Rock Hard (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF

him trying to get more comfortable with the weight of her across his lap, but she knew it was something more. He seemed to be struggling with emotions. Kade pulled his jacket from the backseat and curled it around her shoulders.
    Their eyes locked. “I need your license and registration.”
    “The glove box isn’t locked. My wallet is in my backpack.”
    Wynn scooted from his lap and sat next to him on the edge of trunk. Kade reached around to a small cooler and opened it. He pulled out a juice and snapped open the lid.
    “This will get your blood sugar back up. Take small sips.”
    “Thanks.”
    Wynn usually loved the sound of the rain when she was inside, but everything felt off and dark. She sipped her juice and peeked into the cooler. Lunch was a bag of thinly sliced carrots with a small cup of low-fat dressing. She picked up a small container that held a tofu-looking salad and gave it a puzzled shake. Another bag held crunchy noodles for the salad, and there was a chocolate protein bar for dessert.
    Kade was half in her Wrangler as he dug through her glove box. His radio crackled, and he responded with a mix of codes. He reached in the backseat for her bag and started searching through it. A flush crept over her cheeks as she remembered what was in the bag.
    She saw the ranger stiffen as he stared into her backpack as though he’d been stung by a swarm of Africanized bees. He reached in and took out her small wallet and left her pink thong inside. He came around and sat inside his patrol vehicle and ran her background.
    “Feeling better?” he asked.
    “Much. Thanks.”
    She couldn’t meet his gaze in the rearview. Instead, she stared out over the ravine and thought about starting over in another division of the FS. She’d probably be demoted, too. They’d want to know why she was requesting the move. They wouldn’t let her go without knowing the truth.
    She couldn’t throw it all away. There had to be a way for her to have it all. Most times there wasn’t. Something always had to give. That was just the nature of working in the FS.
    The sound of Kade closing the car door brought her around. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her as he stood in front of her. He looked like he wanted to forget the rules and protect her at all costs. He looked like a law enforcement officer that had stepped over the line and wasn’t sure what he stepped into. She wouldn’t allow him to get close again. He handed back her registration and license.
    “Your story checks out. Is it an ex-lover trying to find you?” he asked.
    “No. It’s more complicated.”
    “Complicated how? Your husband?”
    Betrayal slashed through his eyes before she saw him temper it with professionalism. “No. I’m not married.”
    He waited patiently, and she struggled with the right words. She couldn’t find them at all. It was better that he didn’t know the truth of it, she decided then.
    “You can trust me,” he said.
    “I know.”
    Determination was set in the hard glint of his predatory gaze. Wynn was certain that Kade was a man that couldn’t let go. He sat down beside her, getting out from the rain. Night was pushing in fast.
    His radio cracked as he pressed the microphone. “43-50 to Central.”
    “Go ahead 43-50.”
    “Be advised Pebble Beach is flooded. The climber and I are going to wait it out. It may be five or six hours.”
    “10-4. The National Weather Service is indicating another three hours of storms.”
    “10-4, copy that.”
    Kade reached around the seat and unlocked the back, flipping it down to give them more leg room.
    “You’re stuck with me for a while,” Kade said.
    “I think I can handle that.”
    He linked his hands and stretched back, leaning his wide shoulders against the back of the front seat. He crossed his feet at the ankles. Wynn didn’t trust herself around Kade. She wanted him to wrap her in his arms again. Lightning snapped across the sky, making her shiver. She moved away from the