Savor the Danger Read Online Free Page A

sweet-talking—while on the make. “No, this was different.” This had felt more genuine, wrought from emotion and not just lust.
    â€œHow?” His attention drifted to her chest. “I bet I told you how damn sexy you are.”
    Resisting an eye roll wasn’t easy. Later he had called her sexy, but at that point they’d already been on a heated path to lovemaking and she’d felt sexy.
    She wasn’t sure she could pinpoint the moment that she’d known she would sleep with him, but that day he’d been different. Not more intense, because that wasn’t possible. Jackson was always intense.
    But from the second she’d walked in the door, he’d looked at her, touched her and spoken to her differently.
    He’d spoken from his heart—or so she’d thought.
    Renewed embarrassment made her defensive. “Actually, you said I’m pretty.” And that was both sweeter and more touching than claiming her “hot” or “sexy.” Those sentiments had been expressed by the men who’d taken her, the men who’d manhandled her, restrained her, touched her, the men who’d planned to—
    â€œHey.” As if he sensed the direction of her thoughts, Jackson pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, the bridge of her nose. Sounding much as he had last night, he said, “You are pretty, Alani. So damn pretty.” His mouth brushed her ear. “All over.”
    Face warm, she shook off the remnants of old emotion, fear and desolation from her kidnapping, discomfort from her naiveté last night.
    â€œThank you.” Dare had killed her kidnappers, and her brother now focused on destroying all human traffickers. She wasn’t with those men anymore. She was with Jackson, and he was about all she could handle right now. “You also said I was sweet.”
    His burning gaze zeroed in on the notch of her thighs. “God, I bet you are.”
    Her knees went shaky, so she pushed back from him. Hoping for a few calm moments to think, she said, “We have to figure this out, Jackson, so leash the lust.”
    His chin went up as he stared down at her. “Woman, you ask the impossible.”
    â€œDo it anyway!”
    Sighing, lifting his hands from her as if in surrender, he stepped back. “This is me trying.”
    Though the situation couldn’t be more skewed, he remained strong and capable. She envied him that. “What do you think happened? Did you drink?”
    â€œDoubt it.” He shook his head. “I can’t remember, but I’m not much of a drinker.” And then with a shrug, “Never have been.”
    She knew that about him. It was a control thing. Her brother and Dare…they disdained alcohol because it could throw off reflexes or perception, and they were all about control—of themselves and others. If Jackson imbibed much, they wouldn’t trust him.
    She didn’t know the whole story of how Jackson came to join their team, but not long after she’d been recovered from Tijuana, they’d brought him on board. Obviously they trusted him, and that meant Alani could trust him, too—at least about this.
    With anything more personal, like a romantic relationship, she just didn’t know.
    He watched her every move. “I rummaged through my apartment, even the garbage, but I didn’t see any empty bottles. No sign of a drinking binge on my end.”
    Suspicions crowded in, but for the moment, she pushed them aside. “Did you maybe fall and hit your head?”
    That insulted him. “No.” He snorted. “Course not.”
    â€œBut you don’t remember, right? So how do you know?”
    Roughly tousling his own hair, he said, “See? No bruises, no bumps.” He moved in again. “In fact, other than a few scratches that I’m hoping came from you, I don’t have any marks—no bruises or cuts or