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suited Paul’s mood. Whatever happened, he was egger for it. Fate had brought them together once. Who the hell was he to argue with it this time around? Spitting in the eye of love hadn’t freed him to live a life filled with hot sex and glorious freedom. Instead, he’d become a hermit who peered at pictures of his one and only love while she slept in an empty bed longing for him as well.
    Paul watched the helicopter lift off.
    He’d learned his lesson. Now it was time to see what Jonnie did when faced with his living, breathing person.
     
    ***
     
    “Out.” Jolene made certain that her voice indicated the issue was not open to discussion. Deputy Kent hesitated before he turned and stomped out of the bathroom.
    “Leave it unlocked, Deputy Benate.”
    Kent ’s tone left no doubt he wasn’t happy with her arranging any part of his operation. Oh yes, the deputy considered her part of his command, so her making her own choices was a violation of his command chain. She listened to his footfalls but they stopped three feet from the closed bathroom door. She heard a muffled phrase and raised a slim hand to rub at the pain centered behind her eyes. She felt like a wrung-out dishrag.
    With a muffled curse, she began to work at getting her boots off. She might be tired but she wasn’t so far gone that any man was going to sit in the bathroom with her while she showered. There wasn’t even a tiny window in the small room. Jo doubted anyone was hiding in the plumbing. Kent was just going to have to give her fifteen minutes of privacy.
    It took quite an effort to unwind the yards and yards of gauze that secured her shoulder wound. Once it had all been removed, Jo stood in front of the vanity mirror and inspected the damage. Nothing more than a row of stitches on the front and back of her body along with some bruising. She’d looked more abused during her days in the police academy.
    But it still hurt like hell, all the way through her shoulder. Like there was a hot rod of steel stuck through her chest. Getting shot sucked. She was going to perfect her duck-and-cover method. Quick.
    Turning her attention to the shower, Jo decided she had better get to it before Kent got the notion to check on her. After a mere twelve hours in his charming company, Jo resented that promise she had made to Locke. The close quarters were wearing on her nerves a lot faster than she’d anticipated. Maybe she’d been a little judgmental on witnesses who’d ended up in the sack with their protection team. The stress drove you insane. Jumping into the sack for some quick, impulsive sex was a better option than murder. At least it would have a less permanent effect on getting on with your life once the danger had passed, but that didn’t make her any more at ease with the concept of Kent peeking through the open door at her. He was hunky, hot and big trouble.
    She was missing Tait, after all. At least she knew him. Jumping Kent would be nothing more than spitting in the face of death because she dreaded the unknown force gunning for her. Tait wanted her before she was a marked woman. Tonight, that was a definite point in the deputy’s favor.
    She was still bored by the overall idea of sex with anyone besides her late spouse. Which landed her about one step from depression as she flipped the shower off. Grabbing a towel, she considered her reflection again. Her nipples weren’t even hard. Not one damn pucker for all her mental deliberations on intercourse. She snorted and gripped the towel tight across her nude frame as Kent shoved the door in. His gaze swept her and the entire bathroom before he withdrew.
    Crap. One little sound.
    After dragging the terrycloth over her head, she reached for her underwear and pants. She pulled them up over her half-dried skin.
    Jo retied her boots then stood in front of the mirror again and fussed with her hair. It had grown out a bit over the last six months. Her hair had a natural curl to it that made her keep it