Ben didn't laugh, because he knew just how serious this newest threat was. "I'm pretty sure that it's all tied into your father's race for governor."

"I don't get it," she said as she smoothed the hem of her skirt over her thighs. "If someone wants my father to drop out of the election, then why did they send me the snakes?" She shuddered as she said the word.

Initially, Ben and Nathan had agreed to keep the details of those blackmail letters to themselves, but now that the intimidation tactics were escalating, Ben knew it was time to apprise Christine of the whole truth.

He looked at her, meeting her wide-eyed gaze. "The notes that your father received are demanding that he drop out of the election or risk losing what's most precious to him… and that would be you."

"Me?" she asked incredulously. "This person is using me as leverage, and as a target?"

He nodded, glad to see her fear being replaced by a more productive emotion like anger. "It appears that they're letting your father know that they're serious about their threats. How many people know about your aversion to snakes?" he asked, hoping for some kind of insight as to who might be behind this latest hoax.

"Not many, really. It's not something I bring up in casual conversation." She thought for a moment, her expression slowly reflecting a noticeable level of disdain. "The one person who is very aware of my fear of snakes is Jason. He was with me when I was bitten by one."

He couldn't even begin to imagine the scenario that had led to such an incident. "How did that happen?"

"Jason was an outdoorsy guy, and about a month after we were engaged, he took me hiking for a day on some trails at a state park in Antioch," she said, a slight frown marring her brow as she remembered, and explained. "We came across a snake, which I almost stepped on because of the way it blended in with the foliage. I thought it was a rattlesnake at first because it was shaking its tail and hissing at us, and of course I freaked out. Jason laughed and told me it was a gopher snake and insisted that it wouldn't hurt me. He thought it was funny that I was so frightened, and he deliberately pushed me toward the snake. I screamed, and the snake struck out and bit my calf." She absently rubbed at that spot on her bare leg.

"Jesus." Ben scrubbed a hand along his jaw as a slow-burning fury coursed through him. Her ex was a certified asshole, and Ben wished he would have beat the shit out of him when he'd had the chance that first night at Envy.

"We immediately went to the state park's first-aid station, where they cleaned and bandaged the bite." She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed at her arms through the sweater she was wearing. "And I was fine since the snake wasn't poisonous, but Jason never let me forget what a big baby I was about the whole thing."

Ben's hands curled into tight fists as anger and contempt for Jason seethed inside him. Luckily, they were interrupted by Kevin, who walked into the reception area, the box of snakes in hand with the top folded down.

"I got all three of them," he said to Ben, keeping his distance for Christine's sake. "Someone poked some small holes into the box, which is why they survived being mailed. I'll release the snakes somewhere safe and see what I can find out about the return address."

Ben gave his friend a grateful nod. "I appreciate that."

Kevin turned his attention toward Christine. His expression was grim, but his gaze conveyed kindness and sympathy for her situation. "I'm really sorry about all this, and I hope we catch the bastard who sent the damn things."

"Thank you," she said softly. "I know I overreacted back there, and I apologize for being so hysterical about the snakes."

Ben grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You had good reason," he assured her.

"I'll contact you when I know something," Kevin said, his comment directed at Ben.

"Thanks, man."

Then Kevin grinned at Christine-one of those flirtatious smiles that could persuade a woman to do just about anything he asked. "I'll see you at the wedding on Saturday." Kevin winked at her, then headed out the front door to the truck parked in front of her business.

When Ben glanced back at Christine, she wore a half-smile on her face, the kind that told him that Kevin's charm had woven its spell on yet another female. Ben highly suspected that Kevin had done so to provoke him and force him to face the feelings Ben swore he didn't have for this woman. Judging by the annoyance gripping him, his friend's scheme had worked.

"Back to business," Ben said, redirecting Christine's gaze, and attention, back to him. "Is there anybody else you might have mentioned your fear of snakes to?"

She thought for a moment, and then a startling realization flashed across her features. "Craig knows, and so does Leanne."

Ben frowned. "How would they know about your aversion to snakes?"

"Normally, they wouldn't, but a few months ago Craig asked me to plan and put together a party night at Envy for a client. The guy wanted a Snakes on a Plane theme, like the movie, and I just couldn't do it because it entailed hanging rubber snakes from the rafters, and other snake paraphernalia." She visibly shivered. "Even fake snakes are enough to send me into a panic, so I explained to Craig why I couldn't take the job, and he had Leanne do it instead. Of course, she wanted to know why I refused the event, and gloated over the fact that I had to turn it down because I was afraid of snakes."

So, that left them with three key people who knew about Christine's phobia. At the moment, Jason was the most likely suspect for sending the snakes. The man held a huge grudge against Nathan Delacroix for ruining his career, and he obviously still had a lot of unresolved anger toward Christine. Jason had every reason for wanting to sabotage Nathan's campaign, and had no qualms about using Christine's fears to let Delacroix know just how serious he was about threatening his daughter.

Now, Ben just had to find some kind of proof that Jason was behind this latest effort to scare Christine. If Kevin could link her ex to the box of snakes, they'd have what they needed to nail Jason and put an end to the blackmail attempts.

Madison came back from running her errands, and as soon as she took one look at Christine her entire demeanor changed into best friend mode as she sensed that something was wrong. She approached where the two of them were still sitting on the couch, and she dropped her purse onto the empty seat beside the sofa and glanced from Ben to Christine.

"You don't look well. What happened?" Madison asked, her brow creased with concern.

Instead of making Christine relive the entire incident, Ben gave Madison all the gory details. Her friend blanched, obviously not a fan of slithering reptiles, either.

"Good God!" Madison said with a shake of her head as she tried to process it all. "I'm glad you're okay. Why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off? I'll get those party favors ordered for the bridal shower next month and take care of everything else that needs to get done today."

"That would be great." Christine smiled gratefully at her friend. "I think I've had enough excitement for today."

Ben couldn't agree more.


Chapter Twelve


CHRISTINE was quiet on the drive home, and Ben cast a few surreptitious glances toward her just to make sure she was doing okay. She looked tired, as though the events of the past week and a half were finally taking a toll on her psyche. Yet despite all she'd been through, she'd remained strong and tough on the outside, but it was how she was doing emotionally and mentally that concerned him the most.

They entered her house from the garage, which connected directly into the kitchen. He punched in the security code to disable the alarm, then locked and secured the door behind them. He switched on the overhead light, headed to the refrigerator, and took a look at what there was to drink.

He glanced back at Christine, who set her purse on the wooden table in the nook area. "Would you like a glass of wine?" If anything, he figured it would help to soothe what was left of her anxiety from the earlier incident with the snakes.

She shook her head and smiled at him. "No, I'm fine."

She really wasn't. He could see the weariness in her eyes, could sense how troubled she truly was by her latest attack, and he wanted to do whatever it took to chase away her distress.

Closing the refrigerator, he walked over to where she was leaning against the counter. Reaching out, he gently brushed a wisp of hair away from her cheek. "Tell you what. Why don't you go and take a hot shower, put on something comfortable like a pair of sweats, and just relax while I make you something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," she said, her voice suddenly soft and husky. "Actually, there's only one thing I want right now."

He instantly recognized that look in her eyes. The undisguised wanting. The unabashed yearning. The blatant desire. She wore her need for him so openly and honestly, without any pretenses, and that was one of the things he loved about her.

He swallowed hard, refusing to analyze that last thought too closely. Instead, he decided to let Christine lure him in at her own pace, allow her to set the mood, and let tonight be all about her and what she needed the most.

"What is it that you want?" he asked, holding her gaze.

"You. I want you, Ben." The intense emotion etched in her features nearly stole his breath. "You're the only stable, reliable thing in my life right now. The one person who understands what I'm going through, and accepts me for who I am-without demands or expectations, or anything else." She stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest, right over his rapidly beating heart. "You make me feel sexy, and desirable, and that's what I need right now. I don't want to think about what happened today, or anything else but the two of us and how good you make me feel. Can you do that for me?"