“We’re not going to figure it out right now,” he warned her, coming to that realization himself. “What we can do, though, is see about getting something to eat and maybe going through the information you’ve pulled together so far.” Straightening and dropping his arms from his chest, he gave her a hard look. “You shouldn’t have waited to let me see the files and pictures you have, Kenni. You should have let me know you had the information.”

“There’s a lot of things I probably should have done over the years, Jazz,” she stated wearily, moving past him. “Add that one to it.”

Catching her arm Jazz pulled her to a stop and smiled down at her, carefully restraining the need to let the impulses rising inside him free.

“Are you learning from your mistakes, though?”

“Who said I made a mistake?” Soft, challenging, the dare in her voice had his body hardening as though he hadn’t just taken her a few hours before.

Catching her free wrist before she could avoid him and securing it behind her back with the other, he stared down at her. The wildness reflected in her deep, emerald-green eyes was a match for the core of wildness that burned inside him.

Hell, he knew she was a match for him, in every way. He had a feeling she was too concerned with protecting those she loved than she was with understanding the emotions she didn’t know how to deal with.

“I said you made one, cupcake.” The assurance slipped past his lips before he could call it back, the need to force the emotions she kept so carefully contained, free, nearly overwhelming.

But that need had only been growing since the day he’d met her. Since he’d stared into hazel eyes and seen fear and mystery that were so much a part of her.

Her eyes narrowed. “Cupcake? Really, Jazz?”

“Soft, sweet, and so very edible,” he assured her, his voice lowering as her lips parted, her subconscious sensuality peeking out, tempting him.

Lips trembling, her gaze flickered from his, though her body softened further. The contradictions in her would keep him guessing for years.

If he could keep her with him.

“Now, we have two choices considering you haven’t eaten today. Dinner, or that bed over there with me between your thighs, riding us both to exhaustion. That won’t take long for you, I’m guessing.”

Shadows were already gathering beneath her eyes and her face was paler than it had been that morning. Her expression was strained with tension, with tiredness.

“Dinner,” she snapped.

When she pulled against his hold again he let her go, slowly.

The need to touch her, to have her, was like a hunger he couldn’t sate now. The need to take care of her was just as strong, he was realizing. To ensure she was safe, protected. Nothing else mattered, not even the lust that dug sharp little claws into his balls.

“Dinner,” he agreed, stepping back from her before running his fingers restlessly through his hair. “Definitely dinner.”

“How long before it’s going to slip, Jazz?” she asked, carefully moving several feet out of his reach.

“Before what slips?” If he didn’t get out of the bedroom and away from that bed, the image of her beneath him out of his mind, then there was no way she’d get dinner first.

“Whatever you’re holding back,” she retorted as though she knew what the hell she was talking about. “What are you hiding, Jazz, and how much longer can you actually keep it hidden?”

“You better hope I keep it hidden until I figure out how to leash it,” he warned her. “Because trust me, darlin’, that’s an animal you just don’t want to deal with right now. Not at all. Now, let’s go see about dinner.” He strode to the doorway before turning back to her. “Should I lay out a steak for that asshole brother of yours?”

Her eyes narrowed, lips thinning at the mockery in his tone.

“Might as well,” she answered him, her sugary politeness when combined with the dare in her eyes almost more than he could resist.

“I’ll do that then.” Nodding shortly, he left the bedroom and the woman.

He really needed to feed her first. She was going to need her strength.

*   *   *

Who did he think he was fooling?

After eight years on the run with Gunny and meeting countless military types, she’d learned to recognize what one marine’s outspoken girlfriend had called a vein of pure dominance in a class A sex machine.

The explanation that went with it had left her blushing for days. Now Kenni could well understand why the girlfriend had seemed so very smug.

That particular girlfriend hadn’t been dealing with more than just the sex machine, though, while she was, Kenni thought morosely. She was dealing with a protective sex machine, something she’d never imagined coming up against.

The fact that he’d been incredibly aroused wasn’t lost on her, either. She’d escaped, probably in the nick of time, though she didn’t doubt for a moment it was because he’d let her go.

Moving into the kitchen behind him she watched his back carefully, left the gate opened just enough for Squirrel to slip in behind her, then moved to the table where she sat down. Lifting the puppy to her lap, she was amazed at how heavy he was, and the fact that hiding him wasn’t really going to happen. He was too intent on giving puppy kisses to her cheek whenever she couldn’t avoid him.

“That pup is going to think he’s allowed out here,” Jazz warned her as he moved to the back door.

“So?”

“So, it’s not fair to the rest of them, and if the rest of them are out here then we’ll have a mess you do not want to clean up, I promise.” Before she could answer the charge he was out the back door, his deep voice booming. “Maddox, get your ass in here if you want a steak.”

Kenni winced. No doubt his voice had echoed all across the valley. She could almost see Cord’s irritated expression. If he was trying to actually catch someone who may be watching, those hopes had just been dashed to hell and back.

“There, he was invited.” The door slapped closed behind him.

“It was your idea to invite him.” Shrugging, she watched him with narrowed eyes as Squirrel finally curled up on her lap and settled down.

“I was being facetious,” he informed her, his voice and his expression bland as he moved to the refrigerator.

He was not. He knew damned good and well Cord would have gone nuts when Jazz began grilling the steaks. Jazz wanted to irritate him with the bellowing invitation, nothing more. Come to think of it, those two had never really been able to get along despite the fact that she knew they were friends.

Kind of friends anyway.

“That’s what you get for being facetious,” she informed him as though he were serious. “Perhaps next time you’ll forget the facetiousness.”

He tossed the steaks to the counter as the back door opened with a firm push.

“Lancing, you have a big mouth,” he snapped.

Jazz pretended to ignore him. Washing his hands quickly, he turned back to the steaks and began tearing them out of their white paper.

Her brother pulled a chair from beneath the table and sprawled out in it before his hooded gaze slid in her direction.

“You have one of those damned pups at the table, don’t you?” he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, tucked his chin lower, and just stared back at her.

“Don’t start, Cord. The pup isn’t hurting you.” He’d never let her have any fun, she remembered now. “Besides, Jazz knows where it’s at so you’re not really snitching.”

“I don’t snitch,” he muttered as Squirrel began moving about restlessly at the sound of his voice.

She was definitely going to have to teach the dogs to bite Maddox men when they were being asses.

“Then leopards really do change their spots and Santa will be arriving via Jazz’s fireplace this year.” She shrugged before rising and moving to the gate, where she put Squirrel back in the television room.