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  Jaye watched him drink, noting that the whiskers shadowing his jaw were dark blond, almost bronze. Judging by the sweat glistening on his forehead, he’d expended a lot of energy hiking into the woods, tracking the deer, and bringing the kill to his truck. The fluid ease of his movements indicated he possessed plenty of reserve energy to resume hunting if he returned to the woods.

  The sight of him all sweaty and raw sent Jaye’s imagination spinning. This man was unlike any she’d ever known. The men in her social circle slathered their hair with styling products, but Mitch kept his hair a half-inch long. The buzz cut accentuated the strong, square lines of his face better than any styling product could have. For that matter, the men she knew never got their hands dirty, but Mitch’s broad knuckles were smoke-stained and nicked from blowing glass, hunting for food, and fixing his house.

  A flood of arousal prickled low in her groin. What would sleeping with a man who cared more about getting things done than appearances be like?

  “I’ve been meaning to ask if you like dinosaurs.” Jaye fiddled with the top button of her blouse, dropping a quick glance to see if she could spot the granola between her breasts. “I keep knocking over a plastic T-Rex whenever I brush my teeth.”

  He put his glass beside the sink and chuckled. “Is there a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops in your bathroom, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “They belong to my brothers.”

  “Phew. I was afraid those toys were yours.” She closed the cereal box and glanced toward the window. “What happens next? To the deer, I mean.”

  “I’ll take it to the butcher. Some meat will go into my freezer and I’ll send the rest to my father’s house. My brothers are only eight, but they eat a ton.” He took an apple out of the bowl sitting on the counter and bit into the fruit.

  “Living in the city makes me forget where all the food in the grocery store comes from.” Jaye placed the cereal box in the pantry and extracted a carton of milk from the fridge. She angled a grin at him. “If I had to catch my dinner, I’d probably starve.”

  Mitch chewed for a moment and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I’d hunt for your food if you’d cook some for me.”

  Shock at his offer made her take a small step backwards. “You would?”

  “Yeah.”

  Her spirits lifted like they had when she handed little Lydia the unicorn balloon two nights ago. A grateful smile tugged at Jaye’s mouth. “Thanks.”

  He grinned back at her.

  Jaye’s cell phone chirped beside the fruit bowl.

  Mitch glanced at the screen and his expression hardened. He handed the phone to her.

  The text was from David. “I’m calling all your friends until I find you.”

  “I saw the message.” Mitch’s clipped voice bounced off the old oak cabinets. “Who is texting crap like that to you?”

  Letting out a calming breath, she slid the phone onto the table. “His name is David, my ex boyfriend.”

  Mitch unzipped his coat, revealing a sweat-stained green shirt. “I need to know what to expect if this guy shows up. What’s going on?”

  She tucked her short hair behind her ear and shrugged. “Up until last week, I worked down the hall from him. I left without saying goodbye. He insists we have unfinished business.”

  “Do you?”

  The abrupt way he said those two words made her stomach clench. “Our relationship ended months ago.”

  He put the half-eaten apple on the counter. “You broke up with him, not the other way around.”

  “Yes.” She prayed Mitch wouldn’t ask why.

  “Is there any chance your friends will tell him where to find you?”

  “No. They’ll protect me.”

  “From what?” He scowled.

  His fierce expression reminded her of a Marine heading into battle. She swallowed a mouthful of air, surprised he wanted to know what scared her. Even though the lonely part of her longed to talk about it, she didn’t want to pull him into this mess. “There’s nothing to worry about. My ex isn’t the violent type.”

  Mitch’s mouth formed a sober line. “He already surprised you, didn’t he? How do you know he won’t shock you again?”

  “That’s a terrifying thought.” Shaken, she lowered herself into a chair beside the old kitchen table. “David definitely surprised me, but he did nothing dangerous. He cheated on me, that’s all.”

  The kitchen clock ticked, filling the ensuing silence. For a moment, Jaye wondered if Mitch even heard her.

  “How did you find out?”

  His voice was devoid of sympathy. If anything, he sounded like he was discussing a business matter. She crossed her arms across the front of her blouse to ward off a sudden chill. “Two months ago, a couple of friends talked me into going to a club across town. David was there, dancing with a girl. She was gorgeous, with long blonde hair, a big chest, and blue eyes. She looked nothing like me.”

  The hard wood spokes of the kitchen chair dug into her spine like an overzealous masseuse. “At first, I couldn’t believe the man was David. He’s not one for public displays of affection, but he was all over that girl. They were making out and he had his hand under her skirt.” Humiliation blanketed her, heating every inch of her skin. Jaye traced her index finger along a gouge in the surface of the table. “He insisted she was just a fling, a way to escape the enormous pressures he’d been feeling, but I knew that wasn’t true. Rather than listen to him lie, I left. I’ve been running ever since.”

  “And he’s been texting you ever since.” Mitch jerked his chin toward her phone.

  “I won’t pick up his calls or respond to the texts.” She managed a sardonic smile. “He’s never had a girl say no to him, which makes me irresistible.”

  Mitch’s gaze darted to the chipped Formica counter and back. “There’s no way your ex will find you in a brick ranch hidden in the back woods of northern Pennsylvania, right? Is that why you took this job?”

  “In part, yes. Lately, my future looks clear as mud. I’m hoping being here will bring things into focus again.”

  “You’ll be safe here.”

  A reassuring calm laced Mitch’s voice. For the first time that morning, Jaye’s pulse stopped tapping on her eardrums. She could hear the small voice inside her head much clearer, and spoke the words aloud. “I knew this was the right place the instant I walked into your house.” Lacing her fingers together in her lap, she tried to take a deep breath. A bubble of sadness sank in her chest. “I’m supposed to start working for my father in a few weeks. He wants me to come up to Syracuse on weekends so I can get up to speed. He’s expecting me before noon today. I should get going.”

  Mitch placed her cereal bowl and the carton of milk in front of her, the action resonating with the silent command to eat.

  She stared at the granola, doubtful she could stomach a mouthful. Besides, she had some granola stuck in her bra if she got hungry.

  He held out a spoon like he was offering a promise.

  Jaye pinched the handle between her thumb and forefinger, careful not to touch Mitch’s hand. She gave the spoon a half-hearted tug.

  Mitch’s fingers tightened around the handle. His gaze drilled into hers. “Tell me if your ex decides to visit. If he does show up, I’d like to have a word with him.”

  Chapter Nine

  “I can’t believe you eat so much food.” Lilly Baxter cut into the buffet line and rolled her eyes at Jaye.

  The snide comment bothered Jaye, but she swallowed her irritation. She’d come to Davis Software to build goodwill among her team, not to make enemies. Jaye looked at the large sandwich and pile of potato chips on her plate and shrugged. “I’ve been craving salty chips all morning.”

  “Doesn’t seem fair. If I look at a carb, I gain five pounds,” Lilly complained, reaching for a Caesar salad.

  “How about we make a trade?” Jaye admired the thick gold waves trailing down Lilly’s back. “My metabolism for your blonde hair. I’ve always wan
ted to look like you.”

  The sneer remained on Lilly’s face. “With all your money, you could buy hair like mine.”

  The snide tone of her comment hurt, but Jaye kept her expression light. “I don’t think we’ve seen each other since high school. How is your family doing?”

  “They’re not too happy I’m working on a Saturday,” Lilly muttered.

  “I’m so grateful you were willing to come in so we can get a jump start on the project. I’ll keep the meeting as short as possible.”

  “No matter what, I’m leaving at three.” Lilly left the buffet and sat with a bunch of programmers.

  Jaye thought about joining them, but one man met her gaze and delivered a surly squint. She could feel his thoughts as though he’d spoken them aloud. He believed she got the new software project because she was the owner’s daughter, not because she was competent for the job.

  A dull ache pounded in her temples. She felt transported to seventh grade again, when she stood at the front of the cafeteria and couldn’t find a welcoming face in the crowd. Her parents had thought they were doing her a favor sending her to public school, but her wealth and her innate shyness branded her an immediate outcast. Her only friends consisted of a bookish boy nicknamed “Shrimp” and a girl who could squirt milk out her nose.

  Not spotting any fellow loners looking for company, Jaye carried her plate into a nearby conference room. On a whim, she texted Veronica, Sarah, and Abigail to see if they still wanted to play poker on Tuesday.

  Her cell phone buzzed right away. “Yes! Bring dessert.”

  The heavy cloak of loneliness lifted a little.

  Over the past two years, Mitch proved to himself he could live a solitary life—but spending seven days with Jaye had changed everything. His empty driveway didn’t look right without her silver car parked there. The house was too quiet without the subtle rhythm of her movements. His gut ached with the knowledge he wouldn’t see her for the rest of the weekend.

  How had he gotten to this point so fast?

  Thanks to the bargain they struck, he was rewarded with her company at dinner almost every night, but their meals never lasted long enough. As soon as the plates were cleared, she retreated to her bedroom to stay out of his way, just as she promised.

  She had no idea how much he wanted her to stay in his way.

  He loved the way she looked—slender with just the right amount of curves. Her beauty was enhanced by a sharp intelligence and bright sense of humor. Sometimes, he prolonged their conversations just to see what she’d say next.

  Best of all, she was willing to laugh at herself. He savored the memory of how she couldn’t stop giggling after nearly spitting a mouthful of hot cheese onto his plate. When his antics made her laugh even harder, he felt connected in a way he hadn’t felt in ages. Her good mood never seemed to wane—until this morning.

  When he returned from hunting, he spotted bloodshot misery in her gorgeous eyes and shock punched him in the jaw. For a gut-wrenching moment, he thought he’d done something to upset her. The realization an ex-boyfriend caused the tears glittering in her eyes caused a surge of jealousy that cut him down at the knees.

  In her absence, his demons sank their teeth into his stale existence. His empty house was no longer a refuge, but a dungeon. He fled to the factory and spent most of Saturday in front of the roaring furnace, indulging in the rare chance to shape molten glass into something other than stemware. In every long curve of the glass, he saw the sexy shape of her legs, the delicate column of her neck, the taut contour of her abdomen. How the hell could anyone cheat on a woman who looked wickedly hot and crushingly adorable at the same time?

  Determined to douse this dangerous longing, he reminded himself she was setting up an online store that would keep him elbow deep in stemware for the rest of his working life. Problem was, he was beginning to think making stemware for the next thirty years wouldn’t be so bad if she’d spice up his wretched personal life.

  Unsettled by how much he wanted her, he worked so hard he barely had the energy to drag his hide to bed Saturday evening. He was determined to prove he was not like his mother, who had listened to her passionate, artistic soul at the cost of walking away from everything she built. He couldn’t give into the same longings. Too many people were depending on him to keep the factory running, so he returned to the factory on Sunday to put in twelve more hours.

  When the beam of Jaye’s headlights flashed across his bedroom window late Sunday night, he felt his ridiculous masquerade of indifference split into keen relief.

  After barely surviving the weekend without Jaye, Mitch fought the urge to see her on Monday. He worked in the studio all morning, ate lunch in his office, and delayed picking up the mail until quitting time. As he thumbed through his letters, he glanced at Sarah. “How was everything today?”

  She shrugged into her coat and grinned. “We have a new problem. The phone keeps ringing.”

  He frowned at the phone on her desk. “Doesn’t it usually ring?”

  “Nope, not this much.” She pointed down the hall. “I blame Jaye. When she isn’t writing code for our website, she’s visiting every imaginable forum on the Internet to put our name out there.”

  “I even input a couple of new vendors into the system today. Jaye is drumming up new business before the website goes live,” Veronica chirped, brushing a speck of dust off the shiny new brass lamp on her desk. “Better yet, she’s got really bad luck. She lost so many hands of poker last week, I won enough to buy this lamp. Maybe she’ll lose more tomorrow so I can buy a new set of dishes.”

  Mitch stifled a groan. “I should warn Jaye you intend to win all her money.”

  “She already knows. I told her at lunch. Even if you wanted to track her down, you can’t. She went for a run.” Veronica hoisted her purse over one shoulder and made a face. “No wonder she’s so slender and cute.”

  He glanced out the window at the setting sun and felt a splash of unease. The sky was a dusky blue, the dim light making it hard to determine what was real or imagined. “Where did she go running?”

  “Near your house.” Sarah gave up trying to button her coat over her pregnant belly. “She found a trail the day after she moved in.”

  “What do you mean, moved in?” Dread thumped in the pit of his stomach. How did Sarah know Jaye was living with him? He made a point not to mention the arrangement to anyone in order to avoid any gossip.

  “Aw, come on, Mitch. We all know she’s living in your extra bedroom. There’s no other place for her to stay.” Sarah bumped Mitch on the arm. “Even though you haven’t told a soul, your father can’t keep a secret for the life of him.”

  Mitch thought of his father’s refusal to talk about his mother’s abrupt departure. “Depends on the secret.”

  Sarah and Veronica traded a look.

  One of the men from the shipping department stuck his head into the office. “I’ve gotta go. One of my EMT buddies said some woman wandered into the woods near a hunting blind and got grazed by an arrow. Some idiot thought she was a deer. I’m helping the guys find her.”

  A piercing alarm jolted through Mitch. “Where is she?”

  “All I know is she headed into the state forest somewhere near the outskirts of town. She called 911 on her cell phone. They’re triangulating her position.”

  “Damn. Jaye just went for a run in the woods.”

  The man frowned. “Does she know which trails the hunters use?”

  “No, she doesn’t.” Mitch stuffed his mail back into his cubby, not caring when half of the envelopes fell out. All he could think about was Jaye somewhere out in the woods, wounded. Considering how jumpy she’d been about the dark forest the night they met, he had a feeling she’d be terrified lying there hurt and alone.

  He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed her number, struggling to punch the keypad with shaking hands. The call went right to her voice mail, which meant she was out of cell range or didn’t have her phone. E
ither option was a good sign. She probably wasn’t the one who called 911, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

  “Sarah, I’m going to find Jaye. Tell Phil to lock up when he leaves.” Not bothering to get his coat, Mitch headed out of the administrative offices. He broke into a run in the lobby, nearly colliding into Abigail. Skidding to a halt, he grabbed her so she wouldn’t fall. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She gave his arm a fond squeeze. “I’m glad I ran into you. The new line of stemware is a big hit. Everyone loves the shape of the cup.”

  “Good.” He patted her delicate hand. “I’ve gotta go find Jaye.”

  “Yes, act fast.” Abigail’s wrinkled face creased into a merry wink. “I know Jaye likes you. She said your ass is special.”

  “What?” His voice cracked like he was in seventh grade again.

  Another salesgirl leaned out the door. “No, Abigail. Jaye said Mitch’s glass is special.”

  “Whoops.” Abigail shrugged and pointed to her hearing aide. “Guess I need a new battery.”

  Propelled by a surge of desperation, Mitch sprinted to his truck and floored the gas for home.

  Jaye ignored her throbbing hand and sprinted the last quarter mile down the hill. She slowed to a walk when the trees thinned near the west end of Mitch’s yard. The last tendrils of sunset clung to the bottom of the clouds, giving off enough light to spot the familiar lines of his brick house in the clearing.

  Something about his place made her smile. Maybe it was the freshly painted wood columns on the front porch or the new shingles on the roof. No matter where she looked, she found evidence Mitch was transforming his house into a home anyone would love.

  She walked up the long driveway and unzipped the front pocket of her bright yellow jacket to take out the house key. Careful not to smear blood on anything, she unlocked the back door and walked into the kitchen, heading for the sink to rinse off her palm.

  The peaceful quiet shattered when the back door blasted open and Mitch barreled into the house. “Damn it, Jaye. Do you ever answer your phone? I’ve been calling for the past fifteen minutes.”