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  Instead of the bereft look he expected to see, anger blazed from her. Even Tiny retreated a half step at her fury. “He stole everything. He’s cleaned me out.”

  Letting out a screech of frustration, she pushed past them and raced down the hall, her arms wrapped around her waist. Moments later, the front door slammed, rattling the windows. Dillon started to go after her, but Tiny caught his arm before he’d taken two steps. “If I were you, I’d let her get a head start. She needs to get it out of her system. You step in now, you’ll likely find yourself with a fat lip or a broken nose.”

  Deciding to heed Tiny’s advice, he stayed where he was. But five minutes was all he’d give her. Then he was going after her. “How sure are you that it was Phil? Maybe she’s right. Maybe he took off, and someone else cleaned her out.”

  It was a rhetorical question. He’d bet dollars to donuts Phil had taken her stuff, but he had to have something to tell her.

  “It’s possible, but I’m betting my money on her brother.” Tiny took off his hat and scratched his receding hairline. “I’m also betting he didn’t do this alone. For the amount of stuff he’s taken and the size, he would have needed a truck and another strong back or two. You wouldn’t happen to know any of his friends, would you?”

  “Phil and I aren’t exactly close.” Though they lived on neighboring farms, he doubted they’d exchanged more than five words to each other. Mainly because Phil was always planted in front of the television, while Nikki bore the burden of the chores. “You’d have to check with Nikki.”

  He glanced out the window where Nikki paced the front lawn, her lips moving as if she were cursing out an invisible opponent.

  Tiny followed his gaze and grunted. “I’ll give her some more time to calm down. She didn’t happen to mention anything about where her brother hangs out, did she?”

  “Nik complained a while back that he’s always down at the titty bar out on the loop. You could try there.”

  “The Boot-T Bar?” Tiny made a disparaging sound in the back of his throat. “I’ll go talk to the bartender, ask if they’ve seen him around.”

  Brett had mentioned the type of clientele who frequented the bar as well as some of the fights, a few involving weapons scarier than a broken beer bottle. “What if Phil lost a bet to the wrong type of person, and they wanted more than just Nikki’s stuff to pay off the debt? Do you think Phil’s not here because he was part of the payment?”

  “You mean they’ve decided to use him to fertilize some field right now?”

  Dillon nodded.

  “It’s possible. But considering he’s already out on probation for breaking and entering, and possession of stolen goods, I’m betting he cleared the place out as soon as she left and has a two-day head start. He could be halfway to the coast by now.” Tiny hitched up his pants and glanced around again. “We’ll be putting a Be on the Look Out for him as a person of interest either way. If we hear anything, I’ll let you know. I would recommend you don’t mention that little theory to your girlfriend there. She’s got enough to worry about.”

  Shit, what if they came back looking for more money from Nikki? There was no way he could leave her alone now.

  “Anything I can tell Nik in the meantime? What are the chances of getting any of her stuff back?”

  Tiny scratched his arm with the edge of his notebook. “Slim to none? I have more hopes we’ll find her brother before we find her belongings. That boy’s a trouble magnet. It’ll only be a matter of time before he winds up in the slammer. If he’s lucky, it’ll be in some other county.”

  With a nod, Tiny left him. Dillon heard him telling his men they could wrap up and head home. So much for fingerprinting and all the forensic crap they showed on TV. Still, if Phil wound up in the local jail, Tiny’d make sure he’d wind up eating a bellyful of knuckle sandwiches. If Brett didn’t get to him first.

  Brett Anderson switched off the strobe lights and parked his squad car beside the others. The three units parked in front of Nikki’s, lights still flashing, highlighted the trim figure striding back and forth across the lawn, her arms wrapped about herself. Where the hell was Dillon, and why had he left Nikki alone?

  He got out of the car and headed straight for her, ignoring the house for the moment. When he’d recognized the address blasted over the police radio, it had been all he could do not to abandon the accident site out on the highway. At least Tiny had been the first responder on scene and had kept him in the loop.

  “Hey, Nik.”

  Nikki’s head snapped up. “Brett!”

  She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms about his waist. The fear that had caught him since he’d first heard the call relaxed as he closed his arms around her. “You okay, sweetie?”

  “Yeah, it’s just…” She buried her face against his neck, her chest heaving as she struggled to maintain control. If he knew her, it wasn’t an effort to hold back tears but to contain her anger. “Everything I’ve got is gone.”

  “I know, Nik. But it’s just stuff. At least you’re safe.” Tucking her head under his chin, he stroked her back, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Despite the number of visits he’d made to her place over the years, only in his fantasies had he been able to hold her like this again.

  They stood wrapped together for a few minutes, her breathing gradually calming down, her body softening against his. Brett memorized how she fit perfectly against him, taking the time to notice the tinier details like how her braid dangled halfway down her back. He fantasized about removing the elastic holding it in place and running his fingers through her hair, freeing it from its bindings. What would it be like to lie beneath her, to feel her hair cascade over his chest?

  “Tiny thinks Phil took everything.” She tilted her head back to look at him, reminding him of the last time he’d held her in his arms. What would it be like to kiss her the way he had then?

  Not now. Not yet. She’s been victimized. If you make your move now, you’ll never know if she’s turned to you because you represent safety or if she’s hot for you.

  “I heard.” When he’d heard Tiny broadcast the B.O.L.O. on Phil, the tow truck drivers had saluted the curse he’d uttered. “We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

  “I don’t understand any of it.” She shook her head in confusion and looked toward the house.

  Goddamn that lazy bastard. How they could be related was beyond his imagination. Then again, of all people, he knew how genes didn’t carry the best—or the worst—traits between family members. Thank God for small mercies. “Honey, there were no marks on the lock to show someone had broken in. There were no broken windows—”

  “No,” she interrupted. “I understand why they think it was him, but what I don’t get is how he could have done this to me, his own sister. I took him in instead of making him live in a halfway house, or somewhere with strangers. There must be some other explanation.”

  He cupped her cheek until she looked at him. “It’s not about you. To Phil, it’s about satisfying himself, no matter who he hurts.”

  She leaned her cheek into his palm, her eyes closing. “What would I do without friends like you?”

  Friends? Yeah, he’d tried to stay her friend. After he’d come back from college, it had hurt to see her in town with her husband, to be reminded of what he’d lost. A couple months later, he’d joined the Barnett County police and had discovered her husband receiving a blow job from town slut Patsy Schrader in the grocery store parking lot. It had just about killed him not to warn her that her husband was cheating. Same with the next time, when he’d caught them in flagrante dilecto in the back seat of Patsy’s van. Or the next.

  Right after she’d finally kicked the sorry bastard out the year before, he figured he’d have another chance. But every time he’d checked on her since, she’d been oblivious to why he was visiting. Instead she’d announced she was determined to make it on her own and spurned all his help.

  Maybe now they could pick up where they’d lef
t off ten years before. He moved a half step closer, and she didn’t step away. Instead she continued to look up at him, her lips slightly parted. Inviting him to kiss her. He bent his head until the brim of his hat brushed the top of her head.

  A throat cleared on the porch. “Hey, Anderson, you get that accident scene cleared up?”

  Stifling a sigh, Brett pulled back. On the porch, Tiny rocked on his heels, one eyebrow raised. Shit. There went the professional rating on his next review. Then he saw Dillon standing in the shadows, arms folded across his chest. Shitfuck.

  When Dillon stepped into the light, he couldn’t miss his friend’s narrowed eyes. Nor could he miss the heat in them when they turned on Nikki. Shitfuckdamn.

  You’ve been down this road before. Remember that fiasco? It’s Dillon’s chance with Nikki this time. Not that either of them had ended up with her back in high school, but he wasn’t prepared to lose Dillon or the Barnetts. Not again.

  He dropped his arms from Nikki, and stepped back. “Hey, Dill. Nik, I gotta go help Tiny here. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  Chapter Three

  From the dark look on Brett’s face as he stomped into the house, Dillon could tell if Brett found Phil in some dark alley, Phil could expect to be dickless and nutless pretty damned fast. For her part, Nikki had calmed down. Looked like Tiny’s advice had paid off.

  He stepped off the porch and captured her hand in his. “Tiny says there’s nothing more he needs from you. Come on, you can sleep at my place tonight.”

  And the next night, and the night after that, and for every night after if he had a say.

  It didn’t surprise him when she shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. I can stay here.”

  “Come on, Nik, there’s not even a pillow left for you to sleep on.”

  “I’ll sleep in the horse trailer. It’s got a bunk I can use. I don’t want to put you out.”

  Of course she wouldn’t want to put him out. Nikki was all about keeping everyone else happy.

  “I’m not leavin’ you here when I’ve got a perfectly good bedroom you can use. Besides, that tin can of yours will be a hundred degrees inside.”

  “But I have to lock up after the police leave.”

  “Brett will look after everything. Don’t worry.” Taking her hesitation as agreement, Dillon handed Tiny the key she’d given him earlier then led her to his truck.

  As he opened the door, she tried one last time. “Really, Dillon, I can sleep in the trailer. I’ll be fine.”

  “Nikki,” he spoke through his teeth, “humor me on this, will ya?”

  “I don’t want to be a burden.”

  “Don’t you worry about that. Think of it as me being neighborly. You’d help me out if I had an emergency, so don’t try to stop me from helping you.”

  Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded. “Since you put it that way.” Her fingers glanced over his arm, sending a blast of sheer need straight to his cock. “Thank you, Dillon. For everything you’ve done tonight.”

  One of the spaghetti straps holding her top up had slipped off her shoulder, leaving the thin cotton top to gape open. He didn’t mean to look, swear to God he didn’t, but damned if he could help noticing she’d gone braless, and he could see clear down to her pebbled cinnamon nipple. What he’d give to play with that pretty peak. She had no idea how close he’d been to shoving her up against the barn wall and fuckin’ her brains out earlier. Even now, it was only the pale exhausted look in her eyes that stopped him from yanking her top down and tasting those sweet breasts.

  After helping her into his truck, Dillon climbed into the driver’s side and slammed his door, cursing Phil under his breath. Especially after noticing the way Nikki’s eyes could barely stay open as she sagged in the seat beside him.

  Before he could act on his impulses, he shoved the truck into gear and concentrated on driving down the cart path she called her driveway. Once his tires hit the smooth pavement, her chin bounced gently on her chest. By the time he turned into his own place ten minutes later, Nikki was fast asleep. She’d hiked one leg up beneath her and lay half curled sideways into the seat, her lashes long on her cheek.

  Oh, baby, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to sleep with you, but this sure isn’t the way I wanted it to be. He fingered the end of her long ginger braid. He hadn’t seen her hair loose since they were back in high school and wondered what it would be like freed, hanging like a curtain on either side of her face as she rode him.

  Down, boy. You don’t hit on women who can’t say no.

  Leaving her sleeping, he climbed out and opened her door. After undoing her seatbelt, he slid his hand beneath her legs and behind her back and drew her toward him. She murmured softly and settled against his chest. Her warm breath feathering over his skin had his cock hardening against his zipper.

  Later, buddy, he told his dick. Tonight she’s too exhausted. But tomorrow. Tomorrow all bets would be off, and he’d be hard-pressed to keep his hands off of her, his dick out of her.

  He carried her inside and up the stairs. His step faltered just outside the spare bedroom.

  Begin as you mean to go on, his mother always told him. He meant to have Nikki in his bed, permanently. He continued to the end of the hall and laid her on his bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she sighed and rolled on her side, tucking her hand beneath her head and murmuring something unintelligible.

  He smoothed the long bangs that had fallen in her face. So soft. Yet from the work she’d done in the barn, the load she was carrying running her farm by herself, she’d proven herself anything but soft. A primitive surge of protectiveness filled him. Goddamn, she worked herself too hard while her brother lounged around on his ass and her ex-husband had let her have dick-all in the divorce.

  “You’re not alone anymore, Nik. Never again.”

  Dillon wrestled off her boots and dropped them on the floor. What next?

  The thin cotton top she was wearing could probably stay on, but there was no way he could leave her in those jeans, not after mucking out the barn. He shook her lightly. “Nik? Wake up, hon. You need to get undressed.”

  Not opening her eyes, she unzipped her jeans and shimmied them down off her hips, hooking her panties at the same time.

  He should turn away. He should at least stop staring, but holy shit, she was even prettier than he’d imagined. It took all his restraint not to part her legs and bury his face in the narrow triangle of ginger curls guarding her pussy, not to lick the sweet pink lips and find out if she tasted the way he’d imagined.

  His balls ached, needing a release he wasn’t going to find in his bed tonight. The only way he’d get it would be by his own hand. With a last lingering glance at Nikki’s body, he settled the sheet over her and headed for the shower.

  When he came out twenty minutes later, a towel wrapped around his hips, she hadn’t moved. He flipped off the overhead light. “I’ll go sleep in the guest room. If you need anything, just holler.”

  He froze in the doorway when he heard her murmur, “That’s silly.” Her eyes didn’t even open as she patted the pillow beside her. “S’your bed, you should sleep here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Her head bobbed up and down once.

  Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.

  He dropped the towel and slipped between the sheets, wishing the light was still on so he could look at her a little longer.

  As he lay beside her, his brain starting churning over how she hadn’t completely opened her eyes and looked at him. How she’d behaved mechanically, unaware of what she was doing. What if she forgot she undressed herself and woke up here beside him and freaked out, thought he’d stripped her, maybe copped a feel? Or more.

  Maybe he should just go sleep in the guest bedroom.

  She chose that moment to turn on her side, throw her arm across his belly and snuggle against him. Nikki stretched in his arms with a sigh of satisfaction. She reminded him of a Siamese cat Gramma Barnett had once had. Elegant
and lithe, yet with an underlying strength that was easy to misjudge.

  His balls drew up into his body, and his cock hoisted the goddamned sheet like a circus tent. There was no fucking way he was leaving now, even if he could. He doubted he’d get much sleep with her naked beside him, not with the hard-on he was sporting.

  Slowly swimming to consciousness, Nikki didn’t have to open her eyes to know she wasn’t on the hard bunk in her trailer. Not only was the mattress she was lying on comfortable, but the light was all wrong. The morning sun wouldn’t have been hitting her right in the face the way it was now. Or had she parked it in a different spot? Come to think of it, where had she parked it?

  What the hell was she using for a pillow? Whatever it was had hair that was tickling her nose. And was warm. And breathing.

  She opened her eyes and gasped when she recognized the familiar face so close to hers.

  Not only was she in bed with Dillon Barnett, but she was plastered against him, one arm draped over his waist. Oh, man, is this a dream? Because when Dillon had said she was going to be spending the night at his place, she sure as heck hadn’t figured he meant in his bed.

  Hmm, that wasn’t entirely true. After their kiss in the barn and he’d invited himself inside, she’d figured they would be taking things to the next level, but she figured she’d at least be awake for part of it. She’d also figured she would have had the privilege of watching him—heck, helping him—get naked.

  Was he naked?

  Taking a chance that he was in a deep sleep, she lifted the sheet and peeked underneath. Whoa momma, the man was nekkid as the day he was born.

  As she watched, his cock twitched and rose to half-mast. She dropped the sheet and glanced at his face only to find his eyes still closed.

  She’d finally connected with Dillon Barnett. Yet what had she done? She’d slept the whole night through and missed out on what could have been the best sex she’d had in her life.