Free Intimate Strangers by Laura Taylor

consciously quelling the urge he felt to apologize for being so rude to her.
    "I haven’t had homemade preserves in years. It’s a lost art. A gift from a friend?" She smeared raspberry preserves on her toast and then took an appreciative bite.
    Nicholas glanced at the jar of preserves, his thoughts on the woman who kept him well–supplied with all manner of canned fruits and vegetables. He knew the former covert field operative used the activity as a form of therapy, especially if her emotions became fragmented or her thoughts strayed back to a past that included the loss of her hearing thanks to a malfunctioning bomb.
    He gave Hannah a hard look, a look designed to intimidate the recipient. "I meant it when I said you talk too much. You also ask too many questions."
    She stared at him then, clearly baffled by his hostility, but he had no intention of letting up on her now.
    "I’ve got someone I trust checking you out, so I suggest you sit tight in town. None of the local motels are full this time of year, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with accommodations. If you’re who you claim to be, then I’ll discuss Sean Cassidy with you. Until then, you’re persona non grata around here."
    "You’re absolutely paranoid, aren’t you?"
    "Careful," he warned. "Be very, very careful, Hannah Cassidy. You’re up to your ass in a situation you couldn’t possibly understand."
    "Who are you?" Shock resonated in her voice.
    "A man who has reached the age of forty by using his brains, not his emotions."
    She shook her head. "No."
    He frowned. "No?"
    "No, I will not leave. In fact, I’m certain I shouldn’t leave, because you’d find a way to make it impossible for me to ever return. And if that happens, I’ll never locate Sean. No, Nicholas. I won’t risk leaving."
    "This isn’t a damn debate!"
    "Then stop giving me orders like some kind of… of petty tyrant! If you don’t want me in your house, fine. I’ll stay in my van. I’ve done it before."
    "Absolutely not! It’s too dangerous. The forecast is lousy. Temperatures are about to drop back down below zero and stay there.  And more snow’s on the way, probably a couple of feet."
    Mule–headed to the end, she announced, "I’ll take my chances."
    "Damn it, woman! I don’t need you freezing to death in my driveway."
    She glared at him, ignoring his derisive tone. "May I still have kitchen and bathroom privileges? I’ve got a stack of books with me that I’ve been meaning to read, so I’ll stay busy while we wait for your report."
    He sprang out of his chair, too agitated to sit still any longer. "You never quit, do you? Doesn’t it matter to you that you’re trespassing?"
    "Hardly! Do you really expect me to give up on a goal because I’ve temporarily inconvenienced you?" she challenged.
    He moved in her direction. "I expect you to respect my privacy, which you seem to have a hard time doing."
    "And I expect you to respect the fact that I cannot and will not abandon my search for my brother." Her shoulders slumped, and her fingertips strayed to her temples. Finally, she peered up at the man towering over her. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. Couldn’t we start again with a clean slate, maybe even try to be friends?"
    He ignored her hopefulness. "What about last night?" Nicholas demanded as he prowled back and forth, his long–legged stride making the huge kitchen seem small.
    "What about it?" Her voice sounded faint, and her cheeks lost their rosy flush.
    "There’s too damned much chemistry between us."
    She gave him a prim look. "Then we’ll both have to be more… circumspect in our behavior, won’t we?"
    "Circumspect?" Amazed by the drawing room quality of the word, he bellowed, "Circumspect?"
    Hannah flinched, and then she nodded. "Precisely."
    Nicholas muttered an ugly oath. "I cannot and will not promise to keep my hands off you. Do you want to risk a repeat performance of what happened between us last night? I guarantee that, if it