Okay, maybe she could use a man to keep her out of trouble. Just not me.
And not yet, because, judging by the degree of possessiveness that grabbed him by the throat, he wasn’t ready to let her go. It would, apparently, take a little more time to get her out of his system. How that was going to work, with a cabin full of people back at Charlie’s, was anyone’s guess.
“Not a wrinkle in sight. I don’t think they need military corners, do you?” Her voice at his elbow jolted him out of his musings to realize he was still smoothing the comforter in place.
The clean smell of her shampoo invaded his senses as he slid his arms around her and lowered his mouth to hers. What he really wanted to do was get her out of those clothes, release his hard-on from the strict confines of his zipper and mess up the damn bed again. It probably wouldn’t be hard to convince Kellie, judging by the way she softened and melted against him, her arms circling his neck and her soft, full lips open and locked with his.
MacGyver kissed her again, taking his time, before he pulled away. “We better go. If we hit those sheets again, we’ll be there the rest of the day—guaranteed. Though I’m sorely tempted, I think Charlie will want to lay eyes on you soon so he knows you’re still alive.”
She straightened. “You’re right. He’ll be worried.” Sadness and tension seemed to transform her cheerful smile right in front of him.
He wasn’t letting that happen if he could help it, and he wasn’t above keeping the conversation focused on him. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a lopsided grin. “Just so he hasn’t been up all night with a shotgun, waiting for the man who slept with his daughter.”
Kellie’s good-natured laughter drifted over her shoulder as they descended the stairs. Apparently, she wasn’t concerned.
That makes one of us.
She examined the kitchen, probably assuring herself they were leaving everything the way it’d been. MacGyver grabbed the bowl containing the leftover chili from the refrigerator. Sometime around midnight, they’d finally made it down to the kitchen, starving and needing to refuel. At least he could tell Charlie he’d gotten her to eat. Stepping onto the second-floor balcony, he made sure the door was locked securely, then followed Kellie as she descended the exterior stairs.
MacGyver opened the passenger door for her and walked around the back of the SUV, surveying the ground at the edge of the road. New tracks in the mud overlaid the ones he’d noticed last night—deeper, as though someone had parked and watched for a while. Not a good sign, and experience demanded he assume the worst—that Palazzi had managed to track them down against all odds. Now, MacGyver just needed to figure out how…and what to do about the situation.
Kellie was silent on the way to her family’s cabin, peering out her side window. The road was still wet and, in places, waterfalls cascaded from the hillside into the barrow pit. MacGyver kept watch in the rearview mirror, but there wasn’t another vehicle on the road.
As he pulled into the driveway and parked by Charlie’s car, Kellie touched his leg. “Thanks for coming back for me last night, MacGyver. I was starting to freak out. I appreciate you staying too, but reuniting with my sister is what’s important to me now. I’m going to ask the marshal to take Charlie and me to her. Last night was amazing, and I’ll never forget you, but we both know it can’t go anywhere. I think it would be best if we agreed to end it here.”
What the hell? She’s kicking me to the curb?
He caught her hand when she would have removed it from his thigh. Sadness gave way to determination on her features.
Instead of relieving his guilt because nowhewouldn’t have to be the one squelching their relationship, it pissed him off. Getting the boot before he was ready wasn’t part of his plan. Suddenly, it hit him. How many times had he uttered similar statements to women and had no remorse? Being the one on the receiving end provided a whole new perspective. Clearly, he’d been a selfish jackass, and the revelation left a sour taste.
On the other hand, Kellie’s reasoning was altruistic. Her sister had been her priority from the beginning. She’d been nothing but honest, and now she was waiting for some indication he understood. And he did, but if she thought he’d let her go off alone with Jeremy Dahl after he’d held her at gunpoint yesterday, she’d missed the point of the past few days.
A deep breath cooled his anger, and he managed a fleeting smile. “Sure, Champ. If that’s what you want.”
With a nod, she quickly looked away. She opened her door but glanced at him curiously when he didn’t release her hand right away.
He squeezed her fingers gently. “I’m not going anywhere, you know. I’ll be right beside you until you find your sister and the three of you leave Palazzi behind for good. During that time, if I get any indication that’snotwhat you really want…game on.” He searched her face, full of consternation, for a few seconds before he opened the door and stepped out. Later, maybe he’d figure out why her perfectly logical suggestion had instantly irritated him, though it’d mirrored his previous thoughts exactly. At least she’d delivered her recommendation with regret in her eyes, which was more than he could usually say for himself.
“Well, look who finally found his way home.” Travis stood in the open doorway, leaning against the jamb, a coffee cup clasped in one hand. “It’s only fair to warn you the marshal is a bear when he doesn’t get his way. I don’t think the poor bastard slept a wink last night. He made coffee at four fucking thirty, and he’s been pacing the floor ever since.”
At that instant, Jeremy pushed by Travis and stomped across the porch and down the steps, his focus on MacGyver, who was three steps behind Kellie. “Do you know what time it is? You were supposed to bring her back last night. It’s almost ten.”
He stopped abruptly as Kellie walked by him with a wave of her hand. “Sorry, Marshal, but I haven’t had my coffee yet. Once I do, you can answer my questions.”
Jeremy opened his mouth and closed it soundlessly, turning in time to watch her disappear inside. As he swung back, his scowl swept over a grinning Travis and landed on MacGyver. “This isn’t a fucking game, and Palazzi’s not some jilted suitor. Kellie looks too much like Anna for him not to connect the dots.”
Kellie’s purse held a picture of a girl MacGyver had guessed to be a close relation because of their resemblance.Anna.He’d have to agree with the marshal. Palazzi would have had to be blind not to recognize Kellie.
Jeremy nodded as though he’d followed MacGyver’s stream of thought. “Yeah. He knows who she is, and he’s betting Anna will come out of hiding to save her sister. That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to keep both of them alive, but, make no mistake—if it comes down to choosing one over the other, I’ll protect my witness.”
MacGyver tamped down hard on the anger that coursed through him, because, strangely, he understood where the man was coming from. “How long have you been in love with her?”
Unblinking, Jeremy stared back. “I could ask you the same question.”
Travis darted a glance toward MacGyver, but he continued to stare at Jeremy. The question hadn’t surprised him. It was more like a gut-wrenching shock to his system. The words to deny the implication were swept away by remembered images of Kellie, shooting tequila, eating chili, while talking in the light of an open microwave, and her beneath him, lost in the responses of her body to his. Was he in love with her? He wasn’t even sure he knew what love meant anymore.Love equals commitment equals risk.A risk he wasn’t willing to take again. But he also wasn’t willing to stick Kellie with the short straw should the marshal decide to forfeit her life.
“We understand each other then, right?”