His fingers tangled with long hair, a plus in his little black book from so, so long ago, back when he’d actually dated. His nostrils detected the slightest hint of lavender mingled with feminine sweat, ash, and smoke. She was a trembling mess. Somehow, that was another plus.
“Good grief! You’re smoking,” she cried. “The back of your jacket’s on fire.”
Well, so it was. “Does that mean I’m hot?” he asked, joking to keep her calm while he slouched out of his business jacket, curled it inside out, and smothered whatever flame was there.
“Do you always joke in life and death situations?” she asked, her tone bordering on hysteria.
“Mostly, yes,” he answered as he slipped back into his extra warm jacket.
“You’re so calm and I’m so—not.”
“I’ve been trained, Maddie. It’s what I do.”
Another wicked explosion shook the ground, knocking him to his knees. He rolled just in time to grab Maddie and save her head from impacting with the tarmac.
She burrowed under his chin.
He could barely speak. Just held onto the trembling woman in his arms until the intense heat subsided. The vicious dragon breath hovering over them seemed like it came from a living entity intent on roasting them alive.
Jameson rolled to his back when it dissipated. His ears were ringing, and his skull was scrambled from the fall. Now, when he needed to be on his best game, he was compromised. Maddie tilted up from where she’d landed on his chest. She cupped his face between both hands, but if she was talking, he couldn’t hear her. Damn this blindness.
He turned his face to the jet, seeing nothing, but straining to hear everything. Something! Only muffled ringing filled his head. Where the hell was his client? Come to think of it, where were Lucy Shade’s crew, the flight attendants, and pilot? Jameson hadn’t encountered anyone inside the jet. Hadn’t they survived? Then who had she spoken with on the drive here? Who’d she tell there was a change of plans?
Gradually, his hearing came back online, thank God. By then, Maddie was sobbing out of control. Her intermittent words didn’t make sense. “…all my fault… sorry I dragged you into... after me, not you. Oh, God! I’m not even married! I lied! What have I done?”
Except for that bit about not being married, Jameson didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. He pulled her flat against him, and together, they breathed hard at their harrowing escape.
“What’s going on?” he asked after a few minutes, needing her to slow down, take a breath, and start over.
“This is all my fault. M-m-my ex. He owes some loan sharks a lot of money. They can’t find him, and now I’m supposed to pay his debt. They’ve threatened me, said his debt was my problem, and that’s why I’ve been late to work. Only I don’t have that kind of money, and they won’t accept payments, and they want it all at one time, and they threw a brick through my picture window last week, and they slashed all my tires today, and…” Her chest heaved with a great breath after that amazing string of run-ons. “And… and they’re going to kill me, and this is all my fault, and now I’ve dragged you into my mess, and… and…”
“Shush. Quiet Maddie. We’ll figure it out. It’s okay,” he said even as he clamped a hand over her mouth, needing her to be still, so he could hear the argument coming from across the tarmac.
Canting his head, he listened for the human sounds that didn’t fit the calamitous scene. Sounded like Miss Shade was screaming. But not for help. Despite the carnage, he distinctly picked up on her uptight, “You let them get away?”
He didn’t detect anyone answering. She had to be on her cell. But holy hell. Let who get away? Maddie and me?
“But, but, but…” Maddie murmured around his fingertips. By then she was a mess of tears, smoky sweat, and adrenaline. He could feel her blood pounding through her veins.
“Be still,” he told her gently, striving to hear the entirety of Shade’s vicious rant. “To be honest, I’m really glad you’re not married anymore, but something’s not right with our client, Maddie. Please—”
“Get away from me! Let me go!”
Jameson clamped both arms tight around her, but someone jerked her away.
“Jameson! He’s got me. Help!”
“Let her go!” he roared into the dark, up on his feet now, his senses reaching out to understand what had just happened and who had Maddie.
Until something hard slammed into the side of his head. He fell then. Went down hard.
Chapter Seven
Bradley was a hungry little guy, and for whatever reason, Alex loved watching Kelsey breastfeeding his son. It had been the same when Lexie was born. It was after dinner, and he adored the sublime peek into eternity that childbirth offered. Fatherhood rested like a kingly mantle on Alex’s shoulders tonight. He was one lucky son of a bitch, and that little boy was a baby beast. Ten pounds, three ounces. No wonder he’d had a tough time being born. His mama was a tiny thing.
The only one missing tonight was the little girl he adored. Lexie would love this little guy. But she’d had fallen asleep somewhere between helping Mark and Libby’s girls making the fudge and the popcorn. Mark had called to say they were keeping her tonight and would bring her over first thing tomorrow morning.
“You’re still stalling,” Kelsey murmured sleepily.
Man, she was stunningly beautiful tonight. Motherhood fit her like a glove. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying hard to wipe the smile off his face. But what a day. Turned out Mel hadn’t spoiled a damned thing. He’d tried, but like everything else, he’d failed at that, too.
“Not sure what else there is to say. Pretty much covered everything when Mel showed up earlier.”
“Alex…”
He shook his head, more out of love for his wife than disgust with Mel. Drawing in a deep breath, he admitted
