Loving the Lone Wolf

Nathan ended the call, stripped off the rest of his clothes and stepped into the shower, hoping the hot water would ease some of the knots from his muscles.

It was no use. The tension he felt was too deep for a run or a shower to loosen. In fact, it had been building for ten years, ever since the day he had joined Payback.

Payback. It was an organization as well as a philosophy. A decade ago, Tony had provided Nathan the new identity and the financial backing that had enabled him to turn his life around. Because of Tony, Nathan had given up crime. In return, Nathan had to pay back the favor by bringing another criminal to justice.

Tony had waited ten years before calling in the debt. Then two months ago, he had chosen Stephan Volski as Nathan’s target. Once Volski and his heroin-smuggling ring were behind bars, Nathan’s debt would be paid in full.

But if he failed to pay his debt to Tony, Nathan would lose everything that Tony’s help had allowed him to build: his wealth, his company and his respectable new life.

He wouldn’t just be playing Nathan Rand anymore, he would be him.

He would do anything to keep that from happening.

Even if it meant seeing Kelly Jennings arrested?

Nathan gritted his teeth, twisted the faucet to cold and ducked his head under the stream.

Chapter 4

The next time she had to go anywhere with Nathan, Kelly decided, they weren’t going to use his motorcycle, they were going to take a car. She didn’t care whether it was her own convertible or Stephan’s limo or even a bus, as long as it had separate seats so she didn’t have to touch him. And air-conditioning so he could wear…more.

The weather had turned sultry this morning, too hot for a jacket, so instead of thick biker leather, Nathan was wearing a plain white shirt. Whenever Kelly hung on to him, there was nothing but thin, sun-warmed cotton between her hands and the washboard ridges of his abs. She curled her fingers around the chrome loop behind the seat, trying to keep her balance as she endeavored to minimize the contact with Nathan’s body.