Janet Evanovich - Full Tilt

But as Jamie drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were not of Phillip but of Max.

Sometime during the night, Jamie awoke. "Max, are you asleep?"

He was lying beside her on the other blanket. "Just resting. Are you cold?"

"A little."

"Scoot closer. I'll share some body heat."

Jamie was only too happy to comply. She curled against him, seeking his warmth. It felt safe, even in a place filled with danger. She tried to soak in the feeling because it was the first time she could remember experiencing it full force. It amazed her that Max, the man who made her crazy by taking so many chances, provoked such feelings of comfort and security.

Suddenly, Max shivered.

"Are you cold, too?" she asked.

"No, I'm shivering for a different reason."

Oh, God, he was obviously feeling sexy, she thought. What to do, what to do? Jamie had to admit she was feeling sexy as well. Damn, she was lusting after Max Holt. Okay, that did not necessarily make her a bad person. She suspected every red-blooded female under the age of ninety would experience a feeling of desire lying next to a man like Max. She was no different, only that she had a good man who wanted to make her his wife and give her a normal home, emphasis on normal. What would Phillip think if he knew she was snuggled up against Max in the woods beside a gator-infested swamp?

She tried to pull back. "I don't think—"

"Try not to think right now, Jamie," he said.

She turned her face away.

Max rose up on one elbow. "I wish you'd stop running from me."

"I'm not—" She paused.

He put a finger beneath her chin and gently lifted her face to his. "I'm going to kiss you, Jamie. You can punch me in the jaw afterward if you like, but I think it'll be worth it."

She opened her mouth to reply, but it was too late. Max covered her mouth with his. All thinking ceased. It was as if someone had just reached inside her head, snatched her brain and tossed it aside, as if to say, "You won't be needing this right now." Her body went wacko, nerve endings jangling as loudly as the old pots and pans the junkman tied to his pickup truck as he bounced along the road looking through people's garbage piles. And what the heck was going on with her stomach? It felt like there were eight lords a-leaping inside, all of them wearing cleats with pointy toes. And that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it was she was enjoying every minute of it.

Max slipped his tongue inside her mouth, and Jamie knew she was a goner. Instead of using her common sense, as she should have, Jamie pressed herself against his solid body, seeking more. If somebody had come along at that moment and told her she was engaged to another man she would have called them a liar because the last thing on her mind right then was Phillip Standish.

She pulled him closer.

He was hard as granite.

And she was hotter than a barbecue grill on the Fourth of July.

He slipped his knee between her thighs. She gasped and held her breath. Oh, double damn. She didn't try to stop him when he reached for the buttons on her blouse and undid them slowly. He pushed her bra away and touched her nipple with his tongue. It felt hot against the night air. She sighed as he tugged on it with his lips, and the sensation ran the full length of her and settled low in her belly. Even as he twirled his tongue around the nipple, his free hand massaged her other breast.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Max cut her off, planting his lips firmly on hers. He nibbled her bottom lip before slipping his tongue inside. Jamie felt as though she were sinking into the fragrant earth. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, loving the taste and texture of his mouth. She ran her fingers through his hair as she had wanted to many times before, and it was just as thick and silky as she had suspected.

Jamie moaned and arched against him, even as Max raised his head and dropped soft kisses across her cheeks and forehead and finally her closed eyes.

He moved over her, pressing himself against her intimately. Jamie sucked in her breath.

Max pulled his head back after a moment. "Are you okay? You're not breathing."

"Huh?" She opened her eyes, blinked several times.

"Am I too heavy?"

"Uh, no."

"I want to make love to you, Jamie," he said, his face a fraction of an inch from hers. "I want to kiss you all over and bury myself deep inside of you."

"Then what?"

He looked confused. "Well, then I want to hold you warm and naked against me through the night."

Jamie searched his face, saw the passion. "But then what?" she repeated.

He shook his head as if to clear it. "I'm confused. I don't know how to answer that."

Of course he didn't know the answer. He didn't even understand the question. Common sense returned with the force of a bucket of cold water in the face.

* * * * *

"I'm telling you, something is very wrong," Deedee said, pacing the living room as Frankie and the other wrestlers sat quietly, each seemingly lost in thought. Tears welled in her eyes. "Max and Jamie could be seriously injured or worse for all we know."

"Calm down, sweetheart," Frankie said, reaching for her hand and squeezing it. "Lamar has every one of his men looking for Max's car. I'm sure he'll call soon."

"It's three o'clock in the morning!" Deedee said. "Lamar has been searching for four hours. This is not a big town."

Frankie's campaign manager, Aaron, handed her a handkerchief. He'd come for dinner and stayed when Max and Jamie hadn't shown up. "Your brother is smart," he said. "He can hold his own in any situation. Besides, as soon as Frankie's withdrawal from the mayoral race is announced, this should all die down."

"You're withdrawing from the race?" Deedee asked in disbelief.

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

She glanced away.

"I don't like this sitting around waiting," Snakeman said. "Me and the boys could go out on our own and look for them. We have cell phones so we can stay in contact."

Big John stood. "I'm ready when you are."

"I'm sorry you have to go through this," Frankie said to Deedee. "I would never have run for mayor if I'd known this sort of thing would happen."

"You should have talked to me before you made the decision to drop out," she replied. "I don't like that you're doing it for me, and I don't want people to see you as a quitter. If you believe you can do something about the corruption in this town, stay in the race. We need to know who's been trying to hurt us, Frankie."

Frankie and his manager exchanged looks. Aaron scooted toward the edge of his chair. "Mrs. Fontana, I would like to see Frankie stay in the race myself, but you're going to have to be prepared to go all the way with this. Things are probably going to get much worse before they get better."

Deedee hitched her chin high. "Frankie and me aren't quitters. Besides, my husband is good and honest, and he will clean up this town. We will work together."

Frankie took her hand, and the look on his face was filled with love. "I don't know what to say, Deedee."

"You're going to make a fine mayor, Frankie," she said, "and I'm going to be the best mayor's wife I can. If you care that much about this little town, so do I."

The portable phone on the coffee table rang, causing Deedee to jump. "Jeez!" She snatched it up and listened. "Are you sure?" she asked after a moment. "Okay, we're on our way." She hung up. "They've found Max's car. It's at the boat landing."

"Let's go," Frankie said.

Frankie, Deedee, and Aaron made the drive in record time. Lamar Tevis was on his car radio, and several deputies scouted the area. A few minutes later, Snakeman pulled up, followed by Big John and the Choker. Frankie filled them in.

Deedee climbed into Max's car while her husband and the others looked on. "Talk to me, Muffin," she said. "It's Deedee."