Rescuing Jenna - Anna Blakely Page 0,9

the closet was located—the one next to the nearest of the two beds—she realized her mistake.

A strong hand flew out from behind the wall, covering her mouth. Her attacker wrapped his other arm around her waist, the other hand muffling Jenna’s screams as she fought and struggled to get free. The guy let out a few low grunts but didn’t budge.

The spray! Use the damn pepper spray!

Mentally smacking herself for having momentarily forgotten it, Jenna spun the canister’s opening around, nearly dropping it in the process.

With thoughts of those missing nurses swirling throughout her head, she pointed the nozzle toward the man behind her. Turning her head to the left and shutting her eyes to avoid accidentally hitting herself, Jenna squeezed the trigger and released the burning liquid.

The man behind her yelled. He immediately dropped his arms and stumbled away from her, his back hitting the wall behind him. Not taking any chances, Jenna ran forward a few steps before turning back around and pointing the spray at her attacker once more.

With his head down and his palms wiping at his eyes, the jerk growled against the pain. “Pepper spray? Really?”

What did you expect, dickwad?

Fear and anger poured through her as she stood her ground. “That’s right, asshole! And there’s more where that came from if you don’t get out of my room right this second!”

“Holy hell, woman. To think I was worried about you.” The would-be kidnapper coughed and spit before releasing a low chuckle. “Christ, I forgot how much that shit hurts.”

Even though the man’s words were strained, and he was struggling to catch his breath, Jenna could’ve sworn she recognized his voice. With the dusk’s light seeping in through a narrow break in the curtains, she took a few seconds to study the intruder more closely.

He was tall. Brunette. His black t-shirt stretched across muscles that seemed to go for days, and his denim jeans hugged his taut thighs like a second skin. If she didn’t know any better, she’d almost think he looked a lot like…

No. No way.

Keeping the spray aimed at her target, Jenna slowly sidestepped to the lamp resting on the small table on her right. Not taking her eyes off the intruder, she fumbled a bit before finding the light switch and turning it on.

A sudden, dull glow illuminated the room—and the man standing before her.

With her heart thrumming wildly, Jenna said, “Show me your face.”

Still grimacing in pain, the blinking man began to slowly raise his head. Sniffing, he used the back of his hand to wipe his red, watering eyes before bringing his pained gaze to hers.

His skin was beet red, and he could barely open his eyes. But there was no mistaking that handsome face.

Jenna released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Her jaw dropped. “Adrian?”

“Hey, gorgeous.” He smiled through the burn. “Miss me?”

Chapter 2

Adrian stood under the shower’s pummeling spray, the cool water rinsing the soap from his face. He’d washed it four times, already, and the flames he’d felt with that first chemical splash had finally begun to diminish.

This is what you get for coming back to this hell hole.

The last time he was in Gulfside Harbor, he’d been searching for his sister. A sister he’d lost because he wasn’t there to protect her.

This is also what you get for caring for a woman you barely know, asshole.

And he did care. More than he should. More than he had a right to.

That’s why, when Gabriel Dawson had called to share his concerns about Jenna’s new travel assignment and asked him to come down here and check on her, Adrian hadn’t hesitated to agree.

Like Gabe, the idea of Jenna being anywhere near the Mexican border—especially in the same city his sister was taken from—scared the shit out of him.

And he wasn’t a man who scared easily.

Except he’d damn near been terrified to see her again. Okay, maybe terrified was too strong a word. More like nervous as hell.

After leaving the way he had, Adrian was certain she’d yell and scream and tell him to go to hell. Or throat punch him.

It was a toss-up, really.

So, in an attempt to avoid starting a public spectacle, he’d decided to break into her room and wait for her there. In hindsight, hiding in the dark and grabbing her like he had probably wasn’t the smartest move.

Occupational hazard and all that.

Adrian also wasn’t sure which surprised him more—that Jenna had been carrying pepper spray or that she’d actually used it on