Page 5 of Big Bad Wolfe

And came face to face with the kid.

In ten shell-shocked seconds Zane absorbed every detail.

Jillian was right. The boy had his build, his hair, his eyes, and the same sober expression he saw in the mirror every morning.

Casey looked like him, all right. But Zane didn’t see himself in the child staring up at him. He saw his brother.

Oh, God,Trevor.

Zane’s heart splintered, and he staggered back from the door.

“Hi, mister,” the little boy chirped. “Who are you?”

The innocent, childish question sliced through Zane like a chainsaw.

Unable to speak, he brushed past the kid and the buxom redheaded woman accompanying him and tore outside. He made it to the sheltered grove across the street before his legs buckled.

He dropped to his knees in the bushes, sweaty and shaking.

For that child’s sake, he had to get as far away as possible.

And never come back.

Chapter 2

By the time Jillian skirted Casey and Brooke and hurried onto the front porch, Zane had already disappeared. Her throat tightened. He was stunned and upset, and shouldn’t be alone, much less driving. Where had he gone?

When his deep, smoky voice had startled her into a spin and she’d seen him standing in front of her, his eyes had immediately drawn her in. Shadowed. Secretive. Haunted. Veiling his soul from the world. And the wariness bracketing those sensual lips implied a vulnerability she’d bet he’d die before admitting. Her first impulse had been to hug him, hold on tight and assure him he’d be okay.

However, trying to hold a deeply shadowed man would be as risky as picking up a live wire. Not only was the contact guaranteed to hurt, it could be deadly.

Her pulse stuttered. But then the instant he’d touched her, every sense had glittered alive, heat and need rocketing through her bloodstream.

Her second impulse had been to strip his clothes off and run her hands all over that long, lean-muscled bronze body. Followed by her tongue.

She’d never nearly body-licked a guy at first sight.

And although Mr. Sexy Macho FBI Agent strove to appear stoic and invincible, somewhere along the line he’d been hurt enough to leave scars on his soul.

Her news-bomb had just wounded him again.

She pasted on a wobbly smile to hide her worry, turned and swept Casey into a hug. “Hi, kiddo. I missed you.”

Casey returned her hug with gusto. “I missed you lots, too, Aunt Jelly.”

“Did you have a good time with Aunt Brooke and Uncle Richard?”

“I s’pose.” Casey scuffed the toe of his sneaker on the entry mat. “Uncle Richard didn’t come again today. Who was that man?”

Jillian frowned at Deb’s sister-in-law, Brooke. “Where was Richard?”

“He had to work.” The choke-a-horse diamond on Brooke’s hand glittered as she gave a dismissive wave. “Ever since he was named one of the top ten plastic surgeons in the Northwest, his practice has becomeverypopular.”

Jillian ruffled the little boy’s dark hair. “Case, there’s a plate of cookies on the coffee table. Why don’t you take one into the kitchen and get a juice box?”

“‘Kay. But whowasthat man, Aunt Jelly? He looked green. Like Robbie Ray when he ate a whole bag of gummy worms last week. Robbie Ray barfed all over the playground, remember? Red and yellow and blue—”

“Ugh! Don’t remind me. We’ll talk about the man later. Go have your snack.”

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