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  She wanted him to take Henry to a party to see her get an award. Jonah would be happy to haul Henry around, but he was trying with all his might to avoid Kate and stay as far away from her as possible.

  And doing so had helped. At least he was getting a few hours sleep each night. He knew he had been a jerk with her just now, but they needed dissension to keep the distance between them.

  He put his chin on his hand on the fence and openly watched her walking to the house. He remembered moments like this when she had gained a big client or finished a project, and how they would go out and have their own celebration.

  He clenched his teeth and turned around to focus on Henry. Forget her, forget her, he told himself. On Friday he would take Henry to her office and sit with him and watch her get an award. He’d let him look around, and then he and Henry could get the hell out of there.

  Or if she wanted to bring Henry home herself, he would leave him with her. Except Jonah had invited her to dinner, an offer that had popped out as if he didn’t have control over his own speech. At least she’d had enough sense to turn him down.

  “Daddy, look! He’s trotting!” Henry exclaimed, and Jonah turned to watch his son, thinking again how much Henry had changed since the first few days he had come to the ranch. When he began to learn to do a few things, like swimming, he seemed to gain more confidence to do others.

  Kate spent Thursday evening trying to decide what to wear for the celebration at her office. Jonah had Henry outside swimming with him, and while she was alone, she wanted to get everything laid out for Friday.

  She tried on first one outfit and then another, finally deciding on a simple black dress. She was nervous and wished she could attribute it to being so new to the company and having an award presented to her team. But she knew exactly why she was on edge, and it had nothing to do with her new job and everything to do with Jonah. He was cordial enough, and every evening they ate dinner together with Henry, but all conversation was focused on their son and they communicated very little with each other. She knew Henry was too young to notice whether or not his parents conversed with each other. He probably enjoyed all the attention, in any case.

  As soon as dinner was over, either she or Jonah would take Henry for the evening, and the two adults would rarely see any more of each other until he went to bed, and then only briefly to tell Henry good-night. Kate had never encountered Jonah in the pool again, and she wondered if he had given up swimming alone while she lived with him. Most likely he swam when he knew she wasn’t around to join him.

  Jonah couldn’t sleep and paced restlessly around the family room. He turned on the television, gazed outside across the terrace at the pool and finally went up to his room. He glared at Kate’s closed door. He thought about her constantly and could not get her off his mind.

  After he’d put Henry to bed, Jonah had exercised tonight for over an hour. He had been swimming enough to exhaust most people, but he still knew he wasn’t going to fall asleep. Switching off the lights in his room, he yanked off his T-shirt and went out on his balcony to sit. Seeing that Kate’s balcony was empty, he thought about her in bed. Images of Kate caused him more turmoil than ever. He tried to think of something else, but found it difficult. Finally he dozed, waking again far into the night.

  He sat in the darkness, relaxed, not wanting to get up and move. But finally he went inside and happened to glance out a bedroom window that beyond the yard held a view of the barn. A flicker of light caught Jonah’s attention, and then it was gone, so quickly he wondered if he had imagined it.

  He pulled a chair to the window and sat down, staring out the window at the darkness beyond the well-lit terrace and pool, to the area near the barn. For a long time he saw nothing. Jonah was just about to give up and go to bed when he saw a flicker of light again. This time he was certain of it. Instantly he ran across the room, jamming his feet into running shoes. He got his pistol down from the shelf in his closet, tucking the weapon into his jeans, then turned to rush across the room. He paused at his desk to jam a cell phone into his jeans pocket and grab his walkie-talkie.

  Wanting to catch whoever was out there, he raced downstairs, moving through the darkened house with the ease of a cat, because he knew the layout and his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. As he ran, he activated the walkie-talkie and pressed the button.

  “Scott, can you hear me?” he asked in a low voice.

  There was a short burst of static and then he heard his foreman’s sleep-filled voice. “Jonah?”

  “Yeah. I saw a light by the barn. I’m leaving the house, heading for the corral.”

  “I’ll go there, too.”

  “You get up the road in case someone tries to leave in that direction.” At the back door, Jonah stopped to turn off the alarm and reset it, so he could leave and still have it turned on while he was outside.

  Light surrounded the house, and he sprinted across the yard, vaulting the fence. As soon as he was out of the range of the floodlights, he hugged shadows, running to the far side of the barn. The door was slightly ajar and Jonah moved with stealth.

  He stepped inside, standing immobile, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then he listened with all his senses alert. Who was in here? he wondered. Was this the rustler and arsonist? Jonah tried to catch any scent, any sound of someone who might be in the barn with him. There were no horses in the stalls, so the silence was total.

  As he stood listening, Jonah detected a faint ticking. There were no clocks in the barn, and he wasn’t wearing his watch. He crept forward with care, remembering where a light switch was. When he reached the switch, he hit it, illuminating the barn.

  His gaze swept the area to reassure himself that he was alone. The instant he decided there was no one in the barn with him, he tried to find the source of the ticking, listening carefully and moving toward the faint sound.

  His gaze almost slipped right past it, but he finally noticed straw loosely covering what looked like a box. Dropping down on his knees, he brushed away the straw and found a briefcase. When he placed his ear against it, he realized it was a bomb.

  Chapter 9

  J onah yanked up the briefcase by the handle and ran to the door, racing out the far side of the barn away from the house.

  He sprinted into the field behind and then swung his arm, putting all his strength into the toss and pivoting so that his whole body and all his muscle was behind it as he tossed the briefcase high in the air and let go. It sailed into the darkness, while he spun and ran back toward the barn.

  The explosion knocked him off his feet. A deafening blast shook the ground, followed by a wall of air barreling into him. A fireball illuminated the pasture with blinding light, followed by a thick plume of smoke rising skyward.

  Jonah hit the ground, but then he was up, running for the house, because he could imagine what the blast would do to Kate and Henry.

  Yanking out his cell phone he dialed 9-1-1, and the minute he heard the voice of the dispatcher, he said, “This is Jonah Whitewolf. Get Sheriff Gallen. Someone just tried to blow up my barn. I don’t think he’s had time to get away from the ranch. As far as I know, everyone is all right.”

  He broke the connection to call Scott Adamson on the walkie-talkie, but before they could connect, he saw the foreman sprinting toward the house. Adamson seemed to spot him at the same time and veered toward him.

  “What the hell happened?” he called as he approached Jonah.

  “Someone put a bomb in the barn. I found it in time to pitch it out into a field.”

  “Hellfire!”

  “I’ve called the sheriff and I want to get to the house. You check on the men and get some to fan out and search for the bomber—he wasn’t far ahead of me. Get someone else to call Clementine and the others and let them know what happened.”

  Scott was already gone, running back toward the bunkhouse. Jonah stretched out his legs and sprinted toward the house, swearing under his breath. Nearly every light in the hous
e was on, and he could imagine Kate’s fright and anger. And he suspected that, some way or another, she would blame what had happened on his past and his dangerous lifestyle in the military.

  If the Brants’ barn hadn’t burned, he would wonder himself if it were someone out of the past with a vendetta against him. But the Brant rustling and barn burning had to be tied to the slaughter and rustling of his own cattle, and now the attempted bombing.

  Hot anger made Jonah grit his teeth. How he would like to catch the culprit! He worried about Henry and Kate and everyone who worked for him, although he suspected his men could take good care of themselves and would welcome a chance to catch the creep.

  Jonah unlocked the back door and went inside. He was sprinting toward the stairs when he met Kate coming toward him.

  She wore a blue cotton robe that covered her from her chin to her knees, but his mouth went dry because he knew she wore little beneath it. Her hair fell loosely around her face and he forgot the bomb, the intruder, everything except this incredible-looking woman. And then he gazed into her eyes and saw only anger.

  “What happened, Jonah?”

  “It was a bomb.”

  “Oh, my gosh!” she exclaimed, still looking furious. If she felt any fear, it was well hidden. Knowing Kate, she probably was angry. She always met life head-on, and he had never seen her cower from anything, which made it harder for him to understand why she hated his being in the military.

  “Where’s Henry?” he asked.

  “I told you—Henry sleeps. He slept right through it,” she replied.

  “Thank heavens,” Jonah exclaimed. “I was worried that I would find him crying and you wringing your hands, but I should have known better.”

  “Where was the bomb and was anyone hurt?”

  “I happened to be awake and saw a light out on the grounds. I dressed and went down to see about it, and found the door to the barn open. When I slipped inside, I could hear ticking, so I switched on the lights, followed the sound and found a briefcase. I yanked it up, carried it outside and tossed it.”

  “I thought you said you had fancy alarms on everything,” she said, frowning at him.

  “It’s my guess, and we’ll find out soon, that whoever planted the bomb also knows how to dismantle alarms.”

  “Oh, my word! So we’re not safe here.”

  “Yes, you are,” he said grimly. “I’ll see to that. I’ll have more alarms installed and maybe get some of the men to patrol the grounds at night until they catch the culprits. We’ll keep a couple of the dogs up here in the yard at night so they’ll make noise.”

  “Jonah, I’d think this was someone from your past if it weren’t for the Brants’ barn.”

  “I agree,” he said. “But since they got the Brants, it must be something else. It might not have anything to do with me. It may be someone else on the ranch.”

  He raked his fingers through his dark hair and it sprang back into place. “Soon Sheriff Gallen will be here and I’ll need to talk to him. In the meantime, let’s go get a drink.”

  She glared at him, and he knew she was blaming him for what had happened, but she nodded and walked beside him, and when she did, all problems seemed to fall away. The scent of her perfume enveloped him, and longing struck him again with the force of a blow to his body. Her blue robe was circumspect, but he wondered what was beneath it—probably a silky gown. Her head came to his shoulder and she was temptingly close.

  When they entered the kitchen, he headed for the refrigerator. “Sit down and I’ll get you something. What would you like?” he asked.

  When she didn’t answer instantly, he glanced around and sucked in his breath. Her hazel eyes had darkened with unmistakable desire, fixed on his bare chest. He turned to face her squarely, standing only yards from her as he put his hands on his hips.

  “Maybe we should forget the drinks,” he said, fighting his own internal war. “I’m worried about the danger out there, but that’s nothing compared to the danger in here.”

  Her gaze flew up to his face and her cheeks flushed, and he wondered what thoughts had been running through her mind. He moved closer, tilting up her chin. “How I’d like to know what you’re thinking,” he said quietly.

  “Probably the same thing you’re thinking,” she whispered. “And shouldn’t be. Let’s get that drink, Jonah, or separate now.”

  He knew she was right and he turned, but it took all his willpower to keep from trying to flirt with her or even just to reach for her.

  “I’ll have orange juice,” she said, and walked around the kitchen table to sit, watching him.

  He poured two glasses of juice and sat down across the table, knowing they needed to keep a barrier between them. They needed to keep the state of Texas between them, yet he wanted Henry here with all his heart.

  “I ought to be out there helping the men look for the bomber.”

  “Go ahead. I’m not holding you.”

  “Like hell you aren’t,” he answered with amusement, and her brows arched while her lips curved in a faint smile.

  “I’m not touching you,” she replied in a saucy voice. “I’m not wearing anything sexy. I’ve told you to go, so why do you think that I’m holding you here?”

  He couldn’t resist, leaning toward her over the table. “I know what I see in your eyes, Kate. That’s unmistakable. And I’d give half the ranch to know what you’re wearing under that robe. Whatever it is, there’s not much of it, and my memory still serves me well. What you’re wearing is sexy, all right, even if it is buttoned to your chin.”

  “That’s your overactive imagination,” she said, but her cheeks had flushed again. She took a sip of her orange juice and set down the glass, running her long, slender fingers over the smooth surface. He could remember those fingers moving over him, and he caught her hand in his.

  “You have beautiful hands, Kate.”

  She pulled away and stood abruptly, picking up her glass of orange juice. “Jonah, we’re just tormenting each other. I shouldn’t have agreed to this drink, and you don’t have time for it.”

  As she started to walk out of the kitchen, he got up and moved with her. “I’d try to talk you into staying here with me, except I need to get a shirt and get out there to meet the sheriff,” he said. “The firemen will be here and probably the media. I have to leave you, Kate, so what will one quick kiss hurt?” he asked, unable to keep from taking her in his arms. “We won’t have a choice. It can’t go beyond a quick kiss.”

  “Jonah, that’s like an alcoholic saying just one quick drink,” she protested, but her voice was breathless, and she was rooted to the spot.

  He took the glass from her hands. Her eyes were huge as she looked up at him.

  “That just adds to the torment. I thought we were going to avoid each other.”

  “Well, we didn’t tonight, and the torment’s not going away and I want to kiss you,” he said, leaning down. “Kate, did it ever occur to you that I’m out of the military and I may have changed?”

  “Jonah, you know the—”

  His lips brushed hers, and she gasped and stopped talking. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her eyes closed and he knew she wanted to kiss as badly as he did. He ducked his head down again, this time covering her mouth firmly, his tongue going into her mouth.

  The impact was a hot blast to his insides, turning him hard in an instant.

  The kiss lasted seconds or minutes. He didn’t know how long, except that it was far too brief. Then she pushed against his chest and broke away.

  “I told you we shouldn’t,” she gasped. Her hair was tangled around her face and now her robe was in disarray and her lush curves evident. Her lips were red from their kisses, her cheeks flushed with color, and he wanted her.

  “Damn straight we shouldn’t,” he snapped, “but we are!” He kissed her again, hard and thoroughly, feeling her body soften and press closer. She thrust her hips against him and tightened her arms around his neck, moaning softly.

>   Her kisses scalded him, making him ache, and he knew he would be worse for this. But she was irresistible.

  “I want you, Kate!” He ground out the words, unable to keep from saying them. He ran his hands over her back and waist, sliding one hand around to cup her breast, while he shook with need.

  Never had he wanted a woman, or even Kate herself, as he did at this moment. He had missed her, ached for her, and now that she was standing in his arms, he didn’t want to stop or let go for any reason.

  He reached down and caught the hem of her robe, grabbing the hem of her nightgown, too. He slipped his hand beneath them and then his fingers brushed her flat belly and slid up to cup her warm, soft breast.

  He groaned, aching to take her right now, here in the kitchen.

  Kate trembled and moaned, stroking his back, his head, his shoulders. His hands were demolishing her thought processes and all logic.

  “Jonah,” she whispered, kissing his throat, and then he leaned away. He bent down to push her gown and robe higher. His tongue stroked her nipple, and she thought she would faint from the sensations he stirred.

  He pushed her back, shoving up the gown and robe to cup both her breasts and circle her nipples lightly with his thumbs while he looked at her. “You’re beautiful, Kate,” he said in a husky voice.

  Lost in a world of feelings, she couldn’t answer him. She ran her hands over his chest, touching his hard nipples.

  “Jonah!” She looked into his eyes before he bent his head to take her nipple into his mouth, his tongue, hot and warm, circling the sensitive tip. While she clutched his shoulder with one hand, she slid the other down his chest and lower, unable to resist touching him. Her fingers ran over his bulging blue jeans. She didn’t think he could feel her slight touch through the heavy denim, but she heard his gasp and then his hands were at his belt buckle, unfastening it.