Phoenix was right. Yet, it wasn’t about Wilde Mine’s recent
occurrence that had her brain in overdrive. What ruled her thoughts and made her heart pound in her chest right now was the cowboy
sitting next to her.
“I guess I’m thinking about my investigation,” she lied, hoping he
would believe her.
“I bet.”
Jessie decided to keep the conversation on business, praying it
might afford her some control she desperately needed around him.
“What can you tell me about the accidents?”
He shrugged. “Not much to say. Before these latest events, the
mine was incident-free for over fifteen years.”
“I saw that in the agency’s file. Very odd that all four occurred in under a month.” She decided to probe more. “What about the three
accidents before I arrived?”
“I’m sure you read about those, too.” His quick answer and tone
told her she’d hit a nerve.
“I did, but I’d like to get your take on them.” She softened her
voice. “I know this is your family’s business, so if this line of
discussion is off limits, I understand.”
His eyebrow shot up. “You’re something else, Jessie. Okay. I
know as much as you do. Hell, maybe less.”
“Indulge me.”
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Chloe Lang
He squeezed her thigh. “I know a better way to do that than
talking about the mine, angel.”
His words and touch ignited her desires. “Please, Phoenix. Be
serious.”
He lifted his hand from her leg, placing it back on the wheel.
“You win.”
Instantly, she yearned for his touch to return. “You already know
that I never lose, or have you forgotten about our game of pool at The Horseshoe Bar and Grill?” Her first night in Wilde, she and Jackson had played against Phoenix, Dallas, and Denver and had handily
beaten them.
He grinned. “I won’t forget. Neither will my brothers.”
“So, tell me.”
“The first accident happened to one of our top guys. He was
working on some equipment that had been wired incorrectly. He got a shot of electricity that might’ve killed him if he hadn’t been flung across the room from the jolt.”
“I understand he’s still in rehab.”
The light shower ended, and Phoenix turned off the wipers. “Yep.
He should get full use of his legs in a few months.”
She snorted. “And the mine paid all his medical bills and gave
him a nice sum of money.”
He pounded the steering wheel, exposing his anger. She waited
for him to yell at her, but he remained silent. His temper made her tremble. Sure, Phoenix could be gentle. He also could be very
dangerous when pushed.
For what seemed an eternity, she waited for him to speak.
Clearly pissed, he finally lashed out, “You think my family was
trying to buy him off? Silence him?”
“Of course not.” But she wasn’t really certain what to believe.
Everything she’d read in the files so far made her pause. Something was off about the whole matter. “I’m sorry, Phoenix. I’m not
implying anything, though I am trying to put the pieces together in
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order to get to the truth. You do understand that I have a job to do here, and I will do it.”
“Sure. Just don’t jump to conclusions before you get the whole
story.” His hand came back to her thigh, showing his irritation had lessened. “Every day the guy has rehab, my mom watches his kids so
that his wife can go with him. My family gave him the money
because we feel awful about what happened.”
She could hear the painful sincerity in his voice. “That’s
wonderful of your mother. She sounds like an amazing woman.”
“She is. The other two accidents that occurred before you came to
town didn’t harm anyone. There was a fire in the chow hall. We still haven’t figured out how that happened. Austin has kept it closed. He’s got a crew inspecting every inch of the area, but they’ve not found anything so far.”
“Perhaps a grease fire?”
“No way. The chief cook is a freak about cleanliness. The mine’s
kitchen has always been spotless. Its floor was more sanitary than
most dining room tables before the fire.”
This was a difficult case, but she was determined to discover the
causes. If they were connected due to negligence by the mine’s
leadership, she’d report that up to the brass at MSHA. “What about
the third incident?”
“We haven’t excavated at the old mine since the 40s. That really
shouldn’t be counted against us.”
“Maybe not, but a teenager did break his leg there. It’s Wilde
Mine’s property, and I need to know what happened.”
“Rich is eighteen. Not really a kid. He should’ve known better.”
“I plan on talking with him. I also want to visit the old mine.”
“Suit yourself, sweetheart.” He turned the truck left, and the road got really curvy. “I don’t need to tell you about the last accident since you were there.”
“Yes, I was.” She recalled her first day at the mine. If Jackson
hadn’t pushed her out of the way of the vehicle, she might’ve been
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Chloe Lang
killed. She wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to shove the
thought out of her mind. In its place came another memory. The one
at Jackson’s house where he and Phoenix had introduced her to the
pleasures that two men could give a woman. When Jackson and
Phoenix had later brought in Dallas and Denver...
Can’t I control my
thoughts?
It sure didn’t seem like she could.
Well, being pampered and pleasured by four men sent her to the
stratosphere, and she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. The Wilde brothers’ apparent openness to sharing her in bed also seemed odd to Jessie. They were rough-and-tumble cowboys, but their actions in the bedroom had pleased and puzzled her. After those first couple of days with the brothers, she and Jackson spent time alone in and out of the bed. But when he’d left for Colorado, he’d been clear that he was okay with her spending time with Phoenix.
Likely, jealousy would soon rear its ugly head, and the adoration
of four men she’d enjoyed would soon be reduced to one. That was
how it should be. Much more appropriate, especially after she
finished her job here. But which one of the Wilde brothers?
Jackson,
of course.
But sitting next to Phoenix had her toying with sinful thoughts.
“Ridiculous.” She wouldn’t allow herself to come between the
brothers.
“What’s ridiculous, Jessie?”
“I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” She shook her head. “Sorry.
I’m just... overloaded.”
He looked over at her with troubled eyes. “The music doesn’t
seem to be working as I’d hoped.”
“It’s really nice. Please keep it on. Any chance of us hearing from Jackson?”
“He might call tonight, but for sure in the morning.”
Jessie felt something amazing for Phoenix’s younger brother. And
with Jackson’s agreement to keep things hush-hush about their
intimate nights together, she thought he might have feelings for her,
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23
too. Or was she just being foolish? The phone call a few hours ago
that had Jackson leaping from the bed, dressing in a flash, and kissing her good-bye had birthed a mishmash of emotions inside her. Doubt
being the most prominent. The best thing to do while Jackson was
away was to focus on the investigation and to not entertain a
schoolgirl crush on his brother Phoenix.
Easier said than done.
“What else is troubling you, angel?”
“Just thinking about the driver that caused that last accident. Any news?”
“Aunt Maude told me this morning that Paul is doing great. His
wife hasn’t left his bedside at the hospital.”
“Did they run a blood test?”
Phoenix frowned. “You think he was drinking on the job? That
doesn’t sound like him.”
“What about drug use?”
“Paul’s a stand-up guy. No way.”
“Maybe not, but I have to rule out every possible scenario.” Time
was ticking away. Her boss’s last e-mail gave her three weeks to get her initial report to his desk.
“I want to make a stop before we head up to the mine.” Phoenix
shot her a wide grin, causing her to smile back at him. “It won’t take long.”
“Make sure it doesn’t. Remember, you promised to help me get a
meeting with your brother.”
Thinking about Austin Wilde made her blood boil. She’d only
seen his assistant Selby, a gorgeous young woman who must’ve been
hired for skills other than behind the desk. It was clear to Jessie that the eldest Wilde brother was avoiding her. Who the hell did he think he was to treat her like that? She was here by mandate of MSHA. If
the man kept up his shenanigans, she would lower the boom on him
and issue a noncompliance form. See how much Austin Wilde liked
that.
“Sweetheart, I won’t break my promise. You’ll see him today.”
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Chloe Lang
Phoenix’s voice was sexy and low. He looked from the road to her. “I never believed a woman like you really existed.”
“Like me?”
“Smart, sexy, gorgeous, open, and determined.”
Jessie stared into his hazel eyes and saw that he meant what he
said.
Hot, masculine, and honest. What’s a girl to do?
His gaze went back to the road, and he drove them down a
winding country route for twenty minutes. When they came to a gate, he hopped out and opened it up. Then they continued on a dirt trail for another fifteen minutes. This was far from civilization.
Her nerves started jumping. “What’s this detour about, Phoenix?”
“You’ll see, angel.”
When they got to the top of a hill, Jessie looked down into a little glen. In the center was a small, ultramodern house. At first, with its clean lines, utilitarian styling, and stark white color, it looked to Jessie to be out of place in the valley of trees, wildflowers, and lazy creeks.
But the more she studied it, the more it seemed to fit there, as if some architect-and-artist duo had labored on finding the perfect place for their masterpiece.
Phoenix parked in front of the house. At this close proximity, it
didn’t look stark at all. It was warm and inviting but with an edge. A shallow square pool with coy and lily pads sat to the side of the path to the metal front door. Floor-to-ceiling windows allowed anyone in the valley to see into the space, but as remote as the house was, Jessie doubted privacy was an issue except for the grazing deer she spotted on the slope behind the building.
Her nerves settled back a bit as she took in the beauty around her.
“Is this your home?”
“Sure is. Would you like to see more, angel?” Phoenix looked at
her intently.
Wanting to get a peek at the inside, she couldn’t resist his offer.
“Yes, but we need to hurry.”
She didn’t wait for him to open the truck door. Instead, she slid to
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the right and exited the vehicle. Phoenix was out of the truck’s cab and by her side in a flash. He put his arm around her shoulders. He wasn’t like the men she’d known in New York or DC with their
modern sense of how to treat a woman. Not Phoenix. His manner was
of a former era where women were spoiled rotten, cherished, and
protected. She leaned into his powerful body and released a relaxed breath.
He stated softly, “I can’t wait to hear what your opinion is of my
place, sweetheart.”
Jessie took in the sights, sounds, and smells. Everything looked
soft and dreamy with wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and visible distant snowcapped peaks of the Jarbridge Mountains. The tones that found
her ear were light and harmonious with birds chirping and the tinkling of the water in the creek moving over rocks. The air smelled so clean, with the aromas of the recent misty rain that paired beautifully with Phoenix’s scent of leather and forest.
“Show me.”
“You got it.”
Walking up to the front of the home, one had to appreciate the
mastery of geometric design. Being made of glass, the front door
could’ve been on any number of ultramodern skyscrapers in New
York. Phoenix opened it and motioned her to enter.
The entire building epitomized the open-concept plan. Kitchen,
living room, and bedroom flowed together into one contiguous form.
Three sides of the house had floor-to-ceiling glass walls, providing an uninterrupted view of the beauty outside. The interior was simple but aesthetically pleasing.
“How do you like my house, angel?”
“Very much. It’s radically different from Jackson’s place.” It
made sense to her as a kind of extension of Phoenix’s personality. So serious and intense. “You actually built this yourself?”
“I did, all fifteen hundred square feet of it.”
She’d learned a few days ago from Phoenix and Jackson that the
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Chloe Lang
Wilde brothers were each given some land to build on when they
turned sixteen. At eighteen, they were expected to move into it, kind of a rite of passage in their family.
The two houses she’d seen so far impressed her beyond measure.
Phoenix had the talent to be an architect. His choice of materials for the interior softened the place, creating a comfortable retreat. When her eye settled on three bronze sculptures, she gasped. They were lit perfectly, highlighting their unique sweeping forms.
Must have cost
him a fortune.
“Those are beautiful, Phoenix.” She turned to face him.
“Thanks.” He stared at the sculptures with pride.
“Where did you get them?”
“What do you mean?”