Kade: Armed and Dangerous Read Free

blinked, then heat burned through her when she realized she had her
     head against the cowboy’s chest. When she pulled away from Kade, she couldn’t think
     of a thing to say.
    How could she have let a stranger hold her to begin with? But it had helped calm the
     terror that churned inside her like an earthquake in the heart of San Francisco.
    Davis had never held her. You’re being stupid, he would say. Get over it.
    Not this man. Kade didn’t even know her, and yet he held her as though he truly cared.
    “Such a sweet couple,” the wispy lady croaked from the other side of him. She reached
     across with her frail hand and patted his, still covering Kelsey’s. “You two remind
     me of my Wilbur and me. Sixty years of marriage and still dancing.” She gave a watery
     smile and eased herself up to enter the aisle.
    Kade grinned and Kelsey wanted to drop through the floor of the plane.
    She ducked and reached under the seat in front of her to grab the laptop bag. When
     she looked back, her eyes kept going up, traveling those long legs in snug Wranglers
     and, good lord, that very nice package... Her cheeks burned again at the turn of her
     thoughts.
    He put on his cowboy hat and allowed her to go in front of him in the aisle. What
     did he think of her after that terrifying plane ride? Did he think she was some weepy
     woman who couldn’t take care of herself? Why did she care what he thought?
    While she exited the plane onto the ramp, Kade strode at her side. “How long’ll you
     be here, Kelsey?”
    The way he said her name sent shivers throughout her. A gentle drawl, a husky tone.
    “Three weeks.” She chanced a look at him and saw his smile, a smile that caused something
     within her to burn. An ache, a wanting.
    She didn’t tell him that she was considering moving to Tucson. Too many memories shrouded
     her in the Bay Area.
    While they walked toward baggage claim she was surprised at the comfortable silence
     between her and the stranger. He had such an easy, relaxed presence that she found
     herself drawn to him even more, despite the pinging in her belly.
    As he stood next to her at baggage claim, Kelsey tried not to think about the effect
     he was having on her. She was afraid he’d felt it, too, and that was dangerous territory
     she had no intention of exploring.
    With relief, she saw her bright pink bags tumble down the slide to the conveyor. She
     snatched them one at a time and set them on the floor beside her. She turned to face
     Kade and saw him grabbing his own suitcase.
    She took a deep breath and met his intense blue gaze. “It was nice of you to—to—well,
     help me make it through that flight.”
    “Anytime.” In one swift movement, he gathered her two hefty suitcases along with his
     own and made it look like he was carrying a couple of hatboxes.
    “What are you doing?” she demanded, hands on her hips.
    “Helping you to your ride.” He managed a small bow and sounded quite gallant.
    “I can carry my own bags,” she insisted to his retreating back.
    “Is someone picking you up?” he asked as she trailed after him.
    “I’m catching a cab.” The clean smell of rain hit her and thunder rumbled in the distance
     as they exited the terminal. An odd thrill tingled within her at the tension in the
     air. She loved thunderstorms—as long as she was safely on the ground.
    Kade didn’t stop until he reached the short line of cabs and handed the driver her
     belongings while she stood under the awning. Rain rolled off his cowboy hat onto his
     shirt as he held the cab door open for her. “Where’re you headed?”
    “Tucson Larson Hotel,” she replied as she dodged into the pounding rain and pushed
     her laptop case and purse into the cab’s backseat.
    Wrinkling her nose at the smell of stale cigar smoke, she scooted over the cracked
     vinyl seat, to the far side that had fewer tears in it. She wiped raindrops from her
     face and pushed her damp hair behind her ears.
    Kade