Kitabı oku: «The Second Sister», sayfa 3

Gavin inclined his head. “If you’ll all take seats we’ll see if we can’t hurry Mrs. Thomas on her way.”

The gibe was so deftly accomplished, Eden didn’t catch on. Jacob’s puzzled expression turned speculative. His gaze went from Leigh to Gavin and back again. If he didn’t already know about their brief moment of notoriety, someone in town would undoubtedly fill him in as soon as he asked a question.

Hayley was still in her protective mode, so Leigh mustered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The sight of Gavin might be doing crazy things to her insides, but she could handle the situation. Especially since Gavin was no longer looking directly at her.

She claimed the seat farthest from his desk and reminded herself that she was no longer seventeen. On the outside, at least, she would appear cool and sophisticated and ready to handle whatever came her way. She was very glad she’d had her hair cut before coming in here today.

Gavin began passing out paper folders. When he came to her, Leigh even managed an impersonal smile. Was that a hint of admiration she glimpsed in his eyes, or amusement at her pretense? He returned to his desk before she could be sure.

“Mr. Rosencroft had been ill for some time preceding his death. For the past several months, I’ve been the only associate in Rosencroft and Associates. I’m familiar with the estate and the various wills involved and am fully prepared to administer the estate, but you may, of course, wish to petition the court to assign the function to someone else. If you wish to do so, I’ll understand.”

Leigh held his gaze without blinking. No one said a word.

“The packets I just handed each of you contain copies of the agreement set forth between your grandfather, Dennison Barkley Hart, and this firm. There is a copy of his will as well as a copy of the one we have on file from your mother, Amy Lynn Hart Thomas.”

“What about Marcus?” Eden demanded sharply.

“I’ve included that as well. However, it is a very old will and it might be a good idea to be certain he didn’t have another will drawn up somewhere else that might supersede this one.”

“Ridiculous. This was the family firm.”

But Marcus had never been part of the family in any real sense. Leigh looked to where Eden sat stiffly in the soft leather chair.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Thomas. I checked our records thoroughly. This is the most recent will we have on file for him.”

Eden leaned forward. “Let’s get something clear right now, Mr. Jarret, this is a community-property state and I’m not going to be done out of what’s mine. My husband was married to Amy Hart for more than twenty years and he didn’t divorce her until after she disappeared. He’s entitled to half her estate because they were married when she disappeared.”

“Mrs. Thomas—”

“I intend to contest Amy’s will if you attempt to cut me out of what’s mine,” she continued angrily.

“That’s certainly your right, Mrs. Thomas. But I will tell you that these wills were set up to withstand just such a challenge. If you’ll look—”

Her expression turned sly. “I doubt Amy’s will allowed for the fact that she wasn’t in her right mind.”

Hayley leaped to her feet. “How dare you!”

“I mean no disrespect, Hayley,” Eden lied, “but everyone knows your mother was devastated by her father’s death. Even the police think that’s why she disappeared in New York City. She was too upset to be as careful as she should have been.”

Bram laid a hand on Hayley’s arm as Gavin’s rough voice swung every eye in his direction.

“Amy Thomas’s mental health makes no difference to the Heartskeep estate.”

“Of course it does. As her husband, Marcus was entitled to at least half of her estate.”

“Before we dispute that, let me explain that Amy Thomas’s estate did not include Heartskeep,” Gavin said smoothly.

Eden paled. “What are you talking about?”

“Mother, if you’d be quiet and listen for five minutes, we’d all know,” Jacob burst out.

Eden gaped at her son, as surprised as the rest of them by his uncharacteristic outburst. Bram tugged Hayley back down in her seat and kept a firm grip on her arm.

“Prior to his death, Dennison Hart was under a doctor’s care,” Gavin told them. “A sworn statement is included attesting to his mental state at the time this will was signed and witnessed. The conditions and bequests set out are quite explicit. Amy Hart Thomas was disinherited the day she married Marcus Thomas.”

“That can’t be!”

“I’m afraid it is, Mrs. Thomas. That clause was never revoked, even though Mr. Hart’s will was revised several times since the original will was drawn up. Amy was to have a generous allowance for as long as she lived. Heartskeep and its grounds were left in their entirety to Amy’s firstborn child, in this case, Hayley Hart Thomas.”

“This is outrageous!” Eden jumped to her feet. Her plump, stubby fingers curled into tight fists of anger. “My lawyer will be looking into this.”

“Of course, that’s certainly your right. I was going to advise you to seek legal counsel of your own. My card is enclosed,” Gavin said calmly. “Have your attorney call me with any questions.”

“Mother, sit down and let the man finish,” Jacob told her.

She rounded on her son, her face bright crimson. “I know collusion when I hear it,” she snapped. “They won’t get away with this.”

Eden stormed from the room, clutching the packet to her chest. Jacob rose as well, looking acutely embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Jacob,” Hayley told him.

“Thanks. I’d better go see to her.”

There was a moment of silence as he left, closing the door with a soft snick.

“I was under the impression that the terms of your grandfather’s will were general knowledge,” Gavin said.

“I thought so, too,” Hayley responded. “Mom and Grandpa told us a long time ago how the estate would be handled. Marcus knew. I know he did.”

“I guess he forgot to mention it to Eden,” Leigh said.

Gavin held her gaze. She felt a moment of vertigo as her stomach muscles contracted.

“According to Mr. Rosencroft, it was Dennison Hart’s wish to keep Heartskeep intact within his family. He went to considerable lengths to set up trusts to ensure that the estate would be protected.”

“From Marcus?” Hayley asked.

Gavin shifted in his chair. When he spoke, his tone was deceptively mild.

“From anyone who might seek to take it away. Ira said you’d understand your grandfather’s misgivings.”

“Absolutely,” Hayley agreed bitterly. “What I’ve never understood is why Mom married Marcus in the first place. What happens if I decline to accept the estate?”

Leigh gasped. Even Bram looked startled.

“What are you saying?” Leigh demanded.

Bram gripped Hayley by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t do this, Hayley. Not because of me.”

Leigh knew that Hayley’s wealth and Bram’s lack of money had been an issue for Bram from the start. Given her sister’s nature, she should have expected something like this.

“That’s not it, Bram. Honest. I want Leigh to have the house. I don’t even like the place anymore.” She shuddered. “And not just because of what happened.” Hayley looked at Leigh. “It stopped being home for me the day Mom disappeared. I can’t see myself ever living there again. Look, I’d hate to see it fall into any further disrepair, but if you refuse to take it on, that’s probably exactly what will happen.”

“But no pressure, right?” Leigh asked. “What makes you think I want that albatross?”

Gavin leaned back in his chair and regarded them. “Well, this is something Ira and Dennison didn’t foresee. Are you sure about this, Hayley?”

“Positive.”

“Leigh?” he asked.

“I…don’t know. I never gave any thought to owning Heartskeep. Mom always said it would belong to Hayley one day. That was fine with me. I mean, what am I going to do with a place that size?”

“Well, for one thing,” Hayley said, “since Eden already hired R. J. Monroe and his crew to repair the fire damage, I think we should have him tear down those walls upstairs and put the house back the way it was designed.”

“Hold on a minute,” Gavin interrupted. “Let me be sure I understand your position, Hayley. You definitely want to decline your inheritance?”

“As far as the house and grounds, absolutely. I lost any affinity for the place after being trapped inside Marcus’s office area while the house was burning down around us.”

Bram squeezed her fingers and Leigh shut her eyes, thinking how close her sister had come to dying for the sins of their father.

“Leigh?” Gavin asked.

She opened her eyes and looked at Hayley. “You could have warned me you were going to do this,” she chided. “I don’t want the place, either.”

“Then we’ll give it to charity.”

“That would be fine with me, but Grandpa would be crushed if he knew.”

“He’s dead. But you’re right,” Hayley agreed reluctantly. “He loved Heartskeep.”

Leigh realized that Bram would never feel comfortable if Hayley accepted the house. More than likely, he’d never ask her to marry him. Her wealth was bad enough, but Bram would hate living at Heartskeep. He’d made no secret of his feelings where the estate was concerned.

“I’ll tell you what,” Leigh told her sister. “I’ll accept Heartskeep as long as I can hold it for your firstborn child.”

“Deal!” Hayley turned to Bram in obvious relief. “And while I love the fence and gate you made, I want those bars off our windows and our stone lions put back. Right, sis?”

“I’m having them repaired as we sit here,” Bram told her.

“Lions?” Gavin asked Leigh.

“Two big stone lions used to sit on brick columns where Marcus had Bram put the wrought-iron gate.”

“I remember now,” Gavin said. “You seem to have some definite ideas about what you want done with the estate, Hayley. Are you certain you don’t want it? Nothing says you have to live there.”

“Good, because you couldn’t pay me to live there again. I really don’t want the estate, Gavin. I don’t want the responsibility.”

“Leigh?”

“My mother loved Heartskeep as much as my grandfather did, so I’ll take care of it for them.”

“Thanks, sis.”

Gavin frowned. “Then I’m afraid we’re going to have to have you accept the property, Hayley, then sign it over to your sister. You’ll get a terrific tax break, but she’ll have to pay.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“I’ll cover the taxes,” Hayley promised.

“I’ll have to draw up some new papers and get back to you on this.”

“Great! I feel a million pounds lighter already,” Hayley beamed.

Which explained why she felt a million pounds heavier, Leigh mused.

“Ah, sorry, but I’m afraid we aren’t quite finished yet,” Gavin told them.

“Marcus’s will,” Hayley said.

“That, too. We can dispense with your part of that pretty quickly. The will on file is dated nearly fifteen years ago. You were both mentioned by name,” Gavin told them. “The language is a bit, uh, strong, but the gist is that you didn’t need his money so you weren’t to get a cent from his estate. He left everything he had to Eden Voxx.”

Leigh sat back in relief.

“Good!” Hayley said. “That should make her happy.”

“I gather that won’t be a problem, then?” Gavin asked.

“Not with us,” Hayley assured him, looking to Leigh for confirmation.

She nodded at both of them.

“Then we can dispense with that part of this meeting. If you have any questions after you’ve looked over his will, feel free to call me. Ira wanted to meet with you on another issue completely.”

Gavin’s expression turned grave. He laid his palms flat on the desk and made eye contact with them.

“You know that Marcus was in charge of caring for Heartskeep under Ira’s supervision. What you may not know is that Ira was confined to a wheelchair for the past two and a half years. He didn’t get around much before that, either.”

“I know,” Hayley told him. “And Marcus never bothered to take care of the grounds or the buildings.”

“No,” Gavin agreed, “He didn’t. But he did bill the estate for hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs that were never made.”

“What?” Hayley demanded.

“Copies of the receipts are in your packets. Eden’s doesn’t contain this information. I was going to ask her to stay while I told you about this privately, first, but…” He shrugged.

“Marcus bilked the estate?” Hayley asked.

“Ira transferred several hundred thousand dollars into an account managed by Marcus shortly after your mother disappeared. He signed off on all the bills presented to him without sending anyone out to make sure the work was actually done. It wasn’t until I happened to drive past the entrance to the estate one day that I realized something was wrong. We had just paid Marcus a fortune for a completely new driveway that had never been installed.”

“You can say that again,” Hayley told him with asperity.

He held up a sheaf of papers. “I suspect all of these bills are phony. Some of these companies don’t exist except on paper.”

Leigh looked at the photocopy in her folder and nodded. “Computer generated?”

“That’s my guess. As near as I can tell without an audit, your estate has been defrauded of over six hundred fifty thousand dollars.”

Hayley gaped at him. Bram, sitting silently beside her, covered her hand.

Gavin’s eyes, which always seemed to see so much more than they should, pinned Leigh where she sat.

“You and I will need to work closely together. Will you be all right with that?”

Her heartbeat gave a little stutter. She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Of course. Will you?”

Chapter Three

Heartskeep rose defiantly against the sky. Leigh stared at the sprawling, once-elegant mansion and wondered what had become of the welcoming warmth the house had once projected. She suspected it had disappeared the same day as her mother.

Workmen were gutting the fire-damaged wing and all manner of trucks and equipment filled the turnaround out front. Leigh drove around to the back. She’d have to find R.J. As the supervisor, he needed to move repairs to the long, tree-shrouded driveway up on the list of priorities. The ruts had been bad enough before trucks had started lumbering over it. Now the ruts were beginning to resemble craters, making for a seriously bone-jarring ride.

R.J. was a couple years younger than Gavin, and was another of their neighbors’ foster sons. Leigh vaguely remembered him as a quiet loner in his teens. Tall and dark haired like Gavin, he was leaner, but just as good-looking. He’d been orphaned young and, after being abused by a series of foster parents, had become a serious disciplinary problem. Fortunately for him, like Gavin, he’d ended up under the caring supervision of George and Emily Walken. The couple had accepted and encouraged his need to work with his hands. Leigh was glad Eden had hired his fledging firm to take on the renovations, even if she’d done so for expediency and not out of any altruistic desire to help a neighbor.

Parking behind the house, Leigh stepped from the car and paused to stare up at the house. The sinister feel was even stronger back here. The bars Bram had installed over the windows didn’t improve things any. Leigh couldn’t wait for him to take them all down. Her sister owed her big-time for taking on this albatross.

Gavin had spent more than an hour going over the details and the money with them yesterday. He’d kept the discussion on a professional level the entire time, but Leigh had been aware of him every minute.

The myriad fictitious bills showed all sorts of major repairs that hadn’t been made—and most were desperately needed. Restoring the house inside and out was going to demand an enormous amount of time and money. Leigh didn’t mind spending either one, but she had a degree in telecommunications and one in computer science. Neither one would do her much good out here in horse country, but she’d called this morning and turned down the exciting new job she’d been offered in Boston because she realized the renovations were going to require a lot of time and thought. Leigh needed to be here—at least part of the time, so what was going to happen to their Boston apartment? She couldn’t see her sister moving back there without Bram any more than she could see Bram moving to an apartment in Boston.

Fretting, Leigh turned away from the house and headed for the peace of the garden maze. Gavin wasn’t due to meet her here for another twenty minutes or so and she wanted that time alone to think. Since yesterday, she’d been telling Hayley and the Walkens that she wasn’t the least bit concerned to find herself working so closely with Gavin. What had happened between them had been a long time ago and was unimportant now. She could deal with the situation like a mature adult.

An entire year, working closely with Gavin.

Why did he still have to look so incredibly good? Each time she met those penetrating eyes of his, her control slipped a notch and she had to struggle to surface from their compelling force. Flashbacks of that long-ago night kept her so on edge, it was hard to concentrate on anything else when she was around him. And what kept her awake late into the night was the certainty that Gavin hadn’t forgotten a thing any more than she had. She was almost certain she’d seen more than a flicker of masculine approval when he’d first looked at her in his office.

Right. Thinking that Gavin still had the hots for her was certainly dealing with the situation like a mature adult.

Leigh stumbled over a vine that had inched its way onto the path. Yanked from her troubled thoughts, she gazed around in dismay. The gardens were an even bigger mess than the house.

At one time, there had been three distinct mazes. Her grandfather had kept them trimmed to waist height to show off the ornamental trees and topiary animals sprinkled about. Dead ends had culminated in large circles with inviting benches, shade and ornamental trees, and a profusion of flowers. The water fountain and underground sprinkler system had been carefully planned before their grandfather’s death. Both had been installed the week her mother had disappeared.

The mazes had been a showplace, yet despite obnoxious bills to the contrary, no work had been done on them since the fountain was completed. The bushes that composed the walls now towered a good six feet or more. In several places, they’d overgrown the paths, uniting the mazes in a vast labyrinth. Most of the topiaries were unrecognizable, and the flowers were either gone or had been replaced by the roses Marcus had become so fond of tending.

Still, Leigh could almost sense her mother’s presence here among her gardens, as she’d called the mazes. Leigh half expected to round a curve and see Amy Thomas in her wide-brimmed sun hat, tending some flowers. She’d be distraught if she could see their present condition. Hiring a landscaper had just moved to the top of Leigh’s to-do list.

A squirrel suddenly skittered in front of her, racing away as if in mortal danger. Leigh realized she’d wandered down a dead-end trail by mistake. She turned to go back, when she heard the distinct crunch of footsteps approaching. A large shape abruptly blocked her path.

“Hello, Leigh.”

For a minute, she couldn’t place the vaguely familiar face. Then he smiled without humor.

“Nolan?”

Nolan Ducort III was the last person she had expected to see here, of all places. His blond good looks were dissipating right along with his hairline. His once-firm jaw had softened and rounded thanks to the thirty pounds or more he’d put on since she’d last seen him. Only his eyes were the same. Cold, and unnaturally blue thanks to contact lenses, they stared at her in a way that made her shiver despite the mid-June heat wave.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“You startled me,” she said warily. She was suddenly conscious of how quiet the maze had become. “I’m…surprised to see you here.”

He swaggered closer. Leigh took an involuntary step back. Instantly, she knew she’d made a mistake. His eyes glittered in triumph at the small show of weakness, and she found herself inside one of the dead-end circles.

“We have some unfinished business, you and I.”

Her stomach twisted in sudden fear. Surely Nolan didn’t mean to attack her. Not now. Not here in her own backyard.

She drew in a steadying breath, tossed her head and raised her chin as she’d seen Hayley do many times before when confronting an annoying person. Hayley was much better at handling the male of the species, but Leigh had learned a thing or two since her last meeting with Nolan.

Imitating her sister’s best haughty glare, she forced herself to look him up and down coldly, taking extra seconds to stare at the paunch that had started to bulge above his belt buckle. Color swarmed up his neck.

Satisfied that the pounds he’d gained would slow him down once she got past him, Leigh managed a sneer. “Get lost, Nolan. Unless you’d like to start doing your business from the inside of a jail cell.”

A flicker of surprise came and went. His features hardened. She had to work to keep her own expression from revealing her core of fear.

“We both know you aren’t going to go to the cops or you’d have done it by now.”

He was right, of course. They both knew what he’d tried to do that night, and they both knew there was no way to prove a thing.

“So, what were you doing at Saratoga the other day?”

The question came out of nowhere and made absolutely no sense.

“Saratoga?” There was a disturbing intensity behind his cold, penetrating stare. “I haven’t been to Saratoga in years.”

“Going to try and pretend it was Hayley?”

Leigh had no idea what he was talking about. She didn’t care. All she wanted was for him to move away from the opening so she could escape.

“Go away, Nolan.”

He tilted his head. A quiver skittered straight down her spine at the fury in his steely blue eyes. Despite her intention not to show any fear, Leigh looked away.

“Now you’ve made me curious, Leigh,” he said with chilling softness. “I wonder exactly what it is you’re trying to hide?”

What was he talking about? She started to protest and stopped. Arguing was pointless. It didn’t matter what he was talking about. Escape was all that mattered.

“Get lost, Nolan. I mean it. You don’t have any business here.”

“Now, that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, sounding pleased. “We’re doing business together right this very minute.”

His evil smile sent her pulse racing.

“Didn’t you know? I have an interest in R.J.’s construction company.”

While his voice leered, his expression did not. Cold and calculating, he seemed intent on deliberately baiting her.

“I’ve got an interest in any number of local businesses,” he continued when she remained silent. “In fact, it looks to me like you could use the services of my landscape company.” He waved a flaccid hand toward the overgrown hedges.

“Not even if they are the only ones in town. I’m not afraid of you,” she lied boldly. “I know exactly what you did.”

His eyes gleamed, murderous shards of blue. Her fingernails bit into the palms of her hands.

“Why don’t you call the cops then?” he demanded. “Let’s see which one of us they believe.”

“I know all about your family’s political pull, Nolan. I don’t care if your father and Chief Crossley are old friends. And I don’t care how many other politicians he’s bought. Do you really believe you’re invincible? Even you must realize you can’t buy your way out of everything.”

Fury brought him a step closer. She held her ground by sheer force of will.

“Don’t try to play games with me, Leigh. You’re out of your league.”

“Get out of here.”

“We aren’t finished yet. Don’t think I forgot how you made me look like a fool seven years ago.”

“Oh, please. You didn’t need any help from me.”

She hadn’t meant to say it out loud and she knew immediately that she’d gone too far. Nolan reached for her. Even as she dodged away, Gavin’s distinctive voice whipped through the clearing.

“I thought you understood what would happen if you ever touched her again, Ducort.”

Nolan pivoted in shock. “Jarret?”

Leigh exhaled in relief. The cavalry had arrived.

“Maybe you need a reminder,” Gavin added, his voice dangerously soft.

There was no swaggering bravado in the way he stepped forward. He wasn’t as big as Nolan, yet he appeared larger and far more intimidating. He seemed to glide into the clearing, dominating the space with easy assurance. Faded jeans and an open-necked shirt accentuated his tough, lean build. His hands swung loose at his sides, yet his casual air was far more daunting than any cocky pose.

Nolan wasn’t stupid. If it came to physical blows between the spoiled rich kid running to fat and the lean, once street-savvy bad boy of the county, there was little doubt of the outcome. Gavin would take him apart without even working up a sweat.

“I warned you once before. You should have listened. I never make idle threats, Ducort.”

Despite his casual tone, a lethal, raw energy flowed from Gavin. Nolan began backing away. He stopped when the back of his knees came up against the concrete bench that sat under the large maple tree.

Leigh was frightened by the leashed power she sensed so clearly in both men. Nolan’s cheeks deepened to a dark cherry red. He shot her a look of pure malice.

“If your pet goon lays a hand on me, I’ll sue you for every cent you inherited.”

Despite her shock and fear, she wanted to laugh at his posturing. “Pet goon?”

“I think he means me,” Gavin said without a trace of humor. “Since you plan to sue her, Ducort, I’ll give you one of my cards. I’m also her attorney.”

Gavin made no attempt to reach for his pocket. Nolan’s gaze darted from one to the other. His anger was as tangible as the waiting silence that had settled over the clearing. He settled for glaring at Leigh.

“I don’t know what your game is, bitch, but nobody screws with me.”

“I can understand that,” she muttered.

Raw fury started him in her direction. Gavin moved so fast Leigh didn’t have time to do more than gasp. The lawyer vanished in one beat of her heart, replaced by the street warrior Gavin had once been. He grabbed Nolan by his tailored, white linen shirtfront and spun him to one side, shoving him hard against the prickly, overgrown hedge.

“That’s going to cost you,” he promised.

Nolan squealed. A shadow speared the entrance to the clearing. Bram Myers stood framed in the opening. He was dressed all in black, from his sleeveless T-shirt to a stained pair of jeans. He appeared completely relaxed as he stood there blocking the only exit. Leigh would have thought him totally unconcerned if she hadn’t seen the expression in his midnight eyes.

“Problem, Gavin?” he asked lightly.

Gavin kept his gaze riveted on Nolan. He released the shirt with deliberate slowness before stepping back. “No problem. I was explaining some basic facts to Mr. Ducort.”

“I’ll have you on charges for assault and battery,” Nolan threatened. He straightened his shirt with unsteady fingers and shot Leigh a look that made her stomach contract.

“Now, what assault would that be?” Bram asked quietly. “You look pretty good for someone who’s been battered.”

Nolan sent him a look of impotent rage. “You’ll pay,” he sputtered. “You’ll all pay,”

“Ah. Now that sounded like a threat,” Bram said.

“The only one who’s going to do any paying around here is you, Ducort.”

As if he, too, worried Gavin might lose control, Bram stepped all the way into the circle. Leigh spoke quickly, hoping to diffuse some of the surging testosterone before someone got seriously hurt.

“Nolan was just leaving,” she said. “Weren’t you, Nolan?”

“Then why don’t I escort you to your car, Mr…. Ducort, was it?” Bram said. “I wouldn’t want you to trip and fall or anything on your way out. I think you’ve overstayed your welcome at Heartskeep.”

For a moment, Leigh thought Nolan would explode from the fury so plainly visible on his ruddy face. Without a word, he pushed past both men and stormed down the path, never once looking back.

Bram and Gavin shared a silent exchange. Bram nodded and turned to follow Nolan. Gavin focused his attention on her. Leigh only hoped the quaking turning her muscles to jelly wasn’t visible on the outside.

“Did he touch you?” Gavin demanded.

“N-no.”

Gavin’s unwavering scrutiny was chilling. This was a side of him she’d heard about but had never seen. Dark and intense, his anger was slow to fade. Where Nolan had blustered, Gavin projected a hard determination.

Leigh crossed her arms protectively over her stomach. Her knees felt absurdly weak and her stomach was queasy.

“Sit down,” he ordered.

The hands that guided her onto the unyielding bench were surprisingly tender. She’d forgotten he had such large hands. They were warm, with the long tapered fingers of a musician. Those hands had once roused her body to incredible heights, but now they soothed, lightly stroking her shoulder. Amazingly, his touch helped to dissipate the chills lifting the hairs on her bare arms.

“I’m all right,” she told him.

“I know you are.”

The warmth in his tone sent her pulse leaping. She shook her head, telling herself she was imagining things. Gavin wasn’t interested in her.

“Do you make a habit of rescuing women in distress?”

His gaze became shuttered. “Not generally, no.”

“What did you mean when you said you warned him once before?”

His eyes went flat and hard. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Leigh shook her head. Her mind whirled, slotting the pieces together. The picture that formed shocked her.