Dangerously Irresistible. Kristin Gabriel
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pocket of her sundress and unlocked the cuff around his ankle. He slowly straightened his right leg, wincing at the movement. Maddie didn’t waste any time securing the empty cuff around the metal leg of the bed frame.
“There,” she said, helping him up to a sitting position, his arms still cuffed behind his back. “That’s better.”
“No, that’s not better. I demand that you release me immediately!” He yanked hard on his chains.
“Sorry, Whip. No can do.”
“The name is Tanner.”
“This week, anyway.” She sat down in a chair across from him.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Face it, lady, you nabbed the wrong man.”
She sighed. “It’s not going to work.”
“My name is Tanner Blackburn,” he insisted.
“And you’re a lawyer.”
“That’s right.”
“A successful lawyer?”
He nodded. “As a matter of fact, I’m on the fast track to making partner.”
“Impressive.” She leaned forward. “So tell me something. Why would a handsome, successful lawyer advertise himself in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine?”
He met her gaze and her stomach fluttered at the indefinable emotion swirling in his blue eyes. “It’s a long story.”
“That’s all right, Whip… I mean, Tanner.” She settled back in her chair. “It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”
She forced herself to remain calm as he worked himself into a fury, yanking on the chains hard enough to make the bed vibrate. He was much brawnier than she’d expected. His shoulders were wide and his chest unbelievably broad. He’d obviously been working out since that last mug shot had been taken.
Her mouth went dry when she remembered the way his chest muscles had rippled beneath her touch. How the bulge of his biceps had helped snag his shirtsleeves behind him, making it almost impossible for him to move his arms.
She’d known the Kissing Bandit had charmed women all over the country, but she’d never really understood his magnetic power…until tonight.
The man had a boyish appeal that was almost irresistible. Especially when it was combined with those incredible blue eyes, that solid, square jaw, and a smile that melted something deep inside of her.
Not to mention that kiss.
She closed her eyes, attempting to block out the memory, and failing. Her body had betrayed her, and it still thrummed from the aftereffects of his kiss. She kept telling herself the only reason she’d kissed him was to distract him when she brought out the handcuffs.
But it wasn’t true. Worse, it had almost backfired on her. No wonder so many women had signed over their bank accounts and their common sense to this man.
“Am I boring you?” he asked archly.
Her eyes flew open. “Did you say something?”
His nostrils flared. “I was telling you the reason my picture was in that stupid magazine.”
She tucked her legs underneath her. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
He shifted uncomfortably on the floor. “Then I’ll say it again. It was a gift.”
She arched a brow, surprised that a man as cunning as the Kissing Bandit couldn’t come up with something more clever. “You consider yourself a gift to women?”
“No. It was a gift to my little sister.” He sagged against the bed, obviously exhausted from his struggle against the handcuffs. “For some ridiculous reason, she thought I didn’t have enough romance in my life. So she filled out the application and told me the only thing she wanted for her high school graduation present was my picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine.”
As far as Maddie knew, the Kissing Bandit didn’t have a little sister. But she decided to play along anyway. “And you agreed?”
“Not at first,” he replied. “But Lauren is nothing if not persistent. She told me she couldn’t enjoy herself at college if I was all alone in Dallas.”
Maddie had to give him credit. He was good. Very good.
Especially the way his voice softened when he spoke his sister’s name. He was a master of deception, which was probably the reason he’d avoided capture for so long.
“So you advertised yourself in the magazine hoping to find true love?”
“Something like that.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Look, the real reason is that it made my sister happy. She’s had a tough time these last few years, but she pulled herself together and graduated from high school with honors. She even qualified for a college scholarship. So when she asked me to put my picture in the Texas Mail-Order Men magazine, I did it. Hell, I would have walked across hot coals if she’d asked me to. And considering the way this evening is turning out, that might have been more fun.”
Maddie studied him, wondering how long it took him to create these cockamamie stories. At least this one was more plausible than the wild rodeo adventures he’d spun down at the bar. Did he improvise on the spur of the moment or spend hours concocting heart-wrenching tales to make women fall in love with him?
He certainly seemed like the perfect catch. Not only was he sinfully handsome, but he treated his little sister like a princess. No doubt leaving the impression that he’d treat the love of his life even better.
Too bad it was all make-believe.
“Do you adopt orphaned puppies and help little old ladies across the street, too?” she asked, tired of playing games. The rush of adrenaline from the takedown was finally beginning to wear off.
He narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that I’m smart enough not to believe a word that comes out of your mouth.”
“It happens to be the truth.”
“Okay,” she said, happy to call his bluff. “Give me your sister’s phone number and I’ll call her up to verify your story.”
“You can’t call her,” he retorted, anger sparking in his blue eyes. “Lauren went camping with friends this weekend. She won’t be home until Sunday.”
“That’s convenient.”
“It’s the damn truth!”
“Your bedtime stories are making me sleepy.” She got up and switched off the light, blanketing the room in darkness. “Good night, Whip.”
Tension crackled in the air as she walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. But it wasn’t until her head hit the pillow that he finally spoke.
“You expect me to sleep here on the floor like this?” He tugged on the handcuffs, shaking the bed slightly.
“Well, you’re certainly not sleeping with me,” Maddie replied, thankful for the darkness that covered her blush. Because, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t seem to forget that interlude on the bed right before she’d handcuffed him. The Kissing Bandit might be one of the world’s best con men, but she hadn’t been acting.
Still, what did it matter now? She’d done it. She’d brought down the Kissing Bandit. Satisfaction warmed her as she imagined the expression on her father’s face when she brought Blackburn in. Her brothers would be dumbfounded, and jealous as hell.
She could hardly wait.
4
TANNER AWOKE SLOWLY THE next morning, wincing at the piercing ache in his shoulders. It took him a moment to remember