Rock Hard (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free Page A

Right now, she didn’t.
    “I think we’re stuck overnight,” he said.
    Annoyance flexed through the hard line of his muscled body. Wynn wondered what his problem was. There was no way they could get over this river without a fight. “I think you’re right.”
    He turned, and their gazes locked. Lightning flashed across the sky. There was something predatory in the way he regarded her so closely.

Chapter Three
     
    He wanted her. The realization made him feel out of control.
    Kade didn’t want to think about how he crossed the double yellow line and was about to hit the guardrail in a spin he knew he couldn’t recover from. The woman standing beside him wasn’t like any he’d ever met before. Her vibrant green eyes stared up at him as though she cautiously expected everything to be taken away from her.
    She did not trust men. Something dark and deeply male crept up and took hold of his rational side. He wanted to know who had hurt her and go hurt them.
    Her yellow-blonde hair was plastered to her head from the rain, giving her a sexy, tussled look. Kade wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt so possessive of the woman, but he did. There was something exotic about her that made him want to protect her with his life.
    It was as though he found something special he didn’t even know he was looking for. Everything before and after didn’t matter, as long as she was at his side.
    What the hell was wrong with him? He had no claim on this woman he’d just met. That annoyed the hell out of him. Why her? Why now? He was obviously caught up in the moment and in the kinetic energy of the storm.
    He wasn’t looking for love. He was satisfied with the few dates he had now and again.
    Kade ran a frustrated hand through his hair as she wandered over to the cliffs that edged up against the beach. She was earthy and erotic as hell with her simple style. Kade couldn’t ever remember noticing what a woman wore that wasn’t short or spilling out.
    She’s different.
    The words whispered through his head as though someone else had spoken them.
    His mouth went dry as she smoothed her hands over the wet rock, making envy reach up and grab him by the balls. He wanted her hands on him, and he wanted his hands all over her.
    Kade wanted to run his hands through her wet hair and make love until the sun came up in the summer grass.
    He froze. He wasn’t a possessive man, but right then the desire to know everything about her struck him so hard it left him feeling stunned.
    There were secrets in her gaze when she looked at him, as though she was trying to figure him out. The kind of secrets that could get a man in trouble if he let it go there for too long. She smiled, and it made him forget all about what he was out there supposed to be doing.
    His job.
    Browynn South was reported missing by a man that wanted her back. Kade didn’t want to make that call reporting that he found her, not until he knew what was going on, not until he knew she wanted to be found. Sometimes women ran from men due to domestic violence. Kade was not about to offer her up to an abusive lover until he knew everything was okay. That meant he had to do his job.
    “The break in the rain isn’t going to last long,” he said.
    “No, probably not.”
    She paced the jagged rock line. Kade wanted to talk about everything and anything else that wasn’t his job. Once he went into work mode, he knew he’d destroy everything that happened between them. He knew he’d ruin the trust he worked so hard to gain from her when they kissed under the alcove.
    “Have you always worked for the Forest Service?” she asked.
    “I’ve had other law enforcement jobs.”
    Kade watched her pace away from the cliffs and across Pebble Beach to the raging water. Instinct had him hurrying over to her side as she got close to the edge. His hand came up around her wrist, and she startled.
    “Not so close to the edge. I don’t want to have to do a water rescue tonight.”
    Her smile was