Chapter Two
The very last thing Jamie Pearson had expected to find out here in this remote cabin was Leland freaking Gates. The sandy-haired warrior was supposed to be halfway around the world doing insanely heroic things, not bursting through the front door of his family's cabin to scare her half to death. She was going to thump Peyton so hard the next time she saw her. Everything about this disastrous run-in with her teenaged crush had the mark of a setup by her best friend.
Of course, her irritation with Peyton faded some when she felt those steely arms of Leland's cradling her body. He held her close to his chest, the heat of him seeping into her and warming her naked skin. The masculine scent of him, the cedar and sandalwood notes that drove her crazy, intoxicated her. The jolt of adrenaline she had experienced from discovering someone else in the cabin left her a bit shaky, but her heart was racing for a totally different reason now.
Her reaction to the dangerously handsome SEAL frustrated her. Teenaged crushes weren't supposed to last this long, but her feelings for Leland had never faded. She had tried to forget him and replace him, but she had failed miserably. That kiss—that perfect, passionate kiss—had rocked her world.
But he had shattered her self-confidence when he had thrown her out of his room. If she hadn't gotten sidetracked with Tanny's drama, she might have been brave enough to climb up the tree outside Leland's bedroom to crawl in through his window and force him to speak to her. Instead, she had been forced to sneak home before her mother realized she had been out all night.
By the time she had managed to get away from the depressing spectacle of her mother boozing it up over a badly scorched Christmas ham to bring over presents for Peyton's family, she had earned only scowls and growls from Leland. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that he was mad at her for taking advantage of his drunken state. He was all about honor and integrity and the most stand-up guy she had ever known. Kissing her wasn't illegal or anything, but it skirted close to a few questionable lines, especially since she was his kid sister's best friend.
So she had spent the rest of that winter holiday break humiliated and feeling lower than dirt. The worst part was that she hadn't been able to get over her crush as easily as he had discarded her. Jamie wasn't used to being denied what she wanted, and all she had ever wanted was Leland Gates.
And now here he was, cradling her in his strong arms and carrying her toward the bed. He placed her down carefully, and pulled a pillow over to cradle her throbbing foot. After thrusting the towel at her, he pointed a stern finger in her direction. "Don’t move."
She had never been the type of woman who took orders, but her entire body thrummed with an illicit thrill when Leland gave one. She could only nod and wrap the towel around her naked body. Her face flamed at the idea of him seeing her without a stitch of clothing.
Leaning back on her palms, she ignored the pulsing ache in her foot and watched him make quick work of cleaning up the ruined lamp with a dust pan and broom he had fetched from the space between the refrigerator and wall. When he was finished, he dumped the ceramic pieces in the trash and ducked into the bathroom. He returned with a damp washcloth, a towel, a pair of tweezers and a first aid kit.
Leland started to crouch down, but winced. He stiffly but quickly rose to his full height. His voice was hard as he gestured to the headboard. "Move up there."
She scooted to the spot he had indicated. "Are you hurt?"
His jaw twitched. "It's nothing."
"You're lying."
He didn't meet her gaze as he clasped her ankle and slipped the pillow underneath it. Silently, he placed the towel on the bed and put the first aid kit and tweezers on top of it. Finally, he admitted, "I was thrown down two flights of stairs and twisted my knee. It's a bit finicky still."
Finicky? Only Leland would describe something so terrible so breezily. "Two flights of stairs?" She couldn't believe he was still walking. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Why do you think I'm here?" He shot her an irritated look, his baby blue eyes glinting with frustration. "I flew out here to get some peace and quiet."
Feeling guilty for ruining his plans, she bit her lower lip. She hated to be such a disappointment to him. She'd gotten used to being her mother's disappointment but from Leland, the only person in the world she had ever wanted to impress? It was almost too much.
Quietly, she said, "If you'll let me stay the night, I'll clear out in the morning once my car is out of the shop."
"You're not leaving." Leland grabbed the tweezers and cupped her heel against his palm.
"But—"
"You're staying here."
She didn't want to argue with him. Staying close to Leland was the safest option for her right now. Her stomach knotted painfully as she considered telling him the reason she had run out here to lay low, but she could just imagine the blowup that would occur. Not wanting him to be mad at her just yet, she kept her trap shut.
"This is going to hurt." His grip tightened on her heel. "Just hold still and let me do what needs to be done. It's quicker that way."
She swallowed nervously and nodded. "All right."
The tip of the tweezers prodded a sensitive spot on her sole, and she cringed. As if he wanted to keep her mind off the pain, Leland made small talk. "Why is your car in the shop?"
"I hit a pallet on the way into town. Thankfully, I had cell service out there. I managed to find the number for the only auto shop for fifty miles."
"Did George come out to get you with his tow truck?"
"Yes. He was kind enough to bring me out here, too."
"He's a nice guy." The tweezers grabbed the shard embedded in her foot. "Hang on, sugar."
Leland's warning didn't register, but the tender name he had used sure did. She barely felt the sliver of ceramic sliding out of her foot. Sugar? He had never called her anything so sweet, not in all the years she'd known him.
"There." He held up the piece for her inspection. "I'll get this clean and bandaged, and we're all done."
"Thank you."
"It was my fault you hurt yourself." He dabbed at her foot with an antiseptic wipe. "I should have knocked on the bathroom door to let you know I was here." Placing the wipe on the towel, he kept his gaze fixed on her foot. "I shouldn't have let you drop that towel, and I definitely shouldn't have stared. It wasn't right."
There weren't many men who would apologize for something like that. The fact that Leland did only proved how truly one-of-a-kind he was. Tummy trembling, she found the courage to be brazen. "Did you like what you saw?"
His head snapped up at that. Never one to lie, he answered in a voice that was suspiciously deeper. Lust sparked in his eyes. "Yes."
Her belly wobbled at his confirmation. He was close to her now, closer than he had been in months. Her skin prickled with excitement. Afraid she might not have the chance to touch him again, she found the courage to reach out and stroke his cheek. The short, wiry hair covering his skin prickled her fingers. "You grew a beard again."
"It's nothing like the one I had a few years back." It might have been her imagination, but she could have sworn he leaned into her touch. His hand moved toward her, but he hesitated. His fingers flexed twice before he wound some of her springy curls around them. "You cut your hair."
"A few weeks ago," she said.
"I know."
She cocked her head to the side. "How?"
He let his hand drop and resumed doctoring her foot. "You tagged Peyton in that Facebook photo of the two of you having dinner and dancing."
Smiling, she lightly smacked his muscular forearm. "Stalker!"
He snorted. "If I wanted to stalk you, I wouldn't use Facebook, and you'd never know I was keeping tabs on you."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Keeping tabs on me?" She held her breath as she waited for the answer.
Instead of answering her question, he pressed a bandage to the bottom of her foot and placed a strip of athletic tape over
it to keep it in place. "Keep this dry until tomorrow. We'll put some more antibiotic ointment on it in the morning."
He gathered up the mess on the bed and stood. When he disappeared into the bathroom, she carefully slid off the bed and tested a little weight on her foot. It hurt a bit, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She plucked undies, yoga pants and a slim-fitting tee from her luggage, but noticed one of her dresses had been moved. Glancing back at the bathroom door, she found Leland watching her. The predatory look in his eyes made her shiver. "Did you go through my bag?"
"Yes."
"Because?"
"I never walk into a battle unprepared."
His words struck her painfully. To think he was comparing the thought of spending the night in the same cabin as her as something as awful as a battle hurt badly. Was she really that terrible?
Clutching her clothing to her chest, she strode toward the bathroom and slipped by him. She gave him a nudge with her shoulder in a silent bid to move, but he didn't budge even an inch. In a flash of speed that startled her, Leland whirled toward her and pinned her against the door. He leaned down, invading her personal space and making her intensely aware of his body heat.
"What are you doing?" she asked with a gasp.
"What are you doing, Jamie? Huh?" His nose nearly touched hers. "What are you running from, girl?"
The concern in his voice surprised her. She swallowed anxiously. Could she tell him? God, the idea that he would be angry with her or yell at her was too much to even imagine. She lowered her gaze and hugged her clothes even tighter to her chest. She hated to have put him in this position. It had been done unknowingly, but he would feel the heat regardless. "Leland, you don't need to get involved in my mess. I've got it under control."
"You've got it under control?" he parroted sarcastically. "You're hiding out in the middle of nowhere, Jamie. That's not under control. That's panicking." His hand slid from the door to her face, and he trailed his fingertips down her cheek. "Let me help you."
A wave of annoyance engulfed her. This morning, she would have done anything to feel his callused fingers sliding over her skin. Now she didn't want his touch. She grasped his hand and dragged it away from her face. He seemed surprised by her reaction and jerked his hand down to his side. "I didn't realize my offer of help was so offensive to you."
"Offensive? That's not—Leland!" She said his name with such anger. "Are you kidding me? For years, you've treated me like dirt. Now you're calling me sugar and offering to help me?"
"I treated you like dirt?" he laughed harshly, the sound so grating her shoulders lifted toward her ears. Holding up his hands, he backed away from her. "You know what? I've changed my mind. In the morning, I'll drive you into town. You can hide out in one of the bed and breakfasts there. This arrangement isn't going to work." He backed away from her and pivoted on his heel. "Maybe you can call Tanner for help," he muttered as he stalked away from her.
She trailed after him in an aggravated huff. His remark confused the hell out of her. Tanny was halfway across the country gearing up for Pro Day in preparation for the upcoming football draft. "Why in the world would I go to Tanny at a time like this?"
"Oh," he said, spinning to face her. "It's Tanny now, huh?"
"It's always been Tanny. We've been close friends since junior high."
"I've had a lot of friends since junior high. We were never that close."
She frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Don't." His jaw visibly clenched. There was a warning edge to his voice, almost as if he expected her to tell a bald-faced lie. "I know what I saw that morning."
Completely bewildered, she scrunched up her face. "What the hell are you talking about, Leland? What morning?"
"Christmas Day. Five years ago." He spoke each word so roughly. "Or are you going to tell me you don't remember that kiss we shared the night before?"
Her mouth went dry. "Of course I remember that kiss." I'll never forget it because it was the kiss.
"The next morning, I watched you slink of out of the guest room Tanner was staying in and do the walk of shame right out of Mom and Dad's house."
She pieced together what he was saying. Her heartbeat sprinted. Unable to keep her voice even, she practically screeched at him. "You think I had sex with Tanny? In your parents' freaking house? Across the hall from my best friend? Is that really what you think of me?"
"I saw you," he insisted stubbornly. "Your dress was all messed up and you were hopping into your shoes."
"Oh. My. God." Dropping her clothes, she planted both hands against his chest and shoved hard. "You are such a jerk!"
He snatched her wrists, not tight enough to hurt her, but to keep her from trying to shove him again. His strong grip didn't surprise her. Those skilled hands of his were deadly. "Why did you spend the night with him?"
"That's none of your business."
"Like hell it isn't!"
Refusing to ever break Tanner's confidence, she turned the question around on him. "Why do you even care? You're the one who tossed me out into the hall like I was nothing."
"You're not nothing. Not to me," he retorted forcefully. "Never to me."
"But you—"
"I was a jackass," he insisted, cutting her off mid-sentence. He let go of her wrists and wiped his face between his hands. With an exaggerated exhale, he said, "I saw something and didn't even stop to think about all the angles. I jumped to the worst possible conclusion and punished you for it for too damned long."
"Why would you jump to that conclusion, Leland? Why didn't you come after me and ask me then? Hell—why didn't you ask Tanny?"
"I don't know." He shook his head. "No. I do know. I was afraid."
She blinked. "You? Afraid? Leland, you're a SEAL. You jump out of airplanes in pitch black night, land in the middle of the ocean and swim onto shore. You fight terrorists. You rescue folks from the very worst people in the world, but you were afraid to talk to me?"
"Crazy, ain't it?" His low Texas drawl made her belly quiver. "But there it is. You scared me then and you scare me now."
"But—why?"
He swallowed hard enough for her to see his Adam's apple bob. A strange thought struck her. Was Leland nervous? "You know why."
She didn't. She really didn't. Unless…
No. That couldn't possibly be what he meant.
"I’m sorry, Jamie. For all of it," he added, his shoulders sagging and his face betraying his guilt.
He looked utterly exhausted, and her heart ached for him. What had this man been through in the last few weeks? What other nightmare scenarios had he survived during the years he had dedicated to serving his country? Yes, he had screwed up big time with his assumption about what had happened that night five years ago, but she decided to let him have a pass this one time. If anyone had earned a second chance, it was Leland.
She placed her hand against his cheek and ran her thumb along the very edge of his mouth. "Let's start over, Leland. Right here, right now, okay?"
He seemed surprised by her offer. "I'd like that."
"Good."
Leland crouched down, carefully favoring his knee, and gathered up her dropped clothing. He pressed it into her hands. She thanked him with a nod and turned toward the bathroom. His voice stopped her before she made it to the doorway.
"Jamie?"
She pivoted to face him. "Yeah?"
"I don't know why you're holed up in this cabin, but as long as I'm here, I'll keep you safe."
His promise washed over her in a wave of soothing warmth. She had never meant to entangle Leland in the web of craziness she had spun for herself. At some point, she would have to come clean with him about what she had been up to for the last two years and the reckless thing she had done last week. Dane would catch up to her eventually, and if Hector wasn't there to intercept him…well…she hoped he would take one look at Leland, turn tail and run in the other direction.
"Thank you." It wasn't nearly enough, but it was
all she could think of in the moment. She slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. Leaning back against it, she closed her eyes and wondered if her heart rate was ever going to return to normal. Half an hour in Leland's commanding presence, and she could hardly breathe. How in the world was she going to survive the next few days alone with him?
Chapter Three
Leland wasted as much time as possible washing the few dishes from the quick dinner of simple omelets he had cooked for them. Tired and aching from a long day of traveling, he wanted to slide into bed and get some much needed rest, but the issue of the sleeping arrangements hadn't been settled yet. He wiped away the water droplets on the countertop and draped the towel over the edge of the sink.
When he turned around, he noticed Jamie hadn't moved from her spot at the small kitchen table. She had a tablet propped against one palm while the pointer finger of the other hand tapped away at the screen. He realized he hadn't seen her cell phone. She was just like Peyton when it came to that device. If she had put it away, there was a reason for it, and he wanted to know what it was.
"Did you leave your phone in your car when it was towed?"
She didn't even glance up from her tablet. "No."
Wondering what was so interesting, he slowly edged along behind her for a better look at the screen. "Is it plugged in for a recharge?"
"No." She glanced over at the sink where he had been standing and seemed startled by the fact that he was now directly behind her. She hastily dropped the tablet down to the tabletop but not before he had caught a glimpse of the screen. "It doesn't have service out here so if you need to make a call, you're SOL. I turned it off and tucked it away in my purse."
He couldn’t be absolutely certain she was lying about not having service at the cabin, especially after she had told him earlier that she had used the phone to call George for a tow, but he thought it was a pretty flimsy excuse. There was really only one reason to have her phone hidden away and turned off. Was she trying to prevent someone from tracking her?