Free Then Came Love by Mona Ingram

flashlight. “Home again.” He stepped closer and her heart thudded in her chest. He raised a hand and trailed his fingers along the underside of her jaw. In that moment of time, nothing else existed. His thumb brushed against her lips and her legs almost collapsed.
    “Amanda.” The word hung between them for a moment and then she was in his arms. “I want you so much,” he murmured against her hair. His heart was beating rapidly in time with hers. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “I’ve wanted you ever since the first moment I saw you.” He lowered his head and she met him willingly, joyfully. His mouth covered hers and a low, primal growl rose up into his throat. He tasted her lips with his tongue and desire surged through her body like wildfire.
    She forced herself to pull back from his embrace. “Jackson” she whispered, touching his face with her fingertips. “We can’t.” It was the most difficult thing she’d ever done.
    He looked down into her eyes and nodded. “I know,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I know.” He continued to hold her as they both struggled to regain their composure.
    “This isn’t over,” he growled after a few moments. They took the last few steps to the back door and he opened the screen. “See you tomorrow?”
    She nodded.
    “Good.” He brushed his lips against hers and then he was gone.
    She stepped inside, closed the door and watched him walk down the path, touching her lips where he’d kissed her. How could this be real when she’d only met him a few days ago? She stood looking out the door long after he disappeared from sight. If only she could be as confident as Jackson that they had a future together. But she couldn’t...not when she knew what waited for her when she got home. Vince was not only controlling, he was vindictive. And he’d do everything in his power to keep her and Jackson apart. Prickles of fear tiptoed down her spine.
    * * *
    “This better be good.” Traynor was always grumpy when woken up and Jackson couldn’t blame him but this was important.
    “Hi, Boss.” He could hear movement and pictured his superior swinging his feet out of bed. “I was out canoeing tonight and I thought of something.”
    “And you woke me up to tell me that?”
    Jackson checked his watch. “It’s not that late.”
    An ill-tempered grunt was the only response.
    “I was canoeing in Sandy Lake with Amanda and we were admiring one of those big places on the south shore.”
    Another grunt.
    “She said something about the owner of a place like that having deep pockets and I got to thinking. Maybe the big kahuna in this operation has a place on one of the lakes. We’ve checked out everything else.”
    Traynor was silent and Jackson wondered if he’d fallen back asleep. “You there, boss?”
    “We should have considered that, but it’s still a good idea. I’ll get somebody on it first thing in the morning.” He disconnected.
    Jackson smiled at his phone. It had been a good day all around.

Chapter Nine
     
    Amanda watched for Jackson all through breakfast but he didn’t show up. She was beginning to wonder where he went when he disappeared like that. After the crowd thinned she took the trout out of the cooler, thankful that he’d cleaned it last night. She looked at Carlos. “You’re sure you don’t know how to cook fish? You’ve surprised me with just about everything else.”
    He eyed the trout suspiciously. “I’ve cooked Dorado mostly; nothing this small and never for a restaurant.”
    “Okay then.” She picked up a lemon and sniffed it appreciatively. “We’ll start with the lemon.” She turned and found him staring out the window toward the boathouse. “Carlos?”
    “Should he be out there alone?”
    His tone set off warning bells in her head. “Who?”
    “Logan. He’s in the canoe with the dog. Look.”
    A brisk wind had pushed the canoe about twenty feet away from the dock. Amanda froze for a moment, trying to remember where