“If you kiss me, you’ll smear my makeup.”

“I’m willing to take that chance.”

“We have a job to do.” As hard as it was to push him away, Kendra knew it would be impossible to go through with her plans if she let him make love to her now.

“Spoilsport. You know I’ll have to beat the men away with a club, don’t you? Nervous?”

“Of course I am.” Scared spitless would be closer to the truth. They were posing as a man-and-wife security team for a powerful and deadly criminal. Anything could go wrong. “I’d be a fool not to be.”

“I’ll be nearby at all times,” Rafe promised. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Then let’s get this over with. Remember one thing,” he said as they started down the hall. “All night long I’m going to be peeling that dress from your body in my mind. So if you want something to really worry about, think about what’s going to happen when we have to share that bed later on.”

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

The days are getting cooler, but the romantic suspense is always hot at Harlequin Intrigue! Check out this month’s selections.

TEXAS CONFIDENTIAL continues with The Specialist (#589) by Dani Sinclair. Rafe Alvarez was the resident playboy agent, until he met his match in Kendra Kincaide. He transformed his new partner into a femme fatale for the sake of a mission, and instantly lost his bachelor’s heart for the sake of love.…

THE SUTTON BABIES have grown in number by two in Little Boys Blue (#590) by Susan Kearney. A custody battle over cowboy M.D. Cameron Sutton’s baby boys was brewing. When East Coast socialite Alexa Whitfield agreed to a marriage of convenience, Cam thought his future was settled. Until he fell for his temporary wife—the same wife someone was determined to kill!

Hailed by Romantic Times Magazine as an author who writes a “tantalizing read,” Gayle Wilson returns with Midnight Remembered (#591), which marks the conclusion of her MORE MEN OF MYSTERY series. When ex-CIA agent Joshua Stone couldn’t remember his true identity, he became an easy target. But his ex-partner Paige Daniels knew all his secrets, including what was in his heart.…

Reeve Snyder had rescued Polly Black from death and delivered her baby girl one fateful night. Polly’s vulnerable beauty touched him deep inside, but who was she? And what was she running from? And next time, would Reeve be able to save her and her daughter when danger came calling? Find out in Alias Mommy (#592) by Linda O. Johnston.

Don’t miss a single exciting moment!

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

The Specialist

Dani Sinclair

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An avid reader, Dani Sinclair didn’t discover romance novels until her mother lent her one when she came for a visit. Dani’s been hooked on the genre ever since. With the premiere of Mystery Baby for Harlequin Intrigue in 1996, Dani discovered she not only enjoyed reading this genre, she loved writing the intense stories, as well. Her third novel, Better Watch Out, was a RITA Award finalist in 1998. Dani lives outside Washington, D.C., a place she’s found to be a great source for both intrigue and humor!

Books by Dani Sinclair

HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

371—MYSTERY BABY

401—MAN WITHOUT A BADGE

448—BETTER WATCH OUT

481—MARRIED IN HASTE

507—THE MAN SHE MARRIED

539—FOR HIS DAUGHTER*

551—MY BABY, MY LOVE*

565—THE SILENT WITNESS*

589—THE SPECIALIST

HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION

690—THE NAKED TRUTH

The Confidential Agent’s Pledge

I hereby swear to uphold the law

to the best of my ability; to maintain the

level of integrity of this agency by my

compassion for victims, loyalty to my

brothers and courage under fire.

And above all, to hold all information and

identities in the strictest confidence….

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Rafe Alvarez—The chameleon; known for his charm, sex appeal and sense of humor, he’ll need the latter to deal with his new “partner.”

Kendra Kincaide—The beautiful computer whiz has a deadly secret and an unknown enemy.

Mitchell Forbes—As head of Texas Confidential, he agrees Kendra’s skills will help their latest mission; he just isn’t sure he trusts her.

Penny Archer—She may be Mitchell’s right-hand woman, but is the left hand hiding a secret crush on Rafe?

Stephen Rialto—The oilman hires only brilliant, attractive, upscale people to work at Rialto Industries—perhaps to hide his other less than legal activities?

Marcus Slade—The man for hire will do anything Rialto tells him to—even kill.

Cody Gannon—The youngest Texas Confidential agent and the only other bachelor left is about to see his past unravel right before his eyes.…

For Angela, Tashya and my fellow “confidentials.”

What a great group to work with.

And always, for Roger, Chip, Dan and Barb.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Prologue

Silence stilled even the chirp of crickets. Whicker suddenly lifted his head and stared into the darkness. The creak of leather cracked the silence as Rafe Alvarez sat up straighter in the saddle, coming fully alert. He stroked Whicker’s sleek neck and whispered softly, instantly quieting the massive gelding.

For months the rustlers had seemed to know exactly when and where to strike. They either had the luck of the devil, or they had inside information on the placement of the ranch hands.

Rafe set his jaw. The possibility festered in all their minds. After what his fellow Texas Confidential agent Jake and his wife Abby had gone through because of a mole inside the FBI, tension was heightened for all the agents at the Smoking Barrel Ranch. This was, after all, the headquarters of Texas Confidential, a quietly secretive government organization. Protecting the cattle around the clock on a ranch this size was impossible, especially since the Smoking Barrel was being deliberately and systematically targeted. No doubt Tomaso Calderone, the drug lord they’d been trying to nab for months, was behind the problem, but that begged the question—who else was on his payroll?

Backing his horse into a stand of scrub pines Rafe waited, his hand hovering over the rifle stock. He welcomed this instant rush of adrenaline after the tedious hours of waiting and watching. Rafe liked being a working cowboy, as well as a Texas Confidential agent. So did his colleagues. And none of them liked the strain they’d been working under lately. Rafe welcomed action at this point—any action that would result in the capture of the men responsible for the systematic raids and bring them one step closer to Calderone.

Any moment now, the rustlers would break out over the ridge and be silhouetted clearly against the cooperative moon before the encroaching clouds could darken the landscape once more.

The sound of a hoof striking rock gave him final confirmation. Whicker took several mincing sidesteps, sensing Rafe’s tension. He, too, was eager for action. Rafe soothed him silently as they waited.

A horse and rider abruptly broke the ridge in an easy, almost sanguine canter. Rafe frowned. Rider singular. And this would-be rustler was entirely too confident. Rafe watched him come to a stop at the top of the ridge, pausing to survey the cattle below as if he had every right to be there. The man sat tall, his hat pulled low. With the moon at the stranger’s back, Rafe couldn’t make out any features, but he did catch a reflection beneath the brim. The man wore glasses.

The wind abruptly shifted. The rustler’s paint picked up Whicker’s scent. The smaller horse whinnied a greeting, alerting his rider. The man swiveled to peer at the lone stand of pines.

Rafe dropped his hand from the rifle butt and gently kicked Whicker into a gallop. The well-trained cutting horse gathered himself without effort and sprang forward, even as the rustler whirled, urging his horse into a reckless plunge back down the incline.

Was the fool trying to kill himself?

The rustler had the advantage of the lead, but Whicker’s training and much longer stride made the outcome a given. The smaller paint didn’t stand a chance of outrunning him, though his rider tried. The distance between the two horses closed quickly. It was obvious that the other rider wasn’t going to stop as the two horses thundered dangerously down the embankment, right toward the grazing cattle herd.

A cloud drifted across the moon, darkening the night as Rafe pulled alongside the other rider. The rustler twisted around for a look just as Rafe came abreast. Rafe kicked free of the stirrups and lunged. Like a choreographed movie stunt, momentum carried both of them to the hard-packed earth in a bone-jarring fall. Hats went flying as they rolled several feet before coming to a stop.

Rafe found himself lying full-length along the other’s skinny form. His hand had come to rest inside the intruder’s open jacket front. He was stunned to recognize the softly rounded curve beneath his hand for what it was.

“A girl?”

She gave him a shove. “A woman,” she corrected with haughty disdain.

Her voice flowed over him like warm brandy as she tried to adjust the glasses that were hanging half off her face.

“Rafael Alvarez, I presume?”

Stunned, Rafe could only nod.

Her mouth tightened in a line of anger right before her fist landed against his jaw with enough force to hurt more than his pride. She scrambled out from beneath him, rising to her feet.

“Next time, watch where you put your hands.” She regarded him with narrowed eyes and began dusting off her jeans.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“I’m Kendra Kincade—your new partner.”

Chapter One

Rafe rose slowly, rubbing his jaw. He was going to have a bruise! In fact, she might just have loosened a couple of his teeth—but he’d be hung before he’d admit that out loud.

“My partner, huh?” He surveyed her lanky, boyish build beneath the dark jacket she wore and the no-nonsense glasses that still hung askew on her narrow face after their tumble. Rafe suddenly found himself wanting to grin. Whoever she was, she was no rustler.

“Darlin’, most women who want to be my ‘partner’ use a slightly different approach.”

Her lips thinned in prissy rejection of his attempt to tease. “Not that sort of partner.”

“Well, I’m not into rustlin’ cattle, darlin’,” he offered.

“I’m not a cattle thief!”

“Well certainly not the sort I was expectin’,” he agreed watching her closely. It was difficult to tell in the dark, but he’d swear she was blushing. Now when had he ever seen a grown woman blush? Was she so naive she didn’t realize the risk of running around the countryside in the middle of the night by herself?

“What are you doing out here at this hour, darlin’?” He took a step in her direction. Instantly, she backed away, almost stumbling over a rock.

“Stop that!”

Rafe halted. He was used to a much different reaction from the women he met and he found himself unaccountably irritated by her angry response and this entire crazy situation. Somebody needed to teach Ms. Kendra Kincade that there could be consequences to foolish actions.

“No call to be shy, darlin’. There’s only you and me and the cattle out here.” He swept his hand to indicate their isolation and caught a glimpse of Whicker munching contentedly on some grass a few yards away.

“Shy? Why you arrogant—” She fumbled for words, obviously at a loss. “Male,” she finally spit at him.

Rafe rubbed his jaw where her fist had connected. “Guilty.”

Her eyes glinted in the moonlight reflected off the unattractive glasses she wore. Any minute now, like a cartoon, steam would pour from beneath the open collar of her jacket. She was too annoyed to be frightened, but she should be frightened. Didn’t she see the risk out here in the predawn morning hours?

Rafe closed the distance between them. This time, she held her ground. Overhead, clouds parted to let the moon highlight her features.

Thirtyish, at a guess, though her age was hard to determine for sure. Her brown hair was long and stringy. The ends looked as if she’d taken dull scissors to them. No jewelry, not even a ring. He continued his assessment, waiting for her reaction. Dark jeans hugged a surprisingly nice pair of legs, and a light colored, button-down shirt that he’d already discovered harbored nicely rounded breasts. Her feet had been stuffed into a pair of boots that looked suspiciously new. She had surprisingly small feet.

“If you’re through with the inventory, you can hold it right there, buster.”

She might not be much to look at, but she did have spunk, he decided.

“Buster?”

She set her jaw, planted her fists on her hips and glared at him. “Your name is Rafael Alvarez,” she snapped out, “but you’re called Rafe. Six feet one inch tall, brown hair, green eyes, half Spanish and half Irish,” she recited. “And all baloney,” she added defiantly.

“Baloney?”

“Your parents died in a car crash when you were an infant. Your grandparents raised you until your freshman year of college. Tragically, they died along with a lot of other people in that fire on board the cruise ship Althea.”

His amusement dissolved at her recital.

“Their deaths left you alone, but financially secure,” she continued. “You went back to school where you got in with a rowdy crowd. Your sophomore year culminated in your drunken arrest for grand theft auto. A friend boosted another friend’s car before picking you up along with several young females after a party. All of you were drunk and there was beer in the car.”

Rafe flinched at the memory.

“Fortunately, the police stopped the driver before anyone was hurt. You spent a full night in jail and hired a high-priced lawyer to avoid serious criminal charges. Apparently, you wised up after that. You dropped your former associates, changed your major and went on to study law, though you never took the bar exam.”

How did she know all this?

“That’s enough.” His soft voiced tone would have warned off anyone who knew him. Kendra never batted an eye.

“Next, you applied to the police academy, but you were too much of a maverick for all their rules and regulations. You dropped out almost right away. Or maybe they suggested you leave. Either way, you did some research of your own. I’m guessing you stumbled over the very quiet, very private organization known as Texas Confidential.”

Rafe drew in a breath, his body vibrating with sudden tension. “Who are you?”

“We already covered that. Then—”

He grabbed her shoulders in a punishing grip. Instantly, he relaxed his hold because she felt astonishingly delicate beneath his broad hands. While he wanted to scare her enough to interrupt her recital, he didn’t want to hurt her. Her eyes widened behind her glasses giving her a frightened, baby owl appearance.

Rafe gentled his hold even further when she licked her lips nervously. He followed the motion of her tongue, annoyed to notice that she had very nice lips—when they weren’t pursed in disdain.

“I want to know who you are.”

“I told you,” she stated boldly, “I’m Kendra Kincade.”

He crowded her until she was pressed along his jacket. The action defined her slenderness against his much larger masculinity. He watched her eyes widen in final acknowledgment of his size and gender and their isolation. Nearby, a cow snorted at a patch of ground.

“Who is Kendra Kincade?” he asked softly.

She lifted her chin a little higher, though she flinched when he took the back of his hand and ran it down the side of her face. He felt her body quiver. The softness of her skin took him by surprise yet again. Her long, unstylish hair tumbled messily about her shoulders while a beguiling scent of shampoo filled his nostrils. She wasn’t his type by a long shot. Still, he found himself aware that she was definitely a woman. That firm round curve of flesh he’d held so fleetingly had left an indelible impression.

Some of her assertiveness drained away as he continued to hold her shoulders now. She licked her lips once more and planted her hands on her hips. “I told you I’m—”

“My partner,” he finished for her. Time for her to comprehend the risk she was taking. He trailed his fingers over the curve of her cheek, sliding them along the slope of her neck to where the V of her open jacket revealed the cotton material of her blouse. “But if you know so much about me, you know I prefer selecting my own—partners.”

Rafe didn’t feel the least bit sorry for using his own brand of intimidation. The woman was playing a dangerous game of some sort. A game that could have serious consequences if she tried this approach on the wrong man. He let his fingers slide beneath the top button of her blouse in a subtle warning caress.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The abrupt prick of the knife tip against his exposed throat came as a complete shock.

“Back up, Alvarez. I mean it.” There was nothing teasing in her tone.

While it would have been a simple matter to take the knife from her, Rafe was more curious than alarmed. This was not the effect his legendary charm generally had on women. Of course, he wasn’t exerting a whole lot of charm right now. Still, no other woman had ever caught him so totally off guard as this skinny handful of a female with the glittering eyes.

Rafe dropped his hand and took a step back, watching her intently.

“Do I make you that nervous, darlin’?”

“No, you annoy me that much.”

The knife disappeared with a speed that made him pay attention. She was not what she seemed.

“And stop calling me darling!”

His lips curved at the corners. “Whatever you say, sugar.”

Kendra Kincade looked like she wanted to stomp her booted feet—preferably in the region of his face. Rafe found his lips curving in a reluctant smile that disappeared almost as fast as it had come. He rocked back on his heels, hooked his thumbs in his belt and studied her.

“I assume you’re going to explain why and how you know so much about me?”

Kendra shook the hair out of her face and kept from sighing her relief out loud. Thankfully, he’d finally given her some breathing space. She wasn’t used to being crowded—and he was a very large man.

“Your life is an open book,” she told him.

“Is that right?”

She told herself she was edgy because she didn’t appreciate the way he studied her like some tasty morsel waiting to be sampled. The truth was, she’d been totally unprepared to meet Rafael Alvarez in the flesh.

He looked deceptively relaxed as he nudged his hat further back on his forehead with a knuckle and regarded her. He was toying with her, darn him. The knowledge annoyed her.

“It is for anyone who knows how to operate a computer keyboard,” she affirmed.

“And you do.”

“It’s what I do best.”

“Now that,” he said suggestively, sweeping her body once more with his gaze, “is too bad. There are lots of better things a woman like you should do best.”

The moonlight allowed her to see his gently mocking expression. She’d studied his computer image for hours. She’d thought she knew every nuance of his features, but nothing could have prepared her for the sensual reality of the man himself.

Rafe Alvarez was bigger, more masculine, and far sexier than any picture could convey. His suave, rumbly voice slipped inside her mind like a phantom lover’s caress.

She wasn’t supposed to be feeling this pull of attraction, yet her skin still felt the path his hand, then his fingers, had taken down her face and below. Her heart still hadn’t settled back to a regular rhythm. This would never do. The key to handling a man like Rafe was to keep the upper hand. He was baiting her, but two could play at that game.

“I know everything about you and Mitchell Forbes and his Texas Confidential agents,” she asserted. “I even know your next assignment.” She watched his body tighten. “You’re going after Stephen Rialto.”

She dangled the name between them in the silence of the night, disturbed only by the distant shuffle of the herd of cattle.

Rafe’s eyes narrowed dangerously. A shiver traced its way down her spine at his new expression. Despite the sensuality that practically radiated from him, this was not a man to trifle with.

“What do you know about Stephen Rialto?” Rafe asked softly.

“More than I want to know.” She knew he saw the small shudder she couldn’t control. “He’s lower than a snake and far more deadly. I intend to help you see that justice is served.”

Rafe studied her in silence. The sweeping glance of his eyes was disturbing, making her uncomfortably aware of herself in a whole new way. Until this moment, her lack of attractiveness had never bothered her one whit. She’d take brains over useless beauty any day.

Rafe, on the other hand, was gorgeous—in a purely masculine way. He was cocky with the self-assurance that came from being handsome and confident in who he was. When she’d decided to use him, Kendra had made a complete study of the man. He loosed his lethal charm on any unsuspecting woman that came within range—an ingrained habit on his part no doubt.

But she was supposed to be immune.

“Let me guess,” he said quietly. “You used to work for Rialto.”

“Hardly.”

“A jilted lover?”

“Of course not!” She shuddered at the very thought of letting Stephen Rialto touch her for any reason at all. Stephen Rialto had climbed over the bodies of the people he’d killed to become Tomaso Calderone’s number one henchman here in Texas. Kendra squared her shoulders. “I’m not going to stand here and spar with you. My motives don’t come into this. All you need to know is that I’m going to help you destroy him.”

The moon darted behind another cloud. Rafe didn’t so much as twitch at her words. He watched her in unnerving silence while the dampness of the grass they had rolled in soaked its way through her jeans to chill her skin uncomfortably. She had to remind herself that she’d left behind the safety of her computers for one reason and one reason only. Rafael Alvarez was going to help her achieve her goal—whether he wanted to or not.

“I think,” he said softly, “this conversation requires a different setting. Would you like to ride back to the Smoking Barrel Ranch with me?”

She released the breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding.

“I hadn’t planned…”

“Hadn’t planned what?”

She pushed back her uncertainties. “On meeting you tonight.”

“But you did plan to meet me, huh, darlin’?”

“Not the way you mean.”

“Really.”

He ruffled her anger all over again with the simple arrogant inflection of the word.

“Yes, really.”

“Then what were you doing out here at this hour?”

“I was enjoying a quiet ride.”

“At four o’clock in the morning?”

“Yes!”

“On posted land.”

“I wasn’t here to steal any of your precious cattle.”

“Perhaps not, but you do realize you could easily have run into whoever is.”

“It never occurred to me that anyone would have the temerity to steal from the Smoking Barrel.”

“No? Your computer didn’t give you that little fact?”

He was trying to provoke her again. “Has anyone ever told you that you can be real annoying?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, Penny tells me that on a regular basis.”

“Penny Archer?” She was Mitchell Forbes’s indispensable right hand.

“Do you know her?”

“We’ve never met. I know of her.”

Rafe’s jaw clenched, but he inclined his head. “You do have a lot of knowledge.”

“I told you, I know all about the setup here.”

“So you did. Then you must know that you and Penny have a lot in common. She has a sharp tongue, too. I think you should come with me and meet her for yourself.”

Kendra hesitated. What would he do if she refused? Would he force her? A shiver of something that might have been anticipation but was probably fear, worked its way down her spine. She shrugged off the sensation. After all, she hadn’t come out here to play word games with him. She’d planned to reconnoiter the area before approaching the ranch later this morning.

“I’m tempted, but thanks to you, my horse took off.”

“No thanks necessary,” he said wryly. “Fortunately, my horse is better trained. He won’t mind if we ride double.”

“Maybe he won’t, but I will.” Get on top of that big horse he’d been riding—with him? No way.

“It’s a long walk.”

“So go catch my horse for me.” She saw the flash of his teeth as he smiled and she tried not to clench her jaw. She’d spent so much of her life talking to computers, she was finding it more difficult than she’d expected to deal with a man like Rafe face-to-face.

Rafe whistled, startling her. His horse lifted its head, whuffed and trotted over obediently. Kendra was impressed despite herself.

“How’d you train him to do that?”

“Charm,” Rafe replied. “You ought to try it sometime.”

She refused to let him see how that stung. “Charm only works on susceptible females.”

“Nope, he’s a gelding.”

“Very funny.”

Rafe took up the dangling reins and swung himself into the saddle with grace and an economy of movement she had to admire. He was incredibly sensual without even trying.

“I’m not riding double with you,” she said defensively.

“I believe I mentioned the long walk.”

“Settled Sue can’t have gone far.”

“Settled Sue? You rented one of Chet’s broken-down ponies? She’ll be halfway to Ash Pond by now.”

So he recognized his neighbor’s horse, which meant he must realize Kendra was staying at Chet Thilgarde’s dude ranch several miles away. Kendra watched as he reached for his saddlebag and withdrew a cell phone, quickly punching in a series of numbers. The call must have been answered immediately because he began speaking almost at once. “Hey, beautiful, what are you doing awake at this hour? Oh. Sorry. Does that mean you’re still in bed? Want to describe what you’re wearing? Something black and sheer, I hope.”

His rumbled chuckle resonated right through Kendra along with a stab of something that felt suspiciously like jealousy.

“Ah, Penny.” Rafe lowered his voice. “And here all this time I never thought of flannel as particularly erotic.”

Kendra realized that while he was speaking to Penny, he was actually watching Kendra from beneath long sooty eyelashes a woman would kill to possess. She tried to keep her face impassive, but it was more difficult than it should have been.

“You wound me, darlin’, but I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone that conversation for another time. I called to give you a heads up. I’m on my way in with company. Nope. I’m afraid Ms. Kendra Kincade assures me she isn’t a rustler, but she does pack a rather wicked six-inch knife.”

He flashed Kendra a grin and listened some more.

“Hey, what can I tell you? A man like me simply isn’t safe guarding the range anymore. Apparently we’ve got women hiding behind every shrub out here. Next time I pull guard duty you’ll have to come along and guard the guard. What’s that? Why, Penny, shame on you. But that reminds me, you might want to alert everyone who’s on watch to keep an eye out for a riderless paint by the name of Settled Sue. Yeah, one of Chet’s. She spooked when I jumped her rider.” He listened for another minute and his devilish grin widened. “Why Ms. Archer, you have a dirty mind. Why didn’t I think of that? We’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

With a chuckle, he clicked off the phone and reached a hand toward Kendra. “Come on.”

When Kendra didn’t take the offered hand, he lowered his voice to an intimate level. “I only bite when I’m invited.”

Several responses leaped to mind, but Kendra was determined to maintain control if it killed her. Reluctantly, she took his hand. She found herself on top of his massive horse before she could change her mind. Rafe was stronger than he looked. His horse had to be seventeen hands high.

“Hold on, darlin’.”

“To what?”

He reached back, took her hands, and guided them around his waist. “Me.”

Kendra resisted the desire to shove him out of the saddle. For a moment it was sorely tempting but she had the distinct feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking. His lips quirked again in subtle amusement.

“Hang on tight.” And Rafe prodded the animal into a long, loping canter.

Reflexively, her hands closed around his waist, finding no purchase on the slick dark leather of his jacket. Instead, she gripped lower, where the jacket ended and the rough feel of denim met her touch.

“As much as I could really enjoy this,” he called back to her, “if you drop those fingers a few inches lower darlin’, I’ll have to assume you really are planning to become my partner.”

Instantly, her hands let go. He captured one and placed it against his belt. Her cheeks burned at the intimacy and his knowing chuckle. She gave more serious thought to knocking him out of the saddle. Only the knowledge that she needed him stilled her impulse.

She was glad he couldn’t see her expression. With her face pressed against his broad back, and the scent of man, horse, sweat and leather filling her nostrils, they plunged across the uneven ground while her wayward mind churned with all sorts of thoughts she shouldn’t be having.

Penny Archer met them at the front door of the large white house. Despite Rafe’s comment about flannel pajamas, Penny was fully dressed in loose slacks and a blouse with a baggy sweater overtop. Her stylish glasses gave her an efficient look that went with the sharp intelligence in her gaze.

“Ms. Kincade, welcome to the Smoking Barrel. I’m afraid it’s a bit early even for Rosa or Slim, but may I offer you—”

“Nothing. Thank you. I didn’t intend to drop in this way. Especially not at this hour. I’m sorry Rafe got you out of bed.”

Penny Archer raised cynically amused eyebrows in Rafe’s direction. “Yes, that isn’t his general sequence with women.”

Rafe put a hand to his chest. “Another wound to the heart.”

“It would take a cement truck,” she assured him dryly. “How can we help you, Ms. Kincade?”

“I’m afraid Rafe spooked my horse. I need a lift back to the dude ranch where I’m staying. The truth is, I was hoping to speak with Mr. Forbes later today, but I’d planned to call first and ask for an appointment.”

“Kendra knows all about our setup here at the ranch,” Rafe put in.

Penny’s expression didn’t waver. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you rest here until Mitchell wakes up? I’ll see if he can meet with you after breakfast.”

“Oh, but—”

“It’s no problem, really. We keep a spare room ready for unexpected guests. You can rest until Rosa starts breakfast. You’ll be welcome to join us then. Come with me.”

“But—”

“Cody is on his way in,” Penny informed Rafe as if everything was settled. “I believe he has something he wants you to see.”

Rafe nodded seriously, then added a teasing smile. “Ah, Penny, here I was hoping you had something to show me.”

“Dream on, Rafael,” Penny replied dryly. “See you at breakfast.”

Kendra watched the easy exchange with interest. It was strange to finally meet and observe how these people interacted. Penny was as efficient as Kendra had expected, but her deft ability to handle Rafe’s teasing was interesting and unexpected. Kendra allowed herself to be led up the large winding staircase to a bedroom at the front of the house. Sturdy oak furniture graced a room done in neutral tones of beige and green. Penny Archer indicated the adjoining bathroom and left her there to “rest.”

No key turned in the lock. That did surprise her a bit. These people weren’t fools and they had no reason to trust her. She suspected she wouldn’t get far if she stepped out into the hall. Making use of the bathroom instead, she discovered it connected to another room. A third door probably led into the hall. Judging by the few items neatly stowed in the vanity, she shared the bathroom with Penny.

Kendra returned to the guest quarters and flopped down on the queen-sized bed. She was tired, but too keyed up to sleep. While things weren’t exactly going to plan, she was here, inside the headquarters of Texas Confidential. Now she must convince them that she could be an asset to their plan. It would have been better if she had her laptop, but in the end, it wouldn’t matter. When Rafe entered Rialto’s world, she would be with him—one way or another.

Kendra smothered a yawn and closed her eyes. Maybe she could nap for a few seconds after all.

INNOCENCE SHATTERED at the first dry popping sound. She tasted the dry-edged fear that left its metallic flavor lingering in her mouth. Part of her knew it was hopeless, yet she tried to call a warning to the young girl slowly counting to twenty out of sight beyond the kitchen.

From inside the bottom of the linen closet at the top of the stairs, she had a commanding view of the steps, the main hallway, and part of the kitchen. The pretty blond woman stepped away from the stove and answered the brisk knock on the front door.

“Why, hello. We…weren’t expecting you.”

The shadow man entered, big and burly in his heavy winter coat, snowflakes melting against the dark material. There was a popping sound. The woman crumpled to the floor. At the kitchen table, her husband started rising from his seat. “What the—?” he began, only to slump back down in his chair as two more popping sounds came. His outflung hand struck a glass of cola, spilling the sticky contents across the tabletop. The liquid began to drip, drip, drip against the clean, white tile floor.

In her head, she screamed a warning to the young girl who stopped counting and suddenly entered the kitchen from the dining room, innocently unaware.

Pop. Pop.

She fell like a broken rag doll. The shadow man stepped over her body and into the dining room.

In the closet, she drew herself into a tiny tight ball and closed her eyes. She wished she dared close the closet door all the way, but the metal would make noise. He would see her if she made a single sound. Suddenly, he bounded up the stairs, pausing to check each of the three bedrooms before moving straight for her hiding place.

She held her breath in terror as the closet door groaned open all the way. He rummaged on one of the upper shelves. She opened her eyes, hardly daring to breathe. A blanket fell to the floor in front of her.

She waited in an agony of fear for him to bend and pick it up. Because then he would see her and the popping sound would come again from the strange gun with its long barrel. But he left the blanket, and a towel that landed on top of the blanket, lying there. He turned and pulled off his glove for a moment. The gun hand disappeared from her line of sight. His left hand fell to his side as he stood silently for a moment.

A pretty red stone sparkled in the heavy gold ring he wore on his left hand. She stared at that stone until he pulled his gloves back on and went downstairs again, disappearing from view.

She heard him moving noisily in the basement. He thought he was alone in the house. Silently, she uncurled her body and crept down the stairs. When she paused in the hall she jumped as the woman’s eyes fluttered open.

“Next door,” she whispered. “Get Mr. Lee. Hurry! Run!”

And she heard the shadow man start up the steps from the basement level.

She ran into the living room, ducking behind a chair so he wouldn’t see her. Fear made her chest feel all hard and tight. Her stomach hurt. She was so scared. He would shoot her if he caught her. But he never looked toward her hiding place. Instead, he gazed down on the woman and fired his gun again.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to hurt that horrible shadow man with every fiber of her eight-year-old body, but all she could do was huddle beside the chair, consumed with hate for the man and his shiny red ring and his long, ugly gun.

He strode into the kitchen. She pictured him checking the others. There were no more pops from his gun. Were they dead? Was she the only one left alive inside the once-cozy house?

Then he was gone, out the front door. She rose on legs that trembled violently.

A strange smell had begun filling the house.

She decided not to investigate because he could come back at any minute. She turned to the sliding glass door in the dining room and struggled with the bar lock until she got it open. The smell was stronger. It made her feel really sick. She opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind her in case the man came back.

It had started snowing again, she discovered. Big fat white flakes that made her shiver. She wished she had her coat—and her boots. The snow was deep. She was going to ruin her shoes. Stupid thought. That didn’t matter. She had to hurry. She had to go next door. She started running across the pristine expanse of white.

And the world exploded at her back, destroying her life forever.

Chapter Two

Brushing aside the haunted shadows of her dream, Kendra let the aroma of coffee and bacon draw her downstairs. She had slept longer and deeper than she would have guessed possible. The silence of the house unnerved her. Where was everyone?

“Buenos días, señorita.”

Kendra smiled back at the short, plump woman with the cheerful smile and the graying hair pulled back in a bun. This would be Rosa Chavez, the Smoking Barrel’s cook, she decided.

“Buenos días.”

The following spate of dialogue was more than Kendra’s tiny bit of Spanish could follow.

“I’m sorry I don’t understand. No comprende.”

“She wants to know what you’d like for breakfast.”

Kendra’s stomach gave a lurch. She twisted to find Rafe leaning nonchalantly against the door frame leading to the front room. His worn denims and open-necked shirt invited a woman’s gaze to linger appreciatively. Her impression hadn’t been wrong last night. Rafe was dangerously sexy.

“Thank you.” She offered him a polite smile. “I’m not real big on breakfast. Would you tell her juice and toast will be fine?”

His eyes swept her from head to toe. It was all she could do not to blush under that perusal. She was uncomfortably aware of her thinness beneath her slouchy clothing, and her finger-combed hair. She pushed her glasses tighter against the bridge of her nose and waited for him to make some remark. Instead, his expression remained neutral, neither approving nor condemning. He spoke rapid-fire Spanish to Rosa who frowned and nodded, hurrying back out to the kitchen.

“We don’t stand on ceremony around here. Everyone eats in the kitchen.”

“Fine. I don’t like ceremony either. And I can get my own juice and toast. I don’t need to be waited on.”

Rafe came away from the door frame in a sinuous movement of pure grace. “No choice with Rosa manning the kitchen. Come on. I haven’t eaten yet either. I’ll join you.”

Kendra tried not to let her consternation show. With him sitting beside her, she’d likely spill the juice or choke on the toast. She knew it was ridiculous, but Rafe made her unaccountably nervous.

“What about the others?”

“This is a working ranch. Everyone else ate hours ago. Penny checked on you, but you were sleeping so soundly she didn’t have the heart to wake you. You’ll be happy to know that Cody found Settled Sue last night. He returned her this morning. Chet was relieved. He was a little annoyed that you took her in the middle of the night without permission.”

Kendra didn’t respond. She had no defense for the subtle accusation. Instead, as they stepped into the brightly lit, spacious kitchen, she focused on her reason for being here.

“When can I meet with Mitchell Forbes?”

“One o’clock suit you? He’s tied up until then.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Have a seat.” Rafe seemed to glide forward, holding out a chair and waiting.

Kendra didn’t think she’d ever had a man hold out a chair for her. The action made her feel awkward, and foolishly feminine at the same time. The long table could easily seat fifteen or more. So why did Rafe have to pull out the chair beside hers and sit down? She was already far too aware of him.

“Tell me what you know about Stephen Rialto,” Rafe said.

Kendra wished she could look away from his penetrating eyes, but she couldn’t. “He’s the lowest form of human slime. He uses his legitimate oil company as a cover for all sorts of illegal activities.”

“For instance?”

“Murder, drugs, money laundering, gun running—whatever Tomaso Calderone wants him to do.”

Emotion came and went in Rafe’s expression at the mention of the other man’s name.

“So you also know about Calderone.”

“He’s a high-priced gangster who thinks he’s untouchable.”

Rafe nodded. “Close enough. What’s your stake in going after Rialto?”

“I want to see him pay for his crimes.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters very much.” He lifted her hand from the table, stroking it gently in his much larger, rougher hands. Working man’s hands. She felt the hint of calluses against her skin.

When she tried to pull free, he released her at once. But his suggestive smile caused her stomach to flutter. She had to stop letting him get to her like this. She was here for a purpose. Keeping that firmly in mind was proving difficult.

“Mr. Alvarez—”

“I think we’ve gone past formality, don’t you?”

“Rafe then. I…what’s this?”

Rosa plunked down two platters of bacon, eggs, homefries and toast. Rafe watched, openly amused.

“I told you to tell her toast.”

Rafe shrugged. “You got toast.”

“And an entire meal.”

“Rosa tries to fatten everyone up. We’ve never been able to explain the dangers of cholesterol to her.”

“But I only wanted toast and juice.”

“Juice, sí,” Rosa beamed as she deposited glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice in front of Kendra and Rafe.

“Gracias, Rosa,” Rafe told her with a beaming smile. The woman returned it and bustled away before Kendra could find the wits to thank her as well.

“But—”

“Don’t fight it. You won’t win.” He forked up a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Kendra stared from him to her plate, wondering if he’d deliberately told Rosa to bring her this huge meal. She couldn’t eat it all, but to ignore it seemed churlish. She was an unexpected, unwanted guest here. Kendra picked up her fork.

“Now tell me why you personally hate Rialto,” Rafe said.

Eggs fell from her fork to land back on her plate with a splat. “I never said—”

“Not in words, but your tone says it each time you say his name.”

If Rafe could read her so easily, she was going to have trouble lying to him.

“He killed some people I—cared about.”

“You mean he had them killed.”

“They’re dead and he’s responsible.” She leaned toward him, seizing the chance to push home her point. “I know a great deal about Rialto. I can help you get to him.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need any help.”

“I can make your job easier. Take me along as your personal assistant when you get the security chief’s job.”

Rafe stopped chewing. For a long second he simply stared at her, then he swallowed slowly, took a sip of his dark, strong coffee and shook his head. “No.”

The finality of his tone shocked her. She blinked and set her jaw. “This isn’t negotiable.”

“Nope. It’s not.”

“I am going with you.”

“I told you, the only sort of partners that I have—”

She aimed her fork at him. “If you don’t take me along, I can and will blow your cover completely. You’ll never get near Rialto again, but I’ll find another way inside.”

Anger darkened his eyes, though his expression remained calm. “I’ve never cared for threats.”

“You aren’t leaving me any choice. You’ve written me off without even knowing what I can do.”

He leaned toward her suggestively, but there was only hard appraisal in his expression. “What is it, exactly, that you can do?”

Kendra refused to be intimidated. “I can help you get hired—or I can make it impossible. I know computer systems better than anyone you’re apt to meet. Once we’re inside, I can pull information from his computer files that you’d never get any other way. Information that can help you get not only him, but Calderone as well. I promise you, I know what I’m doing.”

Rafe sat back, picked up a piece of bacon and bit down, chewing and swallowing before he spoke. “And if I don’t take you along, you’ll blow my cover, is that it?”

“Yes.”

“What would you gain from that?”

He was so smug.

“Satisfaction?”

Rafe continued to stare at her. She shifted, uncomfortably under that hard appraisal.

“Your ego could use a pin or two,” she added.

Rafe leaned so close to her that she could see the angry flecks of color in his dark eyes.

“You don’t even know me.”

He was trying to intimidate her. Well it wasn’t going to work.

“That makes us even, so stop trying to write me off before you hear me out. All I want is a chance.”

Without warning, his hands framed her face. Her breath caught somewhere in the back of her throat while her heart began to pound wildly. His eyes went from glittery to dark and smoky. His voice deepened erotically.

“What sort of chance, Kendra? This?”

From somewhere she dredged the will to pull free before those tempting lips could settle over hers. “No!”

The corners of his lips tilted in amusement.

“No?”

She would not let him bait her. She would not!

“I see ‘no’ isn’t a common word in your vocabulary. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to hearing it.”

Was that a flash of respect she’d glimpsed in his eyes? Her glance fell on Rosa who stood across the room, watching them with a troubled frown.

“Blackmail is an ugly business,” Rafe said levelly.

“Yes, isn’t it? But I mean what I say. I want to be there when Rialto is taken down. And I can help.”

Rafe sat back thoughtfully. “You must have cared about this person he killed very much.”

Kendra forced down the nightmare.

Rafe stood abruptly. He gathered his dishes and strode to the sink. In a quiet, kindly tone he spoke to Rosa before lifting the handset on the telephone.

“This isn’t my decision to make, Kendra. Excuse me while I make a phone call.”

Kendra wondered if he was angry or just annoyed. He pushed a series of buttons and stepped into the hall. His voice drifted to where she sat.

“Hey, beautiful, how are you this morning? No, nothing like that, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our date this afternoon.”

The back door swung open with a crash that sent Kendra whirling. A little girl rushed inside, giggling in glee. An older man dressed in dusty work clothes, and a woman with golden brown hair and dark brown eyes followed on her heels.

“Rosa! Rosa!”

The child stopped calling and came to an immediate halt at the sight of Kendra sitting at the table all alone.

Rosa bustled forward saying something in rapid Spanish. The little girl responded, never once taking her pretty brown eyes from Kendra. The gnarled ranch hand and his companion came to a stop as well, but they didn’t seem surprised to see her sitting there.

“Ma’am.”

Kendra offered an uncertain smile.

“Who are you?” the child asked abruptly.

“I’m Kendra. Who are you?”

“I’m Elena. My daddy works here. That’s my mommy.”

Abby and Jake Cantrell’s little girl, Kendra realized.

“I’m Abby Cantrell,” The woman greeted her, while her dark brown eyes assessed Kendra candidly. “This patient man is Slim Dillon.”

“Hi.”

“I’m going riding,” the child announced. “Do you want to come and watch?”

“Uh,” she looked helplessly at the child’s mother, but it was the man called Slim, towering beside her, who answered.

“Can if you want. We got a training ring set up outside. She tends to show off for visitors, but that’s okay.”

“Well—”

Abby smiled. “You’d be welcome to join us. It looks like you’ve been abandoned.”

“Rafe’s on the telephone.”

“Lydia, no doubt,” she said.

The tall man harrumphed and turned to Rosa who got caught patting her hair in a purely feminine action. Kendra wanted to smile when she saw the way Slim’s features and his voice softened as he addressed her.

Abby shared a knowing smile with her and Kendra wondered if Mitchell Forbes knew he had a budding romance going on right here in his kitchen. Obviously Abby knew and approved.

Rosa beamed at the foreman and the two shared a low-voiced spate of dialogue.

“Do join us, Kendra,” Abby urged. “It will give us a chance to become acquainted while you’re waiting to talk with Mitchell.”

“Does everyone know why I’m here?”

“No secrets on the Smokin’ Barrel, girl,” Slim announced turning back to them. “You ready to ride, little one?”

“Yep! Come on, Kendra! Slim says I can take Sugar Cube out for a walk today.”

“Uh, maybe I’d better not leave until I see Ms. Archer.”

“Penny will find you when she’s ready,” Abby assured her.

Casting a look through the empty doorway where Rafe had disappeared, Kendra reluctantly stood. “Well then, thank you for inviting me.” Maybe the grilling could work both ways. She’d like to hear Abby’s opinion of the disturbingly impossible Rafael Alvarez—and the unknown woman he was breaking a date with.

“SO WHAT’S your take on the Kincade woman, Rafe?” Mitchell demanded, looking around the conference table at the assembled members of Texas Confidential.

“She’s got spunk. And I suspect she could give stubborn lessons to a mule. We need some factual information on her.”

“Do you think she’d go through with her threat?” Jake asked skimming a hand over his short, dark hair.

“Maybe. I’m more concerned that she might do something foolish if she’s left on her own. I don’t think she’s faking her hated for Stephen Rialto, though I’d be a lot more comfortable if I knew why.”

“Maybe he had her boyfriend or a lover killed,” Cody suggested.

Mitchell frowned. “She wouldn’t explain?”

“I seem to make her nervous,” Rafe admitted with a shrug.

There was a discreet shuffling of feet and a couple of not-so-hidden smirks.

“Imagine that,” Penny murmured.

“Charm’s starting to fail you in your old age?” Brady asked with a grin.

Rafe faced his fellow agents with a self-deprecating smile. “I prefer to think that my charms simply overwhelm the poor woman.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Oh, brother.”

Mitchell put a stop to the teasing. “We have to decide how to handle her. If she knows as much as she implies about our operation she could be a problem.”

“On the other hand, if she’s as good with a computer as she claims, she could be an asset,” Brady put in.

“Or she could be someone whose job it is to infiltrate us,” Penny pointed out.

Jake frowned. “She’s with my wife and daughter.” And there was still a touch of almost awed pride in those words. “Abby may be able to learn something from her.”

Mitchell turned the silver lighter over and over in his fingers. He turned to Penny. “Find out if we can get any information out of Washington, D.C. yet,” he ordered. “In the meantime, we’ll string her along. We’ll keep her here until we have more information. It’s possible we can use her.”

“There’s a problem with that,” Rafe said. “Even if she’s as good with a computer as she claims, there’s no way I can bring her along as my assistant. You know the sort of people Rialto surrounds himself with. Young, attractive—”

“Oh, listen to that ego,” Cody teased.

“No,” Mitchell said thoughtfully, tapping a thumbnail against the lighter. “In this case, Rafe’s right. In the past five years Rialto has only hired female staff with a certain ‘look.’ Ms. Kincade doesn’t fit.”

“Exactly,” Rafe agreed.

Mitchell set the lighter on the table. “So fix it.”

“What?”

The other agents began to snicker.

“Do what’s necessary to make her fit in. Clothes, hair, whatever.”

“Me? Why me? Penny—”

“Hey, I have enough to do around here. Glamorous women are your department, Rafe,” she said archly.

“You know they are merely substitutes while I wait for you, darlin’.”

“Well while you’re waiting,” Mitchell growled around the end of his unlit cigar, “take care of Kendra Kincade.”

“Now wait a minute, how am I supposed to do that?”

The others began gathering their stuff in preparation for the end of the meeting.

“This isn’t funny, guys.” They ignored him with wide smirks. He rounded on Penny. “I’m at least going to need a feminine point of view here.”

“Not mine,” she said firmly. “Why not ask the widow, Lydia?”

“Yeah,” Cody agreed. “Now there’s a lady who knows how to fill out a dress.”

Penny snorted. “Bear in mind that Lydia’s favorite shade of yellow definitely won’t suit Kendra’s coloring,” she pointed out coolly. “Also, Kendra doesn’t have Lydia’s abundantly obvious charms.”

Jake nudged Brady and muttered, “This could get interesting.”

Mitchell surveyed them in silence. Rafe knew when he was licked. With an exaggerated sigh, he acquiesced. “All right. I’ll see what I can do. When should I start?”

“Right after I meet with Ms. Kincade,” Mitchell said. “Forgo your outside duties so you can stay near the phone lines. Our information says Rialto’s appointment secretary is supposed to call the candidates today or tomorrow to set up interviews. Penny will continue to pose as your assistant, but they might ask to speak to you. I want you around if that happens.”

“Does this mean I get to hang out down here and chase Penny around the conference table?”

Penny fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Be still my foolish heart.”

“What about the roundup?” Cody interrupted.

“Slim’s hired plenty of extra help,” Mitchell promised.

“In that case,” Cody said, “maybe I’ll give you a hand after all, Rafe.”

“You will report to Slim and find out if he needs someone to ride herd on any of the new men,” Mitchell said sternly.

Cody’s lips tightened at the rebuke, but he remained silent as the meeting broke up.

An hour later, Rafe was invited to join Kendra, Mitchell and Penny in the library upstairs.

“Kendra has tentatively convinced me that she may be an asset as your assistant, Rafe.” Mitchell informed him as if it were the first time they’d spoken on this issue. “She has some rather impressive computer knowledge. That being the case, you need to prepare her for the assignment.”

“Prepare me?” Kendra queried.

Rafe noted the way Kendra bit down on her lip. She wasn’t pretty, he told himself, yet there was something naively appealing about her.

“Yes sir.”

“Rafe will drive you over to Chet’s to gather your belongings. I’ll see you at dinner this evening.”

It was clear dismissal. Kendra rose from her seat. “You won’t be sorry.”

Mitchell’s smile didn’t reach his watchful eyes. Rafe was relieved to see the older man had as many reservations as he did about this woman.

There was no chance to ask Mitchell if he’d discovered anything about Kendra during their talk. Rafe led her outside to the ranch’s battered pickup truck. The drive to Chet’s was almost silent. None of Rafe’s conversational topics drew her out. Kendra watched the scenery and answered in monosyllables.

“You know, if you’re having second thoughts, it isn’t too late to change your mind,” he finally told her.

Kendra twisted on the seat to stare at him. “I’m not.”

“You’re awfully quiet for someone who just got what she claims to want.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“For starters, I’d like to know more about these people he had killed that you cared about. Were they friends, lovers, relatives, what?”

“What difference does it make? Rialto is slime and I want him to pay for his crimes.”

Color climbed her neck. She turned mutely back to the window. The sun sent prisms of color bouncing around the cab of his truck from the crystal earrings she wore. What was she hiding? He turned the truck into the drive leading to their neighbor’s dude ranch, determined to learn what was behind her animosity.

Penny had called ahead, so Chet’s staff knew they were coming. Apparently, so did Chet’s sister. Lydia flew out of the house, a welcome smile on her lips.

“Rafe! First you cancel our date and then Chet tells me you’re stealing one of our customers away!” As soon as he stepped from the truck she slid her arm through his, beaming up at him, her generous breasts pushing against his arm.

“Mitchell is a friend of Kendra’s parents. When he ran into her this morning he invited her to spend a few days with us.” The prepared lie rolled off Rafe’s tongue with practiced ease.

“It was really too naughty of you taking Settled Sue like that. Chet was most unhappy.”

“I’ll apologize when I see him,” Kendra said. She held Lydia’s gaze for several seconds before turning and disappearing inside the house.

Rafe had seen disapproval in those expressive eyes of hers, but he wasn’t sure if the look was for what Lydia had said, his lie about her visit with Mitchell, or the way Lydia clung so sweetly to him.

“Are we still on for tomorrow night?” Lydia asked.

“Uh…”

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to cancel tomorrow as well.”

Looking into her anxious eyes, he didn’t have the heart to sever another date. He liked Lydia, and he knew this week was especially hard for her. She was coming up on the anniversary of her husband’s death.

“I plan to pick you up—”

“No, I’ll pick you up. I want you to ride in my new convertible. I take delivery tomorrow afternoon. Is five o’clock too early?”

“That will be fine.” He disengaged himself gently. “But right now I’d better go in and give Kendra a hand with her luggage.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Kendra said, striding onto the front porch, a computer bag over one shoulder, pulling a wheeled a suitcase behind her. “I’m not a heavy packer.”

“And it appears you never got around to unpacking.”

Kendra didn’t respond. She seemed surprised when he took the heavy case from her and lifted it easily into the back of the pickup truck.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Rafe?” Lydia asked anxiously.

Rafe nodded and Lydia visibly relaxed.

“Goodbye, Kendra. I hope you and Mitchell have a nice visit.”

“Thank you. And please thank your brother for me.”

Lydia’s smile widened until her dimples showed. “Oh, I will. Bye, Rafe.”

“I know it’s none of my business,” Kendra said as he turned the truck onto the main road, “but are you and Lydia…”

“Good friends.”

Kendra stared out the window. “Does she know that?”

Rafe relaxed. “Now darlin’, you wouldn’t be jealous, would you?”

Red scorched her cheeks. “Of course not. I was wondering because of the way she hung on you.”

“She normally isn’t like that. Her husband was killed during a holdup near their home a year ago this week.”

“Oh.”

“Lydia moved back here to lend her brother a hand.”

Kendra relaxed. “Chet seems nice.”

“So is Lydia.” Rafe liked the hard-working Chet. Once Lydia made it clear she wasn’t looking for anything permanent, Rafe had allowed himself to be attracted to the tall, curvy, vivacious woman.

“May I ask you a question?”

“Ask away.”

“Is there really a problem with rustlers in this day and age?”

The question surprised him, but he gave her a serious answer. “Yep. We’ve lost several head in the last few months. Why?”

“I was thinking back to last night. When I was out riding, I noticed a closed truck driving along this road.”

Rafe nearly ran off the road, swiveling his head to look at her. “You didn’t mention this before.”

“I wasn’t thinking about it earlier.”

“Did you get a look at the truck? A license plate? See the driver?”

“No, nothing like that. I noticed the truck because it seemed like an odd time to be out and about. I thought maybe it was a vegetable farmer on his way to town with produce or something.”

Rafe shook his head, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. “Not on this road. What color was the truck? And what direction was it traveling”

“White I think. It was going east. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention. You think it belonged to the rustlers?”

“I’d say it’s a pretty good chance.”

“Don’t they use horses?”

“Sure, but they need a truck to carry the animals away once they herd them. If you think of anything about that truck that might help us identify it, let one of us know. We’d really like to catch these guys.”

“I’m sorry. If I’d known it was important I’d have paid more attention.”

They lapsed into silence until they reached the Smoking Barrel.

“Are you up to a challenge?” Rafe asked as he hauled her suitcase from the back of the truck. She clung to the computer case, he noticed.

“What sort of a challenge?”

He set the suitcase in the hall near the stairs. “For starters, I need to see how well you can handle yourself in difficult situations.”

“I thought I was doing that rather well.”

Rafe tipped his head in rueful acknowledgement. “We have about an hour before dinner. Are you game to show me what you can do?”

“That depends on the game.”

“Let me take your cases upstairs and I’ll meet you in the basement.”

“The basement.”

Deliberately, Rafe stepped into her personal space and lowered his voice. “It’s where I take all my women.”

For an instant, her eyes opened wide behind the lenses of her ugly glasses. Then they narrowed while her lips pursed in annoyance. She shoved surprisingly hard at his chest. “Must make it hard to get a second date.”

Rafe stepped back with a bark of laughter. “You might be on to something there. However, in this case, the basement is the only appropriate place for what I have in mind.”

“Sorting laundry?”

“I’ll show you.”

Kendra watched him carry her cases upstairs. He was up to something and she had to go along. Mitchell Forbes had made that entirely clear this morning. Anything—even putting up with Rafe’s teasing—was worth obtaining her goal.

She followed him to the rear of the finished basement, surprised to find a small gym set up.

“You want me to work out?” She demanded, coming to an abrupt halt. “Sorry, I work on computers, I don’t lift them.”

Rafe chuckled again. The sound rippled right down her spine, inviting the listener to share his amusement.

“We’ll get to that part later. Take off your boots and step on the mats.” He was already removing his own boots.

“Planning to get kinky?” Her heart began pumping a little faster.

“Maybe later,” he said suggestively. Then he surged to his feet. He was a large, vital man. The basement abruptly felt isolated, locking the two of them away from the rest of the world. Rosa was just up the steps in the kitchen, but that seemed a long way off all of a sudden.

Kendra tugged off her own boots, wincing at the blister forming on the back of her left heel. She should have worn the boots more often to break them in.

“Still have your knife?”

She nodded tightly.

“I want you to come at me with it.”

“What?”

All traces of the humorous teasing had disappeared. “We’re going into a hostile environment, Kendra. I want to see just how well prepared you are to take care of yourself.”

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Prove it.”

Her heart pounded faster. “I might hurt you.”

“I’ll take that chance.”

It was the dismissive way he said the words. She set her jaw, stepped on the mat and started toward him reaching for her knife. His arm snaked out without warning. It happened so fast, the action was a blur. Rafe held her wrist in his grip, applying just enough pressure to make her fingers go numb.

“Lesson number one,” he said as he took the knife away as easily as if she were a child. “Never get close enough to let your assailant take your weapon away.”

“You weren’t able to take it away from me before.”

“No, I didn’t choose to take it away from you before.”

Angrily, she brought up her knee. Rafe deflected the action before he threw her lightly to the padded mat on the floor. He followed her down, pinning her there.

A wave of sensations swamped her while a spicy light masculine scent filled her head. Accompanying the annoying surge of awareness was humiliation at how easily he had defeated her.

His eyes were darkly kind, but it was his mouth, much too close to hers, that held her complete attention. Every hormone in her body leaped to unexpected life. What would it be like to be kissed by Rafe?

“Never had any judo or martial arts training?”

His breath whispered across her cheek, reminding her of the last time he’d pinned her like this. Then his hand had cupped her breast. Now her nipples rose in memory and she knew that he was as aware of that fact as she was.

“No formal training,” she agreed totally flustered as she tried to shove him off without success.

Rafe smiled, a wickedly slow, superior sort of smile. Instantly, her temper flashed.

“But I’m a real fast learner.”

And she kicked him in the shin right before she socked him in the jaw.

Chapter Three

“Kendra Kincade is exactly who she says she is,” Penny informed the meeting of the Confidentials the next morning. “Twenty-nine years old, originally from El Paso, Texas, parents, Tina and Martin Kincade.”

“El Paso was Rialto’s old haunting grounds,” Rafe muttered.

“Yes. Kendra is a computer programmer who works as an independent contractor for anyone who will pay her pricey fees and let her work from home. She must be good at what she does because she has a huge client list despite being something of a recluse.”

“Like that character in the movie where they erased her life?” Cody asked.

Penny shook her head. “Not quite that bad. Her neighbors do know her. She’s friendly, but she keeps to herself. She’s been known to travel to meetings when absolutely necessary, but most of her business is conducted through e-mail and the telephone. Her parents moved to Arizona after she graduated college, but they gave Kendra the house where she grew up. She seems close to them even though she only visits at Christmas.”

“She seldom leaves her house yet she came here,” Rafe said thoughtfully.

Penny nodded. “This trip is a total departure for her. She turned down three lucrative contracts last week, telling employers that she was going on vacation. The one I spoke with said it had never happened before. According to him, she’s as good as she claims with a computer—fast and thorough.”

“What about her assertion that Rialto had somebody close to her killed?” Rafe asked worrying about the one area that truly concerned him.

“I’m working on that.”

“Any other family?” Jake wanted to know.

“Not that I know of, but I am not a computer whiz. This kind of investigation takes time.”

“Something we have little of,” Mitchell reminded them.

“Well, as far as official records go, she’s never even had a parking ticket.”

“That’s a little too squeaky clean for me,” Brady muttered.

“Not if she seldom leaves the house,” Penny pointed out.

“Keep checking,” Mitchell advised, chomping on his unlit cigar.

“Try going back to her college roommates,” Rafe suggested. “Maybe a roommate or a boyfriend had some connection to Rialto.”

Humor sparked to life in Brady’s gray eyes. “Speaking of which, how’s the makeover coming?”

The others around the table shared grins. Rafe rubbed his sore jaw and shook his head. “She’s a stubborn little thing, but I’ll give her an A for determination.”

“Need a referee?” Cody offered.

“You’re a pal, but there’s only going to be one outcome to this bout.” He felt the weight of her knife in his pocket. “I showed her a few moves yesterday.”

Someone snickered.

“Defensive moves,” he corrected. “I’m going to take her out back today and see how she does on the firing range.”

“Better clear the ranch first,” Brady suggested. “No sense putting innocents in her line of fire.”

“I think the only one in jeopardy here is Rafe,” Cody said with a wicked grin. “And we all know innocent isn’t a word we’d use to define him.”

“Very funny.”

“Putting an ambulance on stand by only seems prudent,” Jake offered. “Rafe here seems to be the one doing the learning—the hard way.”

Rafe grinned good-naturedly. “Cute. I don’t think she’ll shoot me until she gets what she wants.”

“Excuse me, but I thought the makeover was about looks,” Penny said.

“One step at a time,” Rafe protested. “I’m doing the easy stuff first.”

Two of the men chuckled.

“Chicken?” Cody asked.

“Absolutely. You ever tried telling a woman how to dress?”

“I place a much higher value on my life.”

“Exactly.”

“All right folks, we’ve got a lot to do, so let’s get to work,” Mitchell ordered.

“And speaking of work,” Penny added, opening her notebook, “Mrs. Skerritt called here again. Something about two other dates you are supposed to keep in mind?”

Rafe groaned. Lydia could turn into a problem. Neither she nor her brother knew anything about Texas Confidential, and Rafe knew Mitchell wanted to keep it that way.

“I gave her the number for the bunkhouse, so do check your messages, Rafe.”

Jake stretched. “The joys of bachelorhood. Personally, I’m glad all I have to deal with nowadays are ornery cows, bad weather, construction crews, a wife and daughter.”

Brady shared a smile with him. “Their day will come.”

“Not a chance,” Rafe and Cody both vowed.

“NO!” RAFE MOVED alongside Kendra, trying to ignore the tug of awareness he continued to feel every time he touched her. He positioned his hand along her arm to straighten her stance and her wide eyes blinked up at him from behind her big ugly glasses covered by safety goggles.

Rafe shook off the distracting thought that she had very pretty eyes under all that glass. For one beat of his heart, he thought he glimpsed a recognizable spark of feminine interest before Kendra lowered her lashes and he stepped back from her.

“Remember to squeeze the trigger,” he told her. “The object isn’t how fast you can pull it, but how accurately you can put a bullet in someone.”

“I’m not planning to put a bullet in anyone. You want to do this?” Kendra demanded, stepping away from him and tugging off the safety glasses.

“I already know how to do this,” Rafe told her. To prove it, he took the gun from her hand and finished the round, firing carefully into the target. He knew he was showing off a bit, but her disdain bothered him.

Rafe wished he could stand further away from the utterly distracting scent and feel of Kendra Kincade. No matter that he kept his frequent touches impersonal, he continued to find himself aware of her as a woman.

Kendra wasn’t particularly attractive and she definitely wasn’t his type. She had the sassiest mouth he’d ever seen on a woman. Still, there was something appealing about her. Something that got under a man’s skin.

He’d thought the gun range would be less distracting than teaching her basic self-defense tricks that might require a lot of touching, but he’d been wrong. She had an uncanny way of reducing the great outdoors to closer quarters than the basement. If only he could stop noticing how good she smelled. The light, subtle scent wasn’t a perfume, yet it continually snuck up on him, reminding him that she was a woman.

Rafe set the weapon on the shelf.

Kendra raised her eyebrows. “You didn’t hit the head even once,” she pointed out.

Stung, he glanced at the target. “I wasn’t aiming for the head.” Every one of his shots was within inches of where he’d wanted them. “And neither should you. The chest is a bigger target. Remember, if you shoot at someone, you’re trying to stop them from coming at you. You’re not a marks-man aiming for the kill.”

Something flickered in her eyes. She quickly looked away. Before he could wonder about that look, the far-off rumble of thunder sent both their gazes skywards. Despite the sun directly over their heads, the sky was darkening quickly in the distance as rain swept in over the mountains.

“Maybe Abby and Jake should be building an ark instead of adding on to their cabin,” she said.

“Good point. I think I’ll suggest it. Let’s break and clean up for lunch. We can work out inside after we eat.”

Kendra groaned.

“Are you stiff?” She’d landed pretty hard a couple of times yesterday, but she never complained. As promised, she was a quick study. She already had a good grasp on quick releases and easy throws.

“Not at all. I’m sure my bones creaked like this before I got here.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Uh-huh.” She watched him gather up the equipment. “What’s the real reason behind all this training, Rafe? You don’t really expect me to use any of this, do you?”

Before he could respond, his beeper went off. Rafe checked it and thrust the pile of equipment into her startled hands. “I’ve got a phone call. Can you bring this stuff?”

He was gone without waiting for an answer. Kendra watched him sprint for the house and tried to banish the thought that the man really did know how to fill out a pair of jeans. Her hormones had picked a rotten time to remind her that she was a woman and Rafe was an incredibly handsome man. He would never look twice at someone like her. And she didn’t want him to.

Did she?

Penny met her at the back door and took the equipment off her hands. “He’s on the phone with Rialto,” she announced.

Excitement surged through Kendra. Finally, after all this time, her plan was going to happen.

“I have a meeting with Rialto tomorrow morning,” Rafe announced, when he rejoined them in the kitchen. The long table was set with three places and Rosa bustled about the stove, humming to herself.

“I’m surprised he waited so long to do the interviews,” Kendra said nervously.

“He probably needed time to run checks on all the candidates,” Penny said. “Don’t worry, Rafe’s background will hold up.”

“Are the interviews at Rialto’s office?” Kendra asked.

Rafe nodded.

Rosa set plates of food in front of each of them, but Kendra barely glanced down. Rosa would scold her again in broken English, but excitement had stolen any appetite Kendra might have had. Everything was finally coming together after all this time.

“You should know about the painting,” Kendra told Rafe.

He paused in the act of lifting his fork. “What painting?”

“Rialto has a large abstract on the wall behind his desk. It’s supposed to be a Sylvian original.”

His brow pleated as Rafe looked the question at her while he chewed and swallowed.

“Rialto was briefly interested in the art scene a year or so ago. Either he wanted some legal investments or he was looking for a criminal angle,” Kendra explained.

“How come we never heard about this?” Rafe asked Penny.

“Because I’m not a computer guru?” she suggested mock sweetly.

“It wasn’t common knowledge,” Kendra assured them. “Rialto got conned by a dealer who sold him a couple of genuine pieces before this fake Sylvian. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that the dealer vanished after duping Rialto. There was a lot of blood left behind, but no body or a weapon.”

Penny pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Rialto kept the painting?”

“I think it’s to remind him not to get taken again. Plus, I’m pretty sure he installed a miniature camera in the picture or its frame to keep an eye on his desk.”

Rafe stared at her. “How do you know all this?”

“I told you, I’ve made a study of him. The Dallas newspaper recently ran an article on him in the business section. He was pictured at his desk with the painting directly behind him.” She squirmed a little under Rafe’s scrutiny. “He also paid for the painting, and subsequently the camera, through his checking account. I could be wrong about the camera of course, but given what I know about him—”

“How do you know about his checking account?” Penny interrupted.

“I’ve, uh, seen his bank statements.”

Rafe abruptly pushed aside his own plate. “You accessed his personal account at the bank? I thought that was impossible for an outside hacker to do.”

“It is, but I did some consulting work for his bank a few months ago.” She shrugged uncomfortably. “Look, the point is, if you notice the painting and tell him what an excellent reproduction it is, you’re bound to impress him.”

Rafe shook his head. “If I do that, he’ll figure I know something about art, which I don’t.”

“No. You point out that you know someone else who bought a fraud exactly like it from Jasper Coons. He’s the crooked art dealer Rialto used. Rialto is vain. If you say it right, like you know he knows the painting is a forgery, you’ll impress him. He likes people who pay attention to details. Especially the prospective new chief of Rialto Industries.”

“She may have a point,” Penny agreed.

Rafe nodded, eyeing her thoughtfully. “Do you have other tidbits like this for me?”

“Maybe. I’ve told you I made a study of him.”

“So you did. If you’re finished ignoring your food, let’s get back to work.”

“But shouldn’t we be making plans?”

“The plans are already made, Kendra. Now we wait for him to hire me so we can put this operation in motion.”

Penny waved them off. “I’ll distract Rosa while you two make your escape.”

“You are a lifesaver.”

“So true.” She batted her eyes at him. “Let me know when you want mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

“Ah, Penny my love, I’m not sure my old ticker could tolerate that much excitement, but any time you want to practice…”

“Get out of here while Rosa’s back is turned.”

Rafe squeezed Penny’s hand and winked at Kendra. He was teasing, but Kendra wasn’t so sure about Penny. The other woman had a wistful gleam in her eyes. Kendra and Rafe scooted down the basement steps where Rafe proceeded to work her harder than ever while asking questions about Rialto the entire time.

“No! Not like that like—”

“Touch me again and I’m going to have to break that hand,” she warned him as he reached for her once more.

Rafe stood still. They were both sweating and she was pretty sure she was going to have a bruise from that last fall.

“I have had enough,” she announced firmly.

“Is that what you’re going to tell one of Rialto’s goons when they corner you?” He narrowed the distance between them until her chest was practically touching his.

“No,” she answered sweetly, “I’ll shoot him. In the chest,” she added for good measure.

The smile started in his eyes and finally lifted the corners of his lips. Her gaze fastened on those lips, so temptingly near. She tried to tell her hormones they were pinging after the wrong man but her hormones weren’t listening. Neither was her common sense.

“You’ll need a weapon,” he said softly, taking another step closer.

Her heart stepped up the pace as his hands touched her shoulders. Lightly. Almost tenderly.

“Yes.” The word was a faint hiss of sound. In that moment as his head lowered toward hers, she knew he felt the sensual pull between them as well. Her lips parted in silent invitation. He was going to kiss her.

At last!

“Excuse me, am I interrupting?”

Kendra would have pulled away, but Rafe’s fingers tightened on her shoulders, holding her in place. He lifted his head and looked past her at the voice that had come from behind her.

“Actually, yes,” Rafe said calmly. He released his hold slowly to allow her to turn.

Lydia Skerritt stood a few feet away, dressed in heels and a canary yellow dress that would jump-start any man’s libido. Her long blond hair was in casual disarray that had probably taken her an hour to arrange. She looked sexy, sultry, and ironically amused.

“We were working out,” Rafe said.

“So I see. Did you forget our date? Dinner and a movie?”

Rafe ran a hand over his jaw, his expression chagrined.

“You did forget,” she said.

“Guilty. Do I have time to shower and change?”

“You do. I knew this might be a problem so I came a little early.”

“Okay, give me five,” he rubbed his jaw, “make it ten minutes.” He turned to Kendra. “You did very well. I’m sorry to cut this short. Will you excuse me?”

That look had probably melted harder hearts than hers. “No problem. I’m exhausted. One more throw and I would have cried uncle.”

“You did,” he reminded her.

“Ah, but that was just a trick. I was about to send you flying.” She turned to Lydia before he could comment. “Thanks for the rescue. I could use a shower, too.”

Rafe watched her walk away, her head held high, the slight sway of her stride momentarily confusing him. What was going on here? He wasn’t seriously attracted to Kendra. He didn’t even trust her most of the time. Yet he found Lydia watching him watch Kendra with arched eyebrows.

“Working out, huh?” she asked playfully. “Just what were you two working at?”

If there’d been any trace of jealousy in her tone, he would have taken offense, but Lydia simply sounded amused.

“Mitchell asked me to show her some self-defense moves. She lives alone. I’m sorry, Lydia, I really did forget our plans. Ten minutes, promise.”

“Uh-huh.”

But she was still smiling as she linked her arm with his and started for the steps. Her perfume permeated the room. He’d always liked the scent of jasmine, but tonight it smelled cloying to his senses.

He left Lydia in the kitchen talking with Rosa while he walked over to the bunkhouse, stripped and showered in record time. A night with Lydia was exactly what he needed to unwind. She was witty, charming, beautiful and willing—and like him, she wanted no permanent ties. Who could ask for anything more?

So why did he keep picturing wide hazel-brown eyes and softly parted lips, waiting to be tasted?

The date wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t the escape he’d hoped for. Rafe found it hard to concentrate and more than once had to apologize for not hearing something Lydia said. He was grateful for the darkened movie theater where nothing more was expected from him than sitting there with his arm around her. He was heartily sick of the scent of jasmine by the time the evening was over.

He knew when Lydia invited him back to Chet’s for the night he was going to say no. Her talented mouth wasn’t stirring him tonight. He had too many other things on his mind. The ringing of her car phone changed everything.

“There’s been an accident. A couple of the guests are hurt,” she told him, hanging up. “I have to get back to the ranch.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“If you don’t mind. Chet thinks he might have to take one of them to the doctor’s and the helicopter is temporarily grounded.”

Rafe offered to go to the doctor’s office with Chet so it was the wee hours of the morning before Lydia finally drove him back to the Smoking Barrel.

“I’m sorry about the way the evening turned out,” Lydia apologized.

“Hey, you have nothing to apologize for. I should apologize for being so distracted.”

“You can make it up to me another time.”

“Deal.”

Her lips clung to his, inviting him to passion. Rafe was unmoved. They broke apart and he watched her drive out of sight before turning toward the bunkhouse. The door to the main house suddenly shut firmly as someone left the darkness of the porch.

Rafe spun around. It could have been Penny, or Mitchell or even Maddie Wells, their other close neighbor and the only woman in Mitchell’s life. She often stayed over, but Rafe didn’t think it had been any of them. One of them would have called out a greeting to him. Rafe headed across the compound to the front door. Locked.

He hesitated only a moment before pulling out the cell phone. Mitchell answered on the second ring. Someone else picked up as well.

“Someone just entered the front door,” Rafe began without preamble. “Door’s locked, but you might want to check the alarms and Kendra.”

Mitchell grunted. Penny’s voice took over. “Her bedroom door just closed.”

Rafe relaxed.

“I’ll go and see if she needs something.”

“I’ll have a look around and reset the alarms,” Mitchell grumbled.

Penny came back on the phone. “Kendra apologizes. She says she went out for a breath of air.”

“At three in the morning?” Mitchell demanded.

“That’s what she says. She didn’t realize her actions would alarm everyone.”

Mitchell muttered something and clicked off.

“Sorry for the alarm,” Rafe apologized.

“No problem. I wouldn’t know what to do with a full night’s sleep anyhow,” Penny said with a yawn. “Good night, Rafe.”

Rafe frowned. Before he headed across the way to the bunkhouse, he made an entire circuit of the house. Everything was calm and quiet. Had Kendra really only come outside for a breath of air at this hour? Or had she met someone?

He resisted the urge to demand answers right now. Morning would do. But her wide hazel eyes followed him down into sleep that night, innocently mocking.

THE SECRETARY with the pouty lips and a body designed for a man’s distraction ushered Rafe into the spacious office belonging to Stephen Rialto. With a throaty invitation to make himself comfortable, she left him there promising Rialto would join him shortly.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.