Hunted Love (A Dangerous Kind of Love Book 2) (4 page)

He ran a hand down his face. “I don’t even know what I’m saying. I’m too exhausted to think,” he said glancing toward the window. “It doesn’t look like Brian’s going to make it tonight so I might as well get ready for bed.”

“Do you need any help?”

He looked at her with a weak grin. “I’ll rub your back if you rub mine, or maybe you’d like to tuck me in like you did last night. You can give me a proper send off.”

Sarah’s jaw clenched tightly as his grin grew wider. She gave him a look.

“Oh, little Ms. Prim and Proper can dish it out but can’t take it,” he said with a laugh.  “You need to find some nice boring, proper gentleman who can take you to the ballet.”

“You’re so predictable.”

He arched an eyebrow.

“I can almost set my watch by you. Anytime we’re getting closer to one another, you intentionally say or do something to make me mad or embarrass me. Why do you do that?”

Jamie gave her a dramatic eye roll. “See, you’ve got this idea about me that’s just not based in reality. I’m just being myself.”

“I know you, Jamie Murphy. I know what you’re like. These little comments aren’t you. They are designed to push me away. I can always tell when you’re about to do it too. You say something nice or sweet or you become emotionally vulnerable, and then I can see the panic set in and a few seconds later, you open your mouth.” She crossed her arms. “Why do you do that? Are you afraid of me?”

The wary look in his eyes returned. There was a second when he looked like he was going to answer but then he turned his head with a snort. “Yeah, I’m terrified of you, Princess.”

Sarah stood up. She leaned across the table, stretching herself until her mouth was just inches from his. So close she could see his pupils dilate, feel his breath quicken. “Why don’t you admit it? I scare you to death. I can see it in your eyes.”

He leaned back putting distance between them. When that wasn’t far enough, he pushed away from the table with a painful grunt. “The only thing you’re seeing in my eyes are the effects of your grandpa’s pain medication.” Holding onto his arm, he stood and walked toward the bathroom. “I think the isolation up here is getting to you. You’re starting to imagine things that aren’t there. You should be thankful I’m a proper gentleman, otherwise, I might take advantage of you.”

“Oh, I am,” she said dryly as she stood and walked to the closet next to the bathroom. She pulled a couple of sheets from the shelf. “That’s one thing I always tell people about you. That you are such a gentleman.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “And I for one am very thankful that you are such a proper gentleman, because Lord knows you’d be all over me if you weren’t and neither one of us wants that to happen.”

He paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder at her as he reached for the door.

She looked back at him when he didn’t make a move to enter the bedroom and smiled. “Night, night.”

He didn’t say anything as he disappeared into the bedroom.

“Proper gentlemen, my foot. Scaredy cat is more like it,” she muttered spreading the sheet out and tucking it around the cushions. She was just about finished when Jamie appeared behind her with a blanket and a pillow.

He dropped both items onto the end of the couch. “I’ll sleep here. You take the bed.”

She quickly sat down, bringing her knees up and over. “You’re too tall. You’d never fit.” She demonstrated by lying down, lengthening her legs and propping her feet on the arm rest. “You’d be miserable.”

His gaze slid to the foot of space between the other armrest and her head. “I think I’ll survive.” He motioned for her to get up.

Feeling contrary, Sarah stubbornly shook her head. “You’re my guest. It would be bad manners for me to let you sleep here.” She ignored the fact that it was also bad manners to argue with her guest about his preferred choice of beds as she folded her hands underneath her head. “You’re also my patient, and since I hired you to be my bodyguard, my employee, I’m responsible for your well-being and I—”

Her words ended on a gasp as he swiftly bent over, looming over her body, his mouth inches from hers. “I’m sleeping here.”

Sarah took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart, which was battering against her ribs in surprise and in response just to how close his body was to hers. She stared up into his blue eyes, acutely aware of every fleck of gold and the way they dilated as he looked at her.

He was so handsome. Far more beautiful than any other man she had ever seen. All she had to do was reach up a few inches . . . Her fingers twitched as her gaze traveled down to his full mouth.

As if anticipating her move, he leaned back suddenly. “Sarah, I’m taking the couch. You can have the bedroom.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, she narrowed her eyes, her fingers clutching at the cushions. “Then it looks like we’re both sleeping here.”

Without warning, he scooped his arms underneath her.

She gasped as concern for his arm took hold and wiped out any childish need to fight with him over the couch. “Jamie, no, your arm,” she said, pushing against his chest.

Hovering over her, he loosened his hold. “Then you’ll take the bed?”

She pursed her lips together, giving him a curt nod. When he stepped back, she swung her legs to the side and stood, silently motioning for him to lie down.

She was partly to the bedroom when she heard him say in amusement, “Good, I knew you’d see it my way.”

Her back straightened. She let out her breath before turning around and marching back into the living room.

Jamie let out a little sigh as she flopped down in the easy chair. “I knew I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“Wisest thing you’ve said all night,” she said pleasantly.

He snorted. “I have never seen anyone as stubborn as you.”

“Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

Jamie didn’t answer as he laid down and turned on his side away from her. A few minutes later, he turned over on his back before eventually switching to the other end of the couch.

“Comfy?” Sarah asked in satisfied amusement as Jamie struggled to get comfortable.

With a soft groan, he came to his feet. He clutched his arm as he stood there, slightly swaying. “The bed’s big enough for both of us and I’m too tired and in too much pain to do anything, so . . .”

“Aww, those are the sweetest words . . .” She bit her lip, suddenly noticing how tense his face looked and the stiff way he held himself as if he even thought about relaxing he’d fall down.

Her gaze turned to the clock. “You’re due for some pain medicine. Come on,” she said, gently wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him back to the bedroom.

She helped him get undressed before handing him his pain medication and a glass of water.

Once that was done, she laid down underneath the covers and watched as he laid down as far away from her as he could possibly get and still be on the bed.

Propping a hand underneath her head, she looked at him in exasperation. “Would you be more comfortable if I put some pillows between us? Maybe I could hang a sheet from the ceiling. Would that work?”

He glanced down at the empty space between them so long she started to wonder whether he was actually taking her suggestion seriously. 

Finally, his lips quirked up slightly and he moved closer to her. “Happy?”

“I can barely contain myself,” she said, flopping onto her other side, away from him.

A small smile tugged at her mouth as he chuckled.

She glanced toward the window, only then realizing she had forgotten to close the drapes. The trees near the house swayed in the wind, casting shadows along the wall and occasionally brushing against the window.

A shiver coursed up her spine as she remembered how close she came to dying the night before, if it hadn’t been for Jamie. She inched back towards him, only stopping when she reached his side. She waited, expecting him to move away at any moment but to her surprise, he draped his arm around her waist and sighed in her hair.

The trees and the night before momentarily forgotten, she closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying the feel of him so close to her. Within minutes, she was sound asleep.

CHAPTER FOUR

He was there again.

Watching.

Sarah couldn’t escape.

She tried running but it was as if she was surrounded by quicksand. Every movement she made was slow and ineffective, and no matter what she did, he was always there, just behind her.

Waiting.

Watching.

A shadowy figure in the dark.

Sarah turned a corner and entered a dark, dense forest.

Jamie was at the end of the trail. His back was turned toward her but she could tell it was he. If she could just make it to him, she’d be safe. He’d protect her.

Emboldened, she quickened her pace. A sense of hope filled her. He was so close. She called his name.

However, he didn’t turn around and inexplicably seemed to be getting further away from her the faster she ran.

She screamed for him, but still, he remained where he was as if he hadn’t heard her.

She didn’t dare look over her shoulder. She knew the man chasing her was very close. She could feel his breath on her shoulder and could hear his footsteps just behind her.

Heart pounding, she ran up the hill only to find Jamie had disappeared. Now, in a near panic, she turned around.

Sarah woke up screaming, her eyes screwed shut, struggling against the strong arms, which held her tightly.

“Sarah!” Jamie said somewhere just above her.

Her eyes snapped open.

Jamie cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping away her tears. “It’s all right. You’re okay.”

She looked around the room. “Alex . . .”

“He’s dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.” He hugged her, his lips sliding along her cheek to her ear. “I’m right here. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”

She turned her head towards him, accidentally brushing her lips against his.

She started to apologize, the words on the tip of her tongue, and then to her complete surprise, he kissed her back, gently, hesitantly at first, before pulling away. He leaned his head back, his fingers tracing her jaw line as he looked at her in wonder. Murmuring something about a mistake, he kissed her again, this time more passionately than before.

Sarah, lost in his kiss, wondering if she was still dreaming, kissed him back, her excitement growing with every caress.

Threading his hands through her hair, he deepened the kiss, leaving her breathless and clutching at his arms, only remembering too late to be gentle, as Jamie hissed in pain and jerked back and away from her.

This time the words of apology came flowing out of her as she sat up, checking the bandage around his arm. He waved her hands away, insisting he was fine as he laid back down.

“We should probably go back to sleep,” he said, moving away from her, both physically as well as emotionally. Breathing heavily, he said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that . . .” He looked away from her to the door. “I—I don’t want you to . . . to get the wrong idea or anything. I just wasn’t thinking.” The corner of his lips quirked up as he looked back at her. “I blame the pain meds.”

Sarah sighed in disappointment and frustration as she lay down next to him. She didn’t understand. He liked her, that much was obvious, so why did he keep pushing her away? Feeling tears prick the back of her eyes she turned over and faced the window, silently wiping away a tear.

“Sarah?”

When she didn’t answer he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her against his chest.

“Goodnight,” he whispered.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded before closing her eyes.

*  *  *

Jamie laid in the darkness holding Sarah close, waiting for her to fall asleep and cursing himself for making her cry, even though he didn’t quite understand why she was crying.

Must be the shock of everything that happened with her and her sister the last couple of days
, he thought, tightening his arms protectively around her. Which more than likely explained the nightmare. He wasn’t quite sure when it had started.

When he had crawled out of bed a few minutes before, she had been sound asleep. He had been in the living room looking out the window when he heard her call his name. By the time he had reached the bedroom, she was screaming in terror, thrashing around in bed.

He buried his face in her hair. He shouldn’t have kissed her. She was obviously traumatized and kissing her did nothing except confuse her and make it more difficult for him to leave.

He took a deep breath, breathing her in as he lay there, trying to shut out the images playing through his mind and the feel of her in his arms.

He shouldn’t have kissed her.

Groaning, he rolled over on his back, urging himself to stand up, thinking that if he didn’t leave now, he’d never leave. Making sure not to wake her, he slipped his arm out from underneath her head and climbed out of the bed.

He stood there for a moment watching her as she slept, wishing more than anything he could crawl back in the bed and stay there with her.

Why not?
A little voice whispered in his mind.
Think of how nice it would be
. She was what he wanted, dreamt about, prayed for. She was everything he ever wanted and it would be so nice to pretend she was his for a while.

He took a step back to the bed but stopped as his mind came up with reasons why staying would be a mistake.

It wouldn’t work
, it said.
They were too different. Not enough in common.

He rubbed his hand down his face as the litany wore on.
You’d just be setting yourself up for failure. After all, if it was this difficult leaving her now after a little kiss, just think about how bad it would be if this continued and she’s finally tired of you, and she would eventually grow tired. How could she not. He was nothing and she was everything.

Why set yourself up to fail? Haven’t you had enough of that? You’re going to turn over a new leaf, remember? Do the right thing from now on, wasn’t it? The right thing is letting her go. She’s only infatuated because she thinks you’re a hero. Because she thinks she needs you to protect her. Once she realizes she safe, she won’t want you around any longer. If you stayed away, she’d find another guy pretty quick. A nice guy. One that can make her happy. Give her a nice normal life.

Have to be cruel to be kind.

He had never understood that phrase. In his experience, it was often just a justification to be cruel but . . . this was different.

Just need to give her some space
, the voice whispered.

He picked his shirt off the chair in the bedroom and walked into the living room. He sat down on the couch, trying his best to convince himself he was doing the right thing for her by leaving. He was still there hours later, when the sound of a car pulling up to the cabin caught his attention.

By the time he had retrieved his rifle and pulled back the curtain, Brian Shaw was parked and approaching the door. It had been ten years since Jamie had seen the man but he recognized him immediately, even with a knit hat and a scarf covering half his face.
You always recognize family
, Jamie thought as he wrenched open the door before Brian could knock. “About time you got here. What took you so long?”

Brian pulled off his hat and gave Jamie a thoroughly disgusted look. “What took me so long?”

Shushing him, Jamie glanced over his shoulder. “Lower your voice,” he warned, quietly shutting the door.

Brian’s gaze briefly flickered to the bedroom door before returning to Jamie. He obediently lowered his voice. “Maybe it was the ten car pileup on Western Kentucky Parkway. Maybe it was the fact that two of my colleagues didn’t show up to work and I had to take their shifts. How about the pregnant lady who went into premature labor at the ER? Or maybe it was the kids who fell through the ice. Or I don’t know… how about the freaking blizzard outside and the one back road to this God forsaken place is partially blocked by a tree.” He removed his coat as he moved about the small room checking things out. “I got here as soon as I could.”

“All right, all right, I’m glad you finally made it. I was starting to worry.” Jamie scowled at his old friend, wondering if he was, in fact, still a friend. He had always thought of Brian as a brother, but ten years is a long time not to see someone. They had exchanged emails and phone calls back and forth through the years, but it wasn’t the same as being in the same room with one another.

Brian dropped the black bag he was carrying on the table. “So, what’s wrong with you?” he asked as he ran a hand through his black hair, smoothing it back into place.

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I can tell. You look like you’re about to pass out at any moment.”

Jamie shrugged lightly. “I’m running a slight fever and I was shot last night.”

“Shot?” Brian’s brown eyes flashed in anger. “What have you gotten yourself into this time? I thought you were trying to go straight. Turn your life around.”

“Lower your voice,” Jamie hissed. “I don't want to wake her up.”

Brian glanced back at the bedroom door. “The girl who called me just told me that you were hurt. She didn’t say anything about you being shot.”

“Hurt, shot, same thing.”

Brian looked like he was about to argue but instead motioned for Jamie to come to the table. “Come on; let me take a look at you.”

“Let’s do this back in town.”

Brian gave him a look of exasperation. “You brought me all the way out here because you need my help, so sit down and shut up.”

Jamie arched an eyebrow as he sank down in the chair. “Is this how you treat your patients?”

“No, this is how I treat you,” he said helping Jamie remove his shirt.

“Well?” he asked after Brian had removed the bandage and inspected his arm.

“You’ve got a fever and you’ve been shot.”

“I’m so glad you made it here to tell me that. I’ve been wondering all day what was wrong with me. What are you going to do about it?” he hissed.

“Oh relax. It’s a superficial wound.”

“I beg to differ.”

“You’ll live. It looks like it passed all the way through. I’m more worried about your fever,” he said pressing a hand against Jamie’s forehead. “You may have some bits and pieces of your clothing in there causing an infection.” He dug through his bag, removing a bottle of antiseptic and gauze. “You should feel honored. I don’t normally make house calls.”

Jamie hissed in pain as Brian began cleaning his wound. “Ow. Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Do I ask you how to kill people?” Brian said snidely.

“No, I figured they would have taught you that in med school,” Jamie snapped back.

“Oh, just relax. When we get back to the hospital—”

“No hospital,” Jamie said through clenched teeth.

“Why?”

Jamie started to answer, but then stopped as a coughing fit took over. When he could breathe again, he said, “You’d have to report that I’ve been shot.”

Brian gave him a look as he bandaged Jamie’s arm. “Yeah, so?”

“I somehow don’t think my probation officer would be too happy about that. They might start asking questions. Questions I don’t want to answer.”

“It might be getting infected,” Brian said in a warning tone of voice.

“I’m not going back to prison, Brian.”

“All right, we’ll go back to my place.” He lifted his head, his eyes going glassy for a moment. “Or I could take you to Kristen’s.” He grinned. “She’s mad at you, by the way.”

Jamie looked at him with a frown. “Kristen? When did you talk to Kristen? I thought you were trying to avoid everyone but Phoebe now that you’re a respectable doctor. Don’t want to hobnob with the criminal element.”

“Well, that was the plan, but I didn’t have much choice when Nathan carried Kristen into the ER last night. It’s like old home week. The whole gang was all there minus you and . . .” He paused as a flicker of emotion crossed his face “Anyway, almost everyone was there. You know, I’m not too happy about this. The last thing I wanted to be is a doctor for the mob.”

“Oh, please, this isn’t the mob. It’s more like a club of wannabes. It has no teeth now that all the old-timers are in jail or dead.”

“They have Danny and Moose.”

“The gruesome twosome couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.”

“What about you? They still keep you around.”

“Haven’t you heard yet? I’m a drunk. A slob. I can’t even be trusted anymore.”

“Then why do they let you hang around?”

“For old time’s sake. Probably to make themselves feel better. Occasionally, Nathan or Kristen—mostly Kristen—will throw money my way if they start feeling sorry for me. It’s part of their new image to be charitable.”

Brian grunted as he helped Jamie dress. “Sounds like you’re building quite a life for yourself here. If you’re truly interested in starting over, why don’t you leave?”