The Millionaire's Club: Connor, Tom & Gavin. Michelle Celmer

he’d seen her face.

      He’d seen corpses with more color. He knew right then, if there was a lesson to be learned, she’d learned it, and all the yelling and cursing he could do wouldn’t compare to the scare she’d just had. All she’d needed was someone to hold her.

      When he’d pulled her out of the truck and she’d clung to him, her arms so tight around his neck he could barely breathe, her legs clamped like a vise around his waist, whatever was left of his anger dissolved into the cool, dusty air. To see her so scared, so vulnerable, made him sick in his soul.

      He tried to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t gotten to her in time, if she’d been hurt, and his chest clenched so tightly he could hardly draw a breath. He didn’t know what happened to him in those minutes between the time that he saw the brake fluid on the driveway, and the point when he’d opened the truck door, but he felt irrevocably changed.

      All he knew, the only thing he was certain of, was now that he had her in his arms, he didn’t ever want to let go.

      “I’m so sorry,” she said softly and he had to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

      “Not as sorry as I would be if I’d let something happen to you.” He stroked her back, tunneled his fingers through her hair, let himself really feel her—the long length of her body curled around him, the heat of her skin radiating through her shirt, the softness of her breasts against his chest. Her pulse vibrated through him like an electric charge, jump-starting the heart that had lain dormant inside him for so long. He could feel his body waking to her touch, his resolve weakening, and he let it happen. He’d been fighting so long and hard, he was too tired to do it another second. It was a relief to finally let go. To give in.

      Nita leaned back to look at him, so young and vulnerable. She reached up and touched his face, smoothed an unsteady hand across his cheek, a look of longing in her eyes.

      He lost it.

      For once in his life, he was going to take what he wanted.

      He cupped her face in his hands, brushed his lips across hers, and the sensation traveled through him like a wrecking ball, knocking down the invisible barrier he’d kept around his emotions. For the first time since he couldn’t remember when, he was letting himself feel something other than the heavy hand of responsibility or that tedious sense of regret he’d grown so tired of. And the anger, the rage that gripped him at the slightest provocation—it was gone.

      With Nita in his arms, he felt excited and peaceful and restless all at once. Her mouth was hot and sweet as their breath mingled. Tongues touched. So lightly, as if they wanted to linger in that perfect moment. And it was perfect, he realized. Nothing had ever felt so right to him.

      He had to touch her, had to have his hands on her body.

      He pulled her shirt from the waist of her jeans and slid his hands up her back, over her bare skin. She moaned softly, kissing him deeper, showing him once again she wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted. He slipped his hands around to cup her breasts and her legs tightened about his waist, her body riding intimately against him. He was the one who groaned this time. He wrapped his hands around her rear end, pulled her even more firmly against him. He could feel himself losing control, the kiss going from demanding to reckless, but he didn’t care. He wanted to touch every inch of her, taste her skin. He wanted it hot and rough and sweaty. He wanted whatever she was willing to give him. Which he was guessing would be pretty much anything.

      In the distance he heard an approaching car. Nita pulled away and they both turned to see the sheriff’s SUV sailing toward them, lights flashing.

      They swore simultaneously.

      “Can we get rid of him?” she asked breathlessly.

      Connor sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “He’s going to have to question you.”

      She looked at him and whatever fear had been there before was long gone. “If you could feel how wet I am right now, I’ll bet you would find a way.”

      That mouth of hers never ceased to amaze him. And fascinate him. “We’ll pick this up later.”

      “You can bet on it, cowboy. I don’t care if the house catches fire. We are gonna get naked tonight and I’m going to show you everything you’ve been missing.”

      Gavin snapped his phone shut then turned to Nita, Connor and her father, all sitting in the family room, waiting for what Connor was sure would be bad news.

      “There’s no doubt about it,” Gavin told them. “The line was cut.”

      Connor shook his head. “Whoever did this has gone too far. Nita could have been killed. This was attempted murder.”

      “And the sheriff’s office is going to give it top priority,” Gavin said, then he flashed Nita a stern look. “But you need to be more careful. Don’t go anywhere without Connor.”

      Though Connor would have expected an argument from her, she was silent. In fact, she’d been quiet all afternoon and into the evening, answering only the questions she was asked, saying nothing more. Gavin had interviewed Nita, Connor and every member of the staff. They’d determined the line had to have been cut sometime the night before, but no one had seen or heard a thing.

      “Have you folks ever thought about getting a watchdog?” Gavin asked. “It could deter someone from trespassing.”

      “Daddy and I are both allergic,” Nita said.

      “Well, I’ll make sure my deputy takes a few passes by the farm every night, but that’s about the best I can do for now. We just don’t have the manpower to watch all the property.”

      “Whatever you can do to help,” Will said. “I’m just glad you’re finally taking this feud seriously.”

      “Will, you have to remember that, until we have evidence to the contrary, this has nothing to do with the feud. Throwing accusations around will only make things worse.” Gavin turned to Connor. “If anything comes up or if I have more questions, I’ll be in touch.”

      “I’ll walk you out,” Connor said. He led Gavin through the house to the door.

      When they were on the porch Gavin asked, “She realizes how serious this is now?”

      “She knows. She had a hell of a scare today.”

      “Yeah, she looked pretty scared when I pulled up. I thought I was going to have to arrest you both for public indecency.”

      For the first time in his life he was taking something he really wanted, he’d be damned if he was going to apologize to anyone for it. “You got a problem with that?” he snapped.

      Gavin laughed and held both hands up. “No problem at all, Connor. I think Nita is a fine woman. You’re a lucky man.”

      Didn’t he know it. “Call me if you get any new information. I want you to nail whoever did this.”

      “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”

      Gavin left and Connor went inside, locking the door behind him, wishing once again that they had a security system. When Clint had told Nita how much it would cost, she’d said absolutely not and wouldn’t even discuss it. Maybe now she would reconsider.

      He locked the kitchen door, then walked back to the family room, found Nita and her father sitting together on the couch. His arm was around her and her head was resting on his shoulder. Connor couldn’t help feeling a stab of envy. Will showed Nita more love and affection than Connor’s parents ever had combined. He’d always been taught to hide his feelings, that speaking his mind only got him a whack with the belt. The only way he knew how to please his father, the only way he had known how to measure up, was to follow in the old man’s footsteps. To be everything his father expected. And in spite of it all, Connor had never gotten the approval he’d longed for. Never felt good enough.

      The further