Ghostwalker 04 - Conspiracy Game

the series of slashes to the waistband of his jeans before she could stop herself.
    His eyes darkened, slashed at her face. “I’ll be more than happy to help if you can’t manage on your own.”
    There was a very seductive note in the command, and Briony’s body responded. Her gaze jumped to his. She felt the rush of heat. Her breasts ached. There was a welcoming dampness between her legs. Just like that. A note in his voice. Taking off his shirt. Even when he was being a bastard, her body wanted his.
    She retreated, taking several steps away from Jack, back toward her brother. “This isn’t going to work. I thought you’d be reasonable.” She glanced at Jebediah. “It was a mistake to come here.”
    “Maybe,” Jack conceded. “But you did come here. Go into the trees and take off your clothes, Briony.” He gentled his voice. “If you make me force you, Jebediah is going to get all protective and then we’re going to have a problem. He can’t take me, and there’s a high-powered rifle trained on him. Ken has an itchy trigger finger.”
    Briony went very still, her stomach churning, her heart beating too fast. Jack sounded so matter-of-fact. He never raised his voice. Even when he gave commands, his voice was always soft, but he expected to be obeyed. The knowledge was there inside of her, a dawning realization that he truly didn’t live by the rules of society. She was surrounded by forest, deep in the mountains with a man who made his own rules, and she’d chosen that path herself. Worse, she’d put her brother’s life in danger.
    Jebediah waited for her answer. He was willing to try to get her out of the situation. She saw it on his face.
    Jack stepped toward her, breaking the tension, his shirt in his hand. “We’ve got a few kinks to work out, but I can promise both you and your brother, no harm will ever come to you or the baby as long as you’re in my care. Put the shirt on, Briony, and let Jebediah get out of here. The sooner he goes, the easier on you it will be.”

    CHAPTER 10

    Briony stepped with great reluctance behind several large trees. It had seemed such a good idea coming to ask Jack Norton for assistance, but the reality was far different from thinking about it. He could take her breath away with one smoldering look, but when he spoke, she just wanted to strangle him. And for some reason he seemed to have no problems touching her a little too intimately. She’d have to remind him what a liability she was.
    She’d never been without her brothers watching her back. She was deliberately separating herself from them because she was terrified they were going to be killed protecting her. She tilted her chin. She couldn’t lose her resolve now. The danger to her family and friends was all too real. She just had to be strong. Briony put both hands over her stomach, wishing she were far enough along that she could feel the baby move. Once that happened, she wouldn’t feel so alone and vulnerable.
    “Briony?” Jebediah called to her. “Are you okay?”
    She tossed her clothes aside and enveloped her body in Jack’s shirt. His scent enfolded her close, teased her senses so that she couldn’t help inhaling sharply. “I’m fine, Jeb,” she lied, careful to keep her voice from shaking as she picked up her clothes. How could just his scent alone make her want him? Whatever Whitney had done to her was frightening in its intensity.
    She didn’t look at Jack as she walked back to the two men and handed her things to her brother. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll find a way to stay in touch with you.”
    Jebediah stared down at her. For one horrible moment she thought there were tears in his eyes. “Are you certain this is what you want, honey? I swear we can find a better way to protect you.”
    Briony shook her head. If her brother broke down, she would cry a river. She held herself rigidly. “Not without all of you being in danger.”
    “Give him your earrings.” The order came from behind her. Too close behind her. Jack crowded her so that she felt his body heat. She felt his warm breath on the nape of her bare neck.
    Briony stiffened but didn’t turn around, her palms covering her earrings, holding them to her. “These belonged to my mother. They mean a lot to me.”

    “Give them to him. You can have them back later.”
    She was going to cry. She blinked furiously as she removed the small diamond studs.
    Jebediah closed his fist tightly around them as he bent to kiss