Chances Are - By Christy Reece Page 0,17

to stand and then came at her again. Angela had expected the move and swept her left leg out, kicking him in the chest and knocking him on his butt. He sprang to his feet and went for her again. Her concentration total, she was in full fighting mode. Nothing mattered other than surviving and putting the man in front of her on the floor. In her element, confidence sky-high, she was unbeatable. Nothing and no one could stop her now.

She never expected to be attacked from behind.

Jake wrapped his arms around Angela, holding back a groan as her slender, sexy body, covered only in spandex shorts, a sports bra, and a fine sheen of sweat, pressed against him. He’d never had her this close to him before and it was all he could do not to turn her around and taste those lips that had only moments ago been snarling at him. He’d always thought Angela was sexy as hell. Watching her take down a man who outweighed her by a hundred pounds was even sexier. He loved confident women. Angela was that and much more.

Stupid of him. While he was concentrating on what he wanted to do to her luscious body, she was poised to defend herself, determined to take him down. Jake was caught off guard when she stomped his foot and jammed her fist into his groin. The instant he let her go, she whirled around and gave him a good wallop on his jaw. He went down in an instant. She stood over him, her exotically beautiful face gazing down at him. Jake expected to see remorse or concern. He laughed out loud when he only saw triumph. She wasn’t one bit regretful that she’d slammed him almost into unconsciousness. Dammed if he didn’t want to kiss her even more.

“I’d say you got your clocked cleaned,” Dylan said.

Getting to his feet, Jake nodded his approval. “I’d say you’re right.”

Angela glanced over at Dylan. “Did I pass the test or is there more?”

“You passed this one, but yeah, there’s more.”

Rubbing her hands against her hips as if preparing herself, she nodded. “Bring it on.”

“How about giving Jake and me a few minutes to recover?”

She grinned at them both. “You think the killer’s going to wait and let you recover?”

Both men laughed appropriately but Jake’s amusement was greatly diminished by grim reality. In a couple of days, he and Angela could well be facing that killer. The police had no real knowledge of what this man looked like or if he was in any kind of fighting shape. Angela’s skills might well put the man down with one blow but that didn’t take away from the fact that she would be working to trap an evil, violent man whose priority was to abduct, torture, and then kill her. Jake had to keep her safe.

He turned to Dylan. “Why don't you take a breather and let me take this one?”

Dylan eyed him speculatively for a second and then nodded. “I’ll go get some fresh air.”

Jake turned to Angela and asked softly, “Think you’ve got it in you to take me down again?”

The door behind Angela closed with a resounding click. They were alone. Adrenaline flooded her veins like a gushing river. Fully aware that part of that surge had to do with the man she was about to spar with, she was determined to use that extra energy to her advantage.

Accepting his challenge with a slight smile, she waited to see what Jake would do. Mistake.

“You’ve got the most beautiful body.” Blue eyes gleamed with fire as they slowly roamed up and down her body in a hot caress. “I’ve never seen anyone sexier.”

Stunned into immobility, she barely noticed when he swooped. In an instant, she was slammed to the mat. Blocking her legs with his own, Jake pulled her wrists up, held them with one hand, and used his other hand to wrap around her neck.

Pinned and unable to move, Angela glared up at him. “That was a sneaky thing to do.”

Instead of grinning down at her in triumph, he growled, “This isn’t a game. The bastard is going to come at you with whatever he can to distract you. You’ve got to be ready for anything, at anytime. Understand?”

“Yes, of course I understand. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

Her body betrayed her before she could control and hide her need. Sinking deeper into the mat, she shifted subtly, letting him settle more onto her. She saw the widening of