Page 79 of Cowboy's Last Stand
A muscle in his jaw flexed.“Fine.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Tell me what you need, and I’ll give it to you.”
Her mind raced with possibilities, but she wasn’t ready to answer the question.She hadn’t decided what to do with him yet.If she slept with him, the relationship would escalate from casual to serious.He wasn’t steady boyfriend material, however.He had serious issues.He might not stay in Texas.The problem was they were already spending every spare moment together.She wouldn’t be able to guard her heart much longer.
“Time,” she said.“I need time.”
“All right,” he said easily.His gaze traveled from her painted mouth to her red tank top.Then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.“You look nice.”
Some of her reservations about him melted away because he’d demonstrated respect for her boundaries—and her lipstick.His protective instincts didn’t make him a bad person.He’d been gentle with her and Marcus.His feather-light kiss sent tingles of warmth down her spine.She didn’t want to argue with him anymore.She wanted to crawl into his lap and stop talking.Stop thinking.
The consequences of this affair would be disastrous.She couldn’t stay numb with him.His touch brought feelings she couldn’t control, feelings that scared her.But maybe the risk was worth the reward, in his case.She slid from the passenger seat, her body humming with sensation.
“The bar closes at two,” she said.
“I’ll see you then.”
A thrill raced through her, wild and unbidden, as she slammed the door.
Chapter Sixteen
Wade arrived anhour after Jason dropped off Natalie.
It was enough time for Jason to cool off, rethink his anger, and get mad all over again.He hated the thought of Billy following her around town, lurking in the shadows, and sabotaging her vehicle.He hated that she’d kept it secret from him, which was pretty ironic considering the secrets he’d kept from her.
Wade parked his cruiser and got out.A moment later, he joined Jason in the garage.“Is Natalie at work?”
Jason stopped tinkering with the engine and lifted his head.“Yes.”
“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” he said.“I was on a domestic violence call.”
Jason shrugged, wiping his hands on a shop rag.The tire from Natalie’s bug was sitting on the garage floor.As Wade crouched down to inspect it, Jason noticed the dark stain on the shoulder of his uniform.It looked like a handprint.
“Whose blood is it?”Jason asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Wade muttered.He appeared weary and disheveled, as if he’d had a rough day.He photographed the ruined valve in silence.Then he straightened, glancing at the old truck with interest.“Is that a Ford?”
“F-series.”
“What year?”
“Fifty-five.”
“It’s got a nice patina.”
“That’s what I told Natalie.”
“Can you get it running?”
“I’m working on it.”
Wade turned his attention back to the tire.“The damage could have been done days ago.”
Jason didn’t disagree with this assessment.It was likely that Billy had sabotaged the tire when he’d left the note.He took the paper out of his pocket.“She found this yesterday when she was parked at the library.”
Wade frowned at the note.“She didn’t tell me.”
