Causing Havoc (35 page)

her feet until she reached eye level with him. "What the hel are you talkin' about?"

Such a vehement demand. "I know I'm lacking in the rack department, Gregor. It's always bothered

me. A lot. It's one reason I avoided guys for so long."

He looked at her chest, his nostrils flared, and then he pierced her with his black-eyed gaze. "Good.

I'm damned glad, 'cuz now that I know I'l be first, I can't bear the thought of some other bozo havin'

you."

Hanging there in his grip, Jacki let out another long breath of exasperation. "You real y are hung up on that 'being first' thing, aren't you?"

"You have no idea."

Jacki didn't know what devil prompted her, but she heard herself saying, "Roger offered to pay for

the surgery."

Confusion pinched Gregor's brows together over his nose. "What surgery?"

"The boob job."

Slowly he lowered her to her feet, but stil held on. "He did what?"

Uh oh. Okay, so now she knew the difference between Gregor's irritation and very real anger.

And this was pure red-hot anger.

"He's Cam's fiance, you know?"

"What the hel does that have to do with anything?"

"Wel , Roger said that he knew being flat bothered me. I guess I'm sometimes obvious."

"I didn't know it."

She snorted. "Where women are concerned, you're about as astute as a wooden block."

"Or maybe," Gregor said through his teeth, getting al tense and pissed off again, "it just never occurred to me that a hot little number like you would have some harebrained hang-up over

something that doesn't matter worth squat."

Wow. He said an awful lot there. " 'Doesn't matter worth squat'?" Never had Jacki heard that goofy saying. "Never mind. The point is, it does bother me, and Roger said he wants to make nice with me,

to get closer to Cam, so he offered to hook me up with a plastic surgeon that would do the surgery

real cheap, and then Roger even offered to pay him."

"I'l kil the bastard."

Jacki made a face. "You're not going to kil anyone, Gregor."

"Yeah. I am." After releasing her, he started away for the car.

He sounded so serious that Jacki suddenly got nervous. "Wait a minute!"

Gregor kept on going. "If you don't want to walk home after al , haul your little ass over here and get in the car."

Of al the nerve! Jacki ran to get ahead of him, then planted herself in front of the passenger door. "I wil not al ow you to—"

He lifted her, set her aside, and opened the door.

He put the keys in the ignition and, growing desperate, Jacki scrambled onto his lap. "'Damn it.

Gregor, I'm serious."

"Me, too. Deadly serious. That prick has no business even noticin' your body, much less commentin'

on it, and no way in hel should he make you think you need some quack surgery."

With her draped al over him, Gregor turned the key and started the engine.

Very real panic set in. "Gregor,
please.
"

He paused. He stared at her in a long, edgy silence before final y saying, "Please what?"

Suspicion niggled. Had he just pul ed a fast one on her? He no longer looked so volatile. But Jacki

couldn't be sure. "Please don't overreact."

He waited in silence.

But real y, Jacki liked his defense of her, especial y over something that had caused her so much

insecurity as a woman. "Please don't go pick a fight with Roger."

"You know you don't need any damn surgery?"

"I know you don't think I do. But," she said with emphasis, "if I decide I ever want it, I'l do it just the same."

"Works for me. Long as it's what you want and not something you think you need."

How sweet. "Okay."

Gregor wasn't done. "What's it to you if I mess up Roger's face? I got the impression you didn't like him much anyway."

"I don't. Or that is, I didn't. But I just found out that Cam actual y loves the jerk and that changes everything."

"She told you that?"

His surprise mimicked her own. "Yeah. I know. Insane but true. I guess there's something about

Roger that I've missed."

"The snake skin? The sharp teeth? What?"

Jacki flattened her mouth. "I shouldn't have told you about his offer."

That fierce frown snapped back into place. "You should have told me sooner."

Okay. So maybe it was time to push a little. Jacki tilted her head, and asked, "Why?"

To her surprise, Gregor didn't shy away. He looked at her, cupped her face, and kissed her hard.

Long. Wet and deep.

Relaxing against him, enjoying him, Jacki kissed him back.

He eased away from her and touched his nose to hers. "That's why. Something's goin' on between

us. Something big."

Hope blossomed. "You think so?" For her part, Jacki knew she was already half in love with the big lug. Maybe more than half.

Gregor nodded. "I know so." He put his hand over her breast again, gently caressed her, then with visible resolution, lifted her to sit in her own seat. "Tomorrow, next month, or next year, I wil be the first, honey. Count on it."

Hands shaking, smiling al the way to her heart, Jacki fastened her seat belt. "Okay."

At her reassurance, Gregor shook off his anger. "You're not doin' any dumb surgery, are you?"

"No. I'd already decided against it, because I know Cam would see it as her debt, too."

"Forget the cost, damn it. You—"

"And,"
Jacki said, stealing his thunder, "I'd already decided that anyone who didn't like me as is was just plain out of luck. I'm not changing."

"Hal elujah." Gregor looked her over, ending his perusal with a low whistle. "You're temptation enough as is."

"Thank you. Now what about Roger?"

Gregor put the car in gear and pul ed away from the edge of the road. "I'l let Roger off the hook this time— after I explain to him that you're mine."

So possessive. "You won't hurt him?"

"'Nah. It'd be too much like kickin' a puppy. I wouldn't feel right about it."

That wasn't his sentiment moments ago. so Jacki decided to be perfectly clear. "Good to know,

because I couldn't real y care about someone who was the type to go pounding on people just

because they did something annoying."

His eyes narrowed. "Fightin' bothers you?"

"Bul ying bothers me." She tilted her head. "I would love to see you fight, though. Not on a tape, but live."

Gregor mul ed over the idea. "That can be arranged. In fact, the idea of keepin' you close to hand

suits me just fine." He flashed her a grin. "Better odds on me bein' around when you decide you've spent enough time chaste, and you're ready to cut loose."

Jacki laughed with him—but truthful y, she was ready right then. Now al she needed was the right

moment to tel him.

THE sun sank low in the sky, sending a crimson tide over the horizon. Dean applied the last dabs of

tar to hold down the loose corners of the shingles around the vents. He'd just wiped his hands clean

and started to stand when he felt someone watching him.

Trying to look nonchalant, he scoped the area around him and saw no one. But he felt it. No doubt

about it.

Prickles of unease went up his spine. He thought about the broken ladder rung, his destroyed tires,

and he refused to take any chances. Utilizing caution, he went down the ladder, al the while paying

attention to his surroundings.

The house was quiet and empty. After a phone cal from Roger, Cam went off to work early. With

Dean's blessing, Jacki and Gregor left a few hours before, supposedly so Jacki could practice driving

the stick. Dean figured they both had more than manual stick instructions on their minds.

The idea of Gregor with his sister had grown on Dean, especial y after seeing how Jacki affected

him. And as long as Gregor remained with Jacki, Dean knew she'd be safe. In light of recent events,

that counted for a lot.

Not long after everyone else had left. Lorna returned to the house. Her displeasure at finding only

Dean there was extreme.

Crazy old broad.

In shril tones, she demanded to know how long he'd be. and when she realized she'd be home alone

with him for several more hours, she made another hasty departure. Dean should have felt guilty for

running her out of her home; Lorna looked more tired than usual, and he guessed his intrusion, along

with the financial difficulties and house problems, were starting to take their tol on her. She wasn't a

young, resilient woman and suddenly, things weren't going her way.

But Dean felt no real guilt at al . If anything he hungered for an opportunity to tel Lorna what he

thought of her and her parenting skil s. It was just as wel that she'd left, because despite her sour

personality, his sisters cared about her. And that would make it difficult for him to vent as he wanted

to.

Concealing himself in the shadows of the house, Dean checked his watch. Eve would be home by

now, and he pictured her as she'd been last night, curled on the couch in comfy clothes, al warm and

soft.

Just thinking about her got his heart pumping a little faster. He found himself smiling. In anticipation.

In pleasure.

Earlier he'd told Eve that he wanted to move in with her, to be nearer to her in the case of a possible

threat. After explaining about the ladder, she'd taken his request at face value and agreed.

Deep down, Dean figured they both knew it was an easy excuse, and both intended to use it

anyway.

Eve understood that for now, he didn't want anyone else to know about his suspicions. Not that he

didn't trust his sisters, but the fewer people who knew, the less chance there'd be for Roger to find

out. And as Dean's number one suspect, he wanted Roger as much in the dark as possible, to make

it easier for him to trip himself up.

As Cam's best friend, Eve had a problem with that, but she promised anyway.

Dean made quick work of putting away the tools and the ladder, cleaning the area, and locking up

the house. Stil sensing watchful eyes, he headed to his car, which now had four brand new tires.

Once inside, he turned on the air and cal ed Eve.

"Hel o?"

The mel ow, almost lazy tone of her voice had Dean smiling. "Hey. You hungry?"

"Mmm. I don't know. What are you thinking?"

Dean wanted nothing more than to crash on the couch with her, but he said, "We can go out if you

want. I recal promising you a few dates."

"I plan to hold you to them."

"Or I can bring something home."

That word
home
hung between them with some silent but stirring meaning.

After a moment, Eve said, "If you want to go out, I can throw on jeans."

Meaning she didn't have anything on right now? A mental picture formed, teasing Dean and adding a

gruff tone to his voice. "Whichever you want."

"You real y don't have a preference?"

"No," he lied.

"Then let's just eat here. I've been watching another of your fights, sort of in slow motion. Do you

think you could teach me some moves?"

Anticipation dul ed Dean's other senses. "Yeah," he said, dragging out the word, savoring the

thought. "I can do that."

His phone beeped with an incoming cal . Dean ignored it.

"I'l go by the hotel first to grab some things and shower. What should I pick up?"

"Surprise me." The phone beeped again, and Eve said, "Are you getting a cal ?"

"I'm ignoring it."

"It might be Cam or Jacki."

He glanced at the lighted number and said, "It's probably not."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know. I don't recognize the number."

"Dean, check it. It could be important."

Her nagging didn't annoy him. Just the opposite—it somehow made their relationship feel more

official.

"Whoever it was just hung up. Don't worry about it. If it was Jacki or Cam with a problem, they'd cal you next, right?"

"Probably."

Dean glanced in the rearview mirror, stil saw no one, and put the car in drive. "Fl .be there soon,

okay?"

Voice soft. Eve said, "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

insects began stirring, but he paid no attention to them. It didn't matter that he'd gotten mud on his

shoes or that his suit pants had snagged several times on sticker bushes.

Nothing much mattered at al . not anymore.

His time had about run out. If he real y wanted to change anything, he'd have to do it soon.

But how? He'd tried, and he'd failed.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Roger remembered Cam's reaction when he'd again asked her to marry

him. He'd rushed things, he knew that now. But what else could he have done when al his plans were

crumbling around him?

He saw Cam's sweet but sad smile. He saw the sympathy in her eyes. Even before she said no, the

refusal began echoing in his head.

Walking away from her had seemed his only option. Cam cal ed after him, but he didn't want to hear

her assurances, her excuses. Not anymore.

Her Goddamned brother had changed everything.

Bastard.

Leaning back against a tree, Roger stared at his hotel at the bottom of the hil . From his vantage

point, he could see the lot fil ed with cars, the lights as they came on automatical y, one by one. He

saw cars driving by, people coming and going.

He knew what he had to do.

Rage, disappointment, and regret burned in his veins. He hadn't wanted to do it, not ever. But Cam

literal y left him with no choice. Al his life, he'd been fucked by those around him. Cheated of what

was rightful y his, of what he deserved. What he wanted.