Heartstealer (Women of Character) - By Grace Brannigan Page 0,2

look from under dark brows. "I didn’t order a skydiving act. I think word of mouth is enough to put this place on the map."

She opened her eyes wide. "Whoa, okay, I get the picture that this wasn’t your idea." She unclipped her harness and released the snap on her tight-fitting cap. "But since your brother owns Timber Falls, he’s the one I answer to."

Sloan’s blue eyes were intense as they settled on her, yet a slight hint of amusement lurked there. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we both own Timber Falls."

"Oh." A course of goose bumps raced along her arms under the jumpsuit. She gave him a full smile. That meant he’d be here her entire stay. There was something about him that rattled her just a bit. "Then you’re my employer too. You know I'm staying here the month of August?"

"I know."

Two words with a wealth of meaning. He knew and was happy she wondered, or he knew and didn't like it? From everything he’d not said, it might be the latter. He watched the slowly dispersing crowd with a slight frown, as if he wished himself elsewhere. Jacie figured he probably had better things to do than pick her up and make sure she was okay. Well, that was okay with her. She was here to do a job, not make friends with a guy who looked like he’d walked out of an old western. Sexy as hell, but an old western nevertheless.

Sighing, Jacie had to wonder why her hands shook as she slid the cap from her head.

Ω

Sloan knew he’d better not linger if he wanted to finish his workload by dusk, but his feet didn’t move. He hadn’t planned on staying this long, but curiosity had gotten the better of him when he’d seen Jacie arrive earlier with her brother. At the time he’d wondered if anyone that looked that good would risk ruining her perfect hair styling by jumping out of a plane. Sure enough she’d jumped and to his untrained eyes, she’d done it with flair.

Now as he watched her rich, reddish brown hair slide down her shoulders he could imagine a man burying his face there and getting lost. Fascinated, he stared as her slim fingers tangled in the strands. Her mouth was saucy, her big brown eyes lively. Her skin glowed and a touch of pink accented her high cheekbones. There was something exotic about her face with the slightly up-tilted eyes, yet he had a fleeting impression of shadows. Despite that, he guessed she was all sparks and fun.

He clenched the silky material of the parachute, discomfited by his thoughts. He didn’t indulge in flights of imagination, but right now his brain was having a hell of a field day recalling her slim soft body on top of his. There was an undeniable charisma about this woman in the form-fitting jumpsuit. She exuded life and radiance with a smile that embraced the world. When she had veered from her landing mark, he’d feared she was in trouble and stepped into her path. They weren’t close to the cliffs, but there existed a possibility she could have been flung that way; a fall no man or woman could survive.

"Sloan, I see you've met Jacie," his brother James said behind them.

Glad of the diversion, Sloan turned to his brother. "Yes." He let his glance move back to Jacie and he couldn’t help but smile. "A quick introduction."

She tipped her head back, the lightly tanned skin of her throat exposed as her husky laugh rang out. His body tightened down to his toes.

"I guess the best thing is to make light of my less-than-perfect entrance," she admitted without apology, thrusting a hand toward James. "You must be James Wright. Luckily Sloan acted as a barrier, otherwise you'd still be chasing me across the field. What a series of camera shots that would be."

"I’m afraid that’s typical of my sister," said a male voice dryly. "She likes to be the center of attention."

Sloan looked at the dark-haired man who came up behind James. His brown hair was cropped short and he was of husky build. The family resemblance between him and Jacie was unmistakable, especially around the eyes.

"Sloan, this is Con Turner," his brother said. "Con heads up Aerial Antics."

Jacie’s glance at her brother was a mix of affection and exasperation. "Con’s here to make sure the jump goes off without a hitch."

Sloan wondered about the hint of defensiveness in the angle of her