Nauti Intentions (8 page)

Fat Cat rumbled a protest as she opened the door. Setting him on the balcony, she received a hard slap at her hand by his sheathed paw, and a hiss

before he jumped up on the railing and stared at her with feline anger.

“Be good.†She wagged her finger back at him. “Or I’l forget the hamburger in your cat food tonight.â€

His whiskers twitched as his slitted eyes narrowed back at her. Janey turned back and closed the door behind her. Just what she needed, another

pissed-off male.

“So, Uncle Ray, do I get to bring my cat when I come to stay with you?â€

Ray looked at the door skeptical y. “Only if you have to.â€

Janey almost snorted at that. Cats and water didn’t always go together, so she doubted the male Mackays had much experience with cats.

Especial y fat cats. She was going to have to put him on a diet soon. He was getting heavy.

If she had to leave, he would end up hungry again. This was his territory, where he was comfortable. And Janey had found that, in ways, it was hers as

wel . She was comfortable here. She had a routine, the semblance of a life.

“Look, I’m not leaving.†She shook her head at them as she moved to the coffee cup. Dealing with a roomful of Mackays and one Jansen

mountain wasn’t her idea of morning fun.

“Then we’l take turns staying here. There’s five of us including Alex. You’l be taken care of,†Dawg decided.

She swung around. “Unacceptable.â€

“Highly acceptable, except for the Alex part,†Natches bit out. “Don’t push me, Janey. I’m stil having fucking nightmares due to Dayle

and Nadine. I don’t need this right now.â€

“And you think I need this?†She waved her hand at the five of them furiously. “Fine. You want someone to play babysitter, then he can do it.â€

She stabbed her finger at Alex. “If he wants to play tattletale, then he can also play night watch.â€

Alex’s brow arched, his gray eyes fil ed with amusement.

“No!†Natches barked. “He’s not staying.â€

“Then no one is.†She shrugged. “Been great seeing you this morning, bro. Tel Chaya I said hi, and give that little bundle she’s carrying a

pat from me. Close the door on your way out.â€

She could feel five male gazes on her, searing her, trying to see past her expression. She stared back at them calmly.

Natches was frankly furious. Alex was amused. The others ranged from simply pissed to disbelieving. They were al too big and too stubborn and too

determined to run her life. Hel , she had known when that first letter showed up exactly what was going to happen if Natches found out about it. She’d

have to let Sheriff Mayes know exactly what she thought of his promises.

“This won’t work, Janey,†Natches bit out.

“Of course it wil . He can show up after I’m finished at the restaurant at night and leave the next morning. No problem.†She shrugged.

“And the rest of the day?†Natches pushed the words past gritted teeth. “You think from midnight to dawn is the only time you’re in

danger?â€

“It’s the only time those letters have shown up,†she said. “He can do it my way, or you can forget it.â€

“You don’t mean this! Janey, tel me you don’t mean this!†Natches’s expression was blank with shock now, his eyes brighter in his

sun-darkened face, and that wasn’t normal y a good sign. He was outraged.

Alex watched Janey cool y. Her expression, as calm, as remote as it appeared, hid much more than anyone in that room could guess. Her bravery was

boundless. Her courage was terrifying. But he already knew that. He’d figured that out over the years while watching her.

She was pissed. She was stubborn as hel . And she was about to make every damned one of them pay for coming here and backing her into a corner.

He almost grinned as he watched her maneuver the Mackays. And she thought she was maneuvering him as wel .

She had no clue.

He’d known when he pul ed into the parking lot of the marina where this would go. He’d already weighed out the possibilities and come to one

conclusion. Hel , he’d managed to do that while he was sitting on the street outside last night.

Leaning against the wal now, his expression control ed, arms crossed over his chest, he watched her play her brother and her cousins with a

confidence and sheer daring that only a Mackay could muster. When one of the males of that family used it, it never failed to piss him off. But watching

Janey do it, he was hard as a rock and praying to hide it. Thankful y, he’d left his jacket on. Because sure as hel , if Natches had a clue just how hard

Alex was for his baby sister, blood would be spil ed.

“Tel her how insane this idea is!†Natches turned on him when Janey refused to listen.

Alex grimaced and rubbed at the outside of his thigh. “I am wounded, Janey,†he informed her. “I might not be your best bet.â€

Her expression was almost smug. “Too bad.†She turned to Natches. “Do you guys want coffee before you leave?â€

Everyone looked back at Alex.

He scratched his jaw and stared back at Janey, eyes narrowed.

“Why him?†Natches turned back to her suspiciously.

“Because I don’t have to put up with al the moaning and groaning at night like I would if it were one of you.†She rol ed her eyes back at him.

“Real y, Natches, al that marital bliss is too sweet for words.â€

Al three of the younger Mackay men developed an almost smug look on their faces as Alex final y winced. He didn’t want to hear about their

marital bliss, because one of them was married to his sister.

“I don’t like it,†Natches muttered, plowing his fingers through his hair again. “Damm it, Janey. You need someone around the clock. Not a

night watchman.â€

“If anything other than letters happen, I’l consider it,†she promised him.

The fear was there. Alex saw it, even if she did think she was hiding it from her brother. Those letters had her spooked, and rightful y so. But guts and

courage were Mackay traits, even if they were mixed with pure hardheaded stubbornness.

“How long is your leave?†Natches clearly wasn’t happy.

Alex arched his brows. “I have extended leave right now. I’m clear.â€

He could feel the other men watching him closely.

“I don’t like this,†Natches muttered again.

“Look at it this way,†Janey chirped. “You get what you want.†She turned to Alex, tilted her head, and smiled with a tight little curve to her

lips. “And he gets to pay for it.â€

FOUR

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Alex fol owed the others from the apartment almost an hour later, careful y keeping his expression calm and his mouth shut. If he wasn’t careful, he

was going to chuckle. And that chuckle could risk
his
careful y laid plans.

It wasn’t often a man could claim he’d managed to maneuver not just one intrepid little Mackay female, but her brother and two cousins as wel .

Though, he wasn’t so sure about the cousins. Or the uncle. The three of them were a little too quiet, and a little too amused.

Mackays could be subtle when the situation cal ed for it. It just had to suit them to do so. Now, Natches, he wasn’t so subtle.

“Touch her. Just one time. Even dare to touch her, Alex, and I’l cut your dick off,†Natches warned him as they reached the trucks, his cousins

and uncle trailing behind them.

Alex turned to him, staring back at Natches’s furious green eyes curiously. “Hel of a warning to give me, buddy,†he snorted. “I’m

doing you a favor here, not the other way around.â€

Natches was right up in his face and, under most circumstances, would have found himself flat on his ass for his trouble. Problem was, if he hit Natches,

he would have three others just as mean he’d have to fight, and then al his planning would go to hel .

“You don’t do anyone favors,†Natches informed him heatedly. “And don’t think I forgot how you were watching her six years ago.â€

He gave Alex a disgusted look. “She was a baby.â€

Alex stared back at him cool y. Janey had been seventeen at the time, which didn’t excuse him, but she hadn’t been a baby.

“I’ve done the Mackays plenty of favors,†he reminded Natches. “The past six years I’ve busted my ass and my team’s to not just

do our job, but cover her when we’re not on assignment. When on assignment, I’ve invariably managed to find backup, Natches.†He sneered

the other man’s name. “That was a hel of a favor, buddy.â€

“From a man lusting after a kid,†Natches charged.

Alex had control. He’d majored in control. He was the king of control. But it snapped. Before he realized what he was doing, he had Natches’s

jacket in his fists, throwing the other man against the side of the building.

“Don’t cross the line, fucker!†Alex snarled in his face. “Don’t even cross that line.â€

He was surprised the others hadn’t jumped in. He was even more surprised when Natches’s expression lost its fury. His hands came up, not to

hit, but to jerk Alex’s hands back.

“Christ!†Natches dug his fingers into his neck, shook his head. “Hel , Alex. I didn’t mean that, man.â€

Alex stepped back, fury and guilt, more guilt than fury, pumping through his veins as he retreated.

“You’re right.†Natches ran his hand over his face and shook his head again. “You’re right. You’ve been in this al along, watching

out for her. More than I was.†Torment creased Natches’s face. “You did what I couldn’t.â€

And Alex had lusted. Every year it had grown, surged inside him until now. But Janey wasn’t a baby. She was a grown woman. An innocent,

seductive young woman. And he was old enough to know better.

“Fuck it.†Alex moved back to his truck. “I’l be here after dark. Hel !†He got into his truck and waited. He let Natches pul out first, then,

as Dawg moved to the window, he hit the control and lowered the glass.

Dawg leaned against the door, watched Natches leave, then turned back to Alex.

“I know what he doesn’t.†Dawg nodded after Natches.

“And that is?â€

“You want her too fucking bad to walk away.†Dawg turned back to Alex, his gaze steely. “And that’s okay. She’s a damned pretty

woman
.†His voice hardened. “And a damned vulnerable one. Break her heart, Alex, and brother-in-law or not, we’l take you apart.â€

Alex stared back as Dawg nodded, then moved away. Hel , Mackays were a pain in the ass.

He looked up at the apartment, and, standing there in the chil morning air, that cat cradled in her arms, was Janey. How much had she seen? Heard?

From the look on her face, probably al of it. He knew the look of a pissed-off Mackay, and she definitely had that look. The only difference was, on her, it

looked damn fine.

He lifted his fingers in a lingering salute and shot her a mocking smile before backing out of the parking space and heading down the street.

His things were already packed at home. He was prepared. He’d return in a few hours. And then what? He frowned at that question.

What? Seduce her? Show her how nasty he could get, then walk out on her later?

Hel . What was in his mind? What made him think Janey was anything like the other women who understood that when morning came, he would be

gone?

So why wasn’t his dick listening? Hel , why wasn’t his head listening? He couldn’t stop thinking about her, remembering that kiss. The

innocence was kil ing him, and God only knew, he thought innocence was a damned fine thing in a woman. So why did he want to destroy Janey’s?

Because it was his. He wasn’t even going to let himself think
she
was his, just her innocence. He wasn’t going there, he promised himself. He

had never let himself get mired in the quicksand of false love, and he wasn’t going to let it happen now.

Janey was more grounded than her brothers or her cousins thought she was. More mature than any of them believed. He had seen that in her, felt it in

her. Or he was just fooling himself and creating an excuse to al ow himself into her bed.

For a second, just a second, he prayed she was strong enough to keep him out of it. Otherwise, he had a feeling he would end up destroying both of

them.

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Janey was waiting when Alex arrived that evening. She’d cal ed Rogue and rescheduled their girls’ night out. She hadn’t given the other

woman an explanation and Rogue hadn’t asked for one. Janey had been torn, though. She wanted that night out. She’d never been dancing. She

had never gotten tipsy in her life. She wanted to do both.

She wanted to sway to the music, laugh and have fun. She wanted to be female. Feminine. She wanted to wear makeup and that new skirt Rogue had

talked her into buying.

This evening, she wore a pair of cotton running pants and a T-shirt. She hadn’t straightened her hair, so the loose curls feathered around her face,

almost to her shoulders.

She’d had it cut immediately after coming out of the hospital months before. The long strands had hung nearly to her waist, and every time she felt

the weight of it she’d been reminded of how often Dayle and Nadine had used her hair to drag her around.

Now it was shorter, easier to keep up with, and Janey actual y liked the way it framed the almost narrow lines of her face.

She was twirling one of those curls around her finger as she sat on the couch going through bil s for the restaurant and waiting on Alex. Yet when his firm

knock sounded on the door, she jumped, startled.