Aimee Thurlo - When Lightning Strikes

“That’s not that unusual. People tend to see the person they knew, not the one you’ve become.”

“And this mess I’m in now will only convince them that they’ve been right about me all along. To them I’m just Bob Jones’s poor, crazy niece,” she said, exhaling softly.

“Once we find answers, things will get easier for you.”

She shook her head. “No, even if I’m completely cleared, my past will continue to make people feel uncertain about me. It’s not fair, but it is the truth.” She stuck out her chin. “But I will get through this and clear my name. Nothing can force me to become a helpless victim again. I’m not thirteen anymore.”

She knew she was in for the fight of her life but, somehow, she would remember what happened at the church. She owed it to herself, and also to Daniel, who was placing himself in the path of unknown dangers to stand by her now and protect her.

“Okay, I’ve got the computer program running. Pull up a chair,” Daniel said.

Hannah did as he asked. There wasn’t much room and his leg pressed against hers as they sat beside each other. That fluid warmth filled her with awareness.

As Daniel captured her gaze, everything feminine in her came to vibrant life. In his eyes she could see the same fire that was coursing through her. Yet that knowledge did little to stop the crazy kaleidoscope of emotions swirling through her. This man was all male power—raw, immediate and unrelenting.

She tore her gaze from his. Daniel Eagle didn’t back away from anything—even this. It went against his nature. But one of them had to put a stop to the sexual tension rising between them. Otherwise things would spiral out of control.

Hannah looked at the computer screen. “Okay. How do we use this program?” she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.

The work took more than an hour, but after the first fifteen minutes, Wolf trotted over and wedged himself between them, pushing their chairs aside enough to accommodate him. Hannah laughed, and shifted to make more room for him, but Daniel glowered at the animal.

“He’s such a nice dog,” Hannah said, burying her hand in the thick fur around Wolf’s neck.

Jealousy only increased Daniel’s irritation. “Yeah. He’s swell.”

Refocusing on the work at hand, Daniel continued adjusting facial features on the screen according to her directions, manipulating the shape of the face until she was satisfied. “That’s the man who was going to kill me,” she said at last.

He studied the sketch of the Anglo man, toggling the printer to make a copy. “I don’t recognize him. Do you have any idea who he might be?”

Hannah looked up at him and shook her head.

Daniel could see the pain and fear mirrored on her face. She looked fragile—a beautiful flower that had been buffeted by an angry wind. Daniel struggled with the sudden desire to pull her against him. He’d held her once, and her bare skin had felt like velvet and fire. It had left him wanting more.

Fighting himself, he forced his thoughts back to the case. For all he knew, Hannah was an experienced manipulator and he was playing right into her hands. Ignoring the gut instinct that told him he was off base with that, he tried to convince himself that all Hannah could ever be to him was major-league trouble.

Pensively, he dropped his gaze to her hands, which were now resting on the small computer desk. They were delicate and feminine. And memory told him they were impossibly soft. He wanted to feel them on his naked flesh.

Disgusted with himself, he pushed back his chair and walked across the room. What he needed now was a cool head, not a raging sex drive.

“I’ll fax this to Silentman. He’ll run it through several databases and see what turns up,” he said, removing the drawing from the printer output tray and walking over to the fax machine on another desk beside the phone.

As he looked back at her, he saw Hannah wearily rubbing her eyes. “You look really tired. Have you had any sleep at all since this started?”

“I couldn’t get much sleep at the cabin the night I was there,” she said. “I was afraid someone might just walk in.”

“Why don’t you go lie down and get some rest now?”

“But there’s so much going on….”

“There’s nothing either of us can do at the moment. I have to wait for Silentman’s call. You might as well take advantage of the opportunity to sleep.”

Hannah stood up. “I’m so tired I can’t even think straight anymore. You really don’t mind if I take a short nap?”

“Go. The bedroom’s down the hall and to your left. I won’t be far away if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” Hannah met his gaze and gave him a gentle smile. “There are times when I’m firmly convinced that underneath that tough-guy image is one very nice man.”

Daniel watched her walk hesitantly to the room at the end of the hall. Wolf gave him a glance, received a nod, then followed her.

After several minutes, Daniel walked down the hall to the master bedroom to check on the mismatched pair. They were both on the bed, Wolf between her and the door. Wolf was lying on his side next to Hannah. His massive head rested on the pillow beside hers, his body vertical like a person would lie. Her arm was draped across his furry chest. The dog stared at him, but did nothing else, almost as if afraid moving would wake her.

Daniel glanced over at Hannah. The even sound of her breathing assured him that she was fast asleep and he allowed himself a moment more to watch her, studying her face. She looked at peace for the first time since he’d found her. As his gaze drifted down her body, he remembered the feel of those gentle curves against him, and his body hardened instantly.

He glanced away. Hannah Jones was a living, breathing distraction. That was all there was to it. Wolf raised his head as Daniel took a step back out into the hall. “Count your blessings, mutt. That really should be me next to her, not you.”

Daniel was back in the den when his cell phone finally rang. Silentman had received the fax and wanted a status report.

“Do you think she’s guilty?” Silentman asked immediately.

“I don’t know,” Daniel replied honestly. “She seems pretty straightforward to me but, then again, that may only mean she’s a great little actress.”

“I’d give that possibility some serious thought if I were you,” Silentman warned. “I’ve just received a confidential report from one of the nurses who knew her when she was a teen and living in a psychiatric hospital in Albuquerque. The nurse claims that Hannah was a very bright girl, and that was the reason she was released early—too early, the nurse believes. The woman said that Hannah learned to tell the doctors exactly what they wanted to hear. That, coupled with the fact that she was good-looking gave her an edge, one Hannah learned to use to take advantage of young men. But, in all fairness, this woman clearly didn’t like her, so the information may be tainted.”

Daniel listened, saying nothing. He felt as if someone were holding an ice cube to the small of his back. He couldn’t quite disregard the possibility that he may have allowed Hannah’s looks and her seemingly desperate situation to sway him too much. Was he being taken for a ride?

“Watch yourself, Lightning.”

“Always.”

Daniel hung up the phone and went to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. The refrigerator was nearly empty. Good thing he’d bought some supplies for them at the trading post. He went out to the SUV, brought back some canned goods, dog food and the loaf of bread he’d bought, then began to prepare some food.

The sound of shattering glass in the bedroom suddenly broke the silence and he ran down the hall, his adrenaline flowing. As he entered the room, he found Hannah with tears rolling down her face, standing on one foot and balancing herself by holding on to Wolf.