He staggered to his feet and put a hand to the back of his head, then pulled it away and stared at his fingers, which came away sticky withshe blinked in the dim light. Blood. Oh God. She really didnt do well with blood-
Who are you? he demanded.
Given the force of his voice, he wasnt mortally injured. And given the incredible sharpness of his eyes and body, he wasnt the type to be easily laid flat. She stood there uneasily, not sure who were the good guys and who were the bad. But this man, this six-foot-tall, lean, mean, nearly naked fighting machine looked so much like her boss
His laser, light-blue eyes looked her over, then met her gaze, and she swallowed hard. Had she really thought he looked like Eddie? Maybe the dark, spiky hair, the see-through eyes, the lean, shadowed jaw were the same, but even though shed never seen Eddie nearly naked, she doubted he had such a hard, muscled, sleek look to him. Hed certainly never looked so intense, so unsmiling, so utterly edgy and terrifying in the month shed been working for him.
Suddenly her last job, doing payroll for a local YMCA, didnt seem so bad. If only they hadnt had to reduce their staff, if only she hadnt been the low person on the totem pole, if only
Who are you? he repeated in that low, husky voice that would have resembled Eddies, if it didnt have all the fury in it.
T-Tessa Delacantro. For the second time in a few minutes, she backed to a door. The handle hit her fingers and she jerked at it, but it didnt budge.
Its locked, and like everything else in the house, its the best money can buy so it cant be broken, Eddies evil twin said.
She tried it again anyway, still eyeing him carefully. How many times had her sister told her ninety-nine percent of all men were scum? Not that shed ever listened.
If she ever got out of here, shed listen to Carolyn. Always.
He had one hand propped up against the wall as he contemplated her with an enigmatic expression that was probably supposed to be polite, not terrifying.
But he didnt have the facial features for polite, not with those shocking light eyes and harsh frown. What are you doing here?
She tried not to stare, but it wasnt every day she was so up close and personal to a nearly naked man while shaking in fear. In fact, she was hardly ever this close to a nearly naked man, scared or otherwise. Im watching the house for the weekend, she said. ButEddie?
A short, rough laugh escaped him at that, a sound that had nothing to do with mirth. No.
Her heart was flinging itself against her ribs so hard it was amazing they hadnt all cracked. Um She swallowed hard. Eddies brother? Eddiestwin brother?
His go-to-hell eyes frosted over. No. Im Reilly. Body taut with tension, arms crossed now-which delineated his hard contours in interesting ways, not that she was noticing-he let out a breath. His son.
Eddie had told her he had a son, but by the indulgent smile on his face when hed mentioned him, Tessa had imagined a little boy, certainly someone far younger than thirtyish and not quite so mind-bogglingly magnificent. But- She let out a sound of pure confusion and eyed the window. The place had been built on a hill, and naturally, she was hillside and at least forty feet up.
She looked at Reilly again. His stance implied strength and an innate confidence she could only dream of. There was no doubt, this man was in complete control of himself, even injured and half-naked.
Apparently unconcerned with that nakedness, he moved toward her. She flinched back against the door, but he kept coming, and took the hand shed unconsciously held to her still-raw and aching throat.
Slowly but inexorably he pulled her hand up and stared at what hed exposed.
Impossibly, his eyes hardened even more. They hurt you, too. He ran a finger over her skin then lifted his gaze to hers. You were to watch the house for Eddie?
Yes.
He made a rough sound. That figures.
Figures how?
He favors the young and innocent.
The words young and innocent came out as if those were the most irritating traits a person could have. How many times had she been told she looked ten years younger than her twenty-six? Plenty. So she looked young, big deal. Did people always have to use the word innocent when describing her?
She really resented the hell out of that.
You interrupted them, he guessed, and grimaced with what actually might have been concern. Then he took her other hand as well, the one shed been cradling to her belly because her wrist still hurt, and turned it over to expose the mottled bruising already appearing there. He lifted his gaze and held hers for a long moment. Where else did they get you?
Nowhere.
Still holding her wrist, he looked her over thoroughly, and she let him because she didnt feel up to doing anything else.
Besides, he had the air of a man well used to being in charge, the kind of man others would look to in a crisis. The kind of man that would be annoying in everyday life because of it.
Alpha male at its finest. And she preferred beta men. This guy didnt appear to have a sensitive, compassionate bone in his body. He certainly didnt feel the need to charm and cajole, or make everyone smile around him as his father did. He simply didnt have the same easy warmth and charisma.
And in truth, he actually seemed far more dangerous than the thug whod thrown her in here. She wondered how anyone had ever managed to hurt him, because all that carefully restrained strength was intimidating as hell. He must have been ambushed, and she doubted hed gone down easily.
And yet the way he was looking her over for unseen injuries softened something inside her, just a little, at least until he touched the back of his head again and cursed, which made her jump. Youre bleeding, she said inanely.
Yeah, thats what happens when you take a heavy, ridiculously overpriced vase to the head.
He had been ambushed. Sit down. Please-
Im fine.
Well, he was indeed pretty darn fine, but wasnt it just like a man not to admit when he was hurt. She turned back to the door and wriggled the handle again. It still didnt give. At least her legs had stopped shaking. Maybe we can somehow stop him, before he cleans Eddie out-
Are you kidding? No one can clean Eddie out, hes got more money than God.
Well, we cant just stand here. She leaned against the door in frustration. This place was her responsibility this weekend and she took that responsibility seriously. That guy said his job was to mess this place up. Maybe we can bang on the door, make nuisances of ourselves, until he comes back down here. Then one of us can distract him while the other-
Youre as crazy as Eddie. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a mirthless laugh. And heres a news flash. Theres four of them, all apparently intent on getting good old Dads toys, of which he has many.
Four?
I took two of them out and was working on the third when the last one knocked me on the head from behind. He gritted his teeth, his jaw tight. Id have gotten him, too, but they caught me distracted.
Tessas mouth had fallen open. Thered been four of them. And hed taken out three.
By himself.
She eyed his bare chest only inches from her nose and tried not to ogle. So youre the martial arts expert the guy was grumbling about.
He nodded.
What happened to your clothes?
He looked away. When I hit the floor, they found my gun.
Yourgun.
And then they strip-searched me for more weapons.
She could only stare at him. Shed imagined him dangerous. Edgy. Butarmed? Wow.
He ground his teeth but didnt say anything else.
Four, she repeated softly.
And now two of them are armed, he said. Courtesy of moi. So even if we could distract them and bring them back this way, its not the wisest move. Unless youre wearing a bulletproof vest? No? he asked when she shook her head. See, bad move. Gingerly, as if he had a headache, which he no doubt did, he sank back to the cot.
Who would do this?
He lifted a shoulder. Your guess is as good as mine. Eddie certainly has plenty of enemies.
How was that possible? The Eddie she knew wouldnt harm a fly. So were just going to stand here and wait for them to decide were not exactly an asset?
Im not going to stand. He lay back, put his feet up, and closed his eyes.
She stared at him. Youre not serious.
He drew in a deep breath, and, as if they were attached to his body by strings, her eyes followed the motion of his broad chest rising and falling, followed the way his six-pack belly caved in, and how his knit boxers lovingly cupped hispackage.
And, oh my, what a package.
A little shocked at herself, she turned her back on him. I cant believe this. She took a good look around the small, spartan room. There was nothing in it but the cot, and yet the rest of the house was so absolutely beautifully done. It was strange. Where are we anyway?
The servants quarters.
She turned around to look at him, but he hadnt budged nor opened his eyes. Did you grow up here?
No.
Did you-
How many more questions do you figure you have, because Id like to sleep off this headache.
Shed been manhandled, terrified and trapped, and she could deal with that. But it would have been nice if itd happened with a warmer, more compassionate man, a man who put others needs and fears ahead of his own need for a nap.
Certainly someone more in touch with his own emotions.
In other words, this mans polar opposite. You shouldnt go to sleep, she said, unable to just ignore him. She had a feeling he could be fully dressed and she still wouldnt be able to ignore him. You could be concussed.
He didnt answer. His body took up the entire cot and more, a good portion of his long legs were hanging off the cot. His wide shoulders barely fit onto the thin mattress.
But what if shed wanted to lie down? What then? Shed have to be snuggled right up against all that bare sinewy flesh.
Not that hed even care, as he appeared to not have given her a second thought. Wasnt that ever so flattering? Are you really going to sleep?
Shhh.
Unbelievable. She watched him breathe slowly and evenly for another moment before letting out a frustrated sigh. Fine. Sleep. Without a care to her own possible fears and pain. Wasnt that just like an alpha?
She eyed the room again. The window was still too small, with no fire escape or way to climb down. Interestingly enough though, there appeared to be an attic access in the ceiling, a decent-sized one, too. Not that she could reach it alone, but they had to get out. Maybe if he helped- Reilly?