Free On The Texas Border by Linda Warren Page B

I’m repelled by her kisses.
    Jonas got out of the truck. He had to, or he was going to take her in his arms the way he wanted to—and he knew she wasn’t ready for that. Not that she ever would be. Abigail Duncan had no place in his life. He had to remember that.
    In silence he walked her to the front door. She’d left her purse in the file room, so she had to use the key in the flowerpot.
    “Thank you, Jonas,” she said again as she stepped into the house.
    Jonas marched to his truck. He had the urge to gun the motor and burn rubber. But he had outgrown that behavior. He only wished he had outgrown this deep frustration inside him, too. Abigail Duncan was making him crazy.

CHAPTER FIVE
    W HEN J ONAS GOT BACK to the office, he went into the file room and retrieved Abby’s purse and Delores Alvarez’s file. He took them to his desk, locked Abby’s purse in a drawer and sat down. He stared at the file. If he opened it, there was no turning back. So it was time to stop fooling himself. Time to face his lust for Abigail Duncan. For that’s all it was—lust, pure and simple.
    He’d heard Abe talk about her for years. He’d seen her at a distance several times and he’d seen her up close at Abe’s funeral, but he hadn’t actual met her until she’d come to work for Brewster. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Parker,” she had said in a soft titillating voice, and his insides had coiled tighter than an eight-day clock. He’d never met anyone like her. She was beautiful, smart and sophisticated, and so far removed from his world that it was laughable. He’d made a vow right then and there that he’d stay away from her. It had worked…for a while.
    His hand went to his cheek. Dammit, he couldn’t believe how he’d reacted to her innocent kiss. Like a teenager. He wondered what she’d say if he told her he’d never been kissed like that before—gently, affectionately—not even by his mother.
    The moment her soft lips had touched him he’d felt a need that had long been buried under pain andheartache. A need to love someone. He’d had to get away from her as quickly as he could because he couldn’t give reign to those emotions. She wouldn’t understand him or his past. No woman would.
    He fingered the file. If Abby would give up this insane notion of avenging her father and return to Dallas, his life would settle into its usual routine again and he wouldn’t have to deal with his unwelcome feelings. But Abby wasn’t leaving, he knew that. Even after spending hours in a locked room, she wasn’t backing out.
    The door had not closed by itself. Couldn’t she see that? It was dangerous to continue this crusade. But there wasn’t much he could do.
    He opened the file and started to read. Delores lived a few miles across the border. At least her parents did. Since family was important to Mexicans, he’d bet Delores wasn’t far away. That disturbed him. So close, yet she never came back to ask for support from Brewster even after his son had died. Why? If her daughter was Brewster’s heir, why hadn’t she done anything about it?
    Brewster was a bastard and he could be a mean son of a bitch when he was in one of his moods. He might have put the fear of God into her. Still…Jonas had trouble accepting that. Somehow the pieces didn’t fit.
    He decided to call it a night. Maybe after a few hours sleep, he’d be able to think more clearly.
     
    J ONAS WOKE UP with a start. Someone was pounding on his door. He opened one eye and glanced at the clock. Six o’clock. Dammit all to hell, he’d overslept. He was always in the office by five.
    “Mr. Jonas. Mr. Jonas. Come quick,” Juan yelled through the door.
    Now what? he thought as he slipped into jeans and made his way to the living room.
    He yanked open the door. “This had better be important, Juan.”
    “Mr. Stuart wants you,” Juan said, and hurried down the stairs.
    Jonas followed at a slower pace. Stuart Banks stood at the bottom with a worried