Read Online Ramagos, Tonya - Running from Angel [Sunset Cowboys 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Tonya Ramagos - Free Book Online

in the pockets of his jeans. “What doesn’t add up?”
    “The jury is still out on her being the same woman we thought we rescued that day at the mall. She appears to have changed. I know certain parts of her did. I watched everything she did for months after and, yeah, she exhibited the strength to get on her feet and rebuild her life.” He puffed out a breath and straightened. “The woman I kept watch over, the women we took to bed last night, isn’t the type of woman who would let something as simple as routine maintenance on her favorite car go undone.”
    “You’re thinking someone messed with her car?” Jacob let the suggestion ping-pong in his mind for a long moment. A rod connecting the piston to the crankshaft didn’t normally fly off and go through the engine block for no reason. The top two contributing factors came down to neglect in changing the oil or an oil leak that caused the level to drop dangerously low. He had yet to find a leak of any kind. “If she’s kept up with the maintenance that would mean someone had to put something in the oil.”
    “It’s not out of the realm of possibilities.” Mitch shrugged and raked a hand through his hair. “You know the hell she went through. You know how devious that son of a bitch she was with tried to be. He was a swing away from putting her in the hospital when we stepped in that day. She got a restraining order, and he stayed away physically, but…”
    “But he still could’ve gotten to her car,” Jacob finished.
    “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
    “I would.”
    Both men turned to find Angel stepping through the wide-open doors of the barn. Seeing her once again wearing his shirt reminded Jacob he had neglected to get her overnight bag from the trunk like he had told her he would. Then again, he decided as he let his gaze roam her delectable body, maybe he subconsciously forgot on purpose.
    Her feet were bare, as were her legs right up to the fringes of denim hanging from her cutoff shorts. She had tied the bottom of the shirt into a knot at her waist, and her hair fell in long, mussed waves over her shoulders. She looked sleepy, rumpled, and sexy as hell, and damn he wanted her.
    “Good morning. Sleep well?” He knew she did. He had lain beside her for hours after she passed out, watching her, unable to believe he finally had her in his bed. Mitch slept well, too, he’d noted, probably for the first time in fifteen months. As for himself, Jacob eventually gave in to his own exhaustion only to wake every hour with the simple, clawing need to be sure Angel still lay beside him.
    “Like a baby.” She smiled, and that tilt to her lips held every ounce of sensuality and promise he had felt from her last night. “I gotta say it sucked waking up alone, though.”
    It sucked leaving her alone. If Jacob allowed himself to spend the day as he really wanted, he would have stayed there with her all day. Responsibility, questions, and a dread he couldn’t quite shake had pushed his ass out of bed and brought him to this barn.
    “I had some things to see to around the ranch, and I told you I would have a look at your car first thing.”
    “Were you right? I mean, about the whole rod-and-engine thing?”
    “Yeah. The engine is gonna have to be replaced.”
    Angel squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. “But you can fix it, right?”
    “I’ll start calling around for another engine as soon as I get back to the house.” He paused, watching her as her eyes slowly opened, as her attention focused on him. “It’ll take a few days at least.”
    “I’m in no hurry.” She held his gaze, heat and a brazen satisfaction swirling in her eyes. Hell, if he didn’t know better, he would almost swear she rigged her own rod to sling off the piston so she would be stranded here.
    The look put to rest any lingering doubts and dread he woke with that morning. She didn’t intend to leave any time soon. If he got his way, she would never leave the Shelton ranch