Im not after your house, Nate said.
Then what are you after? McKenna asked.
He took a step towards her, closing what little distance thered been between them, his brown eyes blazing. Suddenly there wasnt enough air in the room. She felt a hitch in her chest, but she held her ground.
I am jealous, all right? Nate was within inches of her now, his gaze locked with hers. Ever since I first saw you, youve been a thorn in my side. I wanted you. I want to ride off with you. I still want you and youre the last thing I need right now.
Before she could move or breathe or speak, his warm palm cupped her jaw and his mouth was on hers
BJ Daniels wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of thirty-seven published short stories. Since then she has won numerous awards, including a career achievement award for romantic suspense and many nominations and awards for best book.
Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two springer spaniels, Spot and Jem. When she isnt writing, she snowboards, camps, boats and plays tennis. Daniels is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Thriller Writers, Kiss of Death and Romance Writers of America.
To contact her, write to BJ Daniels, PO Box 1173, Malta, MT 59538, USA or e-mail her at bjdaniels@mtintouch. net. Check out her web page at www.bjdaniels.com.
Matchmaking With A Mission
BJ Daniels
MILLS & BOON®www.millsandboon.co.uk
This one is for George Clem Clementson. A man who understands the power of love and friendship.
Chapter One
Until now. Fate had forced his hand. He didnt have much time left. He had to use it wisely. Take care of all those loose ends in his life.
As he pried at the flimsy lock on the side window he thought about how he had loved her. Idolized her. Thought she was the most beautiful woman hed ever seen.
Unfortunately she hadnt felt the same way about him.
The lock snapped with a soft pop. He froze, listening even though he knew she wouldnt have heard it. Usually by this time of the night shed finished off enough cheap wine that she would be dead to the world.
Dead to the world. He liked that. Hed been dead to the world thanks to her.
Hed planned this for so long and yet he felt uneasy, a little thrown by the fact that hed had to break in tonight. All the other nights, shed forgotten to lock up. Why tonight, of all nights, did she have to remember to lock the damn doors?
A few days ago hed waited in the overgrown shrubs outside, watching her shadow move behind the sheer curtains in the living room to turn off the television before she stumbled down the hall to bed.
When hed been sure shed passed out, hed slipped inside the house, wanting to take a look around, to know the layout of the house. Not good to bump into something and wake her up on the night he planned to finally finish it.
So hed poked around, looking into her things, seeing how shed been doing since hed last seen her. Hed made a point of testing to see just how deep a sleeper she was. He couldnt have her screaming her head off when the time came, now could he?
For some reason tonight, though, shed locked the doors. He tried not to let that worry him. But he was superstitious about crap like that. It was her fault. Shed put all that hocuspocus stuff in his head, her and her horoscopes, palm readings and psychic phone calls. She wouldnt cross the street without checking to make sure her stars were aligned.
Except when she was drunk. Then she threw caution to the wind. He hated to think he was a lot like her that way. Except he didnt have to be drunk.
So, as much as he hated it, he was leery as he hoisted himself up and over the windowsill to drop into the bathroom tub. He landed with a thud and froze to listen.
Maybe shed remembered to lock the front door because her horoscope told her that she should be more careful today.
to turn out just like your father. Andyou know what?I was right. I should have gotten rid of you like he wanted me to before you were even born.
Hed wanted to make her suffer, but in the end it had all gone too quickly. Still, hed thought that once she was dead he would feel some release, some measure of peace. Instead he felt empty and angry, just as he had for years.
Hed just finished her when he heard someone coming in the front door of the house. The husband coming home early.
It often amazed him the way things happenedas if they were meant to be. He waited until the husband came down the hall. Killing him was too easy.
Taking the credit cards and checkbooks, along with what cash he found in the house, proved a little more satisfying.
As he climbed out her bathroom window after smashing the shell-framed mirror to sand, he walked to his pickup parked down the block and told himself he wouldnt find the peace hed spent his life searching for until everyone whod hurt him was dead.
He didnt need to check the map. He knew the way to Whitehorse, Montana. Unlike his mother, hed spent more time there than what it took to put five dollars worth of gas into the tank and drive away.