been different. The loss of Rand had made it the bleakest, loneliest period of her life. She hadn’t been able to get interested in anything, least of all reading. Being on a trip only reminded her of things she wanted to forget. Even Janet proclaimed it a miserable failure and they’d gone home early.
Now, unbelievably, he was back in her life.
She headed into the towering Wasatch mountains east of Salt Lake. Snow still covered their peaks. Halfway up Parley’s canyon she happened to look in her sideview mirrors and saw that a motorcyclist was gaining on her. All in black, he looked big and dangerous.
Lots of cyclists tended to ride in packs, enjoying the camaraderie. But without her dad around, Annabelle preferred to be left alone. She couldn’t believe it when he sped up and pulled alongside her on the inside lane, adjusting his speed to match hers.
The Lamb’s canyon turnoff was coming up. She looked through her mirrors once more to make sure the light traffic was far enough away, then she headed for the side road.
Ten seconds later she saw that the dark stranger was still following her. Surprised at his aggression, she slowed down to negotiate a turn, then came to a stop and steadied her cycle with her shoe.
Still he rode closer.
When he was a yard away from her, he stopped and lifted his goggles. Only one man she knew had eyes that blue. She had to be hallucinating again. Since when did he ride a motorcycle?
“Rand—None of your stockholders would recognize you in that gear. I told you I would call you later.”
His mouth quirked. “I know that, but I felt like a breath of fresh air myself. When I saw you head for the mountains, I couldn’t resist joining you. Do you mind?”
He sat back on his bike and folded his arms. While he spoke, his eyes darkened with an intensity that she’d once come to recognize as desire.
Annabelle trembled. “That’s rather a moot point since you’re already here.”
She felt his gaze studying her features. “I’ve hired myself a crack PI and think the time could be more profitably spent by discussing the case over a late lunch.”
Actually, he was right. There was little point in running away from the inevitable. “Do you feel like a hamburger? I was planning to buy one when I reached Park City.”
His smile melted her bones. “Anything would taste better than falafel.”
“Isn’t that vegetarian?”
He nodded. “A woman I used to date was a vegan.”
Her body quickened. “Since you used the past tense, I assume she’s not the one mentioned in the Today’s Fortune article.”
He eyed her intently. “So you did read it. What did you think of the write-up?”
“The reporter did an excellent job of covering the facts.”
“Except for the part about there being a Mrs. Dunbarton in my near future.”
“Really.” Her heart was pounding so hard she feared he could hear it.
“That’s right. As for the vegetarian, her eating habits were not the reason we stopped seeing each other.”
“I see.”
She didn’t see at all. In fact the mention of any other women pierced her to the quick.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
“It’s not something I need to know to help solve your case.”
“But you’re dying of curiosity.”
“What makes you say that?”
His eyes held a dangerous gleam. “Because you’ve been sending out vibes so strong, I could feel them through the walls of Roman Lufka’s office. Admit you’re glad to see me again.”
Her mouth had gone too dry to say anything else and he knew it.
“At this juncture I think it’s important we start off with a clear understanding of certain fundamentals since we’re going to be working closely together from here on our.”
Her hands gripped the handlebars tightly. “Your love life is not relevant to our business.”
“I disagree. Since we’re going to have to come up with a strategy to catch this hacker, I wanted you to know that I’m available on a twenty-four-hour basis. My sources tell me that you’re not seriously involved with another man at the moment, either, which means you can devote your full time to my case. As I see it, with both of us unattached, it makes things less complicated all the way around.”
Annabelle couldn’t take much more of this. “I don’t know about you but I’m hungry. If by any chance we get separated on the mountain pass, I’ll meet you at Madson’s Dairy Freeze at the south end of Park City.”
“Have no worry. I’ll find you.”
Her eyes closed tightly as those words resonated in her heart.
CHAPTER TWO
THEY were the same words he’d said to her at the close of the bomb scare investigation she’d headed on the first day they’d met in Phoenix.
When she’d finished filling out the incident report, she’d told Mr. Dunbarton to call into the police station if he had any more concerns. Someone would know where she was.
As she had started to leave his office he’d said in a deep, rich voice, “Have no worry. I’ll find you.”
The very next day, as she was getting ready to go off shift, Paco, one of her colleagues said, “Annie? There’s someone waiting for you out by the Sarge’s desk. I didn’t know you had a hot date tonight.”
She couldn’t imagine what he was talking about. There hadn’t been an important man in her life either before or after her move to Phoenix to join the police department. Though some of the officers were attractive, they didn’t count because of the department’s rule about “no dating among the staff.”
Actually she had to take that back. Yesterday, while she was on a bomb scare case, she had met one man not in uniform.
He was the kind of male you knew existed, but for an act of nature, you would never meet except in your dreams.
Just the thought of him did strange things to her heart. She didn’t like the feeling and had tried hard not to think about him. To her chagrin he refused to go away. It meant she hadn’t tried hard enough.
“I don’t have a date. I’m going bowling with you and the guys.”
“That’s good because I have big plans for us after I allow you to win.” Paco was very dashing with his dark eyes and mustache, and he knew it.
“Forget them, Romeo. Two games and I’ll be ready for a shower and bed.”
“My
