Praise for Kate Hoffmann from RT Book Reviews …

“Hoffmann’s deeply felt, emotional story is riveting. It’s impossible to put down.”

— on The Charmer

“Fully developed characters and perfect pacing make this story feel completely right.”

— on Your Bed or Mine?

“Sexy and wildly romantic.”

— on Doing Ireland!

“A very hot story mixes with great characters to make every page a delight.”

— on The Mighty Quinns: Ian

“Romantic, sexy and heartwarming.”

— on Who Needs Mistletoe?

“Sexy, heartwarming and romantic … a story to settle down with and enjoy—and then re-read.”

— on The Mighty Quinns: Teague

Dear Reader,

The Traveling Quinn Saga continues this month, with Cameron Quinn hopping on a bus that will take him to Vulture Creek, New Mexico. What kind of new life will he find there, do you suppose? His two brothers, Dermot and Kieran, have already found love in Wisconsin and Kentucky. And next, Ronan, the youngest Quinn, will end up in over his head in Maine.

This series has been a lot of fun to write, especially since I’ve been able to explore four different settings. Choosing the place my characters come to life is one of my favorite parts of writing. Researching a new location and then weaving the details into my hero and heroine’s journey is always a challenge, but it’s one I love to take on.

After writing almost seventy books, I really should go back and see how many states I’ve visited in my stories. Too bad I can’t deduct literary mileage on my tax returns!

All the best,

Kate Hoffmann

About the Author

KATE HOFFMANN has written more than seventy books for Mills & Boon. She spent time as a music teacher, a retail assistant buyer and an advertising exec before she settled into a career as a full-time writer. She continues to pursue her interests in music, theatre and musical theatre, working with local schools in various productions. She lives in south-eastern Wisconsin with her cat, Chloe.

The
Mighty Quinns:
Cameron
Kate Hoffmann

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Prologue

A DAMP WIND BUFFETED the mourners standing around the grave site. Cameron Quinn stared up into the slate-gray sky, then closed his eyes against the tears that threatened. He couldn’t remember the last time the sun had shone. It had been a year of dark, gloomy days strung together with nights of strange and disturbing dreams.

Cameron held tight to the umbrella as it was buffeted by the wind. His younger twin brothers, Dermot and Kieran, stood on one side of him, huddling close more for comfort than for protection from the coming rain. Ronan, his youngest brother, stood in front of him, his posture stiff, his hands shoved in his coat pockets.

After a year of searching and waiting and wondering, it was finally over. Jamie and Suzanne Quinn had been declared dead. Cameron’s parents had been due to arrive in Vanuatu in the South Pacific a little more than a year ago, ferrying a sailing yacht across the Pacific for a wealthy buyer.

The trip was originally meant to be a summer vacation for the whole family, but when the owner pushed up the delivery date, Cameron and his three brothers had been forced to stay behind for school. The trip was to take just over a month.

Cameron and the younger Quinns had marked off the calendar on their grandfather’s kitchen wall as each day passed. Every few days, they’d heard from their parents via satellite phone, but then their parents missed a night and then another. A week passed and the boys could sense the worry in their grand father’s demeanor. And yet Suzanne and Jamie weren’t officially missing. And then they were.

“Why are we burying a—a box?” Kieran asked.

“Coffin,” Cameron murmured. “It’s called a coffin.”

Dermot drew a ragged breath. “What if they come home? Will we dig it up again and get our stuff back?”

Cameron glanced down at his brother and shook his head. “They’re not going to come home.” Though he wanted to believe differently, Cameron knew the reality of their situation.

A week after the planned arrival date, the search for his parents had begun. Two weeks later, there was still no word, no sign, no explanation. And after his parents were a month overdue, a harsh truth began to creep into the boys’ lives. Their parents might be lost. Perhaps they were adrift in a life raft, or captured by pirates, or marooned on some tropical island. No one could say for sure, not even Cameron’s grandfather. And he always had answers for the questions his four grandsons asked.

It was not knowing the truth that bothered Cameron the most. That tiny flicker of hope that refused to fade. For a year, he’d believed, along with his brothers, that this would all turn out to be a very bad dream. But as he watched the empty casket being lowered into the dark hole in the earth, that flicker of hope faded, then extinguished.

“I’m scared,” Ronan said, turning to face Cameron, his eyes swimming with tears.

Cameron wrapped his free arm around Ronan’s shoulders. “Don’t be scared. We’re going to be all right. I promise.”

Dermot brushed a tear from his cheek. “I want Ma and Da back. I know they’re coming back. I know it.”

“Me, too,” Kieran said. “They’re coming back.”

“Maybe,” Cameron said. He wanted more than anything to believe. Maybe he shouldn’t give up quite yet. There was always a chance, wasn’t there? For now, he’d let his little brothers believe. They’d come to their own realizations in time.

The memories of their parents would fade, life would go on, and they’d accept the truth. Nothing would ever be easy or simple or silly again. It was Cameron’s job to hold the family together, to be mother and father to his younger brothers. He wasn’t sure he was up to the job, but he’d do his best. He owed his parents that much.

1

THE BUS STOPPED in front of a worn-down café, a neon beer sign in the window flickering with the only color Cameron Quinn had seen in the past two hundred miles. “Home-cooked meals,” he murmured as he stared at the sign. At least Vulture Creek, New Mexico, had one thing going for it. From what he’d seen so far, the place was a dusty crossroad, somewhere on the way to Albuquerque.

He grabbed his leather duffel from the rack above his head and walked to the front of the bus, the aisle clear. None of the other passengers had chosen this destination, and after seeing the town out the window, he figured they could count themselves lucky. They were obviously on their way to more glamorous locations, like Santa Fe and Amarillo and Tulsa. A few passengers were even headed to Roswell to take in the “alien” experience.

Cameron knew exactly how those aliens felt, dropping down into a barren, almost lifeless world. He’d come from Seattle, where it rained almost every day of the year and where green, not brown, was the predominant color. He stepped off the bus and squinted up at the turquoise sky, shading his eyes with his hand. It was the only sight that assured him he was still on planet Earth.

Moments later, the bus pulled away in a cloud of dust and diesel fumes. This would be home for the next six weeks, this desolate spot that looked more like the surface of the moon than a habitable location.

Why had his grandfather picked Vulture Creek? The name alone was enough to scare away most people. The challenge had been simple—in theory. His grandfather had sent his four grandsons to strange corners of the country on a quest of sorts—a quest to find out who they really were and where they belonged. Dermot was somewhere in Wisconsin, Kieran in Tennessee, Ronan in Maine, and Cameron, the eldest of the four, was banished to the middle of nowhere.

For six weeks, they were supposed carve out an existence for themselves, away from the family business and familiar surroundings. In theory, he understood his grandfather’s motives. He and his brothers had worked for the family business, Quinn Yachtworks, since shortly after their parents went missing, pitching in to do anything to make the business succeed. There hadn’t really been a choice in the matter; they’d just done it to repay their grandfather for taking them in and to stave off the grief that hung over the family like a dark cloud.

But now it was time to decide the fate of the successful company they’d helped build. An attractive offer to buy the business had come along from an interested party, and Martin Quinn had a decision to make—leave the business to his grandsons or sell and retire in luxury.

Cameron had never really thought twice about what he did for a living. He’d felt obligated to work at the family business, and he enjoyed his position as head of the design team. It suited his artistic inclinations and paid well—and it was interesting work.

It also suited his personality. He liked the solitary pursuit of the perfect design. He was in control; he made the decisions. It was a quiet life, a controlled life and one that he’d grown quite accustomed to. There were never any surprises.

So it wasn’t any wonder he thought this “vacation” was an exercise in futility. Cameron knew exactly where he belonged and what he was meant to do. He knew it from the moment he became head of his family, from the day his parents had officially been proclaimed dead. It had been his responsibility to watch over his younger brothers, to make their life with their grandfather work.

Sure, he’d had other dreams. When he was a kid, he’d wanted to become a paleontologist, like the hero in Jurassic Park. He’d fantasized about exotic locations and complicated digs, of discoveries that would turn history upside down. But he put those dreams aside for the greater good of his family.

According to their grandfather’s plan, after six weeks, he and his brothers were to return home. If they wanted to make a commitment to the company, they could. If they wanted to carve out a new life somewhere else, then all would be well. If they all chose a different life, then they’d share in the profits from the sale and build something new for themselves.

He crossed the street to the diner. He’d have a decent meal, check out the town and then buy a bus ticket for the nearest civilized city. After all, Vulture Creek was neither a hotbed of employment opportunities nor a glamorous vacation destination. Surely his grandfather didn’t expect him to live here for six weeks. He’d bide his time someplace more comfortable.

As he opened the door of the diner, a pickup truck slowly passed by. From beneath the brim of a battered cowboy hat, the driver watched Cameron with a suspicious glare. Cameron gave him a nod, but the man didn’t acknowledge the greeting. “Hospitable place,” he muttered to himself.

A bell above the door rang as Cameron entered the café. Fans hung from the high ceilings, turning slowly yet doing nothing to freshen the air. A small crowd of people was gathered around tables near the window, the remains of their breakfast still scattered in front of them. They were laughing and arguing, but Cameron ignored them and sat down at the empty counter. He glanced to the back of the diner and saw a woman sitting in a booth near the door to the kitchen, talking on her cell phone.

He relaxed on the stool and grabbed a menu, studying the prices. He had about six dollars left in cash and a pocketful of change. But his grandfather had given them all a company credit card to use, as well. He’d pull that out for lunch and then find a cheap motel room with a hot shower and a soft bed.

A middle-aged woman stepped through the swinging door, a coffeepot in her hand. She strolled up to him and set a cup in front of him. Her blue blouse was embroidered with her name—Millie. “Coffee?”

Cameron shook his head. It was too hot to drink coffee. “Ice water,” he said. “The biggest glass you have.”

“Breakfast specials are Denver omelet, blueberry waffles, and steak and eggs,” she said, observing him with a keen eye. “Lunch specials are pork enchiladas and a meat-loaf plate. We also have chicken-dumpling soup and grasshopper pie made fresh this morning. What can I get you?”

Cameron glanced at the clock above the counter. Though it was only eleven, he really didn’t feel much like breakfast. “I’ll have the meat loaf,” Cameron said. “With fries. And the soup. Do you have beer on tap?”

“Just bottles.”

“Give me a bottle of your best. And you take credit cards?”

“MasterCard and Visa,” she said.

She returned with his beer and poured it into a glass mug that looked like a cowboy boot. Cameron took a long, slow sip of it. He glanced over at the booth and silently observed the woman he’d noticed earlier. His breath caught in his throat as she turned slightly, and he coughed, the beer going down his windpipe.

Her battered straw cowboy hat had hidden her features, but she’d tipped her chin up to reveal a stunning profile. He found himself staring at her mouth as she spoke. She was younger than he’d originally thought, in her mid-twenties. And there was something different about her, something slightly exotic. His mind drifted as he thought about that mouth, the lush lips, wondering if the rest of her body was as tantalizingly sexy.

When she hung up the phone, he turned his attention back to his beer, watching her in the reflection of the mirror behind the counter. He held his breath, waiting for her to move. But when he noticed a distinct limp in her gait, he glanced back down at his beer, uneasy with his reaction to her handicap.

Though he felt sorry for her, nothing as insignificant as a limp could erase the image of perfection he found when he considered her beautiful features and her slender body. To his surprise, she sat down a few seats away and dropped her cowboy hat on the counter.

“Millie, I’m gonna grab myself a coffee,” she called toward the kitchen door, tucking a strand of raven hair behind her ear. She circled around the end of the counter and picked up a cup, then filled it from the pot.

God, she was beautiful, Cameron mused. This was the last place on earth he expected to find an interesting woman, and this one elicited more curiosity in him than any woman he’d seen in the past five years. She was clad in faded jeans and a baggy chambray shirt, not the typical fashions for the women he usually lusted after. Dusty cowboy boots completed the look.

She took a sip of her coffee, staring straight ahead. Cameron grabbed the opportunity to take in the details of her face. High cheekbones and dark eyes betrayed a Native American heritage, but there was something else there, something that softened her stunning features just a bit.

“Is it considered polite to stare at people where you come from?” she asked, her gaze still fixed on the coffeepot. She slowly turned and gave him a cool look, her raven eyebrow raised quizzically.

“Sorry,” Cameron murmured. “I’ve just been stuck on a bus for the past few days with nothing interesting to look at.” He chuckled softly. “And you’re the absolute last thing I thought I’d see in this place.”

“And what exactly am I?”

“Interesting,” he murmured. Cameron took another sip of his beer. “Sorry. I’ll keep my eyes to myself.”

She turned away, as if embarrassed by the compliment. “You have been on a bus too long,” she said.

“I have.”

A long silence grew between them as they both stared straight ahead, enjoying their drinks.

“What are you doing in Vulture Creek?” she asked.

“It’s a long story.”

“Where are you from?”

“Seattle,” he said. “Washington.”

“I know where Seattle is,” she said with a smile.

“Of course you do,” he said. For someone who didn’t want to be noticed, she sure was trying awfully hard to strike up a conversation. Cameron had never been an expert at small talk, but just this once, it might be nice to make an effort. “Do you live around here?”

She seemed to be understandably suspicious of him. “Around,” she replied.

“That’s a little vague,” he said. “Around here? Around New Mexico? Around the Southwest?”

“Albuquerque,” she said.

“And what are you doing in Vulture Creek?” he asked.

She smiled. “It’s a long story.”

Cameron chuckled softly. “Well, that does it, then. I’ve found someone who is worse at small talk than I am. Maybe we should just stop talking altogether before we bore each other to death.”

She shrugged. “Fine by me. You’re the one who started the conversation.”

“Actually, you were the first one to speak, as I recall. I was just staring.”

“Well, I’m done speaking. Starting now.”

Millie appeared a few minutes later with Cameron’s lunch. She set the plate in front of him, then nodded toward his empty mug. “Another beer?”

“Sure,” Cameron said as he dug into his meal.

Millie turned to the woman sitting next to him. “What can I get for you, Sofie? Breakfast or lunch?”

“The meat loaf is good,” Cameron said between bites. Sofie. Was that short for Sofia? The name suited her, he thought to himself. Sofia, the dark, exotic beauty with the lush mouth and the sparkling eyes.

“I’ll have a grilled-cheese and a cup of soup,” Sofie said.

“Can I get you anything else?” Millie asked Cameron.

“A job. Do you know of anyone who’s looking to hire? I need work. And a place to stay.”

She nodded toward the group sitting at the tables near the front of the diner. “You could talk to the professor over there,” she said. “He has a dinosaur dig out in the desert. They’re always looking for help.”

Cameron gasped. “Really. A dig?” He shook his head in disbelief. Was this why his grand father had sent him to Vulture Creek? Did he know about the dig?

“They don’t pay,” Sofie said. “Other than meals. They’re looking for volunteers.”

“Aren’t you looking for someone, Sofie?” Millie asked.

“No,” Sofie said.

“Sure you are. You mentioned it yesterday. I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t have enough eyes or ears to cover all the ground you needed to. I do believe those were your words.”

“What kind of work do you do?” Cameron asked.

“She’s a private investigator,” Millie said. “Working on a big case.” The waitress wandered back to the kitchen, leaving Sofie and Cameron with another uncomfortable silence.

Cameron sighed softly. Though the dinosaur dig was intriguing, he’d have to find a way to make some real money. And if Sofie, the private investigator, had a job, then he ought to explore that option. Who knew if there would even be other opportunities in Vulture Creek?

“So do you or don’t you have a job you’re looking to fill?”

Millie set a cup of soup in front of Sofie. “Maybe you ought to interview him. He looks like a clever young man.” She winked at Cameron. “Careful, now. If you have any secrets, she’ll find a way to get them out of you.”

Cameron stifled a smile. Actually, that sounded like a lot of fun. Though he wasn’t much of a conversationalist, he was enjoying the back-and-forth with Sofie. Beneath that cool, composed exterior, Cameron suspected there was a fiery, passionate woman. He was curious to catch a glimpse of that side of her.

“Why are you here?” Sofie asked.

Cameron wiped his hands with his napkin and swallowed the mouthful of meat loaf. “I’m here because my grandfather sent me here. I’m supposed to take the next six weeks to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

“Why would you need to do that?”

“My grandfather owns the family business. I work there. He needs to make some decisions about the future of that business. He wants us all to be sure of where we want to be.”

“All?”

“Me and my three brothers. We all work for the company.”

“What do you do? I mean, for a job?” she replied.

“I design sailing yachts,” he said.

Sofie laughed and nodded to Millie. “Well, we have a lot of sailing yachts here in the desert,” she said. “I really don’t think I have—”

“Sofie,” Cameron said.

She stopped talking and watched him warily. “Yes?”

“I’m a smart guy. I’m pretty sure I can handle whatever you send my way. Why don’t you give me a chance? If it doesn’t work out, you can fire me.”

“What’s your name?” she finally asked.

He held out his hand. “Cameron Quinn. Most people call me Cam.”

Reluctantly, she shook his hand. “Sofia Reyes,” she said softly. “Most people call me Sofie.”

The moment he touched her, the sensation of her skin against his sent a flood of warmth racing through his veins. He didn’t want to let her hand go, but forced himself. “Now that we’ve met, you have to let me buy you lunch,” Cameron said. “You can tell me all about the virtues of Vulture Creek.”

“That would be a very short lunch. More like a snack.”

“Go ahead,” Millie urged. “Let the man buy you lunch.”

He felt a small measure of satisfaction when she nodded in agreement. Though he hadn’t held out much hope of finding anything of interest in Vulture Creek when he stepped off the bus, his prospects were getting better with every minute that passed. Sofie Reyes. Even her name was sexy.

SOFIE SIGHED SOFTLY as she took her first bite of Millie’s banana-cream pie. She’d been hanging around Vulture Creek for the past few weeks, and a slice of Millie’s homemade pie had become a daily ritual for her.

“I think pie is just about the perfect food,” Sofie said, emphasizing her statement with her fork. “You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And it’s good for a snack, too.”

“I think you might be right,” Cameron replied, digging into the apple pie he’d ordered after his own meal.

The conversation was easy between them, which Sofie found odd. She usually wasn’t very comfortable around charming men, especially men she didn’t know. Her instincts usually tended to have her second-guessing everything that was said, looking for ulterior motives and hidden meanings. It was the side effects of working as a private investigator, she knew. Everyone she met was guilty of something.

But this man, this Cameron Quinn, should have set off all her alarms. His reasons for being in Vulture Creek were cloudy at best. His wardrobe was more suited to a man who drove an expensive European sports car than a guy who took the Greyhound. And yet she couldn’t help but be attracted.

In truth, she did need help. It had become almost impossible to cover all her bases with the case she was working, especially when she had to provide round-the-clock surveillance. And as a woman, she was more conspicuous in a small town like Vulture Creek. For whatever reason, people noticed her and they remembered her.

The sooner she wrapped up this case, the better, and if Cameron Quinn could help, who was she to refuse? She’d been chasing cheating husbands and deadbeat dads for almost six months, and it was wearing on her nerves. As soon as she was physically able, she’d be back on the job with the Albuquerque Police Department, back doing the job she was meant to do.

Sofie drew a deep breath. It had been two years since the accident, two years of recovery that seemed to progress an inch at a time. As much as she didn’t want to face it, she knew the reality of her situation.

She might not make it back. She might never be able to pass the physical again. All she’d be left with was a hip that ached in the cold and a limp that made her the object of either pity or curiosity. Though she might be considered attractive, she was still damaged.

Most men never saw beyond the imperfection. Hell, she couldn’t get beyond it herself most days. But sitting here, talking to Cameron, she could almost forget the flaw. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel as if she was the most fascinating woman he’d ever set eyes upon. And Sofie hadn’t felt that way in a very long time. Not since the “incident.”

Sofie came from a family of law-enforcement officers. Her father was a cop in Albuquerque, and each of her five brothers worked in criminal justice. So it was only natural that Sofie, the youngest in the family, had set her sights on the same career.

She’d begun work with the Albuquerque P.D. the year she graduated from college, and it had been a dream job. She’d worked her way up through the ranks and was undercover in Narcotics by the time she was twenty-six. Her team was in the midst of a major trafficking case when she got caught in a turf war between two rival drug gangs.

Sofie had known the dangers, but they’d been so close to making their case. She hadn’t listened to her instincts or her superiors, believing that she could handle whatever came her way. But a speeding car and a half-crazed driver put her safety in someone else’s hands. And the resulting crash had put her in intensive care for three months.

“You want another piece of pie?”

Sofie blinked, then glanced up from her empty plate. “What?”

“Pie,” Cam said. “The way you were looking, I was thinking you might just eat the plate.” He turned and searched for Millie. “Can we get another slice of the banana-cream pie?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”

“I’m not,” he said. “I’ll have a piece of that banana-cream pie, please.”

He sent her a smile, and Sofie felt a shiver skitter through her. Was she just imagining it, or was there an attraction between them? Sofie felt it, but was it mutual, or was it merely wishful thinking on her part?

Just because they’d indulged in a little casual flirting over lunch didn’t mean that he was ready to pull her into his arms and ravish her. Cameron seemed like the kind of guy who kept a pretty tight leash on his desires.

Besides, if she decided against hiring him, he’d probably be on a bus out of Vulture Creek before she could find something else to like about him, rolling down the road like a tumbleweed in a dust storm.

Millie wandered over with the coffeepot and another slice of pie. She filled their cups, then slipped the check onto the counter beside Cameron. He pulled out his wallet and handed her a credit card, then turned back to Sofie. She reached into her back pocket for money, but Cameron brushed her hand aside. “It’s on me,” he said.

“That’s not necessary. I can—”

“No, I want to.” He paused. “I was thinking maybe you might be able to help me find a place to stay here in town. Maybe show me around?”

She wanted to say yes, to imagine that this day might go on a little longer. But she did have work to do. “Sure,” she said. “I have some time.” Work could wait a few hours.

As he finished up his dessert, Millie returned, a scowl on her face. She handed Cameron his credit card. “It wouldn’t go through,” she said. “There was a flag on the account for me to call, and they said to take away the card.”

“What?” Cameron grabbed the card and stared at it. “But it’s my—” He cursed softly, then chuckled. “Oh. Okay, I get it.”

Sofie quickly stood. “What’s going on?”

“My grandfather is making sure that I stay in Vulture Creek,” he said, waving the card. He pulled out his wallet and riffled through the bills. “I have six dollars left. How the hell can I—”

“You need a job, son,” Millie said.

“Yeah. And the sooner the better. All right, first things first. I need to pay for lunch.”

“I’ve got some dishes piled up,” Millie said. “And those windows out front need washing. That should about cover it.”

“I can do that,” Cameron agreed. “I’ll start with the dishes. And maybe, if you’ve got something else I can do, I can build up a credit.”

Sofie stood, then reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out the wad of cash. A guy willing to wash dishes in a diner to pay his bill couldn’t be all bad, could he? She peeled off enough to cover the lunch and a tip for Millie. “That should take care of it,” she said. “You can pay me back later,” she said to Cameron. “Come on.”

Turning on her heel, she headed to the door. Everything inside her told her that this guy wasn’t what he said he was. But at the same time, he seemed nice enough. She’d just maintain her distance until she was sure. She glanced over her shoulder to find him standing there. “You’re hired.”

He picked up his bag and ran after her, pushing the door open for her. “Thanks,” he said. “Hey, you can take the lunch out of my first day’s pay.” He paused. “You are going to pay me, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And I’m going to need a place to stay.”

“We’ll figure that out later,” she said.

“I’d kind of like to get it figured out now,” he said. “I’ve only got six dollars to my name.”

“Sheriff Wendall lets people sleep in the jail when it’s not occupied. But I think I can find you a place to bed down.”

“Great,” he said. He held out the six dollars and she waved him off.

“But before you start work for me, I have to do a background check,” she said, putting her straw hat back on her head. She stood in front of him, her hands hitched on her waist, observing him shrewdly. “Is there anything in your past that you’d like to confess to right now? Because, I guarantee, by the end of the day, I’ll know everything about you.”

“A background check? What do you want to know?”

Sofie stared at him for a long moment. In truth, she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him. She wanted to know whether he tasted half as good as he looked. She wanted to know what his naked body looked like beneath those fancy clothes and what it would take for her to get him out of his clothes and into her bed. And she—

“I don’t have any secrets,” he said.

She blinked, startled out of her daydream. Sofie cleared her throat. “How old are you? Where were you born? What do your parents do?”

“I’ll be thirty in two months, I was born in Seattle, and my parents died when I was a kid. At least I think they’re dead.”

Sofie saw the look that crossed his face, a mix of resignation and pain. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up—”

“That’s all right,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t mind talking about it.”

“You said you thought they were dead. Don’t you know for sure?” She sucked in a sharp breath. Though her first instinct was to interrogate, she realized that there was a polite limit to her questions. “Sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

“They disappeared while ferrying a yacht across the Pacific. We don’t know if they were lost in a storm and sank or drowned or what happened. One day they were there, and the next day, they’d disappeared. What about your folks? Are they alive?”

Sofie regretted questioning him in such a businesslike manner, but she wasn’t about to drive out into the desert with a guy she couldn’t trust. “My father is a cop. And my mother is an artist. They live in Albuquerque, where my mother has a gallery.”

“And how old are you?”

“I’m asking the questions,” she said.

“You’re quite good at this,” he said. “You’re making me kind of nervous.”

“I’ve had training. Do you have a photo ID with you?”

Cameron pulled out his wallet and handed her his Washington state driver’s license. Sofie groaned inwardly. He even managed to look gorgeous on his license photo. This man was just too good to be true.

“Anything else you’d like to know?”

She shook her head. “I guess that will do for now.” She gave him back his license.

“Good.”

Sofie pointed to a battered Jeep sitting a short walk down the main street. When they reached it, Cameron tossed his bag in the backseat and hopped it. The Jeep had no doors, so he fastened his seat belt and braced his feet against the floor.

Sofie slid into the driver’s side and grabbed a pair of sunglasses off the dash. “We’re going to need to get you a proper hat,” she said.

“Like yours?”

She grinned, then took her hat off and placed it on his head. “Yeah, just like mine,” she said, turning the key in the ignition. “It’s a good look on you.”

Sofie made a wide U-turn and headed east out of town. Though her thoughts still strayed into fantasy-land when she looked at the handsome stranger sitting beside her, at least she had a reason to keep him close by. She needed an extra set of eyes and ears to investigate the case she was working on. And with his looks and charm, he’d be the perfect undercover investigator.

2

“WHERE ARE WE GOING?” Cameron shouted.

“Into town,” Sofie said over the sound of the wind and the Jeep.

“Weren’t we just in town?”

She shook her head. “We’re going to Holman. It’s a bigger town. I’m going to check you out, and then, if you’re cool, we’re going to get you some work clothes and get started.”

“So tell me about the case,” he said.

“I’m working for a woman whose husband may or may not be cheating on her. There’s a prenup, but she needs proof before she can file for divorce. Her family has a lot of money and he’s a pretty powerful guy in Albuquerque politics. It’s going to be a messy divorce.”

“What do I do?”

“Mostly anything I can’t,” she said. “No one knows you, and as a guy, you can go places that I can’t without being noticed.”

“Like where?”

“Strip clubs,” she said. “Roadhouses.”

“You’re going to make me go to a strip club?” Cameron asked. He chuckled to himself. Now, this was a job he could get behind.

Maybe his grandfather had the right idea. When would he ever have had the chance to be a private investigator? It was the last thing in the world he could imagine doing for a living. He sat back and turned his face up into the sun.

Though Seattle was home, he couldn’t help but like the midday heat of the desert. And though he first thought the landscape was bare and lifeless, he was quickly learning to appreciate the stark beauty of it.

He had so many questions to ask, but it was impossible to talk with the noise of the wind and the Jeep’s engine. Instead, he made a careful study of the woman he’d now call “boss.”

He was usually more attracted to blondes and had dated the occasional redhead. But Sofie was something different. She was beautiful, but she was also tough and determined, resilient and focused. This was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted in life.

By the time Sofie pulled the Jeep into a parking spot in front of the Holman Public Library, he’d jumped out and circled around to help her out.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said.

“I’m hoping to be your right-hand man,” he said. “So I need to make myself indispensable.”

She reached behind his seat and pulled out a backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. Then he took her hand and steadied her as she hopped out of the Jeep. As they strolled up to the front doors, he realized that her limp was more pronounced. He took the backpack from her and placed his hand on the small of her back. At this point, he was willing to use any excuse to touch her again.

“My hip gets stiff if I stay in one position too long,” she explained. “Like when I’m driving.”

Cameron wanted to ask her about the injury. But he knew she’d tell him when she was ready. “Maybe I should do the driving from now on,” he offered. “Then you can move around a little more.”

She smiled at him and he felt the warmth right down to his bones. “That would be nice,” she said.

When they got inside the library, Sofie headed directly for the reading tables. She opened the backpack and pulled out a small laptop, then signed on to the internet. “Cameron Quinn,” she said, typing his name into a Google search. “Seattle, Washington.”

He grinned as a list of hits came up on her screen. “Try this one,” he said, pointing to the website for Quinn Yachtworks. “I designed this then hired someone to code it all.” He pointed to a picture. “See, that’s me and my three brothers and my grandfather.”

“So you are who you say you are,” she said, glancing over at him. He couldn’t help but notice the reluctant smile that teased at the corners of her mouth.

He reached over and clicked on his bio, and another screen popped up, this with more pictures. She looked at them carefully. “You’re very …”

“Handsome?” he teased.

“Accomplished,” she said. “So explain to me again why you’re looking for a low-paying job in Vulture Creek, New Mexico?”

“My grandfather owns the Yachtworks. He has to decide who to put in charge when he retires. He wants us all to explore our options before we commit to the company for good.”

“Couldn’t you figure that out in Seattle?”

“Yeah. But you don’t know my grandfather. I think he wanted us to see a totally different lifestyle. He sent me to Vulture Creek because I had a childhood dream to be a paleontologist. I guess he thought there were dinosaur bones around here.”

“There are,” she said. “My uncle owns a ranch west of Vulture Creek. He has a wash that’s filled with all kinds of old bones. We used to dig around there when we were kids.”

“Really? I’d like to see that.”

“I could show you,” she murmured. “There are also a lot of Anasazi sites around here. You should see those, as well.”

Cameron reached out and pulled the laptop in front of him. “Can I do a Google search on you?”

“If you have any questions, you can just ask me.” She closed the computer. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“All right. How long have you been a private investigator?”

“About a year and a half.”

“What did you do before that?”

“I was on the police force in Albuquerque for four years,” she said. “I worked patrol at first, then transferred over to Narcotics. I was undercover until I got hurt. Now I’m working for my uncle until I can pass the physical and get back on the force.”

“How did you get hurt?”

Sofie turned to meet his gaze. “I made a stupid mistake.” For a long moment, she just stared into his eyes, as if trying to read his reaction. But all Cam could think about was leaning forward and touching his lips to hers.

He wanted to kiss her. He already knew how it would feel, the surge of desire that would wash over him, the heat that would snake through his bloodstream. He hadn’t found much time for a social life in the past few months, and he was feeling the need for physical contact.

Cameron didn’t usually spend a lot of thought on the pursuit of women. He was of the belief that when he really needed companionship, a woman would appear in his life. The philosophy had worked out well for the most part. There were periods in his past when he’d lost himself in the pursuit of pleasure and other times when he’d go months without any social contact with the opposite sex, being so preoccupied with work.

It had been a while since he’d shared his bed, Cameron thought to himself. He’d been involved with a new hull design at work, and it had taken every last minute of his time to perfect it before they’d put it into production. Now would be a perfect time to indulge.

Yet every instinct he possessed told him to take his time. Sofie Reyes wasn’t the kind of female one could simply bed and then abandon. She was cautious and guarded, and he wasn’t sure how to break down the walls between them. He saw something else in her—a vulnerability, a fragility, that warned him to proceed carefully. He would need to control his impulses and school his desires until she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

“Any more questions?” she asked.

Cameron shook his head.

“I have one more,” Sofie said in a soft voice. Her gaze drifted down to his mouth.

“What is it?”

“You have to be completely honest,” she said. “Can you do that?”

Cameron nodded. “Ask away.”

“What are you thinking about? Right now? What’s running through your mind?”

He paused. Was he really prepared to tell the truth? If he did, there was every chance he’d feel compelled to turn thought into action. “I’m not sure I should—”

“Answer my question,” she said.

“Honestly?” Cameron cleared his throat. “I was thinking about what it would be like to kiss you. Not that I had any intention of trying to kiss you. It just crossed my mind. And hey, you asked for honesty.”

She didn’t seem at all surprised by his reply. The only reaction he saw was a quick blink of her eyes and a barely perceptible gasp.

“I’m not sure that would be wise,” Sofie said.

Cameron looked around, taking in their surroundings. “Not here. And not now. But maybe sometime. In the future.”

“When?” Sofie asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. You can’t really plan things like that. They’re much better when they come spontaneously, don’t you think?”

Sofie nodded. “We should go. We have a lot of work to do today.” She stood up and gathered her things, putting her computer back into her backpack.

“Just tell me what to do,” he said. “I’m ready.”

She pulled a file folder from her pack and handed it to him. “You can read this.” She started for the door.

Curious, Cam took the folder and opened it as they walked. A black-and-white photo of a middle-aged man smiled back at him—the kind of guy that everyone loved, everyone trusted. “He’s a politician?”

She shook her head. “No. But he knows a lot of politicians. His name is Walter Fredericks. He’s a real-estate broker and developer around Albuquerque. He owns most of the property in Vulture Creek, including Millie’s diner, plus land in almost every little town between Albuquerque and Gallup. He’s very well connected.”

“Does Millie know you’re investigating him?”

“No,” Sofie said. “He’s got a mistress in Vulture Creek. He’s got her set up in a nice little ranch outside town. I’m pretty sure he’s been paying her expenses with kickbacks he’s getting on some of his construction projects. And the people in his office are aware of this. I also suspect that there’s something else going on. He does a lot of business out of the local strip club, which seems to be the regular gathering place for the criminal element in these parts.”

When they got to the Jeep, she got in behind the wheel and Cameron slipped into the passenger seat. “He spends the morning at his office in Albuquerque, drives out to Vulture Creek and has lunch at the Bunny Shack most days, then spends the afternoon with his mistress. He heads back to Albuquerque at about three and has dinner with his wife.”

“You said he buys and sells real estate? Maybe I could mention that I’m looking to make some investments in the area.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” she said, nodding.

“It’s a good idea,” he said. “I could have lunch at the Bunny Shack tomorrow. Chat him up.”

“We’ll have to work on a cover story for you. Why would a yacht designer from Seattle want to buy land in Vulture Creek?”

“I’m looking to start over. Someplace where it doesn’t rain every day. I’m about to come into some big money when my grandfather sells the family business and I’ve always been interested in paleontology. I really don’t have to do anything but tell the truth.”

“All right, you are good at this. The closer you stay to the truth, the easier it is. But you need to get personal information out of him without seeming too nosy. Steer the talk toward women. You’re alone in town. You’re lonely.”

“But I’m not lonely,” he said.

“You’re going to have to pretend. I need to know as much as I can about this woman. Her name. Where he met her. How long he’s known her. What their arrangement is.”

“Maybe I should wear a wire,” he said.

Sofie laughed. “A wire?”

“Yeah. To record our conversation. That way you know exactly what he says and I don’t have to remember it all.”

She turned on the ignition and pulled the Jeep out of the library parking lot. “We’ll practice before we throw you in the deep end.”

“So, I have the job?” Cameron asked.

“Yes, you have the job. For now. But only as long as you do everything exactly as I say. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Cameron said. “We should probably discuss compensation. I’m going to have to find a place to stay.”

“I’ll take care of your expenses,” she said. “If you do a good job, I’ll give you a small stipend. And if we get what we need, then there’ll be a bonus for you.”

“All right,” he said. “I can live with that.”

She smiled. “Don’t worry, I plan to get my money’s worth out of you,” Sofie teased.

CAMERON STARED AT himself in the mirror, nodding his head. “I like this one,” he muttered, tugging at the sleeves of the pale blue work shirt. “It feels good. The sleeves are long enough.”

Once they’d found a hat, Sofie realized that Cameron would need a few long-sleeved shirts to protect his arms from the sun. All he’d brought along were dress shirts and T-shirts. But she hadn’t prepared herself for the fitting-room ordeal of watching him actually try the shirts on.

“That is a nice one,” she said. “It fits … well.” Sofie swallowed hard. He had such a beautiful body—long limbs, a finely muscled chest, broad shoulders. “And it will keep you from getting sunburned.”

“The heat down here is pretty intense,” he agreed as he unbuttoned the shirt. “Not like Seattle. That’s a city made for Irish skin.” He grabbed her hand and held it next to his. “I’m downright pasty next to you.”

She shrugged “I owe half of that to my Mexican father and the other half to my Hopi mother.”

“It’s a nice combination,” he murmured. “They did a good job.”

Her gaze skimmed over the naked width of his back as he slipped out of the shirt and handed it to her. Sofie’s fingers trembled as she fought the urge to touch him. “I—I should probably put the roof on my Jeep. That would help with the sun.”

Cameron pulled on another shirt, this one a deep garnet color. “How about this? Good for lunch at the Bunny Shack.”

She watched as Cameron toyed with the mother-of-pearl buttons on the pockets. He did look good in the deep red. It set off his dark hair and impossibly blue eyes. “The girls there are going to love you. They’ll be all over you before you even sit down.”

“You think so?” he asked, frowning.

“You need to be careful. They’ve been around—they know how to read men, how to get exactly what they want from a guy. And they have really good radar. They’re going to know if you’re hiding something or lying to them.”

“I can handle it. I got you to hire me, didn’t I?”

“I could always fire you,” she said. “You’re still on probation.”

“You have too much invested in me to fire me. You bought me lunch.”

And she was about to pay for his new wardrobe. In truth, Sofie was curious about their future together as partners. As she’d worked her way up through the ranks at the SFPD, she’d always had male partners, but they’d been more like brothers or uncles. She’d never once considered indulging in a sexual affair with one of them.

But that’s all she could think about with Cameron. Sure, they’d work together on the case. But she was much more interested in what was going to happen outside of the workday.

Cameron grabbed the straw cowboy hat they’d chosen and put it on his head. “What do you think? Can I pass for a local?”

She laughed, then readjusted the hat on his head. “No. Not at all. There aren’t any men like you living within a hundred miles of Vulture Creek.”

“No?”

“You’re just too pretty. Look at that face.”

He shook his head. “What does that even mean?” His voice was soft, distracted.

“Oh, come on,” she teased. “Don’t pretend that you don’t know what you do to women. A guy like you doesn’t go through life not realizing the advantages you have because of your looks.”

Cameron glanced over at her. “I look like my brothers.”

Sofie groaned inwardly. He was the most dangerous of men, the kind of guy who didn’t even have a clue as to the devastating effect he had on women.

“My mother used to tell me I was handsome. She’d dress us all up for church on Sunday, then line us up and go on and on about how handsome her boys were. After she was gone, I didn’t like to hear it. It would always bring back that memory.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “No, it’s all right. I haven’t thought about that for such a long time. It’s kind of a nice memory.”

“My dad always used to tell me I was pretty. I was his princess. And he’d tell my brothers that they were strong and clever.” Sofie sighed. “I wanted to be strong and clever. I didn’t want to be a princess.”

“Is that why you became a cop?”

“Yeah, I think I had something to prove. To my dad and my brothers. And now that I’m not a cop anymore, I have even more to prove.”

“What if you’re never a cop again?” Cameron asked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t think about that. It’s all I know how to do.”

“That’s not true. I thought all I was good at was designing boats. But since I stepped off that bus, I realize that I just haven’t considered anything else.”

“You think you want to be a private investigator now?”

Cameron laughed. “No. But I’m not my job.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her next to him, their gazes meeting in the reflection of the mirror. “I haven’t known you long, but I can tell you the woman in that mirror could ride a bicycle to the moon if she decided that’s what she wanted to do.”

“You’re a nice guy, Cameron Quinn.”

“I’m handsome and nice,” he said. “And strippers will love me.”

She met his gaze and smiled. He didn’t say much, but when he did, they were words she could believe in. She could trust Cameron to tell her the truth. “You’re handsome and nice and honest.”

Maybe she should start to consider other options, Sofie mused. What if she never got back to form? So much of her life had been spent trying to prove something to her father and brothers—that she was good enough to be one of them. Maybe it was time to find out who she really was.

“And you’re just about the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.

His words startled Sofie at first. It had been a long time since a man had noticed her. Since her accident, she’d put up a wall around herself to ward off any interested parties. The scars from her injury had faded, but there were other scars buried much deeper.

Could she trust herself again? Could she imagine a life that didn’t include the career she’d dreamed about since she was a little girl? Her friends had wanted to be princesses and fairies, then movie stars and supermodels, and finally wives and mothers. Through it all, Sofie had wanted the uniform, the badge, the power to make a difference in the world.

Sofie stepped away from the mirror, but Cameron caught her hand and pulled her back, placing him in front of her. She couldn’t be beautiful and be taken seriously. Beauty meant weakness, not strength.

His hands smoothed over her shoulders and down her arms. Sofie’s heart slammed in her chest and she couldn’t catch her breath. This was crazy! She’d always been known for keeping her cool under pressure, but now she was having trouble holding it together, simply because of some guy. Some handsome, sexy, irresistible guy.

“I—I really don’t have time for this,” she murmured. If this was the way the next few weeks were going to go, then she’d be lucky if she got anything done. “The sooner I close this case, the sooner I can get back to—” She cursed softly in Spanish, then turned to him and wagged her finger in his face. “You need to stop distracting me.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then, in a heartbeat, Cameron took her face between his hands and kissed her.

It was brief, barely a touch, but as she pulled back, a tiny gasp slipped from her lips. Sofie’s knees felt weak and she reached out, pressing her hand against his chest for balance. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she muttered, grabbing her hat.

When she’d put some distance between them, Sofie leaned back against the wall and tried to calm her racing pulse. She’d been waiting for something like this, for the chance to indulge her fantasies. And now that the moment had arrived, she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

This was her problem. For the most part, she was like her mother—calm, rational, self-controlled. But every now and then, her father’s fiery personality showed itself in her, and she did something so rash and impulsive she wanted to slap herself. It was that half of her nature that usually got her in trouble.

Cameron joined her at the counter, and Sofie paid for the clothes before they both walked out into the afternoon heat. A shiver skittered down her spine as Cameron’s shoulder brushed against hers. Her thoughts returned to the kiss.

Why hadn’t she just allowed it to go on a little longer? It had happened so quickly, she wasn’t even sure it was a kiss. Maybe it had been just incidental contact. The dressing room was small, the mood a bit tense and—

No, it had definitely been a kiss. And it was something they ought to discuss. But if they talked about it, it might happen again. And if it happened again, Sofie wasn’t sure she’d want to stop things so quickly.

“What’s next, boss?” Cameron said. “Should we go see if Walter is at the strip club?”

Sofie pulled the car keys from her pocket. “We’re too late for today. If he follows his pattern, he’ll be there tomorrow.” She stopped and faced him. “About that—that—”

“Kiss?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m not sure that’s the most productive use of our time.”

Her breath was soft and shallow, and Sofie was sure he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Had any man ever made her feel this way? Her fingers and toes had gone numb and her head was spinning.

“You’re the boss,” Cameron said.

“Yes,” Sofie replied. “Yes, I am.” And though it was easy to say the words, she had the distinct impression that when it came to kissing, Cameron was definitely in charge.

CAMERON HAD THOUGHT the roads on the bus route had been desolate, but as they drove out into the desert, he realized that he hadn’t really appreciated the meaning of the word.

The land was flat all around them, and then suddenly, it would change, with rocky outcroppings appearing out of nowhere. In the distance, snow-covered mountains outlined the horizon. Everywhere he looked, the land was dry. But the terrain he’d once thought of as colorless suddenly showed a vast range of vibrant golds and browns.

“Where are we going?”

Sofie shrugged. “Home.”

“To your place?”

“No,” she shouted. “To my uncle’s place. I’ve been staying there while I’ve been working on the case.”

“The ranch with the dinosaur bones?” Cameron asked.

“That’s it,” she said.

Cam grinned. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world to be driving through the desert with a beautiful, exotic private investigator. He watched as a strand of hair escaped from her braid and fluttered around her face.

She glanced over at him, catching him staring again, and he grudgingly looked away. “I feel like I’m on the moon,” he shouted. “This land is so different from anything I know.”

“I hear it rains a lot in Seattle,” she said.

“And here the sun never seems to stop. I haven’t seen a cloud all day.” He looked up at the sky. “Does it ever rain?”

She shook her head. “Occasionally.” Sofie pointed to an upcoming intersection. “Turn right.”

“I’m really beginning to like this job,” he said.

“It’s not always like this. Sometimes I just sit in my car watching a dark house. Last month I spent two days in a Laundromat watching a restaurant across the street. I did the same load of laundry fifteen times.”

“I’m liking it,” he said.

“We haven’t done anything yet.”

“What made you choose this kind of work? Isn’t it a little unusual for a woman?”

“My dad’s a cop and I have five older brothers and they all work in law enforcement. Three are cops, one works for the ATF, and one for the FBI.”

Cam leaned back in his seat. “Wow. I guess I better watch myself.”

“If I don’t scare men away with my sparkling personality, then my brothers do it for me.”

“You actually think I’m going to believe that you scare men away?” Cameron said.

“It’s usually the limp,” she said. “Most men don’t like women who are … damaged.”

Cameron gasped at her statement. Cursing beneath his breath, he pulled the Jeep over to the side of the road and threw it into Park. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

She shrugged. “It’s the truth. I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I’m just being realistic.”

Cameron wasn’t sure how to respond. How could any man look at Sofie Reyes and consider her damaged? “Has a guy said that to you?”

“No, but you can see it in their expressions. I saw it in yours when you looked at me at the diner.”

Cameron remembered the uneasy feeling he’d had when he’d noticed her limp. But it hadn’t stopped him from finding her attractive or sexy or intriguing.

“Maybe we should just talk about this now,” Sofie said. “I know you have questions. Just go ahead and ask them.”

“I don’t need to know,” he said.

“You stopped the Jeep,” she countered. “Come on. If we’re working together, we can at least be honest with each other. Ask me how it happened.”

Cameron gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands. Though he’d been curious, in the end, he really didn’t care. Whatever had happened was in the past. And it wasn’t going to change how he felt about Sofie. He was more interested in the here and now, the desire that was racing through him, the urge he had to yank her into his arms and kiss her.

“All right,” Sofie said, “If you’re not going to ask, then I’ll tell you.” She sat silently for a moment, as if trying to put order to her thoughts. “My mother once said, be careful what you wish for—it might come true. I never really understood why that would be a bad thing. And then my dreams came true. I was a cop, I’d been picked for an undercover task force, I was on my way to getting my detective’s shield, and I was ready to break open a huge case. I was exactly where I wanted to be.”

“What happened?”

“I took a risk. I got into a car with a suspect, and the next thing I remember, I woke up in intensive care. We got into a police chase and they didn’t know I was in the car. He died and I lived. I was in the hospital for three months and then rehab after that. After the accident, I couldn’t pass the physical and didn’t want to sit at a desk all day long. So as soon as I could get around, I went to work for my uncle. He used to be a cop but he’s a P.I. now.”

“I don’t think you’re damaged,” he said.

“You don’t have to live with losing your dreams.”

He leaned close, pressing his palm against her cheek. Then, without thinking, Cameron brushed his lips across hers. “There are a lot of other dreams out there, Sofie,” he murmured. “You just need to go look for them.”

He saw the tears flooding her eyes, and he turned away, upset that he’d brought her to this emotional state. “I think you’re a pretty amazing woman. I’ve only known you a day. Just think how I’ll feel after a week.”

“You’ll want to catch the first bus back to Seattle,” she said.

He steered the Jeep back onto the road. “You really have five brothers?”

Sofie smiled. “I do. And they insist on interrogating any man that kisses me. So you better stop that right now, or you’re going to be in big trouble.”

“You think they could take me?” he asked.

“Hell, I could take you,” Sofie said.

“I’d like you to try,” he challenged.

The mood between them shifted again, and Cameron had to wonder why it was so easy to talk to Sofie. He’d never been much for conversation with other women. He usually hated idle chitchat. But with Sofie, it was like a game between them, a game he was coming to enjoy.

“I can take care of myself,” Sofie shouted.

Cameron arched his brow. The thought of being overpowered by such a beautiful creature created a delicious fantasy in his head. But his thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang.

The Jeep jerked and then swerved on the rough asphalt road. Cameron gripped the steering wheel tightly as he slowed to a stop, a plume of dust rising from the skidding tires.

“Flat tire,” Sofie muttered, cursing beneath her breath in Spanish.

Cameron chuckled softly. “I suppose the auto club doesn’t come out this far. No worries. I know how to change a tire.”

Sofie jumped out of the Jeep. “So do I. These desert roads are notoriously bad on tires.” She strode to the back of the vehicle and squatted down to examine the rear wheel. She straightened, then kicked the tire. “It was brand-new.”

As Cameron stood behind her, his attention was caught by the curve of her backside as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. Though she wore simple work clothes, there was no disputing that they hid an incredible combination of curves. And the more time he spent with her, the more curious he became about the body beneath.

Cameron sighed softly. This was not the time to be thinking about seducing his boss, especially one who probably knew how to kill him with one quick chop to the throat. And yet he couldn’t seem to help himself.

Sofie spun around, catching him staring again. “Are you going to just stand there with your mouth hanging open, or are you going to help me?”

“Help,” he said, quickly moving past her. Cameron noticed that she carried two spares in the cargo compartment of the Jeep. He found the tire iron and jack next to the spares and pulled both of them out. “Why don’t you just let me take care of this?” Cameron said.

“I can help,” she replied. She reached for one of the tires and tried to pull it out of the back of the Jeep. Cameron dropped the tire iron and jack. “Here, let me get that.”

“I can get it,” she said stubbornly.

He reached around her. “It’s heavy. It would be easier if you opened the tailgate.”

“I can get it,” she insisted.

But their arms and feet got tangled, and when Sofie finally pulled the tire over the edge of the cargo compartment, the weight of it knocked them both off balance. He grabbed her waist and yanked her out of the way as the tire fell on the dusty road.

They tumbled back onto the hard ground, Cameron taking the weight of her body in the fall. She ended up lying on top of him, his hands spanning her waist. Their eyes met and Cameron was afraid to speak, knowing that it might break this strange spell that had fallen over them both.

Hesitantly, she leaned closer, her lips just inches from his. And then closer again. He drew one more ragged breath then slipped his hand gently around her nape. He waited, hoping she’d take his touch as an invitation to go further. And when she did, the breath rushed out of him as her lips met his.

This time, the kiss was filled with all the repressed desire that they’d both tried to deny. She surrendered her body to his touch as Cameron explored her mouth more deeply. His tongue delved inside the sweet warmth and she didn’t resist. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, rolling her onto the ground beneath him. Slowly, his hands smoothed along her hip. He pulled her thigh up along the length of his leg.

She drew back and he saw the desire clouding her gaze. As much as she’d maintained a careful distance since they’d met, Cameron suspected that there was an attraction that she’d been fighting as hard as he had. He smiled, reaching out to cup her cheek in his hand. “That was nice,” he murmured.

Sofie nodded. “Yes,” she replied.

He leaned in for another kiss and they lost themselves again. Her hands clutched at the front of his shirt, holding on to him as they rolled around in the dirt.

And then, as quick as it had begun, she stopped and yanked him upright, scrambling to her feet. She pulled him up with her. A moment later, she brought her foot down on the ground where they’d just been lying. “Scorpion,” she murmured.

Cameron gasped. “What? Where?”

“Under my boot. You have to be careful around here. In the morning, shake out your shoes and clothes. Don’t walk around barefoot.”

“Are they poisonous?”

“They won’t kill you. But the bite is pretty painful.” She dusted off her clothes then strode to the spot where the tire had come to rest. She hefted it up and rolled it toward the back of the Jeep, as if she was glad to have something else to focus on.

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