Free Hold Me by Lucianne Rivers Page A

thumb, traced the bone, then kissed her forehead before pulling her back to his chest.
    “I hope tomorrow never comes,” she murmured before falling asleep.
    …
    Cady saw the dawn break through tired eyes. He’d slept fitfully, instead watching Jane in repose. Inspiration flowed through him like a flash flood. He hated to leave the warmth of her body next to his but he needed to find his guitar. After slipping out of the bed, he headed to his small living room.
    His acoustic guitar stood on its stand by the shaded window. He lifted it and placed it on his lap with a sure but gentle grasp. Touching it reminded him of how he loved to touch Jane. Strumming, he played a major cord, then a minor one, and then picked out a new melody inspired by the woman in his bed—a sweet tune of longing, pain and loss.
    It was all Jane.
    Damn. He wasn’t ready to leave the carefully hidden life he’d put together. So what if his newfound muse lived thousands of miles away? He’d been alone for years; he could do it again.
    “That’s beautiful.”
    Jane stood at the door, wearing one of his shirts. Music swelled in his brain, and his fingers obliged by playing the notes. Goodbye Jane... the lyrics came to him, but he refrained from singing aloud. The answer to all my pain... Corny, but true. As if realizing he needed to be alone, she smiled and backed away, leaving him to his guitar.
    …
    Cady had his doubts about Zach Caldwell. Jane and her so-called father walked side-by-side around his compound while Cady sat on the porch. Zach had a rifle slung over one shoulder, for starters. Ostensibly what he’d used to kill the rabbit dangling from his fingers. Jane had paused when she’d seen the gun, but she’d grown up on a ranch so Cady hadn’t been surprised by her apparent ease around a man carrying a rifle.
    Cady knew how to shoot, had learned for one or two of his movies. Still, the rifle made him nervous. Caldwell made him nervous, and he couldn’t say why. Perhaps it was the way Zach glanced at Jane when she wasn’t looking, or the wattage of his smile. Years of experience with people on the take had given him a nose for anything remotely fake. What if Zach wasn’t who he seemed? But if that was the case, what could explain the story he’d told them about Iraq?
    “Hey, Zach,” he called. “I need to use your john.”
    Zach nodded.
    The inside of Zach’s cabin stank of cigarette butts and stale beer. Not really needing to use the bathroom, Cady used the time to look around. A tiny bedroom revealed messy sheets—so much for military precision—and a cell phone charging on the bedside table. He heard footsteps approaching before he could investigate further.
    Jane and Zach found him washing his hands in the tiny bathroom, door ajar.
    Jane looked overjoyed. “Dad says he’s coming back with me.”
    He mustered a smile. “That’s great, babe.” He came out and gave her a hug.
    “So, Zach, I’ll book a flight for you if you give me your passport number.”
    Half-expecting a suspicious response, Cady was taken aback when Zach nodded. After a quick rummage in the bedroom, Zach presented a U.S. passport to him. Needing to see the evidence, he flipped it open. It read Zach T. Caldwell in black and white. He frowned.
    Okay, so maybe the guy really was Jane’s father.
    “Do you mind if I tag along? I have some business to take care of back in the U.S.” Cady had spoken the words without thinking.
    Jane looked as shocked as he felt. Hope dawned on her face and he felt like kicking himself. Mistrust made him want to protect her. It wasn’t that he couldn’t face saying goodbye to Jane.
    “Let me grab my bag and we can leave,” Zach said.
    “Is there any way we can avoid that nightmare journey back into Mexico?” Jane asked.
    “There are international flights from Mundo Maya Airport outside of Flores,” Cady said, knowing they cost a fortune.
    Jane’s face lit up.
    Well, he could put his untouched millions to good