Accidental Bounty (Inter-Galactic Bounty Hunter Book 4) Read online

  It wasn’t the sex itself that affected him the most, it was the moments in between. She brought something out in him that he had never felt before—tenderness. He wanted to care for her. He got up and went to the bathroom to get a warm washcloth and came back to sponge her body gently. When she had thanked him for cleaning her up, he told her that she never had to thank him for caring for her ever. It was his pleasure. He meant it too.

  When Drake gently cared for her, it made him feel more like a male of worth, one worthy of someone as special as her. He was giving her something he had never given anyone else before, true tenderness, caring and gentleness. He surprised himself, worried that he might damn well cry from the emotions he was suddenly overwhelmed with.

  Jinx fell asleep in his arms, and Drake just held her. The feel of her small delicate body against his hard rough one made him realize how precious she was and that Jinx had given her trust to him made him feel especially protective.

  Drake would not give her a reason to regret the trust she had placed within him, or this night that they had shared. Leaning close, he whispered in her ear as she slept, “I don’t think I can let you go. You’ve wrapped around my heart, little one.”

  He kissed her softly, then snuggled in to hold her as they slept.

  Chapter 15

  Jinx had never felt so relaxed and satisfied in her entire life. One night with Drake had ruined her for any other man. Drake worshipped her body so thoroughly; Jinx would never doubt her sex appeal, at least not with him. Drake couldn’t keep his hands or mouth off of her. Looking around the bedroom, she wondered where her sex stallion had disappeared. Then she heard sounds coming from the kitchen—a pan dropping, something sizzling, and then a curse.

  “Damn it!”

  She stood up and wrapped a blanket around her body, then set out to discover what the racket was. Jinx had never been more surprised. Drake stood in the kitchen in boxers, over a stove, holding a frying pan, burnt eggs, and what looked like bacon.

  Jinx smiled at him, “Good morning.”

  He jerked back in surprise; he hadn’t heard her come in. Drake looked at her sheepishly. “I was trying to make you breakfast in bed. I may have exaggerated my cooking skills.”

  She hid a smile, not wanting to hurt his feelings. It was really sweet of him to want to fix breakfast. No one had ever done that for her. “Let me help you. I’m not the greatest cook, but I can make pancakes. She opened the refrigerator and found the items she needed. “Get the...stuff you made out of the pan for me.”

  He opened the trash disposal and dumped all the burnt food down. She was glad she wouldn’t have to try to eat any of that. It was black and hard. Drake scraped the pan clean and handed it to her.

  Jinx took it from him. “Great, could you get the cooking oil?”

  Drake reached above her and pulled down the oil. She mixed the dry and wet ingredients and added cinnamon. He raised an eyebrow in question.

  “It’s a secret ingredient. Hope you’re not allergic.”

  “I’m not.”

  “The pan is hot. Put the oil in,” she told him. Drake did as he was told, under Jinx’s watchful eye. Then Jinx poured the batter in. It didn’t take long for her to see bubbles forming on the top. She reached for a spatula and easily flipped the pancake.

  Drake moved to get plates and glasses down from the opposite cabinets. “Is orange juice okay?” he asked.

  “Yes please.” She moved around him to put the first pancake on the plate, then returned to the stove to make more. A few minutes later their plates were full. The two of them carried everything over to the small table. Drake had even laid out butter and syrup.

  “It smells delicious. I guess it’s been a while since I had to cook for myself, or anyone else,” Drake admitted. “But I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed.”

  Jinx smiled over at him. “I appreciate the thought. No one has ever cooked for me, except my mother and my grandparents.”

  “We could take the food to the bedroom,” he offered.

  She shook her head. “If we go back to bed, we won’t be eating the food.”

  Drake growled as he gazed at her, wearing nothing but the sheet. She had tied it around her neck, making it look like some kind of draped dress. “You’re right.”

  Her body instantly reacted to his interest. Lifting her fork, she waved it in his direction. “Oh no, no more bedroom activities until I am properly fed.”

  He chuckled, “Very well, but afterward…”

  A ringing sound had both of them frowning and looking around. Drake shrugged. “It’s not my phone. The ringtone is wrong.”

  She stood up and walked over to where she had tossed her jeans. Digging out her cell phone, Jinx frowned at the screen. It was her ex. She didn’t want to deal with him, not now and not ever. She should probably make sure that he knew that they were not getting back together—ever. She just didn’t want to deal with it at that moment.

  Jinx could feel Drake’s eyes on her, but she didn’t tell him who it was. She just went back to the table to finish eating. Drake watched her closely. Jinx knew it was only a matter of time before he asked. It didn’t take long.

  “Who was that?”

  Sighing she answered, “My ex.”

  “What does he want?”

  “If I have to hazard a guess, he wants to see when I plan on coming back.” She could feel his eyes on her, but she picked up her fork and continued eating.

  She didn’t want to ruin everything by bringing a conversation about her ex into the mix. Unfortunately, Drake wasn’t going to let this go. She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered that he cared, or frustrated to hell and back.

  “I thought you ended things with him before coming here.”

  “I did. It’s not my fault he’s having a problem letting things go.”

  Drake picked at his pancakes, but didn’t eat anymore. Jinx took small bites of her own food but didn’t taste anything. Her mind was whirling with all kinds of thoughts. How awkward was this? She had hot sex with someone she worked with, someone who would determine whether she passed her assessments.

  She was so confused. Jinx had never had sex with anyone that she didn’t have deep feelings for. She wasn’t even sure if Drake felt anything for her, or if she was just another flavor of the month. Sure, she knew they had a strong attraction to one another, but was it enough to start a relationship with? And did she even want a relationship right now? She had decided to break off with Steve so that she could focus on her new career. Now...Jinx didn’t know what to think. However, they did need to talk about what happened between them.

  “Drake, about last night.”

  He stood up and took his plate to the kitchen. “I’m going to take a shower and dress. Then I’m going in to work.”

  “I thought we had today off.”

  “There’s paperwork I can do.” That was all he said as he walked to the bedroom, ending any further conversation. Obviously, last night was not up for debate.

  Did he expect her to just stay there in his place? Well fuck that! She had her place with Shy to go to and rest. She forced herself to finish eating, then she cleaned the dishes in the sink to give her something to do while waiting for Drake to leave.

  Drake was finished with his shower and fully clothed by the time she was done cleaning. He came out and grabbed his keys. He paused at the door, and for a moment it looked like he wanted to say something to her. “Get some rest. You’ll restart your assessment tomorrow.”

  Then he was just...gone.

  How had things gone so wrong so quickly? Last night was eye opening and unforgettable. She had never felt for any man what she felt for Drake. It wasn’t just the sex, it was the moments in between when he cared for her body, cleaning her and softly caressing her. She had no idea that a man as big and strong as he was could be so gentle. Then this morning he had made a mess trying to fix her breakfast. It was adorable and sweet. But all of it was ruined the moment her phone rang. Damn
Steve and his bad timing. Did Jinx need this complication in her life?

  *****

  Drake couldn’t stay there. He knew if he did she would want to talk about their night together. He was terrified of seeing regret in her eyes. He couldn’t believe that her ex was still calling her. He wanted to kick the guy’s ass. Drake wasn’t usually the jealous type but he found when it came to Jinx, he was a bit possessive.

  He climbed into his hover truck and turned it on, but didn’t put it into gear. He just sat there, replaying everything they had done the night before. It had been the best night of his life. Drake never wanted it to end. The sex was out of this world, but she brought out emotions in him that he hadn’t experienced before. Holding her made him want to keep her safe and close always. He never felt those things for a female before. He cared for her. She was so vulnerable, exposed and trusting. She slept in his arms and he never wanted to let her go.

  When he messed up breakfast, she didn’t make fun of him, but helped him and worked alongside him to make something better. It was so domestic, something he never thought he would ever want. Then the moment was ruined by that asshole ex of hers.

  What was his name? Steve something or other; Vic would know it. He could run a background check on this guy. He tried to convince himself it wasn’t because he was being possessive or jealous. But it bothered him that this guy wasn’t letting Jinx go. Hell, he couldn’t blame the guy for wanting her back. She was an incredible woman. But he wasn’t going to turn a blind eye to the obvious signs that the guy might turn into a stalker. Drake would take whatever measures he needed to ensure Jinx’s safety.

  As he parked the hover truck outside of the bounty hunter office, Drake was tempted to call Jinx and apologize for leaving so abruptly. He had been an ass about it. What would he say? Sorry I’m an asshole? Sorry I’m jealous of your ex and want to rip his head off? Yeah, none of his options were good ones.

  As soon as he walked inside, he caught Vic’s attention. Drake headed to his own desk and sat down. A few minutes later, Vic was looming over him.

  “What in the hell are you doing here?”

  “I thought I would get some paperwork done.”

  “Did the doctor clear you?”

  “I don’t need the doctor’s permission to fill out forms and make phone calls.”

  “Where’s Jinx?”

  “She’s still at my apartment, resting.”

  Vic sniffed the air around him, then growled out. “My office, now!”

  Oh hell, this was going to be bad.

  Chapter 16

  Jinx took a taxi to Shy’s apartment. She had already left for work, so Jinx had the whole place to herself. Her head felt a little better, but she still needed to take pain medication to take the edge off. She lay down and tried to take a nap, but her mind was whirring with thoughts of Drake.

  Her phone went off. It was Steve’s office number. She grabbed it and answered. “What do you want?”

  “Why are you not answering my calls?”

  “We ended things before I left. There’s not much else to say to each other.”

  “This is not over between us. You said you were taking a break. Your little endeavor will end soon, and you’ll be coming back begging for another chance. I’m just trying to protect your pride by getting you to come back now.”

  She sighed. What was it going to take to get him to understand? “I’m not coming back. I am almost done with my assessments and I’ve already gone on my first case.”

  “What? Who the hell put you on a case? Don’t they know what a disaster that would be?”

  Fury filled her and she almost threw her phone across the room. “We’re done, Steve. I don’t want to be with you. Please don’t call me again.”

  “Jinx wait a minute—”

  She hung up then blocked his number. Jinx needed to talk to someone. She dialed the number for the one person who understood her better than anyone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi Mom.”

  “Jinx? Baby how are you?”

  “I’m doing good. I went on my first case and caught the guy.”

  “That’s wonderful. So no...accidents then?”

  “Um, only a few. No one was seriously injured. Vic is making me take extra precautions.”

  “That’s good. I worry about you baby.”

  “I know Mom, but the thrill of the chase, then catching the bad guy—it’s everything I ever dreamed of. Well, almost.”

  “What’s missing? Friends?”

  “I’m making a few friends here. I’m staying temporarily with one of the female bounty hunters. I just wish…”

  Her mom always knew what was bothering her ever since she was a little girl. “How’s Steve handling all this?”

  “Not good. I told him I wanted to take a break before I left.”

  “What did he say to that?”

  “He expected me to give up my stupid dreams, come back and marry him, and settle down to a nice boring life.”

  “Ouch. He really doesn’t know you at all, does he?”

  Jinx shook her head even though her mother couldn’t see her. “No. All the time we spent together, he was consumed with his own career and goals and never cared one bit about what I wanted. He’s been calling non-stop and I finally had to tell him I wasn’t coming back to him.”

  “I’m sorry honey.”

  “The truth is Mom, I don’t miss him. I miss what he should have been for me. The idea of him, but not Steve himself. He was selfish and greedy. Not once did he take my feelings into consideration.”

  “I’m truly sorry baby. It’s better to find out now, than to marry him and have him ruin your life.”

  There had been pain in her mother’s voice. Her mother had been a young teen when she got pregnant with Jinx. Jinx’s no good father abandoned them. If it wasn’t for her grandparents taking them in, they both could have ended up on the streets. Her mother had kept her distance from every man who wanted to date her, instead focusing on raising Jinx. It couldn’t have been easy for her, and it must have been lonely as hell. Her mother was still young and beautiful and deserved happiness.

  “How’s Uncle Leo?”

  “He’s not your uncle,” her mother corrected her.

  Leo Tanner was the nice man that lived across from her mother at the apartment complex. He had a lovely English accent and was always so nice to them. Jinx liked him and had been encouraging her mother to give him a chance.

  “Did he ask you out again?”

  “He never stops.”

  “I think you should take him up on it.”

  “Jinx…”

  “Come on, Mom. You know you find him attractive. I see how you always check your hair first before opening the door when he comes over to bring us our Tuesday Pizza.”

  Her mother hesitated before answering. “He’s nice but, I don’t understand why he’s interested in me.”

  Jinx rolled her eyes. “Mom, you’re hot. Seriously, you have long blonde hair and blue eyes with a nice rack that I frankly didn’t inherit. Thanks for that, by the way.”

  “I’m not sure if I can trust him.”

  Ah, that was the real issue. Her mother had not trusted any man after the number of times Jinx’s father played her. “Mom, you have to take a chance on someone some time. Don’t let what one asshole did keep you from living a full and happy life.”

  “Don’t say asshole.”

  “He’s my deadbeat dad, I get to call him an asshole if I want to.”

  Her mother wisely chose to change the subject to something else. “So, have you met someone new?”

  She hesitated answering that. “I’ve been busy learning my job.”

  “Come on Jinx. you are beautiful and smart. I’m sure more than one guy has taken notice of you. You can tell me anything.”

  “Well…there’s this one guy. His name is Drake. He’s a bounty hunter and totally not my type.”

  “What type is he?”

  “Tall, m
uscled, opinionated, and sexy as hell. He thinks I can’t handle the job, and the worst part, he’s the one doing my assessment.”

  “Oh, he’s forbidden fruit then. That’s always so much more tempting.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. Jinx and her mother had always been best friends. “I don’t want to start something that would complicate things. I work with him.”

  “I feel like you’re leaving something out. Have you…?”

  She felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You always tell me everything.”

  “Not this, not about Drake. I’m not ready to think about him as a potential future anything right now. I need to concentrate on my career first.”

  “Honey, jobs come and go. Don’t push away a chance at a real relationship because you’re afraid it will fail.”

  “Says the woman who turns down a guy who looks and sounds like James Bond, the hot one.”

  “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll finally go out with Leo if you promise that you will see where this thing with this new guy leads.”

  “I want details of that date with Leo…and a picture as proof you actually went on the date.”

  “I want grandbabies.”

  “Oh God, I’ve got to go. Love you Mom.”

  “Love you too honey.”

  Jinx hung up, still feeling confused about her feelings toward Drake, but with a resolution that once she completed her assessments, she would address her feelings. If nothing was to come of it, she would keep her distance and move on. That would be easier said than done. Images of all the naughty things they had done the night before kept replaying over and over.

  *****

  Drake was frustrated. All day he kept thinking about Jinx; her soft warm skin, the way she gasped when he reached a spot inside of her that brought pleasure to her. Every time the door opened, he looked up expecting her to walk in. Every time his phone rang, he hoped it was Jinx calling. He filled out a bail bond agreement, but instead of entering the client’s name, he entered Jinx’s full name.