Masquerade (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Masquerade

  Samantha Keller wanted to concentrate on her career as a nurse. Men were not always as trustworthy as they seemed. She had learned that lesson the hard way. Taking care of Jackson Rutherford, injured FBI agent, was just supposed to be part of her job. Falling in love and opening her heart was not supposed to be in the job description.

  Jackson Rutherford was a career man all the way. He loved his job and had no intention of looking for love. When he couldn’t forget the beautiful, sweet nurse who had taken care of him, he had to admit there was something there worth exploring.

  When Jackson's job collides with his attempt to get Samantha to take a chance by getting to know him, the risks become more dangerous. Can Samantha realize Jackson has her best interests at heart before it is too late?

  Genre: Contemporary

  Length: 33,913 words

  MASQUERADE

  Lee Rose

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  MASQUERADE

  Copyright © 2016 by Lee Rose

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-143-9

  First E-book Publication: March 2016

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Masquerade by Lee Rose from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Lee Rose’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Lee Rose’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  About the Author

  MASQUERADE

  LEE ROSE

  Copyright © 2016

  Chapter 1

  Samantha Keller drove her small white car slowly down the curvy paved road that led to her destination. The scenery certainly was beautiful. The natural, dramatic red rock landscape was breathtaking. Each time she viewed it, it never lost its enchantment in her eyes. She wasn’t sure she would ever not be in awe of the view. Colorado had a lot of natural beauty that she loved to discover. She had been here for more than a year and it still felt like she had a lot to discover about this new state she lived in. It was a lot different than the fast-paced city of New York.

  She had her car window rolled down a crack so the fresh spring March air could come in. She had put her long blonde hair up in a ponytail so the wind wouldn’t tangle it. The temperature was a little cool but the sun was shining bright. She was glad to see the signs of spring everywhere. Colorado winters were very harsh. Small spots of snow lingered on the ground, but in a few days the sun would melt it all away. She couldn’t wait to be active after a long winter of not doing any jogging or hiking. She went to the gym occasionally, but it wasn’t the same as being outdoors in the fresh air. Many people skied, but she had not been brave enough to try it yet.

  Getting out of the busy town of Grand Junction even for a few hours was a nice change of pace. The city was filled with tourists and permanent citizens. She loved her job as a nurse, but being stuck in a small building eight hours a day could be monotonous. Her boss, Dr. Eddie Miller, had a small clinic and she was one of the nurses that he employed. When he asked her to make the fifteen-minute drive to his nephew’s house right outside the city limits she had jumped at the chance to escape the building and feel the sun on her face.

  After reaching her destination she slowed down so she would not miss the white steel mailbox that led to the house she was doing a home visit to. Jackson Rutherford had been injured on his job as an FBI agent. He had been shot in the leg but was recovering nicely. This was her fourth visit to his home. Soon she would have no reason to make the drive out here and that saddened her for many reasons. Not only because she liked doing something different but also she found herself attracted to her boss’s nephew. It was an unwanted feeling but something she could not deny.

  She spotted the mailbox and made a right turn into the black paved driveway. The white ranch-style house came into view right away. The pine-green shutters gave the house a cozy, warm feel. It was surrounded by a long porch. A few chairs were placed along the porch. She parked behind Jackson Radford’s black pickup truck. The house was surrounded by tall majestic trees that shaded the roof of the house. Jackson had told her his nearest neighbor was half a mile down the road. He liked his peace and quiet. She had never spent any time in the country, so she was unsure if she’d like this country setting. She had a small one-bedroom apartment right in town. She loved the noises surrounding her. It made her feel less alone.

  She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before going in to see her patient. She was confident in her abilities as a nurse, but something about this man made her body go haywire and react in ways she did not like. Jackson was a hard-looking man, so why was she physically attracted to him? She didn’t normally go for that type. She had learned the hard way that men were never what they portrayed. She lacked good judgement she reminded herself. Her last serious relationship had not been what she thought it to b
e. It had made her afraid to keep risking her heart. She always seemed to put her trust in the wrong person. The experiences made her harden her heart.

  Jackson’s dark brown eyes made her feel nervous and lustful all at the same time. He always had stubble on his jaw that she found appealing. She would offer to shave him but she was afraid her hands would shake too much, giving away her growing attraction to him. Samantha got out of the car and walked up the steps. She had been given a key so he wouldn’t have to get up and hobble on his injured leg. The bullet had been lodged in his thigh, but the doctors had gotten it out. He refused to stay in the hospital so his uncle had offered to care for him post-surgery.

  She opened the door and yelled out as she always did. “Jackson, its Samantha.”

  “Back here.” She heard him yell from his bedroom. She bypassed the neat living room and headed down a narrow hallway at the back of the house. The house was a two-bedroom, but she had only been in Jackson’s bedroom. She stepped into his bedroom and her eyes zeroed right on him before anything else. He sat in his large king-size bed against the wall. He had the TV on, but the volume was low. She wondered if he got lonely out here all alone. She supposed he had family members visiting with him. She worked for his uncle and had met his aunt and cousin a few times. Since her grandmother passed away two years ago she had been feeling alone. Her grandmother had been her only family, having raised Samantha all by herself. Samantha’s mother decided that she was not cut out for motherhood after all. The life interfered with her partying ways. When Samantha was five her mother dropped Samantha off with her own mother, Samantha’s grandmother. Samantha didn’t remember her father, he had been out of the picture since she was an infant.

  She set her bag down and took off her light sweater, placing it on a chair by his bed. She gave him her usual polite smile. “How are you today, Jackson?”

  He was wearing a navy blue T-shirt that stretched across his muscled chest and wide shoulders. His arms were also thick. She knew he would have gym shorts on underneath the light sheet covering his legs. It was obvious he worked out a lot. She tried not to stare too long. Otherwise, she might just drool. His brown hair was a little shaggy and untrimmed, but she thought he looked wild and sexy.

  “Feeling cranky,” he mumbled. The room was well lit since he had the curtains open. “I want to be outside in the sun. My uncle is a sadist drawing this recovery out. I’m sure I’m fine. I feel fine.”

  She felt sympathetic. Staying in bed all day could make a person restless. She had seen it in many patients before. She knew from her boss that Jackson led a very active life. Not only with his job but he liked many outdoor activities. “He cares about you, Jackson. He says you’re almost ready to be released. He just wants to be one hundred percent sure.”

  Jackson nodded silently and just kept his gaze on her, which made her nervous. His expression was hard to read as it followed her around the room. His eyes reminded her of the hot coffee she drank every morning. There was heat in them and it could burn her if she wasn’t careful. She removed part of the sheet and took off the old dressing on his thigh. She took a look at his wound. His skin was smooth except for the small pink scar from the bullet. Eventually the scar would fade. “It looks good. You were lucky to have no permanent damage. I say you’ll be back to chasing bad guys really soon. That should cheer you up.”

  He smiled with amusement. She loved how warm his brown eyes looked when he smiled. His dark hair was a little shaggy, but she found it softened his appearance. “Will it disappoint you if I say I spend a lot of time at my desk on the computer and filling out paperwork?”

  “Yes.” She smiled with amusement. “I watch TV detective shows. It’s exciting. Don’t ruin it for me.”

  He chuckled and leaned back against the pile of pillows. He had a pitcher of water on his nightstand and a brown bottle of antibiotics. He had refused pain pills and instead opted for over-the-counter pain pills. She left the bandage off. “I can open a window. The breeze is refreshing.”

  He nodded and watched her walk over to the window. She was wearing her white nurse’s uniform since she was headed back to the office after her visit. She felt the cool breeze hit her face. She turned to smile at him. “Isn’t that much better? I am so glad winter is over. I can’t wait to hike and go biking again. I need the activity.”

  He agreed. “Where are you from?”

  “Lived in New York all my life. I just wanted a change, something new,” she answered simply. “I love Colorado. It’s a beautiful place.”

  “What do you want for lunch?” she asked him, trying to focus on staying busy and not drooling over her patient. That wasn’t very professional of her.

  “Surprise me.” He shrugged casually. “My cousin Melanie brought some groceries over yesterday. She made meatloaf last night. There might even be leftovers.”

  “Okay.” She turned to leave the room and he stopped her.

  “Sam, will you sit and eat with me?” He looked like he expected her to say no. She found herself whispering yes. She smiled to herself feeling her heart beating slightly faster as she headed to his kitchen. The kitchen was very open and modern.

  He had a large island in the middle of the room. It was neat and looked like it wasn’t used much. The appliances were shiny and new. It was a lot larger than her small apartment kitchen. Samantha loved to cook and would have loved to have a dream kitchen like this. She got the leftovers out of the fridge and put the food on two plates to throw in the microwave.

  She thought about Jackson as the plates heated up. She needed to ignore the attraction she felt. She shouldn’t even be thinking of dating any man. She had just gotten out of a relationship eight weeks ago. Nathan Cooper had turned out to be another big disappointment in her life. She had vowed to focus on work and being happy by herself. Romance was not in the cards for her she reminded herself. Men could not be trusted. They wore masks that often weren’t real.

  * * * *

  Jackson watched Sam eat her lunch. He had a tray on his lap and he picked at his food. He wasn’t really hungry, but he wanted an excuse to keep her around for a little longer. Soon he would be able to move around on his own and she wouldn’t come to his house. He was already making his way to the bathroom without help. His leg was sore but not hurting like before. The thought of not seeing his blonde nurse was a little sad. He was intrigued by the young nurse who worked for his uncle Eddie even if he couldn’t figure out why. She was petite compared to his own six-foot tallness, maybe five inches over five feet and slender. Her long golden hair was pulled away from her face. Her face was thin and smooth. Her eyes were a deep blue, but he sensed a loneliness radiating from them that she tried to hide with smiles that never reached her eyes. She talked a little more easily now, but the first day she had shown up he could see how nervous she was around him. He didn’t want her being afraid of him. He was confused about what he was feeling even as he watched her closely, trying to figure out why he couldn’t stop thinking of her. He was thirty-two and headed upward in his career. He had no intention of settling down yet. Someday maybe, but not right now. He liked focusing on his job. He dated women his age who weren’t looking to settle down either. Samantha was too sweet and too innocent. She was the romantic type. That should scare him away. Instead he found himself drawn to her more and more. When she smiled at him it hit him square in the chest. When she touched his skin lightly to check his wound he was afraid she would see his erection, just from her fingers lightly trailing on his thigh. She always smelled like fresh soap mixed with wildflowers. He found himself thinking about her when he was alone, especially at night. Maybe it was because he had been out of commission for a few weeks. Was it some kind of nurse syndrome because she was caring for him? Surely that’s all it was.

  “How old are you?” he blurted out without thinking. He usually was way smoother than that.

  “Twenty-five. Afraid I just got out of nursing school?” she teased and he was glad she was feeling more comfortable w
ith him. She had looked scared to death the first day she came to see him. He wondered what happened in her past to make her so unsure of herself. She had a natural beauty but she didn’t seem to realize it. She seemed reserved but yet she caught his attention.

  “Yeah,” he replied with a chuckle. “You look like you just got out of high school.”

  She laughed at his statement. “You couldn’t pay me to go back there again. High school was brutal.”

  He agreed and set his fork down. He moved the tray over to the nightstand. “I agree. FBI training was a lot easier.”

  “Did you always want to be in law enforcement?” she asked as if really interested in him. He never spent much time conversing with women. It was nice. He had a few drinks, got them into bed, and life went on. Samantha didn’t seem that type.

  “When I went to college I had no idea what I wanted to do,” he admitted. “My parents divorced the year before I went off to college. My dad moved to London to teach history at some university. My mom stayed here near her sister Edith. I focused on my classes and got recruited by the FBI in my third year.”

  He looked over at her. “What about you? What made you choose nursing as a career?”

  “I like helping people. I thought about being a doctor briefly but didn’t want to spend so many years in college. I worked in the ER for a few years in New York. It was fast paced but I wanted a change. When I saw your uncle’s ad online I jumped at the chance to do something different, somewhere different. I’m glad I took the chance,” she explained. He could get lost in the color of her blue eyes. It reminded him of the times he went sailing when he needed an escape from life or a difficult case.