This was a bad idea. The entire drive to his house, Cole kept his eyes on the road and tried not to question his motives for bringing Jamie home with him. He was just providing her with a safe house. Protecting her. It had nothing to do with the fact that whenever he was around her a rush of heat shuddered through his veins, or that the thought of falling into bed with her made his groin tighten.
Right, nothing to do with that.
But…he could no longer deny that he cared about this woman. When he’d looked out the diner window and seen Jamie’s crumpled SUV being towed in, his entire body had gone paralyzed with fear. Then flooded with relief when he’d seen Jamie in the clinic, safe and sound.
It made him ill at ease, how much he cared about her well-being. Ever since the divorce, he’d vowed to stay detached, to avoid any lasting contact with the female gender. When Jamie had left his house after they’d almost made love, he’d told himself it was for the best, that he’d successfully avoided any risk of developing feelings other than desire for her. And then she went ahead and almost got killed, and now there was no way he could pretend he didn’t care.
Shoving away his disconcerting thoughts, he drove through the gate and pulled into his driveway, shooting her a concerned look as he shut off the engine. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
She shrugged. “A little sore, but I was lucky to escape with only a few bruises.”
“Maybe a hot bath will help. You can use the Jacuzzi in the master bedroom,” he offered.
Although he’d sincerely been thinking about her aching body, the second he pictured Jamie naked in his Jacuzzi, arousal burned in his blood. Must have burned in his eyes too, because Jamie gave a sharp intake of breath, her own eyes going heavy-lidded.
Then she sighed. “This was a bad idea.”
He swallowed. “We’re adults, Jamie. We’re perfectly capable of reining in this attraction and keeping things on a friends-only basis.”
“Are we?”
Their gazes locked. Another burst of heat flared in his groin.
“We are,” he said in a firm voice, though his tone didn’t seem to convince either one of them.
Sighing again, Jamie reached for the small suitcase sitting on the seat between them. They’d stopped by the B&B to get her things, and the suitcase only served as a reminder that she would be staying with him. Sleeping in the room next to his. Possibly soaking in his Jacuzzi.
Cole gulped, then took the bag from her hands and hopped out of the truck. He rounded the vehicle to open her door and the two of them headed for the porch. After he unlocked the door and disabled the alarm, he dropped her suitcase on the parquet floor and glanced at her, suddenly noticing the disheveled state of her clothing. Dirt streaked her T-shirt and there was a small hole in her jeans, revealing the pale skin of her knee. His heart thudded again as he pictured her jumping out of a moving car.
“I should get cleaned up,” Jamie said, noticing the sweep of his gaze. “Should I use the guest room you gave me the night of the storm?”
“Sure, and don’t forget to take one of the painkillers the doc prescribed you.”
She rolled her eyes, then brushed past him and climbed the wide staircase. “I don’t need painkillers,” she called over her shoulder. “I’m honestly fine, Cole.”
He gave up on the pills—he knew a stubborn woman when he saw one. “Whatever you say, Agent Crawford. How about I make us some dinner?”
“Sounds good.” Her voice was muffled; she was already disappearing into the second-floor landing.
Cole waited until she was out of earshot, then released a breath.
He wanted her, damn it.
And it drove him crazy, this insane need to claim her. The way they’d almost fallen into bed without a single concern for reason or consequence had reminded him far too much of his courtship with Teresa. He refused to jump into anything rash ever again, yet when it came to Jamie Crawford, he couldn’t seem to remember the new set of rules he’d outlined for himself.
What was it about her that drew him in like a moth to a flame? Her intelligence? Her intriguing beauty? And what exactly did he feel for her? Gratitude, especially now that she’d gotten the truth out of Joe Gideon. Admiration, for the professional way she handled herself. Awe, that she could jump out of a moving car without hesitation. And desire.
He glanced down at the erection straining against his jeans. Oh yeah, definitely desire.