woman.
Couldn’t be!
But it was. Holy shit! She moaned and gasped for breath. Women were every bit as dangerous as men, Ryan reminded himself. This one had arrived armed. And tried a martial arts maneuver.
She thrashed and kicked, trying to escape, but he had her trapped by his large body. The more she squirmed, the softer she felt beneath him. She cut loose with a screeching cry that could be heard in Japan. She kept screaming at the top of her lungs even though no one could hear her over the roar of the storm.
“Stop it!” He lifted his body and flipped her onto her back. He had a vague impression of a pale face and light-colored eyes. She yanked at his hair, pulling it with astonishing strength. “Cut it out or I’ll have to hurt you.”
He grabbed her throat, planning to scare her a little. She responded by biting hard on his hand. “I’m warning you—”
“P-please…don’t hurt me,” she cried. “Take whatever you want. Just don’t rape me.”
“Rape you?” He stood up, hoisted her upright without letting go. “I won’t hurt you if you hold still while I call the cops.”
“ You’re calling the police?” she yelled at him, but she sounded scared spitless.
He hauled her with him toward the kitchen’s wall phone. “You bet I’m calling them. You were trying to rob the place.”
“I wasn’t robbing—”
“What about the weapon in your hand? You broke in armed with a gun.”
“Gun? I just had my collapsible umbrella, you jerk! Who are you? What are you doing in my loft?”
Ryan stopped dead in his tracks, holding her close. Hewas afraid of the answer, but he asked anyway. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Hayley Fordham. This is—”
She said something about this being her loft and she was calling the police to report him. Ryan reached for the drawer with the flashlight and pulled it out, still not letting go of the intruder. He turned it on and trained the light on her face.
The brown hair highlighted by copper strands that he’d dreamed about running his hands through hung in damp hanks around her pretty face. The gray eyes that had fascinated him were wild with terror and almost green in this light. The full lips that he’d imagined kissing were trembling.
The girl of his dreams—back from the dead.
CHAPTER FIVE
P ANIC COURSED THROUGH H AYLEY . Her breathing was erratic and she was trembling uncontrollably, fear a high-pitched scream in her veins. This monster intended to kill her. She couldn’t see him. The man was nothing more than a looming form and that was going to be the last thing she saw before she died.
The jujitsu kick The Wrath had taught her hadn’t worked. This man was too tall, his body too muscular for her to fight off. Her pulse ricocheted against her temples. If she didn’t do something, he would grab one of the kitchen knives and slit her throat.
“Let me go,” she pleaded, although she doubted it would do much good. Dread and defeat permeated her body and settled in her bones.
In response, he swung her around, his powerful arm just below her breasts. He manacled both her wrists in one fist, his fingers like steel bands. She was trapped by his muscular frame, his height. Even through her raincoat she felt the heat of his menacing body.
He grabbed something out of one of her kitchen drawers. She struggled to wrench herself free by biting him again, but couldn’t move. Out of nowhere, a blast of light blinded her and she squeezed her eyes shut—expecting to die in the next second.
“Who the hell are you?” he unexpectedly asked.
She opened her eyes, not able to distinguish anything but the blaring light and spit out, “I’m Hayley Fordham. Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”
His grip relaxed but he didn’t let her go. “I’m Ryan Hollister. Your aunt Meg sent me to get your things.”
“You’re lying! Why would Aunt Meg want my…” As she spoke, his name registered. “You’re Conrad’s son?”
“That’s
Couldn’t be!
But it was. Holy shit! She moaned and gasped for breath. Women were every bit as dangerous as men, Ryan reminded himself. This one had arrived armed. And tried a martial arts maneuver.
She thrashed and kicked, trying to escape, but he had her trapped by his large body. The more she squirmed, the softer she felt beneath him. She cut loose with a screeching cry that could be heard in Japan. She kept screaming at the top of her lungs even though no one could hear her over the roar of the storm.
“Stop it!” He lifted his body and flipped her onto her back. He had a vague impression of a pale face and light-colored eyes. She yanked at his hair, pulling it with astonishing strength. “Cut it out or I’ll have to hurt you.”
He grabbed her throat, planning to scare her a little. She responded by biting hard on his hand. “I’m warning you—”
“P-please…don’t hurt me,” she cried. “Take whatever you want. Just don’t rape me.”
“Rape you?” He stood up, hoisted her upright without letting go. “I won’t hurt you if you hold still while I call the cops.”
“ You’re calling the police?” she yelled at him, but she sounded scared spitless.
He hauled her with him toward the kitchen’s wall phone. “You bet I’m calling them. You were trying to rob the place.”
“I wasn’t robbing—”
“What about the weapon in your hand? You broke in armed with a gun.”
“Gun? I just had my collapsible umbrella, you jerk! Who are you? What are you doing in my loft?”
Ryan stopped dead in his tracks, holding her close. Hewas afraid of the answer, but he asked anyway. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Hayley Fordham. This is—”
She said something about this being her loft and she was calling the police to report him. Ryan reached for the drawer with the flashlight and pulled it out, still not letting go of the intruder. He turned it on and trained the light on her face.
The brown hair highlighted by copper strands that he’d dreamed about running his hands through hung in damp hanks around her pretty face. The gray eyes that had fascinated him were wild with terror and almost green in this light. The full lips that he’d imagined kissing were trembling.
The girl of his dreams—back from the dead.
CHAPTER FIVE
P ANIC COURSED THROUGH H AYLEY . Her breathing was erratic and she was trembling uncontrollably, fear a high-pitched scream in her veins. This monster intended to kill her. She couldn’t see him. The man was nothing more than a looming form and that was going to be the last thing she saw before she died.
The jujitsu kick The Wrath had taught her hadn’t worked. This man was too tall, his body too muscular for her to fight off. Her pulse ricocheted against her temples. If she didn’t do something, he would grab one of the kitchen knives and slit her throat.
“Let me go,” she pleaded, although she doubted it would do much good. Dread and defeat permeated her body and settled in her bones.
In response, he swung her around, his powerful arm just below her breasts. He manacled both her wrists in one fist, his fingers like steel bands. She was trapped by his muscular frame, his height. Even through her raincoat she felt the heat of his menacing body.
He grabbed something out of one of her kitchen drawers. She struggled to wrench herself free by biting him again, but couldn’t move. Out of nowhere, a blast of light blinded her and she squeezed her eyes shut—expecting to die in the next second.
“Who the hell are you?” he unexpectedly asked.
She opened her eyes, not able to distinguish anything but the blaring light and spit out, “I’m Hayley Fordham. Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”
His grip relaxed but he didn’t let her go. “I’m Ryan Hollister. Your aunt Meg sent me to get your things.”
“You’re lying! Why would Aunt Meg want my…” As she spoke, his name registered. “You’re Conrad’s son?”
“That’s
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