Jill Shalvis - Superb And Sexy

“Yeah.” Maddie rubbed the ache in the center of her chest. She understood her sister’s fears about needing to vanish, but Maddie hadn’t lived in that world in a long, long time.

She intended to never live there again and hoped to make sure Leena didn’t either. “Listen, why don’t you go take your shower and that nap you wanted? Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Everything’s never okay.”

“A little positive thinking here, Leen. It goes a long way.”

“Okay.” Leena managed a smile and feigned a toast. “To positive thinking. To our plan.”

Maddie returned the smile, pretending for both of their sakes that it was real. She realized nothing about The Plan was the smartest thing, at least not for her, but she didn’t have a choice. A promise was a promise, with her sister’s life on the line. “To The Plan.”

Looking relieved, Leena nodded and grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand, sticking it in her pocket as she headed to the door.

Maddie waited until she was gone before turning back to the window and letting out a long breath. Lying…making promises she couldn’t keep… Yeah, she was on a roll today.

Because everything was not going to be okay, not by a long shot. Not unless she personally made it so. And it looked as if maybe she’d have no choice but to do just that or live in constant fear again.

Not going to happen.

Still, she had another, more immediate problem. Brody had left, yes, but she hadn’t been born yesterday, and neither had he, damn him. And suddenly, she knew. She left the bedroom at a run, skidding to a stop at the top of the stairs, craning her neck to peek out the high, rounded beveled glass window that allowed extra light to beam down the steps and into the living room.

Yes, there. The glint of something not natural parked in the woods.

A Camaro.

Driven by an avenging angel in tough guy clothes with tousled hair and a badass attitude.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she got goose bumps. He was coming for her.

Damn it. Damn him.

She went running down the hardwood stairs, racing through the living room to the sliding glass door she’d kept locked since she’d gotten here, the door she’d been double-checking ever since the moment her sister appeared out of the blue after several years of no contact. Locked, but the shades hadn’t been pulled. She needed to get to them before-

Too late.

Breathless, she gripped the shades as if they were a lifeline, staring at Brody standing on the other side of the glass.

He slowly arched a daring brow at her. Really? his expression and stance said. You really think a locked door can keep me out if I want in?

“I’ll call the police,” she said through the glass.

He let out a half smile and shook his head. She wouldn’t. She knew it, and so did he. And as he stepped closer to the glass, there was a deceptive and unnerving quietness to his movements, to the way he looked at her, which told her that she wasn’t getting out of talking to him until he’d gotten whatever answers he sought.

Damn it! She should have just dealt with him, answered the front door herself and taken her paychecks, told him whatever he needed to hear, and he’d have been long gone by now.

Instead, he was on to her-not knowing exactly what he was on to, but on to her nevertheless. His smile might be laid-back and easygoing, but his body shimmered with tension, and also a strength and a solidity she knew she could count on.

He eyed the locked door, then lifted his head so that their gazes met. “Let me in.”

Oh, God. A part of her wanted to. Wanted to more than anything. But she shook her head.

“Then tell me what’s wrong.”

She found her voice, even managed to inject a tone of irritation in it. Not too difficult when she was irritated, not to mention frustrated, exhausted, and the doozy…terrified. Hell of a combination. “Nothing’s wrong, except you’re bugging the hell out of me.”

His eyes narrowed as they took her in from head to toe, which once upon a time, would have positively stolen her breath because he had a way of looking at her, really looking. She actually did experience some of that usual breathlessness, but it was because she realized she’d really screwed up. She and Leena weren’t wearing the same thing.

Appearances were important to her. Very important. Her life could be in the toilet along with her self-esteem, but with the right makeup, the right clothes, and the right expression, no one would know it.

She’d spent the past year wearing such façades at Sky High Air, looking completely on top of her world, when in reality, it could all crumble at a moment’s notice.

As it had with Leena’s appearance.

She should have known. Karma was a bitch, and inescapable. Especially since unlike Leena, she wore only a pair of loose sweats low on her hips and a sports bra, and nothing else. No makeup, no armor of any kind.

Brody eyed her limbs, specifically her left shoulder, which had three scars-one a six inch surgery incision, a second where they’d slid in a camera probe, and a third where the bullet had gone in and shattered her collarbone.

At the sight, Brody’s jaw tightened visibly, and his mouth went grim.

She already knew he blamed himself, which was ridiculous, and she fought the urge to run for cover.

“You changed quickly,” he said through the glass.

She lifted her good shoulder.

“And your hair…”

Shit. “I was wearing a wig before.” Or Leena was. She’d had fun going through Maddie’s wigs. As for herself, she was her own natural auburn for a change.

He nodded, though she couldn’t tell if he bought the lie or not. Couldn’t tell a damn thing behind those mirrored sunglasses. Then he slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’d really like to talk to you.”

Yes, but she didn’t want to talk to him. Not now, not until she solved all her other problems, the biggest one being her identical twin in the other room. “How did you find me?”

“It wasn’t easy. You ever hear of returning a phone call?”

“How, Brody?”

He sighed. “You called Sky High from the landline once.”

“Two days ago, when my cell phone battery had died.”

“Yeah. We got Shayne’s brother to track you.”

“Wow.” She shook her head. “What an unbelievable invasion of privacy.”

“I’d say sorry-”

“But you’re not.” It was all over his face how not sorry he was. “Look, Brody, now’s not good, okay? Maybe another time…”

Like, unfortunately, never.

He shoved his sunglasses to the top of his head, and his steely gaze narrowed in on her, full of frustration and heat.

She didn’t know what to make of the heat, other than the answering flicker of flame that occurred in all her good parts. The hell of it was even though she’d been fantasizing about him for way too long, she actually didn’t have time to go with that right now.

What with The Plan and all.

“You were afraid before,” he said, revealing a new emotion from him, a deep concern, which did something funny to a spot low in her belly.

“No,” she denied. “Not afraid.” Look at that, another lie. Man, she was getting good.

“Yes, you were at the front door. You were terrified. And now…” Cocking his head, he looked her over slowly, so damn slowly she felt those helpless reactions begin again at the base of her spine, working outward.

“It’s not just the clothes,” he said, frowning. “You look different.”

Okay, he was way too close to the truth, and with a sound of distress she told herself he couldn’t hear, she began to pull the shades shut, blocking him out.

“Maddie, goddamnit.” He put his hand on the glass. “Don’t.”

“Sorry.”

And she actually was sorry. So damned sorry that she felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn. And actually, if she wasn’t careful, she was going to lose it right here, just completely lose it in a way she hadn’t in years. Because she didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to never see him again…

“Maddie.”

She closed her eyes, needing that little shield, no matter how telling.

“Hey, how about this,” he said. “I’ll give you a raise if you let me in. A big, fat, pretty raise. Come on, you know how you want one.”

Oh, God. He already overpaid her, but that was only because Shayne and Noah made him. If he had his way, they’d all be working for free, squirreling away every penny for a rainy day.

It wasn’t because he was cheap.

Okay, it was because he was cheap. He was so cheap he squeaked when he walked, but he’d grown up poor, had had to literally beg, borrow, and steal his way through childhood. Now, for the first time in his entire life, he had money, thanks to his own hard work and brains, and she knew he wasn’t quite used to it yet. “You said the word raise without getting hives,” she murmured, telling herself it shouldn’t be endearing because he was trying to manipulate her.

“Let me in, and I’ll say it again.”

She meant something to him. She meant a lot. Even more shocking, he meant something to her, too. He meant so damn much it hurt to look at him. At the knowledge, she swallowed hard. Not going to cry…

“Maddie.” He touched the glass as if he wanted, needed, to touch her. “Don’t do this.”

She closed her eyes again.

“I’ll double your salary.”

“Stop,” she whispered.

“Let me in, and I’ll stop. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Oh, God, now there was a promise. Close to doing just that, a noise from the other room stopped her cold.

Her sister’s shocked gasp.

What now?

Maddie locked eyes with Brody. All these past weeks, seeing him had been a secret wish, an unconscious desire like breathing air. Having him come after her, having him want to be with her…

Except now, right this minute, when her sister’s life was on the line and therefore, hers as well. If Brody stayed, then he, too, would be in danger. But she knew him, knew that he wasn’t going anywhere unless she managed to distract him. “Okay, you’re right. Something’s wrong.”

“Finally.”

“I’m waiting on my physical therapist to come out for a session, but we had five inches of rain a few days ago and the road in here is still a little tricky. He’s got a little Honda and won’t come. Maybe you could go get him.” She grabbed a notepad from a small desk near the door and scribbled down an address, then opened the door and slapped it to his chest. “Thanks.”

Praying to God he left to track down the PT who didn’t exist at the address that also didn’t exist, giving her enough time to speed up The Plan, she locked the door again and yanked the shades over the window.

“Maddie!”

Tuning him out, she ran for her sister.

Maddie raced into the kitchen to find Leena holding her cell phone to her ear, shaking from head to toe. “Leena? What are you-”

Leena shut her phone and stared at it like it was a poisonous spider. “He left a message.”

No need to ask who the he was. Only one person could put that look on Leena’s face.

Or Maddie’s, for that matter.

Good old Uncle Rick.

“He already knew I’m not on that cruise like I told him. He thinks I might be on the run.”

Maddie stared at her, absorbing all that Leena wasn’t saying. Uncle Rick and his merry men weren’t stupid. They knew Leena wouldn’t run on her own.

Nope, of course she’d have gone straight to Maddie.

Damn.

Chances were, they’d never not known where Maddie was, but up until now, they hadn’t needed her. Not when they had Leena.

“He’s playing it cool,” Leena said. “Pretending I’m not gone. He said if I just come back and do a job for him, I can get back to my vacation.”

“You don’t have to do what he says. You’ve left Stone Cay behind.”

“Maybe no one ever really leaves.”

“I did. You know I did.”

“Yeah, you left. You had to sneak out in the middle of the night without a forwarding address, and you couldn’t look back. You had to run hard and fast, thousands of miles away. You were young and all on your own, and you were nothing but a child.”

“But I did it.”

“But you had to hide. You had to start a new life.” Leena said this in wonder. “No money, no friends or family or anything. Back then, I couldn’t imagine the courage it took, and now…now that I’m here, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do the same.”

“Well, I know. Besides, you’re older than I was, and you’re not alone. You have me. You can do this. You can, Leena. I promise.”

They stared at each other, Leena’s fear and Maddie’s strength battling it out. Unfortunately, fear was a formidable opponent, and contagious, as well. Hers and Leena’s differences had always been very obvious, but suddenly, the gap seemed to shrink to nothing until they were both young and scared stupid all over again.