was
staying?
"It's the only hotel in town," Ray assured her unspoken question.
"We deduced you're just visiting, otherwise you'd have more
luggage."
Jac glanced down at her lone suitcase. "Yes, I travel light."
Before she could reach for it, Ray grasped the handle. "Please,
allow me." His grin sent a lusty, heated wave of desire through her
frigid body. Now that he was closer, Jac got a better look at the
policeman's buddy.
Ray had dark, wavy hair with a hint of gray brushing his temples.
His features were chiseled, all masculine and well-defined. His
mouth, however, looked both expressive and lush ... very kissable.
Jac drew a deep breath to clear her head. For the last few years she'd
been so buried in her writing, she'd been avoiding the opposite sex.
"How am I supposed to have a decent career when I get involved
with a man?" she recalled asking her roommate. "It just can't be done
... no way, no how." Her roommate had said she was crazy. And,
maybe, she was.
"Wow, it's refreshing to see a gal that doesn't try to pack several
suitcases full of stuff."
"Oh really?" Jac didn't know if he was serious or if he was just
kidding. "Why's that?"
"My sister packed three suitcases for her honeymoon last month.
Three. Can you imagine? I swear, that gal's got a screw loose." He
chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.
Jac smiled. His sense of humor just added a few more points to his
score.
Bruce was already in his patrol car as she and Ray headed for the
black truck. "I'll pop your bags in the bed here and we'll be off. You
look like a frozen popsicle."
She frowned at his analogy. "Well, the weather website didn't state
that Heather Grove was expecting such miserable weather for my
trip."
Ray grinned, placing the suitcase into the back of the truck, then
held out his hand. "Next?"
"Oh," Jac blinked. "This is my laptop. I'll just carry it with me."
"Okay. That's fine, Miss ... he paused, then shook his head. "Now,
where's my manners? I don't even know your name."
"I'm Jacqueline Hamilton, but you can call me 'Jac'."
"Jac, I like that. It's sassy sounding." In the dim moonlight, his
eyes roamed over her, checking her out from head to toe. If her face
weren't so darn cold, she would've blushed like a schoolgirl. Then,
Ray turned his attention back to the truck. "Well, let's not stand out
here in the cold. Let's get to town so you can warm up."
Ray swung open the passenger door. The metal hinges gave a loud
squeak. "Oh, geez! That sounds like an angry elephant, doesn't it? I'm
sorry about that. I just need to fix her up with a squirt of WD-40." He
grinned, then offered her his hand to help her up into the cab.
Even through the cold, Jac's fingers tingled at their touch. Knowing
my luck, it's a case of frost bite setting in , she wistfully thought and
climbed into the seat, fastening the seatbelt. As Ray slammed the
door closed and headed around the truck, Jac felt the weight of
everything upon her ... the trip, the accident and the frigid cold.
Tonight, she knew she would sleep well.
Before he pulled the truck door open, Ray took a deep breath. The
crisp night air cleared his head. From the moment he'd laid eyes on
Jac, he felt something spark inside him. Damn! Earlier he'd been
ribbing the boys at the bar for being wolf-hounds. Now, he could feel
the ebbing of the moon deep in his sithech -blood. What a freakin'
irony! he chided himself.
Even through layers of clothing, Ray could tell that Jac was petite,
yet curvaceous. She reminded him of his grandmother's bedtime
stories of the Picts – the ancient folk of Scotland. Her shimmering
eyes matched the rich darkness of her shoulder-length hair and were
accented by her winter-kissed cheeks.
Jac was lovely, despite her wild-eyed appearance. Ray could sense
her nervousness in the aura surrounding her. The distorted energy she
gave off made him want to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
Yet, she was a stranger. He knew
staying?
"It's the only hotel in town," Ray assured her unspoken question.
"We deduced you're just visiting, otherwise you'd have more
luggage."
Jac glanced down at her lone suitcase. "Yes, I travel light."
Before she could reach for it, Ray grasped the handle. "Please,
allow me." His grin sent a lusty, heated wave of desire through her
frigid body. Now that he was closer, Jac got a better look at the
policeman's buddy.
Ray had dark, wavy hair with a hint of gray brushing his temples.
His features were chiseled, all masculine and well-defined. His
mouth, however, looked both expressive and lush ... very kissable.
Jac drew a deep breath to clear her head. For the last few years she'd
been so buried in her writing, she'd been avoiding the opposite sex.
"How am I supposed to have a decent career when I get involved
with a man?" she recalled asking her roommate. "It just can't be done
... no way, no how." Her roommate had said she was crazy. And,
maybe, she was.
"Wow, it's refreshing to see a gal that doesn't try to pack several
suitcases full of stuff."
"Oh really?" Jac didn't know if he was serious or if he was just
kidding. "Why's that?"
"My sister packed three suitcases for her honeymoon last month.
Three. Can you imagine? I swear, that gal's got a screw loose." He
chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.
Jac smiled. His sense of humor just added a few more points to his
score.
Bruce was already in his patrol car as she and Ray headed for the
black truck. "I'll pop your bags in the bed here and we'll be off. You
look like a frozen popsicle."
She frowned at his analogy. "Well, the weather website didn't state
that Heather Grove was expecting such miserable weather for my
trip."
Ray grinned, placing the suitcase into the back of the truck, then
held out his hand. "Next?"
"Oh," Jac blinked. "This is my laptop. I'll just carry it with me."
"Okay. That's fine, Miss ... he paused, then shook his head. "Now,
where's my manners? I don't even know your name."
"I'm Jacqueline Hamilton, but you can call me 'Jac'."
"Jac, I like that. It's sassy sounding." In the dim moonlight, his
eyes roamed over her, checking her out from head to toe. If her face
weren't so darn cold, she would've blushed like a schoolgirl. Then,
Ray turned his attention back to the truck. "Well, let's not stand out
here in the cold. Let's get to town so you can warm up."
Ray swung open the passenger door. The metal hinges gave a loud
squeak. "Oh, geez! That sounds like an angry elephant, doesn't it? I'm
sorry about that. I just need to fix her up with a squirt of WD-40." He
grinned, then offered her his hand to help her up into the cab.
Even through the cold, Jac's fingers tingled at their touch. Knowing
my luck, it's a case of frost bite setting in , she wistfully thought and
climbed into the seat, fastening the seatbelt. As Ray slammed the
door closed and headed around the truck, Jac felt the weight of
everything upon her ... the trip, the accident and the frigid cold.
Tonight, she knew she would sleep well.
Before he pulled the truck door open, Ray took a deep breath. The
crisp night air cleared his head. From the moment he'd laid eyes on
Jac, he felt something spark inside him. Damn! Earlier he'd been
ribbing the boys at the bar for being wolf-hounds. Now, he could feel
the ebbing of the moon deep in his sithech -blood. What a freakin'
irony! he chided himself.
Even through layers of clothing, Ray could tell that Jac was petite,
yet curvaceous. She reminded him of his grandmother's bedtime
stories of the Picts – the ancient folk of Scotland. Her shimmering
eyes matched the rich darkness of her shoulder-length hair and were
accented by her winter-kissed cheeks.
Jac was lovely, despite her wild-eyed appearance. Ray could sense
her nervousness in the aura surrounding her. The distorted energy she
gave off made him want to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
Yet, she was a stranger. He knew
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