He raked a hand through his hair, and ordered himself to stop obsessing about worst-case scenarios.Nothing bad had happened.He’d acted weird and paranoid, but so what?It wasn’t the end of the world.He’d never see this woman again.He rubbed his sweaty palms on his shorts, wishing for the beer he’d left on the kitchen countertop.As soon as these interlopers left, he was going to chug the whole bottle.
After a few moments, Vanessa reappeared with the child on her hip.Instead of stepping onto the porch, she lingered in the doorway, as if reluctant to come out.“We need to call the owner and get this sorted.”
Paul studied her with narrowed eyes.The stubborn tilt of her jaw was unmistakable.Vanessa Nava wasn’t going to leave quietly.He got the impression that she might refuse to lethimback into the cabin now that she’d gained entry.
“There’s no phone,” he said.“And no Wi-Fi.”
“There’s no Wi-Fi?”she repeated in an incredulous tone.
Paul didn’t tell her the owner of the rental property was in Jamaica on a family vacation.He would be difficult to reach, even if they could call him.Sharing this news might send her over the edge, so he stayed silent.
“Do you have the owner’s phone number?”she asked.
“I do.”
“Get it.”
He wanted to laugh at her bold-as-brass command, but he didn’t.Nor did he refuse.If he gave her what she wanted, she’d go away.He rose to his feet, tugging his T-shirt away from his damp skin.She watched him come forward.She was a slender woman, slightly built despite her curves.Although he was a head taller than her, she didn’t appear intimidated.The little girl had rested her head on the woman’s shoulder.
Paul avoided looking directly at the child, whose presence unsettled him as much as the mother’s.He made the mistake of looking at Vanessa.His gaze locked with hers, and a jolt of awareness traveled through him.She had a lovely face, and a figure that would stop traffic, but there was something else about her that gave him pause.The hard glint in her eyes, full of defiance and self-assurance, contrasted with her delicate features.She looked like a fighter.She looked like the kind of woman who never backed down.
When Paul cleared his throat, and gestured toward the interior of the cabin, her expression changed from obstinate to begrudging.He had to get the phone number she’d demanded, and she was standing in his way.She shifted the child to her other hip and retreated a few steps to concede the space.
Paul turned sideways as he came through the doorway to avoid brushing against her, but he couldn’t avoid her scent.He inhaled, without making any conscious effort to do so.She smelled as good as she looked, like warm skin and silky hair and beauty products he could not name.He also caught a hint of maple syrup, probably from the little girl.The combination reminded him of rumpled bedsheets and cozy family breakfasts on Sunday morning.He felt the old, familiar pang of loss.
My brother’s a cop.
Paul realized, with a start, that her brother was Deputy Nava.Paul had met him before.Nava was young and inexperienced, but he wasn’t dumb.Paul made a mental note of their connection and filed it away.She hadn’t mentioned a husband, which was telling.Most married women would claim their spouse was nearby in a moment of fear.Paul suspected she didn’t have one, based on her independent attitude and unaccompanied state.
Not that it mattered either way.Her relationship status was none of his business.He didn’t need to know her life story.He needed her to get away from him.This was his hideout, and he had to protect it.He couldn’t let a woman and child linger in his cabin.
It wasn’t safe here—because of him.
Chapter Three
Vanessa adjusted hergrip on Emily as the big man entered her orbit.
Paul Murphy didn’t make much noise.He’d emerged from the shadows like an apparition, but he was definitely of this earth, as solid as a wall of granite.His shoulders spanned the doorframe and he stood a head taller than her.She gave him enough room to prevent accidental contact, and he respected her space.She got the impression he was uncomfortable with her proximity.That made two of them.
He wasn’t the monster Emily claimed him to be, as far as Vanessa could tell.She’d almost peed her pants when he’d first appeared, and not just because of his size.He’d moved with the grace and stealth of a panther.She’d been scared out of her wits, and she was still wary of him.Their initial confrontation had been odd.She didn’t know why he’d been prowling around in the dark, barefoot.Since he’d introduced himself, he’d been non-threatening.It was clear he wanted to keep his distance.
She hadn’t been able to study him in the dark.She took the opportunity now.In addition to a hard physique, he had a hard face.His features were regular but unforgiving, and he had a weathered, lived-in look about him.His eyes were an icy gray or blue.With his sharp blade of a nose and square jaw, he was rugged, rather than handsome.
Oh, who was she kidding?Rugged didn’t cancel out handsome.If anything, it added a cherry on top.What woman in her right mind preferred smooth perfection over rough edges?This was a man with a capital M.
She tried to steel herself against his masculine appeal as he passed by.She could feel the heat of his body, along with a nervous energy that didn’t match his neutral expression.He smelled elemental, like water and earth and warm skin.Underneath it all, she recognized the faint, medicinal hint of eucalyptus.
She released a slow breath after he walked toward the kitchen.Then she stared at his well-muscled back.He was wearing rumpled cargo shorts and a blue T-shirt that was damp in spots.His close-cropped hair, also damp, was a medium brown.She guessed his age at about thirty, though he might be older.The strong physique suggested youth more than the stone face.She studied him with interest as he rifled through a drawer.He had a stern countenance, a sardonic mouth, and silvery eyes that bored through her.The cowboy hat he’d left on the countertop would suit him perfectly.
Paul Murphy washot.Ugh.
Could this day get any worse?
She’d sworn off men, especially the good-looking kind, and this one raised every red flag in the book.He’d snuck up on her like a psycho killer.He’d seemed contrite about scaring her, but he hadn’t been the least bit hospitable.He’d shown zero sympathy for her predicament.He’d barely agreed to let Emily use his bathroom.He might not be a monster, or a murderer, but he was definitely a jerk.
Vanessa shifted Emily on her hip and let out a huff of irritation.Where were they going to sleep tonight?She didn’t have the energy to drive around for hours in search of a hotel.She also didn’t have the funds for an extended stay.
Paul had given no indication that he commiserated with her plight.Instead of venting her frustrations to the wall of granite, she glanced around the room.This place, unlike the horror show next door, was fully furnished and ready to rent.The carpet appeared worn, but clean.There was a green wool couch by the window.The kitchen had cheery yellow cabinets and a round wooden table.She counted four sturdy-looking chairs.It was spotless and simple.Exactly what they needed.
