A priceless expression fell over his face.

“Oh, please.” Alani had to laugh. “It’s not like I asked to carry your gun.”

He tipped back his hat and scoffed. “I’d say no to that, too.” He scrutinized her. “But you do know how to shoot, don’t you?”

“I know enough. Trace insisted.” And after her kidnapping, she’d done plenty of practicing to ensure she could handle a weapon.

He reached for her purse. “You carrying?”

“No!” Alani snatched the bag away. “Of course not.”

Considering that, Jackson declared, “We’ll get you a piece. You shouldn’t be out and about without it.” He gave her small designer purse a look of dislike. “You’ll need to carry something bigger, though.”

She did not want to be armed. “You’re here, so what do I need with a gun? Aren’t you protection enough?”

He went so still, it almost made her laugh again. Until he said, “You suggesting I should stick around 24/7?”

“What?” A rush of heat hit her cheeks. “No, of course I wasn’t.”

Keeping her caught in his gaze for far too long, he studied her, and finally smiled. “Yeah, I’m protection enough. I guess as long as you’re with me, you don’t need anything else.” He snatched the keys out of her lax hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Objecting was beyond her. Jackson held her back while he opened the door and searched the area with a mere sweep of his gaze that, if she wasn’t familiar with Trace’s habits, she might have missed.

Apparently he considered the coast clear, and they headed out.

The bright late-day sun sank a little lower in the sky, casting long tree shadows over her sidewalk but not quite reaching her car.

“You don’t park in your garage?”

“Usually, yes.” The car would be sweltering after baking in the sun. “But since I hadn’t planned to be home long, it didn’t seem worth the bother.”

He opened the passenger door for her. “You came home only to turn around and leave again?”

Trying to stay busy so she wouldn’t think of him. Not that he needed to know that much. “I’d only wanted to change my sandals, that’s all.”

Scowling, he closed her door and strode around the hood to the driver’s side. He started the engine but then rested his hands on the steering wheel and hesitated.

Alani half turned in her seat. “Jackson?” Was he feeling sick again? God knew, she shouldn’t ask, he was so touchy about it.

Dark, almost foreboding, his gaze swung to her. In a voice gone low and gravelly, he said, “It’s sort of eating me up, knowing I hurt you.”

Oh. So that dark look was out of concern for her? Some strange, pervading contentment lightened her mood. “That’s so sweet.”

His expression became outright volatile.

Smiling, Alani touched his shoulder. “But you didn’t.” She was sore, yes, but the trade-off had been well worth it. “I told you, you were…”

“Gluttonous?”

“Tireless,” she corrected. “Yes. But I liked it.”

Showcasing his lightning-fast reflexes, Jackson caught the back of her neck and drew her close enough to steal her breath with a hot kiss.

He turned his head, fit his mouth over hers, licked over her bottom lip until she opened up, then stroked in. Deep, thorough.

As he eased away, his thumb teased the corner of her mouth. “Thank you. Glad to hear it. But I was talking about your feelings.”

“My feelings?”

“You stayed out today because I made you feel bad.” His gaze searched hers. “You’re not the type to sit home and cry, so you got busy. Right?”

She would not bare her soul to him. “It’s all right, Jackson. I understand now.”

“No, it’s not all right.” He kissed her again, light and quick, over her lips, her jaw, then treated her to a tingling love bite at the side of her neck. “I’ll make it up to you, honey.”

Eyes closed and breath hitching, Alani tipped her head back to make it easier for him. “All right.”

“I want the memory of this morning long gone.” He trailed warm, damp kisses along her skin, from her neck down to the hollow of her shoulder.

Every place his mouth touched, she tingled; his promise had her stomach flip-flopping. “Yes.”

“I’ll give you better memories, Alani.” His teeth touched her skin.

Without realizing it, she sank her fingers into his hair, knocking aside his hat, holding him closer.

“Easy now.” He kissed her chin, the tip of her nose, and lastly, in a tender and nonsexual way, he pressed a lingering kiss to her brow. “Don’t get jumpy on me, but we might have company.”

The words didn’t register. She tried to find his mouth again.

Smiling, Jackson murmured, “Darlin’, you are so damn sweet.” He tipped up her face and waited until her heavy eyes opened to focus on his. “Thing is, we’re in your car in the driveway, in broad daylight, and I think we might have some surveillance going on.”

Alani dropped back to the here and now with a resounding thud. Jolted, she started to look around, but his hands continued to hold her.

“No, don’t look. There’s no danger right now. But I think we ought to get going.”

“Where?” she asked in a nervous whisper. “I mean, where are the people watching us?”