Dangerously Irresistible
Dangerously Irresistible
Kristin Gabriel
Tanner picked up the handcuff and slapped it around Maddie’s wrist
“Gotcha,” he said with a satisfied, sexy grin.
“This is silly,” Maddie protested weakly as the heat in Tanner’s gaze uncoiled something deep inside her. Flustered, she turned and picked up the key from the nightstand. “All I have to do is unlock it….” Her voice trailed off when she realized the key wouldn’t turn.
“You look so sexy in red,” Tanner teased, running his finger along her arm.
Goose bumps broke out along her skin and Maddie sucked in a deep breath, trying in vain to gather her scattered wits. She licked her lips. “Don’t do this to me, Tanner.”
Tanner brushed a tendril of hair off her cheek. “You’re under the mistaken impression that I’m some kind of Casanova. I’m not. But ever since we met, there’s been something between us….”
“Tanner, we can’t…” She moaned as he shifted his weight on the bed, bringing him closer—intimately closer. “No matter how much I’d like to,” she gasped.
“Maddie,” he said, dropping a soft kiss on her lips, “I don’t think you’re in a position to argue….”
Dear Reader,
I had so much fun with my first Temptation novel—writing about a strapping, sexy hero and the strong, sassy woman who catches him. And in my book, that’s exactly what my heroine, Maddie Griffin, does. You see, Maddie is an aspiring bounty hunter and she takes her job very seriously. So when Tanner Blackburn proves to be too dangerously irresistible for the women of the world, Maddie is determined to keep the female population safe. One way or another…
I’d love to hear what you think of Maddie and Tanner’s amorous escapades. You can reach me online at www.KristinGabriel.com or write to me at P.O. Box 5162, Grand Island, NE 68801-5162.
Enjoy,
Kristin Gabriel
Books by Kristin Gabriel
HARLEQUIN LOVE & LAUGHTER
40—BULLETS OVER BOISE
56—MONDAY MAN
62—SEND ME NO FLOWERS
HARLEQUIN DUETS
7—ANNIE, GET YOUR GROOM
25—THE BACHELOR TRAP
27—BACHELOR BY DESIGN
29—BEAUTY AND THE BACHELOR
Dangerously Irresistible
Kristin Gabriel
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For you, Kent.
Contents
Prologue (#u8d1a4dfa-7be2-55f9-ac4e-9c3e03d2bbbe)
Chapter 1 (#u7ee163b1-ba77-5075-aea4-f7ce5fdeb1b4)
Chapter 2 (#u6fbcd523-4236-510f-912d-31b63702a1ac)
Chapter 3 (#u588110af-7a79-57ea-a571-3b512e88656b)
Chapter 4 (#u1d95b2c1-0246-56de-ab0c-af959ece593a)
Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
MADDIE GRIFFIN STOOD on her tiptoes to peek through the grimy window of the double-wide trailer. She saw green shag carpet on the living room floor, a centerfold hanging on the wall, and a shotgun propped in the corner—right next to the young man sprawled in a recliner with a can of beer in his hand.
He was tall and wiry, with fuzz on his chin that barely passed for a goatee. Not more than eighteen, he wore ragged denim cutoffs and a sweat-stained gray T-shirt with a gaping hole under one arm.
Maddie moved away from the window, her heart racing in her chest as she prepared to put her plan into action.
Retrieving a smoke bomb from her bag, she lit it, then rolled it underneath the souped-up green Chevy Nova sedan parked in the gravel driveway. Plumes of thick grayish-white smoke soon swirled up through the grill and around the front tires of the vehicle.
Crouching behind a dented aluminum trash can, Maddie pulled out her cell phone and dialed up the occupant of the trailer.
After three rings, a sluggish voice came over the line. “Yeah?”
“Hi, this is Tina, your next-door neighbor.” Maddie held her breath, hoping she sounded like the blond bombshell who lived in a nearby trailer. She’d never actually met the woman, though she had nosed through her mailbox to discover her name.
“Hey, Tina,” he said, sounding surprised. “What’s up?”
“Well, I just looked out my window…and I think your car is on fire.”
A moment later, Maddie saw a shadow at his trailer window, then heard a crude oath explode over the line. The telltale squeak of the trailer’s front door told her he’d taken the bait.
Obviously, he fit the young and stupid category, as did most of the bail jumpers who kept the Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency so busy.
She stood up and pulled a canister of pepper spray out of her pocket. Her prey raced down the concrete steps toward the car, completely unaware that his freedom was just about to come to an end.
Suddenly, someone tackled Maddie from behind, knocking her into the dirt. The pepper spray went flying as she gasped to regain her breath. She lay flat on her stomach, the crushing weight of the body still on top of her. Before she could scream, a beefy hand clamped over her mouth.
“Shut up or you’ll ruin everything, you nitwit!”
Tate. Her big brother had lousy timing. White-hot fury rolled through her as she lifted her head just far enough to see her other brother Ben apprehend the fugitive. Her fugitive. The takedown was quick and easy, just as she’d known it would be.
By the time the kid was in handcuffs, Tate had hauled her to her feet and was brushing leaves and grass out of her hair.
Ben strolled up to them, the fugitive in tow. “Damn it, Tate, why did you knock her down like that? You know Dad will chew both our butts if Maddie has even so much as a scratch on her.”
“She was holding pepper spray. If you think I’m taking a chance on her spraying me again, you’re nuts. Besides, you got the easy part. She bit me!” He held up his palm to show his brother the damage. Then he scowled at Maddie. “I thought you were against violence.”
“That’s what you get for sneaking up on me! Which, for your information, is the reason I accidentally sprayed you the last time.” She wrenched her arm out of her brother’s grasp, furious with them both for botching her takedown. Again. “When are you two going to quit following me around?”
“Hey, we’re just following Dad’s orders.” Ben shook his head. “And you’re in trouble this time, sis. Big trouble.”
An hour later, Maddie knew her brother hadn’t been exaggerating. She stood in her father’s office, her ears ringing from the decibel level of his voice. He’d been shouting at her for the past fifteen minutes. Surely he couldn’t hold out much longer.
“This is it!” Gus Griffin banged his fist on the desk. “This is the last straw. If I can’t trust you to stay in the office, then you’re fired. I’ll find another secretary.”
“Good,” she retorted, when he finally paused for breath. “I never wanted to be your secretary. I want to be a bounty hunter, just like you and Ben and Tate. I may not have your brawn, but I’ve got more than enough brains to do the job, plus a degree in criminal justice from Northwestern. I’m ready.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And I’m ready to lock you up until you come to your senses. A lady doesn’t belong in this business. And I’m not letting any daughter of mine out on the streets to confront dangerous felons.”
She leaned forward, planting both palms on his desk. “Then I’ll go work for someone else. Or start my own agency. I’m twenty-five years old, Dad. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”
A muscle twitched in his grizzled jaw and Maddie knew that her father was still frustrated that he couldn’t control her. That was one of the reasons he’d sent her off to boarding school shortly after her mother’s death when she was twelve. He could handle the rough and tumble world of boys, but the thought of dealing with a little girl clearly hadn’t appealed to him. So he’d shut her out of the family.
Just like he was doing now.
“You’re not working for anyone else,” Gus said. “You’re going back to school and learn how to be a teacher, or even better, a nurse. Then maybe you’ll learn how dangerous it is to bite your brother.”
She refused to feel guilty since she hadn’t even broken the skin. “This is the third time Ben and Tate have interfered with one of my cases.”
His nostrils flared. “You don’t have cases! You’re a secretary. You’re supposed to be filing and making coffee, not shopping for a stun gun.”
A blush crept up her cheeks. “You know about that?”
“Yes.” He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a magazine, tossing it on top of the desk. “I also know about this.”
The flush deepened as she stared at the title. Texas Mail-Order Men. Her friend Shayna Walters had given her a subscription to the magazine as a joke after Maddie had complained that her brothers always scared away any potential suitors. She’d spent more than one lonely Saturday night leafing through the magazine and marking the pages with the best-looking men. She hadn’t intended to actually follow through and send for one—no matter how titillating the prospect of pairing up with a perfect stranger might be.
From the expression on her father’s face, she wisely kept that opinion to herself. Squaring her shoulders, she decided the best defense was a good offense. “Ben and Tate broke into my apartment again, didn’t they? That’s an invasion of privacy. They had no right….”
“They had every right,” Gus interjected, his thick, gray brows crashing together, “especially when I discovered that you were out pursuing another felon. They were looking for some clue to see where you’d gone—only they found this instead.”
Gus opened the magazine to the first dog-eared page and read the caption below the photograph of a half-naked bull rider. “Eight seconds is all you’ll need to know this cowboy is the stud for you.”
He turned to the next dog-eared page. A grinning, naked cowboy held a saddle on his lap, strategically concealing a certain portion of his anatomy. “Let this cowboy take you for the ride of your life.”
“I can explain,” she began, her cheeks hot.
He folded his arms across his burly chest. “I’m waiting.”
“I never had any intention of contacting those men.”
“So why did you mark the pages?”
She couldn’t believe they were sitting here discussing this stupid magazine instead of her career. “It’s not like I’d planned to track them down. Although I could,” she added, tipping up her chin, “if I wanted to. I’m a damn good tracker, Dad. If you’d just give me a chance….”
“Forget it. No daughter of mine is going to associate with the kind of lowlife riffraff who jump bail, especially when you refuse to even carry a gun.”
“I carry pepper spray in case I have any problems. And I’m willing to use a stun gun in an emergency.” She stood up. “Just because I don’t break down doors and wrestle felons to the ground doesn’t mean I can’t do the job.”
He shook his head. “Women don’t belong in this business. Look what happened to Lynette.”
She rolled her eyes. Lynette had once worked as a secretary at the Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency. She’d also broken Gus Griffin’s heart. “Your fiancée ran off with a con artist, Dad, she didn’t die in the line of duty.”
His gaze flicked to the bulletin board on the wall. Straight to the wanted poster of the man who, one year ago, had stolen the woman he’d loved. The only woman he’d ever considered marrying after her mother’s death. But Lynette had dumped him for a man ten years her junior. A man they now knew as the Kissing Bandit. Guilty of fraud and bigamy in three states, the Kissing Bandit had romanced Lynette out of every penny in her savings account, then left her high and dry. He’d been arrested soon after, then jumped bail and disappeared.
Gus Griffin had never forgiven Lynette for jilting him. He’d also vowed to bring the notorious Kissing Bandit to justice. But despite his diligence, the Bandit was still on the loose. And Maddie was still paying the price for Lynette’s weakness.
“Maddie, I’m sorry to say that this magazine is proof that you’re not ready to hire on as a bounty hunter. It shows poor judgment. You’re obviously more interested in romance than recovering fugitives.”
“That’s not fair! Ben and Tate spend every weekend with a different woman, and you never say a word.”
“That’s because Ben and Tate have already proven themselves in the field. They’re not going to let a pretty face distract them at a crucial moment.”
“So give me a chance to prove myself, too. That’s all I ask, Dad. One chance.”
He hesitated, and for one brief moment she let herself hope.
“Madeline…” he began.
She closed her eyes, knowing the answer even before he said it. Her father never used her full name unless he was about to deliver bad news. He’d called her Madeline when he’d told her about her mother’s death in a traffic accident all those years ago. And then again a few months later, when he’d announced that she’d be attending a boarding school in Boston, instead of staying with the family in Chicago.
Madeline had never boded well.
“It’s time to put this silly idea out of your head,” Gus said gruffly. “You’re not going to work for me as a bounty hunter, and you’re not going to work for the competition, either. Everybody in this city knows better than to cross Gus Griffin.”
“Then I’ll open my own business,” she said, mortified to feel her lower lip quiver.
“Nobody in their right mind would ever hire a woman to bring in a fugitive, especially a woman who refuses to carry a gun.” He stood up and awkwardly thrust a tissue in her direction. Gus Griffin could face an armed felon without blinking an eye, but a woman in tears terrified him.
She grabbed the tissue and wiped her nose, aware of the office door closing behind her. She was alone. Again. Despite the tightness in her throat, her eyes were dry and hot. He wouldn’t even give her chance. After all these years, he still wouldn’t let her be part of the family.
She’d grown up trying to knock down the emotional wall that kept her separated from her father and brothers. They loved her and tried to protect her, but they didn’t understand her. And they didn’t want to let her into their world.
She reached across the desk for another tissue, her elbow bumping the magazine onto the floor. With an irritated sigh, she picked it up and scowled at the sexy cowboy who grinned up at her.
“It’s all your fault,” she muttered, though she knew her father would have used any excuse to keep her safely behind a desk instead of out in the field.
She flipped through the magazine, half tempted to place an order just to irritate her father. She knew it was immature and irrational, but so far acting mature and rational hadn’t gotten her very far.
She dropped the magazine into her lap, the pages falling open to the special insert called Grooms-to-Go. She’d never looked at this section before, having no interest in a man desperate enough to advertise himself for marriage. Then she blinked at the picture in front of her. And for one brief, terrifying moment her heart fluttered in her chest.
She held her breath as she looked up at the wanted poster in the center of the bulletin board. The one that had been there for so many months. The one with the picture of the Kissing Bandit. Then she looked back at the magazine.
It was him.
Maddie gulped, trying to breathe normally again. She’d found him. The man her father and brothers had been fruitlessly searching for was right here in black and white. His hair was a little shorter, and dark instead of blond, and he’d shaved off his mustache. But he still had the same square jaw, the same sexy dimple in his chin. She quickly scanned the brief description. Height: Six feet two inches. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Blue. Name: Tanner Blackburn.
Maddie stood up, too excited to remain still. Tanner Blackburn was one of the aliases of the Kissing Bandit. His name and hair color might change, but his m.o. was always the same. He’d dupe lonely women into falling in love with him, then he’d bleed them dry.
Now the Kissing Bandit was here, right in front of her. Or rather, in Texas. And obviously up to his old tricks. If she could bring him in….
If? When she brought him in. Then she’d finally have everything she’d always wanted. The love and respect of her father. The approval of her brothers. The satisfaction of finally proving herself as a full-fledged member of the Griffin family.
She smiled at the photo of the handsome man in the magazine. He’d soon learn that a Griffin always gets her man.
1
“BREATHE,” TANNER BLACKBURN ordered the man standing next to him. “It’s just the wedding rehearsal. You don’t need to start panicking until tomorrow.”
“I’m not panicking,” Cabe White said, his voice husky with emotion. “I just can’t get over how damn beautiful she is.”
They stood in the center of an old barn located on the outskirts of Abilene, Texas. The open doors did little to assuage the oppressive June heat. Flies buzzed around them and the air was ripe with the odors of hay and manure.
Tanner watched as the bride-to-be stood in the doorway. She wore a long pink denim skirt and a pale pink western blouse with pearl buttons. Her fine, silky blond hair was tucked beneath a straw cowboy hat adorned with a pink satin band.
Despite the heat and the flies and the way his new cowboy boots were pinching his toes, Tanner felt a twinge of envy deep inside of him. Cabe and Hannah were meant for each other, even though he’d seen her first. Hell, he’d dated her first. After reluctantly allowing his kid sister to place his picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, he’d finally met a woman who had stirred his interest. He’d thought it was fate.
Until she’d fallen in love with his cousin.
Tanner hadn’t even seen Cabe for almost five years. As teenagers, Cabe, Tanner and Tanner’s twin brother, Ronnie, had all been hell-raisers together, breaking curfew and female hearts on a regular basis. They’d all had the same dark hair, deep blue eyes, and square Blackburn jaw that the ladies seemed to love. And they had all loved the ladies.
But Tanner had given up his playboy ways after his parents divorced when he was twenty-four years old. He’d even agreed to take custody of his kid sister, Lauren, who at fourteen, had been well on her way to becoming the most notorious hell-raiser of all.
Cabe and Ronnie hadn’t grown up as much as drifted away. Except for a card at Christmas, they rarely kept in touch. They hadn’t even attended their maternal grandmother’s funeral. Tanner had been named executor of the estate and contacted each of them about their inheritance. He, Ronnie and Lauren had been given eighty acres of Iowa farmland that had been in the family for three generations. Their cousin Cabe had inherited their grandmother’s house in Hominy, Iowa. A month ago, Cabe had come to Dallas to collect the deed.
That’s when he’d met Hannah.
And that’s when fate had decided to play a trick on Tanner. Hannah had taken one look at Cabe and fallen hard and fast. It had been love at first sight for both of them. Hell, even Tanner had seen that. They’d both politely waited to act on their affection until Tanner had offered to step aside.
What else could he do? Hannah wanted someone who could sweep her off her feet. A man who would think it was romantic to marry western-style in an old dilapidated barn.
A man the exact opposite of Tanner Blackburn.
He’d realized that he’d almost made a big mistake. Hannah was a nice woman, but she wasn’t the right woman. Not for him. He wasn’t even sure such a woman existed, but he intended to keep looking. Instead of heading home for Dallas, he’d bought an airplane ticket to Jamaica. With over ten weeks in vacation time built up, Tanner thought it was time for a little rest and relaxation. And, if he was lucky, a little romance.
It had taken some juggling to arrange a week off from his job at the law firm of Collins and Cooksey, but he’d refused to put it off. This was the first vacation he’d had since… Well, he couldn’t remember when. Vacations were a luxury his parents hadn’t been able to afford, especially after their divorce.
By the time Tanner had worked his way through college and law school, he’d been too busy paying off his school loans to take any time off. Plus, he’d wanted to keep an eye on his sister.
All of which hadn’t left him much time for a love life.
But his little sister had graduated from high school this year and was leaving for college in the fall, which meant he’d be on his own. That was one of the reasons he’d agreed to let Lauren place his picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine. It was just a lark, though he’d felt duty bound to go out on a date with every woman who contacted him.
All thirty-four of them.
The problem was, most of them weren’t looking for love. Not really. They wanted a knight in shining armor. Someone to rescue them from the jerks in their lives—men who preyed on a woman’s vulnerabilities.
Men like his brother, Ronnie—although Ronnie had recently turned over a new leaf. He was now a missionary in Guam, of all places. The former bronc rider, once coined the Romeo of the rodeo, now kept himself busy doing good deeds. Tanner wasn’t totally convinced by his brother’s abrupt metamorphosis from playboy to preacher. Still, he’d been gone for the past few months and showed no sign of returning.
Now Tanner was ready for a change, too. He’d had enough of bachelor life and was ready to settle down. The hard part seemed to be finding the right woman. After his recent experiences on the dating scene, he longed for a woman who desired him. Just him. Not his bank account. Or his handyman abilities. Or his new Chevy Tahoe SUV.
He had high hopes of finding his fantasy woman in Jamaica. Strolling along a white sand beach in a string bikini. A woman with a thirst for banana daiquiris and making love in the moonlight. A woman who liked the thrill of the chase and could give him something that had been missing in his life for far too long—a challenge.
A horse whinnied in the stall behind him, reminding Tanner to pay attention to the wedding rehearsal. The minister wore blue jeans and a faded chambray shirt. Tomorrow, the entire wedding party would be decked out in western wear, complete with boots, cowboy hats, chaps and spurs. Tanner had left his spurs back at the hotel for the rehearsal, but he’d worn the new boots he’d purchased in Dallas, along with his black felt cowboy hat.
An old-fashioned pump organ was set up in the hayloft and the nesting barn swallows kept swooping down at the organist’s head. Her rendition of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was punctuated with shrill yelps of terror.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the minister to run through the vows and position the wedding party in the appropriate places. Tanner’s only duty as best man was to hold on to the wedding rings and stand by Cabe—and to pretend it didn’t matter to him that he’d lost the only woman he’d given a second glance in over a year.
The minister wiped his perspiring brow with a handkerchief. “At this point, you may kiss the bride.”
Tanner’s smile froze as he watched Cabe pull Hannah into his arms and rehearse a kiss that they’d obviously practiced many times before.
The kiss went on and on and on.
“Hey, Cabe, save something for the ceremony,” Tanner joked, determined never to let Cabe or Hannah see the envy twisting inside of him.
Hannah laughed when Cabe finally released her. “If this is the rehearsal, I can’t wait to experience the real thing!”
Cabe grinned. “Maybe we should just have the minister marry us right now so we can proceed straight to the honeymoon.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “Oh, Cabe, you’re not serious!”
“Why not?” Cabe turned to Tanner. “Do you have the rings?”
Tanner patted his jeans pocket. “They’re right here, safe and sound. But you’ve already reserved the barn and put a down payment on the reception hall. Then there is the caterer to consider, and the band. Both will demand to be paid even if you don’t use their services.”
“See,” Hannah said with a laugh, “at least someone is sensible around here.”
Tanner’s jaw clenched. Sensible. Now he was not only dull and boring, but sensible. How much worse could it get?
Hannah turned to him. “Oh, before I forget, I wanted to tell you that my cousin Jane is coming to the wedding tomorrow. You’ll adore her, Tanner, I just know it. She’s so sweet—a little quiet though. But she loves to talk about embroidery, so that would be a good icebreaker.” Hannah turned back to Cabe. “Jane embroidered ten sets of matching pillowcases for us as a wedding present.”
Cabe winced at Tanner over his fiancée’s head. “Honey, maybe Tanner already has a date for the wedding.”
“Oh,” Hannah exclaimed, turning to Tanner. “I never thought of that. Do you?”
“Yes,” he improvised, before he found himself shackled to a blind date for the wedding reception. He’d had more than his share of dreary dates lately. He didn’t want someone sweet and quiet. He wanted a woman who excited him. A woman who was completely unpredictable. A woman who would agree to attend a wedding with a perfect stranger at a moment’s notice.
And now he had less than twenty-four hours to find her.
SHE’D FOUND HIM.
Maddie took a deep, calming breath as she looked around her hotel room, making certain everything was in place. She hadn’t been thrilled about the two-hundred-dollar-a-night room charge, although it would definitely be worth it if she could pull this off.
She’d arrived in Texas three days ago and traced Tanner Blackburn to a house in Dallas. It had been surprisingly easy, but then he probably hadn’t expected a bounty hunter to locate him through the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, especially since ninety-nine percent of the bounty hunters were men.
A chat with Tanner’s next-door neighbor had revealed that Mr. Blackburn was planning a weekend trip to Abilene to attend a wedding. Several phone calls later, Maddie had all the information she needed. Tanner Blackburn had a room reserved for two nights at the Huntington Hotel in Abilene.
She’d tailed him from Dallas. Seen him register at the hotel, then leave again. After registering for her own room and setting everything in place for the takedown, she’d gone back to the lobby for surveillance.
After spending three hours in the lobby pretending to read the newspaper, she’d finally seen him return with a small group of people, half of them heading for the elevators, the other half making a beeline for the bar. Blackburn had joined the group at the bar.
He’d played into her plan perfectly.
Maddie had returned to her hotel room to make certain everything was ready when she brought Blackburn here. She knew she had to play this game carefully. One screwup and she’d lose not only the Kissing Bandit, but her dream to join the family business.
She walked over to the bed, adjusting the pillows. Then she checked once more for anything he might be able to use as a potential weapon. She’d already hidden the glasses, ashtrays, mirrors and other breakables.
Not that she expected him to turn violent. Her extensive study of the Kissing Bandit’s methods had taught her that he preferred to use his wiles instead of weapons.
But a girl could never be too careful.
“It’s almost time,” Maddie said aloud. She’d waited for this moment for so long. Her first takedown. And since she hadn’t seen or spoken to her father or brothers in over a week, she didn’t have to worry about Tate and Ben interfering this time. She’d taken extra care to make certain they couldn’t trace her whereabouts.
The Texas Mail-Order Men magazine lay open on the desk. She picked it up and studied the man’s picture once more. Blackburn had altered his appearance somewhat, which was only natural when you were a fugitive from justice. She stared at the photograph, a tingle of excitement racing through her veins. Soon she’d be meeting the elusive Kissing Bandit face to face.
Maddie slid the magazine into the desk drawer, then slipped into a pair of high heels, ignoring that her knees were shaking. She checked her makeup in the mirror, applying a last dab of cherry-red lipstick to her mouth. Her plan was definitely risky. Playing the femme fatale had never been her forte. Although she’d attracted her share of men, they always seemed to lose interest in her after the first date. And she couldn’t entirely blame her overprotective brothers.
Maddie knew her flaws better than anyone. She was too stubborn, too bossy, too self-reliant. Most men liked to play the hero for a woman. Impress her with his muscles and machismo. They didn’t like a woman who knew how to take care of herself. Her own family had taught her that much.
She smoothed her hands over the snug fabric of her red dress, hoping the exorbitant price she’d paid would be worth it. The agency would receive eight thousand dollars if Blackburn was turned over to the court in time. But that time was running out. A bail jumper had to be returned to the custody of the court within one hundred and eighty days of his failure to appear. Otherwise the bail bondsmen had to pay the entire amount of the bond, which in this case was eighty thousand dollars.
The Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency was on the payroll of several Chicago area bail bondsmen, and their reputation for catching elusive felons like the Kissing Bandit was unparalleled in the Chicago area.
Now it was up to Maddie to maintain that reputation. She had just nine days left to bring Blackburn to justice. Adrenaline shot through her veins as she walked toward the door.
The Kissing Bandit was about to be unmasked.
2
TANNER SAT IN THE empty hotel bar, nursing his beer. The wedding party had retired to their rooms, most of them exhausted from the long trip into Abilene. But Tanner was on a mission. Find a woman to take to the wedding tomorrow or learn more than he ever wanted to know about embroidery.
Unfortunately, his hopes for snagging a date were fading fast. He still wore his cowboy hat, since his sister had once informed him that women were attracted to the rugged, outdoorsy type. He might not actually live on a ranch, but he did spend plenty of time outdoors. A former state champion swimmer, Tanner still worked out four evenings a week at the local recreation center. He glanced at the clock, wondering if he’d have more luck impressing the ladies down at the hotel swimming pool.
Surprised to see it was close to midnight, Tanner drained his beer mug. Hannah had suggested he turn in early so he’d be fresh for the wedding tomorrow. But he just wanted to be numb.
“Can I buy you a beer, cowboy?”
He slowly turned around to see a tall, slender brunette. She had big brown eyes and silky nutmeg hair that caressed her bare shoulders. She wore a strapless red sundress that hugged her mouthwatering figure. The three-inch heels on her matching red pumps made her long legs seem endless.
He swallowed hard, then abruptly stood up and motioned to the bar stool beside him. “Only if I can buy you one first.”
She sat down, then held out one slender hand. “My name is Giselle, but all my friends call me Gigi.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Somehow he guessed a woman named Giselle wouldn’t be interested in an estate lawyer. She’d want someone exciting. Impulsive. Someone who lived life on the edge. He could imagine the interest fading from her beautiful eyes as soon as he said, “Hi, I’m Tanner and I manage the affairs of dead people.”
So why say it?
Tanner straddled his bar stool and spoke before he had time for tedious second thoughts. “My name is Whip. I’m a bull rider.”
Her finely winged brows arched in surprise. “Really? I’ve never met a bull rider before.”
Tanner propped his cowboy boot on the rung of her bar stool. “It gets a little rough sometimes.”
“I can imagine,” she said, obviously impressed.
He tried to remember all the stories his brother Ronnie had told him about the rodeo. Most of them had been highly exaggerated, but entertaining. He signaled the bartender for two beers, mentally weaving a story that would keep her smiling.
It was amazing how easy it was to fall back into the playboy role after all these years.
Gigi crossed her impossibly long legs. “So are you in Abilene to ride bulls?”
“Actually, I’m here for a wedding.”
She reached into the bowl of stale popcorn that sat on the bar between them. “I love weddings.”
Just the words he wanted to hear. Gigi would be the perfect woman to take as his date, if he could convince her to go with him. Take it slow, Blackburn. Don’t scare her off.
But Gigi definitely didn’t look scared. She leaned toward him, her foot lightly brushing against his ankle.
He watched, mesmerized as she slowly licked the salt from her fingertips. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman. Much too long.
Tanner cleared his throat. “This wedding is a little unusual. I met the bride in a mail-order magazine.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Well, it’s a little complicated,” he said, realizing he’d given her the wrong impression. Not that he wanted to explain by telling her Hannah had dumped him, especially since he could barely think straight. Either the beer or her subtle, exotic scent had intoxicated him. Maybe both.
“No, I think it’s fascinating.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “Tell me about the magazine. Did strange women contact you?”
“Day and night,” he said, tipping up his hat. He might be stretching the truth just a little, but it was getting easier by the minute. “I’ll admit I did it as a lark, but it paid off.” For Cabe, anyway.
She smiled. “Something tells me you like to live dangerously.”
“Whenever possible.” His whole body tightened as his gaze fell to her full, sultry mouth. She wasn’t anything like Hannah, but there was something about her that pulled at him. Something that triggered a deep, primal urge that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and haul her back to his cave. Or at least his hotel room. He took a deep gulp of beer to cool his blood.
“So tell me about bull riding,” she said, reaching for another handful of popcorn.
Tanner spent the next hour making up the wildest stories possible. Fortunately, he’d been to enough rodeos to sound credible. And Gigi’s riveted attention and enthusiastic questions encouraged him to keep talking. Three beers later, he’d almost convinced himself that he was one of the best bull riders in Texas. Or at least one of the best at shooting the bull.
“I’m on a hiatus now,” Tanner said, rubbing his knee. “Trying to heal up after that last ride.”
“Have you ever ridden Diablo?”
“Who?”
She circled one fingertip around the rim of her beer mug. “I saw a special on television once about rodeo bulls, and they said Diablo was known as the meanest one on the rodeo circuit.”
“I…uh…no,” he said, suddenly wary that he was about to blow his cover.
But she didn’t press the point. Instead she gazed up at him. “Your eyes are very blue, aren’t they?”
“As blue as the Texas sky,” Tanner improvised, emphasizing his Texas drawl for effect. “That’s what my mama always said.”
His mother, who never permitted any of her three children to call her mama, had never said any such thing. But Mom was in Florida at the moment, so what did it matter?
“Your face is so classic.” She reached out her fingers and brushed them lightly across his jaw. “I’d love to do you nude.”
He blinked. “Excuse me?”
She laughed. “Did I mention that I’m an artist?”
“No, ma’am,” he said, mortified by the blush warming his cheeks. Whip the Bull Rider would never blush.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a small lavender card. “This is my business card. I’m in Abilene for a showing at the Courtyard Gallery.”
He took the card from her, noting the New York City address and the fact that she didn’t include her last name on the card, only Giselle.
“Whip, I know this may sound a little forward.” She gently laid her hand on his arm, causing his muscles to jerk in response. “But would you mind coming up to my hotel room? I’m just itching to sketch you.”
“I never say no to a lady.” Especially a lady who wanted to take his clothes off.
“Good.” She slid off the bar stool and reached for his hand. “I promise to make it an experience you’ll never forget.”
His heart pounded in his chest as he followed her to the elevator. When he’d first seen Gigi, all he’d wanted was a date for Cabe’s wedding. Now he wanted more.
Much more.
Maybe he should skip his trip to Jamaica and stick around Abilene instead. He couldn’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend his vacation than with the sexy and intriguing Giselle.
Standing next to her in the elevator, he closed his eyes, breathing in her unique scent. He’d never been this intrigued by a woman before. He wished he’d foregone that last beer at the bar, wanting all his senses keen and sharp. Somehow he knew this was a night he wouldn’t want to forget.
The elevator doors opened and Tanner’s pulse kicked up another notch as they headed down a long hallway. Picking up strange women in bars wasn’t his usual style.
Judging by the way Gigi’s hands were shaking as she tried to insert the plastic key card into the lock of her room, picking up strange men wasn’t her style either. She swore softly under her breath when the light on the door lock flashed red instead of green. She tried it again, then a third time.
Tanner deftly took the key card out of her hand, turned it around so the arrow pointed in the right direction, then slid it smoothly into the lock. The light flashed green and he turned the handle to open the door.
“Thank you,” she said, a pretty blush suffusing her cheeks. She retrieved the key card from him, then placed one hand on his chest. “Would you mind waiting out here for just a moment? I’d really like to straighten up the room just a bit.”
“That’s not necessary….” he began, taking a step forward. But she’d already slipped inside and closed the door behind her.
He stared at it, slightly confused. Gigi had seemed a little nervous on the elevator. Was she already having second thoughts?
He mentally kicked himself. Whip the Bull Rider wouldn’t have let a woman keep him waiting in the hallway. He’d have carried her over the threshold and showed her his real talents. Just when he was about to give up hope, she opened the door again.
He strode inside without a word, then pulled her into his arms. A small gasp escaped her mouth right before he kissed her. She tasted of butter and salt and beer. And something else. Something uniquely Gigi that made him pull her even closer and deepen the kiss.
She moaned low in her throat and circled her arms around his neck. Without breaking the kiss, he kicked the hotel door shut behind him.
The kiss smoldered between them, so thrilling and hot that he never wanted it to end. At last he lifted his head, tantalized by the raw desire he saw gleaming in her brown eyes. “You’re incredible, Gigi.”
She swallowed, then took a deep, shuddering breath. “You’re not exactly what I expected.”
He grinned. “Good.”
She reached up and undid the top button of his shirt. “Whip, I have a confession to make.”
He sucked in his breath as her fingers slid down to the second button. “A confession?”
“I really did want to sketch you, but now…”
She stood so close to him that he could smell the sweet raspberry fragrance of her hair. Her fingers slowly teased each button out of its buttonhole. At last, his shirt gaped open and her warm breath caressed his bare chest.
“Now…what?” he asked huskily. He liked the way her sundress outlined the generous curves of her body. Liked the way she kept licking her lips, as if savoring the kiss they had just shared.
She tugged his shirttails out of his jeans. “Now I want to do so much more.”
His gaze fell on the king-size bed that dominated the entire room. “So do I.”
Without another word, she turned around and opened the hotel room door, placing the Do Not Disturb sign on the exterior door handle. Then she closed it again and flipped the lock.
He moved toward her, but she smiled and held up one hand. “Don’t move. Not yet. I want to look at you.”
She walked slowly toward him, her gaze lingering on his chest, then gliding downward. His body reacted as if she was actually touching him and it took all his willpower not to pull her into his arms.
“You’re so big.” Her hands slid slowly up his chest. “So tall and strong.”
He closed his eyes with a low groan of pleasure at her touch. But despite the desire pounding in his veins, he willed himself not to move. He let her set the pace, enjoying every moment of this exquisite torture.
Her hands smoothed over his skin and he opened his eyes when she touched the small scar below his left nipple.
“Did this happen while you were bull riding?” She slowly slid her finger back and forth over the pale pink scar.
His nipple tightened at the feathery sensation. He nodded, not wanting to ruin the moment by telling her the real story. Somehow he didn’t think she’d be impressed that he’d tripped on a staircase in high school and been pierced by the metal math compass in his shirt pocket.
Her hands hungrily caressed his ribs, her fingers running through his chest hair, then over his shoulders as she pushed his shirt halfway down his arms.
She was so close, he couldn’t breathe right. Couldn’t think straight. His body tightened as the front of her dress brushed against his bare chest. He could feel her firm breasts through the thin fabric. More than ever, he wanted to hold her, kiss her senseless. But his arms were now pinioned by his shirt. It was an odd sensation, being at her mercy, that he found strangely erotic.
“What do you want?” she breathed, slowly guiding him backward toward the bed.
He wanted so many wonderful things. Things only Gigi could give him. “You,” he said, lowering his head to nuzzle the tender skin behind her ear.
She leaned into him, causing him to fall back onto the bed. A bolt of pain shot up his arms, still trapped behind his back. But he quickly forgot about the discomfort as Gigi followed him onto the bed, straddling his waist.
She leaned down until her lips were only a hairsbreadth away from his mouth. “I knew I wanted you as soon as I saw you.”
“Me, too,” he murmured, then tipped his head up just far enough to kiss her. He moaned as his tongue slipped inside her mouth. The sweet taste of her, combined with the incredible sensation of her bare legs wrapped snugly around his waist, was almost more than he could bear.
Somewhere in his frazzled mind, he knew he should confess, too. Tell her he wasn’t really Whip the Bull Rider. And that he’d never met a woman like her before.
But now certainly wasn’t the time. Not when she was so warm and soft and inviting. Her tongue arched into his mouth at the same time her hands flexed against his shoulders. She deepened the kiss, putting so much enthusiasm into it that his head fell back onto the pillow.
Tanner lay there, completely at her mercy, unable to touch her with anything but his mouth. It heightened every sensation. He could smell the soapy scent of the freshly laundered pillowcase and feel every inch of her warm body pressed against his own. One silky tendril of her hair teased his left ear.
He arched his hips upward, welcoming the delicious friction of her body against his aroused flesh. Despite the long dry spell in his love life, he could never remember reacting to a woman like this before.
At last she broke the kiss and rose to a sitting position, her soft, silky thighs cradling his hips. The hem of the sundress was pushed up past her knees. Her breathing was fast and heavy.
“I need to touch you,” he said huskily.
A high flush stained her creamy cheeks. “Turn over.”
He readily obliged, anxious to have her rip his shirt off and free his arms. Then he could finally touch her. Undress her. Lose himself in her.
But instead of yanking his shirt off, she straddled his backside. Then she leaned down, her soft, buttery breath curling inside of his ear. “Do you like to play games, Whip?”
Before he could reply, she slid her hand under the pillow and pulled out something pink. It took a moment before he realized they were handcuffs.
Very unusual handcuffs.
“Uh…what exactly do you have in mind?” he asked, as she dangled the pink ménage à trois cuffs in front of his face. There were three individual cuffs connected by a Y-shaped, silk-covered chain.
“You’ll see,” she teased, then slapped one of the three cuffs onto his right wrist. He barely had time to blink before she shackled his left wrist as well.
He lay there, trying to decide exactly what Whip the Bull Rider would do in this situation. But desire and anticipation had clouded his brain. He tried to turn over, but her weight kept him firmly anchored to the mattress.
Tanner tugged on his wrists, but the handcuffs held tight. “Uh… Gigi?”
“Yes?”
“This is a little uncomfortable.”
She rolled off of him. “Let me see what I can do.”
He frowned in confusion as she bent his right leg at the knee and slipped off his cowboy boot. Then he heard another click and realized too late that she’d locked the third empty cuff around his ankle.
He lay there hog-tied and completely helpless.
Where had he ever gotten the idiotic idea that picking up a strange woman in a bar would be fun? Of course, it had been fun when she’d been taking his shirt off. And it had been beyond fun when she’d kissed him.
Somehow, somewhere, they’d taken a wrong turn. He arched his head up far enough to see her smiling at him.
Then she gave him a saucy wink. “Gotcha, cowboy.”
3
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING on here?”
Maddie tensed as the Kissing Bandit yanked hard on the handcuffs, but they held tight. Beneath all that pink silk was solid core steel. “You need to calm down.”
He took a deep breath, his face pressed halfway into the pillow. “Look, Gigi, I don’t think it’s going to work out between us after all.”
She rolled her eyes. The man was gorgeous, but completely clueless. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m not Gigi. My name is Maddie Griffin and I’m from the Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency in Chicago.”
He stopped moving. “What?”
“You heard me, cowboy. You’re all mine.” She took a deep breath, still a little shaky from her first takedown. It had all gone according to plan. Sort of. She hadn’t actually intended to let him kiss her, or to kiss him back. But that didn’t matter now.
She had him exactly where she wanted him.
“You’re a bounty hunter?” he said at last, his blue eyes wide with disbelief.
“That’s right.” She stood beside the bed, waiting for him to accept the situation. He’d soon tire of fighting the handcuffs.
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’ve got the wrong man. My name isn’t really Whip. I made that up….”
“I know,” she interjected. “You’re the Kissing Bandit.”
“Who?”
“The Kissing Bandit.” She reached down, unable to resist brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. “I realize Tanner Blackburn is your alias du jour, but even if the name changes, the crime stays the same. You’ve been scamming women for the past seven years, but your luck just ran out. I’m taking you in.”
“This is ridiculous.” He bucked once, his breathing heavy. “I am Tanner Blackburn and I’m an attorney from Dallas. I should warn you that forcibly holding someone against their will is a felony in this state.”
She arched a brow. “A lawyer? I thought you were a bull rider.”
He clenched his jaw. “I made that up.”
“Just like you made up the name Whip?”
“Yes.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Somehow that doesn’t sound like something an innocent man would do.”
“I had my reasons,” he said between clenched teeth.
“Now that I believe.” She slipped off her high heels, relishing the feel of the plush carpet against the soles of her feet. “Advertising your services in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine is the standard m.o. for the Kissing Bandit. So is preying on helpless, vulnerable women.”
“Helpless?” He struggled to lift his head off the pillow. “I’d hardly call you helpless. Crazy, yes. Helpless, no.”
She smiled. “You’re just mad because I gave you a taste of your own medicine.”
He stopped moving and stared up at her. “Are you telling me this was all a ploy? The beers at the bar. The invitation to your hotel room. The kiss.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze, wishing she could forget about that kiss. It definitely hadn’t been part of her plan. She was only supposed to sketch him. But he’d caught her off guard when he’d marched into her hotel room and kissed her. So she’d improvised. Then, after she’d peeled his shirt over his shoulders to secure his arms, she hadn’t been able to resist kissing him again.
Now Maddie just wished she could forget the way her body had responded to him. It wasn’t just embarrassing, it was unprofessional. For one brief, insane, electrifying moment she had forgotten the real reason she’d brought him up to her hotel room.
“Tell me,” he demanded, obviously irritated by her silence, “do you really have a showing at an art gallery? Are you even from New York? Or were you just playing games with me?”
She tipped up her chin. “What do you think?”
His shoulders sagged. “I think I’m an idiot.”
“Don’t take it so hard. Your luck couldn’t hold out forever.”
He closed his eyes. “This is beyond crazy. I am not the Kissing Bandit. I’m an estate lawyer.”
“Is that one of your new scams? I imagine there is quite a profit in seducing wealthy widows.”
“It’s not a scam, it’s the truth. I’m with the law firm of Collins and Cooksey. The only reason I made up Whip the Bull Rider was to impress you.”
“I’m definitely impressed with your creative abilities—” she sat on the edge of the bed “—although I do think it’s a little disgusting that you’re in a bar trying to pick up women the night before your wedding.”
“My wedding?” His brow furrowed. “Where did you get a crazy idea like that?”
“From you. Down at the bar you told me that you’d met the bride through the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine. I believe your exact words were—It paid off.”
He shook his head. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. I tried to tell you that before, but you distracted me.”
“Oh, sure. Blame the victim.”
“Victim.” He snorted. “I’m the one whose leg is growing numb. Now please unlock these cuffs.”
Maddie could see his discomfort, but she steeled herself against the appeal in his blue eyes. A bounty hunter couldn’t risk feeling sorry for her fugitives or allow herself to make concessions. Besides, the man deserved a little discomfort after all the pain he’d caused her father—not to mention all the women whose hearts he’d broken.
“I’ll unlock them when we get to Chicago.”
His eyes widened. “Chicago?”
She nodded. “That’s where we’re headed as soon as the sun comes up tomorrow. I’ve been tracking you for the past three days and I’m a little behind schedule.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” He lunged upward, but only succeeded in rolling off the bed. He hit the carpet with a loud grunt.
She kneeled down on the floor beside him. “It won’t do you any good to try to escape.”
“Escape?” he sputtered, wincing as he rolled onto his side. “Sorry to disappoint you, but at the moment I’m just hoping I didn’t break any bones.”
Her sympathy overcame her better judgment. She pulled a small key from the pocket of her sundress and unlocked the cuff around his ankle. He slowly straightened his right leg, wincing at the movement. Maddie didn’t waste any time securing the empty cuff around the metal leg of the bed frame.
“There,” she said, helping him up to a sitting position, his arms still cuffed behind his back. “That’s better.”
“No, that’s not better. I demand that you release me immediately!” He yanked hard on his chains.
“Sorry, Whip. No can do.”
“The name is Tanner.”
“This week, anyway.” She sat down in a chair across from him.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Face it, lady, you nabbed the wrong man.”
She sighed. “It’s not going to work.”
“My name is Tanner Blackburn,” he insisted.
“And you’re a lawyer.”
“That’s right.”
“A successful lawyer?”
He nodded. “As a matter of fact, I’m on the fast track to making partner.”
“Impressive.” She leaned forward. “So tell me something. Why would a handsome, successful lawyer advertise himself in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine?”
He met her gaze and her stomach fluttered at the indefinable emotion swirling in his blue eyes. “It’s a long story.”
“That’s all right, Whip… I mean, Tanner.” She settled back in her chair. “It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”
She forced herself to remain calm as he worked himself into a fury, yanking on the chains hard enough to make the bed vibrate. He was much brawnier than she’d expected. His shoulders were wide and his chest unbelievably broad. He’d obviously been working out since that last mug shot had been taken.
Her mouth went dry when she remembered the way his chest muscles had rippled beneath her touch. How the bulge of his biceps had helped snag his shirtsleeves behind him, making it almost impossible for him to move his arms.
She’d known the Kissing Bandit had charmed women all over the country, but she’d never really understood his magnetic power…until tonight.
The man had a boyish appeal that was almost irresistible. Especially when it was combined with those incredible blue eyes, that solid, square jaw, and a smile that melted something deep inside of her.
Not to mention that kiss.
She closed her eyes, attempting to block out the memory, and failing. Her body had betrayed her, and it still thrummed from the aftereffects of his kiss. She kept telling herself the only reason she’d kissed him was to distract him when she brought out the handcuffs.
But it wasn’t true. Worse, it had almost backfired on her. No wonder so many women had signed over their bank accounts and their common sense to this man.
“Am I boring you?” he asked archly.
Her eyes flew open. “Did you say something?”
His nostrils flared. “I was telling you the reason my picture was in that stupid magazine.”
She tucked her legs underneath her. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
He shifted uncomfortably on the floor. “Then I’ll say it again. It was a gift.”
She arched a brow, surprised that a man as cunning as the Kissing Bandit couldn’t come up with something more clever. “You consider yourself a gift to women?”
“No. It was a gift to my little sister.” He sagged against the bed, obviously exhausted from his struggle against the handcuffs. “For some ridiculous reason, she thought I didn’t have enough romance in my life. So she filled out the application and told me the only thing she wanted for her high school graduation present was my picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine.”
As far as Maddie knew, the Kissing Bandit didn’t have a little sister. But she decided to play along anyway. “And you agreed?”
“Not at first,” he replied. “But Lauren is nothing if not persistent. She told me she couldn’t enjoy herself at college if I was all alone in Dallas.”
Maddie had to give him credit. He was good. Very good.
Especially the way his voice softened when he spoke his sister’s name. He was a master of deception, which was probably the reason he’d avoided capture for so long.
“So you advertised yourself in the magazine hoping to find true love?”
“Something like that.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Look, the real reason is that it made my sister happy. She’s had a tough time these last few years, but she pulled herself together and graduated from high school with honors. She even qualified for a college scholarship. So when she asked me to put my picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, I did it. Hell, I would have walked across hot coals if she’d asked me to. And considering the way this evening is turning out, that might have been more fun.”
Maddie studied him, wondering how long it took him to create these cockamamie stories. At least this one was more plausible than the wild rodeo adventures he’d spun down at the bar. Did he improvise on the spur of the moment or spend hours concocting heart-wrenching tales to make women fall in love with him?
He certainly seemed like the perfect catch. Not only was he sinfully handsome, but he treated his little sister like a princess. No doubt leaving the impression that he’d treat the love of his life even better.
Too bad it was all make-believe.
“Do you adopt orphaned puppies and help little old ladies across the street, too?” she asked, tired of playing games. The rush of adrenaline from the takedown was finally beginning to wear off.
He narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that I’m smart enough not to believe a word that comes out of your mouth.”
“It happens to be the truth.”
“Okay,” she said, happy to call his bluff. “Give me your sister’s phone number and I’ll call her up to verify your story.”
“You can’t call her,” he retorted, anger sparking in his blue eyes. “Lauren went camping with friends this weekend. She won’t be home until Sunday.”
“That’s convenient.”
“It’s the damn truth!”
“Your bedtime stories are making me sleepy.” She got up and switched off the light, blanketing the room in darkness. “Good night, Whip.”
Tension crackled in the air as she walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. But it wasn’t until her head hit the pillow that he finally spoke.
“You expect me to sleep here on the floor like this?” He tugged on the handcuffs, shaking the bed slightly.
“Well, you’re certainly not sleeping with me,” Maddie replied, thankful for the darkness that covered her blush. Because, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t seem to forget that interlude on the bed right before she’d handcuffed him. The Kissing Bandit might be one of the world’s best con men, but she hadn’t been acting.
Still, what did it matter now? She’d done it. She’d brought down the Kissing Bandit. Satisfaction warmed her as she imagined the expression on her father’s face when she brought Blackburn in. Her brothers would be dumbfounded, and jealous as hell.
She could hardly wait.
4
TANNER AWOKE SLOWLY THE next morning, wincing at the piercing ache in his shoulders. It took him a moment to remember why he was lying on the floor. And why both of his hands were numb.
Maddie.
That brown-eyed vixen had lured him right into her trap. And he’d drooled over her all the way there. He closed his eyes, thoroughly disgusted with himself. This was certainly not the way he intended to start his well-earned vacation.
He rolled to one side, then levered himself up to a sitting position. His stiff muscles screamed in protest. He’d talked himself hoarse last night trying to convince her she’d made a big mistake. But Maddie Griffin refused to listen to reason. She was the most stubborn woman he’d ever met.
Leaning his head back against the mattress, he heard the shower running in the bathroom. She’d obviously been serious about leaving at the crack of dawn. Closing his eyes, he wondered how the hell he’d gotten into this situation, and more importantly, how he was going to get out of it.
A few minutes later, the shower turned off and he could hear the squeak of the shower door as it opened. It was too easy to imagine Maddie standing naked only a few feet away from him, tiny droplets of water streaming over her delectable body. If he wasn’t handcuffed to the bed, he’d be half tempted to walk in there and join her. Finish what they had started last night.
Last night. The wedding rehearsal. Oh, hell.
“Maddie!” He craned his neck toward the bathroom door. “Get out here right now!”
A moment later, the door opened and she stuck out her wet head, a towel hanging in front of her. “Is there a problem?”
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Kristin Gabriel
Tanner picked up the handcuff and slapped it around Maddie’s wrist
“Gotcha,” he said with a satisfied, sexy grin.
“This is silly,” Maddie protested weakly as the heat in Tanner’s gaze uncoiled something deep inside her. Flustered, she turned and picked up the key from the nightstand. “All I have to do is unlock it….” Her voice trailed off when she realized the key wouldn’t turn.
“You look so sexy in red,” Tanner teased, running his finger along her arm.
Goose bumps broke out along her skin and Maddie sucked in a deep breath, trying in vain to gather her scattered wits. She licked her lips. “Don’t do this to me, Tanner.”
Tanner brushed a tendril of hair off her cheek. “You’re under the mistaken impression that I’m some kind of Casanova. I’m not. But ever since we met, there’s been something between us….”
“Tanner, we can’t…” She moaned as he shifted his weight on the bed, bringing him closer—intimately closer. “No matter how much I’d like to,” she gasped.
“Maddie,” he said, dropping a soft kiss on her lips, “I don’t think you’re in a position to argue….”
Dear Reader,
I had so much fun with my first Temptation novel—writing about a strapping, sexy hero and the strong, sassy woman who catches him. And in my book, that’s exactly what my heroine, Maddie Griffin, does. You see, Maddie is an aspiring bounty hunter and she takes her job very seriously. So when Tanner Blackburn proves to be too dangerously irresistible for the women of the world, Maddie is determined to keep the female population safe. One way or another…
I’d love to hear what you think of Maddie and Tanner’s amorous escapades. You can reach me online at www.KristinGabriel.com or write to me at P.O. Box 5162, Grand Island, NE 68801-5162.
Enjoy,
Kristin Gabriel
Books by Kristin Gabriel
HARLEQUIN LOVE & LAUGHTER
40—BULLETS OVER BOISE
56—MONDAY MAN
62—SEND ME NO FLOWERS
HARLEQUIN DUETS
7—ANNIE, GET YOUR GROOM
25—THE BACHELOR TRAP
27—BACHELOR BY DESIGN
29—BEAUTY AND THE BACHELOR
Dangerously Irresistible
Kristin Gabriel
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For you, Kent.
Contents
Prologue (#u8d1a4dfa-7be2-55f9-ac4e-9c3e03d2bbbe)
Chapter 1 (#u7ee163b1-ba77-5075-aea4-f7ce5fdeb1b4)
Chapter 2 (#u6fbcd523-4236-510f-912d-31b63702a1ac)
Chapter 3 (#u588110af-7a79-57ea-a571-3b512e88656b)
Chapter 4 (#u1d95b2c1-0246-56de-ab0c-af959ece593a)
Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
MADDIE GRIFFIN STOOD on her tiptoes to peek through the grimy window of the double-wide trailer. She saw green shag carpet on the living room floor, a centerfold hanging on the wall, and a shotgun propped in the corner—right next to the young man sprawled in a recliner with a can of beer in his hand.
He was tall and wiry, with fuzz on his chin that barely passed for a goatee. Not more than eighteen, he wore ragged denim cutoffs and a sweat-stained gray T-shirt with a gaping hole under one arm.
Maddie moved away from the window, her heart racing in her chest as she prepared to put her plan into action.
Retrieving a smoke bomb from her bag, she lit it, then rolled it underneath the souped-up green Chevy Nova sedan parked in the gravel driveway. Plumes of thick grayish-white smoke soon swirled up through the grill and around the front tires of the vehicle.
Crouching behind a dented aluminum trash can, Maddie pulled out her cell phone and dialed up the occupant of the trailer.
After three rings, a sluggish voice came over the line. “Yeah?”
“Hi, this is Tina, your next-door neighbor.” Maddie held her breath, hoping she sounded like the blond bombshell who lived in a nearby trailer. She’d never actually met the woman, though she had nosed through her mailbox to discover her name.
“Hey, Tina,” he said, sounding surprised. “What’s up?”
“Well, I just looked out my window…and I think your car is on fire.”
A moment later, Maddie saw a shadow at his trailer window, then heard a crude oath explode over the line. The telltale squeak of the trailer’s front door told her he’d taken the bait.
Obviously, he fit the young and stupid category, as did most of the bail jumpers who kept the Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency so busy.
She stood up and pulled a canister of pepper spray out of her pocket. Her prey raced down the concrete steps toward the car, completely unaware that his freedom was just about to come to an end.
Suddenly, someone tackled Maddie from behind, knocking her into the dirt. The pepper spray went flying as she gasped to regain her breath. She lay flat on her stomach, the crushing weight of the body still on top of her. Before she could scream, a beefy hand clamped over her mouth.
“Shut up or you’ll ruin everything, you nitwit!”
Tate. Her big brother had lousy timing. White-hot fury rolled through her as she lifted her head just far enough to see her other brother Ben apprehend the fugitive. Her fugitive. The takedown was quick and easy, just as she’d known it would be.
By the time the kid was in handcuffs, Tate had hauled her to her feet and was brushing leaves and grass out of her hair.
Ben strolled up to them, the fugitive in tow. “Damn it, Tate, why did you knock her down like that? You know Dad will chew both our butts if Maddie has even so much as a scratch on her.”
“She was holding pepper spray. If you think I’m taking a chance on her spraying me again, you’re nuts. Besides, you got the easy part. She bit me!” He held up his palm to show his brother the damage. Then he scowled at Maddie. “I thought you were against violence.”
“That’s what you get for sneaking up on me! Which, for your information, is the reason I accidentally sprayed you the last time.” She wrenched her arm out of her brother’s grasp, furious with them both for botching her takedown. Again. “When are you two going to quit following me around?”
“Hey, we’re just following Dad’s orders.” Ben shook his head. “And you’re in trouble this time, sis. Big trouble.”
An hour later, Maddie knew her brother hadn’t been exaggerating. She stood in her father’s office, her ears ringing from the decibel level of his voice. He’d been shouting at her for the past fifteen minutes. Surely he couldn’t hold out much longer.
“This is it!” Gus Griffin banged his fist on the desk. “This is the last straw. If I can’t trust you to stay in the office, then you’re fired. I’ll find another secretary.”
“Good,” she retorted, when he finally paused for breath. “I never wanted to be your secretary. I want to be a bounty hunter, just like you and Ben and Tate. I may not have your brawn, but I’ve got more than enough brains to do the job, plus a degree in criminal justice from Northwestern. I’m ready.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And I’m ready to lock you up until you come to your senses. A lady doesn’t belong in this business. And I’m not letting any daughter of mine out on the streets to confront dangerous felons.”
She leaned forward, planting both palms on his desk. “Then I’ll go work for someone else. Or start my own agency. I’m twenty-five years old, Dad. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”
A muscle twitched in his grizzled jaw and Maddie knew that her father was still frustrated that he couldn’t control her. That was one of the reasons he’d sent her off to boarding school shortly after her mother’s death when she was twelve. He could handle the rough and tumble world of boys, but the thought of dealing with a little girl clearly hadn’t appealed to him. So he’d shut her out of the family.
Just like he was doing now.
“You’re not working for anyone else,” Gus said. “You’re going back to school and learn how to be a teacher, or even better, a nurse. Then maybe you’ll learn how dangerous it is to bite your brother.”
She refused to feel guilty since she hadn’t even broken the skin. “This is the third time Ben and Tate have interfered with one of my cases.”
His nostrils flared. “You don’t have cases! You’re a secretary. You’re supposed to be filing and making coffee, not shopping for a stun gun.”
A blush crept up her cheeks. “You know about that?”
“Yes.” He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a magazine, tossing it on top of the desk. “I also know about this.”
The flush deepened as she stared at the title. Texas Mail-Order Men. Her friend Shayna Walters had given her a subscription to the magazine as a joke after Maddie had complained that her brothers always scared away any potential suitors. She’d spent more than one lonely Saturday night leafing through the magazine and marking the pages with the best-looking men. She hadn’t intended to actually follow through and send for one—no matter how titillating the prospect of pairing up with a perfect stranger might be.
From the expression on her father’s face, she wisely kept that opinion to herself. Squaring her shoulders, she decided the best defense was a good offense. “Ben and Tate broke into my apartment again, didn’t they? That’s an invasion of privacy. They had no right….”
“They had every right,” Gus interjected, his thick, gray brows crashing together, “especially when I discovered that you were out pursuing another felon. They were looking for some clue to see where you’d gone—only they found this instead.”
Gus opened the magazine to the first dog-eared page and read the caption below the photograph of a half-naked bull rider. “Eight seconds is all you’ll need to know this cowboy is the stud for you.”
He turned to the next dog-eared page. A grinning, naked cowboy held a saddle on his lap, strategically concealing a certain portion of his anatomy. “Let this cowboy take you for the ride of your life.”
“I can explain,” she began, her cheeks hot.
He folded his arms across his burly chest. “I’m waiting.”
“I never had any intention of contacting those men.”
“So why did you mark the pages?”
She couldn’t believe they were sitting here discussing this stupid magazine instead of her career. “It’s not like I’d planned to track them down. Although I could,” she added, tipping up her chin, “if I wanted to. I’m a damn good tracker, Dad. If you’d just give me a chance….”
“Forget it. No daughter of mine is going to associate with the kind of lowlife riffraff who jump bail, especially when you refuse to even carry a gun.”
“I carry pepper spray in case I have any problems. And I’m willing to use a stun gun in an emergency.” She stood up. “Just because I don’t break down doors and wrestle felons to the ground doesn’t mean I can’t do the job.”
He shook his head. “Women don’t belong in this business. Look what happened to Lynette.”
She rolled her eyes. Lynette had once worked as a secretary at the Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency. She’d also broken Gus Griffin’s heart. “Your fiancée ran off with a con artist, Dad, she didn’t die in the line of duty.”
His gaze flicked to the bulletin board on the wall. Straight to the wanted poster of the man who, one year ago, had stolen the woman he’d loved. The only woman he’d ever considered marrying after her mother’s death. But Lynette had dumped him for a man ten years her junior. A man they now knew as the Kissing Bandit. Guilty of fraud and bigamy in three states, the Kissing Bandit had romanced Lynette out of every penny in her savings account, then left her high and dry. He’d been arrested soon after, then jumped bail and disappeared.
Gus Griffin had never forgiven Lynette for jilting him. He’d also vowed to bring the notorious Kissing Bandit to justice. But despite his diligence, the Bandit was still on the loose. And Maddie was still paying the price for Lynette’s weakness.
“Maddie, I’m sorry to say that this magazine is proof that you’re not ready to hire on as a bounty hunter. It shows poor judgment. You’re obviously more interested in romance than recovering fugitives.”
“That’s not fair! Ben and Tate spend every weekend with a different woman, and you never say a word.”
“That’s because Ben and Tate have already proven themselves in the field. They’re not going to let a pretty face distract them at a crucial moment.”
“So give me a chance to prove myself, too. That’s all I ask, Dad. One chance.”
He hesitated, and for one brief moment she let herself hope.
“Madeline…” he began.
She closed her eyes, knowing the answer even before he said it. Her father never used her full name unless he was about to deliver bad news. He’d called her Madeline when he’d told her about her mother’s death in a traffic accident all those years ago. And then again a few months later, when he’d announced that she’d be attending a boarding school in Boston, instead of staying with the family in Chicago.
Madeline had never boded well.
“It’s time to put this silly idea out of your head,” Gus said gruffly. “You’re not going to work for me as a bounty hunter, and you’re not going to work for the competition, either. Everybody in this city knows better than to cross Gus Griffin.”
“Then I’ll open my own business,” she said, mortified to feel her lower lip quiver.
“Nobody in their right mind would ever hire a woman to bring in a fugitive, especially a woman who refuses to carry a gun.” He stood up and awkwardly thrust a tissue in her direction. Gus Griffin could face an armed felon without blinking an eye, but a woman in tears terrified him.
She grabbed the tissue and wiped her nose, aware of the office door closing behind her. She was alone. Again. Despite the tightness in her throat, her eyes were dry and hot. He wouldn’t even give her chance. After all these years, he still wouldn’t let her be part of the family.
She’d grown up trying to knock down the emotional wall that kept her separated from her father and brothers. They loved her and tried to protect her, but they didn’t understand her. And they didn’t want to let her into their world.
She reached across the desk for another tissue, her elbow bumping the magazine onto the floor. With an irritated sigh, she picked it up and scowled at the sexy cowboy who grinned up at her.
“It’s all your fault,” she muttered, though she knew her father would have used any excuse to keep her safely behind a desk instead of out in the field.
She flipped through the magazine, half tempted to place an order just to irritate her father. She knew it was immature and irrational, but so far acting mature and rational hadn’t gotten her very far.
She dropped the magazine into her lap, the pages falling open to the special insert called Grooms-to-Go. She’d never looked at this section before, having no interest in a man desperate enough to advertise himself for marriage. Then she blinked at the picture in front of her. And for one brief, terrifying moment her heart fluttered in her chest.
She held her breath as she looked up at the wanted poster in the center of the bulletin board. The one that had been there for so many months. The one with the picture of the Kissing Bandit. Then she looked back at the magazine.
It was him.
Maddie gulped, trying to breathe normally again. She’d found him. The man her father and brothers had been fruitlessly searching for was right here in black and white. His hair was a little shorter, and dark instead of blond, and he’d shaved off his mustache. But he still had the same square jaw, the same sexy dimple in his chin. She quickly scanned the brief description. Height: Six feet two inches. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Blue. Name: Tanner Blackburn.
Maddie stood up, too excited to remain still. Tanner Blackburn was one of the aliases of the Kissing Bandit. His name and hair color might change, but his m.o. was always the same. He’d dupe lonely women into falling in love with him, then he’d bleed them dry.
Now the Kissing Bandit was here, right in front of her. Or rather, in Texas. And obviously up to his old tricks. If she could bring him in….
If? When she brought him in. Then she’d finally have everything she’d always wanted. The love and respect of her father. The approval of her brothers. The satisfaction of finally proving herself as a full-fledged member of the Griffin family.
She smiled at the photo of the handsome man in the magazine. He’d soon learn that a Griffin always gets her man.
1
“BREATHE,” TANNER BLACKBURN ordered the man standing next to him. “It’s just the wedding rehearsal. You don’t need to start panicking until tomorrow.”
“I’m not panicking,” Cabe White said, his voice husky with emotion. “I just can’t get over how damn beautiful she is.”
They stood in the center of an old barn located on the outskirts of Abilene, Texas. The open doors did little to assuage the oppressive June heat. Flies buzzed around them and the air was ripe with the odors of hay and manure.
Tanner watched as the bride-to-be stood in the doorway. She wore a long pink denim skirt and a pale pink western blouse with pearl buttons. Her fine, silky blond hair was tucked beneath a straw cowboy hat adorned with a pink satin band.
Despite the heat and the flies and the way his new cowboy boots were pinching his toes, Tanner felt a twinge of envy deep inside of him. Cabe and Hannah were meant for each other, even though he’d seen her first. Hell, he’d dated her first. After reluctantly allowing his kid sister to place his picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, he’d finally met a woman who had stirred his interest. He’d thought it was fate.
Until she’d fallen in love with his cousin.
Tanner hadn’t even seen Cabe for almost five years. As teenagers, Cabe, Tanner and Tanner’s twin brother, Ronnie, had all been hell-raisers together, breaking curfew and female hearts on a regular basis. They’d all had the same dark hair, deep blue eyes, and square Blackburn jaw that the ladies seemed to love. And they had all loved the ladies.
But Tanner had given up his playboy ways after his parents divorced when he was twenty-four years old. He’d even agreed to take custody of his kid sister, Lauren, who at fourteen, had been well on her way to becoming the most notorious hell-raiser of all.
Cabe and Ronnie hadn’t grown up as much as drifted away. Except for a card at Christmas, they rarely kept in touch. They hadn’t even attended their maternal grandmother’s funeral. Tanner had been named executor of the estate and contacted each of them about their inheritance. He, Ronnie and Lauren had been given eighty acres of Iowa farmland that had been in the family for three generations. Their cousin Cabe had inherited their grandmother’s house in Hominy, Iowa. A month ago, Cabe had come to Dallas to collect the deed.
That’s when he’d met Hannah.
And that’s when fate had decided to play a trick on Tanner. Hannah had taken one look at Cabe and fallen hard and fast. It had been love at first sight for both of them. Hell, even Tanner had seen that. They’d both politely waited to act on their affection until Tanner had offered to step aside.
What else could he do? Hannah wanted someone who could sweep her off her feet. A man who would think it was romantic to marry western-style in an old dilapidated barn.
A man the exact opposite of Tanner Blackburn.
He’d realized that he’d almost made a big mistake. Hannah was a nice woman, but she wasn’t the right woman. Not for him. He wasn’t even sure such a woman existed, but he intended to keep looking. Instead of heading home for Dallas, he’d bought an airplane ticket to Jamaica. With over ten weeks in vacation time built up, Tanner thought it was time for a little rest and relaxation. And, if he was lucky, a little romance.
It had taken some juggling to arrange a week off from his job at the law firm of Collins and Cooksey, but he’d refused to put it off. This was the first vacation he’d had since… Well, he couldn’t remember when. Vacations were a luxury his parents hadn’t been able to afford, especially after their divorce.
By the time Tanner had worked his way through college and law school, he’d been too busy paying off his school loans to take any time off. Plus, he’d wanted to keep an eye on his sister.
All of which hadn’t left him much time for a love life.
But his little sister had graduated from high school this year and was leaving for college in the fall, which meant he’d be on his own. That was one of the reasons he’d agreed to let Lauren place his picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine. It was just a lark, though he’d felt duty bound to go out on a date with every woman who contacted him.
All thirty-four of them.
The problem was, most of them weren’t looking for love. Not really. They wanted a knight in shining armor. Someone to rescue them from the jerks in their lives—men who preyed on a woman’s vulnerabilities.
Men like his brother, Ronnie—although Ronnie had recently turned over a new leaf. He was now a missionary in Guam, of all places. The former bronc rider, once coined the Romeo of the rodeo, now kept himself busy doing good deeds. Tanner wasn’t totally convinced by his brother’s abrupt metamorphosis from playboy to preacher. Still, he’d been gone for the past few months and showed no sign of returning.
Now Tanner was ready for a change, too. He’d had enough of bachelor life and was ready to settle down. The hard part seemed to be finding the right woman. After his recent experiences on the dating scene, he longed for a woman who desired him. Just him. Not his bank account. Or his handyman abilities. Or his new Chevy Tahoe SUV.
He had high hopes of finding his fantasy woman in Jamaica. Strolling along a white sand beach in a string bikini. A woman with a thirst for banana daiquiris and making love in the moonlight. A woman who liked the thrill of the chase and could give him something that had been missing in his life for far too long—a challenge.
A horse whinnied in the stall behind him, reminding Tanner to pay attention to the wedding rehearsal. The minister wore blue jeans and a faded chambray shirt. Tomorrow, the entire wedding party would be decked out in western wear, complete with boots, cowboy hats, chaps and spurs. Tanner had left his spurs back at the hotel for the rehearsal, but he’d worn the new boots he’d purchased in Dallas, along with his black felt cowboy hat.
An old-fashioned pump organ was set up in the hayloft and the nesting barn swallows kept swooping down at the organist’s head. Her rendition of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was punctuated with shrill yelps of terror.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the minister to run through the vows and position the wedding party in the appropriate places. Tanner’s only duty as best man was to hold on to the wedding rings and stand by Cabe—and to pretend it didn’t matter to him that he’d lost the only woman he’d given a second glance in over a year.
The minister wiped his perspiring brow with a handkerchief. “At this point, you may kiss the bride.”
Tanner’s smile froze as he watched Cabe pull Hannah into his arms and rehearse a kiss that they’d obviously practiced many times before.
The kiss went on and on and on.
“Hey, Cabe, save something for the ceremony,” Tanner joked, determined never to let Cabe or Hannah see the envy twisting inside of him.
Hannah laughed when Cabe finally released her. “If this is the rehearsal, I can’t wait to experience the real thing!”
Cabe grinned. “Maybe we should just have the minister marry us right now so we can proceed straight to the honeymoon.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “Oh, Cabe, you’re not serious!”
“Why not?” Cabe turned to Tanner. “Do you have the rings?”
Tanner patted his jeans pocket. “They’re right here, safe and sound. But you’ve already reserved the barn and put a down payment on the reception hall. Then there is the caterer to consider, and the band. Both will demand to be paid even if you don’t use their services.”
“See,” Hannah said with a laugh, “at least someone is sensible around here.”
Tanner’s jaw clenched. Sensible. Now he was not only dull and boring, but sensible. How much worse could it get?
Hannah turned to him. “Oh, before I forget, I wanted to tell you that my cousin Jane is coming to the wedding tomorrow. You’ll adore her, Tanner, I just know it. She’s so sweet—a little quiet though. But she loves to talk about embroidery, so that would be a good icebreaker.” Hannah turned back to Cabe. “Jane embroidered ten sets of matching pillowcases for us as a wedding present.”
Cabe winced at Tanner over his fiancée’s head. “Honey, maybe Tanner already has a date for the wedding.”
“Oh,” Hannah exclaimed, turning to Tanner. “I never thought of that. Do you?”
“Yes,” he improvised, before he found himself shackled to a blind date for the wedding reception. He’d had more than his share of dreary dates lately. He didn’t want someone sweet and quiet. He wanted a woman who excited him. A woman who was completely unpredictable. A woman who would agree to attend a wedding with a perfect stranger at a moment’s notice.
And now he had less than twenty-four hours to find her.
SHE’D FOUND HIM.
Maddie took a deep, calming breath as she looked around her hotel room, making certain everything was in place. She hadn’t been thrilled about the two-hundred-dollar-a-night room charge, although it would definitely be worth it if she could pull this off.
She’d arrived in Texas three days ago and traced Tanner Blackburn to a house in Dallas. It had been surprisingly easy, but then he probably hadn’t expected a bounty hunter to locate him through the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, especially since ninety-nine percent of the bounty hunters were men.
A chat with Tanner’s next-door neighbor had revealed that Mr. Blackburn was planning a weekend trip to Abilene to attend a wedding. Several phone calls later, Maddie had all the information she needed. Tanner Blackburn had a room reserved for two nights at the Huntington Hotel in Abilene.
She’d tailed him from Dallas. Seen him register at the hotel, then leave again. After registering for her own room and setting everything in place for the takedown, she’d gone back to the lobby for surveillance.
After spending three hours in the lobby pretending to read the newspaper, she’d finally seen him return with a small group of people, half of them heading for the elevators, the other half making a beeline for the bar. Blackburn had joined the group at the bar.
He’d played into her plan perfectly.
Maddie had returned to her hotel room to make certain everything was ready when she brought Blackburn here. She knew she had to play this game carefully. One screwup and she’d lose not only the Kissing Bandit, but her dream to join the family business.
She walked over to the bed, adjusting the pillows. Then she checked once more for anything he might be able to use as a potential weapon. She’d already hidden the glasses, ashtrays, mirrors and other breakables.
Not that she expected him to turn violent. Her extensive study of the Kissing Bandit’s methods had taught her that he preferred to use his wiles instead of weapons.
But a girl could never be too careful.
“It’s almost time,” Maddie said aloud. She’d waited for this moment for so long. Her first takedown. And since she hadn’t seen or spoken to her father or brothers in over a week, she didn’t have to worry about Tate and Ben interfering this time. She’d taken extra care to make certain they couldn’t trace her whereabouts.
The Texas Mail-Order Men magazine lay open on the desk. She picked it up and studied the man’s picture once more. Blackburn had altered his appearance somewhat, which was only natural when you were a fugitive from justice. She stared at the photograph, a tingle of excitement racing through her veins. Soon she’d be meeting the elusive Kissing Bandit face to face.
Maddie slid the magazine into the desk drawer, then slipped into a pair of high heels, ignoring that her knees were shaking. She checked her makeup in the mirror, applying a last dab of cherry-red lipstick to her mouth. Her plan was definitely risky. Playing the femme fatale had never been her forte. Although she’d attracted her share of men, they always seemed to lose interest in her after the first date. And she couldn’t entirely blame her overprotective brothers.
Maddie knew her flaws better than anyone. She was too stubborn, too bossy, too self-reliant. Most men liked to play the hero for a woman. Impress her with his muscles and machismo. They didn’t like a woman who knew how to take care of herself. Her own family had taught her that much.
She smoothed her hands over the snug fabric of her red dress, hoping the exorbitant price she’d paid would be worth it. The agency would receive eight thousand dollars if Blackburn was turned over to the court in time. But that time was running out. A bail jumper had to be returned to the custody of the court within one hundred and eighty days of his failure to appear. Otherwise the bail bondsmen had to pay the entire amount of the bond, which in this case was eighty thousand dollars.
The Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency was on the payroll of several Chicago area bail bondsmen, and their reputation for catching elusive felons like the Kissing Bandit was unparalleled in the Chicago area.
Now it was up to Maddie to maintain that reputation. She had just nine days left to bring Blackburn to justice. Adrenaline shot through her veins as she walked toward the door.
The Kissing Bandit was about to be unmasked.
2
TANNER SAT IN THE empty hotel bar, nursing his beer. The wedding party had retired to their rooms, most of them exhausted from the long trip into Abilene. But Tanner was on a mission. Find a woman to take to the wedding tomorrow or learn more than he ever wanted to know about embroidery.
Unfortunately, his hopes for snagging a date were fading fast. He still wore his cowboy hat, since his sister had once informed him that women were attracted to the rugged, outdoorsy type. He might not actually live on a ranch, but he did spend plenty of time outdoors. A former state champion swimmer, Tanner still worked out four evenings a week at the local recreation center. He glanced at the clock, wondering if he’d have more luck impressing the ladies down at the hotel swimming pool.
Surprised to see it was close to midnight, Tanner drained his beer mug. Hannah had suggested he turn in early so he’d be fresh for the wedding tomorrow. But he just wanted to be numb.
“Can I buy you a beer, cowboy?”
He slowly turned around to see a tall, slender brunette. She had big brown eyes and silky nutmeg hair that caressed her bare shoulders. She wore a strapless red sundress that hugged her mouthwatering figure. The three-inch heels on her matching red pumps made her long legs seem endless.
He swallowed hard, then abruptly stood up and motioned to the bar stool beside him. “Only if I can buy you one first.”
She sat down, then held out one slender hand. “My name is Giselle, but all my friends call me Gigi.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Somehow he guessed a woman named Giselle wouldn’t be interested in an estate lawyer. She’d want someone exciting. Impulsive. Someone who lived life on the edge. He could imagine the interest fading from her beautiful eyes as soon as he said, “Hi, I’m Tanner and I manage the affairs of dead people.”
So why say it?
Tanner straddled his bar stool and spoke before he had time for tedious second thoughts. “My name is Whip. I’m a bull rider.”
Her finely winged brows arched in surprise. “Really? I’ve never met a bull rider before.”
Tanner propped his cowboy boot on the rung of her bar stool. “It gets a little rough sometimes.”
“I can imagine,” she said, obviously impressed.
He tried to remember all the stories his brother Ronnie had told him about the rodeo. Most of them had been highly exaggerated, but entertaining. He signaled the bartender for two beers, mentally weaving a story that would keep her smiling.
It was amazing how easy it was to fall back into the playboy role after all these years.
Gigi crossed her impossibly long legs. “So are you in Abilene to ride bulls?”
“Actually, I’m here for a wedding.”
She reached into the bowl of stale popcorn that sat on the bar between them. “I love weddings.”
Just the words he wanted to hear. Gigi would be the perfect woman to take as his date, if he could convince her to go with him. Take it slow, Blackburn. Don’t scare her off.
But Gigi definitely didn’t look scared. She leaned toward him, her foot lightly brushing against his ankle.
He watched, mesmerized as she slowly licked the salt from her fingertips. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman. Much too long.
Tanner cleared his throat. “This wedding is a little unusual. I met the bride in a mail-order magazine.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Well, it’s a little complicated,” he said, realizing he’d given her the wrong impression. Not that he wanted to explain by telling her Hannah had dumped him, especially since he could barely think straight. Either the beer or her subtle, exotic scent had intoxicated him. Maybe both.
“No, I think it’s fascinating.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “Tell me about the magazine. Did strange women contact you?”
“Day and night,” he said, tipping up his hat. He might be stretching the truth just a little, but it was getting easier by the minute. “I’ll admit I did it as a lark, but it paid off.” For Cabe, anyway.
She smiled. “Something tells me you like to live dangerously.”
“Whenever possible.” His whole body tightened as his gaze fell to her full, sultry mouth. She wasn’t anything like Hannah, but there was something about her that pulled at him. Something that triggered a deep, primal urge that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and haul her back to his cave. Or at least his hotel room. He took a deep gulp of beer to cool his blood.
“So tell me about bull riding,” she said, reaching for another handful of popcorn.
Tanner spent the next hour making up the wildest stories possible. Fortunately, he’d been to enough rodeos to sound credible. And Gigi’s riveted attention and enthusiastic questions encouraged him to keep talking. Three beers later, he’d almost convinced himself that he was one of the best bull riders in Texas. Or at least one of the best at shooting the bull.
“I’m on a hiatus now,” Tanner said, rubbing his knee. “Trying to heal up after that last ride.”
“Have you ever ridden Diablo?”
“Who?”
She circled one fingertip around the rim of her beer mug. “I saw a special on television once about rodeo bulls, and they said Diablo was known as the meanest one on the rodeo circuit.”
“I…uh…no,” he said, suddenly wary that he was about to blow his cover.
But she didn’t press the point. Instead she gazed up at him. “Your eyes are very blue, aren’t they?”
“As blue as the Texas sky,” Tanner improvised, emphasizing his Texas drawl for effect. “That’s what my mama always said.”
His mother, who never permitted any of her three children to call her mama, had never said any such thing. But Mom was in Florida at the moment, so what did it matter?
“Your face is so classic.” She reached out her fingers and brushed them lightly across his jaw. “I’d love to do you nude.”
He blinked. “Excuse me?”
She laughed. “Did I mention that I’m an artist?”
“No, ma’am,” he said, mortified by the blush warming his cheeks. Whip the Bull Rider would never blush.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a small lavender card. “This is my business card. I’m in Abilene for a showing at the Courtyard Gallery.”
He took the card from her, noting the New York City address and the fact that she didn’t include her last name on the card, only Giselle.
“Whip, I know this may sound a little forward.” She gently laid her hand on his arm, causing his muscles to jerk in response. “But would you mind coming up to my hotel room? I’m just itching to sketch you.”
“I never say no to a lady.” Especially a lady who wanted to take his clothes off.
“Good.” She slid off the bar stool and reached for his hand. “I promise to make it an experience you’ll never forget.”
His heart pounded in his chest as he followed her to the elevator. When he’d first seen Gigi, all he’d wanted was a date for Cabe’s wedding. Now he wanted more.
Much more.
Maybe he should skip his trip to Jamaica and stick around Abilene instead. He couldn’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend his vacation than with the sexy and intriguing Giselle.
Standing next to her in the elevator, he closed his eyes, breathing in her unique scent. He’d never been this intrigued by a woman before. He wished he’d foregone that last beer at the bar, wanting all his senses keen and sharp. Somehow he knew this was a night he wouldn’t want to forget.
The elevator doors opened and Tanner’s pulse kicked up another notch as they headed down a long hallway. Picking up strange women in bars wasn’t his usual style.
Judging by the way Gigi’s hands were shaking as she tried to insert the plastic key card into the lock of her room, picking up strange men wasn’t her style either. She swore softly under her breath when the light on the door lock flashed red instead of green. She tried it again, then a third time.
Tanner deftly took the key card out of her hand, turned it around so the arrow pointed in the right direction, then slid it smoothly into the lock. The light flashed green and he turned the handle to open the door.
“Thank you,” she said, a pretty blush suffusing her cheeks. She retrieved the key card from him, then placed one hand on his chest. “Would you mind waiting out here for just a moment? I’d really like to straighten up the room just a bit.”
“That’s not necessary….” he began, taking a step forward. But she’d already slipped inside and closed the door behind her.
He stared at it, slightly confused. Gigi had seemed a little nervous on the elevator. Was she already having second thoughts?
He mentally kicked himself. Whip the Bull Rider wouldn’t have let a woman keep him waiting in the hallway. He’d have carried her over the threshold and showed her his real talents. Just when he was about to give up hope, she opened the door again.
He strode inside without a word, then pulled her into his arms. A small gasp escaped her mouth right before he kissed her. She tasted of butter and salt and beer. And something else. Something uniquely Gigi that made him pull her even closer and deepen the kiss.
She moaned low in her throat and circled her arms around his neck. Without breaking the kiss, he kicked the hotel door shut behind him.
The kiss smoldered between them, so thrilling and hot that he never wanted it to end. At last he lifted his head, tantalized by the raw desire he saw gleaming in her brown eyes. “You’re incredible, Gigi.”
She swallowed, then took a deep, shuddering breath. “You’re not exactly what I expected.”
He grinned. “Good.”
She reached up and undid the top button of his shirt. “Whip, I have a confession to make.”
He sucked in his breath as her fingers slid down to the second button. “A confession?”
“I really did want to sketch you, but now…”
She stood so close to him that he could smell the sweet raspberry fragrance of her hair. Her fingers slowly teased each button out of its buttonhole. At last, his shirt gaped open and her warm breath caressed his bare chest.
“Now…what?” he asked huskily. He liked the way her sundress outlined the generous curves of her body. Liked the way she kept licking her lips, as if savoring the kiss they had just shared.
She tugged his shirttails out of his jeans. “Now I want to do so much more.”
His gaze fell on the king-size bed that dominated the entire room. “So do I.”
Without another word, she turned around and opened the hotel room door, placing the Do Not Disturb sign on the exterior door handle. Then she closed it again and flipped the lock.
He moved toward her, but she smiled and held up one hand. “Don’t move. Not yet. I want to look at you.”
She walked slowly toward him, her gaze lingering on his chest, then gliding downward. His body reacted as if she was actually touching him and it took all his willpower not to pull her into his arms.
“You’re so big.” Her hands slid slowly up his chest. “So tall and strong.”
He closed his eyes with a low groan of pleasure at her touch. But despite the desire pounding in his veins, he willed himself not to move. He let her set the pace, enjoying every moment of this exquisite torture.
Her hands smoothed over his skin and he opened his eyes when she touched the small scar below his left nipple.
“Did this happen while you were bull riding?” She slowly slid her finger back and forth over the pale pink scar.
His nipple tightened at the feathery sensation. He nodded, not wanting to ruin the moment by telling her the real story. Somehow he didn’t think she’d be impressed that he’d tripped on a staircase in high school and been pierced by the metal math compass in his shirt pocket.
Her hands hungrily caressed his ribs, her fingers running through his chest hair, then over his shoulders as she pushed his shirt halfway down his arms.
She was so close, he couldn’t breathe right. Couldn’t think straight. His body tightened as the front of her dress brushed against his bare chest. He could feel her firm breasts through the thin fabric. More than ever, he wanted to hold her, kiss her senseless. But his arms were now pinioned by his shirt. It was an odd sensation, being at her mercy, that he found strangely erotic.
“What do you want?” she breathed, slowly guiding him backward toward the bed.
He wanted so many wonderful things. Things only Gigi could give him. “You,” he said, lowering his head to nuzzle the tender skin behind her ear.
She leaned into him, causing him to fall back onto the bed. A bolt of pain shot up his arms, still trapped behind his back. But he quickly forgot about the discomfort as Gigi followed him onto the bed, straddling his waist.
She leaned down until her lips were only a hairsbreadth away from his mouth. “I knew I wanted you as soon as I saw you.”
“Me, too,” he murmured, then tipped his head up just far enough to kiss her. He moaned as his tongue slipped inside her mouth. The sweet taste of her, combined with the incredible sensation of her bare legs wrapped snugly around his waist, was almost more than he could bear.
Somewhere in his frazzled mind, he knew he should confess, too. Tell her he wasn’t really Whip the Bull Rider. And that he’d never met a woman like her before.
But now certainly wasn’t the time. Not when she was so warm and soft and inviting. Her tongue arched into his mouth at the same time her hands flexed against his shoulders. She deepened the kiss, putting so much enthusiasm into it that his head fell back onto the pillow.
Tanner lay there, completely at her mercy, unable to touch her with anything but his mouth. It heightened every sensation. He could smell the soapy scent of the freshly laundered pillowcase and feel every inch of her warm body pressed against his own. One silky tendril of her hair teased his left ear.
He arched his hips upward, welcoming the delicious friction of her body against his aroused flesh. Despite the long dry spell in his love life, he could never remember reacting to a woman like this before.
At last she broke the kiss and rose to a sitting position, her soft, silky thighs cradling his hips. The hem of the sundress was pushed up past her knees. Her breathing was fast and heavy.
“I need to touch you,” he said huskily.
A high flush stained her creamy cheeks. “Turn over.”
He readily obliged, anxious to have her rip his shirt off and free his arms. Then he could finally touch her. Undress her. Lose himself in her.
But instead of yanking his shirt off, she straddled his backside. Then she leaned down, her soft, buttery breath curling inside of his ear. “Do you like to play games, Whip?”
Before he could reply, she slid her hand under the pillow and pulled out something pink. It took a moment before he realized they were handcuffs.
Very unusual handcuffs.
“Uh…what exactly do you have in mind?” he asked, as she dangled the pink ménage à trois cuffs in front of his face. There were three individual cuffs connected by a Y-shaped, silk-covered chain.
“You’ll see,” she teased, then slapped one of the three cuffs onto his right wrist. He barely had time to blink before she shackled his left wrist as well.
He lay there, trying to decide exactly what Whip the Bull Rider would do in this situation. But desire and anticipation had clouded his brain. He tried to turn over, but her weight kept him firmly anchored to the mattress.
Tanner tugged on his wrists, but the handcuffs held tight. “Uh… Gigi?”
“Yes?”
“This is a little uncomfortable.”
She rolled off of him. “Let me see what I can do.”
He frowned in confusion as she bent his right leg at the knee and slipped off his cowboy boot. Then he heard another click and realized too late that she’d locked the third empty cuff around his ankle.
He lay there hog-tied and completely helpless.
Where had he ever gotten the idiotic idea that picking up a strange woman in a bar would be fun? Of course, it had been fun when she’d been taking his shirt off. And it had been beyond fun when she’d kissed him.
Somehow, somewhere, they’d taken a wrong turn. He arched his head up far enough to see her smiling at him.
Then she gave him a saucy wink. “Gotcha, cowboy.”
3
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING on here?”
Maddie tensed as the Kissing Bandit yanked hard on the handcuffs, but they held tight. Beneath all that pink silk was solid core steel. “You need to calm down.”
He took a deep breath, his face pressed halfway into the pillow. “Look, Gigi, I don’t think it’s going to work out between us after all.”
She rolled her eyes. The man was gorgeous, but completely clueless. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m not Gigi. My name is Maddie Griffin and I’m from the Griffin Bail Enforcement Agency in Chicago.”
He stopped moving. “What?”
“You heard me, cowboy. You’re all mine.” She took a deep breath, still a little shaky from her first takedown. It had all gone according to plan. Sort of. She hadn’t actually intended to let him kiss her, or to kiss him back. But that didn’t matter now.
She had him exactly where she wanted him.
“You’re a bounty hunter?” he said at last, his blue eyes wide with disbelief.
“That’s right.” She stood beside the bed, waiting for him to accept the situation. He’d soon tire of fighting the handcuffs.
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’ve got the wrong man. My name isn’t really Whip. I made that up….”
“I know,” she interjected. “You’re the Kissing Bandit.”
“Who?”
“The Kissing Bandit.” She reached down, unable to resist brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. “I realize Tanner Blackburn is your alias du jour, but even if the name changes, the crime stays the same. You’ve been scamming women for the past seven years, but your luck just ran out. I’m taking you in.”
“This is ridiculous.” He bucked once, his breathing heavy. “I am Tanner Blackburn and I’m an attorney from Dallas. I should warn you that forcibly holding someone against their will is a felony in this state.”
She arched a brow. “A lawyer? I thought you were a bull rider.”
He clenched his jaw. “I made that up.”
“Just like you made up the name Whip?”
“Yes.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Somehow that doesn’t sound like something an innocent man would do.”
“I had my reasons,” he said between clenched teeth.
“Now that I believe.” She slipped off her high heels, relishing the feel of the plush carpet against the soles of her feet. “Advertising your services in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine is the standard m.o. for the Kissing Bandit. So is preying on helpless, vulnerable women.”
“Helpless?” He struggled to lift his head off the pillow. “I’d hardly call you helpless. Crazy, yes. Helpless, no.”
She smiled. “You’re just mad because I gave you a taste of your own medicine.”
He stopped moving and stared up at her. “Are you telling me this was all a ploy? The beers at the bar. The invitation to your hotel room. The kiss.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze, wishing she could forget about that kiss. It definitely hadn’t been part of her plan. She was only supposed to sketch him. But he’d caught her off guard when he’d marched into her hotel room and kissed her. So she’d improvised. Then, after she’d peeled his shirt over his shoulders to secure his arms, she hadn’t been able to resist kissing him again.
Now Maddie just wished she could forget the way her body had responded to him. It wasn’t just embarrassing, it was unprofessional. For one brief, insane, electrifying moment she had forgotten the real reason she’d brought him up to her hotel room.
“Tell me,” he demanded, obviously irritated by her silence, “do you really have a showing at an art gallery? Are you even from New York? Or were you just playing games with me?”
She tipped up her chin. “What do you think?”
His shoulders sagged. “I think I’m an idiot.”
“Don’t take it so hard. Your luck couldn’t hold out forever.”
He closed his eyes. “This is beyond crazy. I am not the Kissing Bandit. I’m an estate lawyer.”
“Is that one of your new scams? I imagine there is quite a profit in seducing wealthy widows.”
“It’s not a scam, it’s the truth. I’m with the law firm of Collins and Cooksey. The only reason I made up Whip the Bull Rider was to impress you.”
“I’m definitely impressed with your creative abilities—” she sat on the edge of the bed “—although I do think it’s a little disgusting that you’re in a bar trying to pick up women the night before your wedding.”
“My wedding?” His brow furrowed. “Where did you get a crazy idea like that?”
“From you. Down at the bar you told me that you’d met the bride through the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine. I believe your exact words were—It paid off.”
He shook his head. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. I tried to tell you that before, but you distracted me.”
“Oh, sure. Blame the victim.”
“Victim.” He snorted. “I’m the one whose leg is growing numb. Now please unlock these cuffs.”
Maddie could see his discomfort, but she steeled herself against the appeal in his blue eyes. A bounty hunter couldn’t risk feeling sorry for her fugitives or allow herself to make concessions. Besides, the man deserved a little discomfort after all the pain he’d caused her father—not to mention all the women whose hearts he’d broken.
“I’ll unlock them when we get to Chicago.”
His eyes widened. “Chicago?”
She nodded. “That’s where we’re headed as soon as the sun comes up tomorrow. I’ve been tracking you for the past three days and I’m a little behind schedule.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” He lunged upward, but only succeeded in rolling off the bed. He hit the carpet with a loud grunt.
She kneeled down on the floor beside him. “It won’t do you any good to try to escape.”
“Escape?” he sputtered, wincing as he rolled onto his side. “Sorry to disappoint you, but at the moment I’m just hoping I didn’t break any bones.”
Her sympathy overcame her better judgment. She pulled a small key from the pocket of her sundress and unlocked the cuff around his ankle. He slowly straightened his right leg, wincing at the movement. Maddie didn’t waste any time securing the empty cuff around the metal leg of the bed frame.
“There,” she said, helping him up to a sitting position, his arms still cuffed behind his back. “That’s better.”
“No, that’s not better. I demand that you release me immediately!” He yanked hard on his chains.
“Sorry, Whip. No can do.”
“The name is Tanner.”
“This week, anyway.” She sat down in a chair across from him.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Face it, lady, you nabbed the wrong man.”
She sighed. “It’s not going to work.”
“My name is Tanner Blackburn,” he insisted.
“And you’re a lawyer.”
“That’s right.”
“A successful lawyer?”
He nodded. “As a matter of fact, I’m on the fast track to making partner.”
“Impressive.” She leaned forward. “So tell me something. Why would a handsome, successful lawyer advertise himself in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine?”
He met her gaze and her stomach fluttered at the indefinable emotion swirling in his blue eyes. “It’s a long story.”
“That’s all right, Whip… I mean, Tanner.” She settled back in her chair. “It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”
She forced herself to remain calm as he worked himself into a fury, yanking on the chains hard enough to make the bed vibrate. He was much brawnier than she’d expected. His shoulders were wide and his chest unbelievably broad. He’d obviously been working out since that last mug shot had been taken.
Her mouth went dry when she remembered the way his chest muscles had rippled beneath her touch. How the bulge of his biceps had helped snag his shirtsleeves behind him, making it almost impossible for him to move his arms.
She’d known the Kissing Bandit had charmed women all over the country, but she’d never really understood his magnetic power…until tonight.
The man had a boyish appeal that was almost irresistible. Especially when it was combined with those incredible blue eyes, that solid, square jaw, and a smile that melted something deep inside of her.
Not to mention that kiss.
She closed her eyes, attempting to block out the memory, and failing. Her body had betrayed her, and it still thrummed from the aftereffects of his kiss. She kept telling herself the only reason she’d kissed him was to distract him when she brought out the handcuffs.
But it wasn’t true. Worse, it had almost backfired on her. No wonder so many women had signed over their bank accounts and their common sense to this man.
“Am I boring you?” he asked archly.
Her eyes flew open. “Did you say something?”
His nostrils flared. “I was telling you the reason my picture was in that stupid magazine.”
She tucked her legs underneath her. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
He shifted uncomfortably on the floor. “Then I’ll say it again. It was a gift.”
She arched a brow, surprised that a man as cunning as the Kissing Bandit couldn’t come up with something more clever. “You consider yourself a gift to women?”
“No. It was a gift to my little sister.” He sagged against the bed, obviously exhausted from his struggle against the handcuffs. “For some ridiculous reason, she thought I didn’t have enough romance in my life. So she filled out the application and told me the only thing she wanted for her high school graduation present was my picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine.”
As far as Maddie knew, the Kissing Bandit didn’t have a little sister. But she decided to play along anyway. “And you agreed?”
“Not at first,” he replied. “But Lauren is nothing if not persistent. She told me she couldn’t enjoy herself at college if I was all alone in Dallas.”
Maddie had to give him credit. He was good. Very good.
Especially the way his voice softened when he spoke his sister’s name. He was a master of deception, which was probably the reason he’d avoided capture for so long.
“So you advertised yourself in the magazine hoping to find true love?”
“Something like that.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Look, the real reason is that it made my sister happy. She’s had a tough time these last few years, but she pulled herself together and graduated from high school with honors. She even qualified for a college scholarship. So when she asked me to put my picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, I did it. Hell, I would have walked across hot coals if she’d asked me to. And considering the way this evening is turning out, that might have been more fun.”
Maddie studied him, wondering how long it took him to create these cockamamie stories. At least this one was more plausible than the wild rodeo adventures he’d spun down at the bar. Did he improvise on the spur of the moment or spend hours concocting heart-wrenching tales to make women fall in love with him?
He certainly seemed like the perfect catch. Not only was he sinfully handsome, but he treated his little sister like a princess. No doubt leaving the impression that he’d treat the love of his life even better.
Too bad it was all make-believe.
“Do you adopt orphaned puppies and help little old ladies across the street, too?” she asked, tired of playing games. The rush of adrenaline from the takedown was finally beginning to wear off.
He narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that I’m smart enough not to believe a word that comes out of your mouth.”
“It happens to be the truth.”
“Okay,” she said, happy to call his bluff. “Give me your sister’s phone number and I’ll call her up to verify your story.”
“You can’t call her,” he retorted, anger sparking in his blue eyes. “Lauren went camping with friends this weekend. She won’t be home until Sunday.”
“That’s convenient.”
“It’s the damn truth!”
“Your bedtime stories are making me sleepy.” She got up and switched off the light, blanketing the room in darkness. “Good night, Whip.”
Tension crackled in the air as she walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. But it wasn’t until her head hit the pillow that he finally spoke.
“You expect me to sleep here on the floor like this?” He tugged on the handcuffs, shaking the bed slightly.
“Well, you’re certainly not sleeping with me,” Maddie replied, thankful for the darkness that covered her blush. Because, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t seem to forget that interlude on the bed right before she’d handcuffed him. The Kissing Bandit might be one of the world’s best con men, but she hadn’t been acting.
Still, what did it matter now? She’d done it. She’d brought down the Kissing Bandit. Satisfaction warmed her as she imagined the expression on her father’s face when she brought Blackburn in. Her brothers would be dumbfounded, and jealous as hell.
She could hardly wait.
4
TANNER AWOKE SLOWLY THE next morning, wincing at the piercing ache in his shoulders. It took him a moment to remember why he was lying on the floor. And why both of his hands were numb.
Maddie.
That brown-eyed vixen had lured him right into her trap. And he’d drooled over her all the way there. He closed his eyes, thoroughly disgusted with himself. This was certainly not the way he intended to start his well-earned vacation.
He rolled to one side, then levered himself up to a sitting position. His stiff muscles screamed in protest. He’d talked himself hoarse last night trying to convince her she’d made a big mistake. But Maddie Griffin refused to listen to reason. She was the most stubborn woman he’d ever met.
Leaning his head back against the mattress, he heard the shower running in the bathroom. She’d obviously been serious about leaving at the crack of dawn. Closing his eyes, he wondered how the hell he’d gotten into this situation, and more importantly, how he was going to get out of it.
A few minutes later, the shower turned off and he could hear the squeak of the shower door as it opened. It was too easy to imagine Maddie standing naked only a few feet away from him, tiny droplets of water streaming over her delectable body. If he wasn’t handcuffed to the bed, he’d be half tempted to walk in there and join her. Finish what they had started last night.
Last night. The wedding rehearsal. Oh, hell.
“Maddie!” He craned his neck toward the bathroom door. “Get out here right now!”
A moment later, the door opened and she stuck out her wet head, a towel hanging in front of her. “Is there a problem?”
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Kristin Gabriel
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Dangerously Irresistible, электронная книга автора Kristin Gabriel на английском языке, в жанре современные любовные романы