Rescue Me!. Elda Minger

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      She couldn’t take her eyes off this hero

      That sexy, muscular, masculine body who’d come to her rescue. When Cody bent to reach for his jeans, she said just one word.

      “Please…”

      The word sounded loud in the quiet of the motel room. He looked at her, disbelieving. Puzzled. But also desiring her. He couldn’t hide it any more than she could.

      Jen held out her hand. She was acting on pure instinct, wanting to reaffirm life in the most primal way possible. Her throat felt dry, constricted with both fear and excitement.

      He moved toward her on the bed, his eyes wide, his growing arousal evident.

      She wanted to take him into her arms and offer him peace. It would be pleasant. No…Pleasant couldn’t begin to describe her sexual feelings toward Cody.

      I want you, she thought, as I’ve never wanted another man in my life. With a single touch she knew she would set something in motion. Something that was always meant to be. Destiny. Kismet.

      This was more than just sex.

      Dear Reader,

      When I looked up the word hero in my dictionary, there were several meanings, among them a mythological or legendary figure of great strength and authority. A man admired for his achievements and qualities, or a chief male in literary and dramatic work. Or perhaps a hero is a person who does brave deeds, like the main character in a movie.

      There are many definitions, but we all know a hero when we see one. Someone rises to the occasion and becomes the best person he or she can be. The New York City firemen who displayed extraordinary courage in the face of absolute disaster that day in September. A best friend who keeps others going through tough times and despair. Or someone who hopes, and acts, against impossible odds.

      Cody Roberts, the hero in Rescue Me!, is such a person. Faced with deadly odds, he chose to act. And in so doing, he changed the lives of three people, himself included, forever. I loved writing his AMERICAN HEROES story, and I hope you will all enjoy reading it, as well.

      All my best,

      Elda Minger

      Rescue Me!

      Elda Minger

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To Nancy Cochran.

      You are a heroine in real life, and this story is for you.

      I’m so lucky to have you as a friend.

      Contents

       Chapter 1

       Chapter 2

       Chapter 3

       Chapter 4

       Chapter 5

       Chapter 6

       Chapter 7

       Chapter 8

       Chapter 9

       Chapter 10

       Chapter 11

       Chapter 12

      1

      CODY ROBERTS HAD SUFFERED through worse hangovers, but he couldn’t remember when.

      His mouth tasted like the inside of a sewer. His eyes were gritty. He had to get to his job by noon, show up and convince everyone he could still do it. And he’d never felt less like going to work in his life.

      But he had no choice. Especially not with his reputation. People he worked with depended on him. And more than that, he wanted to be able to depend on himself again.

      Even though Cody wasn’t drunk, he drove carefully along the Arizona road, watching out for other cars. He wasn’t so hungover that he was a danger to others. No, if he’d been that wasted, he wouldn’t have gotten behind the wheel of a car.

      As low as he’d gotten various times in the last seven years, he’d never sink that low.

      Fortified by a cup of black coffee from a convenience store a few miles back, Cody drained the last of the surprisingly good coffee and tossed the empty cup into the back of the rusty old blue van. With just a little more caffeine he’d be ready to head back to work.

      Up ahead, just as the sun began to break over the horizon, he saw the familiar logo of another chain convenience store. Though desert sunrises were spectacularly beautiful, painting the skies with lavenders, pinks and golds, Cody didn’t allow himself the pleasure of enjoying nature’s gifts. He had a cup of coffee to get and a job to finish up this October morning—in that order.

      JENNIFER WHITNEY STARED AT the front of the convenience store, wondering if she had enough energy to walk inside.

      She’d been driving most of the night. Now, just east of Phoenix, off Interstate 10, she had to decide if she was going to take a detour on her way to Los Angeles by way of Sedona. She wanted to see those red rocks and energy vortexes and the Indian ruins and had planned on making this detour when she’d first started out.

      But now she was wiped out. Perhaps the wisest thing to do would be to forget the coffee, find the nearest motel, check in and sleep for a good twelve hours. She needed to rest. More than that, she needed the sanctuary of a motel room in order to forget her problems. And they were considerable.

      The need for coffee won out. She stretched, then grimaced as she heard all the little cricks and pops of her protesting body when she moved. Determined to get some coffee and hit the road again, Jen stepped out of the car and went into the store.

      CUTE BUTT.

      That was Cody’s first thought as he pulled into the convenience store parking lot. He eased the van to a stop on the far side of the parking lot, needing the little bit of a walk to stretch his legs and get some air.

      The petite blonde had caught his eye the minute she’d walked into the store. He observed her through the glass, enjoying the view as she headed straight for the coffee.

      Cute butt, he thought again. And a great car. The candy-apple-red Mustang sat in the parking lot, directly in front of the convenience store, the backseat piled high with boxes, blankets and what looked like a small table. He imagined that the trunk was crammed just as tightly.

      She was moving. On the road.

      He thought about talking to her, then realized he probably looked like the devil himself. After a long, lost weekend, he had a certain griminess about him, and certainly from the way his eyes were stinging and sensitive, they had to be bloodshot.

      Hardly the best first impression to make on a lady.

      And she was a lady. He’d registered that fact right away. The way she carried herself, the way she wore her clothing, even though she was dressed in jeans and a light pink sweater. He’d seen the slender gold bracelet flash on her