Sinful Suspense Box Set Read Online Free PDF Page B

that charm, bro,” the first man barked. “I spotted her first.”
    The man who had returned the guitar looked back. “She’s not prey, and she’s not for you. Now get your ass back up on your bike.” The first man, the one who seemed to be a few pancakes short of a stack, as my Aunt Carly liked to say, took the time to look me up and down before turning and heading back up to the road.
    I was left standing with the second man, a man who looked like trouble just as much as he looked like heartache, deep, unshakeable heartache.
    He stared at me for a long, hard moment. His Adam’s apple moved along his throat with a deep swallow. “Christ, you are a goddamned heartbreaker,” he said quietly as if he was just talking to himself. He seemed to shake off another thought. All sense told me I should be afraid to be standing in a deserted ravine with this man, a man whose gaze was now riveted to me, but the earlier fear I’d felt at seeing his friend hike toward me had vanished.
    He lifted his hand toward my guitar. I pulled it out of his reach, thinking he’d decided to keep it.
    He smiled, but the sorrow behind it seemed to be permanent, as if he hadn’t been happy in a long while. “Relax, darlin’, I’ve got no use for a guitar. Can’t even sing in the shower without scaring the birds outside. I just thought I’d carry it up for you. You look a little out of it, and it’s a harder hike up than down.”
    Reluctantly, I handed him the guitar. His fingers once again brushed mine. I was sure it wasn’t just a coincidence because his hand lingered longer than necessary. The way he looked at me made me feel as if I was standing completely naked in front of him. There was a glimmer of amusement in his light brown eyes as his gaze drifted down over my body.
    I shifted slightly on my feet. “What’s the matter?”
    “Nothing at all. The opposite, in fact. Just wondering if you’ve got a peace sign or the words ‘make love not war’ tattooed somewhere on that body of yours.”
    “I don’t. Sorry if my clothing style amuses you.”
    “Nope, I like it.” He motioned with his head. “Come on, Woodstock, follow my steps, and you should be fine.” He turned back toward the makeshift trail.
    I stayed close behind him. His height and impressive shoulder span in his black leather jacket made me feel as if I was following a gothic Goliath up the mountain. I scurried behind trying to keep pace with his long legs and confident steps.
    He glanced back over his shoulder. The waning sunlight made his eyes nearly glow gold. “What were you doing down there?”
    I didn’t answer.
    He stopped and turned around. “You lost someone on the curve.” It wasn’t a question. But, as Everly had said, it was common for people to visit this spot.
    “Yes.”
    He stared at me for a long, drawn-out moment again before turning back around. Up above, a motorcycle roared to life. I hoped that the other man would be gone before we reached the road. He was unsettling, to say the least.
    I followed behind my intimidating but intriguing trail guide. My gaze strayed to the mesmerizing movement of his butt and leg muscles beneath his jeans, and I stepped too far near the edge. I gasped as the trail gave way. A terrifying vision of me falling head over heels down into the ravine flashed through my mind. Strong fingers wrapped around my arm. I slipped no farther than a few inches, but my heart raced as if I’d fallen a hundred feet. It was an odd, uneasy feeling I couldn’t shake even moments after both my feet were back on solid ground. He held my arm until I steadied myself.
    “Guess you’ll think twice before hiking down here again.” He stepped up to the ledge of flat ground running behind the highway railing. He turned back to me. A rush of recognition went through me that pushed a lump into my throat. Impossible. He was a complete stranger. This was not a man who would just dash out of your memory after meeting him. There was no way