangling my fingers in his hair.

  There was nothing more powerful or alluring than a man who knew how to use his lips. Not just for kissing but for other things as well.

  I was such a bad girl all of a sudden. How could I be thinking about something so naughty?

  To hell with it. I wasn’t that girl on this night.

  There was nothing like the protective, comforting feeling of having a powerful man’s arms wrapped around you.

  The way he rubbed his hands up and down my back was electrifying.

  The thought was truly maddening. This man was a stranger, a dark and mysterious savior who’d insisted I have a drink with him. Yet everything about him was intoxicating.

  His stunning good looks.

  His thudding heartbeat.

  The heat of his skin and softness of his lips.

  The way he held me.

  My stomach twisted as I tried to catch my breath.

  The kiss became even more of a passionate roar, a moment caught in time I wished could last forever. Everything about the man consumed me. Instinctively everything about him also screamed of danger. Not that the tiniest and darkest part of me didn’t crave the kind of adventure he was offering.

  Jax pulled me away from the counter, taking his time lowering his hands until he slipped them under my bottom. As he lifted me into the air, I straddled his legs, able to feel the huge bulge between them. I wiggled my feet, trying to keep from reacting as my shoes slowly dropped to the floor. I felt completely underdressed in comparison to his expensive attire, but I was grateful Mattie had pushed me into purchasing something sexy.

  Scrubs and tennis shoes wouldn’t cut it for a magical moment such as this.

  The kiss was broken, an entirely different, almost possessive gaze pulling me into a tight vacuum. He rubbed the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip roughly, opening my mouth in the process.

  Somehow, I had a feeling there was no going back with this man.

  On this night I belonged to him.

  CHAPTER 6

  Jax

  A hunter had captured his prey.

  That’s all I could think about as I consumed her mouth for a second time.

  Only she didn’t belong to me and I shouldn’t be here.

  It wasn’t about the fact I didn’t know her at all. My reservations centered on an underlying feeling that I did know her. How and why was beyond me.

  Yet I couldn’t seem to get enough of her taste. Her soft lips. The light caress of her fingers as she tried desperately to control her strong urges.

  Sedona was sweet and innocent, a woman to be treasured instead of ravaging her like the rogue I truly was.

  As the moment of intimacy became rougher, she didn’t seem to mind the fact I was dominating her tongue or her time.

  I could sense her awakening, her desires outweighing her earlier fear of the man who’d likely saved her life. That was the truth, the two assailants prepared to end the women’s lives just because they wanted the SUV.

  Her body twisted against me, the delicious fragrance of her longing lingering in my nostrils. As I took long strides out of the kitchen, she finally struggled to jerk my shirt from my trousers. Her passion was as heated as mine, her long fingers frigid as she touched the scalding skin on my back.

  But I relished her touch and the way she was finally letting go.

  She became more aggressive in her actions as well, shifting her head and moaning into the kiss. I’d never been one for extended foreplay, but her soft lips and hot mouth were both worth taking time to explore.

  Every moment made it more difficult to keep the need from driving all my darkness to the surface.

  I was so unused to the sensation of losing control that beads of sweat rolled down both sides of my face.

  But nothing would stop me from taking the stunning woman.

  When she pushed against my shoulders, I wasn’t surprised. I was when she smiled more seductively than before.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as I moved past the living room.

  “Bedroom. Last door down the hall.” She tossed her head over her shoulder as she ripped at my shirt.

  The short dress she’d been poured into was already around her waist and the feel of her thighs pressed against me was driving me crazy. I was ready to sink my cock into her wet pussy. I wanted to claim all of her, pushing her to the brink of complete rapture.

  Perhaps that wasn’t very gentlemanly of me, but I also had never been considered a true gentleman.

  I was brusque and hard, demanding everything I wanted.

  But with her I wanted to be more tender, perhaps fearful I would break her.

  “You have no idea who you attracted,” I told her as I used one hand then the other, finally managing to tug the dress over her shoulders. She wasn’t wearing a bra, her rosy nipples creating a surge in how hard my cock throbbed.

  Her nipples were already fully aroused. Her panties were already damp. And her sweet scent was invigorating as hell.

  The bedroom was easy to find. With the door closed, she reached for the knob, almost slipping from my hold in doing so. Her laugh was practically a sonata, the lush lilt echoing in my ears, as it would for some time.

  When she managed to open it a crack, I kicked it the rest of the way open, storming into the room.

  As if I owned the house.

  The only light was the warm glow of the moon streaming in through the open blinds. She became more playful, managing to rip off several buttons in her effort to open my shirt. I yanked it off from the neck, tossing it aside and allowing her to play to her heart’s desire.

  She pressed both open hands against my chest, flexing her fingers and kneading my skin. I could tell by her labored breathing that she was lost in the moment.

  Everything about her was appealing, her voluptuous body only part of the strong draw. I hadn’t expected her to feel so free, even mischievous. The moment I allowed her feet to hit the floor, she shocked me further by rising on her toes, nipping my lower lip.

  That was just the beginning. She scrambled onto the bed, doing her best to reach the other side.

  Very few women surprised me any longer. Not just because so many were alike, but because I could sense what they were going to do seconds before they attempted to do so. Not with her. That made the experience even more desirable, fun in a way I hadn’t experienced in one hell of a long time.

  I snapped my hand around her ankle, easily yanking her all the way back. She was laughing, clawing her fingers into the covers to try to gain some leverage.

  “You’re such a bad little girl, Sedona.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Be careful playing with a man like me.”

  “Duly noted.” The spicy woman attempted to kick me with one foot, going nowhere with her deed.

  “Then I’ll be happy to play this game.” Maybe my innocent little dove wasn’t so virtuous after all.

  I dragged her down further, resisting her feminine wiles as I jerked off her thong. There was no need to destroy something so delicate.

  The second I brought the full weight of my palm down against her bottom, she shrieked.

  “What are you doing?” I did adore when she used her demanding tone.

  “Playing the game you started.” I cracked my hand down three additional times as she wiggled and tore at the covers. “Up onto all fours.”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Then I’ll do it for you.” I could easily plant her into position, holding her in place as I brought my hand down in rapid succession. She did her best to fight me off but quickly learned that her best actions were to no avail.

  I wasn’t interested in punishing her, only subduing her actions to a small degree. My mouth was watering to taste her. I longed to drive my tongue deep into her tight channel, lapping her cream.