Jennifer Morey - Front Page Affair

“I’m okay,” Lincoln said. “Who was that?” He looked up at Braden, who shook his head, still breathing heavily from exertion and adrenaline.

“He was going to take me,” Arizona uttered, unable to believe it. Why her?

“To use you for leverage,” Braden answered her silent question, his face grim but set with resolve.

“For what?”

He only stared at her, having no answer, at least none he would give. Not only was he gorgeous, he wasn’t the kind of man who could be controlled. Neither was he a man who scared easily. His sister was missing and the man who was following him had just attempted to kidnap Arizona. Whatever he wanted, he was willing to go to great lengths to get it. And he believed he could get it from Braden.

Did Braden know what that was? Did he know why his sister had disappeared?

There was no time for her to ask questions. Lincoln needed a hospital and the sound of sirens was approaching.

Chapter 2

Braden watched Arizona pace the emergency room in front of the uncomfortable seat he occupied, chewing her thumbnail. Still in those shorts and colorful top, she had the same effect on him as the moment he’d seen her when she’d opened Lincoln’s door. Grapefruit-sized breasts. Hooker shoes that he would not complain about. Ever. Her legs made him imagine R-rated things.

She stopped when she saw a tall, thin doctor approach wearing a white uniform and rectangular glasses.

“How is he?” Arizona asked anxiously. He got the feeling she was close to her brother.

“Fine. The surgery went well. Give him the night to rest. By morning he’ll be able to go home.”

“Thank God,” she breathed.

Braden stood while the doctor finished explaining Lincoln’s condition. He’d have a long recovery but he’d regain full use of his knee. Lucky.

When the doctor left, she slowly turned to him, weary with relief. But then a new light entered her eyes. Fresh panic.

“We have to get out of here.” She grabbed his arm.

What was her hurry? He stayed where he was.

She gave up with a breath of exasperation, dropping her hands. “Any minute now, the press is going to descend on this place like flies at a food festival.”

“Why?” What would draw the media here?

She cocked her head. “You try being one of Jackson Ivy’s kids and stay out of the news.”

Her father was a famous movie producer. Now he understood her urgency and felt a little of it himself. If he was going to search for his sister, he didn’t need the press announcing his arrival in Tortola. He also wished there was a way to leave Arizona behind. She might attract too much attention. But he had no choice. Someone had gone after her, and the police had nothing to go on. Even if they found something during the investigation of their attack, it would take too long.

He started for the exit. “I would think you’d welcome the press.”

Her pinched brow told him she didn’t understand his meaning. Everything she did was so animated. Was she aware of that?

“The press hounds my family.”

“The way you want to hound my sister. She’s had enough of that already.”

Shock rendered her speechless for a second, and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. “No, I wouldn’t. The kind of news I’m after is different than that, but I understand you not wanting me to do any story. What you don’t understand is I can still help you.”

She wanted to help him? Would she do a story anyway? Was this a way of getting him to let her go with him? He was taking her, but not because he needed help.

Outside, he steered her toward his car. “Why would you want to help me?”

She shrugged “Because I can.”

He looked over her petite frame in her girly outfit. “How?”

Shooting him a lowered brow with eyes full of affront, she said, “However. I can help you.”

“It could be dangerous.” He took in her long, slender legs as she walked beside him. Damn, they were hot.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be going, either. Maybe you should let the police handle it.”

“The police aren’t getting anywhere, and I can’t leave you here.”

“What?”

He stopped at the door of his charcoal-colored Subaru, turning to face her. “Trust me, I’d rather not, but someone tried to kidnap you. What if there’s another attempt? I can’t allow the chance.” And she had no idea how unbending he was on that subject. She could argue all she wanted, he wasn’t letting her out of his sight.

“My brother won’t like that.” But she looked pleased as could be with the prospect of going with him. To help...or get a story?

He’d have to watch her. Stealing a glance at her breasts in the beaded, sleeveless pink top, he realized he wouldn’t suffer much doing so. “He just wants to make sure you don’t get hurt.” Or worse.

“Yes, he is very overprotective.”

“Probably a good thing in this case. What would have happened if that man had succeeded in taking you?”

She didn’t reply, the flicker of horrible imaginings crossing her eyes as she scanned the parking lot.

The white BMW wasn’t around. He’d already looked.

At last she returned her gaze to him. “Why is someone following you?”

Why was she asking? “I have no idea.”

“What do they want from you?”

He shook his head. He didn’t know. The man in the BMW would have let him know once he’d had Arizona. After Braden had gone after him with the flashlight, he must have decided he’d have too difficult a time overpowering him, and then he’d seen him with Lincoln and Arizona. He would have used Arizona as leverage. It was disturbing. What did the man want? And how was it related to his sister?

Where had his life intersected with Tatum’s to draw him into the fray? Tatum had come to see him during her trouble with the government. She’d told him then that her movements were being tracked. Now she was missing, and he’d have to take Arizona with him to find her. She was eager enough for that, which caused him to wonder why.

“What happened to your fiancé?” He was sure that was what drove her. Lincoln had indicated as much. She had a compelling motive to involve herself in this, and it was more than getting a story.

Deep pain sobered her eyes before she caught the reaction and stubborn determination returned. “Didn’t you say our flight departure was in two hours?”

The fact that she refused to discuss her fiancé only convinced him further of her resolve. The story was an excuse, a small part of what moved her. The mystery of her fiancé intrigued him; her determination made him nervous.

Using his fob, he unlocked the doors of his Subaru. Why didn’t she want to tell him about Trevor? Was it still too painful or did she think it would give him an edge in fighting her on the story he wasn’t convinced she’d completely abandoned yet? It had seemed so important to her.

This woman had so many facets to her, and it disconcerted him that he was beginning to want to learn every single one. Intimately.

* * *

At last, it was time to board. Braden couldn’t stand the waiting anymore. Their flight had been delayed and being with Arizona in her blue cotton sundress had tested him long enough. He moved with her toward the jet bridge. Pulling out his wallet for his boarding pass, a picture fell out and fluttered to the commercially carpeted floor.

Arizona knelt to pick it up.

Seeing his ex-wife smiling in what used to be his favorite photo of her and now was merely something he’d neglected to remove and destroy, Braden snatched it from her.

“Your wife?” she asked.

Did they really have to go down this path? “Ex. The divorce was just final a few months ago.”

“Oh.” She looked at his still-open wallet and saw more pictures. “You have kids?”