“No.”
“I was responding to a theft report.One of the neighbor’s guns went missing.Paul was new to the area, so I knocked on his door.”
She froze at the news.“He was a suspect?”
“Not really.But I considered him worth talking to.”
“Why?”
“Cop instinct.”
She studied her brother’s face.“You still feel that way?”
Jackson shrugged.“When I saw how he interacted with Emily, I thought maybe I’d misjudged him.”
“Maybe you didn’t.”
“You’re mad at him.”
“For good reason.”
“He didn’t steal the gun—I know that much.It was found by the owner.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s harmless.”
“No,” Jackson agreed.“It doesn’t.For what it’s worth, I ran a background check on him.He doesn’t have a criminal record.”
Vanessa was relieved to hear it.She didn’t believe Paul would harm her or Emily.He’d explained his reasons for being on edge, and she’d found them compelling.“What do you know about his injury?”
“Nothing.Why?”
After a short pause, she leaned forward and lowered her voice.“He’s recovering from a gunshot wound.”
Jackson’s gaze sharpened.“I thought he got hurt on the job.”
“He did.He said he worked for a security company.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter,” Vanessa said.“We won’t see each other again.”
Jackson drummed his fingertips against the table.He seemed disturbed by the news of Paul’s injury, but anyone could become a victim of gun violence.She pictured Paul’s tortured face as he’d recounted the details.He was no cold-hearted criminal.
He wasn’t summer fling material, either.The problem wasn’t just him.It washerreaction tohim.He was too intense for a short affair.
You’re afraid of what you’ll let me do to you in the dark.
As much as she hated to admit it, the statement held a grain of truth.She’d been celibate for over a year, and she was more than ready to exorcise Bennett with a new partner.She wasn’t afraid of anything Paul might do to her body.The greater concern was her bruised heart.She didn’t want it to get trampled again.Sex with Paul would be passionate and all-consuming, based on the heat they’d generated with a single kiss.It might lead to an emotional connection, and that would be disastrous.Vanessa couldn’t afford to catch feelings for a man who was all sharp words and rough edges.
Last night, after she’d spouted off that nonsense about responding equally to any man, Paul had given her a look of such carnal intent she’d almost swooned.She’d braced herself for another kiss, an angry one.To her disappointment, he’d refrained.The memory made her squirm with discomfort.Given half a chance, she might run to his cabin and beg him to finish what they’d started.
“Mom didn’t date for years after the divorce,” she murmured.
“You’re not Mom.”
Vanessa gave a rueful smile.She was nothing like their mother, who’d raised them with selfless dedication and stern teachings, but little joy.The split with their father had left her with a lasting melancholy.
“That’s a compliment, by the way.”
