LITMIR.BIZ

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holding her captive, both with loaded weapons. Anxiety formed a hard knot in her stomach, and she stumbled as the man holding her continued to pull her backward.

      She was being held at such an awkward angle that she couldn’t catch herself. Her abductor lost his grip, and she ended up on the floor. She expected the man to reach down and pull her up again, but instead, he left her sprawled on the tile and then turned and followed his companion out through the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. She still didn’t get a look at the face of the man who’d held her but did notice dark brown hair, blue jeans and a red plaid shirt. She also saw that the hairy man had grabbed her laptop on the way out. A protest formed on her lips, but she stayed silent as she watched the two disappear by jumping off her second-floor balcony. She could buy another laptop. At this point, she was just relieved to still be alive.

      * * *

      Jake Riley heard the sliding door open and took another quick look. He was off duty and didn’t have any backup, so he was less concerned with capturing the men with the guns than with keeping their victim safe. Seeing no one but the woman, he entered the apartment, his gun drawn.

      “Stay down,” he said softly as he approached, motioning with his hand. “Is there anybody else in the apartment?”

      “No,” she answered, “I don’t think so, anyway. There were two guys that grabbed me when I came into my apartment, but they just escaped out the balcony.”

      Jake carefully approached the sliding door with his gun still drawn and ready. He cautiously stepped outside and quickly spotted the two suspects running through the parking lot on foot. A moment later, a black Buick four-door sedan sped away, but not before Jake was able to catch two of the numbers off the license plate. He holstered his weapon and blew out a breath. He had already called in the incident when he’d heard the gunshots, so his next move was to go to the side of the woman, who was still cowering on the floor. She had pulled herself up to a sitting position and was now leaning against her couch, hugging her legs. Jake noticed her hands were shaking as she pushed some of her long brown hair behind her ear.

      “Are you hurt?”

      It took a moment for her to look at him, and he imagined she was trying to compose herself. He didn’t blame her. It probably wasn’t every day that someone broke into her home and threatened her at gunpoint. She had to be terrified.

      Finally, she glanced up at him, and his heartbeat fluttered. She had pale blue eyes, and her long brown hair framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her lips were a vibrant pink, and with her smooth and fresh skin she looked like a porcelain doll. He sucked in a breath. She was one of the prettiest women he had ever seen, but there was something about her... He made a conscious effort not to stare at her and was relieved that she didn’t seem to notice his bad manners.

      “No, I’m not hurt. Not permanently, at least.” She winced as she tilted her head. “I’m a bit sore, but you arrived just in time.” She looked him directly in the eye, and suddenly, recognition spread across her features. “Jake Riley?”

      He raised his eyebrows, his brain frantically searching for the woman’s identity. He could only remember one person with eyes that particular color of blue, but the woman before him looked very different from what he remembered. He hazarded a guess.

      “Mackenzie? Mackenzie Weaver? Is it you?”

      She smiled. Yet the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and she was quick to look away.

      “Yes, it’s been a few years.”

      Jake was floored. Mackenzie was the little sister of his best friend, Jonathan Weaver, who had been killed by a land mine in Afghanistan over four years ago. He and Jonathan had been boon companions all through high school and college, but then Jonathan had joined the army and died shortly thereafter. Mackenzie was four years younger than Jonathan and had followed the boys around like a puppy during most of their friendship. She had always wanted to be included in their escapades, but Jake and Jonathan had spent a great deal of time trying to break away from her constant pursuit. Jake had even thought that Mackenzie had a crush on him for a time when she was in high school and he was in college, but he had never been interested. Of course, the girl he remembered was nothing like the lovely woman before him. She had truly blossomed.

      “The last time I saw you...”

      “Was at the funeral,” she finished for him.

      “You’ve changed a bit since then,” he said carefully, noting that she seemed less and less pleased that they had reunited.

      “You could say that,” she said, still not looking directly at him. “I’ve lost my braces and gained a few pounds. And I finally let my hair grow out. I guess you could say I’m all grown-up.”

      The girl Jake remembered had been a skinny tomboy with short hair, braces and a wardrobe filled with jeans, sports T-shirts and jerseys. The lady before him looked nothing like he remembered, with the exception of those penetrating, lovely blue eyes. She now had wonderful curves and was dressed in a pretty floral shirt that accented her femininity. “That’s an understatement. You look amazing.”

      She shifted, apparently uncomfortable with his compliment. “I’m sure they would have killed me if you hadn’t come along. Thank you for arriving when you did.”

      He nodded at her and turned away, still hoping that she didn’t notice how much she had affected him. He met people nearly every day in his job as a deputy marshal, both old and new acquaintances, strangers and friends, but it had been quite a while since someone had garnered his attention so acutely for something other than breaking the law.

      Her eyes. That was what got him. They were such an unusual shade of blue. They reminded him of the morning sky right after the sun came up. He kicked himself mentally. Morning sky? Yep. He was definitely slipping. What had gotten into him? Not one to lose focus normally, Jake quickly forced his thoughts back to the welfare of the victim and stopped thinking about the past and how much Mackenzie had changed. Besides, it was obvious that she wanted to keep the past in the past. Their shared history had ended when her brother died. Jake took a breath. “Sure thing. I was visiting a friend who lives a couple of apartments down when I heard the gunshots. I think I scared the intruders away before they did too much damage.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Why don’t you catch your breath while I call in to the office and give them the update.” He busied himself with his phone and then gave dispatch the news about the men’s escape and the vehicle, knowing the report would be shared with the local authorities. When he turned back, he noticed that Mackenzie had pulled herself up and was heading toward the door on shaky legs.

      He quickly stored his phone. “Whoa. Where are you headed?”

      She turned. “I just thought I’d grab my purse and groceries from the doorstep before I have any other visitors.”

      He nodded and motioned toward the couch. “Why don’t you take a seat and let me get those for you?”

      She shrugged. “I can get them. This may sound kind of weird, but I need to do something to work off this adrenaline.” She took a step, but her legs seemed to give out underneath her. Jake reached her just in time to keep her from crashing to the floor. He swung her up into his arms and breathed her in. Was that lilacs? Or maybe jasmine? He wasn’t an expert on perfumes, but he did know one thing: she smelled as good as she looked. The tomboy he remembered had totally disappeared.

      She leaned against him, and he tried to ignore how comfortable she felt in his arms. It was a strange sensation for him, and once again he quickly tamped down the attraction he was experiencing. He was off duty, sure, but this woman was a victim of a crime, and despite the fact that they had known each other growing up, he was here as a law enforcement officer. He also wondered what her brother, Jonathan, would think if he knew how Jake was reacting to his little sister. Would he have been indifferent, or would he have warned Jake to stay away? He mentally gave himself a shake. Even if Jonathan had given him his blessing, Jake had no interest in having a relationship with anyone. He was shocked at his own reaction to her. He steeled himself and carried her to the couch. Then he gently set her

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