Penn's Fortune (Saddles & Second Chances Book 2) Page 4

  He always leaned on the side of caution.

  Unsettled, he reached inside of the glove compartment and grabbed his .38 semi-automatic, positioning it in his side holster that kept it hidden, but within easy reach if needed, then slid from the truck. Raindrops pelted his cheeks as he made his way across the front lawn, his boots sinking into the wet grass as he quickly moved to the side of the house and took cover in the shadows. The sky lit with a flash of lightening. The storm was growing closer.

  He saw nothing—heard nothing out of the ordinary. He steadied his breath.

  A dog barked from down the street. In the distance, he could hear the whistle of a train. A few doors south, someone had their TV on too loud. Through the neighbor’s window he saw the blinking digital clock of the microwave. The gate was left open on the fence. He absorbed everything just as he’d learned when he was training in the Marines. A man could become one with nature, using pure instinct to warn him of anything out of place. Although nothing seemed alarming, something didn’t seem right.

  Stepping away from the corner, he stayed low while he surveyed his surroundings. It was clear.

  He slowly and deliberately followed the crumbled walkway, leaning close to the wall, making it to the back of the house. He focused on the heavy beating of his heart, managing each intake of oxygen, minimizing the effort. Keeping his adrenaline down.

  That was why when he rounded the house and saw that the backdoor was standing open, he didn’t overreact or impulsively. Although, his instincts heightened and the hairs on the back of his neck lifted. He stayed in control—steady and sure.

  He drew his gun, aiming it toward the sky as he took one short step across the threshold.

  *****

  Harley was almost asleep when a soft thumping interrupted her slumber. She lifted her head, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and listened. Nothing but her cat, Theodore, purring loudly. She sighed and dropped her head back into the soft pillow, fingers crossed that she’d revisit the magnificent dream of a tall, beautiful man with the eyes of a clear, blue sky.

  But it didn’t happen…

  Creak.

  Crack.

  She jumped up so fast that poor Theodore dropped to the floor, hissing and running under the bed. She didn’t have time to pamper the spoiled cat because she suspected someone was in her house. She’d lived in the two-story long enough to have learned every creak and crack, and an uninvited guest had just stepped onto the second and third rung of the stairs.

  Making her way across the bedroom in bare feet, being sure to step around the loose floorboards, she stopped in the open doorway, peering around the corner and down the darkened hallway. Why hadn’t she changed the burnt-out bulb in the nightlight? If I make it out of this alive, buying a replacement bulb will be the first thing I do. It was so dark she couldn’t see a thing. She regretted not having Carlos here, snoring or not.

  Slowly backing up, she eased the door closed, then moved to the middle of the room, frantically looking for a place to hide. Another creak warned her that the prowler had made it to the top of the stairs. Closer to her.

  Hurrying to the window, she peered out. If she were agile enough she might be able to scale the deeply slanted rooftop without killing herself. Was she willing to risk a broken bone or two, or maybe a cracked skull? No. She’d take her chances inside.

  She opened the window, hoping she faked the intruder into believing she left by roof.

  Hearing a sound just outside of the door, she didn’t have any choice but to do exactly what Theodore had done. She dropped down and not realizing how narrow the space was, she struck her head hard on the metal frame, sending a dinging echoing off the walls. She slid under the bed just as the door came open. A dull ache was forming across her forehead, but she quickly forgot the knot as she made out black work boots entering her room. The prowler stood in the doorway. Was he looking for her? Would he take the bait of the open window?

  She covered her mouth with her trembling hand, holding her breath, watching as the man took a small step toward the bed. She had chosen the worst place to hide. Now she wished she’d jumped out the window. Too late. Time seemed to stand still. Her lungs ached, needing air, but she was afraid. One noise, one wrong move, and he’d find her.

  CHAPTER THREE

  PENN GAVE THE mattress a shove and it went flying off the frame. He flashed his cellphone light over the hiding figure and shook his head. Harley’s eyes were held tightly shut, her hand covered half of her face and she wasn’t moving.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  “Who are you?” There was a noticeable tremble to her voice and she blinked against the light.

  He bent close, giving her body a quick inspection. She wore a T-shirt that had ridden up high on her waist, showing off a pair of teeny, polka-dotted panties and lots of smooth hip. He pulled back and aimed the light away from her. “Come out. I won’t hurt you.”

  “You’re in my house, uninvited, and I’m supposed to believe you?” she murmured through the cracks in her fingers.

  Biting back a grin, he shut off his phone, dropped it into his pocket and reached over to switch on the table lamp, still holding his gun. He could make out the tear stains on her cheeks now and his gut clenched into a tight knot. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. Damn. He should have made his presence known quicker, but he’d been afraid there was an intruder inside with her and he didn’t want to make any wrong moves.

  “Penn? Is that you?”

  “Yes.”

  She finally lowered her hand from her mouth and sat up. Her scared expression was exchanged for one of confusion. “What are you doing here? Why are you breaking into my house?”

  Despite the fact that she looked like a cornered animal, her beauty couldn’t be ignored. She stunned him. Yeah, he’d gotten a good look at her back at his house, but now, well, there was something different about her. She wasn’t wearing the wide-framed glasses and he got a better look at her eyes. They were wildly lit and reminded him of the creamy lattes he enjoyed when his brothers weren’t looking. They’d only make fun of him. Her mouth was a little too big for her face and her chin was a little too pointed, but still…she was amazing. He was ashamed that he couldn’t resist getting another glimpse of her shapely hips and toned legs. She wasn’t thin like Seneca, and he’d already gotten a good idea of her luscious curves, but right here, with her thin, white shirt pressed to her body like gift wrap, he could see without a doubt, she had soft, feminine lines that could make a man sweat bullets. She wasn’t wearing a bra and her hard nipples left a shadow under the cotton that he wanted to tear away with his teeth. Even lower, he skimmed the depression between her inner thighs and his heart kicked up.

  It was when he heard her say, “You haven’t answered me,” that he realized he had completely lost touch with reality on why he came here in the first place.

  What the hell was wrong with him? She was in danger and it had nothing to do with his strong desire to have her.

  He worked to gain back a thread of logic, comprehending that he’d been staring at her like he was a starving man—and in a roundabout way, he was. “You asked me to come here, remember?” He was glad his voice worked, but nothing could have hidden the rough, rawness. “Now, come out. Trust me.” He held out his hand so he could help her.

  “Let’s see…you broke into my house, you scared the life out of me, and now you’re holding a gun. That equals danger, not trust.”

  If you only knew. “I’m sorry.” He slid his gun into the holster, then held his hand out again.

  She stared at his palm for a three-second count, then totally blew him off. She stood and the hem of the shirt fell down her hips. Disappointment slithered through him, although he knew it was for the best before he lost all his brain cells. She swiped her palms down the cotton as if to make certain she was decent. He wondered if she realized the material was see-through? He concentrated on the area between her brows, forcing himself to stay high and steady, whe
n all he wanted to do was drop his gaze over her body once again.

  He was a strong man, but he felt a lot like Superman with a kryptonite suit at the moment.

  “You said you wouldn’t take the job. I took you at your word.” She tilted her chin, her eyes losing some of the wildness and instead, shooting him with invisible lasers.

  He shrugged. “A man can change his mind, can’t he?”

  “A man can’t sneak into my house and cause me to almost break my neck.”

  “How, pray tell, did I cause you to ‘almost’ break your neck?”

  “I was going to jump out of the window. Just…well…I’m afraid of heights.”

  Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he instantly felt a headache starting. “No one has ever died from jumping out of a window fifteen feet above ground. You could have slid down the roof.”

  “What part of ‘I’m afraid of heights’ didn’t you understand? How did you get in anyway?”

  He blew out a long breath. Irritation spiraled through him, not as much with the situation as his misbehaving body parts that couldn’t seem to get the memo that she was off limits. “I’ve been sitting outside surveilling your house for a few hours.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “But wait, I came home only an hour ago. How did I not see you?”

  “That’s why it’s called surveillance,” he growled. He was fully aware of how angry he sounded, but damn, since this woman had steam rolled her way into his life he had been off kilter. It didn’t help that her nipples were still beaded and the shirt did nothing to hide the fact that she had gorgeous breasts.

  She gave him a look as if he was a complete idiot. Well, he’d give her credit. He felt like a nut-job standing there in her bedroom at a cross between sexual attraction and frustration like he’d never experienced before. “And you didn’t answer how you got in here.” She tapped her foot in irritation.

  “Lady, your backdoor was open.”

  “Not possible. I made sure all the doors and windows were locked before I came to bed, like I do every single night.”

  “Not how I found it.”

  “Someone unlocked it? Someone else was in my house?” She shot a frantic look over her shoulder toward the hallway. There went that bottom lip again, trembling in a way that reached in and grabbed his every protective inclination and squeezed.

  “I don’t have a clue. I thought I saw someone outside, but when I got in here there was no one to be found except you.”

  “You looked everywhere?”

  “Are there any other beds to hide under in the house?” She gave her head a quick shake. “Then yes, I’ve looked everywhere.”

  She blew out a long breath, the muscles around her lips relaxing. “I should thank you—”

  “That’d be nice.”

  “But—”

  “Exactly what I thought,” he murmured.

  “I won’t, at least not yet. How do I know you’re not here working for Marshall?” She folded her arms over her chest and there went the amazing view. It was his salvation, he was certain.

  “Have you not heard a word I said?” He shook his head. How were things quickly getting complicated in his life?

  “Should I believe its beneath you to lie? You did tell me earlier that Marshall is a great guy, well respected in the community, and that you see stars every time you look at him.” She blinked dramatically. “Maybe you’re in his pocket like so many others.”

  He squinted. “Lady, I didn’t say anything close to that, and I’m not in anyone’s pocket.”

  “I thought I told you that my name is Harley, not lady.”

  “What would I get out of sneaking into your house?”

  “To scare me.”

  “Somewhere in that theory you must see that scaring you wouldn’t involve coming in here and announcing myself. Sweetheart, I know of many ways to scare a person and this isn’t one of them.”

  As if she slowly absorbed his words, she finally dropped her arms to her sides, some of the firmness left her features. “So, you really think there was someone in here?”

  “I could have scared the intruder and they disappeared. Why isn’t your alarm set?”

  She nibbled her bottom lip, then looked at him innocently. He bet she didn’t realize how the look bordered on seductive. “Because I don’t have one to set.”

  He blinked. “You don’t have a security system? Who today doesn’t have an alarm system?”

  Some of the resolve returned. “Are you here to lecture me? Instead, why don’t you tell me what we do next.”

  Okay, back on track. “Do you have a family member or friend you could stay with?”

  She hesitated. “No. My best friend, Jodi, lives with her boyfriend. I couldn’t intrude.”

  “And no family?”

  “Not close.” She shrugged.

  “Then that leaves one place. You’re coming with me.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

  “Excuse me?” Her eyes widened.

  Realizing how frightening and overwhelming this must be, he took a better, more understanding approach. He was too used to dealing with his brothers. He stepped back, giving her more space. “I know it’s a lot to absorb, but you can’t stay here. It’s not safe. I won’t hurt you.” She flinched and his protective side buzzed. He’d never been prone to women who needed a hero. One, he never thought of himself as a hero. He’d never been good at fixing people. But yet, in a way, he felt like this was partly his fault.

  Something was definitely up with her.

  “Considering that this is your fault…” she sniffed loudly.

  “Look, lady—” She gave him a squinty look. “Harley.” Her name seemed to roll off his tongue like he’d used it a hundred times. “I was doing my job.”

  This didn’t go over so well. “Yeah, that’ll certainly convince me to go anywhere with you,” she snapped.

  Out of nowhere came the words, “Sorry.” When had he ever apologized? It wasn’t as if he’d done something wrong. “If what you say is true, and Reed is behind all this, then we need to prove it.”

  She tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear and concern etched lines around her eyes. “He is behind this.”

  “I want to help you.” And that was the truth. He shouldn’t. She wasn’t his responsibility. She was a mere stranger, and yet he wanted to help her more than he could wrap his brain around that fact. “Can I do that?”

  She stared for the longest time. Lightning struck in the distance and Penn felt the electric shock in his bones. He found that he was holding his breath and forced his lungs to work. He knew he couldn’t just walk away without knowing if she’d be safe.

  “We could call the police,” he suggested.

  “I told you, he has friends at the police department.”

  *****

  Harley couldn’t remember feeling so confused and forlorn in all her life…or so desperate. She’d been dealing with Marshall for too long now. Had been looking over her shoulder, suspicious of every stranger, curious of every shadow. The hair on her nape lifted and fear slithered down her spine.

  She could call Jodi and knew she’d be more than welcome to stay with her, but Harley couldn’t. Not when she could be putting Jodi and Carlos in danger. Harley had no idea how far Marshall would go. A man who would break into her house wasn’t thinking of consequences. The last thing her friend needed was to have their household turned upside down. Although there was no evidence that Marshall was involved in this, Harley knew, without a doubt, that he had everything to do with this.

  “I could stay at a hotel,” she muttered.

  He pushed a hand through his hair. One corner of his mouth lowered. “The closest one is over an hour away.”

  “I have a car.”

  He shrugged. “It’s pouring rain.”

  “Yeah. I know what those wet pellets falling are.”

  “Hey, I’m only trying to help here.”

  She drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “Right. I’m sorry. My ne
rves are a little wound up.”

  “Understandable.”

  She could barely believe how her life was in a turmoil. Tonight, she needed to find a place to stay, and tomorrow she could figure more out. She could piece everything together. Now this man, who’d all but kissed her concern away and saved her life was offering to help her after he had earlier told her he wouldn’t. He wanted her to believe she was safe with him, but trust didn’t come easy for her, especially for men these days. They were known for saying one thing and doing another.

  Truthfully, she needed Penn’s help. She couldn’t stop Marshall alone, and if she stayed by Penn’s side he couldn’t change his mind in helping her.

  “You can stay at my place because I know you’ll be safe there. Tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, we’ll figure this out.”

  “I don’t know you.” And yet she knew quite a bit about the Jericho brothers. Jodi had told her everything. So, in the scheme of things, she did know him…in a way.

  The irritation grew in his expression. He opened his mouth, probably to try and convince her when a loud thud sounded from inside of the room. The next thing she knew, she found herself in Penn’s arms, cuddled against his iron hard chest, wrapped in his thick, warm arms.

  “Oh, it’s just the cat.” She giggled at her hyper-sensitivity. Theodore had jumped up on the dresser and knocked over a book.

  She lifted her chin and looked up into those amazing blue-silver eyes. She darted her tongue out to moisten her lips, realizing her heart was pumping fast. And she was shaking, both from fear and being so close to him, twice in one night. That was a lot of feeling for her to soak in.

  “You okay?” His butter-soft voice made her inner thighs tremble.

  Then the fear dissipated and something else took hold. Something far more dangerous than burglars in the night and powerful men who couldn’t take no for an answer. She’d been struck with the force of a sledgehammer straight in the chest at the realization that Penn Jericho was the sexiest man she’d ever seen, if not the sexiest in the world.

  There was an attraction here, and yet even the word ‘attraction’ didn’t seem to quite fit the profound sensation she felt in every cell of her body. It should be illegal for one man to look this good—this utterly gorgeous.