Heartstealer (Women of Character3 (2 page)

"I know."

Two words with a wealth of meaning.
He knew and was happy she wondered, or he knew and didn't like it? From
everything he’d not said, it might be the latter. He watched the slowly
dispersing crowd with a slight frown, as if he wished himself elsewhere. Jacie
figured he probably had better things to do than pick her up and make sure she
was okay. Well, that was okay with her. She was here to do a job, not make
friends with a guy who looked like he’d walked out of an old western.
Sexy as hell, but an old western nevertheless.

Sighing, Jacie had to wonder why her
hands shook as she slid the cap from her head.

Ω

Sloan knew he’d better not
linger if he wanted to finish his workload by dusk, but his feet didn’t
move. He hadn’t planned on staying this long, but curiosity had gotten
the better of him when he’d seen Jacie arrive earlier with her brother.
At the time he’d wondered if anyone that looked that good would risk
ruining her perfect hair styling by jumping out of a plane. Sure enough
she’d jumped and to his untrained eyes, she’d done it with flair.

Now as he watched her rich, reddish
brown hair slide down her shoulders he could imagine a man burying his face
there and getting lost. Fascinated, he stared as her slim fingers tangled in
the strands. Her mouth was saucy, her big brown eyes lively. Her skin glowed and
a touch of pink accented her high cheekbones. There was something exotic about
her face with the slightly up-tilted eyes, yet he had a fleeting impression of
shadows. Despite that, he guessed she was all sparks and fun.

He clenched the silky material of
the parachute, discomfited by his thoughts. He didn’t indulge in flights
of imagination, but right now his brain was having a hell of a field day
recalling her slim soft body on top of his. There was an undeniable charisma
about this woman in the form-fitting jumpsuit. She exuded life and radiance
with a smile that embraced the world. When she had veered from her landing
mark, he’d feared she was in trouble and stepped into her path. They
weren’t close to the cliffs, but there existed a possibility she could
have been flung that way; a fall no man or woman could survive.

"Sloan, I see you've met
Jacie," his brother James said behind them.

Glad of the diversion, Sloan turned
to his brother. "Yes." He let his glance move back to Jacie and he
couldn’t help but smile. "A quick introduction."

She tipped her head back, the
lightly tanned skin of her throat exposed as her husky laugh rang out. His body
tightened down to his toes.

"I guess the best thing is to
make light of my less-than-perfect entrance," she admitted without
apology, thrusting a hand toward James. "You must be James Wright. Luckily
Sloan acted as a barrier, otherwise you'd still be chasing me across the field.
What a series of camera shots that would be."

"I’m afraid that’s
typical of my sister," said a male voice dryly. "She likes to be the
center of attention."

Sloan looked at the dark-haired man
who came up behind James. His brown hair was cropped short and he was of husky
build. The family resemblance between him and Jacie was unmistakable, especially
around the eyes.

"Sloan, this is Con
Turner," his brother said. "Con heads up Aerial Antics."

Jacie’s glance at her brother
was a mix of affection and exasperation. "Con’s here to make sure
the jump goes off without a hitch."

Sloan wondered about the hint of
defensiveness in the angle of her body. Her glance at her brother seemed almost
challenging.

Con shook hands with him.
"Nice to meet you Sloan. As Jacie said, I wanted to make sure
everything’s in order."

Sloan met the other man’s
flint gray eyes. "I was under the impression you were the one handling
this job."

"As I explained to your
brother when we set this up, I have a commitment out of the country. Jacie is
very capable of fulfilling the obligation."

"That’s right," she
said, stepping closer to James. "I was trained by my brother. I’m
confident you’ll be happy with my work."

James ran a hand through his
already tousled red hair and smiled at Jacie. "The camera crew got several
shots and they tell me they're looking good," he said. "I talked to
the pilot and we won't need to do another jump today."

"Are you sure?" she
asked. "That wasn't the best landing I've ever done. We can try a couple
more."

"Actually, for the publicity
pictures we're only using the shot from the plane and part of the
freefall."

Sloan didn’t miss
Jacie’s relief. She hadn't removed the knee brace and she seemed to be
limping a bit. Was she worried they would release her from the job if she
admitted she’d hurt herself? He frowned. Why take a chance on a jump if
you’re not up to it? He clenched his teeth, not happy with the picture he
was getting. This skydiving gig might not be his thing, but he certainly
didn’t want to open the resort to any lawsuits.

"I have a good feeling about
this publicity campaign," James said.

Jacie smiled. "I still think
I'm getting the better bargain. A month-long stay at your ranch resort."

"One which I hope you’ll
enjoy. Here comes a member of the local news bureau," James said.
"They asked me if you’d do a short interview."

Jacie looked toward the approaching
reporter. "Of course," she said. "That’s why we’re
here, right? The more publicity the better."

Sloan watched a cameraman approach
Jacie and her brother to position them for the impromptu interview. John
Wilson, a local news reporter was there. Sloan had gone to school with John and
now gave him a nod. "John, how are you doing?"

"Fine, Sloan. This place is
really shaping up. You guys have done a great job." He turned his
attention to Jacie and introduced himself. "Jacie, I’ve read the
backgrounder on you. You’ve been on jumps all over the world. I’m
curious why you’re here in this relatively quiet area of the
Catskills."

Sloan watched her give John a
brilliant smile, noted the effect it had on the other man as John’s
usually reserved manner slipped a bit. Sloan wondered how often she used that
smile to get her own way. It was the same one she’d given him.

"Look at this place!" she
exclaimed, waving her hands to indicate the mountain ranges on three sides.
"It’s gorgeous. People should know about Timber Falls and all it has
to offer. Aerial Antics is here to help them do that. As an added bonus, I get
to stay here for a month. How could I refuse such a lovely setup?"

With cynical detachment Sloan
watched John fall under her spell and take a step closer to Jacie.

"Has there been much interest
in the skydiving lessons?" John asked.

"The guests are excited,"
James said. "We've had some response too from local people as you can see
by the crowd that showed up."

"Jacie, it’s obvious you
enjoy jumping out of planes. Can you tell those of us who haven’t dared
that, what it’s like? Is it really a thrill not to be missed?"

Sloan watched Jacie curiously as
she closed her eyes and spoke softly. "When you jump the air catches you
and whips you upward. It’s like catching your breath on a wild carnival
ride. Your heart rate is accelerated and the adrenaline’s flowing.
It’s an incredible feeling of freedom."

The words were heartfelt; her love
of skydiving came through loud and clear.

"Your film "Escape from
Angel Falls" last year was a box office hit, despite the turmoil the film
company has since experienced. Would you consider doing stunts for another
film?"

Sloan didn’t think that
information was in the backgrounder. He saw a brief flash of anxiety on her
face as she looked at her brother.

"That was a one-time
thing," she said lightly. "Our specialty is film stunts, but usually
my brothers handle those jobs. But who knows," she added, "I might
consider doing another one if I’m asked."

"How did your company get into
film stunts?" John asked.

Smoothly, she turned to her
brother. "I think my brother can answer that question in more
detail," she said.

She smiled and deftly sidestepped
out of camera range so Con could take over. As Jacie headed his way with
determination, Sloan watched her curiously, wondering what else might be
beneath the surface of this woman.

"I’m ready," she
said.

"I can wait. I don’t
want to take you away from the limelight," he told her briskly. "Some
people just eat up that attention."

She lifted a brow. "Thanks for
your consideration, but my brother can handle it from here. Publicity is his
thing."

James joined them. "That
pretty much wraps it up. Thanks, Jacie, for taking care of that. I’d say
we’re getting some interest stirred up." He threw Sloan a glance.
"Would you believe I signed up for a jump?"

Sloan knew what was coming as his
brother gave him a speculative look and then said to Jacie. "Sloan’s
too down to earth to jump off anything more than a horse."

Sloan knew anything he said would
probably be misconstrued, but James had it just about right. He was far from a
thrill seeker.

Jacie looked at him and said
earnestly, "If you're worried about it, Sloan, we can take it real slow. I
explain everything in detail and show you how the equipment works. I promise
you’d love it."

"I'm not afraid," he
said, giving James an annoyed glance. "This ranch has an unlimited supply
of work to keep me occupied. I don't have time to be jumping out of planes for
a thrill."

She cocked a brow at him and slowly
nodded her head. To Sloan’s annoyance she and James shared an
understanding glance. "Okay, I get it," she said. "You feel
skydiving is a crazy thing to do."

"Guilty," he drawled,
watching the determination narrow her eyes. He could almost read her thoughts,
she had such an expressive face. She appeared undaunted, as if his opinion
didn’t bother her in the least.

"My brother likes to keep his
boots firmly on the ground," James said with a laugh.

"Well, maybe by the end of my
stay I can convince him otherwise," she said slowly, eyes sparkling.

For a moment as he looked into her
eyes Sloan experienced a heady feeling, but he stood his ground. "You can
try," he said laconically. "It might be fun."

"Yeah, good luck!" James
said. "Sloan, can you drive Jacie in to get settled? I need to finish
things up here."

Sloan bit back his impatience.
"Sure." Work would have to wait a little longer. "My truck's
over there by the gravel road." He turned and reached to pick up her
parachute. As he straightened a hand clamped on his shoulder. Jacie’s
brother stood behind him.

"Do you mind if I talk to my
sister before you leave?" Con asked.

Sloan threw Jacie a glance.
"I’ll be waiting in the truck."

Ω

Jacie gritted her teeth as Sloan
and James walked away and left her with her brother. She knew Con meant well,
but his attitude was beginning to get a bit smothering. When his unblinking
stare got unnerving, she said, "What?"

"What was that landing
about?"

She didn’t pretend to
misunderstand. "What’s the big deal? So I altered the landing a
bit."

"That guy could have been
hurt."

"He wasn’t. Anyway, how
did I know he’d suddenly play hero and step in front of me?"

Con sighed, and ran a hand through
his short cropped hair. "He thought you were in trouble. Were you?"

She opened her eyes wide. "No.
I knew what I was doing. Are you having doubts now?" she demanded.

Con drew a deep breath. "If I
did you wouldn’t be here. I know you can do this, Jacie. I think
it’s more a matter of you convincing yourself. I just don’t want
you to get hurt along the way."

She stepped close and looked up
into his face. "Listen, Con. We both know I made a mistake thirteen months
ago. How long before you forget about that mess? I don’t intend to be in
that situation again, okay? Enough said." She crossed her arms over her
chest.

Con put his arm around her
shoulder. "Promise me you won’t take chances," he said in a low
voice.

"Con. You know me. Let it
go."

"That’s what I’m
worried about." He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Sorry."

Her irritability fled.
"I’m here to do a job and I’ll do it."

Con directed a worried glance back
toward where Sloan waited by the truck. "I saw the sparks flying between
you two."

She chewed her lip thoughtfully,
knowing exactly what he’d seen. She still felt off balance by her
reaction to Sloan. "It doesn’t mean anything," she assured him,
then sighed at the concern in his eyes. "I know you like to worry about me
but I’m a big girl. Time for you to leave," she added fiercely.
"I have to go."

"I’ll see you in a
month," he said. "Call me and I’ll pick you up."

"It’s all taken care of.
Bonnie said she’d pick me up. She’s even going to come and stay for
a few days."

Con grimaced. He and her friend
Bonnie had never quite hit it off. She stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick
peck on the cheek. "Thanks for taking care of the interview. Have fun in
Rio," she said, then turned and walked to the truck.

It was time her brother realized
she could take care of herself. Making a fool of herself over Brad was a lesson
well learned and she didn’t intend to repeat. Being around Sloan for a
month might give her a different perspective. But it would all be in fun,
nothing serious.

Jacie opened the truck door and
scrambled onto the truck seat, sending Sloan a quick glance of apology.
"Just finishing some business," she said lightly, pulling the door
closed. "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It’s okay. I had a few
calls to make. Your parachute is in the back," he said, starting the
motor.