Harm's Hunger Read Online Free Page B

“So, why aren’t you married?”
    He gripped the wheel tighter. “That’s none of your damned business.”
    His rough tone didn’t intimidate her. “Considering that we’ve been somewhat intimate, I think that gives me the right.”
    “That hardly counts.”
    “Oh, so fly-by-the-elevator encounters are a common occurrence for you?”
    He shot her a hard look. “No, I’ve never—”
    “See, I am special.” She flashed a quick smile and raised her eyebrow, waiting.
    Harm set his jaw and stared at the road. For a minute she wondered if he was going to ignore her, but then he finally spoke, “I don’t believe in happy-ever-after.”
    “Really? That’s pretty cynical for a man who knows how to fantasize.”
     
    Harm cut his eyes to her, a smartass smirk on his lips. “I didn’t say I don’t know about pleasure.” He shrugged, looking back at the road. “Finding the perfect person to settle down with is a childish fantasy.”
    Jena snorted and shook her head. “Oh, Harm. If you don’t have something to look forward to, what’s the point?”
    He didn’t really know the answer to that, but before he had a chance to ask Jena about her single status, rain started falling in heavy sheets. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, concentrating on the road. Lightning slashed across the dark sky, illuminating the road ahead of them. Loud claps of thunder immediately followed. Wind whistled and buffeted the truck, rocking it back and forth.
    He cast a glance at Jena as he turned onto the dirt road leading to Sally’s ranch. She had a firm hold on the molded door handle, her bottom lip clutched in her teeth.
    Damn, it was raining like a sonofabitch. He couldn’t see more than two feet ahead of him. Good thing they were almost to Sally’s place. Another flash of lightning splintered the sky, and Harm looked up in time to see a huge tree falling right in their path. He slammed on brakes and swerved to avoid the mass of limbs and leaves. The dirt road underneath the tires had turned to slippery muck, allowing no traction when the brakes locked the wheels.
    The truck began to fishtail and slide toward the side of the road. As they suddenly pitched into a ditch, Harm’s head slammed against the steering wheel with brutal force. Immediate pain followed, then blissful blackness.
     
    * * *
     
    “Harm? Harm! ” He heard a woman’s frantic voice calling to him, felt her warm hands on his face, his head, the back of his neck. Torrential rain pinged on something metal—was that the roof of his truck?—and thunder rolled in the background. All the loud sounds jackhammered on his aching head.
    He opened his eyes and tried to lift his head from the seat. “Sonofabitch,” he hissed out as pain lanced across his forehead.
    The woman touched him again, concern written on her face. “Oh, God, Harm. You were out for about a minute. I was so worried. You’re going to have a massive knot on your head.” She held up two fingers. “How many fingers do you see?”
    “Two.”
    She put up two more. “Now how many?”
    “Forty.” She frowned and he tried to grin, but grimaced instead. “Just Joshing. Four.”
    She swatted at his shoulder. “Don’t scare me like that. You could have a concussion.”
    Who was this gorgeous woman? She talked as if she was very familiar with him. Where was she from? Her accent told him she wasn’t originally from Texas.
     He rubbed his forehead and frowned. “There is one thing. Who are you?”

 
     
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Jena frowned. “That’s not funny. Now is not the time to be joking while we’re sitting in a ditch.”
    He shook his head, his expression truly puzzled. Touching a strand of her hair, he tried to smile but winced instead. “Not to say I don’t mind sharing close quarters with you and all. Beats sitting in this rainstorm by myself. But I’m drawing a blank, darlin’.”
    Jena decided to avoid the subject for the time being. If he really did have amnesia,