Wildcard Read Online Free PDF Page A

to her walk, like she wasn’t entirely used to wearing shoes with heels the size of nail heads.
    The corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. He could just picture those ankles around his neck as he slid into her… damn.
    As he started to head to the bar to order their drinks, he noticed Tracilynn had bumped into the brunette with the big tits, the same one who’d been making eyes at Jess earlier—and the brunette looked pissed, like she’d just swallowed an ant hill.
    Jess heard Tracilynn say, “Kathy Newman?” in a surprised tone, and he moved his gaze to the brunette.
    So that was Kathy Newman, who was on Jess’s short list of people to question in the next few days. Tonight would have been perfect, but not now. At the moment, he had a redhead to deal with, and fast. He cut his gaze back to Tracilynn, but a moment later, she turned and slipped into the crowd, vanishing from his sight.
    Right then his gut told him that she didn’t intend to come back.
    He’d see about that.
    The way she’d kissed him, the way she had trembled in his arms, her passionate purr…all had made it clear as an Arizona sky that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Problem was she didn’t know how to handle those desires.
    He was just the man to teach her.
    Several inches taller than most of the folks at the party, Jess searched the crowd for the petite strawberry blonde, and spotted her at the top of the stairs just before she disappeared from view. Damn she was fast. He started after her, only to find Big Tits Newman blocking his path.
    “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said with a nod as he tried to sidestep her.
    She placed one hand on his bicep and deliberately moved in his way, her perfume as brazen as she was. “I’m Kathy.”
    Even though the woman was keeping Jess from going after Tracilynn, his upbringing and professional instincts kept him from being outright rude. His mama had raised him to always be polite to a lady. Besides, he still needed as much information as he could get on Forrester—later.
    “A pleasure.” He nodded and tried to move, but her hand tightened.
    “Care to dance, cowboy?” she asked as she brushed her breasts against his chest.
    “I’d be obliged if you’d save a dance for me later.” He gave her another slight nod and a tight smile. Before Kathy Newman could respond, he took her by the shoulders and gently removed her from his path.
    Well, gently enough.
    Jess barely heard Kathy’s gasp of annoyance above the Christmas music as he walked away.
    In a few strides he made it to the stairs and took them by threes. When he reached the B & B’s front room that served as the lobby, he saw Nicole standing in front of the registration desk with a slip of paper in her hand.
    “What the—” she said as her gaze cut to the desk clerk. “This is it? All she left?”
    Jess didn’t stop. He headed straight to the front door and yanked it open.
    December’s chill air rushed in, but outside all he could see were cars parked up and down Old Bisbee’s Main Street. The rain-soaked blacktop reflected red, orange, blue, and green Christmas lights strung down the silent street—but nothing else. Not even a pair of taillights.
    Ah, hell.
    The click of Nicole’s heels against the tile and her powdery perfume alerted Jess to her presence, even before she spoke. “You have something to do with her up and leaving, don’t you?”
    He shut the door a little too hard as he clenched his jaw and pivoted to face his cousin. “Where’d she go?”
    “Her sister’s.” Nicole shook the note at Jess. “I wanted her to meet you, but I sure as all get out didn’t think you’d go and scare her off like this.”
    Jess snatched the note from Nicole’s hand.
    Left for Dee’s. I’ll call. T.M.
    “Dee…” His gaze shot up to meet Nicole’s furious expression as it finally hit him. Where he’d seen Tracilynn’s eyes before. Eyes that had been hidden behind glasses in pictures taken years ago. Photos he’d