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Prologue

June

Sandy Hook,KY

“Roni, daet yourself into this tirin as she heard Taber’s voice echoing through the corridor of the cells housed in the county jail She sat back on the unco for nonchalance No way in hell would she give him the chance to see just how much he could intimidate her And boy could he intimidate

Well over six feet tall, his body corded with powerful e, re in both fear and arousal The fear she could handle It was the arousal she often had probleht after she turned sixteen It had intensified several hts she burned for him, and it terrified her

She welco a bit of the stifling heat that surrounded her The heat that built inside her as well The air conditioner had broken down that night and the cells had been stifling Thankfully, old Mort, the jailer, had opened the s rather than let her suffer

The hard smack of Taber’s boots on the stone floor caused her to wince He only walked like that when he was pissed She carefully pasted an expression of bored amusement on her face Wouldn’t do for him to know she was really scared to daot pissed

Not that Taber would hurt her Instinctively she kneould never lay a hand on her But there was so pri off too often Unfortunately, trouble just seemed to find her and more often than not Taber was left to bail her out of it, one way or the other She was terrified that one day he would get tired of being her knight in shining armor and write her off entirely

Within seconds he was standing at the cell door, his hands braced on his lean hips, a frown etched on his proud, sun-darkened face Daainst him, like a cat He was tall andto a flat, corded abdomen that tempted her to touch

Long powerful legs were encased in snug deniaze drift to…oh hell That bulge between his thighs just looked too good to be true Hastily she jerked her gaze back to his face

His eyes were narrowed on her now, the jade-green color brilliant and snapping with fury She sed tightly He was none too pleased with her this

“I didn’t do a da senses he er “I was just standing there, Taber Honest That sheriff has lost his mind”

She fought to hide her a He always knehen she was lying

“I should let you rot here” She loved that growling thing he did when he was pissed His voice would lower and just vibrate…like a cat She had a fondness for cats

She rolled her eyes, though the muscles in her lower stomach quivered in reaction She could literally feel her breasts swelling, her nipples peaking at the sound, and she knew he hadn’t missed the reaction