The Cowboys of Chance Creek Vol 0 - 2
Author: Cora Seton
Date: 2000-01-01 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: cowboy; Romance; Fiction; Contemporary; Anthology; bundle; Western
Description: Three fast-paced, full-length sexy western romance novels in one set! Available for a limited time. Including: The Cowboy Inherits a Bride: When a big city chef and a hometown country boy go toe to toe over an inheritance, the competition gets smoking hot. The Cowboy's E-Mail Order Bride: When Ethan Cruz's friends set him up with an e-mail order bride, what's a cowboy to do except play along? The Cowboy Wins a Bride: Cowboy Jamie Lassiter has wanted his best friend's sister forever, but just when he's ready to make his move, she announces her plans to leave Chance Creek forever. Jamie makes a

12-Alarm Cowboys

A Twelve Novella Box Set

Cora Seton | Becky McGraw | Cynthia D’Alba | Delilah Devlin | Beth Williamson | Donna Michaels | Lexi Post | Elle James | Paige Tyler | Sable Hunter | Randi Alexander | Sabrina York

12-Alarm Cowboys

After the Fire

Copyright © 2015 Cora Seton

Where There’s Smoke

Copyright © 2015 Becky McGraw

Saddles & Soot

Copyright © 2015 Cynthia D’Alba

Controlled Burn

Copyright © 2015 Delilah Devlin

His Firefly Cowgirl

Copyright © 2015 Beth Williamson

Her Volunteer Cowboy

Copyright © 2015 Donna Michaels

Cowboy’s Match

Copyright © 2015 Lexi Post

Hellfire, Texas

Copyright © 2015 Elle James

Rekindled

Copyright © 2015 Paige Tyler

Texas Wildfire

Copyright © 2015 Sable Hunter

Hot in the Saddle

Copyright © 2015 Randi Alexander

Come Hell or High Water

Copyright © 2015 Sabrina York

EPUB Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Box Set Contents

After the Fire by Cora Seton

Where There’s Smoke by Becky McGraw

Saddles & Soot by Cynthia D’Alba

Controlled Burn by Delilah Devlin

His Firefly Cowgirl by Beth Williamson

Her Volunteer Cowboy by Donna Michaels

Cowboy’s Match by Lexi Post

Hellfire, Texas by Elle James

Rekindled by Paige Tyler

Texas Wildfire by Sable Hunter

Hot in the Saddle by Randi Alexander

Come Hell or High Water by Sabrina York

After the Fire

Cora Seton

‡

After the Fire

Copyright © 2015 Cora Seton

Published by One Acre Press

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Author’s Note

After the Fire is a stand-alone novella set in the fictional town of Chance Creek, Montana. If you like After the Fire, you’ll love my other works set in Chance Creek.

Other works by Cora Seton

The Cowboys of Chance Creek Series

The Cowboy Inherits a Bride (Volume 0)

The Cowboy’s E-mail Order Bride (Volume 1)

The Cowboy Wins a Bride (Volume 2)

The Cowboy Imports a Bride (Volume 3)

The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire (Volume 4)

The Sheriff Catches a Bride (Volume 5)

The Cowboy Lassos a Bride (Volume 6)

The Cowboy Rescues a Bride (Volume 7)

The Cowboy Earns a Bride (Volume 8)

The Heroes of Chance Creek Series

The Navy SEAL’s E-mail Order Bride (Volume 1)

The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 2)

The Marine’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 3)

The Navy SEAL’s Christmas Bride (Volume 4)

The Airman’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 5)

The SEALs of Chance Creek Series

A SEAL’s Oath

A SEAL’s Vow

A SEAL’s Pledge

A SEAL’s Consent

To learn about new releases, sign up for my newsletter now!

Chapter One

‡

“It was just a grease fire! You all didn’t need to come out here.”

Adam Carter flipped up the plastic shield of his firefighting helmet and stared down at the pretty blonde who stared back up at him angrily. The rest of his response team milled around them, making sure they’d fully extinguished the fire in Brynn Price’s kitchen.

Brynn was as feisty as she’d ever been in high school, back when she’d been Brynn Nelson. As beautiful, too. She’d grown into her blue eyes, pert nose and shapely body. Her legs had always seemed a mile long. That hadn’t changed.

Dressed in cut-off jean shorts, a strappy t-shirt and slate-blue cowboy boots, she could be Miss July on a feed-store calendar. But Brynn was smart as a whip too, which is why he didn’t know why she stuck with Chris Price, the orneriest two-timing cheat there ever was in Chance Creek. Or why she still worked at the grocery store in town instead of going to college and getting ahead in the world. He’d stayed in town, too, of course—working on the ranch with the rest of his family like he’d always known he would. Firefighting provided all the excitement he needed and he loved Montana too much to move away.

“Any time your neighbors report smoke pouring from your windows, I’ll be here. You can count on that.” It was his job to put out fires in Chance Creek, after all—a job he took even more seriously than ranching. He’d always taken Brynn’s safety seriously, too. Ever since she’d gone on exactly one date with him back in their school days and recounted all the accidents she’d ever been in.

Her list was long. Too long, although several of the accidents sounded more like negligence on the part of her parents than true bad luck. He knew Lorenna and James Nelson. They worked hard and attended the same church his parents did, but Lorenna liked her wine a little too much, James liked his whiskey—and loved flooring the gas pedal on his old Chevy. Brynn had the scars to prove it. So had her sister, Netta, before she left town five years ago and never came back.

On that one and only date he’d kissed the scar on Brynn’s hairline where she’d hit the windshield one winter night in eighth grade. Her family’s story was that a deer had bounded in front of the family truck, but Brynn confided there’d been no deer, just James driving too fast and losing control.

He’d kissed the scar on her wrist from when her mother stormed out of the living room during a fight with James, pushed Brynn out of the way and Brynn had tripped, putting her hand through the glass coffee table. And the one on her knee from when a guest dropped a steak knife on her at a rowdy Fourth of July backyard barbeque.

“Stick with me and I’ll keep you safe,” he’d promised her and kissed her on the mouth with all the passion and sophistication of a sixteen year old, hating the idea that she’d been hurt so many times. She’d kissed him back and his heart had beat double-time. He’d thought he’d finally come into his own: he was going to be Brynn Nelson’s boyfriend. The boyfriend of the prettiest, smartest girl in town.

“No one can keep me safe,” she’d said when they finally pulled apart. “Don’t bother trying.”

She’d never gone out with him again. And he’d asked her plenty of times.

He came back to the present and looked around the smoky room. Despite the fan belts sitting on the counter and a pair of Chris’s dirty coveralls thrown over a chair, the place was spotless. Brynn liked things clean—always had. He suspected it was the way she’d kept her family’s chaotic drama at bay. A calendar hung on the wall, open to June, the current month. The upper half featured a tractor. On the lower half, someone had drawn an X through each day that had passed. He narrowed his eyes when he took in the blank days ahead. The following Thursday stood out because there was a blue splotch on it—someone had begun to write something in, then crossed it out with a ballpoint pen. An appointment? A birthday?

Not Brynn’s. Hers was September twenty-fifth.

“Well, you’ve done your boy scout duty.” She scowled at him. “Run along, now.” Behind her, Chris wandered into the kitchen. He was long and lean, his muscles cut from time in the gym and—Adam suspected—steroids, but his gut was beginning to bulge in a way that hinted at the beer belly to come. Adam assumed alcohol and steroids weren’t the only substances Chris used on a regular basis. Chris was mixed up in all kinds of things Adam didn’t condone.

Adam didn’t budge. He wasn’t sixteen years old anymore. Back then he’d been too much in awe of pretty Brynn Nelson to contradict her. He would have given all he had to try to protect her, but in the end she’d been right; no one could keep her safe because she was her own worst enemy. Instead of choosing to be with a man who would cherish her, she’d left her parents’ rough and tumble household to marry Chris, who drank, took drugs, played the field and didn’t lift a finger to help pay the bills. Brynn didn’t belong with Chris, but she thought she did. She thought Chris was all she deserved.

She thought wrong.

“I’m afraid I have to ask you a few questions. Just like last time.”

“I’ll answer the questions.” Chris elbowed Brynn out of the way and looked Adam up and down belligerently.

Adam wrinkled his nose. “How much have you had to drink, Chris?”

Chris pulled a flask of whiskey out of his back pocket and took a swig. Held it out to Adam. “A lot.”

Brynn made a disgusted sound. “Put that away, Chris.”

“I can’t drink on duty,” Adam said. “Another time.”

“Your loss. Fire away with those questions.” Chris laughed at his own joke. “Fire away…that’s a good one.”

“Yeah, that’s funny.” Brynn turned to go.

“Brynn, you stay a minute. I need to talk to you, too.”

She folded her arms over her chest and waited. Adam knew that behind her anger was shame. He’d seen her act the same way when her parents attended school events already well into their cups. Fiercely loyal to her family, she wouldn’t say a word as they stumbled into the school auditorium late, laughed too loud, and embarrassed her in front of her friends. Now she was re-enacting the pattern with Chris. Adam burned to take her away from all of this. Why had she only given him one chance when she was content to give Chris a hundred?

“What was going on when the fire started?”

“It was a grease fire! What do you think was going on?” When Adam merely cocked an eyebrow, Brynn went on. She spoke slowly, as if he was too idiotic to follow her words. “We were cooking dinner. Bacon. For BLT’s.”

“Were you watching the stove?”

Brynn looked away. Adam narrowed his eyes. Now they were getting somewhere. Brynn tended to be as careful as the people around her were reckless. She wouldn’t leave a hot stove without a reason.

“Did something distract you?”

Two spots of color blazed high in her cheeks. Chris began to chuckle, an unpleasant sound. “Tell the man, darling. What distracted you?”

Adam suddenly wished he hadn’t questioned them together. Something was going on here. Something not right.

Chris moved behind Brynn and wrapped his arms around her possessively, his hands resting on her waist. “You were showing me a good time, weren’t you honey?” His fingers splayed over her hips and he pulled her back against him. “She’s a lousy cook,” he said to Adam, then let her go and slapped her hard on the ass. “But she’s good where it counts. Real good.” He stepped back. “I think we’re done with those questions. You boys have a nice night.”

If Brynn hadn’t been standing there, imploring him with her eyes not to react, he would have decked Chris and kept on punching him until the man was nothing but pulp. He knew that would only make things worse for Brynn, though. As it was, her color was high, her eyes bright with shame. His fingers clenched but he knew this wasn’t the way to help her.

He was going to help her, though. Whether she wanted him to or not.

Jacob Monk cleared his throat behind him and Adam remembered he and Brynn weren’t the only ones in the room. Chris had humiliated his wife in front of everyone, the bastard. “We’re all set here.”

“Good. I need another drink.” Chris ambled back into the living room.

“I’ll be out in a minute. You all go ahead,” Adam said to Jacob and turned back to Brynn. “Are you going to be okay?”

She put her hands on her hips in a show of bravado. “What’s it to you? Don’t you have your own woman to worry about?”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

Something flared in her eye. Something like… relief. Adam frowned.

“Well, go on, get out of here—your buddies are waiting.” She nodded to the door.

“Brynn—you don’t have to stay with—”

Her brows lowered and suddenly she was furious. “Get out, Adam. Now.”

Brynn watched the fire truck pull away from her driveway and wind on back toward town. Adam was just as handsome as he’d ever been—and entirely off limits. Brynn had first noticed him in fifth grade when he still cared far more about sports than girls. His best friend at the time had been Steve Hill, a small, bookish boy who tended to wince when a baseball came within three yards of him. All through that spring the boys at Chance Creek Elementary played ball at recess, and every single day Adam said the same thing. “If you pick me, you pick Steve.” Since Adam hit more home runs than the rest of the boys combined, Steve played a lot.

Brynn had envied Steve his protector. If only someone would stick up for her and Netta at home like that, maybe her parents would stop drinking so much and there’d be money for music lessons or new clothes. Maybe they would stop throwing so many parties and she and Netta wouldn’t have to barricade themselves in their bedrooms or risk strangers waking them up in the wee hours “just to chat.”

Maybe she’d feel worthy to date a boy like Adam.

By the time he noticed her back she’d been far too ashamed of her family to say yes when he asked her out. She’d made a plan and meant to stick to it. She’d graduate with honors, get a scholarship to college, leave Chance Creek and her parents behind her and start over again far away.

But Adam was tenacious and she’d finally given in and gone on a date with him.

Just one, though.

Up close he’d been even more handsome. Away from their friends they’d found lots to talk about, and in the space of dinner, a walk down Main Street, the wait before the movie started, and the drive home, they covered everything from their favorite bands and television shows to their hopes and aspirations—and their deepest secrets.

“I love Chance Creek. I’m going to stay right here,” he confessed. “I’ll ranch with my folks, but I’m going to fight fires, too.”

Her heart had throbbed with pain. That was that. If Adam planned to stay in Chance Creek, she could never go out with him again. Her heart breaking, she told him about all the accidents and hoped Adam would understand why she had to leave. He’d kissed her everywhere she’d been hurt as if that could cancel out the pain. It almost had. When he kissed her on the mouth she’d nearly lost her resolve. His touch electrified her but no matter what he said or did, Brynn knew she couldn’t be with him. She’d made herself pull away finally and she’d stayed away from him ever since, but Brynn still ached for Adam.

And she still couldn’t be with him.

“He’s as stuck on you as he was in high school,” Chris said from behind her, bringing her back to the present. “Pathetic.” He crossed the room and opened the fridge to grab a beer. “Better get another case tomorrow. We’re low.”

“Write it on the list.”

“Like hell I will. That’s your job.”

What’s your job? she wanted to say. Instead she glanced at the calendar on the wall. Seven more days. Seven more god-awful days of living with Chris. Of wearing his name like a chain around her neck. Then she’d be free.

But she had to make it through those seven days without Chris knowing that anything was going to change. “Fine. What do you want for dinner? This bacon is done for.”

“Well, since dinner’s going to be late, it had better be extra good. And don’t think I’ve forgotten what we were doing when we were so rudely interrupted. You’re going to finish what you started.”

Brynn didn’t answer that. She’d never slept with Chris Price. Not even once. He’d tried to make that part of the bargain up front, but she’d let him know that was where she drew the line. She’d support him on her lousy grocery clerk salary. She’d cook and clean and wash his clothes. She’d be a wife to him in everything—except between the sheets. Chris found his fun elsewhere and enjoyed his work-free, lazy-ass lifestyle.

Until now.

She wasn’t sure what had changed. Had someone figured out their unusual deal and made fun of him? Did he think she’d spilled the beans about their lack of relations to a friend?

Or did he know his time was running out?

She prayed to God it wasn’t the latter. If it was, she was in trouble. So was Netta. She hadn’t seen or spoken to her sister in nearly five years. Not since the night of the fire, when she’d scooped Netta up off the street in front of the old Chance Creek Five and Dime, shoved her in the family’s GMC truck and driven her to Billings. She’d dropped Netta off at the Greyhound station, given her seven hundred and fifty dollars—every penny she’d saved—and told her to run like hell and never come back.

Netta never had.

She had to believe her sister was all right. That she was free at last from everything that had ever gone wrong for them here.

Because otherwise all she’d done was for nothing. All the years she’d sacrificed would be meaningless. Chris Price, a drop-out closer to Netta’s age than hers, had been waiting for her at her family’s run-down house on the edge of town when she got back hours later. He’d stepped out from the shadows under tree at the corner of the yard and crossed the grass to meet her at the front steps. She’d never been free from him since.

He’d seen what Netta did. Knew exactly how to use the information to his advantage. He laid out the rules of their relationship right then and there. They’d date for a month. Get engaged and married soon after. She would provide for his every need. Brynn balked when he’d lowered his head to hers and tried to kiss her, and after a few clumsy scuffles, Chris agreed that her providing for his almost every need was good enough. He wanted a meal-ticket more than a warm body in his bed. But if she wouldn’t put out, she couldn’t complain if other women did.

Brynn agreed, and the noose of Chris’s demands tightened around her neck. She’d understood during those fifteen minutes on her front lawn that in saving Netta, she’d given up her own life. She’d quit school only a month before graduation, increased her hours at the Chance Creek Market to more than full time. Gave up her dreams.

It was worth it.

It had to be.

It was Adam who’d saved her from despair during those first few weeks and given her the strength to go through with a wedding that no one could understand or celebrate, and he didn’t even know it. She overheard him talking with the other firefighters one day when they all came through her line at the checkout counter. By then, the fire at the Five and Dime had been determined to be arson, but the perpetrator hadn’t been found.

“The police will find him in the end,” Jacob had said. “They always do.”

Her heart had squeezed in fear.

“Unless he keeps running until the statute of limitations is up,” Adam pointed out. She had a feeling he was trying to sound smart in front of her. He didn’t have to try. Already caught in Chris’s snares, she longed to tell Adam everything and ask for his help. She knew he’d do whatever he could.

It wouldn’t be enough, though. Netta would be caught and go to jail.

“Statute of limitations, my ass,” Jacob had said. “They’ll catch him by the end of the month.”

But they hadn’t. She’d gone home from work that night and looked up the statute of limitations for arson, and nearly wept with relief when she discovered it was only five years. Five years—she could do anything for five years, even marry stupid Chris Price.

She kept working at the market. Kept living for the days when Adam came through her line, and listening in on his conversations with his friends when he did. Kept shrugging when anyone asked about her sister and telling them that Netta was happy in her new life.

She’d done it. Lived like a slave for four years and 358 days. Only seven more to go.

So why had Chris decided to go back on his word now?

She placed an unopened bottle of whiskey on the counter. “This is for the weekend. Don’t touch it while I’m gone.”

“Gone where?” He appeared in the doorway again.

“To get your supper, what do you think?”

“All right. Just get your ass back here quick.”

Now that she wouldn’t do. She’d drive as slow as molasses into town to pick up some burgers from the Burger Shack and even slower back again. Meanwhile he’d be all over that bottle like stink on a skunk.

She hoped.

Chapter Two

‡

“Bet you a buck you miss.” Two days later Jacob leaned on his pool cue and watched as Adam got ready to take his turn.

“You’re on.” He leaned down and lined up his shot, pulled his arm back—

The fire alarm’s shrill clanging split the air. Adam jumped and the cue slipped, knocking the ball sideways.

“You owe me a buck,” Jacob called as they sprinted for their gear.

“It’s up at the Price place again,” the chief yelled out of his office. “Probably another grease fire, but answer the call as if it isn’t.”

Adam didn’t need that particular lecture. Brynn was in danger. He’d get there as quick as he could. Not that she cared.

Ten minutes later he was facing a furious shapely blonde again.

“It’s this damn stove. I swear that burner gets too hot.”

“It couldn’t possibly be your lousy cooking, could it?” Chris spat from the living room. He was far more pissed off than he’d been two days before, and Adam got the feeling the man had been thwarted in something. He just wasn’t sure what. Brynn was agitated, her movements jittery as she tried to set the kitchen to rights.

“I’m going to look around.” Without waiting for an answer, Adam walked through the house, but all he saw were Chris’s messes and Brynn’s attempts at orderliness. When he completed his tour he found Brynn alone in the kitchen. He could see Chris out front on the porch with the other firefighters. “Brynn, what’s going on with you? Did you and Chris have a fight?”

“All we do is fight.”

“Why the hell do you stay with him?” His frustration gave his words an edge.

“Because I have to!” She bit her lip and turned away.

Adam stilled. “You have to? Why?” When she didn’t answer he spun her around. “Why, Brynn?”

“I can’t tell you.” She glanced toward the door. “It won’t be forever.”

His heart lurched. Was she planning to leave Chris? “How long?”

Chris strode back through the door. Took in their proximity. Adam realized he’d put Brynn in danger by having this intimate conversation. He bent closer, feigning an anger toward her he wanted to aim at her husband. “You keep your ass in the kitchen when you cook, Brynn! And get that stove looked at. You hear? You’re wasting tax-payers’ money.”

He stormed out of the house and prayed his trick would work. He couldn’t live with himself if he thought Chris might take his jealousy out on her. It killed him to know Chris would be with her tonight while he was stuck helpless at the station. By all rights he should be married to Brynn and sharing a home with her. He’d been far more loyal to her than Chris had ever been. Adam would admit it was her pretty face that first attracted him when they were young, but it was her pride and determination that had hooked his heart. He’d tracked her down in the library most lunchtimes in high school and even though she wouldn’t flirt with him, let alone date him, she would study with him—as long as he didn’t talk too much. He never won her heart, but he’d brought his grades up higher than they’d ever been while he was chasing her. He had known she wanted to leave Chance Creek and he’d understood why, but it had always bothered him. He wished she could see that Chance Creek was special—as worth fighting for as she was. It wasn’t the town’s fault she’d had it rough; her parents’ drinking was the problem. If she had married him, all that would have changed. Together they could have made Chance Creek a paradise.

Instead she’d managed to make it a living hell. Adam was determined he’d figure out what was happening up at the Price place. Brynn had told him once he couldn’t save her.

She was wrong.

Four more days. She just had to get through four more days. As Brynn gathered her car keys to run to town and fetch another takeout meal, Chris grabbed her arm. “You heard Adam. No more fires, Brynn.”

“Of course not. I won’t use that burner again until it’s fixed.” She tugged her arm away. “Burgers tonight? Or do you want something different?”

“You know what I want.” He blocked her way to the door.

“We agreed up front you weren’t getting that.”

“I changed my mind.”

Panic filled her, but she pulled herself up to her full height and raised her voice. “I’ve worked all day, I’m hungry and tired and I want my dinner!” Chris pulled back in surprise. She took advantage of the opening, pushed past him and ran out the door.

“You hurry back,” Chris yelled after her.

Like hell she would. Given enough time he’d discover the new whiskey bottle she’d “hidden” behind the cooking oil in the pantry, and he’d be too drunk to carry out his threats by the time she got home. She’d hide another one in plain sight for tomorrow. In fact, she had a better idea. She pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. She punched the number of one of Chris’s drinking buddies into her cell phone. This call would cost her, but it was worth it if it worked.

“Danny? It’s Brynn. Yeah, I know I don’t call much. Can you blame me, you old horn-dog? Listen, I need a favor—it’s for Chris. I’ve nearly managed to burn the house down twice in three days. I owe him big time for putting up with my shit. I want to make it up to him. Meet me at the liquor store in a half hour. I’m going to buy you a passel of munchies from the market and a bottle of Black Velvet. You pick up Chris afterward and have yourselves a party, you hear? While you’re gone, I’ll get the house back to rights. It smells like a cigarette factory in there.”

She played up her country girl twang and awe-shucks hometown persona, knowing it would work like magic on a guy like Danny who’d never been farther from Chance Creek than Billings. She’d buy five or ten bottles of whatever liquor she could afford and enough food to last them for days. With any luck, Chris wouldn’t come home until his time had run out altogether. As she pulled back out onto the road, she wondered what Netta was doing right now. Her older sister would know how to get herself a job and make herself a life; she’d always been resourceful. First she’d babysat, then she’d worked at a kiosk in the mall. By the time she’d graduated from high school she’d been promoted to assistant manager in the Five and Dime store on Main Street. She’d left home when Brynn was still sixteen and moved into an apartment with a couple of friends. That didn’t leave her much money left over, but she’d been slowly saving up to travel to California when trouble hit. “I don’t care what I do there,” she’d told everyone who would listen. “As long as all that sun shines on me I’d shovel shit for a living.”

So when Brynn packed her on the bus that night she had a fair idea where Netta would end up, and everyone believed her when she told them that Netta had finally saved up enough cash to make her dream come true. Nearly twenty years old when she took off, Netta couldn’t be classified as a missing person, and Brynn knew their parents wouldn’t go after her. She had lied through her teeth to the police, claiming Netta had left town in the afternoon—long before the fire was started. She knew Henry Delaford, the owner of the Five and Dime, would never spill the beans. He wouldn’t want anyone to know where Netta had really been.

“Good for her,” their mother said when Brynn broke the news the next morning. “She saw her chance and she took it.” Brynn caught her unspoken words. I didn’t, and see where I ended up.

As the months slipped by and Netta didn’t write or phone, her parents grew worried and then angry, but it was too easy for Brynn to convince them Netta had turned her back on her family.

“She always thought she was too good for us,” her father said. “She’ll realize someday we did our best. Then she’ll come back.”

Brynn’s heart ached for all of them.

Chapter Three

‡

“No more trouble at the Price place?” Adam asked Chief Brookings when he came on duty late Tuesday afternoon.

Ed shook his head. “Quiet so far, but if the pattern holds we’ll get a call there tonight. What do you think she’s trying to tell us with those smoke signals of hers?”

“I don’t know, but I mean to find out. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Ed leaned against the doorjamb to his office. A large, balding man, he’d worked at the station for over thirty years.

“Why do you think Brynn married Chris?”

Ed made a face. “To get away from that family of hers?”

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire?”

“Something like that. Of course, the question isn’t why she married him. The question is, why does she stay?”

“I asked her that myself the other day. She said she wasn’t staying long.”

Ed pursed his lips. “When do you think she means to fly the coop?”

Adam thought about that. Recalled the blue splotch on her calendar. “Thursday.”

“Thursday?” Ed’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s pretty specific.” He grew thoughtful. “You don’t think she’s practicing to roast him alive, do you?”

“I don’t think that’s Brynn’s style.” She was planning something, though. Adam wished he knew what. He wished she trusted him enough to tell him. Hadn’t he earned that by being here for her all this time—even after she’d married a man she clearly didn’t love?

It struck him again how strange it was that Brynn had married Chris. They’d barely dated before announcing their wedding plans and everyone Adam knew had assumed they’d announce a pregnancy before long. No announcement came. Adam had gone from shocked to devastated to furious and had launched a relationship with Carol Freece that crashed and burned six months later. Meanwhile, Brynn and Chris seemed stuck in a holding pattern. Brynn—who should have headed to college—never progressed beyond her checkout clerk job. She’d never even been promoted to assistant manager. He’d discounted a rumor he’d heard once that she’d been offered promotions plenty of times and had turned them all down. He couldn’t believe such a thing, but now he wondered.

Chris hadn’t done much of anything. His parents had died in an accident when he was a junior in high school, but that didn’t seem to bother him much. He’d dropped out of school and kept on living in the house they’d left him. Once Brynn had moved in and started taking care of all the bills, he acted as if he was still a teenager. As far as Adam knew, Chris worked out at the gym, hung out with his friends, and partied as much as he could—just like he had back in eleventh grade. Adam didn’t understand why Brynn hadn’t left him long ago.

It was nearly seven-thirty before the alarm rang through the fire hall and Ed announced the call was to Brynn’s place.

“Bonfire’s gotten out of control,” he said. Adam was already halfway to the truck. With him came the rest of the crew—Jacob, Daniel Wallace, Ryan Miller, Eli King and Owen Green. He’d worked with these guys for years now; they were his second family. They bickered sometimes, scuffled now and then, but he’d trust his life with any of them and he knew they’d trust theirs with him. He hoped they weren’t growing tired of these calls to Brynn’s. She wouldn’t pull pranks for nothing. She needed them there, even if it wasn’t to put out a fire.

“Once the fire’s under control, I want you to keep Brynn and Chris outside for a few minutes, okay?” he said to Jacob. The tall blond nodded.

“Sure thing. Whatever it takes. You think Brynn’s in some kind of trouble?”

“I think she’s been in trouble for years.”

It had been a dry spring, so it hadn’t been hard to tip a couple of logs out of the bonfire she’d built and set her lawn on fire. It helped that she’d stacked a pile of even drier wood nearby and doused it with lighter fluid. Chris had shown up this morning hung over and sullen and she’d thought she’d be safe for another day, but by the time she got off work and came home with a couple of marinated steaks he was awake and itching for a fight.

Or itching to get his hands on her.

She’d held him off while she built up the fire and put the grate over it. Thank goodness they didn’t own a gas grill, or her improvised plan wouldn’t have worked. She kept adding stick after stick of wood, grateful Chris had elected to stay inside and watch television while she cooked. When the blaze was high enough, she accidently kicked a burning log onto the grass. The dry lawn caught fire quickly, aided by a trail of kerosene. As she watched the wooden post that held her clothes line catch ablaze, she heard the sound of the fire trucks on their way. Mrs. McConnelly, whose backyard bordered theirs, must have seen the flames and called it in.

This fire was fairly impressive, if she did say so herself.

“Thank you, Mrs. McConnelly,” she said beneath her breath. The slider door to the kitchen banged open.

“For God’s sake, Brynn—you trying to burn down the whole neighborhood?” Chris ran past her and began to stomp out the fire with his foot.

“A log fell and it got away from me.” She wondered if Chris bought her dumb act. After nearly five years she was beginning to buy it herself. If she got through this—when she got through this—she wondered if she’d ever be able to find the Brynn she used to be, or if that incarnation of her personality was gone forever.

As the firemen jogged around the house with their equipment and started to put the fire out, she searched among them for Adam. The only bright spot in this whole mess was how much she’d gotten to see him this week.

Two more days. Two little, short days. She could do this.

Where was Adam?

She tapped the shoulder of the nearest crew member. “Ryan? You seen Adam anywhere?”

Jacob stepped up, his picture-pretty good looks nearly blinding her. “Hey, Brynn. I’ve been meaning to ask you for ages. You ever hear from that sister of yours? I always wondered if she got her wish and made it to California.”

“She did, as a matter of fact. She loves it there.” Her heart sped up as she wondered if Jacob’s mention of Netta was purely coincidence or something more.

“You two keep in touch, then?”

She glanced around her. Why wasn’t Adam here lecturing her about fire prevention? “Not often. We were never close.” A downright lie.

“What’s she doing out there?”

“Waitressing. Like she always said: it ain’t about the work, it’s about the sunshine.”

“Lots of sunshine in California.” Every time she moved to pass him, Jacob stepped in her way. Brynn narrowed her eyes. Was he keeping her away from the house? Why?

“Excuse me.” She shoved Jacob aside and rushed past him inside. A glance told her Chris was busy arguing with several of the other men, pointing to the steaks. She found Adam in the kitchen staring at her calendar. “What are you doing?”

“Looking around. Something’s going on here. I can’t figure out what quite yet. But I will, Brynn. I promise you.”

She shrugged. “Whatever you say, Adam.” He looked good in his uniform. Masculine. Sexy. She knew if she touched his arm, his muscles would ripple beneath her fingers. Adam had been ripped since high school and she wondered why no woman had ever snared him. Had he just not met the right one?

Was he waiting for someone in particular?

She wished he would wait for her. Just until Thursday night at midnight. Just until this nightmare was over. That was a pipe dream, though. Adam had watched her make a life with Chris. He wouldn’t want her now. She steeled herself to say what had to be said.

“Take your friends and go home. The show’s over.”

“That’s right, Carter. Time to pack up and leave.” Chris came to stand by her. Brynn’s eyebrows pinched together. Damn it, wouldn’t he leave her alone? When she realized Adam was watching her closely, she forced herself to be calm.

Adam leaned forward. “Chris, tell me honestly. Did you set that fire on purpose?”

That got Chris’s back up. “Did you see me out there cooking those steaks? That fire was Brynn’s fault, from start to finish.”

“All right, then. Brynn, I need you to come back to town with me. The chief has some questions to ask you. I think the county sheriff is going to want a word, too.”

Brynn’s eyes widened. The sheriff? “Why?”

“Because that’s three fires in less than a week. It’s procedure. Grab your purse and let’s go.”

Chris was fuming. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get home, Brynn. Don’t think I won’t.”

“You’ll be waiting a while,” Adam said and ushered her out the door.

Chapter Four

‡

Fear. That had been fear in Brynn’s eyes when Chris got close to her and it had made him want to pulverize the man. He thought back to what he’d seen on Brynn’s calendar when he’d removed it from the kitchen wall and tilted it just so in the light—until he could make out the letters that she’d tried to blot out.

Free.

He’d been right. She was going to make her move tomorrow. He had a feeling Brynn would set all the fires it took to keep her plan on course.

But why fires? Why drag the fire department out to her house over and over again? Why not just walk away.

Did Chris have some kind of hold over her? Was she trying to tell them what it was?

He shook his head. If she wanted them to understand, she’d have to make it more clear.

He brought Brynn to Ed’s office when they arrived at the fire house and shut the door on her while he pulled Ed into the hallway to talk. After filling him in on what he knew, he said, “Now what?”

“I’ll ask her some questions. Go ahead and call Cab over if you think it will help.”

Cab Johnson was the county sheriff. Adam knew the man would understand the situation once it had been explained to him. He might be able to help, too.

“I’ll do that. Meanwhile, see if you can use your grandfatherly charm to lure an explanation out of her.”

“Grandfatherly charm? Just for that I’m docking you a week’s pay.” But Ed disappeared into his office and Adam knew he had as good a chance as anyone to get Brynn to talk.

He found a quiet space and called Cab on his cell.

“Adam! I was just thinking about you.”

Adam cocked his head. “Really? What for?”

“Tomorrow’s the fifth anniversary of the fire that took out the Five and Dime, remember? That was a hell of a night.”

Adam knew it had been in the early weeks of Cab’s ascension to office as the county sheriff. As young as he was, it had been a hell of a burden on him to try to bring order to the chaotic scene. He’d led the investigation into the arson, but had never unearthed anything. Adam wondered if that sat heavy on the man’s conscience.

“That was a hell of a night.” Adam had just turned eighteen and had been new to the fire hall. It still counted as the biggest blaze he’d ever responded to. The fire hit at night and no one had been in the store, but the damage to the structure and its neighbors ran into the millions. “Wait a minute, the anniversary is tomorrow?”

“That’s right. Five years. We’re getting old, man.”

“Holy shit. I mean—” Adam thought fast. “Speak for yourself. Hey listen, I just wanted to let you know there was another fire at the Price place tonight. Nothing major, everything’s fine. Could you keep an eye on Chris Price the next few days, though? Something’s going on between him and Brynn. I’m hoping it will blow over soon.”

“Sure thing. I’ll make sure we do some extra drive-bys, that kind of thing.”

Adam rang off and thought over what he’d discovered. He hadn’t asked Cab to come by because he didn’t want the man to ask Brynn any questions. Not after what he’d said. Adam had already figured out what Brynn was up to, and he needed to protect her from herself. She was calling attention to the crime she had committed the only way she knew how, and soon the rest of the fire department would figure it out too.

It was Brynn who had set the Five and Dime fire five years ago. Whether as a prank or a way of acting out, he didn’t know. When it got out of hand, she’d panicked. She must have hated herself for the damage she’d done—enough to punish herself for years with a marriage to Chris.

Now the statute of limitations was almost up on her crime and she still didn’t feel like she’d paid the price. She was practically shouting it from the rooftops—here I am, a firebug! Come get me! Come lock me up!

What the hell should he do now? She was sitting in the Chief’s office, probably spilling the beans even as he stood there. How much time would she serve for her crime? How much longer would he have to wait to be with her?

He strode back to the office, knocked twice on the door and barged in. Ed straightened from where he’d been leaning over the desk, his hands splayed on the faux-wood surface. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Brynn, it’s…” He fumbled for an explanation. How could he get Brynn out of here without Ed figuring out what he knew? “It’s your sister. She’s come back. Cab just saw her downtown.”

Brynn was on her feet in an instant. Netta was back? In town? Hope squeezed her chest at the thought of seeing her again, replaced immediately by terror. Netta couldn’t be back. Not for another twenty-four hours.

She headed for the door, ignoring Ed’s raised voice.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” she heard Adam say and then his hand was on her arm, hustling her out of the firehouse and to his truck.

“Get in.” He wrenched the door open and barely waited for her to climb in before circling around to his own side, climbing in and starting the engine. They’d only driven a minute or two when she realized they were going the wrong way.

“Wait—turn around!”

“She’s not in town. Netta’s not here, I just made that up.”

“But—”

“But nothing. I’m going to take you somewhere private and you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on.”

“But she’s—”

“I just told you I was lying, Brynn.”

“She’s right there!”

Adam slammed on the brakes, shocked that his lie had somehow become true. A young woman with auburn hair darted across the street as Brynn flung open the door. “Get in, quick!” No sooner had Netta climbed in beside her then Brynn turned to him. “Drive. Drive!”

Adam drove.

Brynn turned on her sister. “Twenty-four hours. You couldn’t wait twenty-four hours?”

“It’s five years! The statute of limitations is up!” Netta said. “I couldn’t wait to come home and catch up on everything with you. I just stopped in town to grab a bite to eat before I went to Mom and Dad’s place. But look—you’re married to Adam.” Her eyes were shining as she shook her glossy curls away from her head and fingered the ring on Brynn’s hand. “I always thought you two would be great together. I’m so glad everything turned out!”

“Turned out?” Brynn’s voice cracked on a high note. “It hasn’t turned out at all! I’m not married to Adam—I’m married to Chris. Chris Price.”

Netta pulled back. Cast a questioning glance at Adam. “Why on earth did you marry Chris Price?”

“Because he saw,” Brynn hissed.

Netta went still. “Brynn—” Her shocked tone said it all. Adam felt like he’d been hit with a two by four. Chris knew that Brynn had set the fire? He tried to puzzle out the implications and remembered that Brynn said she wouldn’t be married to him for long. Was that because the statute of limitations on her crime was nearly up? Had Chris forced Brynn to marry him in exchange for his silence? Forced her to—

Adam felt sick to his stomach.

“And it’s all for nothing if—” Brynn looked at Adam and broke off. “One more day, Netta. That’s all you had to wait!”

“But if you count from when it happened—”

“One more day!” Brynn covered her face with her hands. “Damn it. Adam, where can she hide?”

Adam didn’t ask from what. If people saw Netta now, they’d ask about her sudden departure. They’d stir up talk about that time and who knew what would happen. Maybe Netta was somehow involved. Maybe it was her flight that drove Brynn to set the Five and Dime fire. Had Brynn been so furious about her sister abandoning her that she committed arson?

“I know a place.”

Chapter Five

‡

Brynn shivered as they walked up the pathway to the empty rental house Adam had driven them to. Located in Silver Falls, the next town over, it apparently belonged to Adam’s uncle. When Adam took out a key and unlocked the door, she raised an eyebrow. He had obviously figured out the connection between Netta and all the fires Brynn had been setting. Why hadn’t he turned her in yet?

“I help my uncle keep an eye on the place,” Adam said and let them in. “Don’t turn on any lights,” he told Netta. “Here’s the food we picked up. The water should be on. Don’t touch the curtains, don’t turn up the volume on the radio or television.”

“I understand.” Netta was subdued, her earlier ebullience gone. “I promise, I’ll be as still as a mouse.”

“You’d better be.” Brynn’s heart squeezed. This wasn’t the happy reunion she’d pictured with her sister. In truth, she’d envisioned having to go after Netta and hunt her down to let her know she was free from any consequences from her crime. In her darker moments, she’d pictured taking a photograph and walking through the seedier streets of Los Angeles until she found Netta holed up in a crumbling apartment, subsisting on a pittance she scraped together working several part-time jobs. She’d pictured herself as the savior—like she’d been all this time, keeping Chris from spilling her secret.

But Netta wasn’t starving, or holed up in a ratty flop house, or subsisting on table scraps. She was healthy, glossy, tan and gorgeous. On the drive from Chance Creek, she’d explained she’d gone to work for a temp agency the minute she reached Los Angeles, and had worked her way up to being an executive assistant to a casting director. She’d met dozens of actors and actresses along the way, gone to exclusive parties, eaten at the best restaurants.

She hadn’t suffered at all.

Brynn couldn’t translate the uncomfortable tightness in her chest. Jealousy?

Anger?

Was she actually angry that her plan to save Netta had worked? That Netta had made a new life for herself? A fantastic life?

“I’m sorry,” Netta whispered as Brynn turned to leave. “I didn’t know. I thought it best to keep my distance.”

Brynn shrugged. “I’ve got to get back before Chris flips his lid. I’ll come get you when it’s safe.” She knew Adam would have plenty of questions for her too when they were alone.

“Thank you, Brynn. For everything.” Netta hugged her hard and Brynn forced herself to hug her back. She loved her sister. She was happy for her.

Really.

Chapter Six

‡

Adam kept quiet as they drove back to Brynn’s house, but after ten minutes of silence he couldn’t take it anymore. Brynn obviously didn’t mean to confess, so he’d have to pull the truth out of her. “It must be good to see your sister again.”

Brynn made a noise he couldn’t decipher. “I guess.”

“Were you mad when she left town?” He was still trying to understand why she’d done what she’d done. A certain number of kids and teenagers set small fires out of sheer boredom or because they were angry at their parents. What had spurred Brynn to set the Five and Dime on fire, though?

“No. Of course not.” She turned to him in surprise. “I put her on that bus. I gave her all my money.”

Adam frowned. “Why?”

She stared at him. “Because I wanted her to be safe. She had a good reason for what she did.” She shook her head. “Not for what she did, but for being so angry.”

“Wait a minute. Hold up. What she did? What did she do?”

Brynn blinked. “You must have figured it out by now.”

Adam let up on the accelerator. “She’s the one that started the fire? Netta did?”

Silence greeted his words. Then Brynn sputtered, “You thought I did it?”

“You married Chris. You had the date marked on your calendar.”

She nodded. “That’s what you were doing in my kitchen. Yes, I married Chris. Because he saw Netta and he came after me. He told me exactly what he wanted and I agreed to it. I had no choice.”

Anger burned through him at the thought of what she’d agreed to. The number of years she’d spent with a man who didn’t love her.

Who’d used her in the worst of ways.

“Why on earth did Netta start that fire?”

Brynn sighed. “Henry Delaford raped her in the back room of the Five and Dime.”

“Son of a bitch.” Adam jerked the truck to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. Now it all made sense. Henry Delaford had never rebuilt his store after the fire, and he’d been warned to get out of town and not look back a few years ago, after another young woman made a similar allegation against him. She had refused to go to trial, not wanting the public humiliation, but Adam had heard through the grapevine that Cab believed what she said and he’d put the fear of God into the man. “So you put up with five years of Chris doing to you what Henry did to your sister just to make sure she didn’t serve any jail time?”

She shook her head. “Chris never touched me—not until last week. He wanted money, not sex. He got that elsewhere.”

Adam couldn’t keep up. “Are you telling me your marriage hasn’t been consummated?”

“No, it hasn’t. And in twenty-four hours I plan to file for an annulment. I’m pretty sure Chris knows that, and what’s more—I think he wants to file for alimony. I’ve been supporting him for five years. That isn’t enough for him, though. I don’t know if he thinks sleeping with me will prove we’re really man and wife, or if he just wants to eke every last bit he can out of the situation.”

Hope swirled through Adam’s chest. Brynn hadn’t slept with Chris. Her marriage was a sham. In less than a day she’d be free from the shackles that had tied her to him.

But first they had to get through the next twenty-four hours. “Let me guess, if you don’t come home soon, he’s going to spill the beans to someone, isn’t he?”

Brynn nodded.

“So we have to get you back there, but we have to keep him from touching you, too. Do I have that right?”

She nodded again. “He’s not going to take no for an answer—not today. And the second he thinks we’re trying to get one over on him, he’ll make that phone call.”

“You’re only with him because you had to be?”

“Do you think I’d be with him for any other reason? Adam—” She bit back whatever she’d meant to say, but Adam felt another surge of hope. Maybe he had a chance with her after all.

He tapped his finger on the wheel. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

She wasn’t in the house more than ten minutes before Chris made his move. She had started to scrub down the counters in the little kitchen, nervous energy keeping her moving. She hoped that if she kept up her pace he would keep away from her, but that wasn’t how it worked out. Instead, he came up behind her, slid his hands into her back pockets and squeezed her ass.

“You’re never going to get away from me, Brynn. It’s you and me forever, you know that, right?”

“Of course I know that,” she forced herself to say.

“So why don’t you get off your high horse and admit you want this, too. There’s no reason for you to go without for so long when I’m right here ready and willing to take care of you.”

She made a face. She couldn’t help herself. “I’m the one who takes care of everything.”

“I’m the one who keeps his mouth shut.” He yanked her back against him, pulled his hands out of her pockets and grabbed her hips. He ground against her as he spoke, leaving her no doubt of what he was after. “I could be charged as an accessory to a crime for keeping quiet.”

“I appreciate what you’ve done for me. I just wish you’d show some appreciation for all I’ve done for you over the years.” Maybe she could start a fight and get his mind off of sex.

“I appreciate you, baby. Let me show you how much.” He reached around, undid the button of her jeans and unzipped the fly. Brynn tried to pull away from him, but he easily held her in place.

“Damn it, Chris! Turn out the lights if you’re going to molest me in the kitchen. The whole county can see what you’re doing.”

His laughter in her ear sparked a wave of revulsion in her. “What’s wrong with giving the neighbors a show?”

“Chris!”

“All right, all right. Don’t get your panties in a wad.” He reached over and flicked the light out, then bumped her over toward the sink with his hip, his hands still worrying her waistband. “Bend over.”

She braced her hands on the edge of the sink, praying Adam would see her signal. Praying their plan would work. She bit back the scream that gathered in her throat as Chris slid his hands under her waistband, tugging her jeans and panties down.

His phone shrilled a strident heavy metal tune. “Goddamn it.”

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“I’ve got better things to do right now.” He grabbed the phone from his pocket and tossed it onto the counter to her right. It went quiet. A moment later it shrilled again.

“Just answer the phone! What if it’s Danny?” She knew it wasn’t, but Chris never skipped a message from Danny—his source for all things pharmaceutical.

“Fine. Damn, girl. Anyone would think you didn’t want to get fucked.” Chris let go of her and she turned around, taking the opportunity to zip and button her pants again. Chris noticed and scowled, but with the phone in his hand he could only tug at her waistband angrily. “Hello?”

She heard a woman’s voice on the line and sighed with relief. Turning to look out the window, she caught sight of flames in the neighbor’s yard and had to fight back a smile. Adam had pulled it off. She didn’t know how, but he had.

“Damn it,” Chris said, shoving the phone in his back pocket. “Alma Henderson’s shed’s on fire. It’s caught the back fence and it’s headed our way.”

“Why doesn’t she call the police?” Brynn pretended to just catch sight of the flames. “Oh my God—she’s right! We better go help!”

She ran for the door to the backyard, Chris’s swearing telling her he was hot on her heels. A fence made of vertical boards bordered most of the houses in this neighborhood, built decades ago when the neat, small lots were first laid out. Since then the area had fallen on hard times. Most of the fences were grey with age, their own included. The Henderson’s lot was kitty-corner to theirs, with the Douglas’s right behind them. Flames shot out of Alma’s ancient shed when they reached the back end of their yard. Vern Douglas was aiming his hose at the structure from the adjacent yard, but this far from the house his water pressure was minimal and the stream barely wet the east wall. Chris vaulted the fence into the Douglas’s yard and then vaulted the next one into the Henderson’s. Soon he had another stream of water aimed at the structure.

“Come on, Brynn. Get a move on!” She could hear his voice, but she couldn’t see him.

“I can’t get over.”

More cursing emanated from his direction. “Go around, then.”

She glanced at her watch in the light of the fire. It was past midnight. With any luck, she could stretch this crisis out overnight. After all, Alma would need comforting. She could spend most of the day here tomorrow, too—cleaning up the aftermath.

She backtracked and began a slow jog around the block. She was almost to Alma’s before she heard the sirens. As she approached the house a firetruck pulled into the driveway. Jacob and the others poured out of it, but she noticed Adam came out of Alma’s house to greet them. Like he’d promised Brynn earlier, he had started the fire when he’d seen her kitchen light go out, their pre-arranged signal. Given that it hadn’t spread to any of the fences, he’d done a good job arranging a controlled burn. She had no doubt he had enough equipment hidden away in Alma’s place to handle the blaze if it got out of hand, too.

In the end it was nearly noon the following day before she let herself back into her own home. Alma had kept up a spate of hysterics that lasted into the wee hours, until Brynn had started to wonder if she was in on the scheme or if she actually thought the fire had been real. Chris had wanted to go home after the blaze was put out, disgusted by Alma’s tears and shrieks, and Brynn had feigned helplessness. “I can’t leave her like this.”

“Get home as soon as the old bat settles down.”

She’d shared a small smile with him, as if they were on the same side of this equation. “If she ever calms down.”

He’d begrudged her a chuckle. “Yeah, she’s a mess.”

She shut the door behind her now, hoping against hope that Chris was still sleeping off the previous night’s excitement.

Twelve hours to go and this would all be over.

Chapter Seven

‡

“I don’t suppose you know how that fire started in Alma Henderson’s shed.” Ed laced his hands behind his neck, sat back in his office chair and waited for an answer.

“She asked me to dismantle it for her. Things got out of hand.” Adam didn’t like lying to his chief, but he didn’t have a choice today. Not if he wanted to keep Brynn safe from Chris—and her sister out of jail. He figured any chance he’d have with Brynn would go up in smoke if Netta had to pay for her crime. He still remembered what Brynn had said to him on their one date: “No one can save me.” Brynn had gone it alone all these years and he meant to show her she didn’t have to anymore.

“Out of hand.” Ed cleared his throat. “Arson carries a stiff sentence, as I’m sure you’re well aware.”

“Yep. That’s why it’s a good thing it was an accident.” Alma had played her part well—almost too well. She’d asked him over a month ago to help her take down the shed. Luckily, he hadn’t made it a priority. When he’d told her he might need to set the small building on fire in order to help Brynn, he was surprised how quickly she agreed to go along with it.

“I’ve been watching those two ever since she moved in with the bastard,” she’d said. At his shocked expression, she added, “Don’t be such a fuddy-duddy, Adam. The man deserves the name.”

She was right; Chris did. He was glad he’d managed to give Brynn a reprieve from whatever Chris had planned. He checked his watch.

Ed sighed. “It’s Thursday. I suppose I should expect trouble at the Price’s place today?”

“I hope not.”

“You hope not.”

“That’s right.” Adam stared his boss down.

Ed shook his head. “Just don’t get caught doing whatever the hell it is you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything, chief.” He stood up. Prepared to leave.

“Glad to hear it. I’ve got big plans for you.”

“Do they include a vacation to the Bahamas?” He’d always wanted to see the Bahamas.

“Can’t say that they do.”

“Then they’re not big enough.”

“Are you okay? What’s going on?” Netta asked when Brynn answered her cell phone just minutes after she made it home.

“Are you kidding? You can’t call me,” Brynn hissed and edged into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Chris was in the living room waiting for her. She’d told him she needed to freshen up before she joined him there. She knew he wouldn’t wait long.

“But—”

“I’m fine. I just have to get through a few more hours and this will all be over. Sit tight and keep quiet, okay?” She cut the call, and stared at herself in the mirror. Strain had washed out her complexion. Her eyes looked too big for her face. She hadn’t been eating well—hadn’t eaten much at all lately, actually. She couldn’t force anything down when she thought of what Chris wanted to do.

A sudden pounding at the bathroom door made her jump. “Hurry up in there.”

“Be right out.”

His footsteps trailed away. She waited until she knew he’d gone back to the living room before she opened the door.

To her shock, Chris stood directly outside. He grabbed the phone from her hand. “Thought so! Who are you calling, your fireman friend? I’ve got news for you; he’s not going to save you this time!”

Brynn tried to get the phone back but he captured her wrists in one hand and searched her call history with his other.

“Who the fuck is this?” He clicked on the last call—Netta’s number. Luckily the phone didn’t display her name.

“Stop it!” Brynn kicked him, but he just laughed.

“Bet your boyfriend will be surprised to hear from me.” He tapped the number and held the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

Chris frowned at the female voice who answered. “Who is this?”

“Brynn?”

“Who is this?”

“Don’t answer him!” Brynn screamed. “Hang up!”

Comprehension dawned on Chris’s face. “Netta? Is that you? The arsonist returns, huh?”

Brynn heard Netta gasp. She must have hung up because Chris shook the phone. “Hello? Hello?” He tossed it aside and slammed Brynn against the wall. “This is priceless. She’s here, isn’t she? She’s in town. And you’re still trying to protect her. So what are you going to do, Brynn? Tell me how far you’ll go to keep her safe.” He pushed her down until she knelt before him, her back to the wall. Still holding her wrists above her head, he unzipped his jeans, tugged them down, and lifted himself free. He was hard and ready for her. Brynn turned her head aside. She couldn’t—she just couldn’t—

Her hand slipped free of his grasp. She had no room to pull her arm back and punch him, so she tightened her fingers into a fist and slammed it into his balls from underneath. Chris howled and doubled over in pain. He reached for her as she sprung up and away from him, his fingers tangling in her hair for a second before she pulled free. She grabbed her phone from the floor and dashed out the front door.

And stopped.

She couldn’t let Chris call in the arson. She couldn’t leave.

She turned around and walked back into the house.

Chapter Eight

‡

“Adam? It’s Netta. Chris knows I’m here.”

Adam swore. “Where’s Brynn?”

“At the house. He’s got her—they were shouting.”

“Damn it.” He ran a hand over his face, feeling the stubble already beginning to grow in. He was still on duty; he couldn’t just leave. “I can’t—fuck!”

“Are you at the station?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t go help her, can you?”

“Not unless there’s a fire.”

“I’m on it!”

“No—Netta! Fuck!” But she was gone. He hadn’t meant her to take that as a command. It was one thing for him to start a blaze he knew he could easily contain. It was another thing for an arsonist to set something alight.

“What’s wrong now? Was that Brynn?” Ed appeared at his side.

“No. It was—someone else.”

“Feels like we’re overdue for a fire.” Ed looked at his watch conspicuously.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“You should have just fucked me, huh, Brynn?”

Brynn came to with a pounding headache. She tried to move and groaned when she found she couldn’t. She opened her eyes and saw Chris on his knees checking the knots in the rope he’d wrapped around her wrists. Her ankles were similarly bound. She sat propped against the hall wall, and her vision swum as she tried to lift her head.

The last thing she remembered was walking back into the house. Chris must have been waiting for her. From the pounding in her head, she figured he’d hit her—hard.

“You think you’re so smart, but you’re the dumbest bitch I ever met. You don’t even know a good thing when you’ve got it. You think Adam Carter would give you the time of day? You think any man would? They all know what you are. A dumb, fucking bitch.”

“What’re you doin’?” Her words slurred together and Chris went out of focus. She knew she had to wake up, but she couldn’t seem to pull herself together. Chris laughed.

“I’m putting an end to this. Time to say good-bye, Brynn. I should have thought of this a long time ago.” He stood up, hoisted a red plastic canister and undid the black cover. When he tilted it and splashed the liquid it contained all over her, Brynn realized what it was.

Gasoline.

“Chris.” She blinked until her eyes cleared. “Chris, wait.”

“Too late, baby. Everyone knows you’re a firebug. Everyone knows you’ve got a beef with me, don’t they? When I tell them you tried to kill me, they’ll realize how lucky I was to escape the fire alive. They’ll think you got what was coming to you.”

Brynn began to struggle against her bonds. “You’re crazy.”

“No. I’ll tell you what I am. Horny. And I’m sick to death of living with a frigid bitch. Gotta be some kind of insurance payout when this dump goes up. I’ll find me a new wife. A better one. Maybe your sister.”

Netta. Brynn struggled harder.

“She’s probably halfway here by now, don’t you think? You sisters were always tight. Netta would make a fine new wife.”

His words didn’t make sense, but that didn’t matter. If he was capable of killing her, he wouldn’t balk at hurting her sister. Brynn struggled to stand. Chris watched her, sneering. When she stumbled over her own feet and crashed hard to the wooden floor, landing in a puddle of gasoline, his laughter washed over her. “Good-bye, Brynn. It’s been nice knowing you.”

She watched his feet leave the hallway and turn toward the front of the house. A moment later the door shut. Any second she expected a sheet of flames to travel back along the trail of gas he’d left behind him, but he hadn’t struck a match.

Yet.

Brynn pushed up again and began to inch toward the front door, moving as fast as her bound hands and feet would let her. The stench of gasoline followed her through the kitchen and into the living room until she understood—Chris had drenched everything with it that could burn. How long had he planned this, she wondered wildly as she inched toward the front door. She began to think she could make it—only ten more feet. Had Chris changed his mind? Was that why flames hadn’t swept through the tiny house? A surge of hope swept through her. Maybe he’d only meant to put the fear of God in her. Maybe—

The door swung open and hit the wall behind it with a thud. Chris’s face was twisted with triumph. “I knew she’d come. Didn’t I say she would?” He flung Netta into the house and slammed the door shut again.

“Brynn!” Netta scrambled to her feet, holding her dripping hands out in front of her. “What is that?” She wrinkled her nose. “Brynn, that’s gas—”

Something broke through the front window and smashed against the wooden floor. Netta screamed and dove for Brynn as fire exploded in every direction. A sheet of flames spread to engulf the living room, lapping at the walls and curtains, setting the furniture alight. Another crash sounded at the back of the house and then another. Netta clawed at Brynn, got a grip on her clothing and hauled her to her feet.

“Out the back,” Brynn screamed and Netta half hauled, half dragged her into the kitchen, but the back of the house was engulfed, too. She spun around, but flames roared in every direction. Netta lunged toward the heart of the house. She manhandled Brynn into the tiny bathroom and slammed the door shut behind them. “What are you doing?” Brynn shrieked. “Netta, we’ll never get out.”

The bathroom shared no walls with the exterior of the house, but Netta reached over Brynn’s prone body to turn on the faucet in the tub. “Get in!” She pushed Brynn into the tub, but Brynn knew the gesture was hopeless. With the house burning like an inferno, they’d die of suffocation or worse before it was all over. Still, she didn’t have a better idea. She huddled in the tub with Netta’s arms around her as smoke filled the small room. Netta reached for a towel, wetted it and jammed it under the door, but Brynn knew it was no use.

“I’m sorry I came back too soon,” Netta said. “I didn’t know. I thought I’d gotten away.”

“You almost did.”

“I never dreamed anyone found out, or that Chris was blackmailing you.”

“Of course you didn’t.”

“I should have come back. I never should have left.”

Tears slipped down Netta’s face as she worked at the ropes binding Brynn, finally undoing the knots at her wrists. When Brynn could move her hands, she turned around and Netta got to work on the knots at her ankles. “I’m going to get you free. We’ll wrap up in wet towels. We’ll make a run for it, and when we’re out of here I’m going to turn myself in.”

“Netta!” But Brynn could feel the heat from the inferno outside their door, and knew it was pointless to argue. If they opened it, they’d be goners for sure.

If they stayed, they’d roast alive.

“I love you.” Netta tugged the rope at her ankles and it finally came free. “Come on. We have to try.”

Brynn staggered to her feet, took the towels Netta grabbed from the cabinets, soaked them in the cold water that now half-filled the tub, then wrapped one around herself and handed the other one back to her sister. Her wrists and ankles stung when water touched them, but she didn’t care. These were the last moments of her life. The last breaths she would take. She wished she could have told Adam how much she’d cared all these years—that the memory of their one kiss was what kept her going.

She wished she could tell him—

Netta reached out to open the door and screamed when she burned her hand on the metal knob. Flames licked up the inside of the door and filled the room with smoke.

There was no way out.

Chapter Nine

‡

The half hour that passed after Netta’s call seemed like an eternity to Adam. When the fire bell clanged it was almost a relief. Ed stuck his head out of his office and shouted, “It’s Brynn—go!” Every member of the department, anticipating the call, leaped to man the engines.

“Holy fuck,” Jacob said and pointed to a glow in the sky long before the fire truck turned on the road leading to Brynn’s house. Adam’s stomach sunk and he leaned forward to peer out the front windshield. Netta had certainly started a blaze.

When they turned the corner and saw the small house, the blood in his veins ran cold. Flames shot out of every window; the house was already engulfed. Knots of neighbors clustered around the house watching helplessly, but neither Brynn nor Netta was in sight. When the truck pulled up and parked, Adam grabbed a hose and ran with it, racing to kneel in position in front of the house and direct its spray. It wasn’t enough, though. It would take far too long to stop this fire. Meanwhile, Brynn was inside.

He had to get to her.

He clapped Jacob on the shoulder, gestured to himself and then to the house. Jacob shook his head vigorously, but Adam couldn’t wait another moment. “Take my place,” he yelled, and waited until the man was in position. Snapping his visor down, he grabbed a hatchet from the fire engine and took off at a run toward the front door. He hacked it to pieces in a matter of moments and stepped aside.

Behind him, Jacob struggled to direct the water’s flow to clear a path for him through the flames, but Adam decided he’d have to trust the fire retardant material of his jacket and pants to see him through. Flames licked up every wall and across the ceiling. He was walking into a death trap.

Entering the house cautiously, he worked his way quickly through the living room and into the kitchen, scanning left and right as he went.

“Brynn! Brynn!”

He heard a muffled sound and broke toward the center of the house. Spotting the closed door to the bathroom, itself a wall of flame, Adam leapt forward. “Get back from the door,” he bellowed and hoped Brynn could hear him if she was inside.

He swung the ax and shattered the flimsy door. The flames licked inward, drawn by fresh oxygen. Adam knew he had seconds to get Brynn out of there.

He kicked the remainder of the door down and found Brynn bent over Netta, cradling her sister in her arms. Not stopping to think, he grabbed Netta from her, tossed her over his shoulder and lifted Brynn under his arm. There was no time for gentleness. He staggered under their combined weight and slammed Netta against the doorjamb before regaining his balance and making his way down the hall. Brynn did her best to help, but she could barely keep her feet as the heat and smoke engulfed them. Adam’s breath was labored under his mask. His eyes streamed from the stinging smoke. He heard a shout and Jacob was there. Jacob pulled Netta into his arms and together they staggered toward the gaping front door.

Plunging out of the house into the cool evening air, Adam gasped and wheezed, dragging Brynn farther from the flames. When hands reached to take her, he didn’t want to let go, but he recognized the blue uniforms of Chance Creek’s EMTs and released her to them. Someone grabbed him, removed his helmet, and tried to clap an oxygen mask to his mouth. Adam fought him. He had to keep Brynn in his sight. If he blinked he might lose her.

“Damn it, Carter!”

It was Ed. “I gotta see her!”

“She’s okay. She’s breathing!”

Only then did Adam let him get the oxygen apparatus over his nose and mouth. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself, watching Brynn’s chest rise and fall. She was breathing.

Brynn was alive.

Brynn awoke with a gasp that burned all the way down to her lungs. She fought to sit upright, positive she was still bound and about to burn to death in the hallway of her home. Bright lights and pale green walls assured her she was in the hospital. She touched the cool white sheets and began to cry in relief.

“Shh.” Someone stroked her hair like her mother used to when she was very young and she buried her face in the strong shoulder that presented itself. Only when her tears ran their course did she pull back and consider who the shoulder might belong to.

“It’s just me.” Adam handed her a tissue. “You’re safe. So is Netta. You’re both going to be fine.”

“The house—”

“It’s gone. We couldn’t save it.”

Brynn took this in. She should have been inside it when it went. Would have been if not for Adam. He’d saved her after all, just like he said he would so many years ago. Words wouldn’t come when she opened her mouth and Adam took her hand.

“Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Chris?”

“They caught him in Silver Falls. He had two cans of gasoline in the bed of his truck and his clothes stunk of it. Two of your neighbors have come forward as witnesses.”

“But he’ll tell about Netta!”

Adam showed her his watch. It was quarter past one. “Time’s up. Unfortunately no one has been able to take Chris’s statement yet. Cab Johnson’s been too busy tonight sorting out a series of fights at the Dancing Boot.”

“Did you have something to do with that?”

He grinned. “Might have.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Me? I’m not the one getting mixed up with all these fires.”

“I think those days are over.”

“I sure as hell hope so.” He squeezed her hand. “Please tell me your marriage is going to be over soon, too.”

Her heart contracted at the urgency in his tone. She looked at him through her lashes. “What do you care? Don’t you have a woman already?”

A smile tugged up the corner of his mouth. “I already told you no. But if I have any say in the matter I will just as soon as Chris is out of the picture. What do you say, Brynn. You finally ready to give me a chance?”

“Maybe.” She squeezed his hand back and swallowed in a suddenly dry throat. “It depends.”

“On what?”

“Are you as good at kissing as you used to be?”

“Let’s find out.”

Epilogue

‡

Nine months later…

When Adam walked out of the Chance Creek Reformed Church with Brynn on his arm, he nearly stumbled when he saw his fellow firemen lined up on the sidewalk like an honor guard. It was early May and all the fruit trees in town had erupted in blossoms of pink and white. The air smelled fresh and clean and sunlight bathed them all in a gentle glow. Even Ed standing at the end of the line with his arms crossed looked benign. “Congratulations, you two,” he said when they reached him.

“Thank you.” Adam patted Brynn’s hand, safely tucked under his. He’d spent the last six months getting reacquainted with the woman he’d always been in love with. While the sparks between them kindled fast, they’d decided to take things slow to allow Bryn time to heal from her years with Chris. They’d agreed they wouldn’t make love until their wedding night and right now the anticipation was killing him.

“No more fires, right?” Ed asked her.

“No, sir.” Brynn smiled at him. With her shining eyes and flushed cheeks Adam thought she looked five years younger than she had just months ago. He figured that letting go of the secrets she’d carried so long was part of it. He liked to think that dating him made the rest of the difference.

“How’s that sister of yours doing?”

“See for yourself. She came for the wedding.” She pointed back over her shoulder to where Netta was flirting with each fireman in turn as she walked by them. “She asked me to move to California with her, but I told her I was beginning to like Chance Creek.” She smiled at Adam, and he dropped a kiss on her cheek.

“Looks like she’s doing fine,” Ed said. “Well, make sure you keep out of trouble.”

“Brynn will be too busy to get in trouble,” Adam assured him, giving her a squeeze. “She’s starting at Montana State in the fall. Studying psychology.”

“Good for you, Brynn. I’ll see you back at work in a week,” Ed said to Adam and stepped aside to let them go. When they were alone in the limousine on the way to the airport, Adam leaned close to her.

“I think I’m the happiest man in Chance Creek right now.”

“I know I’m the happiest woman.”

Tucked into a bed and breakfast for the night before their flight to Mexico in the morning, Brynn watched Adam move about the room and get undressed. She already lay between the sheets on the sumptuous bed, wearing the lingerie she’d found in a boutique in Billings. She hadn’t touched a man for so many years she was a little nervous, but she’d been aching to be with Adam for so long she knew her nerves wouldn’t last. She meant to start off her marriage with him with a night she’d cherish forever.

She couldn’t believe the difference in the way she felt about her life. Where once she’d viewed Chance Creek as a prison holding her back, now she realized it was only her circumstances that had made it a cage. In the last nine months she’d stepped outside the bars to find a whole new world waiting for her. Old friends and acquaintances from school were happy to get to know her again. Her employers were overjoyed when she finally took them up on the promotion they’d been offering her for years. It was easier than she’d thought to take some classes and receive her high school diploma, and she’d been accepted to Montana State’s psychology program nearly as soon as she applied.

Living alone through the winter was a revelation, too. She’d moved into a small, clean, up-to-date apartment in the middle of town while she waited to marry Adam, and the nine months she’d spent there had healed her more than she could have predicted. For the first time in her life she inhabited a space that was completely hers—and completely safe. She’d moved through all her sorrow and anger at what had come before and rediscovered herself in the process. She’d picked up new hobbies, new friends and now she was ready to move on to a new life with Adam.

“Thank you for waiting,” she said when he joined her between the sheets.

“You’re worth waiting for.” He lifted the covers to peer underneath. “Brynn, you are a knockout. Look at you.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop looking and start touching.” She ran a hand over his chest, the feel of his muscles eliciting a visceral response deep inside her.

“I intend to do a lot of both.” He bent to kiss her and suddenly all her fears vanished. Adam had been the one steady constant in her life, even when he hadn’t known his role in it, and he’d always done everything he could to keep her safe. If only she’d listened to him the first time around.

Letting the past go for good, she relaxed as his strong arms surrounded her, and soaked in the sensation as he kissed her. She drank him in, hungry for his touch, aching with need.

“I hate to take this off of you so soon.” He fingered the strap of her lingerie.

“I’ll put it back on later. As many times as you want.”

“Deal.” He untied the ribbon that held the garment together and slid the scrap of lace and fabric down, his mouth trailing behind his fingers. His lips traced a path from one breast to the other and back again as he kissed and nipped and played with her nipples until she could barely breathe. It seemed he already knew every part of her and exactly how to kindle a flame of desire within her that could burn out of control at any second.

He slid her lingerie the rest of the way off, and she sighed when he dipped below her waist and began an exploration so intimate she thought she would shatter into pieces. Twisting her fingers in the sheets she held on while Adam teased her into a fever pitch of wanting. She arched her back and Adam came up for air. “You all right with this?” His breath brushed her skin when he talked and she shivered a little.

“More than all right.”

“Good.” He slid his hands beneath her bottom, lifted her for deeper access and Brynn was lost. She held on for dear life as he explored her thoroughly. When she thought she couldn’t hang on any longer, she whimpered his name.

“Tell me how you want it. Want to be on top?”

She knew he was afraid Chris had hurt her during their time together or that she might be afraid to be intimate. None of that was true. “I want it just like this. I want to feel you—all of you—when you’re inside of me.” She tugged him all the way on top of her. He braced himself with his arms so as not to crush her, but even that wasn’t good enough. She flattened her palms on his back and pulled him down so that he settled between her legs.

She moaned in appreciation.

“I thought we’d take it slow.” His amusement was clear.

“To hell with slow. We’ve got all our lives for slow.”

“But—”

“No buts. I want you, Adam.”

“You sure you’re ready—”

“Now!”

Needing no more encouragement, Adam nudged against her, then pushed into her so slowly, she thought she might die from the sweet torture, but when he began a rhythmic movement inside of her, it was worth the wait. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in the sweet friction. She ran her hands over his skin and pressed hungry kisses into the side of his neck when he came within reach. She thought she’d never get enough of this man, and realized she never had to. He was hers now—forever.

“I love you,” Adam said and picked up his pace. “You hear me, Brynn?”

“I hear you. I love you too.”

His thrusts brought her quickly to the edge of a precipice she’d gladly throw herself over, because when she fell, Adam would fall with her and he’d be there at the bottom to catch her, too. He redoubled his efforts, thrusting quickly and as she came, Brynn’s heart was full to bursting with love for the man in her arms. Her cries mingled with his as he joined her and together they crashed back down to earth. Nothing had ever felt so good or so right as joining together with Adam. Spent, glorying in the sexy weight of him on top of her, Brynn thought this must be paradise.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Only when Adam bent down to kiss them away did she realize tears had slipped from her eyes.

“I never knew I could be this happy.”

“Baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

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The End

Other works by Cora Seton

The Cowboys of Chance Creek Series

The Cowboy Inherits a Bride (Volume 0)

The Cowboy’s E-mail Order Bride (Volume 1)

The Cowboy Wins a Bride (Volume 2)

The Cowboy Imports a Bride (Volume 3)

The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire (Volume 4)

The Sheriff Catches a Bride (Volume 5)

The Cowboy Lassos a Bride (Volume 6)

The Cowboy Rescues a Bride (Volume 7)

The Cowboy Earns a Bride (Volume 8)

The Heroes of Chance Creek Series

The Navy SEAL’s E-mail Order Bride (Volume 1)

The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 2)

The Marine’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 3)

The Navy SEAL’s Christmas Bride (Volume 4)

The Airman’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 5)

The SEALs of Chance Creek Series

A SEAL’s Oath

A SEAL’s Vow

A SEAL’s Pledge

A SEAL’s Consent

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About Cora Seton

NYT and USA Today bestselling author Cora Seton loves cowboys, country life, gardening, bike-riding, and lazing around with a good book. Mother of four, wife to a computer programmer/eco-farmer, she ditched her California lifestyle ten years ago and moved to a remote logging town in northwestern British Columbia. Like the characters in her Chance Creek series, Cora enjoys old-fashioned pursuits and modern technology, spending mornings transforming an ordinary one-acre lot into a paradise of orchards, berry bushes and market gardens, and afternoons writing the latest Chance Creek romance novel. Visit www.coraseton.com to read about new releases, contests and other cool events!

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Where There’s Smoke

A Cowboy Way Novella

Becky McGraw

‡

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, Copyright © August, 2015 by Becky McGraw.

All rights reserved under International and Pan American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the author.

Acknowledgements

First, I’d like to thank my badass, first-responder son-in-law, who is a real life firefighter-paramedic, and also a trauma flight paramedic who was instrumental in my research to get the details right in this book. He likes to play sexy cowboy every now and again too, and does a damned good job at it! Thank you so much, Lance, and welcome to the family.

I love brainstorming with people, especially the funny and creative Kathryn Falk, Founder of RT Book Reviews Magazine, who suggested it might be comical if I set a crop of wacky weed on fire in this book to challenge my sexy cowboy-firefighter. You were definitely right, Kathryn! Thanks for the suggestion, and thank you for your support.

Thanks also go out to Heather Almendarez of Heatherlynn Portraits for the sexy shot of fitness model Luca Constabile on my cover. Thank you for finding those sexy cowboys for me, girlfriend! You always inspire me.

Finally, thanks to my fellow Cowboy 12-Pack Authors. With every collaboration we do, I am in awe of your talent, your commitment and hard work. We’re a great team, the best, and I can’t tell you how honored I am to call all of you friends.

Chapter One

‡

Austin McBride watched from the fence with disinterest as five of his ranch hands crowded into the chute to help Tanner Douglas mount the new bucking bull Zack Taylor had delivered to the Double Bar Tee ranch yesterday. He wasn’t really interested because it wasn’t him mounting that bull, feeling the adrenaline surge through his veins as they tightened his rigging, helped him settle, then opened the gate.

No, as ranch foreman, Austin now got to watch all the action from the fence, so he could assess the bull’s moves and the probability the bull would be leased by one of their rodeo clients. At least before he was made foreman six months ago he could act as the pick-up man when they tested bulls. Before ranch owner Zack Taylor decided he would miss his wife, country music star Haley Morgan and their baby girl too much when she toured without him, and put him Austin charge.

That was at least a little exciting. This was boring as shit. Lately sometimes Austin wondered if the damned good money he made here made up for his boredom. He could be making a lot less money, but doing what he loved.

Damn, he missed being a firefighter-medic.

He’d been at this ranch for three years now, and in that time the most exciting thing he’d treated using his now rusty medic skills were strained muscles and blisters. His advanced firefighting skills had been of no use so far.

The decision to follow the money and this rough stock herd to Glanville had been a tough one, and he wasn’t so sure the right one as far as job satisfaction went. He missed his damned family, and he missed having it all. Being both a rough stock manager and a firefighter-medic. Those had been the days when his life was good, and he missed it something awful.

But Austin knew he made the only decision he could.

The herd moved and that left being a part-time firefighter his only employment if he’d stayed in his hometown. He might have been able to make it on full-time firefighter’s pay at the Captain’s level where he’d been when he left, but there weren’t any full-time openings in the poorly funded rural department. They had too many men as it was, most of them his relatives.

One day he’d go back to Gladewater, but probably not for a long time. Not until he saved enough money to buy his own spread and run a herd to support himself. There just weren’t any decent jobs there.

His expenses were zero here, so Austin was saving every penny he made toward his goal. One day he’d have enough to do that, but not today. Today, he was watching the grass grow while his ranch hands fought to get Tanner strapped to a mean ass red bucking bull.

With a sigh, Austin rested his chin on his forearms to watch Tanner mount the bull they were testing to see if he was fit for the rodeo clients who’d signed stock contracts with Taylor Bucking Stock Company. Tanner scooted forward on the bull, Rowdy yanked the rigging rope tighter, and the big red bull snorted, danced and kicked the chute. Finally seeing Tanner nod, Austin held his breath while Camron yanked open the gate and quickly pulled it wider, then jumped behind the bars to ride it back to the fence.

The angry animal shot from the chute like ball from a cannon with Tanner on his back, then immediately crouched low. The thick muscles under his skin twitched before he sprang upward like a rocket launching, all four of his feet left the ground, and the ranch hands roared, as Tanner’s ass floated high above his back. When Furious George touched down again, Tanner went to work, leaning back, pointing his toes to hit the sweet spot near the animal’s neck with his heels, doing everything to get a good ride out of him, but George wasn’t having it.

As soon as the bull’s front hooves hit the dirt again, he violently twisted his backend to the left, and Tanner’s body slid right. The bull seemed to know he had the advantage, because he didn’t give Tanner time to recover his balance. His backend bucked hard, going almost vertical and Tanner’s head slammed into his hip. When he came down hard, Tanner was jarred further off-center. Austin wondered why Tanner didn’t just dismount when the ride was obviously over, then he realized Tanner’s hand hung up in the rigging.

Austin tensed, put a foot on the lower rail and pushed up, but before he leapt over the fence, Tanner had freed himself. Falling to the ground, the ranch hand rolled away from the bull’s sharp hooves, and Austin huffed a relieved breath as he eased back down.

Tanner scrambled to get his feet under him and tripped, falling face first in the dirt, and Austin’s heart skidded to a stop when, as if in slow motion, the bull rounded, pinned his ears and fixed his flat, black eyes on the retreating cowboy. Ransom, their pickup man, saw too and shot forward on his horse. Austin scaled the fence, but knew neither of them would get to Tanner before the bull.

“Run, Tanner!” Austin shouted, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he threw his leg over the top rail to drop into the arena.

Tanner pushed up to his knees, giving the bull a perfect target. It was made more perfect by the fucking red kerchief stuffed into his back pocket. Ransom’s rope flew through the air and caught one of the bull’s horns, but Furious George shook it off. The bull turned, lowered his head and scraped his left hoof, kicking up a cloud of dust. Tanner finally got his feet under him, lifted his ass higher and stumbled toward the fence, but the bull charged.

Ransom’s lariat flew again, the others who’d jumped the fence too tried to distract the bull, but it was too late. Head down, the bull ran full out toward the cowboy. His right horn connected with Tanner’s left back pocket, hooked in the denim, ripped the material and probably his skin, up to his belt. A high-pitched scream rent the air, as the bull tossed Tanner, throwing the cowboy against the fence so hard it rattled. Thankfully, the hands managed to distract the bull then, and Ransom and his horse dogged the bull through the gate into the holding pen.

Heart pounding, Austin ran over to Tanner, who was entirely too still. The other men gathered around, but Austin shooed them back and turned Tanner onto his stomach. His whole ass was covered in blood that trailed down his left thigh too. Austin could see the ragged flesh through the rip in his jeans, and the adrenaline inside him evened out as his paramedic training kicked in.

“Call 911 and get them out here fast,” he said to one hand, before looking at another. “Get me some clean towels from the tack room.” When none of the five pairs of boots surrounding him moved, he glanced up at Ransom. “Now, Ransom!”

The men scrambled as Austin pulled his t-shirt over his head, before ripping the split in Tanner’s jeans wider to press it to the wound.

“Tanner, you awake, bud?” he asked, putting his weight into the pressure on the wound, but the inert cowboy didn’t respond. Blood immediately soaked through his t-shirt to wet his hand, and Austin was damned scared he was dealing with a nicked artery.

Dyson was the first to get back with a stack of towels, and wouldn’t you know the cowboy sat them down beside Austin in the dirt?

“Clean towels in the dirt defeat the purpose, Dyson!” Austin yelled.

“Sorry, boss,” Dyson replied, stepping back, looking a little green.

There was no time to look green, Austin needed another set of hands so he could take Tanner’s vitals. “I need you to grab one of those towels on top and hold pressure on the wound, while I turn him.”

“I’m sorry, Austin, I don’t do blood,” Dyson replied, holding up his hands as he backed away looking as if he might bolt.

“Well, your friend might be in big trouble and I’m trying to help him. You being a pussy isn’t helping him.” Austin lifted the t-shirt to expose the wound, so he could check it and Dyson gagged loudly. He separated the wound to see if he could determine where the bleeding was originating, and Dyson spun on his heel to run toward the fence.

Thankfully, Ransom came back right then, carrying a second set of towels. Setting them beside the first pile, he knelt beside Austin, who didn’t bother to mention he put those towels in the dirt too. “What can I do to help?” he asked, which was a helluva lot better response than he got from Dyson.

“I need to you hold pressure on this towel in a second.” Austin tossed his t-shirt aside and replaced it with a towel. “Did you call 911?”

“Cam is on the phone with them,” Ransom replied. “But they said it would be at least forty minutes before they get here.”

Austin blew out a breath, knowing it would be more like an hour if they were responding from the local station. He knew, because he’d checked out that station in Glanville when he moved to the ranch thinking he could volunteer, but it was too far.

“Hold pressure on this towel when I turn him on his side.” Austin moved, and Ransom took over. Austin crawled over Tanner, then eased him onto his right side so he could check his vitals. When Tanner’s eyes fluttered open, Austin finally breathed again.

“What happened?” Tanner croaked, reaching back toward the wound, but Austin grabbed his wrist to take his pulse.

“Bull gored your slow, dumb ass and you deserved it. You know better than to tuck anything, much less a red fucking bandana, in your pocket.” Tanner sighed, and concentrating, Austin counted the ranch hand’s thready, rapid heartbeats then decided to double check at his carotid artery. Pressing two fingers at the side of Tanner’s throat, Austin counted. Still too fast, and not strong. He hoped he wasn’t getting shocky. “Breathe slower, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Just relax.”

“Easier said than done, boss man. My ass is on fire and I’m bleeding to death,” Tanner replied weakly.

“Suck it up…it’s a flesh wound,” Austin replied, knowing it was more than that. At the very least he’d require stitches, quite a few of them. At the worst, probably surgery to repair his gluteus muscle, or an artery. Thank goodness the bull had missed his kidney. A few inches higher and they’d have a whole different situation on their hands. Maybe a dead cowboy, if it was going to take EMS forty minutes to get to the ranch, and then another hour ride to a hospital.

But five minutes later, only fifteen minutes after they called, Austin was surprised to hear sirens, which drew his gaze to the front entrance of the ranch just as a white Suburban fishtailed through the gate, bounced over the cattle guard, then hauled ass down the driveway toward them.

“Looks like the cavalry is on their game today.” And it was a good damned thing considering how weak Tanner appeared to be, how much he was still bleeding despite Austin’s efforts to staunch it. The truck passed the big house and headed toward the barn but it was the wrong barn, so moving behind Tanner again, Austin nudged Ransom aside.

“Go tell them we’re over here, Ran, and that’s not a medic truck, so get my kit from the barn on your way back.” Maybe the fire emergency response unit had been closest to them when the call went out and the medic truck would follow. Austin would use the stuff in his kit to stabilize Tanner in the meantime, or he hoped he could at least help him with the pain some.

Ransom left and Austin lifted the towel to see that the bleeding had slowed just a little. Throwing the blood-soaked towel aside, he replaced it with a fresh one.

“How bad is it, boss man?” Tanner moaned.

“You have a spare hole they’ll have to sew up, but I think you’ll live to be stupid another day,” Austin replied gruffly.

“Move aside cowboy, so I can assess the patient,” a female voice said authoritatively.

Austin’s eyes landed on a pair of heavy, well-used fire boots, glided up long, long, very long legs to the hem of a navy blue suit skirt, then flew up to meet narrowed bright blue eyes. The woman looked ridiculous in fire boots paired with the fitted business suit.

They’d sent a desk jockey trying to play fireman out here to help them? Or maybe the dispatcher hadn’t sent her at all. Austin had seen it before. Perhaps she heard the call on the radio while she was out for lunch and whizzed over here to show off the CPR skills she’d learned, but never put to use to add a little excitement to her life.

Well, he didn’t have time for her to practice.

“I’ve already assessed the wound, ma’am, and I’m keeping pressure on it to control the bleeding.” Austin let his eyes take another tour of her athletically curved body then met her eyes again. “Besides, you’re not dressed for the job. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to get blood on your nice suit if you’re going back to the office.”

Her lips tightened, and her blonde eyebrow lifted. “I was on my way to a job interview this morning, but heard the call so I came since I was closest.” Just as he suspected, this woman would be of no more help to him than Dyson. But her eyes glided over Tanner, and she squatted down beside him. “Move aside, before your friend dies,” she growled, nudging Austin with her elbow. “By the amount of blood, it looks like he may have an arterial or vienous bleed.”

Austin laughed. “No shit? You don’t think a band-aid will cut it, princess? Is that your professional assessment?”

She pinned him with hot blue eyes. “You’re wasting precious time this man might not have.” Her mouth pinched, and she elbowed him again. “Move your ass out of my way, so I can treat him before he dies!”

Tanner whimpered as he reached back again, but Austin caught his wrist. “He’s not dying—I have the bleeding under control, and his vitals are stable.” As stable as they could be considering he’d been gored in the ass by a bull, but this woman was upsetting the patient. She had the bedside manner of Nurse Ratchet. “We don’t need your help—we will be fine waiting on the medic truck, so feel free to go on to your interview…ma’am.”

“Captain,” she corrected angrily, glaring at Austin. “And I can’t leave now that I’m here. You called us, so move aside and let me do my damned job.”

Austin didn’t move, he continued to hold pressure on the towel, and held her impatient gaze until Ransom walked up to set his medic kit down beside him. Her eyes tracked to the kit, and she frowned.

“Are you a licensed paramedic?” she demanded.

Austin laughed, as he flipped the latches with his right hand. “Probably longer than you’ve been out of high school, sweetheart.”

She stood again, stepped closer to the kit and put a boot on top of it so he couldn’t open the lid. Austin took another tour of those amazing legs up to the hem of her skirt. “Move your damned foot, ma’am. I need my supplies,” he growled.

“Not in this dusty arena,” she replied with tight lips, and a lifted brow. “We need to move him somewhere else to treat him, and as far as waiting on the medic truck, it won’t be coming. Both our trucks are tied up on calls, so I’m the transport, unless you want to call a helicopter.”

The stubborn set of her chin, and her eyes challenged him to argue.

“Would y’all quit your damned bickering and get me to a hospital?!? My ass hurts, and I’m bleeding to death!” Tanner shouted hoarsely.

“I have a backboard in the back of my truck,” the woman said, turning toward the fence, giving him a prime view of her deliciously round backside, which formed a heart at her narrow waist. Without a thought to modesty, she put a boot on the lower rail and threw her leg over the top rail. Austin caught a flash of her white panties as she vaulted over the fence. It wasn’t until that minute, he realized she must be nearly six foot tall barefooted.

If that’s the way the local firefighters were built, Austin was definitely missing out by not volunteering. He’d like to volunteer for a lot more than fighting fires if they were. And if she was a Captain, according to the research he’d done when he got there, she was the only full-time paid firefighter other than the Chief and a Lieutenant at that station, which meant they must have a shortage of qualified people.

This woman was too pretty and looked much too young for the job to be effective. Add her abrasive, superior attitude to the mix, and he couldn’t imagine a bunch of rough and tumble experienced firefighters listening to a thing she had to say, much less taking orders from her. Maybe she was a political or relative hire, he thought. That happened a lot at rural stations, hell, his station at home was rife with that shit. Austin would just have to go in to town and check out the situation, maybe offer them his experience.

A minute later the woman, whose name he hadn’t gotten yet, handed the backboard over the fence rail to Ransom, before she hopped over the fence again. Without hesitation, she knelt in the dirt beside Austin, helped him turn Tanner so he was on his side on the board, then strapped him down securely.

“He needs to be in a C-collar,” she informed brusquely. “I have one in my truck, but forgot to grab it.”

“His neck is fine,” Austin replied, pulling the roll of silk tape out of his kit. “We’ll just tape the helmet to the board and leave it on in case he has a concussion.”

The woman’s hand dropped on his forearm before Austin could pull the end off of the tape roll. “How the hell do you know his neck is fine? And if we leave the helmet on, how will we get to his airway if we need to with that screen?”

“I assessed the patient, ma’am. That is how I know his neck is fine.” This woman’s attitude was wearing on Austin’s last nerve, and he had an hour of it to endure while they transported Tanner to the hospital. But she was right about airway access—and Austin’s face heated. “Ransom go get a screwdriver and a pair of tin snips so we can remove the mask, and grab a couple of horse blankets while you’re in there.”

Resting her ass on her heels, the woman put her hands on her trim hips. “We’re not doctors, we’re paramedics. Our job is to stabilize the patient for transport to the hospital where a doctor will diagnose him.”

Austin huffed a breath and pinned her with his eyes. “I know what my job is here, and I’ve been doing it long enough to know that his neck is fine. However, I am going to stabilize it by making a neck roll with those horse blankets since you forgot your C-collar in the truck.”

Tanner issued a pained grunt. “Call the damned helicopter, because you two will probably kill each other before we get to the hospital and I’ll be left on the side of the road.”

Ransom returned with the tools and blankets, handed them to Austin and he removed the mask. Rolling the blankets tight, he slid them between Tanner’s shoulder and ear, then looked up at his ranch hand. “Ran, can you lift the board for me?”

“I can do it,” Blondie hissed, moving to Tanner’s head. Austin was not going to argue with her, so he waited while she grabbed the edges of the board and lifted it. Scooting into position, holding the helmet steady he wound the tape roll around several times until he was sure it wouldn’t move.

He stood, and Blondie pushed to her feet at the head of the board, gripping the edges. Before Austin lifted the end though, he looked at his unwanted partner. “You want me to take the head?” he asked, knowing that was where most of the weight was distributed. The woman might be tall, but she didn’t look like she had it in her to carry two-hundred pounds of surly cowboy any distance. Especially in a long-sleeved business suit in this heat. “We have to go the long way through the barns to your truck.”

“I’m fine,” she replied lifting her chin. “Just make sure you don’t drop your end, cowboy.”

The way she said cowboy was an insult. Austin was sure she meant it to be, and he wasn’t taking the bait. Her implication was because he worked with his hands, he didn’t have a brain. Well he would love to dissuade Blondie from that notion, but he had nothing to prove to her, and a patient to care for. Let her think what she damn well pleased.

With a grunt, Austin lifted the end of the board, and tightened his grip because his hands were coated with blood and sweat. “Ransom, bring my kit and those towels, will you? And open the gate.”

Blondie led the way, and Austin was surprised at the ease with which she negotiated the turns through the barn until they were out back. When they stepped outside into the sun again though, he saw she was paying a price for her stubbornness. Her dirt-streaked face was flushed bright red from heat and exertion, and strands of her pale blonde hair had escaped her ponytail to stick to the beads of sweat at her temples.

Let her sweat, and strain, he thought, almost laughing when he also noticed her arms were shaking. He wasn’t about to offer to help her again. Austin kept his mouth shut, and a tight grip on his end as he followed her around the second barn to her Suburban.

Stopping, they let Ransom open the door, then maneuvered the backboard into the Suburban, eliciting several groans from Tanner as they jostled him. Austin climbed into the truck before she could and took his kit from Ransom. The door closed and he could see Blondie wasn’t happy about driving as she skirted the truck to the driver’s door and got behind the wheel.

She turned on the sirens, and roughly threw the truck into gear. When she slammed her foot on the gas, Austin lost his balance and his grip on the backboard, and it slammed into the back seat pulling a long, low moan from Tanner.

“Take it easy, will you?!?” Austin shouted, moving quickly to reapply pressure on the freshly bleeding wound. He’d almost had it stopped before they carried and loaded Tanner, but the dark red pool forming on the floorboard of the truck near the edge of the backboard told him it had started again. That meant the bleed could be arterial, which could spell trouble if he didn’t get it stopped quickly.

If it kept up, he’d have to find the bleeder, and like the little boy with the dam, put his finger into it to apply pressure until they got to the hospital. Austin put his fingers on Tanner’s neck and checked his pulse again. It was steady, but not very strong.

“We need to get the patient to the hospital,” she replied, seeming unconcerned with the steady moans coming from Tanner with each rut she dipped into on her way down the driveway.

“In one piece and alive!” Austin growled back, letting go of the towel to open his kit and pull out a bag of saline and tubing. “I’m trying to start an IV back here, and you’re not making that easy, Mario. He’s not a Code Three, so back off!”

Tanner wasn’t a balls-to-the-wall transport at this instant, but he could be if Austin didn’t get that damned bleeding under control again. He’d lost enough blood to need an IV, which might help keep him stable until they got to the hospital. If he could just keep steady enough to get the damned needle inserted, that might happen.

But Blondie still wasn’t making that easy. His teeth rattled when she hit the cattle guard, but when she turned onto the roadway, things finally smoothed out enough for him to start the IV and hang it on the clothes hook above the door to get downflow.

Austin knew he only had about five minutes to get the patient buttoned up before they turned down the rutted gravel road to get them to the main highway, so he hurried to pack the wound with thirsty gauze to try to staunch the flow of blood, but it quickly turned red.

Way too quickly.

Things were going down the crapper, and he needed to stop the bleeding fast.

Searching through his kit, Austin found his small vial of morphine and a syringe, then shoved the needle into the cap. “I’m giving you some pain meds, Tanner, so you’ll sleep through the roughest part of this ride.” And through the pain when Austin stuck his hand inside the wound to apply arterial pressure, which was the only way he saw now to stop the growing pool of blood on the floorboard.

“Thanks, boss man,” Tanner replied groggily, which worried Austin more, because the pain meds he’d just inserted into the IV joint had not had enough time to take effect yet. The slurring and the sleepiness were probably from blood loss, or the beginnings of shock.

He had lost a lot of blood. Maybe two pints now. It was definitely about time for Code Three on this transport. When Tanner’s body relaxed, and his breathing evened out, Austin sanitized his hands, and removed the gauze from the wound. After he swabbed with a towel, so he could see the right location, he jammed his thumb inside the wound.

“I think it is an arterial bleed, so I’m doing arterial pressure,” he said and her eyes met his in the rearview. “Once we’re on the highway put the pedal to the metal—we’re Code Three.”

Chapter Two

‡

Forty minutes later, Sunny skidded the Suburban to a stop, sirens blaring, lights flashing under the canopy at the Emergency Room. Heart pounding in her ears, she threw open her door and ran around the front of the truck and through the automatic entry doors.

“We have a patient who is bleeding out,” she yelled, her eyes fixing on her friend Jolie who was the nurse manning the nurse’s station today. Jolie’s eyes widened as she stood and ran to the first exam room, emerging a second later with a gurney.

“What’s the injury?” she asked, pushing the gurney toward the door. “Why didn’t you call ahead? I’d have had the doc on standby.”

“I’m not in the medic truck, and it’s a guy who was gored by a bull. We had to get him here quick. Which doc is on duty?” Sunny asked, as she took the head of the gurney to help Jolie negotiate the turn through the front door.

“Fox,” Jolie replied with an eye roll and groan that Sunny wanted to mimic.

The female physician was cutting-edge knowledgeable. She knew just about everything there was to know about the human body, and how to fix it. But that knowledge made her just as arrogant as she was smart. Nobody knew better than Dr. Melanie Fox, or questioned her unless they wanted to be made to look like an ass in front of everyone.

All of the nurses and medics at this hospital gave her wide berth, and absolutely hated being on shift with her. But this particular patient was probably damned lucky she was on shift. He needed her expertise.

Sunny and Jolie rolled the gurney to the truck door, and she grabbed the handle. When she pulled open the door the coppery smell of blood hit her in the face. The cowboy-medic’s worried gray eyes met hers. “I don’t want to let up on the pressure, but we need to get him out of here. I’ll hang blood before we try to move him, if you get me a pint of O.”

“Dr. Fox isn’t going to order that until she examines him,” Jolie informed.

The medic’s lips pinched, and Sunny saw a storm brewing in his gray eyes. “Well you go tell Dr. Fox that he may not have a patient to examine if I take my thumb out of this wound, before we hang blood,” he growled.

“Her…” Jolie corrected, huffing a breath. “She’s with another patient with a compound fracture, and I’ll get blasted if I interrupt her.”

“I’ll take one for the team,” Sunny said, knowing Jolie was telling the truth.

Sunny didn’t have to work there full-time or face the consequences of crossing Dr. Fox for weeks after the infraction. Jolie did. The most Melanie Fox could do to Sunny was blast her then call her uncle, the Fire Chief. Silas knew how this woman was, he dealt with her often, because she was the station’s medical director too.

Turning, Sunny strode with purpose back through the doors and down the hallway. A tech scurried out of Exam Room 1, flinching at the howling yells that echoed down the hallway behind him. Sunny had a feeling that’s where she could find Dr. Fox. At the door, Sunny knocked loudly but didn’t wait before she walked right inside. Dr. Fox looked up from the other side of the bed, her full lips flattened and her dark brows pinched.

“What are you doing in here?” she demanded.

“I just brought in a critical patient. He’s bleeding out and needs a pint of blood before we can transfer him to the gurney to get him inside.”

“Well, as you can see I’m currently treating a critical patient—oh, wait, maybe you can’t see that since you interrupted me.” The patient howled, and the doctor looked back down at his obviously broken femur. “I only have one set of hands, so your patient will just have to wait. My nurse is on the lam evidently.”

Sunny ground her teeth, and didn’t smart off, because she knew that wouldn’t get her the pint of blood she needed. “I’ll help you, what do you need?” she asked walking into the room, knowing she was walking into the lion’s den voluntarily. But helping out Foxy might get her the help she needed quicker. And it might also take some of the heat off of Jolie.

“I’m trying to get him into a traction splint to ease the pain, which should have been done in the medic unit.” The accusation in her tone and the hot glare Dr. Fox sent Sunny told her that the Chief would be getting a call about that oversight. Because she was second in command at the station, Sunny was a little surprised that Foxy didn’t stop what she was doing to take it up with her right now.

Not waiting for her to help, with a grunt Dr. Fox lifted the man’s leg to slide the brace underneath. Fists clenched, the man’s back arched off of the bed as he let loose a bloodcurdling scream. Sunny ran to the bed to get into position to help, then between them, after two more screams, the bone was back in place and the doctor secured the brace.

The patient dragged in quick, heavy breaths, his whole body rigid then after a shuddering sigh he finally relaxed, and so did Dr. Fox’s face. She patted his arm then put the call button in his hand. “I’ll be right back, Mr. Lemon. I’ll send the tech back in, but if you need something in the meantime, just press that button.”

Swiping her forearm over her brow, Dr. Fox walked around Sunny to the door where she stopped to remove her latex gloves and throw them in the trash. “Damned nurses calling in sick. They all need to be replaced,” Foxy grumbled as she pushed through the door, which Sunny caught to follow her to the nurse’s station. The doctor walked behind the nurse’s station to push through a heavy wooden door into the medicine room, but Sunny didn’t dare follow.

Relief flowed through her when Dr. Fox walked back out with a unit of blood. “Where’s the patient?” she asked impatiently.

Turning, Sunny double-stepped toward the entrance with Dr. Fox hot on her heels, hoping things hadn’t gone downhill in the ten minutes it had taken her to get the blood. When she walked outside, Jolie was leaning on the truck door with her arms crossed, smiling at the man inside. Sunny elbowed her aside, and moved the gurney aside so Dr. Fox could get into the back of the truck.

“Took you long enough,” the cowboy grumbled, as Foxy put her foot on the door frame about to get into the back. “No need to hurry now, he’s probably dead.” Sunny’s eyes flew to Jolie’s and both gasped, then stared at Foxy’s stiff back.

This should be good, Sunny thought, biting back a laugh. She had a feeling Foxy was about to give the cowboy what she’d been wanting to give him all afternoon. Exactly what he deserved for his arrogance.

Foxy knelt and crawled inside the doorway. “Well, if he doesn’t die from you sticking your unsanitary, ungloved hand inside his wound, I think he’ll live.”

“It’s called arterial pressure, if you don’t remember that from med school,” the cowboy growled, shoving over to give Dr. Fox room, but not removing his hand from the wound. “My thumb in the wound is the only reason he hasn’t bled out, since you were too much of a control freak to send the pint of blood I asked for.”

“It’s my job to be in control around here, and to act in my patient’s best interest. That would include not allowing an uneducated, probably unlicensed, moron administer blood to him before I examine him.” Dr. Fox pulled a clamp out of her pocket, and she and the cowboy engaged in a battle of wills with their eyes. “Get the hell out of my way so I can treat him,” she finally snarled, and with a huffed breath the cowboy-medic pulled his hand away to sit back on his haunches.

Sunny watched blood flood the trench of the wound and hoped Dr. Fox got it clamped off quickly, because she still hadn’t started the unit of blood. With a throaty rumble, the medic grabbed the bag off of the floorboard and quickly replaced the fluids with the blood.

“I didn’t tell you to do that,” Dr. Fox said without looking up.

“I didn’t ask your permission. This man has lost over half of his blood volume. He needs the damned blood.”

“He does need it, but I need to stop the flow so that unit of blood doesn’t just come out of the wound again.”

“Then clamp it off!” the medic shouted, and Sunny tensed, waiting for the nuclear explosion that was brewing inside of the back of her truck. Dr. Fox’s back stiffened, she reached into her pocket and came out with a roll of silk tape. Ripping off the end with her teeth, she secured the clamp then crawled back out of the doorway.

“That is exactly what I was doing.” Dr. Fox put her hands on her hips, and skewered the medic with her eyes. “I don’t know who you report to, Skippy, but if it’s Silas Gleason, I can assure you that you’re going to be unemployed tomorrow.” She turned to Sunny and Jolie. “Get the patient inside, but don’t bring that blowhard dumbass in with you,” Foxy ordered, as she breezed by them to go to the front entrance.

“I can’t stand arrogant, know-it-all females with a superiority complex,” the cowboy grumbled, as he slid out of the back of the truck to stand, before leaning back in to shift the backboard. “That woman is a prime example why I don’t like working with women. Give them a little power, and they think they own the world and every man in it.”

The hackles at the back of Sunny’s neck raised, along with her anger. He didn’t seem to remember, or care maybe, that he was standing in the presence of two females, one of which, although he didn’t know it, was a female Fire Captain. She dealt with this kind of attitude daily at the station from the men she commanded.

Sunny moved up beside him to help shift the backboard. “And give a man a set of balls, which is the only thing that differentiates him from those women he loathes, other than a lower IQ, and he thinks he owns them. Dr. Fox is one of the best doctors in this state, and one of the smartest women I know—a helluva lot smarter than you—and she deserves your respect.”

Shock rocked Sunny when she realized she was defending Foxy. She’d had her own run-ins with the woman, very colorful ones, but this wasn’t about Dr. Fox or her abrupt manner. It was about women in authority being disrespected by men like this backwoods jackass cowboy.

Sunny stood back while he slid the upper half of the backboard out of the truck, then took the foot. Their eyes met and held, his beard-shadowed jaw worked as he ground his teeth, but he didn’t say a word as he lifted the patient and they carried him to the gurney. The three of them worked to remove the backboard, then strapped him to the gurney.

The cowboy-medic pushed the gurney, but Sunny stopped it. “Dr. Fox said you need to stay out here, and I agree. Help me, Jolie,” Sunny said shouldering him aside.

“She doesn’t own this hospital and can’t tell me where to go,” he replied, and Sunny wanted to laugh again, because he sounded like her four-year-old son, pouty and petulant. “This man is my ranch hand and I have every right to make sure he’s taken care of.”

“If you walk inside that door you’ll definitely be taken care of,” Jolie said dryly, as she pushed the gurney toward the door. “Dr. Fox will call security and you’ll spend the night in jail.”

“She can’t do this. I don’t have a ride back to the ranch, and my phone is in the barn.”

“Sounds like a problem—Skippy,” Sunny said with a harsh laugh, as the automatic door swooshed shut behind her.

Sunny didn’t care if the bastard had to hoof it the sixty miles back to that ranch. He deserved every blister he got for being an asshole to her and to Foxy. After helping Jolie push the gurney into the exam room, she and Jolie situated the patient on the bed. Dr. Fox came in with the surgeon and shooed them out into the hall.

“You have a pair of scrubs I can borrow?” Sunny asked, looking down at her filthy business suit. The only one she owned. She’d have to have it dry cleaned before she rescheduled her interview with the board. Hopefully, the dispatcher had called them to let them know she got a call and couldn’t make it like she’d asked her to do.

“Yeah, in the med room,” Jolie replied moving around her. Looking back over her shoulder, she laughed. “Not sure we have giraffe length though.” But a minute later she came back out of the med room behind the nurse’s station and handed Sunny the green suit. “We had one pair of extra-longs left. I think Betty ordered a few extra sets just for you, because she knows you always come in here elbow deep in shit. The shower is open if you need to decon.”

“The cowboy got most of it since he treated the patient. I’m just dusty, so I’ll just change, but thanks.” Sunny had tried not to notice his tightly muscled, blood-smeared bare chest when she helped him unload the patient or anything else displayed by his heavy, blood-soaked Levis which sagged on his hips. The man might be damned good looking, but he was damned arrogant too, a lot like her brother, who also happened to be a cowboy. That kind of negated the looks in her opinion.

As if reading her mind, Jolie said, “Even though he’s an asshole, he’s pretty cute, huh? Cowboys make me weak in the knees, the fact that he’s a medic too…” Jolie fanned herself. “Where’d you pick him up? He a new hire?”

“Hell no,” Sunny replied with a laugh. It would be a cold day in hell before she hired a man like him at the station. “He was at the ranch when I got there. I guess he works there. Says he’s a licensed medic, but I didn’t see his card so I can’t vouch for that.”

“Talked like a trained medic,” Jolie replied with a shrug. She waggled her eyebrows over excited brown eyes. “You should hire him since you’re short-staffed at the station.”

Sunny laughed. “Like that’s gonna happen after the way he treated Fox. And I’m a female in charge, remember, he loathes me?” Sunny shook her head. “I have enough egotistical males working at the station. I don’t need more. In fact, when I’m Chief, I may just get rid of a little testosterone and hire a few females.”

“You got the job yet?” Jolie asked with interest.

“Not yet. I was headed to my official interview when the ranch call came in. I’m the only one applying so it should be a done deal after the interview and testing. Uncle Silas isn’t committing until the board give me a thumbs up and I pass the exams.”

“Well, I’d say you’re a shoe-in then, since you’re the only one applying, right?”

“Not really. I’ve got to convince seven men that I’m the right woman for the job, and pass those tests. If that doesn’t happen, they’ll post the job on national registry sites. I hope it works out, because I need that job for Billy. We need to get our own place. It’s pretty crowded since Rand moved home.” Sunny hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “I don’t want my son ending up like that guy in the exam room, or like my brother.”

“Have they said if they think Rand will ever walk again?” Jolie asked sadly.

“He’s out of the body cast now and walking, with a limp, and the therapy seems to be working, but he refuses to use his cane. Can you believe the dumbass is talking about riding or being a clown again?” Sunny blew out a breath. “If he does get back on his feet a hundred percent, he just needs to thank his lucky stars and stay away from bulls.”

Her brother didn’t have the sense God gave those bulls he was so mesmerized with. And now he was determined to fill her son’s head full of bullrider and bullfighter glory stories that put stars in his eyes and ideas in his head too. Another of the many reasons Sunny needed to get Billy away from him.

“Seems like he would—” Jolie said.

“Jolie—get in here stat!” Dr. Fox yelled down the hallway, and the nurse jumped.

“Gotta jet—let’s have drinks soon,” Jolie said, making a call me sign as she grabbed a file and sprinted down the hallway, her white shoes squeaking on the shiny tile floor.

Sunny walked to the bathroom and quickly changed into the scrubs, wadded her suit up into a ball and headed for her truck. It was Friday and her mother had her weekly Pokeno game with her friends at church, so she needed to hurry home.

With what her mother put up with all week long, she deserved this weekly break and Sunny was not going to make her late. But when she walked out of the front doors of the hospital, her truck was gone, and her heart sank to the toes of her fire boots. The cowboy must’ve taken it and left her here to find a ride. Now being late to relieve her mother was the least of her worries. How in the hell was she going to tell Silas she let his truck be stolen?

“That thieving sonofabitch,” she grumbled, turning to go back into the hospital. Because her damned cell phone was in that truck too. But flashing lights under the canopy had her turning back to see her uncle as he pulled up under the canopy and skidded to a stop.

Sunny grabbed the door handle and flung the door open. “I’m sorry, Unk, my truck was sto—” she started, but Silas held up his hand.

“Five alarm field fire. All hands on deck, Sunny—get in quick,” he said, his blue eyes shining with excitement. “And change into your gear in the back seat, we don’t have time to stop.” Silas threw the car into gear, and Sunny jumped into the front seat. Slamming the door, right before he put his foot on the gas.

She grabbed the door handle when she was thrown against the back of the seat. “But, Momma—”

“Pauline knows about the fire, and said do what you need to do. Billy is fine,” he informed, glancing both ways, but not stopping at the intersection with the street.

“But my truck was stolen,” she admitted sickly.

Silas glanced over her and grinned. “No, Austin McBride borrowed it to respond to the call. I told him I’d pick you up here.”

“Who the hell is Austin McBride?” Sunny asked, confused. They didn’t have any volunteer named McBride.

“He heard the call on the radio, knew it was serious and drove out there. Got there before I did, and I’m damned glad he did. He had all the responding crews organized and working when I showed up on scene. It was a beautiful thing. Found out he was a Fire Captain and medic in Gladewater, and I told him he had a job with us if he wanted one.”

“The cowboy?!?” Sunny screeched.

“Well, he had boots and cowboy hat on, but that man is a born firefighter. I gave him my equipment, until I can order him some.” Silas laughed. “Well, if he comes to work for us.”

Sunny slammed her back against the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s my damned job,” she growled. “He didn’t have the authority to do that. He should’ve come inside the hospital and got me.”

“Said Foxy kicked him out, so he couldn’t,” Silas Gleason said with a rusty laugh that spoke to his thirty years of firefighting. “He knew from the tones and buzz on the radio we needed help, so he came to help.”

Sunny wondered just what the damned cowboy was up to, what his angle in doing this was—he had to have one. As soon as this fire was over, Sunny was going to find out.

She turned in the seat to pin her uncle with angry eyes. “If he lives out at that ranch, he’s an hour away from the station which makes him ineligible to volunteer. We don’t know for sure he’s even a medic, because he hasn’t even filled out the required paperwork, and we haven’t done the mandatory background check. The man could be an axe murderer, Unk.”

Sunny shook her head, and turned back forward. Hiring and vetting the staff at the station was her job. “How could you have offered him a job?”

“An hour away depends on how fast you drive, darlin’. He got to that fire damned fast—faster than any of our other guys who live right down the street.” Silas glanced at her, and Sunny saw in his eyes, heard in his tone, that he wasn’t budging on his decision to offer Austin McBride a job. “He helped you get that ranch hand to the hospital alive, didn’t he? His actions mean a helluva lot more to me than a piece of paper. He’s hired if he wants the job, and you are going to work with him, young lady. Got that?”

Sunny huffed a breath, turned in the seat and cast her eyes out the side window. “Yes, sir,” she replied crossing her arms over her chest.

Could this day get any damned worse?

Chapter Three

‡

Damn, could this day get any better? Austin tried to tamp down the excitement buzzing through his system like an electric current, but couldn’t stop the smile that curled his lips. Not only had he had the opportunity to treat a patient with a serious injury today, even if it was his own ranch hand, he was now managing a fire. A big one with multiple crews responding. Crews he was directing to get it under control.

He felt energized, useful and alive for the first time in three years.

He realized now just how stagnant his life had become, as stagnant as the algae-covered lily pond on his family’s ranch in Gladewater. It was time for him to change that. And Chief Gleason, Captain Sunny Gleason’s uncle, had presented him the opportunity to do that by offering him a job if he wanted one. Austin had barely contained his laughter when he found out her name was Sunny, and she was a relation to the Chief. That name was as far from that woman’s disposition as the sun was from the moon. And she would probably be as hot as the sun when she found out he was here. But Austin really didn’t care what she thought. If he accepted the job at the firehouse she would just have to deal with it. The Chief was in charge and he was the one who offered Austin the job.

When the Chief offered, yes sprang to his lips immediately, but he pinched them. Austin had a lot of bridges to cross before he could firm up that decision. He was committed elsewhere, and making good money. He was not going to make an impulsive decision that could bite him in the ass later, and he was not going to disappoint Zack Taylor by leaving him high and dry after he’d promoted him to foreman and given him a huge raise.

That was not how Austin operated, had ever operated. He was going to do things the right way, and give Zack plenty of time to find someone to replace him.

If he decided to do this.

Austin would just enjoy his time here tonight stepping back into his fire boots, or the Chief’s rather. Tomorrow, he would gather information, explore his options, think and plan before he jumped. But right now, he had a fire to fight.

Austin surveyed the quarter-mile long fire that seemed to be shrinking, and a sense of accomplishment filled him. The crews at either end of the blaze were doing a good job of keeping their equipment positioned to make sure the fire didn’t spread across the fire break they’d trenched earlier. If it jumped that trench, the neighboring farmer’s crop, his livelihood, would go up in smoke. The wind blowing against the fire was in their favor. If that held up, they’d probably have the fire out in an hour or so, maybe before dark. As long as the water supply held out that was.

That was his only concern.

Austin had only been able to locate one antique fire hydrant within five miles, and it was fed from a well. That’s what his crew was using as a water source and the other two responding crews on the ends of the fire line were using grass truck reserves. He wondered if they had air drop capabilities if they needed it. He’d forgotten to ask before the Chief left to go pick up his bratty niece.

“Cap, I need a break,” the firefighter he now knew as Braden yelled back to him.

Austin jogged over to the Lieutenant, his nozzle man tonight, and braced as he took over the lead position on the hose crew. “Ten minutes,” he shouted, squinting against the waves of heat from the flames that were only twenty yards in front of them.

Austin couldn’t imagine what Sunny Gleason would have to say to him when she got there. He not only stole her truck to respond to her call, he was standing where she would usually be standing right now, doing her job. He fucking wanted her job, more than he wanted his next breath of the thick smoky air. The Chief hinted that his job might be up for grabs soon too, but Austin had a feeling his niece would be first in line for it. But if he was at the station, he could get his foot in the door, prove his worth, and who knew? This fire district was well funded by the two oil rigs in their territory and he would be paid enough as Captain to make it work. If he got the Chief’s job, he’d be sitting pretty.

But he was putting the cart before the horse again.

Before he did any of that, he had to figure out what he was going to do about the ranch foreman’s job. Austin wasn’t willing to stay in that position for too long and miss out on this opportunity, if he decided to take it. When he talked to Zack, Austin needed to give him options, and that’s what he would start working on tomorrow.

Just then the hose bucked in Austin’s hand, almost throwing him to the ground. He managed to hold on for the second buck, and force the nozzle back toward the flames. The flow was definitely weaker than it was before the bucking. That meant the well feeding that old hydrant was probably running out of water. They needed more if they were going to extinguish this fire. Looking back over his shoulder, Austin saw Braden sitting by the medic unit sipping water. Break time was over.

“Braden get over here!” he yelled, but the firefighter didn’t seem to notice, probably because now the crackle of the fire was a roar. Austin scanned down the fire line to the end and saw the fire had spread down to engulf the edge of the tree line now.

“Shane, I need you to move to nozzle!” Austin shouted to the man behind him.

Shane moved beside him and they transferred the hose, then Austin ran for the Suburban. They needed to call in more help. An air drop if possible.

“Get back on the hose,” he yelled to Braden as he passed.

He ran as fast as he could in the bulky boots until he stopped at the Suburban, but he didn’t open the door as the Chief’s red car pulled up. Sunny Gleason flew out of the far side of the car and started dressing. Silas Gleason was slower getting out than his niece.

“Chief, we need an air tanker drop,” Austin said, walking over to him. “The well feeding the only hydrant is failing, and the grass trucks have nowhere to refill. Anyone around here to do that?” Please say yes.

“Well, aren’t you just the big fire commander? Should’ve thought about that long before now, shouldn’t you, Sparky?” Sunny Gleason said smartly, as she strode around the car to stand beside her uncle.

Austin’s eyes zeroed in on her hard nipples which clearly showed through the thin white tank top she wore with her loose fitting turnout pants. He tried twice, but couldn’t drag his eyes up to hers. “I need you on the hose line, Gleason,” he replied. On my hose. Fuck, not now, Austin. He forced his eyes up to meet her angry gaze. “Save your smart mouth and get dressed.” Or get naked and use that damned smart mouth on me.

A sound rumbled in her throat then her whole body shook, before the sound erupted from her full lips. “Fuc—”

“Sunny, do what he says—he’s in charge here,” Silas Gleason barked. Sunny flipped him off after the Chief’s eyes left her, as she turned to walk back around the side of the car. She leaned in and jerked her turnout coat out of the back seat, burning holes in Austin with her eyes as she shrugged into it.

If looks could kill, Austin wouldn’t only be dead, his skin would be peeled off.

“There’s a lake about twenty miles from here where the grass trucks and tanker can refill. I’ll get with the other Captains and fill them in. And no, we don’t have any aerial equipment in the area, unfortunately.”

No aerial equipment? With as much brush and woodlands as they had to cover in their district? With the oil rigs too, they needed it for foam and gel drops if there were a rig fire. If he was Chief, Austin would definitely make getting that equipment a priority. He was sure there were ranchers and farmers in the area with helicopters and agricultural aircraft that could be converted. Hell, if he put it to them right, the rig owners would probably pay for it.

“Send one go to refill at a time, Chief. If we don’t keep the hoses going, that fire will creep to the property next door and burn up the fields. That crop looked really dry, so that field will go up fast. We’ll try to nurse the hydrant to keep the well going until they get back.” Less pressure, meant less control, more chance of the fire spreading, but no water was worse.

Sunny walked by him and rammed her shoulder into his, and it was no accident. “You could always spit on the fire, Captain. There’s probably enough bullshit in your saliva to snuff out the fire.”

Austin spun to blast her, but all he saw was her stiff back as she took ground-eating strides toward the hose crew. His back was just as stiff as he followed her surveying the fire as he walked. A gust of wind raised the hair on the back of his neck, and Austin stopped.

The wind had been blowing toward them before. Looking up, he saw the smoke direction verified the change. His eyes streaked to the right end of the fire line and he saw the tanker truck there reverse, then turn and head toward the roadway. One of the grass trucks followed, which meant they were now short a crew for at least thirty minutes, an hour if you counted the time it would take the second brush to refill.

With the wind change, that fire break they dug wasn’t going to do them a damned bit of good and this fire was officially out of control, or would be very soon. So much for proving himself, he thought, as he started walking again. The most he would hope for this night was not to come out looking like an incompetent idiot, which was very likely.

Wouldn’t Sunny Gleason get a laugh out of that? He was sure tomorrow morning she’d be crowing and armchair quarterbacking.

Not if Austin could help it.

“Shane, let Sunny take your position and come here,” he shouted, when he saw her just standing beside the men on the hose observing. She cut him a look, but took over for Shane and he jogged over to Austin.

“Yeah, Cap?” he asked, breathing hard.

It was a long shot, but Austin had to try something. It was getting darker by the second, and that would make fighting this fire doubly difficult.

“I need you to take the Suburban and go to that farmhouse at the next ranch. Tell them the fire is about to reach their field, and ask them if they have a well or pond we could use to refill a grass truck to fight this fire.” Austin stopped, thought about it, then added, “Or irrigation equipment. If they have crop sprayers tell them to get them going to saturate the field.” Austin handed him the keys, and Shane nodded then ran to the truck.

The radio on Austin’s hip toned. “Fire is on the other side of the fence now, and the crop is burning,” a firefighter from the second crew informed.

Unclipping the radio, Austin pressed the button. “Turn your hoses and fill up the first three rows.”

“We’re running low on water, Cap. Trying to conserve until the other truck is back.”

Fuck, he’d forgotten about that. “Just hold steady then,” Austin replied. And hold your breath that Shane can find someone at that farm who can help us.

Austin waited and watched while the crew worked for twenty minutes, until the sun disappeared behind the tree line and the thickening smoke occluded the rising moon, leaving only the bright orange flames to light the area. He still hadn’t heard a peep from Shane, and was getting worried. Suddenly, Sunny turned and she and the crew ran, dragging the hose away from the fire, as another man worked at the truck reeling it in.

Running over to them, Austin demanded, “What the hell are you doing?!?”

“Going to help the other crew dig another trench,” she replied, fighting for breaths.

“I didn’t tell you to do that!” Austin shouted. “Keep water on that fire!”

“Pressure is too low now—just a dribble,” Sunny huffed, her steps slowing until she staggered, then stopped. “Damn, I’m dizzy.”

“Go to the medic truck and get some oxygen,” Austin growled. And get a damned pedicure while you’re there princess.

She pushed her fire helmet back and ran her wrist over her forehead.

“No—something el—sa—something else is um wrong.” Sunny giggled, and her eyes widened. Austin’s did too, because that was the last sound he would’ve expected to come out of Sunny Gleason. “My brain feels…soggy.” Laughter bubbled from her lips, as she dropped the hose to sit down and shove off her helmet.

“Mine is soggier,” Braden said with a bark of laughter. “Damn, I haven’t felt like this since…” His eyes widened sending his eyebrows up under the brim of his fire helmet.

“Since when? What the hell is wrong with y’all?” Austin demanded, glancing back at the fire which was definitely out of control now. They needed to move their equipment fast and reposition. And Shane needed to get back.

“Um, since high school,” Braden replied with a sheepish grin.

Looking at the engine where the other crewmembers were ineptly winding hose, laughing while they unwound it to try again, Austin wondered if the whole damned crew had been hitting the gin before they responded to this call.

Sunny Gleason let out a long-winded sigh and a goofy grin spread across her pretty, soot-smeared face. “I’ve never felt like this before…like my insides are…” She stopped, and seemed to be searching for the right word. “Floating.” Wiggling her fingers over her head, she began singing, or wailing as it were. “Have you ever been mell—loooow…” When she ran out of air, she erupted into laughter, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

Austin turned his nose toward the smoke-filled night sky and inhaled deeply. His heart skidded to a stop as he recognized the scent from the many bonfires he’d attended as a teenager.

Marijuana. What he’d thought was corn growing in that field must be pot!

And Good God—his whole damned fire crew, including Sunny Gleason, was high as a kite from inhaling the smoke. Ice water ran through his veins as another thought struck him. He’d sent Shane over there into the dealer’s den!

Hand shaking, Austin unclipped his radio. “Shane, get back here. Don’t go to that house!” he shouted into the radio.

“Nobody’s home, Cap. The place is a little scary, looks abandoned, but I did see a cattle pond behind the house. Not sure about the well,” he replied.

“Just get out of there!” Austin yelled, then keyed the radio again. “Chief you there?”

“Uh, huh—I’m here,” Chief Gleason replied groggily.

“Is the crew over there okay?” Austin asked.

“We’re just peachy. Why do you ask?” The calmness, as Sunny said—mellowness—in the Chief’s voice told Austin the other crew was equally messed up, and fear sliced through him.

“Chief, that crop in that adjacent field is pot—not corn. Y’all need to put on your respirators fast!”

“Oh, it’s too late for that, young man. We moved back across the road, because we’re out of water. I called the Sheriff, but it could be a while before they get here. Y’all just come over here and join the party.”

A strange lethargy washed away Austin’s adrenaline, and by the time it reached his toes they tingled. His blood carbonated and laughter tickled his sternum. He realized right then it wasn’t only the crew who was high, he was high too!

But Austin had to keep his wits, because nobody else had a scrap left.

Fighting through the euphoria, he keyed the mic again. “Brush Two—have your men put on their repsir—respires—SCBAs when you get back! And call for backup, our whole damned crew is high!”

Chapter Four

‡

Sunny sat on the bumper of the medic unit taking her turn at inhaling fresh oxygen. They were almost out, because the whole crew had been taking their turn over here for hours. It was a hopeless cause anyway, this wasn’t helping a damned thing. As soon as she took the mask off the thick, herby smoke would surround her again. Every man and woman out there was stoned, except those with SCBAs, and the fresh crew from the two not-so-nearby stations who were able to don their gear before they arrived.

At least the fire was more in control than it had been, because they’d found a well and a pond on the pot farm. The tankers could refill quickly there so they could keep the grass trucks supplied. Someone sat down beside her and nudged her with an elbow.

“Stop bogarting the oxygen, Sunshine,” Austin said with a lopsided grin that reminded her of Billy’s grin when he was trying to charm her to get out of trouble. Something inside of her warmed then flowed downward, and Sunny inhaled deeply. She did not need any warm, flowy feelings toward her nemesis. He was an asshole, and if it took emptying this canister of oxygen for her to remember that, Sunny would suck it dry.

“Get your own, Captain,” she growled, fogging the mask as she exhaled.

Austin’s jaw worked a second. “I’m sorry for stepping on your toes. The tones were for a five-alarm fire and I was just trying to help out.”

“Help yourself into a job you mean,” she snapped back. This man hadn’t just stepped on her toes, he’d crushed them under his boots by ingratiating himself to her uncle.

“It was instinct and I was halfway to the fire by the time I thought maybe I should go back and get you. I apologize for that.”

“You’re not even one of our firefighters and you took over my command!” Sunny shouted, her voice muffled behind the mask.

“I hadn’t realized how much I missed it,” Austin said sadly, looking down at the toes of his boots. “I just—”

Sunny sucked up her first instinct which was to feel sorry for him. “Wanted to show off,” she finished for him. “Well you have a job—you’re a cowboy, so leave mine the hell alone.”

“I was a part-time Captain for ten years in Gladewater, would have been full-time if it paid enough,” he announced, as if he hadn’t even heard a word she said. Maybe he hadn’t—his voice sounded to her like it was coming down a long fuzzy tunnel. The oxygen definitely wasn’t helping enough, because the more he talked the less she hated him. “My whole family—my brothers, my dad, uncles, cousins, are firefighters. Yeah, they have a small ranch and I learned everything I need to know about ranching from them too, but firefighting is in my blood.”

“Why the hell aren’t you doing that then?” Sunny asked shortly. “Go back to Gladewater and join the fire department. We have a Chief and a Captain here—me—we don’t need you at our department.”

His eyes slowly slid up the front of her body, then met hers. “But I need your department. I can’t earn enough at the department back home without hiring out as a cowboy too. It’s a city-funded station and they have too many men as it is. Those guys are lifers, and the Chief is young. He’s not going anywhere for a long time.”

And that was her problem how? Fear formed a tight band around Sunny’s ribs, but then loosened. He had other options, he was experienced so his sob story didn’t wash. “Why can’t you hire on at a department in a bigger city?”

“I’m thirty-four and a half years old. Thirty five is the cutoff at most departments for new hires. It’s the same as the military. Even at my age, they are hesitant to hire me, which is ridiculous, but just the way it goes.”

“Our cutoff is thirty-five for new hires too,” Sunny informed. Damn, he was thirty-four, almost thirty five? Austin McBride looked to be in his late twenties, her age.

“But your uncle didn’t seem to care,” Austin said, adding a lazy wink. “He evidently appreciates experienced older men like most women.”

Like Sunny did. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled, fighting to remember she didn’t like this man and she was mad at him. “My uncle didn’t follow protocol. I do the hiring for the station.”

“He’s the Chief,” Austin countered. “He can do what he damn well pleases.”

Irritation prickled at the back of her neck. “I’ll be the Chief before long. My uncle is retiring,” she fired back. “And I have one of my men in mind to promote to Captain. So, sorry cowboy, you’re not even in the running.”

Austin reached up to snatch the oxygen mask from her hand. He covered his nose and mouth. “Inhale deeply, sweet cheeks. You’re much more pleasant when you’re high,” he said with a short bark of laughter.

Sunny ground her back teeth and stood to glare at him. “If you think you’re going to mess this up for me, you’re wrong. My uncle—the Chief,” she corrected.

“Is asleep in the back of his car. As soon as I clear my head, we are heading out.”

“Who died and left you in charge?” Sunny spat, putting her hands on her hips. “We need to stay here until the fire is out.”

“No, the other stations have it under control. We’re not a damned bit useful here and the Chief needs to go home. One of the crew from the other station is going to drive him home, and I’m driving the Suburban.” Austin’s lips stretched inside the mask to form a wide smile. “But we’re stopping somewhere to eat, because I have the munchies.”

Sunny didn’t want to go anywhere with this man. Where she needed to go was home to check on Billy. She glanced at her watch and saw it was nearly one in the morning. “I have to get home too. You can drop me off and drive the truck to your ranch. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

“That’ll be a two hour drive, and I’m definitely going to want to crash after I eat.” As if to prove his statement, he moved the mask aside to yawn. “Can I catch a nap on your couch?”

This man had a brass set for sure. “No, you cannot sleep on my couch. My house is full, and the couch is occupied by my—” Sunny stopped as her head swirled, and she wavered on her feet. “Whoa—” She sat back on the bumper as a whirl of goofy worked its way through her body to her toes, and she realized just how fast she was breathing. Breathing in way too much of the drug that permeated the night air. Her brain hazed, and that floaty feeling engulfed her again.

Austin stood, and Sunny looked up at him. The yellow glow from the flood light on top of their engine backlit him and he looked tall, really tall, at least three inches taller than her. And delicious with the soot and beard stubble on his square jaw. Her eyes fell on the logo crest on his entirely-too-tight white t-shirt. The title on the pocket of the t-shirt told her why the shirt was so tight. A giggle tickled in her throat. “You’re wearing my t-shirt?”

The spare shirt was one size too large for her, but it was about two too small for him, so it suctioned to every damned muscle in his broad chest. Damn, why did Austin McBride all of a sudden look like a hot fudge sundae to her? God, she could use a hot fudge sundae right now. Her mouth practically watered to taste that richness on her tongue. Or was it watering to taste him? It had been too damned long since she’d had that kind of sundae too.

Nearly five years.

Since she found out she was pregnant and told Jason. Since she found out what a lying sack of shit he was. Since she ran from Carrolton with her tail tucked between her damned legs to lick her wounds and have Billy at her mother’s house. Sunny was mortified when she felt her eyes fill and sucked in a sharp breath, also filling her lungs with more of the heady smoke which she quickly blew out. But it was too late. That soft euphoria tickled her insides and she sighed.

“Yeah, definitely more pleasant when you’re high,” Austin said with a chuckle, bending to pick up the oxygen canister. “I’m taking this with us. C’mon, Sunshine,” he said, turning toward the Suburban. Sunny sat there a minute enjoying the view as he walked away, but she refused to acknowledge that the cowboy-firefighter-medic looked just as good going as coming.

Coming—God, she’d love to come right now. But she could take care of that on her own, like she had for five years. There was zero chance of her getting in trouble that way. Emotionally or physically. And there was a less than zero chance she was going to have sex with Austin McBride. Ever. Even when she was high and thought he looked like dessert.

Pushing up to her feet, Sunny wobbled as she walked to the Suburban. Austin was already behind the wheel, so she took the passenger seat and tried to work up some irritation at his taking control again, but couldn’t. Exhaustion washed through her as she sat in the seat and put on her seatbelt. The last thing she heard was the throaty rumble of the engine, before she passed out.

The truck rocked and backfired, startling Sunny awake. She squinted as the bright yellow neon lights lining the eaves of the building blinded her.

“Where are we?” she asked groggily, her mouth feeling like it was lined with cotton, her eyes with sandpaper.

“All-night diner,” he replied, opening the door to get out.

Sunny unfastened her belt and looked up to see Austin open her door. “I told you I needed to go home,” she grumbled as she slid out of the seat.

“And I told you I was hungry.”

He turned and walked toward the front door, leaving her to follow. Sunny contemplated getting right back in that truck, but shuffled behind him instead, her fire boots feeling like concrete shoes. Because, dammit, she just realized she was starving too.

Walking inside, Sunny found Austin seated in a booth by the far wall and staggered to the table then slid into the red vinyl seat and picked up the menu.

“I already ordered for you,” Austin informed. “Three eggs over medium, grits, bacon and wheat toast with a pot of coffee. That work?”

“I don’t care for grits, and I don’t eat wheat toast,” Sunny replied, bristling with anger.

He shrugged. “Don’t eat ’em. As hungry as I am, I’ll take them off your plate for you.”

As hungry as she suddenly was, she’d probably gobble the buttery goop down without tasting it. But she wasn’t telling him that. The waitress came back with two cups and a pot of coffee, then poured them each a cup.

“I’d like an order of pancakes too,” Sunny informed.

The waitress’s green eyes widened. “Short stack?”

“No a full-stack. And do you have strawberry topping? If you do, I want that too.” Her eyes fell on a table tent by the sugar canister. She dragged it to her and pointed at the ooey-gooey sticky bun in the picture, which made her mouth water. “Oh—and I want one of those too.”

“Jesus, lady—” Austin said, with a bark of laughter.

Sunny glared at him. “Don’t judge. You brought me here, so I’m eating.”

One corner of his mouth kicked up as he held her gaze. “I’ll have pancakes too—a full-stack. No strawberries, make it blueberries…” His sexy gray eyes fell to her mouth, and Sunny’s lips buzzed. “With whipped cream.” Austin licked his lips and Sunny’s breath hitched.

Her mouth popped open. “Do you have chocolate sundaes?”

“Yeah, we do,” the waitress replied dryly, as she scratched on her notepad. “Do you just want me to put in an order for one of everything on the menu?”

Sunny, really, really wanted that sundae. Now.

“Make it two.” Austin smiled broadly as he dragged his red-rimmed eyes up to the waitress. “Long shift. I think the lady is hungry.”

The waitress rolled her eyes as she turned toward the kitchen. “I think the lady’s eyes are bigger than her belly,” she mumbled under her breath.

Austin’s eyes glided back to hers, and his lips twitched. “Think we should tell her why we’re so hungry? I have to tell you, that was a first for me.”

“Me too.” Sunny had never been into experimentation at all. She was as straight as they came in high school and after. Until she met Jason when she was a dispatcher in Carrolton and he talked his way into her pants. “We probably smell like we’ve been smoking pot all night too. Did you think of that? Lord, if a cop comes in, we’ll have a hard time explaining.”

“If a cop comes in, he’s probably heard about the pot farm fire on his radio. I’m sure every first responder in the County has heard by now.” Austin laughed. “Some are probably racing out there to get in on the action.”

“Well, as hot as that fire was there could be spot burns until tomorrow. We’re lucky the house didn’t burn.”

Austin shrugged. “It’ll probably be confiscated by the DEA when they get out there, so maybe we could use it for controlled burns later.”

Sunny’s eyes flew to his. “We could use it for controlled burns? I thought I fired you.”

“You can’t. I’m a Captain, you’re a Captain—we’re equals, Sunshine. The only one who can fire either of us is the Chief.”

“Well, that will be my first priority when I become Chief then,” Sunny grated.

Austin’s cupped his coffee mug, his smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “If you become Chief, I’ll turn in my notice, because there is no way in hell I could work for you. Until, you become Chief, we’re equals.” He dragged his eyes down to stare at the steamy black liquid in his cup. “But don’t count on that happening. You’ve got a long row to hoe before you get that job.”

“And why would you think that? I’m the most qualified, I’ve been a Captain at this station for four years.” Sunny stiffened her shoulders, and lifted her chin. “I was going to my official interview with the board today before I got that call to go to your ranch. Nobody else applied, so it’s pretty much just a formality.”

Austin’s red-rimmed, glazed gray eyes shot up to hers and one corner of his full mouth ticked up. “I may be applying for the job, that’s why.”

Chapter Five

‡

Sunny shoved her coffee cup to the side, slid out of the booth and stood to hold out her hand. “Give me the keys to my damned truck,” she said, in a low, lethal tone.

“Sit down and eat,” Austin replied evenly, not making a move to pull the keys out of his pocket. Heat waves practically poured off of Sunny Gleason. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a woman madder. “You afraid of a little friendly competition? Afraid you won’t cut the mustard compared to me?” he challenged, dragging his eyes from hers lift his cup and take a sip.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Sunny snarled, slamming her palms on the table to lean toward him. “You’re hardly competition, so don’t flatter yourself. I’ve been a full-time firefighter for almost seven years now, Captain for four. You’ve played at being a fireman, but you’re a damned ranch hand!”

Her face said she thought her words were true, but her tone of voice said differently. Sunny Gleason was damned scared. She needed to be. This woman was the one who wasn’t qualified to be Fire Chief. If she was given the job, it wouldn’t last. Either she’d be gone in a heartbeat, or all the men at the station would be. Austin had witnessed tonight how tense everyone got when she was around.

He slammed his cup down, and groaned as hot liquid sloshed onto his hand. Wiping it with a napkin, he pinned her with his eyes. “I’ve been a part-time firefighter and medic for nearly seventeen years, since I could volunteer. That means I have just as much—more time served than you do. What I have over you though, is that I know how to deal with the people. The men who serve with me respect me, because I treat them with respect.” Anger surged through him and Austin’s left eye ticked. He put a finger over it. “Have you noticed that your men don’t respect you? Do you wonder why?”

Sunny stood back up and crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them into pillows at the scoop neck of her dirty white tank top. They heaved with every agitated breath she took, and Austin was mesmerized. “They respect me, or they can hit the door.”

His eyes slid up her long, slender throat over that stubborn lifted chin to meet her angry blue gaze. “Attila the Hun management style? How’s that working for you, Sunshine?” Austin scoffed, leaning forward on his elbow.

Her face flushed and her mouth tightened. “No, the problem is that I’m a woman, and men, especially firemen, are Neanderthals who don’t respect women. I haven’t met one firefighter who is different, except my uncle who had enough faith in my ability to promote me to Captain. Those men will follow my orders, or we don’t need them.”

Austin made a sound like a gameshow buzzer and she flinched—the first crack in her armor that he’d seen. “Wrong. Firefighters are brothers just as much as military men are. We care about each other, and always, always have each other’s backs from rank private all the way up to generals. We need that camaraderie to survive to fight another day. It’s called teamwork, and you need to learn to be a team player, or you’ll never be an effective leader.”

“If y’all are finished entertaining our late night customers with your argument, your food is ready and these trays are heavy,” the waitress said gruffly.

Two more restaurant employees stood behind the waitress with their arms loaded down with steaming trays, and Austin didn’t notice until that moment that several of the bleary eyed diners were staring at them. “Sit back down, Sunny. Let’s just eat so we can get the hell to a bunk somewhere. You’ve worn me out, and I need some sleep.” Austin shoved things aside so the plates could be set on the table.

“Try rephrasing that command, and I might consider it, brother,” Sunny grated.

Austin chewed the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. He had never met a more obstinate woman in his life. “Please sit down, so we can eat our breakfast…ma’am.”

A victorious smile stretched her soot-covered face, as she slid back into the booth, and opened her napkin on her lap. The waitress rolled her eyes, as she and the men with her sorted out the plates to drop them in front of Austin and Sunny. When they walked away, Sunny looked up from the plate of pancakes in front of her.

“How and the hell am I going to eat all this?”

Austin shrugged, picked up his fork and smashed his eggs into his grits. “You ordered it.”

Staring at the plates, she shook her head. “This will feed me and my whole family. I think it was just the dregs of the um…” She scanned the restaurant, before she leaning toward him to whisper. “The marijuana.”

“Among potheads, I think the term is called the munchies.”

Austin knew he was going to have a hard time finishing what he’d ordered. He couldn’t imagine Sunny Gleason, even as tall as she was, could clean her plates either. But he was going to give it the old school try, he thought, as he shoveled a bite of grits and eggs into his mouth. His taste buds danced as he chewed before downing half his glass of juice.

“I just know I’m all of a sudden starving,” she replied, as she cut her entire stack of pancakes into tiny little pieces, much tinier than necessary for adult consumption.

Austin only did that when he babysat his nephews back in Gladewater. That made him wonder about the family Sunny spoke of a minute ago. Was she married? His eyes dropped to her bare ring finger and for some reason his heart lifted in his chest. Having a kid these days didn’t necessarily mean you were married though.

“Tell me about your family,” Austin invited casually, taking another bite of his eggs. Knowing a little more about this puzzling woman might just open the door to being able to work with her. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to do that too often. Since they were both on the same level, according to what the Chief said when he offered him the job, maybe they’d have opposite shifts at the station.

“I don’t discuss my family with my co-workers,” Sunny shot back flatly.

Gathering his patience, which took a minute, Austin wiped his mouth. “Remember that teamwork comment? Well that begins by getting to know your brothers. Keeping yourself removed means they’ll never really get to know or care about you, or you about them.”

Sunny’s shoulders stiffened, and she didn’t look up from her plate. “I don’t want them to care about me. I don’t want to know their personal business, and expect them to stay out of mine.” She laid her fork down beside her plate then looked up at him. “If that’s your idea of teamwork, you can have it. Bringing personal issues into the station just creates drama. Trust me, I know. And as far as brothers are concerned, women will never be allowed in that fraternity whether they care or not. I learned that lesson well from the men at the last station I worked at as well.”

That comment, the way she voiced it and the storm clouds that gathered in her beautiful eyes told him whatever happened at that station had a lot to do with her attitude now. His curiosity was piqued, but Austin knew pressing her now would only result in another argument. They were both tired, and really did need to finish eating so they could sleep. It was two a.m., and he had to get back to the ranch in the morning. Besides, he’d probably have an easier time getting information about her situation out of her brothers at the station. He would bet they knew a helluva lot more about her than she thought they did.

Austin hurriedly finished his breakfast, and sat sipping a second cup of coffee while Sunny finished her food. About the only thing she left was half of the huge cinnamon roll, and the melted hot fudge sundae. With a loud sigh, she finally tossed her napkin like a truce flag over her plate, then leaned back against the booth.

“Let’s get out of here,” Sunny said tiredly. “My turnout pants are about to rip a seam.”

Austin’s were too, but for another reason. Watching her lick the damned icing from the cinnamon roll off of her long, thin fingers for twenty minutes had been sheer sensual torture. And damn if she didn’t reach over to slide her finger through the thick gooey icing on the plate one more time. When she popped her index finger into her mouth, she moaned and Austin stiffened more. Her breathy sigh, the way she closed her eyes to enjoy the sweetness as she slowly slid the slick digit from her full lips had him biting back a groan himself.

Short of breath, and wondering how the hell he could be so insanely attracted to such an abrasive woman, Austin slid out of the booth and stood. “I’m going to find that waitress and get our ticket.” Forcing his eyes forward, Austin strode toward the coffee bar where he saw their waitress gabbing with a customer.

After he paid the ticket, he went outside to the truck and found Sunny on the other side waiting to be let inside. Austin clicked the release on the key fob and got behind the wheel. “I’m tired, so I need a place to lay my head tonight. And not in this truck. Are there cots at the station? Or bunks?” he asked as he cranked the truck.

“It’s a volunteer station, and we don’t stay there, so no. There’s a ratty old sofa, but I can attest it’s not very comfortable at all. There’s this one spring that will give you an appendectomy if you’re not careful.” Sunny laughed, seeming as if having her belly full made her much more amiable. Austin needed to remember that for future reference. Always make sure Sunny Gleason ate to keep the peace. Or make sure he had a joint handy to keep her in her happy place.

Well, that wasn’t an option really. Austin didn’t do drugs or condone their use. But with this woman, he may seriously consider it. The guys at the station would probably pitch in to help.

“What about the medics? They work 24-hour shifts, right? Don’t they have a bunkhouse?” Austin asked, looking over his shoulder to back out.

“They are in a separate building down the street. Yes, they have four bunks, but I can tell you, since we have two units, they’re full tonight, unless they get calls.”

“Well, it looks like I’m sleeping on your sofa then whether you like it or not,” Austin said firmly. Expecting her to argue, he continued, “I’m beyond tired, and I don’t want those two medic trucks to have to come and scrape me up off of the road.”

When he didn’t get a response, Austin looked over to see Sunny’s head rolled toward the window and her soft snores told him she was asleep.

“Wake up!” he shouted, dragging his own weighted eyelids up. Her body jerked and her eyes flew to his. “I need you to stay awake to keep me awake. And I need directions to get to your house.”

“But—”

“No buts, Sunshine. Get me to your house, and show me to the sofa. We’re having a slumber party tonight,” Austin said with a tired wink.

“I’d rather snuggle up with a cactus than you, asshole!” She turned toward him to point a finger. “You are on the couch and I hit the eject button as soon as my feet hit the floor, got that? You are not getting cozy with my family.”

Her family. Just the group Austin wanted to meet. Maybe one of them might clue him in as to what happened to this woman to make her as prickly as that cactus she’d rather snuggle with than him.

Chapter Six

‡

Sunny rolled over and the sandpapery texture of the line-dried sheets raked her hardened nipples jolting her awake. She bit back a groan and threw her arm over her eyes to block the bright sunshine coming through the thin curtains at her window. Why the hell her mother insisted on drying their sheets on the clothesline out back when they had a perfectly good, modern clothes dryer, Sunny would never know.

Yes she would—her mother did a lot of things the old-fashioned way and there was no changing her at this late date. Like sticking to the vows she made to a man who did nothing but cheat on her for thirty years, and line-drying his sheets because he liked it even though it was a lot more work for her. Just like she still hung the sheets on the thin rusty wire out back to dry, her mother would probably still be married to James Gleason if he hadn’t divorced her to marry a younger woman. Sunny’s father did her and them a favor by leaving, and his young new wife proved to be the death of him. He had a fatal heart attack while they were having sex ten years ago, two years after they married. Could justice be served any sweeter?

Sunny surely hadn’t shed a tear, or gone to the funeral. The day that man left them when she was fifteen, and her brother seventeen, was the day she cut him out of her heart. Too bad her mother hadn’t been able to do the same. Now, Pauline Gleason was nearly sixty-two years old, about to get on Social Security and also start receiving part of her ex-husband’s retirement fund, the only thing she walked away with in the divorce other than this cracker-box three-bedroom house that needed a new roof.

As of her birthday in a month, her mother would no longer be reliant on the rent Sunny paid to live with her to survive. Sunny could leave without worrying about her. Find a place to rent that would be nice for her and Billy. But only if she got the Chief’s job. That was the only way she could afford to live on her own.

She desperately needed to move out for her son’s sake. Pauline doted on Billy something terrible. Coddled him until he thought it was his due. Let him do exactly what he wanted to do, no matter how much Sunny griped about it. And that made it damned hard for Sunny to discipline Billy when he needed it. Lately, he’d taken to throwing tantrums on those occasions, and running to his grandmother to be soothed. The resentment in his eyes when Sunny ripped him out of Pauline’s arms to put him in his room tore her heart out.

He also now shared his room with Rand, which was a problem. Rand thought filling a four-year-old’s head with bullrider and bullfighter glory stories was a good thing. It wasn’t, as far as she was concerned, but Rand laughed at her when she tried to talk to him about it. If she wasn’t careful, her son could become just like his uncle—adventure and attention seeking. Always looking for his next dose of adrenaline and excitement. Billy would end up in a career that could provide the excitement he craved. Bull riding or bull fighting like Rand, law enforcement like his debauched grandfather, or firefighting like his playboy daddy—and her.

Sunny didn’t choose this job though, it chose her. She fell into the career when she graduated high school and couldn’t afford college. The dispatcher’s job in Carrolton was advertised in the Glanville paper, so she applied. She figured that if she couldn’t do what she really wanted to do, go to nursing school, that job would still allow her to help people. As it turned out, the department put her through medic and fire school on their nickel. Now, firefighting was all she knew, it was her career. But she wanted better for her son.

He would go to college like she hadn’t been able to do. He could be an accountant or an engineer, behind a desk where he’d be safe and she didn’t have to worry about him forever. To get him to that mindset though would take time. And she would have plenty of time once she was promoted to Fire Chief, and hired a new Captain. She would have time to teach Billy boundaries that would help him become a good man. Time to take him fishing and to the ballpark to develop the relationship with him she had been denied by working so many hours. Time to show Billy that he could trust her to help him make wise choices when he needed advice, so he would trust her to be his go-to person when he needed advice.

Lord knew he’d probably need it when he got older.

Being both mother and father to a growing boy was not an easy job, but since they’d lived with her mother since Billy was born, Sunny knew she hadn’t really experienced the full spectrum of that job. She wanted to, and would. Just as soon as she was promoted and had the income that would allow her to live on her own and the time to develop the kind of relationship she wanted to have with her son.

With a sigh, Sunny threw back the covers and a warm, smoked herb odor wafted up to her nose, reminding her of what they’d done the night before. She gagged, regretting her decision to shuck her turnout gear and clothes to just fall into bed without a shower at three in the morning when they got home. But she’d been so damned full, and exhausted.

They—and shit, she had Austin McBride to face down this morning. The man who made it clear to her last night he might be the wrench in her plan to become Chief. Well that man would have a fight on his hands if he tried it, because that job was hers.

Sitting up on the side of the bed, Sunny cradled her throbbing skull. Her legs felt like cooked noodles as she pushed up to her feet and staggered to the dresser to find clothes so she could go shower. Her only warning was a short knock before her bedroom door flew inward and Austin McBride’s low-pitched groan mixed with her son’s giggle.

“Ooh sorry, mommy. I didn’t know you were in your birthday suit,” Billy said with another hearty giggle, leaning inside the doorframe to see her from his perch atop Austin McBride’s broad shoulders.

Sunny fumbled in the drawer and jerked out the first thing she could find to press it to her breasts where Austin’s hot eyes seemed to be glued. His eyebrows lifted, but his eyes didn’t move as his lips curved up into a sexy smile. Sunny looked down to see she’d somehow selected the only piece of lingerie she owned, a lacy lavender bustier. Heat crept up her neck to her cheeks, then anger almost blew off the top of her head. She’d told Billy too many times not to barge into her room, and Austin McBride was old enough to know better.

“You’re in big trouble, mister!” she shouted, pointing a finger at Billy whose smile faded, before he ducked his head back out of the room. Her finger swung to Austin who was still leering at her breasts. “Get the hell out of here! And get my damned son down off your shoulders before you put his head through the ceiling. I don’t need hospital bills.” As tall as Austin McBride was it could happen. Sunny had a few inches to look up at the man, which was unusual.

Austin’s face flattened like Billy’s had, as he stepped back and lowered Billy’s feet to the floor. With a little push, he said, “Go tell your grandma your mommy doesn’t want lunch.”

“Lunch?” Sunny repeated, her gaze flying to the alarm clock on her nightstand. It was eleven thirty! She’d slept half the day away.

“Oh my God, I’ve got to get to the station!” she screeched, dropping the bustier to run for her fire gear which was scattered all over the floor around her bed. She dropped the coat, pants and boots in a pile by the dresser then fumbled through the drawers until she found a clean pair of sweatpants and a fresh tank top and hastily pulled them on. She had a clean uniform at the station, so she’d just change there, she thought, grabbing her boots and shoved her feet in them.

When she stood, Austin McBride was still there—staring at her chest.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked nonchalantly. His eyes dropped to the purple bustier by her left foot, and her eyes followed. When he looked back up, their eyes met and he winked. “You might be starting fires instead of putting them out though, if that’s what you wear under your turnout gear.”

That condescending wink and those words raised every hair on her body. Sunny knew right then what a cat must feel like when riled, because her claws dug into her palms as she resisted the urge to scratch this man’s eyes out.

“What I wear or don’t wear under my gear is none of your business. And didn’t I tell you to get the hell out of my room?”

“I was waiting until you were over your freak out to tell you not to rush. I called the Chief and he’s at the station. I need a ride back to the ranch, and he said you could take me.”

Oh did he now?

The fact that Austin McBride was getting so chummy with her uncle pissed Sunny off. McBride was evidently a first class ass-kisser and her uncle was enjoying every minute of it. Well, if this man thought that was going to get him her job, he had another think coming. Her uncle might be gullible, but unlike Sunny’s father, his younger brother, Silas Gleason was loyal and he wasn’t stupid. She had worked her way up at the station, worked her ass off there, and the Chief owed her that job. Austin McBride could take his brown nose back to that cattle ranch and ferment in the bullshit he was dishing out.

Sunny bent to grab her coat and pants from the floor. “Call one of your hands to come and get you then. I have things to do and don’t have time to babysit.” Brushing by him, she walked down the hallway. “Or call my uncle to take you since you’re such good friends,” she tossed over her shoulder.

“You jealous, Sunshine?” McBride had the gall to ask as he followed her to the living room. “Afraid your uncle might like me better than you?”

Anger zipped up her spine like wildfire to set her scalp on fire. Sunny dropped her gear and spun to face the man who had become her irritating shadow. She poked her finger in the center of his chest, spearing the bucking bull that told her he’d met her brother and borrowed one of his shirts. “No, I’m afraid you have your nose so far up Chief’s ass, he might confuse your ass-kissing for sincerity. You must be the one who’s insecure if you think you have to do that to get a damned job.”

Austin frowned and leaned his nose a little closer to hers. “I sincerely like your uncle, so it’s not ass-kissing or about a job I’m not even sure I want yet.”

Sunny’s insides unclenched and a sense of relief flowed through her, but she didn’t trust this man. “Last night you were all about applying for the Chief’s job.”

“Well, this morning, the sun is up and I have other things to worry about, like the job I already have and the ranch I get paid very well to take care of.” Austin gave her another condescending wink that boiled her blood. “Now, be a good girl and lace up your boots and give me a ride back to the ranch. Your brother is coming with us.”

Anger swirled up to her head like a tornado gathering up all kinds of nastiness, but a soft hand squeezed her arm, stopping it at her mouth. It came out in a hot rush of air as she looked down into her mother’s soft blue eyes. “I made you a sandwich to take with you, because I know how you get when you don’t eat,” her mother said.

Sunny didn’t want a sandwich. The only thing that would make her feel better was being allowed to kick Austin McBride in his brass balls. “I don’t want a sandwich, Momma. I need to get to the station.”

“Silas said you need to take today off, because you’ve been working too hard. Rand is excited about seeing Austin’s ranch, and so is Billy. Spend the day out there, it’ll do you good.” Her mother’s nose wrinkled and she frowned as she tiptoed to bury her nose in Sunny’s hair. After a cursory sniff, Pauline whispered hotly, “For God’s sake, Sunny Jane, take a shower before you leave—you smell like a chimney! I think you forget you’re a woman sometimes—fix yourself up and find something else to wear.”

Because Billy needs a daddy. And evidently Pauline saw prospect written all over Austin McBride’s handsome face. How many times had she heard that from Pauline Gleason since she’d lived with her? Too many times, and just another reason Sunny needed to move out.

Being cooped up in a truck with Austin McBride and her brother was not the way she wanted to spend an unexpected day off. But it looked like that was exactly what she was going to have to do, because her whole family it seemed had ganged up on her, led by a man she’d only met yesterday, but who had obviously brown-nosed his way into the fold.

Chapter Seven

‡

After her shower, Sunny purposely put on the rattiest pair of jeans she owned and paired them with a paper-thin, faded t-shirt she’d had since high school. Her one shot at rebellion with her mother who frowned at her on the way out the door. Billy might need a daddy, but she certainly did not need a husband or even a man in her life messing things up. And Austin McBride had hot mess written all over him. Why the hell couldn’t her mother see that?

Probably for the same reason she couldn’t see or didn’t acknowledge her husband’s cheating ways until it was too late. Her mother thought the answer to the world’s problems was a hard-working man to take care of her, that all women should aspire to having that in their lives.

Well, Sunny would never ascribe to that theory. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and her son. She was the hard-working person in her little family, and absolutely did not need a man. Well, except for one thing, which she hadn’t had in five years. The one thing that Austin McBride might be good for, if he wasn’t an asshole, or a wannabe fireman. Especially one who might end up on her crew if Silas had his way. Sunny had learned her lesson about going there with a co-worker, a firefighter.

And dammit, Austin McBride still hadn’t given her back her truck keys that he’d confiscated yesterday. It seemed the man had taken control of her life just as easily as he’d taken control of her vehicle. He took the driver’s seat without even asking if he could, Rand took the front passenger seat of the Suburban, and she was forced to sit in the back with Billy, and look at the large patch of dried blood on the floorboard that she would have to clean up. Leaning up, Sunny grabbed the blanket she kept in the back and spread it over the stain.

“Mommy, let’s play license plate poker!” Billy squealed, as he clipped his seatbelt across his waist and Austin put the truck in gear.

Poker? Billy was four-years-old. What in the hell did he know about poker?

Her eyes slid to burn a hole in the back of her brother’s cowboy hat covered head, but Billy named the culprit. “Austin said he’d teach me to play!”

Austin. Taking over another piece of her family.

“Poker is not something you need to learn how to play, Billy. Just sit still,” she growled, her eyes flying to the rearview mirror where she found mocking gray eyes burning a hole in her.

The left one dipped into an irritating wink. “Sunshine, you need to loosen up some. My daddy always played that game with me on road trips. Kept us occupied.”

Well, you’re not Billy’s daddy, and I’m more than capable of keeping my son occupied. The words flew to her lips, but she pinched them. Once she was sure they wouldn’t come out, her breath came out in a rush. “You worry about driving, and let me worry about my son,” Sunny grated.

Rand snorted. “There’s not a damned thing loose about my sister. She’s wound tighter than a two-dollar watch twenty-four seven.”

Anger shot up her throat to scald her cheeks. “I think you are loose enough for both of us, rodeo clown,” Sunny shot back, folding her arms across her chest. “Loose is what gets you stepped on by a two-thousand pound bull.”

“No, taking your eye off the bull is what does that,” Rand argued. “And I’ve told you I’m not a clown, I’m a bullfighter. That’s my career just as sure as yours is being a fireman.”

“Firefighter,” Austin corrected, his eyes darting to hers in the rearview, before sliding back to the road.

“She acts like a man most of the time, so it fits,” Rand replied sullenly, and his nasty snicker irritated every nerve in her body as it pinged through her.

“Acting like a man is not something you would know a thing about, Rand Gleason,” Sunny replied with equal cruelty. “I guess someone in our family needs to act like one.”

With a growl, Rand unclicked his seatbelt and spun in his seat to face her. “I’m as much of a man—”

“Y’all please cut the crap—you’re scaring the kid!” Austin grated.

Sunny’s eyes flew over Billy, and sure enough, his arms were wrapped around his middle, his eyes cast out the window. Sunny felt like a total ass, a juvenile who had no business with a kid. After another hot glance, Rand turned in the seat, but the tension inside the truck was a living thing. Heat waves poured off of her brother, and Sunny wasn’t much cooler.

“Billy, I see three of a kind, aces,” Austin said, and Sunny’s eyes darted out the far window. “See those three ones on that plate?”

“No, I don’t see it,” Billy replied, leaning up in the seat to look out the window.

“Red car at the stoplight,” Austin said.

Thank God, her mother had taught Billy his numbers and alphabet in preparation for him going to kindergarten in the fall. And thank goodness Austin was distracting him, because Sunny was so choked up at the moment the burn she was fighting behind her eyelids would soon be a lost cause if she had to talk. She felt like a failure as a mother, and an adult.

Billy tapped her thigh, and her eyes met his. “Play with us, Mommy—this is fun!”

Fun—something she knew nothing about these days.

Sunny’s eyes flew to the rearview to meet Austin’s and he winked again. This time it didn’t irritate her, instead it felt like those long dark eyelashes brushed her skin like butterfly wings. With a deep sigh, Sunny forced herself to relax against the seat and cast her gaze out the window.

“Ha—I see four of a kind on that white truck in the parking lot,” Sunny said, forcing excitement into her tone.

“Does that win, Austin?” Billy asked.

“Sure does sport, sorry. Let’s play again,” he said.

They played a few more times, and Sunny let Billy win. Every time she did she looked at Austin in the mirror and his smile grew wider. By the time he pulled into the hospital parking lot, he was grinning from ear to ear, and Billy was giggling like a fiend. Sunny felt light inside like she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

She opened the back door, and Austin helped Billy out. Rand got out and didn’t wait for them. Back stiff, he limped inside the sliding doors at the front. When Austin and Billy walked around the front of the truck, he was holding Billy’s hand as they crossed the lane in front of the hospital. Something shifted in Sunny’s chest and that knot she’d fought earlier came right back up to choke her. What the hell was wrong with her?

Billy needs a daddy. The knot grew, because she knew it was true. He was latching onto any man who wandered into his orbit.

“I want a hat like my Uncle Rand’s,” Billy announced, as they walked through the front entrance and he spotted Rand at the reception desk chatting up a pretty nurse he obviously knew. “He’s a cowboy, and I want to be one too.”

That light feeling inside of Sunny turned brick-hard and settled in her stomach. She opened her mouth, but Austin laughed. “I’m a cowboy, and I’m telling you it isn’t easy,” he informed, ruffling Billy’s hair. “You’ll see once we get to the ranch. It’s hard work.”

“I like hard work,” Billy pronounced, and Sunny bit back a laugh. Her son couldn’t even clean his room without complaining. He looked up at Austin and his eyebrows furrowed. “But I thought you were a firem—” Billy glanced at Sunny, then finished, “Firefighter?”

Austin laughed, and the sound loosened the tightness in her chest. “I’m a cowboy, a firefighter and a paramedic. I’m confused kid, but I can do anything I want to do, and so can you. You don’t have to pick one or the other.” He ruffled Billy’s hair again, as they stopped at the reception desk beside Rand. “And you have plenty of time to decide.”

I can do anything I want to do.

Sunny hoped Austin McBride decided he wanted to be a cowboy. That he’d leave the firefighting to her. She needed the Chief’s job and it should be hers. Unlike him, she didn’t have options. He hadn’t brought it up again, and she wasn’t about to remind him of the Chief’s offer or his words last night at the diner. Worry boiled in her stomach eating a hole there, but his words from earlier gave her some hope that he had changed his mind.

Well, this morning, the sun is up and I have other things to worry about, like the job I already have and the ranch I get paid very well to take care of.

Those words made her think that maybe the idea had been brought on by the adrenaline and excitement of the call. Or maybe the marijuana. Now that had worn off, and in the light of day he realized he had it damned good where he was.

Austin elbowed her and Sunny stumbled. “Stop frowning, or you’ll get wrinkles on that gorgeous face of yours.” His wide, warm grin melted the ice in her veins, and showed he had wrinkles of his own around that sexy smile, crinkles beside his smoky gray eyes.

Those lines said he took life about as seriously as her brother did. He could—he wasn’t a single parent worrying about feeding and clothing his child. “I have a feeling I’ll earn every one of them before Billy is eighteen,” Sunny replied.

“You have a long row to hoe, Sunshine, so you should pace yourself.” Austin laughed again, and winked. The man laughed at everything, winked as if it were a habit or a tick. It was beginning to irritate her a little. What irritated her more though, was she liked it.

Jolie walked up to stand beside Austin, and shot a glance at Sunny as she waggled her eyebrows then put her hand on Austin’s arm. “Ooh, hi again, Austin, was it?” she purred, setting Sunny’s teeth on edge.

Austin turned, leaned an elbow on the counter and his eyes lit up as they streaked down Jolie’s body to her toes. His face split into a wide smile. “Hi, Jolie—How’s Tanner doing?”

Jolie chuckled, and gave him a saucy wink. “Other than having an extra hole in his behind, which made him damned grumpy, he was fine when he left the ER.”

The electricity buzzing between Jolie and Austin, their easy comradery, pissed Sunny off too. They both acted like they had nothing better to do than flirt. Well she had better things to do than spend her rare day off watching them flirt.

Sunny glared at Austin who was busy checking out Jolie’s curvy little body. “Is this the fricking social hour at the hospital, or are we actually here for a purpose?”

He dragged his eyes back to hers, and they sparked with agitation. “I need to check on Tanner to see when he’ll be released so I can update my boss,” Austin said shortly.

His boss? Sunny had a hard time believing this man answered to anyone. He was too busy taking control of everything and everyone. “Then get it over with so I can drop you off at the ranch and get back home. I have things to do today.”

Austin’s smile slipped, and he leaned around Rand to talk to the nurse at the desk. When Jolie’s eyes fell to his ass, Sunny ground her teeth.

“When are we going to have that drink, Sunny? You free tonight?” Jolie asked, without dragging her eyes from Austin’s ass. Her friend was so tuned into the cowboy-firefighter, Sunny was very surprised Jolie even remembered she was standing there. Jolie puckered her lips and blew a breath, before her gaze swung to Sunny. “Sharkey’s at seven?”

“Yeah, I guess, if I’m back in time,” Sunny replied grumpily. She really wanted to tell Jolie she couldn’t make it now, she just wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat tonight. But she’d already put her off two times now, and promised the next time Jolie asked she would.

Austin stood back up and turned toward them. Jolie’s eyes immediately locked on his and she smiled that smile that could drop a man at fifty paces. Those slanted, cat-green eyes of hers traveled down Austin’s body to his boots, and glided back up. “You wanna come with us to Sharkey’s tonight, cowboy? I’ll teach you how to play pool.”

“He won’t be here,” Sunny interjected, grabbing Austin’s arm to forcefully turn him and push him toward the elevator. “We’re taking him back to his ranch.” Where he belongs, and hopefully he’ll stay. She released Austin’s arm and jabbed the button, but Billy tugged on her hand.

“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom,” he said in distress, dancing from one foot to the other which told her he needed to go right then.

“I’ve told you time and again not to wait til the last minute,” she grated. Taking her son’s hand she towed him down the hall. “I’ll meet you at the truck.”

During the hour ride out to the ranch, things were eerily quiet inside the cab of the Suburban. The earlier games and giggling were gone, replaced by a strange tension. Billy had fallen asleep, and Sunny was tempted to wake him up just to break the silence.

Instead, she leaned her head back against the seat trying to sleep herself. Anything she dreamed while she slept couldn’t be any worse than the nightmare her life had become in the last two days. Well, hopefully it would be over soon. Austin said he needed to call his boss with an update on the ranch hand, so that must mean he was still employed at the ranch, right?

He obviously had a lot of responsibility, and she took him saying he was well taken care of there to mean financially. As far out in the boonies as the ranch was, there was no way it could be financially feasible for him to drive all the way to town for part-time shifts at the station, even Captain shifts, to get his foot in the door. That meant applying for the Chief’s job was out of the question too. The board always hired from within if someone qualified applied for the job. She was a qualified applicant, he wasn’t even an employee. Case closed.

The tightness in her shoulders eased some, and Sunny’s head lolled as she eased into a welcome, peaceful nap.

Chapter Eight

‡

Austin parked the truck by the barn and glanced in the rearview to see his backseat passengers were sound asleep. One was making cute little sounds that reminded him of a kitten purring. The woman on the right side of the truck whose face was finally peaceful. Those tiny furrows that separated her tawny eyebrows relaxed. He figured the only time Sunny Gleason was truly relaxed, and not on guard and trying to control everything around her, was when she was sleeping. And like the guys at the station—her son, on the opposite side of the backseat, couldn’t relax either, unless his mother was sleeping.

With a huffed breath, Austin opened his door and walked around the truck. He met Rand on the other side. “I think the guys are out right now moving the broncs to another pasture. Go look around.” He pointed toward the long wooden building off to the right behind the largest barn. “The bunkhouse is over there.”

Rand gripped his shoulder smiling, and it reminded him of the one and only smile he’d seen on Sunny Gleason’s face out at the fire in the marijuana field. That woman needed to learn to loosen up and have a little fun for a change. Her brother was right about her being wrapped entirely too tight.

“Thanks man. You have no idea how much I appreciate you rescuing me from those women. Between Sunny and my Momma, and staring at the four walls I was real close to begging them to send me to the county mental hospital.”

“I appreciate the help,” Austin replied. “If you’re sure you’re back on your feet enough for the job?”

“I’m good to go,” Rand replied, tilting his chin arrogantly, again reminding Austin of the man’s sister. “This limp is not going to hold me back. They can shove the rest of that therapy and the damned cane they told me to use up their ass, because I’m way past done.”

More of that arrogance and bravado. It must be a family thing. Ditching therapy probably wasn’t the best idea for a man who had his hip and other body parts almost crushed by a bull. Neither was pushing his recovery by immediately getting back on said bull. At least if he was out here, he wouldn’t be getting back on a bull. Austin was going to make sure of it. Just like he was going to with Tanner, who he knew would be just as hardheaded as Rand when he got out of the hospital tomorrow.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, buddy,” Austin said, shaking his head.

“I got this,” Rand assured him with a cocky grin. “This will be a cake walk compared to what I usually do.”

“Okay, then. Go look around and we’ll catch up with you later. Let me know if you have any questions.” And try to stay out of trouble. We’ve had enough of it around here lately.

Austin watched Rand limp toward the barn before he turned to open the back door of the truck. Gently shaking Sunny’s shoulder he said, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

And she was beautiful right then with the sun glinting off of her golden hair, her gorgeous face relaxed. She stirred, but Billy sat straight up, his face a comical mask of disorientation. Sunny though, just nuzzled her face into his hand and delicious fire sizzled up his arm.

Cupping her face, Austin lifted her lolling head and leaned near her ear. “Wake up, beautiful,” he murmured, taking the opportunity to inhale her fresh flowery scent. Austin knew he wouldn’t have the chance to do that when she was awake, because she’d never allow him, or anyone for that matter, close enough for that.

To his surprise, Sunny’s face rolled toward him and her lips brushed his. With a moan, she lifted her chin as if seeking out his mouth, her hot, sweet breaths scorched his lips, and those soft, wet lips drew him like a magnet. Austin knew he shouldn’t, really shouldn’t, but he had no control as he closed the fraction of an inch between them to press his mouth to hers.

Waves of liquid heat licked through his body setting every nerve on edge when she responded. Squirming closer, her mouth opened and Austin took advantage to deepen the kiss. He drank as much of her sweetness as she’d give him, lapped it up. Sunny’s breath quickened, the pulse at her neck pounded as he invited her tongue to dance with his. His cock went rock solid as the rasp of her tongue against his made every hair on his body stand on end. A whimper was his only warning she was awake, so shock rocked him when she bit down on his tongue. Hard enough that he tasted coppery blood, as with a yelp he pushed her away and staggered back.

His eyes darted past Sunny to Billy who was sitting on the other side of the seat grinning. How in the hell could he forget the kid was awake? When Sunny’s mouth touched his, when she responded to him, Austin had forgotten everything except her taste.

“You kissed my Mommy. Does that mean I’m going to have a brother?!?” Billy asked, with excitement.

Horror flowed through Austin. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Sunny gasped, and her angry eyes swung toward her son. “No! Why would you think that?” she demanded.

Billy shrugged, his face falling. “Grandma says that’s where babies come from. She said you kissed my daddy and made me.” His chin notched down toward his chest, and Austin’s heart jerked. “I wish I could’ve met my daddy.”

Sunny’s eyes were hot pools of misery when she averted her gaze from Billy to pin Austin with a glare. After a few deep breaths, she blew one out. “Well, Grandma missed one very important detail. I have to agree to be kissed, before that magic happens.”

“So, you liked kissing my daddy? You let him kiss you to make me?” Billy asked quickly.

Closing her eyes, to Austin it looked like Sunny was gathering every ounce of patience she had before she replied. “I gave him permission to kiss me, yes.”

Well, Austin would definitely look forward to the day when Sunny Gleason gave him permission to kiss her. He wanted another taste of those lips, and more. Maybe when she was sleeping again, next to him in bed, he thought, as she swung her long legs outside of the truck. Or when she was wide awake and moaning as she wrapped those long legs around his neck so he could kiss her there too. At that minute, doing that was all Austin could think of—and more.

“Mommy, I want you to give Austin permission to kiss you. I like him and I want a brother to play with!” he shouted, as he opened his door and slid out of the truck. Sunny groaned, leaning her head on the headrest of the front seat. Austin turned toward the barn, and discreetly adjusted himself.

“Come on Billy, let’s go see the barn,” he said gruffly, having mercy on Sunny, who looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown.

Sunny sat in the truck a few more minutes letting the hot sun beat down on her tingling legs and other body parts while she pulled herself together, both from her son’s unexpected words and from Austin McBride’s unexpected kiss.

I wish I could’ve met him. Guilt pressed heavily on her shoulders and her soul. Had she done right by running away from Carrolton? At the time, Sunny was hurting so badly and was so desperate there hadn’t been another option.

Jason didn’t want to be in his life, she reminded herself.

“I’m not father material, Sunny. It’s your damned fault for not getting on birth control. There’s no way I’m paying for eighteen years for your mistake.”

“It takes two to make a baby, Jason. You decided to forget your condoms, remember?”

“It takes two to prevent it too—you should’ve been on the pill like I told you. This is your problem, not mine. I already have one kid I’m paying for that I didn’t want. Firefighters don’t make a lot of money, so there’s no way I can help you.”

A kid he’d never told her about, and they’d been dating two years. When she found out the other baby was less than a year old from one of the other firefighters, Sunny had been devastated. That meant Jason had been cheating on her when the other baby was conceived. Had probably been cheating with Lord knew how many women the whole time he called himself her boyfriend. When the guys at the station started apologizing for him, looking damned guilty, she knew. They’d all known about it. When the Chief called her into his office to talk about her pregnancy, her plans to continue her job at the station considering the pregnancy and the tension between her and Jason, she figured out he’d known too. And he was telling her, without telling her, he thought she should be the one to resign, which she’d done.

Sunny left Carrolton that day, and swore that Jason could rot in hell for all she cared. He would never hear from her again, or influence her child.

I wish I could’ve met him.

No you don’t kid. He’s not worth a minute of your time, and I do not want you having that for an example of what a man should be. If he let me down in the worst way, he’ll let you down too. You’ll be just as devastated as I was when you finally see how he really is.

But it was obvious to her that she wasn’t doing a good job of being both mother and father to her son. He was latching onto and clinging to every man who wandered into his orbit. Her uncle, Rand—and Austin McBride.

Mommy, I want you to give Austin permission to kiss you.

Good God, what in the hell was she going to do? Find a man who wasn’t an adrenaline-soaked cowboy or a fireman to provide her son with a good example. But that meant kissing and sleeping with that boring man eventually, and just the thought of curling up with a white-skinned, milk toast accountant sounded as distasteful to her as that kind of job sounded to her son.

But kissing Austin McBride again didn’t sound like such a bad idea at all.

The tingling in her legs came back tenfold to zip up her legs and converge at the top of her thighs. Especially if he wasn’t a fireman. Cowboys, who weren’t bull riders, were good, dependable men, and he seemed stable. Maybe this could work after all, she thought, with a wobbly smile. Her son liked him, and grudgingly, now that it didn’t look like he would be competition for the Chief’s job, Sunny liked him much better too. Too much.

Standing, Sunny shut the truck door and walked toward the barn. Her steps slowed, because the nearer she got to the barn the stronger the smell of manure and horse became. Rand and Austin McBride could have it. Give her soot and smoldering ashes any day over this, she thought, as she walked inside and looked around for Austin.

A high-pitched squeal split the air, and a horse snorted. Sunny headed that way, because she knew that squeal. Billy was evidently inside of one of the stalls on the far side of the barn with either Rand or Austin. The last stall door was open, so Sunny stepped around it and what she saw inside made her heart dance. A very young foal was suckling it’s mother with Austin’s help. He looked up at her and smiled. “Look what came while I was partying with you at that fire,” he said with a laugh. “Our first bucking stock colt.” The pride in his voice, and the ownership in his words were not lost on Sunny. Regardless of what he said, Austin McBride was a cowboy at heart. He loved being a cowboy, and that made her very, very happy.

The shiny black foal seemed to know what Austin said, because he nose-butted his mother’s underside and she grunted. Austin leaned aside then fell on his butt, just avoiding the sharp little back hooves that shot out toward his shoulder.

Laughter curled in Sunny’s stomach then burst from her lips, and Austin grinned. “I think we’re gonna call this one Cowboy’s Nightmare, since he’s already showing signs of being prized bucking stock.”

Billy’s head appeared under the mare’s neck. “No—it’s Black Beauty, remember?”

Fear stopped her heart—that mare was huge and could crush Billy against the wall of the stall if she had a mind to do that. “Billy, you need to come from back there,” Sunny said calmly, holding the mare’s eye to try to gauge her level of agitation.

“I’m back here with him,” Rand announced, his head appearing over the mare’s back. “Chill out, sis—he’s fine.”

Chill out? Sunny opened her mouth to blast her brother, to tell him to get her son the hell out of the stall, but her eyes met Austin’s and they reassured her. When he added a slow wink, and a half-smile that mule kicked her heart, Sunny huffed a breath and nodded.

After the three guys finished supervising the foal’s feeding, Austin stood and brushed his hands on his jeans. “Let’s get the golf cart and go cut some wood,” he said with a wink at Billy.

“I want to ride a horse like you,” Billy said petulantly, as he scuffed the loose straw in the stall with the toe of his shoe. “Don’t want to ride in a golf cart.”

“I’ll let you drive,” Rand coerced, nudging Billy’s shoulder and he looked up and smiled. Sunny opened her mouth, but Austin was there again, his eyes telling her to just let things be. Easy for him to say, he didn’t have to pay her son’s hospital bills. But Sunny let it go, as Rand led Billy out of the barn leaving her standing there with Austin.

“Do you ride?” he asked with a wide smile before he shut the stall door and latched it. “I have a couple of mares who need exercise.”

“Um…I’ve never been around a horse in my life. That’s my brother’s specialty, and he can have it. If you’re thinking about putting me on a bucking horse, on any horse, think again.”

“It’s relaxing and fun to ride. Lord knows you could use some relaxation. Anyone ever told you you’re wrapped a little too tight?” Austin asked with a little chuckle, as he walked past her toward the back door of the barn.

Sunny just stood there, her feet feeling glued to the dirt floor. When Austin evidently realized she wasn’t following, he turned and his mouth ticked up. “Where’s your sense of adventure, Sunshine?” he asked, his gray eyes and lifted dark brow challenging. “Are you a big, bad firefighter-lady, or a chicken? Only chickens stay in the barn.”

Chicken. The only word that Austin McBride could’ve used to incite her to action. The word her brother had used to get her into all kinds of trouble as a kid—to get her to go along with his hair-brained ideas.

“Saddle up, cowboy. Let a real firefighter show you how it’s done. But I swear if you put me on a bucking horse, when I get out of the hospital you’re a dead man.”

Chapter Nine

‡

Two hours later, Sunny couldn’t figure out why she’d always been so scared to ride a horse. Austin was right, their ride out to the tree line in the far pasture had been relaxing. She also couldn’t figure out why they’d ridden all the way out here so the guys could chop wood.

It was damned hot out, the middle of summer in Texas, there was no reason for them to need firewood. But they were chopping.

Well, Austin was. Without a shirt.

When his shirt became soaked to his skin with sweat, he had no qualms about yanking it over his head and tossing it over a tree limb to dry. Sunny was not going to complain. The view from her perch on a log about twenty feet away from the tree Austin was dissecting was spectacular. She’d offered to help Rand and Billy move the logs to the bin attached to the golf cart and gather smaller limbs for kindling, but Austin told her today was her day off. He put her on this log and told her all she was going to do today was sit on this log and relax.

Austin McBride was good at giving orders, and Sunny had no idea why she didn’t balk, other than she was exhausted from their call last night. So now all she had to do was sit like a bump on this log and watch him work, watch the ripple of his tightly packed muscles in his chest and arms work under his sweat-slicked skin as he wielded the axe.

Watching him was enflaming, exciting—deliciously naughty, but hardly relaxing.

Sunny felt like a voyeur as she considered the fluidity of his body movements, the ripple of his muscles, the confidence of his actions and the intense concentration on his handsome face to wonder if that same intensity would transfer to other tasks.

Like having sex. With her. Right now out here in the woods.

She imagined her hands gliding over his slick, hard body, tasting the saltiness on his skin as those muscles flexed under her touch, and his big hands wandered over her body. Biting back a moan, Sunny stretched her legs out in front of her to cross them at the ankles. She pinched her knees together against the damned throb her musings caused at the top of her thighs.

Austin stopped, studied her a second, then breathing hard, he shoved his hat back to swipe his forearm over his forehead. Sunny’s eyes followed a sweat bead as it tracked down his chest, glided between his pecs then ping-ponged off his tight abs until it disappeared under the waistband of his jeans.

“Sunshine, you keep looking at me like that and we might need to make a trip out to the line shack on the other side of the woods.”

“Like what?” she squeaked, her eyes streaking back up his big body to meet his heated gaze. He couldn’t know that she’d been fantasizing about him, but blood crept up her throat to her cheeks anyway.

Giving her a knowing grin, he leaned his weight on the axe handle and fisted his other hand on his hip. “Like I’m the tallest and sweetest glass of iced tea you’ve ever seen and you are dying of thirst,” he replied with a wink.

Oh, God—he did know! Sunny’s heart skipped a few beats as she shot to her feet and turned away to brush the dirt and bark from her butt, taking an extra second to find her composure.

“You told me to sit here and relax. That’s all I’m doing.” And not doing it very well, because of you. Sunny needed to get the hell away from this man. The way she was drawn to him scared the hell out of her. “It’s about time for us to head home anyway.” She turned and tried to brush past him, but Austin caught her arm.

“I kind of wanted y’all to stay for a bonfire tonight, so Rand and Billy can meet the guys. That’s why I’ve been cutting this damned wood.”

“You assume a lot, McBride,” Sunny replied, shooting him a glare. “I didn’t even want to come out to this ranch, but you roped me into it by manipulating my mother and brother. I didn’t want to ride a damned horse, but you bullied me into that too. And now you’re just taking it for granted that I’ll go along with staying longer, because you want us to stay?” Jerking her arm from his grasp, Sunny stepped back. “I have a long drive home, and I don’t want to do that after dark.”

“What if I told you I want y’all to spend the night?”

A high-pitched squeal echoed through the woods and Billy ran out of the trees behind Sunny. Smiling from ear-to-ear he stopped beside Austin. “We get to spend the night!?!” he said in awe, looking up at Austin like he’d just given him a shiny new bicycle. “I can be a real cowboy tonight and sleep by a campfire?”

Austin looked down at him and grinned exposing that dimple in his lightly stubbled cheek. “You’ll have to talk to your mother about that, kiddo. She’s a city girl and doesn’t look like much of a camper to me.”

City girl? Images of Jolie floated through her mind with her high heels and tight skirts. Sunny was a tomboy, always had been, but she’d never been camping and wasn’t much on the great outdoors or the creatures that prowled there at night.

“It’s hot, Billy, and the mosquitoes are bad this time of year. Besides, we’re not staying. It’s time for us to head home.” Sunny reached for Billy’s hand, but he jerked it away and stumbled back to shoot darts at her with his blue eyes.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m never going home! I’m staying here with Austin and Uncle Rand to be a cowboy!”

Frustration boiled her insides, but Sunny tried to keep it from her tone. She pointed toward the golf cart. “You’re going to get yourself in that golf car—”

“I told him he could spend the night,” Rand said, cutting her off as he limped out of the woods with his arms loaded down with sticks. “Stop being a hardass, Sunny Jane.”

“How dare you!” Sunny said, spinning to glare at her brother.

“I dare because I want to meet the guys tonight to see if we click. Austin offered me a job, and if you want to get rid of me, you’ll just stay and quit your bitching.”

Sunny ground her teeth as she digested Rand’s words. He might have a job here, which meant if he got it, he’d be gone from her mother’s house. That would give her more time to save money to move out herself.

“Fine,” she spat, folding her arms over her chest. “But I’m not sleeping outside.”

“Don’t have to,” Austin said calmly. “There’s plenty of room up at the big house, and it’s a lot more comfortable than the bunkhouse where the cowboys will be sleeping.”

“I wanna sleep outside!” Billy whined.

“You can sleep out in the bunkhouse with me and the guys,” Rand offered, and Billy squealed as he danced circles, pumping his fists in victory.

“What the hell, Rand?” Sunny asked in exasperation. “I’m here and I’m his mother. It’s my decision whether he can sleep in the bunkhouse not yours!”

“She’s right,” Austin seconded, then looked at Billy intently. “Billy, you were rude to your mother, so I wouldn’t blame her for not letting you do what you want to do. Cowboys are never mean to women, especially their mothers. Try apologizing and asking her politely.”

Billy’s eyes fell to the toe of his tennis shoes as he ground it into the dirt. “Mommy, I’m sorry. May I pleeeease sleep in the bunkhouse with the cowboys tonight?”

Cowboys are never mean to women. A strange liquid sensation floated through her body all the way to her toes. Sunny had never been around cowboys other than her brother before, and he was no example of respect, but then he was her brother and they didn’t hold punches with each other. If Austin McBride was an example of a real cowboy, confident and in control, but supportive, then maybe she needed more of them in her life.

“Okay, Billy.” Odds were her son would get scared and would be looking for her an hour after the cowboys went to sleep anyway. But she didn’t want Billy wandering around the ranch on his own. “If you change your mind though, I want you to wake Rand up and have him bring you to the house.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Billy yelled, throwing himself at her, sending her staggering back with his arms wrapped around her waist. “Thank you, Mom,” he mumbled into her hip.

“You’re welcome, baby,” Sunny replied around the knot in her throat.

But Billy wasn’t a baby anymore. He was growing up, and maybe this would be her first step toward accepting that. He’d never slept away from her before, and although this wasn’t really away—the bunkhouse was only a quarter mile or so from the big house—he wouldn’t be sleeping under the same roof as her. Emotion shot to her eyes, and she hugged him to her.

“Let’s get out of here, before she changes her mind, Billy,” Rand grumbled as he bent to pick up the pile of sticks he’d dropped. He and Billy walked toward the golf cart, and Austin picked up the axe to follow them. Sunny stood there watching the dip and sway of his tight ass, which was lovingly cupped by his snug cowboy-cut blue jeans. Her palms tingled, and she curled her fingers into them.

What the hell was her fixation with this man? Why was this arrogant, bossy cowboy the man to wake up the sleeping beast of her desire after five years of hibernation?

“That should be enough wood for a good bonfire,” Austin commented with a smile, as he snatched his shirt from the tree limb when he walked by. He took off his hat to pull the shirt over his head, then dragged it down. Saddened, Sunny watched his delicious body disappear under the black cloth. God, if she could, she’d burn every shirt he owned in that bonfire tonight. It was almost a sin for him to wear one.

“I’ve never been to a bonfire,” Sunny mumbled, her mouth working on its own, as Austin turned and her gaze fixed on his mouth. Please give Austin permission to kiss you, Mommy. Gladly, baby—he just needs to get a little closer for that to happen.

“You’re doing it again,” Austin growled, and Sunny’s eyes flew up to his.

“Doing what?” she whispered, drowning in the hot gray pools.

“Sweet tea,” he replied, his eyes falling to her mouth.

“I am thirsty,” Sunny admitted, licking her lips, because her mouth was bone dry from her short, quick and very excited breaths as Austin gravitated toward her.

He put his hands on her shoulders, and anticipation built inside of Sunny as his head lowered toward hers. His heat and delicious earthy scent surrounded her, Sunny’s lips buzzed along with her body, he opened his mouth and Sunny’s fell open too. Instead of feeling his flesh pressed to hers though, she felt the vibration of his words on her lips.

“I’d kiss you, Sunshine, your eyes are begging for it, but I wouldn’t want to be accused of being a kiss stealer again.” She sensed his smile, wanted to taste it. “This time I’ll need your permission first.”

This man set off every bell and whistle inside of her that said be careful, he’s magnetic like Jason was because he’s had lots of practice, with lots of women. But Sunny wasn’t listening. She was tired of being careful, and she was tired of letting what Jason had done to her control her life. It was time for her to take a chance. Cowboys are never mean to women. A calculated risk.

Sunny’s breath hitched, and she tilted her chin to bring her mouth closer to his. “Kiss me, cowboy,” she whispered, rubbing her lips against his, starting flash fires inside her body.

With a groan, Austin shoved his hand into her hair, pulled her mouth to his and her lips parted on a sigh. His tongue crept in to find hers and with a moan, Sunny lapped up his heat, sucked at the salty-sweetness of his lips, took him deeper as liquid desire washed over her. Her hand slid up his damp chest to his neck. His pulse pounding against her palm told her he was just as affected as she was. Austin’s hand landed on her hip and he jerked her body flush with his, pressing his erection into the crevice at the top of her thighs to verify that.

His hot breath filled her mouth as he nipped her lips, sucked them, feasted on her mouth. Sunny moaned, circled her hips against him, leaned in to rub her aching nipples against his hard chest. She lost track of time and place as he continued to kiss her, jutted his hips in time with hers, mimicked the action with his tongue in and out of her mouth. Tension built inside her body turning those flash fires into an inferno of need.

With a groan, she dragged her mouth from his, breathing hard. “Where’s that line shack?” she asked looking into his fathomless dilated eyes. Nostrils flared, Austin sucked in a sharp breath, and his fingers dug deep into her hip.

“We can’t,” he said with regret.

Sunny’s body deflated, the fires banked and she felt a little bit rejected. Here she was offering herself to him, and she must’ve misread his signals. Or maybe he had a girlfriend! Her hands fell away and she staggered back.

Was he just like Jason? “Do you have a girlfriend?” Sunny asked, wrapping her arms around her middle, not able to keep the accusation from her tone.

Austin frowned, and his eyebrows crashed down over his eyes. “Hell no—I wouldn’t have been kissing you if I had a damned girlfriend,” Austin replied, sounding insulted. “It’s getting dark, and if we don’t head back, they’ll come back out here looking for us. I don’t want Billy or your brother catching us.” Back stiff, he walked past her to the edge of the trees where he’d tied the horses and led them back over to hand Sunny her horse’s reins. Without a word, he turned and walked out into the pasture. Regret pouring through her, body still buzzing with endorphins, Sunny followed.

Not every man is like Jason. Sunny needed to remember that, but she also needed to remember that they weren’t all like Austin McBride either.

If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

This sexy, arrogant cowboy definitely seemed to fit that old saying, so she didn’t need to let her guard down with him quite yet. If he gave her the opportunity, she’d definitely have sex with him though. What man turned down a willing woman?

Austin McBride just had. And he didn’t have a girlfriend.

Maybe he was gay, she thought with a laugh, looking at his back. He kissed you, you idiot, like he wanted to sop you up with a biscuit—he’s not gay. And that kiss said he was definitely interested in having sex with you. He just hadn’t wanted to hurt her son or embarrass her with her brother. Too good to be true.

But oh so damned good.

That bonfire tonight wouldn’t be anything compared to the one this man had started inside of her. Now, Austin McBride just needed to use that hose of his to put it out.

Chapter Ten

‡

Full on hotdogs, Sunny had no idea how she was going to eat the s’more that Austin was showing her how to make with the crispy marshmallow he’d just toasted. She wasn’t really paying attention though, because she was too busy studying how the orange flames highlighted the angles of his face, accentuated the shadows, to make him even more handsome, if that was possible.

To Sunny, he looked much better than that dessert he was making for her right then. Even with the chocolate that was oozing out of the sides of the two crackers. Of course the two beers she’d had with her hotdogs could account for her fascination too. Sunny felt light inside, lethargic, and totally tuned in to the man kneeling beside the fire. Much more relaxed than she’d felt in a very long time, but entirely too tense too. In a good way.

“Thanks for making me come out here,” she said, surprising herself.

Austin’s eyes swung her way, and it was obvious he was surprised too. “You needed it, and so did Billy,” he replied, smiling as he handed her the crackers.

“I don’t take off much,” she admitted, staring at the marshmallow and chocolate ooze, contemplating whether it would mix with the beer or not. The last thing she wanted to do right then was harsh her buzz, or get ill. Sunny had plans, if she ever managed to get this man alone.

“If you don’t take care of yourself, how in the hell can you take care of Billy?” Austin asked, sitting back against the log beside her. “If you burn out, where will he be? Your job is a stressful one, you need time away. Trust me, I know.”

Her eyes darted across the fire to Billy who was sitting on a log beside Rand while he taught him how to tie knots in a short length of rope. Camron and Dyson seemed engrossed in conversation while they sipped their beer. The other ranch hand, Ransom, just nursed his beer while he watched the flames. After shaking hands when Austin introduced them, the cowboys hadn’t been very conversational with her or with Rand.

I want to meet the guys tonight and see if we click. To her, it didn’t look like that was happening, but these were men. They operated differently than women when making friends. God, she hoped they clicked and Rand would take Austin up on his job offer.

Rand took it in stride though, and focused on keeping Billy occupied instead of at least trying to interact with the guys, which surprised Sunny. She had to wonder if Austin had anything to do with her brother helping out with Billy. Whatever the reason though, she was thankful.

The break today had been very nice. Happiness and peace settled into her bones, and Sunny raised her arms over head to stretch and enjoy it. Her mouth opened on a wide yawn, and ended in a smile.

“Eat that s’more,” Austin said gruffly, his eyes focused on her chest when Sunny looked back at him. “You need to go to bed.”

“I’m not tired, just relaxed.” Sunny smiled, then popped the s’more into her mouth. Her taste buds went haywire trying to process the sugary deliciousness and she moaned. Austin stiffened beside her as she chewed then licked the stray remnants of marshmallow and chocolate from her lips then her fingers.

A low-pitched growl made her eyes swing to his. They were dark and mysterious, totally unreadable under the brim of his black hat in the flickering light. But Austin McBride’s words were totally understandable, and so was his hand that landed on her thigh right above her knee to dig into her flesh sending fire shooting up her leg.

“I’m not tired either, but I’m ready for bed,” he grumbled, squeezing tighter. “Hurry up.”

Flames shot through Sunny, melting her inside as surely as that marshmallow had melted in the bonfire. She swallowed down the last of the s’more, brushed her hands, then scrambled up to her feet, her heart pounding in her ears.

Austin stood, then looked across the fire. “We’re heading up to the house in the golf cart. Be sure to hose down the fire before y’all go to bed,” he said, grabbing her hand tight.

Before anyone responded, Austin zoned in on the golf cart and dragged her behind him toward it. Sunny had never been into the alpha cavemen type, but Austin’s sense of urgency, the excitement that buzzed off of him as he shoved her into the golf cart excited her. No man had ever been as desperate as this one seemed to have sex with her. But there was no way he could want her as badly as she wanted him at the moment. This was a fireworks show waiting to happen between them, and if the sparks between them, the tension in Austin’s body as he gripped the wheel of the cart were any indication it would be explosive.

The cart bumped over a few potholes, before it settled and they moved out of the light from the barn. As soon as they did, Austin’s eyes swung to her again. “Take your damned clothes off,” he growled, and Sunny shivered, but thought surely she’d heard him wrong.

“What?” she asked with a laugh, a wave of red hot lava coursing through her as her eyes darted to the empty pastures on either side of the road.

“Strip,” he repeated, hoarsely. “I want you naked by the time we get to the house.”

“But we’re out in the open,” Sunny informed, because it sounded like Austin didn’t realize that fact.

“Just. Do. It,” he grated, and another delicious shiver snaked through her as Sunny reached for the button on her jeans. “Shirt and bra first,” he barked, giving her a quick glance. “I want to see those gorgeous breasts bounce.”

Bounce? Only a man who’d never been with an almost thirty-year-old woman who’d breastfed a baby would ask for that. Sunny’s breasts were a lot more ‘bouncy’ than they used to be, even though she had two years left before she hit thirty. The potholes on this road alone were jarring her teeth. She couldn’t imagine how that would feel to her unbound breasts, much less how they’d look. A ridiculous giggle tickled her throat then exploded into the night.

“Only a man would ask that. I don’t want black eyes, so let’s just wait til we get into the house, cowboy.” Sunny relaxed back against the seat, but Austin slammed on the brake, slinging her forward in the seat. She grabbed the dash to steady herself as the cart skidded to a stop.

He turned in the seat to face her, his jaw tight in the moonlight. “Take your damned clothes off, Sunshine,” he growled reaching for his belt, to unfasten the buckle. “I’m not going to make it into the house.” His eyes fell on her breasts again, to burn holes through her t-shirt as his hand moved to his fly to stroke his obviously engorged cock.

Sunny’s nipples went rigid under her t-shirt, and all the liquid in her body pooled at the top of her thighs. Her hands shook as she grabbed the hem of her shirt to pull it over her head. She dropped it on the seat beside her and saw Austin’s eyes hadn’t left her breasts.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, as he flicked the top button of his jeans from the loop, before quickly working his fingers down the other buttons.

The denim separated and Sunny got her first look at just how excited this man was. Swallowing hard, she reached behind her to unfasten the hooks on her bra. When she shrugged her shoulders to slide the straps down her arms, Austin’s hand shot out to grab the center of her bra and snatch it away impatiently.

His low, throaty moan skittered along her nerve endings, exciting them. He didn’t say a word though, he just stared at her, and Sunny wondered what he was thinking. Was he disappointed? Unimpressed? Self-consciously, Sunny’s hands shot up to cover her breasts, but Austin grabbed her wrists and forced her hands down to her thighs.

“No,” he barked, releasing her to hook his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans. Lifting his hips, Austin shoved them down to his knees and his underwear went with them. His cock sprang free and Sunny couldn’t keep her eyes from locking on his thickness.

Her inner muscles flexed, anticipating the feel of him inside of her, the stretch she hadn’t felt in five years. Her hands magically undid her jeans for her as Sunny’s heart pounded in her chest, her mouth and other body parts watered. Lunging up to push her jeans down, her head banged on the roof of the cart. Stars danced behind her eyes as a gong sounded inside her skull. and Sunny plopped back on the seat breathing hard, trying to find the sense she’d just knocked out of herself. Austin’s laugh rumbled in her ears, but was muffled by the pounding of her heart and the ringing in her skull.

“You okay?” he asked, his long fingers massaging her scalp which made every hair stand on end. Tingles danced down her spine as his fingers slid to her nape. He leaned closer to her ear and his hot, raspy breath heated her ear. “I could give you mouth-to-mouth if you need it,” he offered, nuzzling her hair.

Snippets of their hot kiss in the woods flashed behind her closed eyes, and a need as intense as she’d ever felt in her life took over. The bells faded, the fog cleared and blood pumped through her veins like it had never pumped before.

“Yes,” she whimpered, turning her face toward his to find his mouth, as her hand slid between his thighs to circle his heat.

Austin’s body tensed, he sucked in a sharp breath, then groaned long and low in his throat. The sound tickled Sunny’s lips then trickled down her throat like sweet honey. Having a man want her as badly as she wanted him was a powerful thing. Something she’d never had before. Toward the end of their relationship, she’d had to coax Jason to have sex with her. The only time he’d really been engaged had been their first time, and that had been over so fast she couldn’t really be sure even then. She should’ve taken that as a sign, but she’d been a love-starved idiot.

Now she knew it was because once he’d gotten what he wanted from her, he’d only kept her hanging on as a convenient sex partner when he got hard up. The reason he hadn’t wanted her after that was because he’d been fucking someone else. Probably several other someones. Sunny’s body tensed and her hand gripped Austin’s cock tighter, so he tensed too.

Sliding his mouth from hers, breathing hard, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she lied, forcing thoughts of Jason from her mind. “I’m sorry—it’s been a while.” And never with a man who responded to me like you do.

“Maybe we should go into the house,” Austin said, brushing her hand away from his lap to turn in the seat. She didn’t miss the frustration and disappointment in his tone.

“No, please!” Sunny shouted, her voice echoing across the field as she scooted closer to stroke him again. His dilated eyes met hers, and he still looked unconvinced. “Please fuck me, Austin,” she pleaded, leaning in to kiss his jaw. This was spontaneous, exciting. Another thing she’d never had before. “Here and now.”

Austin relaxed and turned toward her. His eyes sparked in the moonlight and his mouth curled up on one side. His slightly callused palm left goosebumps as it glided up her side to her breast. When his rough thumb raked her nipple, Sunny threw her head back and moaned loudly.

“Shhh…,” he said gruffly, glancing back toward the barn. “Sound carries out here.” He raked her nipple again, then made slow, lazy circles there and it felt like he was stroking another bud. He might as well be, because she felt his touch there too.

Sunny bit her lower lip to stifle her mewl. It zipped back down her body to intensify the throb at the top of her thighs. Austin’s raspy, excited breaths echoed in her ears, exciting her more. The only other sound she heard was the distant murmur of the conversations by the fire and her own out-of-control heart. They were at least halfway to the house, an eighth of a mile or so from the fire, but she still heard the men. Austin must be right about sound traveling, so Sunny focused on keeping quiet.

She stroked him faster and his cock became silk-covered steel in her hand. Austin leaned in to kiss her cheek, then her neck, all the while abrading her nipple with his thumb until the bud became super sensitive. His touch became an irritation that her overexcited nerve endings magnified, transmitted straight to her core. Sunny had to fight releasing the involuntary little sounds that gurgled in her throat. She closed her eyes and dipped her chin to her chest to concentrate on the delicious release inching up with each pass he made over her nipple.

Suddenly, Austin kissed his way back to her mouth and Sunny lifted her face. He sealed his mouth over hers, just as he scraped his nail over her nipple, and she couldn’t stop the scream he absorbed into his mouth. Her fist tightened around his cock, as tremors rocked her body, and moisture flooded her folds. His laugh filtered into her mouth as he pulled away, breathing hard.

“God, Sunshine—you’re too easy. We need to do that again.” His eyes fell to her swollen nipple and narrowed. “Think you can take off your jeans without knocking yourself out?”

Sunny quickly toed off her tennis shoes, and shoved her jeans and underwear off. She sat back up naked as a jaybird, and Austin McBride was drinking his fill of her body in the moonlight.

Was she crazy? She barely knew this man and a moment of indecision had her gnawing her lower lip. But then she felt the moisture between her legs, the insane desire burning in her gut and decided it didn’t matter if she knew him or not.

This was probably a one-night, one-time thing and she was going to enjoy this gift she’d been given. A chance to restart her love life with a man whom she wanted, but who had not a snowball’s chance of hurting her. He’d be two hours away and she’d be a satisfied woman. At least for a little while. She was going to look at this as her opportunity to prove to herself that she was over Jason. Get the bad taste of that sour man out of her mouth, by replacing it with the sweetness sitting right here wanting her, and only her.

“Straddle me,” Austin said gruffly, shoving his own jeans to his ankles before scooting toward her.

Sunny pushed up to her knees, and was about to straddle him, but ice water poured through her body. Good God—she’d almost done it again!

“Condom!” she shrieked, scooting away from him.

Austin’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open. “Holy shit,” he grumbled, as he leaned over to pat his jeans until he found his wallet. He flipped it open, dug through it and groaned. Huffing a breath, he dropped his chin to his chest. “It’s been a while for me too. I don’t have one on me.”

“No latex, no loving, cowboy,” she said firmly, crossing her arms over her breasts.

“I wouldn’t think of it,” Austin replied shortly, as he moved over then stepped out of the cart to pull his jeans up and fasten them. He sat back on the seat, and without another word drove them to the house.

Parking by the back door, he immediately got out and strode to the porch. Sunny gathered her clothes and followed him, her earlier urgency gone. It looked like she’d not only ruined the mood, she’d pissed him off. But that was better than ruining her life again, or his. Sunny learned from her mistakes.

Walking through the back door he’d left open, she slammed it harder than necessary rattling the glass in the window. Austin McBride could be mad all he wanted to be. Jason hadn’t liked to wear a condom either. No man did—especially when the fact he needed one didn’t come to mind until much too late. Well, in Sunny’s estimation it was never too late, and it was his own damned fault for not thinking about that before he started what he started out there.

Sunny felt not an ounce of guilt for reminding him of it either, as she walked through the darkened house feeling her way. Halfway through the kitchen the overhead light flashed on and blinded her. Once her eyes finally focused, what she saw shocked the crap out of her. Austin McBride standing in the doorway wearing only an ear to ear grin. He held up his hand and flicked his fingers, unrolling a long string of shiny gold packets.

“Looks like this cowboy is gonna get a lot of lovin’ tonight,” he said with a wink, as he stalked toward her. Stopping in front of her Austin ripped off one packet and handed her the rest. Stunned, Sunny stood there watching as he opened it with his teeth then rolled the latex onto his long, still extremely hard cock.

When he looked back up at her, he grabbed her hand. “First time’s in the shower, though. You smell like a horse,” he informed with a short laugh, as he dragged her down the hallway.

He smelled like earthy man, clean sweat and the heated remnants of some spicy cologne. Good enough to eat. But he’d insulted her, so she could dish it right back. “You don’t smell much better, bucko,” Sunny replied indignantly, as he pulled her inside the steamy bathroom where the shower was already running. “You smell like a lumberjack.”

He left her to walk to the linen cabinet and pull out two thick towels, which he set on the tiled counter beside the sink. Turning, he leaned back against the counter in all his naked glory.

“I’m hung like one, so I might as well smell like one,” he countered arrogantly, waggling his eyebrows, and the playful wink he added fanned the flames inside of her again.

Dropping her clothes on the floor, his heated gray eyes drew her to him. Everything about this man called to something inside of her. Unable to resist, Sunny planted her hands on his smooth, tight stomach and his flesh rippled under her fingers all the way up to his shoulders. She looked up into his eyes and smiled.

“Well, I guess we’re in luck,” she purred, cupping his jaw. “I like lumberjacks, and you like horses.” With a growl, Austin’s hands found her ass and Sunny shivered as his mouth covered hers in a hot kiss that stole her breath.

Chapter Eleven

‡

Without breaking their kiss, Austin backed into the shower with her, then reached over to slide the door shut, closing them in a cocoon of hot mist. His hand immediately returned to her ass, his fingers digging in to pull her tightly against his body as he kissed her deeper, licked the streams of water from her lips, sucked them into his mouth to nip them, driving her wild. God, she could come just from his kisses alone. Sunny had never met a man more talented with his mouth, both in calming her down and exciting her.

His mouth opened on a growl, and he sucked her tongue inside, made love to her mouth as he shifted his hips to fit his hot cock into the space at the top of her thighs. His hips moved to slide his length through her slick folds and a tremor rocked Sunny. Her fingers dug into his wet shoulders as she fought to remain standing. Austin’s arm clamped around her waist to hold her steady, as he leaned around her to grab something. She heard a click then the aroma of sweet cotton candy mixed with the steam. Sunny inhaled deeply, and laughed.

“You use cotton candy bath gel?”

“No, but evidently Haley does,” he replied gruffly. Now, I know why she always smells like that.”

Haley? That explained the gross of condoms he had handy. Sunny stiffened, and stepped back. When she reached for the door, Austin grabbed her wrist.

“Where the hell are you going?”

“I think you should wait for Haley to come over to take your co-ed shower,” she spat, fighting the burn in her eyes as she tried to get her wrist free.

“Her husband might have a problem with that,” Austin grated, as he uncurled his fingers from around her wrist. He stepped back under the spray seeming unconcerned that it was dripping from his hair into his eyes. “What’s with you and that jealous streak?”

“Streak?” Sunny repeated, crossing her arms over her breasts.

“Yeah, streak,” Austin repeated angrily, running an agitated hand over his face. His gray eyes speared her through his dark, water-clumped lashes. “You were green with it that night at the fire when Silas put me in charge. Again at the hospital when I was talking to that nurse, then you got indignant and accused me of having a girlfriend after I kissed you in the woods. Now because there’s female bath gel in here you automatically assume it belongs to a female friend of mine. If you think that little of my morals, that little of me, what the hell are you doing in here with me?”

That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. What was she doing in here with him?

“I probably need to get Billy and go,” Sunny said, reaching for the door again, but Austin’s fingers closed around her wrist like a vise.

“No, what you should do is tell me what the hell happened to make you feel so damned insecure. You are a fucking knockout—smart, gorgeous and capable. The hottest woman I’ve met in a lot of years.” Austin’s hot eyes streaked down her body to her toes. “It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

The hottest woman he’d met in years?

Austin McBride must’ve been isolated out here at this ranch in the boonies for those years, because Sunny knew that wasn’t true. She was a too tall, a gangly tomboy who intimidated men most of the time. Since she’d been back in Glanville, the intimidation was intentional to make sure they kept their distance. She hadn’t been ready to let a man close to her again.

Now that she’d taken the leap though, Austin was right, she was acting crazy. Because she had so damned much to worry about these days everything was magnified.

“I’m sorry,” Sunny said, casting her gaze to his feet. The damned man even had perfect feet. Every toe was smooth and even, the bones and tendons led to lightly furred, perfectly formed ankles and muscular calves. “I am insecure about a lot of things. I have a lot on my mind too, and applying for the Chief’s job is just making it worse. Worrying about my ability to do the job is making me twice as determined to prove myself. But I really need that job for me and for Billy. I want him to have the opportunities I didn’t have, because I had a single mother and an absent father.” Sunny huffed a breath.

His index finger hooked under her chin to tip it up, and Sunny gasped. Austin stepped closer to her to hold her gaze. “You’re going to tell me what Billy’s daddy did to you to make you feel like you do. That’s what this is all about right? It must’ve been bad, if it’s still affecting you.” His eyebrows lifted for a second then slammed down over his suddenly angry eyes. “He’s not in your life anymore is he?”

“Now who’s questioning whose morals?” Sunny asked shortly. “Jason hasn’t been in my life for five years and thank goodness for that.”

“He doesn’t even come around to see Billy?” Austin asked hotly.

“He wanted nothing to do with Billy. Told me it was my problem. I doubt he even knows where we are, and I like it that way. Our final confrontation at the station in Carrolton was bad. It’s why I lost my job there.”

“Well that kid isn’t a problem,” Austin growled, his face a rain-wrapped thundercloud. “He’s a good kid—smart as a whip and that guy is a loser!”

The passion in Austin’s defensive words plucked a chord deep inside her, and Sunny had to force words past the knot in her throat. “I agree, and Billy is lucky Jason isn’t in his life. He wouldn’t be the kid he is if Jason was around.”

“Then why in the hell are you still letting that bastard live rent free in your beautiful head?” he asked with a huffed breath.

“I’m trying to evict him.” Sunny blew out a breath too.

“Don’t try—just do it.” Austin jerked her to him and held her, rocking her gently in his embrace and Sunny soaked up his comfort like a dry sponge. That’s what she’d felt like for a very long time now, dried out. But this man was quickly filling her back up again, and then some.

Gorgeous, beautiful, hot? Either Austin was damned good at sweet talking a woman out of her pants, better than Jason even, or he was sincere, in which case, if he kept that up, she might just overflow. With a kiss to her wet hair, he pushed her away from him.

“Now, where were we before we had our visitor?” He smiled and put a thoughtful finger to his jaw. “Oh yeah—bath gel.” With a broad grin, he bent to pick up the bottle from the floor.

Sunny smiled too, and her shoulders relaxed, but her relaxed state was short lived when Austin stood again and turned her toward the wall. Sliding his palms down her arms, he took her hands and placed her palms against the cool tile wall.

Leaning close to her ear he growled, “Keep those right there, no matter what, okay? I want to explore that perfect body of yours. Those legs alone could take me a week, so be patient.”

Austin shoved her wet hair aside and his hot breath ignited her skin before he suctioned his mouth to her neck in a hot open-mouthed kiss. Sunny sucked in a lungful of the steamy air that wasn’t nearly as hot as her insides. Austin licked his way down to her collarbone and she groaned. Sliding his foot between her ankles, he forced her legs apart, then used his knee between her thighs to add more space. “A little wider, Sunshine. I need plenty of room to work.”

After dropping a kiss on her shoulder, his stepped back and Sunny’s back felt cold. Her nipples hardened in anticipation of what he’d do when he touched her again. Cotton candy filled her nostrils as she dragged in quick, steamy breaths when Austin’s slick, warm palms pressed into her back. He made slow, languorous circles with the heels of his hands moving outward to her shoulders and Sunny’s body went limp. Locking her elbows, she arched her back into his touch to increase the pressure.

Nothing had ever felt so good as he stopped at her shoulders to rub them, digging his thumbs into the tight muscles there. He worked his strong fingers through her flesh back toward her spine, unknotting every muscle up to her nape. By the time he reached her hairline, Sunny’s bones felt liquid. When he started down her spine, she rested her forehead on the cool tile, enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her body, as he repeated the steps of his sensuous massage, dragging moans from her when he found a particularly tender spot all the way down to her lower back, where he paused and she stopped breathing.

Those strong, talented fingers kneaded her ass cheeks and Sunny’s breath escaped on a shuddering sigh as tension inched up inside of her again. He traced a slow, enflaming line under her cheeks then gripped her thighs, his thumbs very near where she needed him most. Her flesh quivered and her inner muscles pulsated with quick needy contractions. Arching her back, she lifted her ass toward his touch, hoping he’d take the hint.

But he didn’t, his hands left her and her body deflated. Austin’s slightly furred forearm brushed her shoulder, as he reached for something on the soap caddy again. Sunny craned her neck back to see what he had in his hand but couldn’t see. A quick, wet stinging slap set her right ass cheek on fire and she tensed as it pulsed.

“What the hell?” Sunny shrieked indignantly, going rigid as she anticipated another strike from his big hand. Why the hell was that warm pulse, the dull throb left behind, pleasurable? Her damned body was practically vibrating for more.

Austin laughed, his hand glided over her cheek kneading her again, feeling entirely too luxurious and exciting with the water and bath gel lubricating his touch.

“I told you to keep your hands on the wall, Sunshine.”

He had, hadn’t he?

That sexy voice of his rumbled through her, the sensual reprimand in his tone elicited a shiver that zipped down her spine to sizzle between her legs. And Sunny just realized her arms were now at her sides. Hell, her body was so limp she felt like sinking to the floor of the shower. But she really, really wanted to see what he had in store for her next.

This kind of foreplay was something she’d never experienced, but she damned sure wanted more of it. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered.

His kneading stopped, and he leaned in close to her ear. “Add sir to that, Sunshine, and I’ll be a happy man.”

Sir? Was he out of his ever loving mind? But Sunny felt like he wouldn’t continue until he got it, so she sucked up her slight outrage, along with a shallow breath.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Sunny said, her voice low and growly too.

Austin’s hand tapped her ass this time and Sunny sucked in a sharp breath but there was no sting. Disappointment flowed through her, and grew when his heat moved away from her back, but then a moan shot to her lips when something rough raked down the center of her spine to her butt.

“What is that?” she hissed, her throat tight, her body tense.

Austin started another track on the right side of her spine and Sunny lost her breath as it scraped her raw, leaving her nerves in a frenzy as it passed over her skin.

“It’s a loofah,” he informed, sliding the rough ball of what felt like razor wire over her hip, and up her side. In an irritating sweep of his hand, he slid the loofah around to the front and Sunny’s stomach contracted hard. “Feel good?” he asked with a laugh.

“Good?” she croaked, her skin feeling alive as he leaned into her back to make slow irritating circles over her midsection.

It didn’t feel good, but it didn’t exactly feel bad either.

With every pass of the rough ball over her electrified skin, her body buzzed brighter, her need grew. Sunny pinched her knees together. God he wouldn’t go there, would he? If he did, she would probably end up on the floor. Instead of going down, Austin’s hand zipped up her body, dragging the loofah. When he reached the underside of her breast and made a slow teasing sweep with the rough cloth, Sunny tensed and her nipple went rigid. God, that would probably be worse than if he put it between her legs, she thought, grinding her teeth to keep from moaning.

“I want to hear you scream again, Sunny.” Austin’s breath rasped near her ear as his left hand slid down her body to find her heat. A shiver rocked her when he found his target. Sunny locked her knees and put her forehead against the tile as she fought to keep her hands flat on the wall. “I want you to come hard, so I can taste it on your body.”

I want. I want. The control thing again he was so good at. But damn, he was lighting her body up like a football field on a Friday night. Sunny was not about to get argumentative, because she wanted too. So damned bad right at the minute. And she knew this abrasive, sexy control-freak could give her what she needed. If she played his game.

Austin’s breath became short and agitated as his fingers worked the heavy bundle of nerves at the top her thighs in lazy circles and her inner walls clenched and released. He pressed his thick erection to the crease of her ass and groaned. Sunny arched her back, wishing he’d just slide between her legs. Wanting him to do that so bad she could taste it.

His hips moved and his hardness slid between her cheeks as he increased the pressure of his touch, swept the loofah in maddening passes under her breast, raking the bottom of her right nipple but not going over it. Tension didn’t rise in her with each round he made on her clit, with each pass under her breast, it shot up to her throat to choke her.

Sunny could focus on nothing but the two places he was touching her. The loofah became unbearable. Her right nipple hurt it was so hard, hurting more with each irritating motion he served up. Frustration built to mix with the amazing waves of pleasure washing up from her lower body. The heat in her body ratcheted up, the waves of pleasure moved upward, but only to her midsection. The irritation continued, and Sunny fought to drag the pleasure higher, embrace it so she could come, but she couldn’t with the irritation of the loofah.

“Make me come,” she begged, her voice barely a whisper.

“Rephrase, and I will.” His deep voice rumbled through her, and Sunny shivered.

Add sir to that, Sunshine. “Make me come, sir,” she moaned, dragging out the last word, because she could take much more of this sensual torture.

Austin’s breath hitched, his fingers pinched her clit as his right hand raked the loofah over her nipple. Sunny’s body shook, she screamed, his arm banded around her middle as she screamed louder. Her teeth chattered and she screamed until her voice disappeared, as her insides turned to molten fire which was extinguished by the tidal wave of her incredible release. He held her until the tremors ceased, then kissed her cheek before moving away. Sunny locked her knees, but wasn’t sure that was going to hold. Her legs felt like damned noodles, and she felt as high on endorphins as she’d been on pot that night at the fire.

“Push back from the wall a little,” he murmured, his voice deep and sexy as it echoed off of the ceramic walls and inside her head. This man evidently had a plan, and he was going to take his sweet time carrying it out.

Sunny inched her heels back, giving him room, and his hands slid up her wet thighs causing all kinds of delicious havoc inside her body. He leaned forward and his hot breath brushed her wetness. Her muscles clenched and Sunny’s knees faltered, but Austin’s hands gripped her knees to prop her up.

“Easy baby—hold steady,” he said, and she felt his smile against her most private flesh, as he leaned in again. He inhaled deeply before she felt the rasp of his tongue as it made a quick flick across her throbbing clit. A tremor rocked her and her hands slid down the wall as her body melted toward the floor. Austin’s fingers dug in to keep her upright. He turned his face, and his laugh vibrated up her left thigh to her folds.

“You’re going to have to be stronger than that, sugar. I have a long way to go yet.” he murmured against her skin, then opened his mouth to suction it against her inner thigh. He sucked hard, his tongue flicked against her skin, and Sunny clenched her muscles tight to fight wilting to the floor.

“This is torture,” she groaned weakly, her fingers curling into her palms to make fists on the wall.

“For me too, but the sweetest, most delicious torture there is,” he whispered hotly, very near her aching clit. For long seconds, all she felt was his warm, uneven breaths against the bud and it became unbearable. His hands finally moved to spread her, and Sunny’s muscles clenched when he leaned forward, but he didn’t touch her clit. He leaned in farther between her legs to lay the flat of his tongue on her sensitive flesh and drag it through her folds.

His long throaty murmur that accompanied the lick danced along her flesh to sizzle at her clit, then his tongue briefly dipped inside her body. Sunny’s entire body vibrated with need.

“Please—” she begged on a whisper, feeling wrung out and desperate.

“Please, what, baby?” he murmured, his voice a low, sexy rumble.

“Make me come!” she ground out.

God, if he didn’t do it soon, Sunny felt like she’d die. That’s how intense the need burning inside of her was. And this man was in charge of putting her out of her misery. She’d given him that control, and now she was second-guessing that decision. When she’d had enough, Sunny pushed against the wall to stand, but his strong arms wrapped around her thighs just as his hot mouth closed over her clit and he sucked her hard.

Sunny’s scream echoed loudly in her ears and her body seized as lightning bolts sizzled up her spine to short-circuit her brain, sending hot lava through her veins until her whole body incinerated. Austin sucked harder, in short bursts, and Sunny screamed until she was hoarse. Her body swayed like a tree in a storm, but he held her tight while he continued his onslaught, sending wave after wave of pleasure to drown her. By the time Austin lowered her down to sit, Sunny’s body was invertebrate, she was weak and incoherent. All she could do was drag in ragged breaths and rest her forehead on his shoulder.

“Worth the wait?” he asked, with a short laugh, and all she could do was nod, because there was not a sound or an ounce of energy left in her body. But Sunny knew it wasn’t over, she’d have to find some scrap of energy, because his cock was still rock solid between them and God she wanted it badly. Austin solved her problem when he gently laid her back onto the floor of the shower, lifted her hips and meeting her eyes he plunged himself inside her body, stretching her to her fullest. Her long moan mixed with his shuddering sigh to echo off the tile wall.

“That is definitely worth the wait,” he said in a strained tone, and a tremor moved through his body into hers. “But I’m afraid I’ve waited as long as I can. You feel too damned good.” Drawing back, Austin dragged his cock along her passage until he was almost out.

The sucking sound their bodies made combined with the incredible friction to induce a fresh round of desire in Sunny. When Austin pushed back into her, Sunny arched her back to plant her heels on the floor to meet his thrust. Their bodies slapped together and she moaned loudly. Sunny didn’t think she’d ever been stretched so tight, or felt so damned full.

Needing more though, she was the one to lower herself from his length then tense her muscles to thrust upward next. Austin’s fingers gripped her hips and he seemed to snap. Suddenly, his hips worked fast, their bodies fused time and again. The sound of his grunts, mixed with her labored breaths and the slapping. The incredible slapping and wet sucking. Tension didn’t inch up inside of her, it clawed up her insides until it reached her head where it exploded in a beautiful fireworks show behind her eyelids and her body shook so hard her teeth rattled, then with a roar, Austin’s hot release exploded inside her body. Sunny felt herself drift off into peaceful nothingness as he kissed her hair and lowered her body to the floor.

Chapter Twelve

‡

“Penny for your thoughts, Cap,” Braden said with a nervous laugh at her door, jerking Sunny’s attention from the fire certificate on her wall to him. Sitting up straighter, she forced herself to focus on the thick stack of reports her lieutenant, who served as their full-time paramedic supervisor as well as a volunteer firefighter, dropped into the basket at the corner of her desk.

He quickly turned to leave, but Sunny stopped him. “Are those the ones that were due two weeks ago?” she asked shortly.

If Sunny hadn’t had an attention deficit disorder for the last two weeks, since she left the rough stock ranch and the sexy cowboy who ran the operation behind, she would’ve noticed he was behind a week ago. The only reason she realized now was because the Chief brought it to her attention that morning he hadn’t received them yet. And she’d looked like a bumbling idiot to him when she said she would have to find out where they were and get back to him.

Braden’s face turned red, and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants. “I had to take several shifts on the med units last week. We’re down two men, since Bledsoe is out on maternity leave as of last Monday, and you fired Thomas.”

God, how could she forget Bledsoe, a woman who worked her ass off up until her fortieth week of pregnancy, was off on maternity leave now? Sunny needed to pull her shit together, because she was as incompetent at her job right now as Thomas had been as a medic. The scathing, but on point, reviews that Foxy had written on his last two charts, even though Bledsoe had tried to cover for him, were the final straw. Sunny had no choice but to fire him, even over the Chief’s objections. It had been her call, and she thought she made the right one in the interest of patient safety, and the station’s welfare.

“Noted. How many open shifts do you have right now?” Sunny asked.

“Ninety-six hours worth this week and next,” Braden replied, a muscle working in his jaw. “We need to hire more people fast and train them on the fly. I told the Chief that this morning when he asked for the reports.”

“We need good, experienced people who are better than Thomas was. He was a liability and we don’t need to replace him with the same because we’re in a pinch.”

Braden huffed a breath, removed his hands from his pocket and placed his palms on Sunny’s desk. “I’d hire someone straight out of medic school right about now, fire experience or not. I know you like flexible paid employees who can also volunteer for fires, but the fact is we are in a helluva pinch. If we get two medic calls and a fire call like we did two weeks ago, we’re screwed.”

Sunny didn’t have a single resume on file for a qualified firefighter-medic. Not one, even though she kept a standing ad in the local paper. Probably because no one wanted part-time at the rate she was able to offer them. Now, she needed someone full-time, but had no applicants.

Her only option was to put herself on the schedule, or have the Chief call around to try to find someone to hire. But even if he called the school and found a graduate, they’d have to do ridealongs with trained medics before they received their licenses. That left her, or Braden, and they really needed him on standby at the station to help out if they had a fire call.

The thought of having to spend even more time away from Billy to cover medic shifts herself made her sick. “I’ll get with the Chief and we’ll figure something out.”

Blowing out a breath, he stood. “Thanks, Cap.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You know the pool is shallow, but I’ll see what I can find.”

Braden left with a nod, and Sunny rested her head on her hands. Why the hell did Austin McBride’s name flash like a neon sign inside her skull? It had been flashing there for two weeks for an entirely different reason, but now the light almost blinded her. She was not calling in a man to help out who could possibly be competition for the Chief’s job. Especially one she’d had wild monkey sex with all night long and then again in the morning before she and Billy left the ranch.

Pulling Austin McBride into the station, even temporarily until they could find someone else, would be career suicide for her. She’d probably end up with the same situation on her hands that she had with Jason in Carrolton. Or jobless, because if Austin McBride applied for and got the Chief’s job, she was out of there. She would not work under him.

You sure didn’t mind working under him, on top of him and any other way he wanted you before dawn the night she spent at that ranch. That thought sent a wave of hot lava through her body, but Sunny hardened it right near her heart. It was better to let sleeping dogs, and wild monkeys lay.

Like she suspected after her visit to the ranch, Austin had evidently forgotten that the Chief even offered him a job, because he hadn’t called or come by the station. Either that or he’d decided he had it too good where he was to leave. Maybe he wanted to make it clear to her that their one night had been just that. Whatever the reason, she was thankful.

She’d been holding her breath and counting the days until the job opening closed. Thirteen more days and she could finally breathe again. She would be awarded the job when the Chief retired in six months, and she’d promote Braden to Captain. Life would be good for her and Billy, and she could finally move out of her mother’s house and spend more time with him.

Sitting up, Sunny shoved back her chair, and pushed up to her feet. “Suck it up, Sunny—you’ve got this,” she murmured to herself, but then she looked at the doorway. As if her thoughts conjured the sexier-than-sin cowboy, Austin McBride’s big bulk blocked her exit.

“Hi, Sunshine…” His deep, honeyed-drawl rumbled through her body to her toes, his heated gray eyes dragging it along that path, before they glided back to hers. “I just talked to the Chief and he says you need a medic, so I’m here to apply for the job.”

Her brain was in neutral as it tried to sort out exactly how she felt about seeing him again. Fear, shock—and happiness dammit. Dragging her eyes from his, Sunny sank back down into her chair, because her knees refused to lock properly. Taking several deep breaths, she scooted up to her desk, and her mind finally engaged.

“I can’t hire you, because you live too far out in the boonies to volunteer as a firefighter,” she said firmly, locking her fingers together so he didn’t see them shaking.

“You don’t have to hire me,” he said with that trademark grin that set her body on fire, as he casually strolled to the chair across from her desk and sat down. “The Chief already hired me. He told me to talk to you, so you could put me to work.”

Anger surged up to choke her, but Sunny was determined to keep her cool. “We’ve been through this before, McBride. I hire the medics here, and you’re not hired until I say you’re hired.”

“I filled out my W-2 and signed the hiring paperwork in his office. I’m hired, and I’m looking forward to working with you,” Austin replied so calmly it set her teeth on edge. Leaning back in the chair, he crossed his calf over his knee. “If you have a problem with it, talk to the Chief, because I’m not getting into this pissing contest between y’all.”

“We haven’t ever had a pissing contest until you came along, and that’s just one of the reasons I can’t hire you. You’d bring too much friction and drama to this station.”

His eyebrow lifted along with the corner of his mouth. “You going to tell your uncle why you think there will be friction if I’m hired? That’s probably the only way you’re going to convince him to un-hire me.”

Sunny chewed the inside of her cheek. Hell no, she wouldn’t be telling her uncle why she thought there’d be friction between them. Her uncle was the only one here who knew what happened with her job in Carrolton, with Jason and their falling out at the station. If she told him she’d had sex with Austin McBride when she knew he’d offered him a job here, her own job might be on the line.

“And it won’t be me causing any drama here, I assure you. I don’t have a problem separating work from pleasure.” His smile kicked up on the other side, then turned into a slightly condescending grin. The wink pushed it over into full-blown condescension. “Guys are better at doing that than women.”

His words started a wildfire of feminine indignation inside of her that no amount of apologies would extinguish. Sunny’s chair hit the wall loudly as she stood and put her palms on the desk to glare at him. She snapped a finger up to point at the door. “Get your smug, condescending ass out of my office now!”

Austin chuckled as he stood. “My first shift is tonight, but I’m staying at the Rosebud Hotel down on Fifth Street if you get a fire call and need help.” He patted his hip. “Chief gave me a radio, so I’ll keep my ears on.”

She’d like to chew his damned ears off! Blood rushed up to her face. “Do not come back to this station unless you’re called,” she growled. And it would be a cold day in hell, before Sunny called him for anything. “I’ll let you know if we need your help.”

“I’ll be back at seven then,” he said smoothly, as if he didn’t notice she was about to explode. With a chin nod, Austin walked out of her office, and Sunny’s eyes locked onto his tight ass. When she realized what she was doing she growled.

How in the hell could he take this job? Had he quit the ranch? Why was he staying at the rent-by-the-week motel in town?

Blood pounding in her ears, Sunny walked around her desk and stormed down the hall toward the Chief’s office. Since they were such good buddies, maybe her uncle could answer those questions for her. But she needed to calm down first. Storming into her uncle’s office loaded for bear was not going to get her a thing. He was as chauvinistic as Austin McBride, and the damned board who’d grilled her twice as hard during her interview as they would have any man.

If she went in there acting like an emotional female, he would treat her like one, or write her concerns off to hormones. Sunny had fought too hard to deal with the men here on an unemotional, detached—a man’s level—to ruin that now.

It was almost five o’clock as it was, quitting time for her and Silas unless they got a fire call. Sunny knew one thing for sure, she did not want to be at the station when Austin McBride came back for his shift. He’d have to come here to check in, before he went to the medic station. If she started this conversation with her uncle now, in all likelihood she would still be there when he returned. No, what she needed to do was calm herself down and sleep on things tonight, before she met with Silas. Huffing a breath, Sunny reversed direction to head back to her office. She snatched her cell phone and radio off of the desk and grabbed her truck keys.

What she really needed was a damned drink to calm her nerves, and someone to vent her frustrations to. Jolie fit the bill, but she needed to apologize for standing her friend up the night she spent out at the ranch.

God, Sunny wished she could rewind to the day she made the decision to take that call out to that ranch instead of going to her interview. That poor decision brought Austin McBride and his complications into her life. She’d compounded them by staying at the ranch that night with him, instead of leaving when she had the notion.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, and Sunny had first been driven by duty to take that call, then she was blinded by the heat between her and Austin McBride, but the blinders were off now, the heat extinguished and the only thing left was smoke. The smoke coming out of her ears.

Austin McBride thought he wanted to work here? Well he was about to get a christening by fire from a woman whose only duty now was to herself and her son.

This was war.

Chapter Thirteen

‡

“The gauze and tubing are kept in that metal cabinet over there,” Braden said, pointing toward the black metal cabinet on the wall across the ambulance bay. “Whatever you do, make sure you restock the truck after every run or Sunny will chew your ass out.”

Chew his ass out? Austin was getting so used to that now, he didn’t really give a damn about one more ass chewing from Sunny Gleason. After almost two weeks of it, he didn’t have much left to chew. She’d even written him up for having his shirt untucked when he checked in for his shift at the fire station, and then a second time for clocking in two minutes late—because he had to tuck in his shirt and run back to the truck for his belt.

When the Chief called Austin to ask for his help, ask him to come to work at the station because they needed qualified people badly, he’d initially declined. After their night together Austin had decided he wouldn’t pursue a job at the station. She was a single mother, and she needed that job more than he did. Him stepping into that mix would just make things tougher for her, make her feel more insecure than she already did.

Austin had it damned good at the ranch and he was relatively happy. Managing cattle or being a cow hand was not his ideal job, but it paid well. The Chief persisted though, said Sunny would need his help when he retired and she was Chief. She needed a second-in-command who was capable of helping her, and no one at the station fit the bill. When he threw in part-time Captain’s pay, along with full-time medic’s pay, Austin accepted.

Rand Gleason was giving the foreman’s job a shot, and Tanner was helping him while he recovered at the ranch. Zack Taylor worked out a deal with Austin when he turned in his notice that he’d check back out there sporadically to make sure things were handled until he returned home at the end of the month.

The way things were going here, by that time, Austin might well be begging for his job back. Captain Sunny Gleason had proved to be the most abrasive, petty and insecure person he’d ever answered to in his life. She was keeping him off of fire calls, where he excelled, and he thought he knew why. She was intimidated and afraid he’d show her up.

When they got a fire call and he was on shift here, she took command and told him to stay put at the medic station in case they had a run. The woman he’d dealt with for the last two weeks was definitely not the woman he’d made love to all night long out at the ranch. She didn’t even seem to remember that night, as cold as she was to him when he happened to run into her, which was as infrequently as possible. Austin gave Captain Gleason wide berth these days, because running into that buzzsaw did not make for a good shift or mood. Her men, the volunteers and the medics, seemed to operate the same way. They came in when called, did their jobs, but kept their heads down until they could leave.

With every day that passed, every day he tried to work with her, every ass-chewing he took, Austin knew he had decisions to make, because this was not going to work out long-term. Either he was going back to the ranch, which would be the easiest thing to do, or he was going to go for the Chief’s job himself. He’d asked around and found out the Chief’s job opening closed in two days. The board would stop accepting resumes and the decision would be made for him, so he didn’t have much time to decide.

“You listening, man?” Braden asked with obvious frustration. “If you don’t have this down pat when Sunny grills you, she’ll fire you. She fired Thomas without batting an eyelash, and it’s obvious she already doesn’t like you. What’s up with y’all anyway?”

Austin dragged his eyes to Braden. “If you figure that out, let me know.”

He was clueless why Sunny was acting the way that she was. He thought she’d be happy that he hadn’t applied for the Chief’s job, basically making her a shoe-in, which she already thought she was. Instead, she seemed to be trying to make him quit the station altogether, or have a reason to fire him.

“I’ve been doing this job since I grew hair on my balls. I know the routine, and your protocol now. She can grill me all she wants.”

Braden laughed, and shook his head. “Trust me when I tell you she will singe that right off for you. You can ask any man at the station, including the Chief, if you don’t believe me, brother.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Austin replied with a frustrated breath. He’d seen her in action with the other guys too. And that was exactly why he needed to be Chief. “What’s the turnover rate for the volunteers? For the medics here?”

“If they last six months, we’re doing good,” Braden replied. “That’s why we’re short-staffed here and at the firehouse.”

Someone needed to rein in the leggy, mouthy Captain Gleason if they were ever going to be able to keep the department properly staffed. It was obvious the current Chief, her uncle, was not the man for the job. Austin was more than man enough, and he was just pissed off enough to do it. But first, he had to apply for that job and get it.

*

“I was hoping you’d apply,” Silas Gleason said the next morning, as he looked over the papers in his hand one more time. “I think the board will be pleased too.”

Austin leaned back in the chair to cross his calf over his knee and rested his laced fingers there. “I think my experience and background would be suited to the job, sir.”

“I agree,” Silas said looking back up at him. Austin could see he had something else to say, but he chewed on whatever it was instead of spitting it out. “I have to warn you, son, that my ne—um, Captain Gleason won’t be happy to have competition for the job.”

Well, she certainly wasn’t happy when she didn’t have competition. Austin was starting to believe that even if Sunny Gleason got the Chief’s job, she still wouldn’t be happy.

“I welcome the competition and have every faith that the board will hire the best person for the job.” But if that person wasn’t Austin, he was going back to the ranch if Zack would have him. There was no way in hell he could work for Sunny Gleason. “If that’s not me, I’ll just have to reconsider my options.”

“You won’t stay, if Sunny gets the job?” Silas asked, his wiry gray brows furrowing. “You’d make a fine permanent Captain here.”

Austin huffed a breath. “I don’t think that would be in my best interest, Chief.”

Because she felt threatened by him. Her insecurities wouldn’t go away even if she had full-control of this station. Sunny would do everything she could to tie his hands to put him in his place, or look for a reason to fire him. Austin was not going to sit around waiting for her fire boot to drop on his head or walk on eggshells to prevent it.

“Braden would be a better choice to be her Captain. He seems to be able to work with her well.”

“Braden just stays out of her way,” Silas countered.

“That seems to be the best mode of operation to get along here when you’re not around.” Surely Silas knew how his niece operated and the effect her methods had on morale.

Silas looked back at the papers in his hand. “I’m sorry to hear that. I was impressed with your management of that field fire the other night and how the volunteers responded under your command.” He looked back at Austin. “I kind of hoped you could help Sunny in that area. She’s a damned good medic, the best, but fighting fires and commanding a crew is her weak spot.”

Management of any kind was her weak spot, but Austin wasn’t going to say that to the Chief. Before he came in here, Austin decided he was not going to whine to Silas, or bash his niece. Silas had to know how she was, and he put up with it to his station’s detriment. As Chief, he had every right to decide how far he would let her push him.

If Austin was made Chief that would change. Either Sunny would get with the program and improve her communication skills, or she could find another job.

But the Chief seemed determined to extract his opinion one way or another by putting him on the spot. “Surely you’ve seen it yourself on the fire calls since you’ve been here? That’s why I’ve always made sure I responded too. It’s been nice not to have to do that since you’ve been here.”

“I haven’t been on any fire calls.”

Silas’ eyes flew to his and he frowned. “Why the hell not?”

Austin ground his teeth, and the Chief just stared and waited until Austin knew he had to respond. “Because I’m not allowed to go on fire calls. Braden goes and I stay at the medic station when I’m on shift to cover emergency calls with the second crew.”

Cheeks red, the Chief shot up from his chair to push a button on his phone, and Austin flinched when he roared, “Sunny! Get yourself in this office now!”

A second later, the doorknob rattled and Austin’s heart pounded as the door flew inward and Sunny stalked inside. Her eyes met his and sparked with anger, before they flew to Silas.

“Where’s the fire?” she asked gruffly. “I was looking over the medic charts from this week, before I send them to Foxy.” Her gaze swung back to Austin, as she finished, “I have to tell you, I’m not impressed with the sloppy charting and Foxy won’t be either.”

“Well, I’m not impressed that you have a fifteen-year fire veteran sitting on the sidelines cooling his heels, while you go on fire calls, young lady,” the Chief fired back.

The only sign that Sunny Gleason felt an iota of emotion, remorse or guilt, was the flush that crawled up her thin neck. “I put the men I command where I need them most, and where I feel they will be most effective. I’m sorry if you disagree with my decisions, Chief,” Sunny said cockily.

“Then I have to question both your judgment and decisions, Sunny Jane.” Both anger and disappointment dripped from Silas’s words. He sucked in a deep breath, then blew it out. “Your evaluation is coming up very soon, and that will definitely be on it. I have to tell you the timing is unfortunate.”

Austin saw her long fingers curl into her palms, and he didn’t miss the slight tremor in her voice. “Please reconsider, Unk. Tell me what you want me to do, what I’ve done wrong…” Her eyes cut to Austin quickly. “I’ll fix whatever I need to fix.”

“What I want is for you to do is lose that damned chip on your shoulder and get along with this man,” Silas said pointing a finger at Austin. “He’s either going to be your Captain or your boss. Your actions before your evaluation is due are going to decide which I recommend to the board.”

“My boss?” Sunny squeaked, shooting Austin a glare.

“Yes, Austin has applied for the opening, and right at this minute, I’m inclined to think he’s a better candidate for the job. You have a month to convince me otherwise.”

Maybe Silas Gleason wasn’t such a pushover after all. And maybe Austin could use the month until her evaluation to turn Sunny Gleason into a good Fire Chief, his new plan of action and her last hope that he would stand down.

If that didn’t happen, Austin would be Chief, and Sunny would be the one to decide whether she could work for him. And he wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt.

So, why did her whimper as she turned in the doorway to leave the office feel like a spear sent right through his heart?

Chapter Fourteen

‡

The pressure in Sunny’s head was so intense she thought it might explode before she stumbled into the women’s bathroom, the only place where she knew she could find peace at the station, because no other women currently worked there. Somehow she managed to stagger to the last stall and lock herself inside before the storm inside of her broke.

Intense pain twisted her insides as she plopped down on the toilet. Doubling over, Sunny clutched her stomach just as the wail she’d been suppressing, that should be a scream, pushed past her lips to echo off the walls. Tears overflowed her eyes to run hot rivers down her cheeks. The pain in her gut got worse, and Sunny moaned as the tears ran hotter and faster.

Sunny didn’t cry. Ever.

Not when her father left them. Not when Jason betrayed her. Not when she found out she was going to be a mother. Or even when it became apparent she’d be a single mother, because Jason wasn’t going to be in their child’s life.

But she was certainly making up for lost time now, and it pissed her off.

Austin McBride was on a mission to ruin her life. Ruin any chance she had of surviving those other things to make a good life for herself and her son. And from the looks of it, he didn’t have an ounce of guilt over it either. The smug look on his handsome face in her uncle’s office just now would forever be imprinted on her brain, along with another flashing neon sign for her that said—STUPID. Stupid for letting down her defenses, stupid for talking to him about her situation, stupid for thinking he would care a scrap about her or her son, and that information would make one damned iota of difference whether he decided to come to work here.

What it had done evidently, was give him just the ammunition to apply for the job and get it. And now he was playing dirty by tattling on her to the Chief who obviously already thought a lot of him. A lot more than her uncle thought of her evidently.

Then I have to question both your judgment and decisions, Sunny Jane. Pressure built inside her chest again to fuel her tears. Her uncle opened his mouth, and her father, his brother, had fallen out. I’m disappointed that you can’t see my side of this, Sunny Jane. I really hoped we could have a relationship, but I guess I was wrong.

The words James Gleason had spoken to her during their first and only visit after he left.

What side was there to see in her father’s decision to divorce her mother? The facts were black and white. She had only been fifteen, but she understood perfectly. He’d gotten the woman he’d been sleeping with on the side pregnant, so he was marrying her.

At least the arguing stopped after he left. That peace, and her mother’s seeming unconcern about his leaving, was the only thing that had gotten Sunny through those rough times. Well, that and hearing that he died two years later while having sex with the tramp. Finding out he left her pregnant when he died was the sweet icing on their karma-flavored cake. Both of them got their just desserts.

“Oh, God…” Sunny groaned, rocking on the toilet, clutching her stomach tighter to fight through the pain there that had to come from an ulcer.

This damn place, this job was killing her. She needed to talk to Foxy the next time she went into the ER….maybe get checked out. When the pain subsided, Sunny raised up and her hand shook as she jerked a fistful of toilet paper from the roll to blow her nose loudly.

She couldn’t fall apart—Billy needed her to be strong. And if Silas saw her like this, it certainly wasn’t going to help her cause. She pulled off more toilet paper to sop up the tears on her face then took a few deep breaths.

“Better now?” a deep voice asked from above, and Sunny’s eyes flew to the top of the stall wall to find Austin McBride leaning over the stall watching her, his chin propped on his hands, his gray eyes worried. Well, Sunny wasn’t falling for that act again.

“You’re in the women’s bathroom, asshole,” she grated, as she pushed up to her feet and fumbled with the door latch, as that pressure in her chest built again.

“Call the bathroom police,” he replied gruffly, and she heard his fire boots hit the tile floor as she pushed her door open.

He exited the next stall to block her path, and stare down at her. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, Sunny. That wasn’t my intention when I went into Silas’s office.”

Sunny snorted, but no sound came from her plugged up nose. “And that’s more of your bullshit. You went into his office to apply for his job, and you tattled on me to further your chances.” Shoving her shoulder into his, she brushed past him to walk to the sink. She flipped on the cold tap then met his eyes in the mirror. “I’m onto your game now, Chief.”

Austin ground his jaw for a second. “I don’t want to be Chief. I wanted to be your second-in-command so I could help you, but you’re making that impossible, Sunshine.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she thinned her lips as she pointed at him in the mirror. “Don’t ever fucking call me that again,” she growled. “I’m not your Sunshine—I’m Captain Gleason.”

“You’re right—you definitely aren’t Sunshine. You’re a bitter woman who needs to get beyond her past, or you’ll have a pretty dark future. That pain in your gut isn’t going to go away, until you do that.”

“The pain in my stomach will go away about the same time the pain in my ass leaves. Go back to that ranch where you belong. I don’t need or want you here, McBride.”

“You’ve made that obvious, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me, and unless you decide to let me help, you might be the one leaving.”

About to splash her face with the cool water in the sink, Sunny stopped, and it flowed through her fingers to soak her pants as she spun to face him. “Don’t threaten me, McBride.” But his words worked through her brain, and caused her lower lip to tremble. Sunny bit it to hold onto the new tears that burned her eyes.

“I’m not threatening you at all, Sunny. I’m stating a fact.” His voice was so calm, his face so sincere, Sunny wanted to slug him. “The only threat to you is your bad attitude, which is caused by your own insecurity. I can help you, if you’ll let me.”

“Bullshit! You want—” she started, but with a growl, Austin stepped forward to grab her chin in his fingers as he pushed his body into hers to trap her against the wall.

“The only thing I want is to help you,” he said, swallowing twice. His eyes bored into hers and Sunny was overwhelmed by his heat. “But for me to do that you’ll have to give up an ounce of that damned control of yours. We could be a helluva team, make this station a lot better than it is, if you’d do that.”

His eyes mesmerized her, but Sunny fought their pull. “Why in the hell would you want to help me if you applied for Silas’s job too?” The break in her voice pissed her off.

“Because I know you need it more than I do, and I want you to have it.” Austin’s eyes fell to her mouth, and Sunny tensed, but he just ran his thumb over her lower lip, before looking into her eyes again. “But you’ll never get it, even if I’m not here, if you stay on the path you’re on. The board will either give it to me, or advertise it outside of the department and you know it.”

“I’m a woman, they’re good ole boys, so you’re probably right,” Sunny said, her heart dropping a notch in her chest.

Even though she’d answered the questions thrown at her, the determined way the board members grilled her at her interview told her they didn’t have an ounce of confidence in her. She didn’t walk out thinking she’d won them over at all. Since she was their only choice though, Sunny thought she had it in the bag. But then Austin showed up, giving them a choice.

A male choice. Of course she’d feel threatened now.

“It has nothing to do with you being a woman, baby. It has everything to do with the way you handle things…situations. Your current mode-of-operation isn’t effective leadership. The morale at the station is awful, and the turnover is high, right?”

Anger singed the hair at the back of her neck. “Yes, but I have no control over people not wanting to volunteer or stay when they do.”

“You’re wrong. You are in control of everything. If you do things a little differently, you’d have so many volunteers you’d have your pick. We need to hold fire trainings and classes, have a junior firefighter program and visit the schools. Do community service work to meet new people who might volunteer. But the main thing you need to do is fix what’s wrong in here,” he said tapping her temple.

Emotion shot up to her throat and knotted there. “I don’t know how,” she said, her lower lip twitching again.

Austin put his finger on her bottom lip. “Let me help you—everyone needs help now and again. Get some counseling. Not a soul but us needs to know except you and me, and I’ll help you get things right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Sunny’s eyes fell to Austin’s mouth, as she digested his words. I’m not going anywhere. If that was true it would be the first time in her life a man didn’t desert her. Because I know you need it more than I do, and I want you to have it. God, she really, really did.

Was he telling the truth? Should she trust him?

Evidently her mouth decided before her brain did. “Okay,” she said.

The corners of Austin’s mouth curved up as his head dipped toward hers. Sunny’s breath caught in her throat as his hot mouth sizzled over hers in a quick pass. Need buzzed through her, she put her hand on his chest to slide it toward his neck, but he pulled back.

His grin popped that dimple in his cheek. “This is going to be the best damned firehouse in Texas, baby.” His eyes softened, and he grabbed her shoulders. “I’m so damned proud of you, and I can’t wait to be second potato to the best Fire Chief in Texas.”

Tears blurred his handsome face from her view, and she reached up to swipe them away with her forearm. “Even a crazy female Fire Chief?” she asked with a laugh.

His fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Crazy smart, crazy beautiful and crazy talented. I’ll take your kind of crazy any day, Sunshine.”

A shiver worked through Sunny, as a wobbly smile curved her lips. This man pissed her off more than any she’d ever been around in her life, but then he turned around and in the next breath made her feel so damned good about herself.

“Thank you,” Sunny said, her voice shaky.

That left eye dipped down and he grinned wider. “Don’t thank me yet. We have a lot of work to do.”

“I’m ready.” And Sunny was ready.

Ready to forget the past, and put some light in her future. The more Austin McBride’s frank words settled into her brain, the more she realized this was exactly what she needed to hear. That Austin had enough balls to speak them to her earned him her respect.

The fact that he was still around, was going to be around and was willing to help her, even after the hell she’d put him through for the last two weeks, spoke volumes too.

I’m not going anywhere.

God, she hoped he meant that, she thought, as Austin grabbed the door handle, gave her another wink, and walked out the door.

Chapter Fifteen

‡

“I’m really sorry, Mom. I should have called you first and told you about the new job. Since it’s new, I can’t come home for a visit right now. I will soon though, I promise…” Austin’s eyes darted to Sunny who was sitting at the table of the station studying for her Fire Chief’s exam. Austin should be in there helping her, but his mom had called, and he knew what about. He had to take it or he knew there would be hell to pay—the family grapevine was still working. Maybe mentioning Sunny would buy him some time, and cheer her up.

His mother had been after him for five years to ‘find a nice girl and settle down’. Well, he hadn’t found a nice girl, he’d found a hot mess of a woman who turned him inside out most of the time, but she was working on becoming that girl.

But they weren’t there quite yet—they still had a lot to work out.

Austin shifted his position on the sofa and lowered his voice. “There’s someone I really want you to meet, but we can’t get away right now.”

His mother’s gasp told Austin, his ploy worked. “Have you met someone?” she asked, her tone brimming with excitement.

“I have, and I think you’ll like her,” he replied, glancing at Sunny again to make sure she wasn’t listening. He had adopted a hardcore approach to dealing with her, teaching her, and it seemed to be working like a charm. The harder he was on her when she got cranky with the guys, the softer, more approachable she became. Sunny had become a much better teammate and leader, but she still had a ways to go. She was putting in the effort to change though, and become the Chief he was challenging her to be. Because she knew she had competition for the job now, and Austin never let her forget that.

“I can’t wait to meet her, but we miss you…your brothers and sister miss you. Your father is worried about you. It’s been six months,” Lena McBride said, her voice stinging with reprimand. His mother sniffled, and Austin flinched. He pictured her wiping her nose, and smiling which made the knot in his chest unravel.

He missed them too. Even when he was on the rodeo circuit, six months was the longest he’d spent away without a visit. Guilt swirled in his gut, but Austin knew he had things to accomplish before he could make the trip home.

“It might be a good while longer, Mom, but I promise, I’m fine.”

When Austin told his brother that he’d quit the ranch to become a firefighter again, he knew it wouldn’t be long before his mother found out. What he hadn’t expected was her to be upset. Three-quarters of his family was in the business, his father included. But he was three hours away from home, and he guessed that might be the difference in her mind. Her crying when he answered her call had about ripped his heart out.

“I promise I’ll be careful too, and from now on, I’ll call you every week.” He’d put a reminder into the calendar on his cell phone so he didn’t forget.

“You better, or I’ll send the McBride tribe down there to drag you home,” she threatened, but punctuated it with a watery laugh.

Glancing at Sunny, he saw her eyebrows pucker into a confused frown. “I’ve got to go now, Mom. I love you…tell everyone I said the same.”

“Love you too, badass,” she replied, and it was Austin’s turn to smile, as warmth flooded through him when he hung up.

Her childhood nickname for him was really appropriate. As a child, Austin had been a badass, and into more trouble than she could get him out of. As a middle child, he had plenty of time to find mischief and he kept her damned busy. It was a good damned thing for him that his father hadn’t found out about most of it, or Austin wouldn’t have had an ass left.

He’d have just been known as bad.

Pushing up from the sofa, he walked into the kitchen. That was probably why he understood exactly how to deal with Sunny Gleason. To make her see the err in her ways. Sunny was just late blooming with her badass, bratty ways. And she hadn’t had the benefit of having a mother and father to show her the light sooner.

“You still reading that chapter?” he asked gruffly, as he sat down at the table.

Her frown transferred to him, and her lips turned down to emphasize it. “If you wouldn’t have been on the phone, I could’ve asked you what the proper income ratio to employee expenses is, and I’d be done with it.”

“Talking to my mother takes precedent over babysitting you through what you should already know.”

She slammed her pen down on her pad, and lifted an eyebrow. “Okay, smartass, what’s the proper pediatric dosage for epinephrine on a forty-pound kid in anaphylactic shock?”

Hell, he didn’t freaking know that off of the top of his head. He sat up in the chair, and cleared his throat. “The ratio shouldn’t be higher than 70%.”

Sunny nodded and picked up her pen to make notes on the pad. Austin waited until she was done, thinking she might spout off the answer to her own question to him, but she went back to reading.

“Alright, smartass—how much epi do you give a forty-pound kid in anaphylaxis?”

Sunny looked back up at him and smiled as she pushed the black binder across the table to him. “I’m not babysitting you through what you should already know, Chief. It’s all right here in this paramedic protocol book you should have memorized.”

God, he loved sparring with her, because Sunny Gleason always gave as good as she got. He grinned, and leaned over to shut her study guide. “Yes, I should—but not now. I have a meeting at the park with a kid who should already know how to throw a baseball but his mother is too much of a chicken to teach him. He says she’s afraid he’ll hit her in the shin with it.”

Her eyebrows knotted again, and her blue eyes shot fire as they met his. “I did not say that—he never asked me to teach him!”

“It’s okay, Sunshine. Baseball isn’t a girl’s sport anyway,” Austin teased, and her face got redder, her frown more pronounced.

His grin spread as her chair scraped back and she shot up to her feet. “I’ll show you how much a girl knows about baseball. I was the best third-baseman on my high school softball team, MV—freaking—P my senior year, as a matter of fact,” Sunny growled, then pointed her finger at him. “I can teach my son and you how to throw a ball.”

“Is that so?” Austin asked, crossing his arms over his chest, loving the fire in her eyes, the passion in her voice. That’s the passion that she needed for this job, but he hadn’t seen it. Maybe with more time. “Well, I’d sure love to learn about softball, since the only thing I’ve ever played, even in college was hardball on the scholarship I earned playing in high school.” Sunny’s face fell and he wondered why, then she told him.

“You have a degree?” she asked, and that insecurity was back in her voice.

“Yeah, in agriculture,” he replied with a grin. “Doesn’t come in handy very often fighting fires, except field fires, which is how I knew we needed to flood those first few rows of that marijuana field and that ag sprinklers were an option to help control it. Only problem was we didn’t have the water to do it.”

“And we were too high to care,” Sunny added, with a laugh, her shoulders relaxing.

“Yeah, and that,” he agreed. “Let’s go teach Billy how to throw a ball. Between us, I think we can keep him from throwing like a girl.”

Sunny snorted. “What the hell is wrong with throwing like a girl?” she asked indignantly.

“Not a damned thing,” Austin answered, another idea forming in his mind too, now that he had this new bit of information about the aspiring Chief.

*

“You’re swinging like a girl, Mom!” Billy heckled from the dugout. Sunny stepped out of the batter’s box to glare at him, and watched as Austin slapped him on the back and they laughed, Billy so hard he was doubled over with it.

Resting her bat on her side, Sunny took a moment to tighten her ponytail and to regain her focus on the pitcher. Braden, who Austin had chosen as his first pick because he knew he was a former baseball player too. Well, baseball wasn’t the game they were playing. It was softball, and she was about to show them how it was played. Like a girl, she thought, with determination as she stepped back in the box and tapped her bat on the plate.

“C’mon, Cap—reach for the fence!” Jordan yelled from her dugout as Sunny crouched, balanced her weight and cocked her bat into position.

Braden bent, studied the catcher for a second then nodded, before he reared back. Sunny tensed and watched his hand, caught the ball coming out of it and knew it was an outside pitch. She relaxed, huffed a breath and stood while the umpire called a ball. After throwing a smug grin at a frowning Coach Austin, who, in a surprise move, had chosen just to serve as his team’s designated hitter. Sunny was playing second, because it had been a long damned time since she’d played, and the guys hit harder than girls. She wasn’t about to admit that though.

After getting a sign from Gabe, who was his catcher, Braden wound up again, and Sunny watched his hand, saw the ball. Off-speed, a little high and outside, just the pitch she’d been waiting for. Sunny swung, extending her arms as she transferred her weight to her front foot. With a loud ping that felt solid against her hands, effortless, she connected with the ball making sure she followed all the way through. Her eyes followed it as she dropped the bat and took off for first base to the roar of both benches.

When her foot hit the bag the ball was still sailing, so she rounded and hauled ass for second. Austin’s voice boomed instructions to the leftfielder from the dugout, but her pounding heart muffled everything as she glanced outfield and saw Collins at the fence. Heart in her throat, knowing she was chancing losing the hard fought run they needed to catch up with Austin’s team, Sunny went for it. Collins was either going to catch it and throw her out—he had a strong arm—or he’d miss it and she’d take home.

They needed to push the envelope if they were going to win, she thought, focusing on the bag at third base. Halfway there, Sunny prepared to execute a headfirst slide, something else she used to be damned good at, but the roar of the third base dugout, hers, and the groans from Austin’s bench had her looking back to see Collins jumping the fence to get the ball. Her stride slowed, and a wide grin split her face as she danced over third base, making damned sure she touched it. Home plate looked like heaven as she strolled toward it. She looked over at Austin’s dugout, wanting to stick her tongue out, but he wasn’t there. She looked back at the plate, and right there in the mix of her guys waiting to congratulate her was Austin McBride, grinning almost as much as she was. Her heart floated in her chest, as her endorphins tripled, leaving her brain in a love-soaked fog as she looked at him.

Damn, the man, he wasn’t supposed to congratulate her, he was supposed to be mad, she thought, holding his excited, proud gray eyes as she slapped the guys hands when she passed along the baseline, and they slapped her back. But that didn’t seem to be his style. Austin was the most supportive man she’d ever met, even when he was challenging her. He enjoyed seeing her win, as much as he enjoyed winning.

I don’t want the job, I want you to have it. Her smile slipped a notch with that thought. The question was did she still want it? With every day that passed, and she saw him at the station, watched him work and lead, Sunny realized he was much better suited, and infinitely more qualified to lead their station than she was. If she decided she didn’t want the job though, after all the effort he’d put into helping her get it, how in the hell could she tell him that? He’d be disappointed in her, and probably pissed too.

As soon as her foot hit the center of home plate, her feet left the ground as Austin lifted her to twirl her in circles, and Billy jumped beside him squealing. Sunny melted against him, soaked up Austin’s warmth and breathed in his delicious scent, relished the feeling of being in his arms again, somewhere she hadn’t been since the ranch.

Since he decided he was going to help her get the Chief’s job, he’d evidently adopted a hands-off policy to go along with that decision. It was irritating and frustrating. No matter how many hints she dropped, or passes she made, he just dodged her. Hell, for all she knew, maybe the man just didn’t want her anymore. She couldn’t blame him really. Sunny knew she wasn’t the easiest woman in the world to deal with, but his comments, and constant compliments, told her he found her attractive.

Austin slid her down his body, then met her gaze with intense eyes. His fingers dug into her arms, and Sunny’s gaze dropped to his mouth. His head gravitated toward her and her breath caught, but instead of kissing her, his hands fell away and he stepped back, leaving her lips buzzing like he’d kissed her anyway. Rubbing a hand over them, Sunny turned and picked up her bat, then walked on leaden feet to her dugout.

If and when she decided whether she still wanted the Chief’s job, she’d just have to cross that bridge then. Because right now? All she wanted was Austin McBride to carry her off the field and make love to her again.

Chapter Sixteen

‡

“Get me another box of nails will you?” Austin asked, patting his empty nail apron. Sitting back on his heels he laid his nail gun down to shove his hat back, and use the tail of his t-shirt to wipe his face. It was September already, so you’d think the weather would have cooled off some, but summer was still going strong in South Texas.

Being on a black asphalt roof intensified that heat tenfold too.

“Sure, but not until you drink this,” Sunny said, handing him a bottle of ice cold water from the mini-cooler beside her. “I don’t want to have to haul your butt to see Foxy, because you’re too stupid to keep hydrated.”

Austin cut his eyes at her and grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

Uncapping the bottle, he drank thirstily, while watching for another flash of her ass through the rip at the bottom of her right cheek as she crawled to the ladder propped against the eave. He’d noticed the rip earlier, and had been looking for more since then. The rip was just in the right place for him to see her underwear, but all he’d seen was her creamy flesh. That led him to wonder if she was wearing underwear. Either that or she was wearing a thong. A visual of that floated through his mind and he stiffened. Again.

The weather wasn’t the only thing hot on her mother’s roof today.

Turning, Sunny reached back with her foot until she found the rung, then her blonde head disappeared. Austin sat back on his haunches and finished his water. By the time he sat the bottle beside him, she was scrambling back up the ladder.

“You’re getting pretty good on that ladder, Chief.” Sunny’s brilliant smile kicked him in the gut. His eyes fell to her scooped neck tank and he watched her breasts bounce as she crawled over to hand him the nails. “That tower climb should be a piece of cake next week.”

“I’m not Chief yet, but I’m working my ass off to at least qualify.”

And what an ass it was, Austin thought. Feeling that round flesh in his hands as he pushed his cock in that tight pussy was all he could think about these days. But Sunny didn’t seem to even remember that they’d had sex. With a huffed breath, he rolled to his side away from her to push up on his knees so she didn’t see the result of those thoughts in his workout shorts.

She has other things to think about right now McBride. Like her physical fitness testing next week, the second part of her qualification tests to become Chief. The tower climb was her weakest point. Carrying a fifty pound sack up twelve flights of stairs would tax anyone. Especially a woman who was in general weaker in the upper body than a man. The trick was positioning of the sack, and once he showed her that, Sunny was meeting the required time.

Because he hadn’t pulled his resume yet, Austin was scheduled for that too. He’d taken the written fire exam and scored five points higher than Sunny had. She scored higher than him on the medic portion, but not by much. He wasn’t wasting his time, because to be a full-time Captain, with the exception of the Chief’s exam, he’d need all those things anyway.

Austin hadn’t brought it up, so he didn’t know if she knew or not. It didn’t matter anyway, because Austin was contemplating having a chat with Silas about withdrawing his application. It had been a month since their talk, since her breakdown, and Sunny had done an about-face in her approach at the station. They were working together like a well-oiled machine now, and the guys had commented to him about the dramatic change in Sunny. Even Billy had noticed, and he seemed a lot more settled, less antsy and rebellious. That could be because he’d started school now and felt like a big boy, or it could be all about Sunny’s approach with him too.

Austin didn’t know if it was her increasing confidence from the trainings and their talks, or if it was the weekly counseling sessions. Maybe it was a combination of all of those things. Whatever it was, Sunny was a much happier person. And because she was happier, everyone in her world was happier too. Including him.

But he could be happier, and he was going to talk to Sunny about that real soon. Now that things had settled down at the station it was time for them to talk about other things. Like the connection they had that night they made love at the ranch. He wanted them to date, go out and have a good time, maybe take Billy with them sometimes.

And have sex. That bed at the Rosebud was getting harder and harder every night. But not nearly as hard as he was most nights thinking about Captain Sunny Gleason. Lord he couldn’t take seeing her in those thin tank tops and turnout pants at the station and not want to haul her to the shower. It was just about the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

Austin was sweating like a fiend now. Laying the nail gun back down he yanked the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head to sop his face, chest and shoulders, before throwing it down on the bundle of shingles beside him. Thunder rumbled overhead, and he looked up to see the clouds were getting pretty dark. He probably should stop messing around, and focus on getting this done. He damn sure wasn’t going to be up here when the lightning started.

“You should probably stop now, it’s gonna rain in a minute,” Sunny said with a laugh, and Austin’s eyes swung to her. “Mama left early for Pokeno, they have some kind of banquet tonight, so she’s going to help them cook. Billy won’t be home from school for another hour.”

Her tongue sounded thick, her eyelids heavy over her eyes which weren’t focused on him. Austin followed her line of vision realized she was staring at his crotch. His dick hardened more.

“Is that so?” he asked, his voice rough with need, his hand squeezing the nail gun.

“Yeah, and you look like you could use a…shower.” Her breathy voice and eyes which were still locked on his dick told him exactly what she wanted to do in that shower.

A loud pop startled Austin, the recoil from the nail gun knocked him off balance and Austin rolled toward the edge of the roof. He tried to catch himself, but the pitch of the roof was too steep. His legs went off the edge first, his hat tumbled off and hit the ground and Austin fought to dig his fingers into the rough shingles to stop himself. The tips of his fingers finally caught at the edge of the roof and he dangled.

Sunny appeared at the edge of the roof, looking down at him grinning. “You need to be rescued, cowboy? I could call 9-1-1 and get the guys over here to help you. I’m sure they’d want to see this,” she said, with a belly laugh.

“Get the damned ladder, Sunny,” he growled, gritting his teeth, digging his now numb fingers in deeper.

“Please save me, ma’am, might work better,” she said, her eyes sparkling as she threw her head back and laughed, but not making a move to get the ladder.

Austin huffed a couple of frustrated breaths, looked down at the ground that was about four feet from his sneakers and contemplated letting himself fall. If he broke an ankle though, he wouldn’t be able to do the physical fitness tests. His muscles strained, his fingers were probably bleeding from the rough texture of the shingles. Sweat dripped from his hair down his nose to hang there like he was hanging from the roof. And she still stood there waiting, instead of moving toward the ladder.

“Please save me, ma’am,” he growled up at her, and her laugh rang inside his head as she finally walked to the ladder.

Sunny Gleason was going to pay for this big time. And she was going to pay for every minute he’d thought about her in that bed at the Rosebud Motel. It was time for Ms. Gleason to pay the piper. Just as soon as his feet touched the ground that is exactly what she was going to do.

Suddenly she appeared beside him, propped the ladder beside him and moved back. Austin maneuvered his right foot onto a rung, shifted his position then managed to get his left on the ladder then scrambled down, and turned to pin Sunny with his eyes. Her eyes challenged him and in two steps he was in front of her. He bent, put his shoulder into her midsection and she squealed when he lifted her over his shoulder. Clamping his arm around her knees, he bounced her twice and she grunted.

“Put me down,” she squealed, slapping his back.

Austin swatted her ass. Hard. Then rubbed it, as he walked to the front porch. Was that a whimper he heard? His cock was so hard now his shorts were probably a pup tent in the front. He opened the front door, walked in and kicked it shut before he eased her to her feet. Turning her he pushed her into the door and covered that sassy mouth of hers. Her heat poured into his mouth, her hands slid up his chest and Austin felt down her thigh to lift her calf to his side. Pistoning his hips, he put himself right where he wanted to be and swallowed Sunny’s moan.

Blood pounded in his ears in time with the throb in his cock, as he kissed her, took her tongue and sucked her sweetness. Sunny ground her hips against him, and Austin groaned as tingles at the base of his spine told him he needed to stop her. Breathing hard Austin pulled away.

“I need you now—take your pants off,” he said, hurriedly shoving his shorts down to his knees and stepping out of them. By the time he stood back up, Sunny had removed her pants, but stood there in her panties looking unsure. Frustration surged up to make him lightheaded. “What’s wrong?” he asked gruffly.

“Do you have a condom?” she asked.

“Fuck me,” Austin hissed, shoving a hand through his wet hair. “My wallet is in the truck. I didn’t wear jeans today.”

“Let me go check Rand’s room,” Sunny said, running across the living room then down the hall.

Austin followed her, but didn’t stop at Rand’s room. He went into the bathroom and flicked on the shower then stepped inside. It could take her thirty minutes to find a condom, and he was hot. The cold water felt good on his heated skin as he quickly soaped up, washed his hair then opened the door to jerk a towel from the hook. Wrapping it around his waist, he walked to the door and found Sunny outside the door looking upset.

“No luck?” he guessed. She nodded, and he headed down the hallway. “I’ll go to the truck.”

“It’s storming now,” Sunny informed, following behind him. “As hot it was outside, it’s not surprising.”

A lightning bolt struck very close to the house right then, rattling the wooden floor. Austin stopped at the door, dropped his chin to his chest and sighed. “Why can’t anything ever be easy for us?” he asked.

“Because anything worth having isn’t easy,” Sunny said softly, putting her hand on the back of his shoulder. “But if you’re determined, you can make it happen anyway.” Her other hand snaked around his waist to unknot the towel. It fell to the floor and his breath caught when her hand slid down his back, over his ass and she said, “Turn around, Austin.”

Those three words echoed through his skull, and were punctuated by a loud clap of thunder outside. Austin turned, and looked down into her heated blue eyes. The intent there was clear, clearer still when her hand closed around him and his breath lodged in his throat.

“I wanted to catch you in the shower to do this, but you were too fast,” she said, her tongue flicking out.

Every muscle in his body seized when her hot tongue rasped around the edge of his head. She licked over the top, and his fingers curled into his palms. Her heat closed over the head of his cock and Austin groaned loudly, his knees buckled, and he fell back against the door. Sunny moved with him, leaning into him she took more of him into her mouth. Austin’s breath came in short, labored gasps as her hand slid down to give her mouth more room stretching him tighter.

Her lips pinched around him and his balls tightened as her teeth grazed down his shaft almost to the base. She slid him out of her mouth inch by agonizing inch, leaving a hot wet trail behind on his cock. He thought the feel of her tongue as she dragged it up the underside of his cock was the most incredible sensation he’d ever felt. But then she ringed the cap at the top of his cock and sucked hard. Blood rushed to his head, tingles started at his spine, pressure built and Austin knew he was close to coming. Sunny kept sucking him, pulling his come closer and closer to the head of his cock. It felt so fucking good, his toes curled. But he needed to let her know.

Austin grabbed her hair and tried to pull her away, but Sunny just moaned. The vibrations on his sensitive skin almost sent him over the edge. A tremor rocked him and he gritted his teeth to fight it as she cupped his balls to go down on him again. Fisting him near the base of his cock, Sunny set a rhythm pumping him with her mouth, with her hand, until he lost his mind. His fingers fisted in her hair, she moaned and hot lava crashed over him. Throwing his head back, Austin roared as his body shook violently, and he poured himself into her mouth. When Sunny pulled her mouth from him, feeling boneless, Austin sank to the floor.

The rumble of the storm outside intensified, wind howled, and branches slapped the window panes, but nothing compared to the storm swirling inside of him right then. This woman had just wrecked him. He felt wrung out, and raw inside.

She sat down beside him, and laughed as she crawled into his lap, curling into his chest like a kitten. Asking nothing except his warmth. She kissed his neck and snuggled there. Something snapped inside of Austin, and he was just as determined to make it happen for her, as she had been for him. His hand fisted her hair as his mouth crashed down over her swollen lips. Sunny moaned low in her throat, and he absorbed it. His tongue sought hers, as he slid his hand down her body to find her heat. Her fucking wet heat. Lord, she was dripping. Blowing him had evidently turned her on as much as it had wrecked him.

He dipped a finger inside of her and her breath hitched as she pushed against his hand. Gathering her moisture, Austin slicked it up to her bud and made a slow circle. Sunny whimpered, spreading her thighs to give him better access. Austin circled her again, pressing the bud, flicking it to hear that delicious little sound she made when he did. Her excited scent wafted up to his nose enflaming him again. Austin hardened, and she wiggled her soft ass against him.

God, he wanted to be inside of her, but this was for her. Next time he would make damned sure he had protection.

Austin pinched the bundle of nerves and held the pressure. Sunny’s body tensed and she mewled, breathing shallowly, her opening flexing as if wanting to feel his stretch. Austin went rock hard. Sunny whimpered, shifted until he felt her anus settle right on the head of his cock and he tensed. Did she want him there?

His body went slack—no they needed protection for that too—and lube.

His fingers rolled her bud, and Sunny hummed, wiggled her ass against him faster. He kissed her deeper, applied more pressure and she screamed, her body shook and she stiffened. He pulled his mouth from hers, dragging in breaths he held her until the tremors stopped then hugged her to him fiercely.

“That was some determination, Sunshine,” he said kissing the top of her hair.

“What’s that noise?” she mumbled into his chest.

Austin shrugged, listened to the storm raging outside, but then he heard it. A faint siren that raised every hair on his body. A TORNADO siren! Adrenaline surging through him to mix with the endorphins flooding his veins, Austin shoved Sunny off of his lap just as tones went off from the kitchen where’d left his radio earlier.

Chapter Seventeen

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Without speaking, Sunny scrambled into her clothes as Austin pulled on his shorts. He ran for the table, jerked up his radio, and spun the dial until he found the weather channel. Several long blasts of a whining siren preceded the mechanical voice which confirmed there was a tornado warning for their county. Weather spotters indicated a twister was actually on the ground cutting a two-mile swath through the adjoining county.

It would be on them in fifteen minutes.

Ice water flowed through Austin’s veins when he saw Sunny run to the front door. He dashed over and grabbed her arm. Her whole body was shaking. “Baby, we can’t leave yet. It said shelter in place, so we need to find a closet or something. We’ll head to the station as soon as we get the all clear.”

“The only thing I’m going to find is my son and mother,” she said frantically as she pulled her arm from his grasp. “They’re on opposite ends of town, she’s at the church and he’s still at school.” She twisted the knob, but tensed. A tremor not unlike the one that racked her as she came moved through her, followed by a whimper. “Unless he’s already on the bus toward home.” Sunny turned to meet his eyes, and her groan twisted his gut. “What if he’s already on the bus?” she asked breathlessly, her eyes glazing over.

“Sunny, we have to keep our shit together. People are depending on us, including your family.” Hail pinged against the window pane in the door, the wind roared, and Austin’s heart stopped. Grabbing Sunny’s arm, he all dragged her toward the bathroom. “If we don’t keep safe until it’s over, we won’t be helping anyone.” Going to the tub, he yanked down the shower curtain, then pushed Sunny inside the tub. He put his radio back on the station channel.

“Hunch down, so I can cover us,” he growled, and she curled up, her body shaking like a leaf in the storm outside. Austin stepped into the tub, leaned over her quaking body then covered them both with the shower curtain. Their heated, quick breaths mixed under the plastic, the terrified sweat from Sunny’s body soaked through her shirt to coat his skin, and sickness boiled in Austin’s stomach. But he had to keep focused to protect her, not show his own fear because it would just make Sunny’s worse.

The siren outside was louder now, telling him the one closer to the house had been activated, while the radio chattered with reports of damage to their south—near Billy’s school. Fear sliced through him, but hearing that the crews were organizing gave him an ounce of comfort. Braden would get them going, or he hoped he would, because Austin and Sunny were staying put until the danger passed. Austin closed his eyes and prayed. For them. For her mother. For Billy. Please, God, keep them safe, keep us safe.

Love and fear swelled up in his chest until it overflowed into his throat choking him. If something happened to any of them, he’d die. He’d want to die.

Oh, God—did that mean?

Yes, it did.

As unlikely as it was, he loved Sunny Gleason and her family as much as his own. Missing his own family, visiting them like his mother had been wanting him to do, had even become secondary to helping Sunny and her family. Helping Sunny find her stride at the station, helping her mother fix her roof, being the house husband she didn’t have, helping Billy learn to pitch a baseball—all of it. With their accomplishments, their progress to becoming whole after each suffering through horrible circumstances, came deep inner satisfaction for him.

That was love, any way you sliced and diced it. Showing love was much more important than the words in his opinion, and Austin had no idea he’d been doing that. And he wanted a lifetime of it. But now that he realized it, he only hoped they’d survive so he could talk to Sunny. They hadn’t ever dated, had only had sex twice, but he loved her.

The wind screamed outside and the bathroom window rattled, the house creaked and shuddered. Heavy thuds sounded on the roof, scaring the shit out of him because he worried one of the rotten trees in the yard would come through it at any second. That roof was bad anyway, that’s why he’d been up there trying to patch it for them. He imagined every new shingle he’d laid was in the yard now, but he’d gladly put them on again, if they just survived.

Then a rumble shook the house, his ears popped and Austin knew the worst was yet to come. He heard Sunny’s teeth rattling, and bore his body down on hers, gritting his own teeth. A long ripping sound preceded his hair feeling like it was being pulled out by the roots. Jamming his feet against the tub, he wedged himself there, every muscle in his body fighting the suction trying to pull him up. The shower curtain flew away, and Sunny screamed, but he could barely hear it over the roar as shards of wood and debris pelted his back, and he focused on holding on.

The deafening roar lasted probably ten seconds, but it felt like a lifetime, and his ears rang when it finally stopped. His breath came out in a rush, and heart still pounding, Austin lifted his body off of Sunny or tried to. Something heavy weighted down his back though.

Turning, Austin saw it was part of a splintered roof rafter, and with a grunt, he lifted it then tossed it aside. He got out of the tub, and found Sunny still curled in a ball, her body shaking so badly he thought she’d splinter too.

Putting a hand on her back, he rubbed. “It’s safe to get out now, baby. It’s over.”

Looking up at the sick, green color of sky through the crisscrossing boards that were the only thing left of the roof, Austin knew it might be over for them but someone else was now facing the fury. The radio chatter confirmed that. They needed to get to the station—and find out where Billy and Pauline were. Sunny’s mother was probably still in danger if she was on the north side.

“C’mon, Sunshine, you’ve got to get up so we can go find Billy and your mom,” Austin said, taking her limp, dust-covered arm to pull her up. When Sunny didn’t move, when he found she wasn’t shaking anymore his heart stopped and he leaned in to put his hands under her arms and drag her out.

“Wake up, baby!” Austin shouted, as if that would bring her around. His hand shook as he felt for the pulse in her clammy neck. A slow, steady thud tapped his fingers and Austin finally breathed again. Shoving his fingers into her hair he searched her scalp for knots or blood, but found nothing, and the knot finally slid down his throat. Running his hands down her arms, he searched for any sign of injury, then finished his assessment at her ankles. He pulled her out of the tub and across his lap, then gently rubbed her sternum with his knuckles.

The final ratchet of tension left him when her eyelids fluttered, and she sucked in a gulping breath. Her hand shook as she lifted it to his cheek.

“We’re alive,” she said with amazement in her gravelly voice.

“Yes, we are and we need to go find Billy and Pauline,” he replied gruffly, standing to set her on her feet on the rubble littering the bathroom floor. Austin leaned down and grabbed the radio from the tub. Keying the mic, he said, “We’re alive, but the house is gone. On our way to the station.”

“Tell Sunny that Braden says Billy is safe. The bus stopped at the station when the sirens went off, and all the kids and the driver sheltered here. We didn’t get any damage.”

Sunny let out a long whimper, and grabbed Austin’s arm when her knees went weak. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “Any word on the Baptist church near the county line?” he asked, looking down into her eyes.

“Spotters reported in and the funnel fizzled out before it got there.”

“Ten-four. We’ll be there to help soon.”

Sunny slid her arms around his waist and tilted her face to kiss him. “I’m so damned glad you were here with me,” she said, then tiptoed to kiss him. “I had no idea what to do.”

“Sure you did. You just froze for a minute. You had Billy and Pauline on your mind,” Austin replied, kissing her again.

“No—I froze—a firefighter, especially a Chief or Captain, can’t do that in a crisis. It’s a programmed response for you, instinctual for you to take control, but I just figured out I’m not cut out for it, Austin. I’m withdrawing my application for the Chief’s job.”

Anger sizzled down his body to his toes. “You can’t do that after how hard you’ve worked to get it. That’s just stupid, Sunshine. You said it yourself that you and Billy need you to be Chief.”

“No, Billy and I need me to be happy. That’s something that came from my counseling sessions, and I’ve been thinking about it. The Chief’s job won’t do that, being a firefighter doesn’t do that for me at all.”

“What would do that for you then?” Austin asked confused, and more than a little frustrated.

“Being a nurse. That’s always been my dream, and I’ve found an accelerated program for paramedics that would make it quicker. Paying for school and supporting us will be tough, there will be sacrifices, but I’m going to do it.” The fire in her eyes, the passion there, lit one inside of Austin and his arms tightened around her. “Nearly losing my life has made me realize life is too short to be anything but happy.” She laid her head on his chest and kissed the area over his heart and a shiver worked through him.

Yes it was. “I love you, Sunny Jane Gleason. I want to keep protecting you, loving you for the rest of my life. That is what will make me happy.”

Sunny gasped, and her eyes flew to his.

“And Billy too—I love that kid,” Austin said, his voice trembling. “And your mom.”

Her eyes filled, and she laid a hand on his cheek. “You’re already Billy’s hero, and although you’re the most abrasive, irritating man on earth most of the time, I love every damned minute of grief you give me. It’s about time someone did, according to my uncle.”

“You love it when I call you on things? You talked to Silas?” Austin asked with a disbelieving laugh.

“Yeah, last week when you stood on the ground heckling me and laughing while I tried to haul that sack up the stairs. He told me to suck it up and appreciate a man with the balls to challenge me to be better. And he was right. That’s exactly what you do, Austin McBride, and I love you for it.” Sunny held forever in her bright blue eyes as she tiptoed again to press her mouth to his. The radio squawked, and she tensed. Falling back on her heels, she immediately turned for the door. “Get your ass in gear, cowboy. We have people to save.”

Epilogue

‡

“God, I’m nervous for some reason,” Sunny said, an excited shake in her voice.

Austin laughed, and squeezed her waist as he guided her inside the almost empty auditorium. It was empty, because they were almost two hours early for her graduation. Sunny had woken up at five a.m. and had been a bundle of nerves ever since. Even their very intense, and extended round of lovemaking in the shower hadn’t taken the edge off of her nervous energy.

If anything, it made things worse. At least it helped him hide the fact he was probably even more nervous and excited than Sunny was today.

Austin stopped, put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. Maybe a little positive reinforcement would help, he thought. “Have I told you lately how damned proud I am of you?” he asked, meeting her worried blue eyes to emphasize his words. “You have nothing to be nervous about. This is your moment to shine, Sunny, so bask in the light, sweetheart.”

She huffed out a breath. “But when I get that diploma, I have to start working at the hospital. Foxy is not going to make it easy on me.” Worry narrowed her eyes, as she stiffened. “Hell, I almost didn’t make it through clinicals because of her.”

“She was only trying to make you better. You said it yourself,” Austin reminded, although he thought that Foxy should go back to school herself to improve her people skills. The number of times that this strong woman in front of him had come home from school almost in tears had ripped his damned heart out. He wanted to go to the E.R. and confront Foxy himself. Find out exactly what her motivation was to crush those who worked or trained with her.

He grinned, and gave Sunny a wink. For some reason that always seemed to calm her down. “Another thing a very wise woman told me once is anything worth having isn’t easy.” Austin fought a shiver as he remembered that turbulent day eight months ago when Sunny said that to him, and how an extremely good day had turned horrific in a matter of minutes. How lucky they both were to be alive to celebrate this moment. “You were determined and you made it happen, sweetheart, so be proud and don’t forget it.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Sunny said with a giggle, putting her arms around him to squeeze.

Austin’s arms closed around her to hold her tight. God, he loved hearing that sound bubble from her full lips. Hearing this woman, who’d been through so damned much get to this day laugh, was an accomplishment even bigger than her graduating from nursing school today.

“Momma is so damned excited to be back in her house,” she mumbled into his collar where she snuggled her face. “She’s so thankful to you and the guys.”

“That’s what firefighters do, baby. I told you that.” Austin shrugged. Rebuilding her mother’s house hadn’t been easy. Most of what was left after the tornado was kindling. But the town, as well as its residents had pulled together to help her when they found out she was uninsured. The local lumber mill had donated wood, the hardware store nails and other building materials. And every one of his men, new and old had banded together to help rebuild the town. He was so damned proud of them too. “It gave us something to do on our off days and downtime.”

Pushing back from his chest to meet his eyes, Sunny sighed. “You keep saying that, but you’re being entirely too humble. Don’t you know how freaking amazing you are, Austin McBride? Do you have any idea?”

Not until he met this woman, and she told him every day. God, he loved her, and he loved his new job. Austin was finally happy—happier than he’d ever been in his life. The intensity of her eyes, the warmth of the love and admiration flowing into his body from hers pulled emotion up to his throat, and he cleared it. “No, won’t you tell me again,” he said with a laugh. He would never get tired of seeing that look of awe in her eyes. How in the hell he’d earned it, Austin would never know.

“You are an amazing Fire Chief, better than I could have ever been, an unbelievable role model. Your heart is as big as this state, and I am so damned grateful you came into my life,” she said, her voice vibrating with intensity.

“You forgot amazing lover,” he added, with a wink. “Can’t forget that.”

Her eyes narrowed and sparked. “Good Gawd—you are a conceited bastard aren’t you?”

“You just said I was humble. And a god in bed.”

She slapped his shoulder. “You are a god in bed, but you know it, and that’s the problem.”

“How’s that a problem?” Austin asked with a laugh, loving her frustration.

At least the nerves seemed to be sidelined for a few minutes. And he loved teasing her. Loved tasting her more though, he thought, lowering his head, tilting it to press his mouth to hers. Sunny moaned, as she slid her hand over his shoulder to cup his neck, draw him in closer. Austin savored her mouth, deepened the slow, sweet kiss, told her with his mouth how he felt.

When her calf rubbed his, and she leaned into circle her hips, Austin’s body jerked to attention and he knew it was time for him to end the kiss. Either that or he would be sitting with a hard-on through this ceremony. A perpetual state for him around this woman who kept him in a constant state of arousal she seemed to enjoy.

Loosening his arms, he stepped back and she frowned. His eyes traveled down to the crotch of his jeans and she gasped. When her eyes met his again they were dark with need.

“I could help you with that problem, Chief. I’m sure there’s a bathroom around here somewhere,” she said, licking her lips before they curled into a smile that made him harder. That mouth of hers was an amazing thing. “That might help me to get over these nerves too.”

“Didn’t help you this morning,” he growled, fighting the urge to take her up on her suggestion. “And your mother and Billy will be here soon. We need to save those seats up front for them, your uncle, Foxy and Jolie, and the rest of the row for my family.” Every one of his brothers, his baby sister and his mom and dad were coming. After Austin had taken Sunny and Billy for a visit to meet them, his family had fallen in love with this amazing woman he loved too.

God he was proud of her, so damned proud.

Sunny let out a long sigh. “Yes, sir,” she replied, her shoulder slumping.

A thrill snaked down his spine, and zipped right to the end of his painfully hard dick. Those two words were now a part of their sex life, and Sunny seemed to enjoy torturing him with them at moments like this. She loved torturing him period. With a growl, he jerked her back to him and his fingers dug into her ass to hold her there.

“Maybe we will find that bathroom,” he growled, her nostrils flaring when he gripped her tighter. “So, I can spank your ass for teasing me.” A shiver worked through her body, and shook him too.

“Yes,” she whispered, on a hot breath, leaning in to lick his earlobe, her hard nipples raking his chest through her thin wrap dress.

With a final squeeze of his fingers, Austin pushed her away, adjusted himself and huffed a breath trying to relieve his frustration now. “You wearing underwear?”

Sunny shivered, looked around the auditorium at the few people who held seats on the fringe, then back at him. “No, sir…you told me not to,” she grated, the white line around her lips showing the tension in her body.

Austin smiled, but it felt more like a snarl he was so fucking turned on right then. “Good girl…I’ll reward you tonight.”

Her long legs ground together at the knees as she shot blue fire at him with her eyes. Leaning in close, her scent teased him as she growled, “I don’t want to wait until tonight.”

“Welcome to hell, Sunshine,” Austin replied with a wide grin, as he took another step back. Good, she was just as frustrated as he was now, she deserved to be. “Let’s go get those seats, before it fills up,” he said, reaching in to grab her hand. “I want to be up front so I can see up your skirt.”

“You’re the one who needs his ass spanked,” Sunny growled, as she walked beside him.

Two hours later, Sunny stood behind her classmate Sharon on the stage. The heat under the black robe she wore, the pressure of being up on this stage, the hot lights that bore down on her from overhead, made her feel like she might just pass out before they called her name. The nerves in her stomach curled and dragged her light lunch up to her throat, and she swallowed hard. How in the hell was she going to give a speech, when she couldn’t even manage a decent breath? Valedictorian? Was her professor nuts? She wasn’t a valedictorian, Sunny Gleason was an idiot for working her ass off to get that last half-point bonus on her exam to beat Sharon out for the honor of being named valedictorian.

Watch what you wish for.

Sunny’s eyes slid to Austin and the pride and confidence in his eyes flowed into her. Her shoulders lifted, and her stomach settled. Sunny had more than she ever wished for, more than she ever knew she could have. Because of Austin McBride. The man had come into her life like a wrecking ball, torn her up and rebuilt her into a woman she didn’t even recognize these days. A woman she was proud to be, that her son was proud to call mom. Her eyes slid to Billy who sat beside him looking like a miniature version of Austin in his black felt hat, and shiny boots.

There was not a man on earth that Sunny would want her son to be more like. And Billy was becoming that man with every day that passed having Austin as a role model. How in the hell did she deserve to be so blessed?

“Sunny Gleason,” her professor announced, and jerked her attention back to the podium. Her heart raced, and her legs shook as she took tiny steps toward the podium. The tassel that hung over her eyes shook as badly as her knees. Professor James smiled as he reached for it, and transferred it to the back of her cap. He took her hand, and shook it as he handed her the diploma. “Congratulations, Sunny,” he said loudly, then leaned in next to her ear. “I expect to see you back soon to enroll in med school. I’ll write you a letter of recommendation.”

A tremor rocked her, as shock seized her heart. Med school? Good, God—Sunny was just happy to graduate nursing school.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, her voice as shaky as her insides. With a final smile, Professor James stepped aside and waved her to the podium. Sunny wasn’t sure she could make the two steps to get there, but somehow she did. Laying her diploma down, she cleared her throat, but her voice froze in her throat when she looked at the massive, expectant crowd.

A loud, shrill whistle split the air, jerking her attention to the front row. To Austin McBride, who used two fingers to indicate she should focus on him. His eyes transferred calm to her, and Sunny’s stomach settled, that lightheadedness subsided and her throat relaxed. Austin smiled, and she did too. God, she loved that man.

She held his gaze and somehow remembered her speech about following your passion, instead of settling for what was easy. She even remembered to thank everyone on the list she’d made that morning, but forgot on the kitchen table when they left, which accounted for part of her nervousness when she took the stage and discovered that.

Sunny saved her last thanks for last. The most important. “And finally…thank you to Chief McBride for being a pain in my ass, pushing me to my breaking point, tearing me down and then rebuilding a much better version. If the fire thing doesn’t work out for you, sweetheart, you might try construction. And I’m not saying that just because I love seeing you shirtless on a roof,” she added with a giggle, and the crowd went wild with wolf whistles, and applause. Austin had not only helped rebuild her mother’s house, for the last eight months he’d been having a small house for them built on property he’d bought without telling her. That is where he proposed to her last night, and given her a graduation gift to boot—her own horse.

Austin was the only gift she needed in her life. She would never need anything else.

When the roar died down Sunny smiled, held Austin’s eyes, and hers burned as she twisted the engagement ring he’d given her around her finger.

“Thank you for saving me, cowboy. I love you.”

The End

If you loved Where There’s Smoke (A Cowboy Way Novella), please consider leaving a review.

And also check out the other books in my Cowboy Way series:

Hope for Christmas (A Cowboy Way Novella), Just Shoot Me (#1, Cowboy Way), Cowgirl Crazy (#2, Cowboy Way), Cupid’s Cowboy (A Cowboy Way Novella), and Too Hot To Trot (#3, Cowboy Way)

A western romantic suspense series by Becky McGraw:

Texas Trouble Series

Book #1 – My Kind of Trouble (Cassie & Luke)

Book #2 – The Trouble With Love (Sabrina & Cole)

Book #3 – Double the Trouble (Karlie & Gabe)

Book #4 – Looking for Trouble (Jess & Wade)

Book #5 – Trouble in Dixie (Katie & Tommy)

Book #6 – Asking for Trouble (Jazzie & Beau)

Book #7 – Chasing Trouble (Jenny & Chase)

Book #8 – Here Comes Trouble (Terri & Joel)

Book #9 – Worth the Trouble (Roxanne & Ethan)

Book #10 – Royal Trouble (Leigh Ann & Wes)

Book #11 – Trouble With the Law (Veronica & Trace)

Book #12 – Borrowing Trouble (Carrie & Dylan)

New Series – Deep Six Security

A new erotic romantic suspense series featuring ex-military, ex-cop, security specialist and private investigator, Dave Logan, from the Texas Trouble series and his hot men.

Till Death (#1, Deep Six Security)

SEALed Fate (A Deep Six Security/Hot SEALs Kindle Worlds Crossover Novella)

Twisted Honor (#2, Deep Six Security) –coming in August 2015

Hell Bent (#3, Deep Six Security)—coming in 2015

About The Author

A Jill of many trades, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw has been an optician, a beautician, a legal secretary, a real estate broker, web designer, graphic artist, and romance writer. She knows just enough to make her dangerous, and her humor-laced contemporary western cowboy, and military, police procedural romantic suspense novels varied and interesting.

She resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-three years and her dog Abby. Becky is a member of the Romance Writers of America Published Authors Network.

You can contact Becky McGraw here:

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Website:

www.beckymcgraw.com

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Email:

beckymcgrawbooks@gmail.com

Saddles & Soot

Cynthia D’Alba

‡

Copyright © 2015 Cynthia D’Alba and Riante, Inc.

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This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

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Chapter One

‡

Georgina Greyson used her toes to push her porch swing into a lazy sway as she sorted her mail. Today’s bundle contained a mixture of unwanted advertising, store ads, and a couple of bills.

And then she came to the final envelope. Cream-colored, of heavy stock with fancy script writing, she was sure it could only be one thing…an invitation. Flipping it over to check the return address, she wasn’t surprised. It was what she had expected. An invitation to her ex-fiancé’s wedding.

She slid her nail under the flap and pulled out the heavy card with a swirling black font.

Priscilla Eileen Duvall
and

Christopher Joseph Lemon

Request the Pleasure
of Your Presence

Blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, yeah, Priscilla. You got him to marry you. It won’t be all you think it will.

The wedding had been last month. With all of the moving associated with her veterinary internship, the invitation had taken some time to catch up with Georgina through mail forwarding. But still, a month was a long time…. She checked the postmark. Had Priscilla actually mailed this after the ceremony to make sure Georgina knew her ex was off the market? Or maybe Priscilla wanted to make sure her groom showed up before she crowed.

As she’d suspected, the postmark was the day after the wedding.

Georgina chuckled to herself with a shake of her head. She’d dodged a bullet when Chris had dumped her for her best friend Priscilla. Too bad he’d waited until they were standing at the altar to do so. At the time she hadn’t thought herself lucky, positive her life was over, even if she survived the embarrassment. Today, a year later, she was thankful to have avoided what she was sure would have been a matrimonial error of epic proportions. She mentally wished them well and put the card with the rest of the trash to be burned.

Resting her head against the cedar plank back, Georgina pushed off again and set the swing in motion. Whispering Springs, Texas was exactly what she needed right now…a small community and a job guaranteed to keep her busy and her mind off her non-existent love life.

And speaking of her love life, it really was time to get rid of all the pictures and notes and other memorabilia from her years with Chris. Why she’d moved it around with her was a mystery even to her. Most likely it was related to her years in the foster system and her lack of ability to take much with her when she was rehoused from family to family. Now she had a problem letting go.

No more, she vowed as she stood. No time like the present to do a little housecleaning.

Her parents had died when she’d been only two years old, so she had no memories of them. She’d lived with her maternal grandmother until her death when Georgie had been ten. Living on a large farm, her grandmother always burned the trash, something Georgie had loved doing with her. Since then she’d lived in cities where burning her trash really wasn’t an option, not without drawing the cops and fire department to her door. Then again, maybe a cute cop or fireman might have been the answer to her love life drought.

But Whispering Springs was different. She lived outside town on a small farm with just enough acreage to make her feel a little country. No crops to tend, but there was a horse, a cow and a goat to care for during her stay. That was part of the rental agreement, not that she minded. Along with the four barn cats, they gave her some company.

She found the box marked “Crap” in the spare bedroom and hauled it outside to the blackened area ringed with rocks where she assumed previous tenants had burned their trash. Then she gathered up all the newspapers and junk mail that’d been accumulating over the past week. Might as well get rid of those while she was at it.

She found perverse pleasure as she watched the flames lick and then consume the wedding invitation. Fire cleansed, and after seeing the cream-color turn to black ash, she felt the relief of the past being lifted off her shoulders.

Speaking of shoulders, she remembered an old jacket that belonged to Chris in her closet. Heck, yeah. She’d burn that too. And maybe even that pair of running shoes he’d left at her house that’d somehow gotten packed and moved.

The fire burned low and Georgie hurried into the house to grab those items. While there, she found a couple of shirts and a pair of jeans of his that definitely needed to be torched. Collecting the wad of old Chris-clothing in her arms, she hot-footed it back to the now barely-burning fire and dropped everything on top.

Her phone buzzed. She wasn’t technically on-call this weekend but she’d promised Dr. Mabee that she’d be around if an emergency came up. But when she saw the name on the readout, she smiled. Magda Hobbs Montgomery was the reason Georgie had ended up in Texas.

“Hey, girlfriend. What’s shakin’ bacon?”

Magda laughed. “Man, I haven’t heard that in years.”

Georgie returned the laugh. “No one but you would get it. Glad you called.”

“You okay?”

“Oh, sure. Getting settled in nicely.” Georgie went back to the porch swing and sat. “I’m glad I had a few days to get settled before I have to go to work.”

“Where’s Mabee going again?”

“Australia. Some research trip he’s been dying to do, to hear him tell it. Personally, I think it’s just an excuse for an extended second honeymoon.”

“When do you actually start work?”

“Tomorrow. He’s taking me around to meet all the ranchers and cattlemen so they’ll know me if they need to call the clinic.”

“Oh goodie. He’ll bring you by here then. Try to make it about one and I’ll have lunch for you both.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Georgie protested.

“Honey, you know me. I don’t do anything I don’t want to.”

Georgie laughed. “True.”

“Plus I want you to meet Reno.”

“Kind of taken with that husband of yours.”

Magda sighed. “You have no idea.”

The scent of smoke filtered around the side of the house. “I guess I’d better check on my fire.”

“Your what?” Magda shouted. “Fire? Your house is on fire?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. I was burning trash, and a few things that needed to be permanently disposed of.”

“There’s a burn ban on right now. County’s as dry as I’ve ever seen it. You might want to go put that fire out pronto.”

“Burn ban? Seriously? I didn’t know. I’ll–”

The sound of a siren interrupted her. “I hear a siren close by. Guess you’re probably right about putting out the fire. Holler at you later.”

The smoke rolling around from the back of the house was heavier and darker now. Probably those darn running shoes smoldering. Maybe she should have thrown those into a Salvation Army bin. Too late now.

She screwed the hose nozzle onto the faucet at the side of the house and dragged the hose around to douse the fire. The unexpected heat from the growing blaze pushed her back. Somehow the fire had jumped its rock boundary and was eating its way toward the house.

Crap, crap, crap.

She’d begun frantically spraying the hose when a large, red firetruck braked to a stop in front of her house. Three men in tan turnout coats and pants jumped from the truck and scrambled for equipment. Behind the fire engine, five trucks skidded to a stop, red strobe lights on the dashes flashing through the windshields.

“Grab the hose and let’s get it around back,” the tall man from the first pick-up truck shouted. “Buddy, be sure to get the fitting tight this time. We need all the water we can get.” He shoved past Georgie with a gruff, “Move, lady.”

Two firemen raced past her dragging a large hose toward her fire. Good grief. It wasn’t even that big of a fire. Sure, it’d gotten out of its assigned location but she could have handled it with a simple garden hose. What an overreaction. Typical small volunteer fire department.

As that thought crossed her mind, the pine tree close to her bedroom window crackled as fire leapt up into its branches.

The animals! She needed to make sure they were okay.

Whirling around, she raced around the front of the house and approached the shared pasture from the other side of the house. Surprisingly, she found three more firemen there putting out small fires that’d started in the dead grass in the yard.

Running past them, she got to the fence and saw all three animals watching the firemen with a mixture of curiosity and fear. None of the burn paths had led to the pasture, so none of the animals she’d been trusted to protect were at risk. Even the smoke wasn’t as thick over here.

The volume of water the firemen’s hose sprayed was much greater than anything she could have generated with her garden hose. Within fifteen minutes, the fire was out and the men were rolling up their hose to leave.

A pain in the patoot for sure, but no real harm done.

The tall man who’d rudely shoved her out of the way stalked toward her with long strides and heavy footsteps.

“Lady,” he said, his face red with either heat exposure or anger.

Georgie crossed her fingers for heat exposure. She was wrong.

“Are you nuts or stupid?” the man shouted. “You don’t look crazy, so I’m going with stupid. There’s a fire ban right now. That means no fires. At all. For any reason.” He jerked the helmet off his head. Dark wavy hair fell over his forehead. “Well?” he demanded. A pair of chocolate brown eyes glared at her.

“Well, what?”

“Are you crazy or stupid?”

Georgie cocked her fists on her hips and widened her stance, hoping she looked intimidating. Sometimes that worked with her patients. Not with this guy.

“I’m neither, thankyouverymuch. I just got into town. I didn’t know about the burn ban. Sorry. It wasn’t part of the orientation to my house.” She waved her hand toward the white clapperboard house, as if he wouldn’t know which house she was talking about. “Besides, no real harm done. I’m sure I could have put it out with a garden hose.”

The man was a good six inches taller than she, and he took advantage of that stature to lean over her. “You know how a big fire gets started? With a small one. Yours would have spread fast if someone hadn’t seen the smoke rising and contacted us. And ignorance of the ban is no excuse. Any person with a modicum of intelligence would have noticed the parched grass and dying trees around them. Get some glasses, lady, if you can’t see that.”

Ire rumbled in her gut. Standing on her tiptoes, she poked her finger into his chest, which was akin to poking the butcher block countertop in the kitchen. Dadgum near broke her finger. “I’m not stupid. And I’m not blind. And I’m sorry.” She dropped down off her toes. “Thank you for showing up. Am I going to get a fine?”

The corners of his mouth twitched as though he might smile, but the movement went no further. “That’ll be up to Sheriff Singer, but he’s a good guy. He might go easy on you if you explain.” His sexy chestnut eyes squinted into a serious expression. “No matter where you live, always check with the fire department before you burn.”

She stepped back and saluted. “Yes, sir.”

That did produce a tiny smile. The man turned on his boot heel and headed back to the truck. With engines growling, all six vehicles roared back down her drive to the highway. There, they went in separate directions.

She’d never experienced a volunteer fire department response. Interesting would be one word to describe it.

And the head of the response? He’d be best described as intriguing.

*

Tanner Marshall removed his turnout pants and hung them in the back of his truck, along with the coat he’d already stowed. After tossing his helmet on the floorboard, he shut the rear door.

“Glad you were here, Tanner,” Marcie Townsend said. “With the Chief in Virginia at that conference, we’re a little short-handed in the leadership department.”

Tanner grinned at Marcie. Fifty years old with blonde hair and the body of a twenty-year-old model, Marcie had been the heart and soul of the Whispering Springs South Volunteer Fire Department for over thirty years. “Marcie, honey, don’t kid a kidder. Sam may have the title of chief, but you run this place.”

“I know, but don’t let Sam hear that. He’s hard enough to live with as it is.”

Tanner laughed. Sam and Marcie had been married since high school. Their seven kids were now grown and had joined the volunteer department as soon as each had hit eighteen. Those seven were now producing the next generation of volunteer firefighters, the oldest of whom was about five, he guessed.

“Must not have been much of a fire. Y’all got back fast enough.”

“Nah. Not too bad but it was definitely on its way when we got there. Damn place butts right up to my family’s. Lucky for us that Zack was actually out working our cattle this morning instead of being on another ranch.”

“How is your brother?”

“Mean and feisty.”

Marcie laughed. “He’s young. Give him time.”

“I will but it’s hard. You know Dad and Mom left last week for her dream vacation?”

“Of course I know. Your mom drove the RV by here so I could see their home-away-from-home. You think they’ll really be gone for six months?”

Tanner ran his fingers through his damp hair, the sweat making his scalp itch. “No clue. That’s what they said, but we’ll see.”

“Your mom had no qualms about leaving you in charge. You’ll do fine with the ranch.”

“Ah, hell, woman. It’s not the ranch I’ll have trouble with. It’s the twins. I’m sure they’ll drive me to drinking before the year is out.”

Tanner had three younger siblings. At twenty-five, Zack was the closest in age, even though there was a nine year difference. The twins, Dillon and Deborah, were in their final year of high school and, in his opinion, the term “senioritis” had been invented for them. Both of them were too smart for their own good.

“Well, call me if you need anything,” Marcie said as she patted his head. Of course she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his head. “I’ve raised one or two or seven high school seniors.”

Tanner bent down and kissed her cheek. “Don’t think I won’t.”

He turned to walk away when Marcie called after him, “You want me to notify Sheriff Singer to drop by and have a talk with today’s firebug?”

He stopped, his back to the volunteer fire department’s office manager slash secretary. In his mind he saw riotous red curls framing a porcelain face with an upturn at the tip of the nose and vibrant jade-green eyes. Full pouty lips that had tightened into a frown, and then just as quickly, released into a smile formed by full pouty lips that just seemed to beg to be kissed.

Smiling to himself, he didn’t turn around to answer Marcie. The woman had a radar for picking up the most subtle of vibes.

“No. I don’t think so. I don’t think it’ll happen again.”

“But you’ll go by and talk with her yourself?”

Busted.

“I never said the fire was started by a woman.” This time he did look over his shoulder.

Marcie wore a you-can’t-fool-me-grin. She arched an eyebrow. “Seven sons, Tanner. I always know.”

He laughed and, shaking his head, walked away.

*

Tanner parked his truck near the barn and climbed out. The stalls needed to be picked and troughs rinsed out and filled with fresh water. A horse whinnied to him when he entered.

“Hey girl. Be there in a minute.”

A black head popped over the stall gate. She gave a loud snort in his direction.

“You poor, poor momma. Is junior kicking you today?”

He made his way down to Jolene’s stall. The pregnant mare butted her head against his shoulder. He scratched behind her ears, her favorite spot.

“I know. It’s hard being a woman.”

As though agreeing with his sentiment, she nodded her head and then lowered it for more stroking. The pregnancy had gone well so far. Not that he would admit this to anyone, but dealing with a pregnant four-year-old mare made him nervous, especially given Jolene’s dam history.

Heaven help him if he ever had to deal with a pregnant woman!

“Get the fire out?”

Tanner glanced toward the barn’s opening. “Yup. Thanks for the shout.”

Zack walked down the barn aisle to give Jolene a few strokes. “I knew when I saw the smoke from the old Perrone place that you needed to check it out. What happened?”

“A ditz with a passion for burning trash.”

Zack rolled his eyes. “What a lamebrain.”

“You said it.” Tanner nuzzled his forehead against Jolene’s face. “How do you think she’s doing?”

“Jolene? Good, as far as I can tell. What’d Doc Mabee say the last time he was here?”

“That she was the picture of health, but it still makes me nervous.”

“Well, she doesn’t have much longer.”

“Yeah and I can’t believe Mabee will be gone for the delivery.”

“You met the new vet yet?”

“Nope. Mabee said he’d bring Dr. Greyson around to meet everyone before he leaves.”

“Greyson got a first name?”

“George, I think.” Tanner shook his head. “I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s what Mabee called him.”

“Mabee say anything about the guy?”

“Only that Dr. Greyson was an excellent vet and we’d probably not want him to come home from Australia.”

Zack chuckled and then wrinkled his nose. “You smell like smoke.”

“I know. I thought I’d muck the stalls and then take a shower.”

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Zack said with a laugh. “Why don’t I move her highness outside for some fresh air while you freshen her palace?”

Tanner chuckled. “I think Jolene would like that.”

Mucking was one of those chores he didn’t enjoy but it was a reality of ranch life. At thirty-four, he needed to make up his mind about his future. Flying Eagle Cattle Company belonged to his parents, and sure, he could stay here and work with them, but was that what he wanted? To stay under the successful wing of his parents?

Or was it time for him to discover his own path? And if it was, where did he start?

He loved the ranch work. Loved the outdoors. Loved being on horseback. Even loved the smell of fresh hay.

But he also loved the years he’d spent in the Lexington City Fire Department in Lexington, Kentucky. With his experience and education, he’d been approached by the Whispering Springs City Fire Department about joining them on a full-time basis. But he’d come home a couple of years ago to help his parents with their growing cattle business, not take up firefighting again. Joining the city fire department would put him too far away from Flying Eagle to be much help on a daily basis.

He dumped a load of horse manure into the wheelbarrow as he continued to think. The pressure to make long range plans weighed him down. He was a man who liked to know where he was going, when he was going and with whom.

He didn’t have to make a life plan today. Until his parents return, he was stuck here, not that he minded all that much. It gave him time to study his options and maybe make a plan for the future.

One aspect of his future remained hazy…the wife component. He hadn’t had a long term girlfriend since his mid-twenties. Frankly, lately he had gotten bored with the whole dating scene. He was ready to settle down with one woman. Build a life. Have kids, dogs, a white picket fence. The whole shebang.

The image of a smiling petite, red-headed firebug with flashing green eyes poking him in his chest flashed into his mind.

He shook his head. Nope. Anyone but her.

Chapter Two

‡

Seven a.m. The twins were running behind schedule, as usual. Tanner cupped his hand around his mouth. “Move it, guys. You’re going to be late for school.”

“I’m coming,” Deborah yelled down the stairs. “I can’t find my red boots. Do you know where they are?”

“In my room,” Dillon shouted. “You left them here last night when we were doing homework.”

“Oh. Right. Thanks.”

Tanner shook his head and went back to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. Wrangling teenagers had to be worse than wrangling cats. If nothing else, this experience was making him a true believer in birth control.

Birth control. Damn. Did he need to talk to the twins about that, or had his parents already covered the subject with them? He groaned and ran a hand down his face. He was too young to feel this old.

Maybe he needed to rethink his whole setting down with a wife and kids scenario.

Heavy pounding on the stairs announced the twins’ arrival seconds before they hit the kitchen like a couple of category five tornados, swiping food off the table, grabbing books off the counter and running out the door with quick waves and a “See ya this afternoon.” The door slammed behind them and a deafening quiet fell over the house.

Tanner rubbed his face again. He was never that loud and rowdy at seventeen, right?

The back door slammed again after admitting Zack. “Thank God the coffee’s hot. We got anything for breakfast?” He dropped into a chair at the table.

“We did. Sausage and biscuits, but a herd of locusts went through and devoured the entire plate.”

Zack laughed. “And that is why Mom always hid a few.”

Tanner hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “In the oven. I wasn’t keeping them safe as much as keeping them warm.”

“Ah. You’re a good bro.” After loading a plate with seven biscuits stuffed with thick spicy sausage, Zack sat again.

“I was never like Dillon and Deb, right? I mean loud and rowdy, and always losing things.”

Zack shrugged. “I don’t remember. I was only 8 when you were a senior. I thought you were the coolest guy in the world, so anything you did was right by me.”

“Awww. How sweet.”

“Yeah, and then I grew up and found out you could be a prick.”

Tanner laughed. “Backatcha, bro.”

His brother swallowed and took a big slug of coffee. “What’s on the agenda today?”

“Well, grocery shopping for sure. Did you get down to the barn yet this morning?”

“Only to let Jolene into the pasture. Poor girl. Her bulging sides make me hurt.”

“So glad the men don’t have to be the pregnant ones.”

The two brothers clinked coffee mugs in agreement.

“So we have mucking and laundry to do this morning.” Tanner blew out a breath. “How did our parents do all this when we were younger? I’m exhausted just trying to remember everything.”

“Don’t ask me. So you want to go to the store or want me to go?”

“Doc Mabee is bringing around the new vet today. I want to be here to meet him. Get a feel of how he is with the animals, you know? So it’s the store for you, mucking and laundry for me. List is on the fridge.”

Zack tilted his chair back on its rear legs until he could snatch the paper under the magnet, then he let the front legs bang back on the floor. He glanced down the paper. “Oh, hell no.” Thrusting the list toward Tanner, he said, “You do this. I’ll wait here for the vet.”

Tanner frowned. “What?”

“I am not going into Whispering Springs and buying tampons for Deb.”

Chuckling, Tanner scanned the items. Sure enough, their sister had added tampons, the brand, the number in the box and the strength she wanted.

“I don’t need to know all that,” Zack said. “Nope. Not gonna do it. Sorry. I have my reputation to protect. She should buy those herself, for Pete’s sake.”

Shoving the paper back at him, Tanner said, “Fine. Get everything else and then when Deb gets home from school, offer your manhood issues to her as the explanation of why you didn’t get what she needed. I’m sure she’ll understand.” The last was stated with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

Zack’s jaw tightened.

“Look,” Tanner continued. “Go through a line with an older woman. She’ll scan those and never say a word. I guarantee it.”

“If I can’t get a date after this we’ll know why.”

Tanner laughed. “Dog. You have trouble getting dates to begin with.”

Both of them knew that wasn’t true. With their wavy dark hair, sun-tanned faces and riveting glossy brown eyes, the Marshall guys never had a problem attracting women. Now, getting rid of persistent women was a whole ’nother problem.

And from what Tanner could tell, Dillon was following their dating legacy. Tanner felt sorry not only for the female hearts Dillon was going to crush, but for the parents of the girls.

When it came to Deborah, however, Tanner would just as soon the boys thought her as ugly as a crone. Yeah, that didn’t seem to be happening either.

Zack drained his coffee mug. “Maybe if I go early enough, there won’t be many customers in the store.”

As small as Whispering Springs was, the odds of that happening were lower than Tanner’s wish that his sister would grow a large wart on her nose to dissuade the teenage boys.

After a grumbling Zack stomped out the door, Tanner started a load of wash. His mother had hired a housekeeper to come in a couple of times a week to keep the dirt down to a bare minimum, but there was always laundry in between.

*

“And of course this is the surgery suite,” James Mabee said, holding open the swinging door.

The room had the look of a standard veterinarian operating room. “Nice,” Georgie murmured.

“I know Janet gave you the nickel tour last week, but I wanted to make sure you were comfortable with the layout before I leave.”

Janet McCaughey was head veterinarian assistant at Whispering Springs Animal Hospital, along with two other assistants and a couple of receptionists.

“And don’t forget that Dr. Brian is available to help with on-call. He might be as old as dirt and swear he’s retired, but he still loves to come down and see patients.”

Georgie nodded. “I met him last week. Super nice guy. And I think it would be awesome to have someone to take night call now and then.”

“Trust me, he’ll enjoy it more than you will. Now, I’ve notified all the ranches that we’ll be coming by today so you can meet them. I have no qualms about your abilities to handle anything that comes up, but this town has never had a female vet, so I thought this might smooth the way.”

“Thanks, I think.” She frowned. “Do you really think any of them are going to have a problem with my gender? Good grief. It’s the twenty-first century.”

Mabee chuckled. “True but remember that many of the ranches and farms are owned by older, well-established families with generations of tradition. Change can be hard for some.”

“Well, welcome to the new world,” she said with a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the old guys love me.”

“I have no doubt,” James said.

They loaded up into the clinic’s mobile vet van and headed out.

“How many ranches are we going to hit today?”

“I’m hoping for ten at least, maybe fifteen. It’s not the number that’s the problem, but how spread out they all are. Some of these ranches are comprised of thousands of acres, so driving from one to the next is time-consuming.”

“Got it. How often do you have to go to the patient instead of the patient coming to you?”

They discussed his usual schedule, surgery on Wednesdays, half-days on Saturdays and such. The time passed quickly and before she realized it, they were turning into the gravel drive of Flying Eagle Cattle Company.

“This place belongs to the Marshall family. Shoot, I guess they only go back two generations here.” He grinned. “One of our newer families.”

The drive, while dirt and gravel, was well maintained. Both sides were lined with fence, and beyond the fence, fat cattle stood under shade trees or belly-deep in the ponds. The grass was wilted, but the cattle that were eating seemed to like it just fine.

As they made the final turn, a large, white, two-story farm house came into view. Well-kept, the house sported fresh paint, a wrap-around porch with oversized rocking chairs and flower boxes dotting all the windows. An ancient oak spread thick limbs over the drive and house providing protection from the baking sun overhead.

A few hundred yards away, a red barn with a tin roof stood with the doors open and straw strewn on the ground. A man with thick dark hair pushed a wheelbarrow laden with straw-infused manure through the barn doors and stopped. After setting it down, he rose to his full height and Georgie realized he was very tall, much like the firefighter from yesterday.

He waved and headed toward the clinic van, a welcoming smile crossing his face.

Georgie’s breath caught. It was the rude fireman from yesterday. What was he doing here pretending to be a cowboy?

“James,” the man said, his hand outstretched. “Good to see you.”

“Morning, Tanner. I told you I’d be bringing Dr. Greyson around.” Mabee turned back toward the van. “Georgie. This is Tanner Marshall. Tanner, this is Dr. Greyson.”

Georgie stepped from the passenger side, rounded the van’s hood and extended her hand.

“I believe we’ve met.”

The smile on Tanner’s face faltered. “You.”

“Me,” Georgie agreed.

Mabee’s face contorted into confusion. “You two know each other?”

Georgie lowered her hand and turned to Mabee. “I had a little trouble at the house yesterday. Nothing serious,” she hurried to add. “Mr. Marshall here came by and gave me a hand.”

Mabee’s hunched shoulders relaxed. “Ah. Then. Good thing you’ve already met, given you’re neighbors and all.”

Tanner Marshall remained mute with his stunned expression in place.

“Neighbors? That can’t be right. The place I’m renting is over on Albright Road. We’re on Marshall Road, right?”

“Correct,” James said and then pointed toward a field with an obviously pregnant mare watching them. “As the crow flies, your place is that way. It butts up to the backend of the Flying Eagle.”

“It’s easy to get turned around,” Tanner said, his first words. “In fact, James, all these backroads to the ranches are mostly not labeled. Might be better if the lady stayed with your city practice and you let old Doc Brian take care of whatever needs doing out here. He knows these roads like the veins on the back of his hand.”

Georgie’s back stiffened. “This lady is a doctor of veterinary medicine. Not only can I handle large animal medicine, I enjoy it. If I need Dr. Brian to cover the town clinic while I’m out here in the country, I’ll be the one to make that determination.”

“Now, don’t get your drawers in a twist,” Tanner said, his tone a little too condescending. “I just meant that it can be easy to get lost on all the unmarked, dirt roads.”

“Not only are my drawers not in a twist, you’re making a huge assumption that I’m wearing any, and that is something you’ll never personally know.”

James Mabee’s head had twisted back and forth between Tanner and her as though watching the championship match at Wimbledon.

“Don’t worry, lady–”

“Dr. Greyson,” she interrupted.

“Dr. Greyson,” Tanner acknowledged. “Your underthings are not of interest. However, the possibility of you burning down my ranch is.”

“Excuse me?” Mabee said, a frown furrowing his brow. “I think I’m missing something here.”

Georgie waved her hand as though swatting away a mosquito. “I had a little fire yesterday and Cowboy Fireman overreacted.”

“Firefighter, not fireman,” Tanner corrected. “A fireman would start the fire. That would be you. A firefighter would control and extinguish the fire. That would be me.”

Georgie rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

The three adults were standing there, all probably trying to figure out what to say when a white truck covered in dirt and dried mud clots came flying into the drive. A younger version of Tanner Marshall jumped out of the driver’s seat.

“You must be Dr. Greyson. Heard all about you in town just now,” he said, walking toward her with his hand extended. “I’m Zack Marshall. I’m the good-looking Marshall.”

Georgie laughed and shook his hand. “I’m Georgina Greyson. My friends call me Georgie.”

“Since I think we’ll be good friends, Georgie it is,” he said, a wide smile brightening his face. “Have you had a chance to meet Jolene?”

“Jolene?”

“God, Tanner. You haven’t even introduced her to Jolene?” Zack rolled his eyes in a dramatic gesture. “Tanner might be the oldest but obviously our parents did a terrible job trainin’ manners into him.” Georgie laughed as the gregarious man tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Let me do the honors.”

They walked over to the corral where a shiny, black beauty watched them. The mare’s sides protruded with an obvious late-term pregnancy.

“Jolene,” Zack said seriously. “This is Dr. Greyson, your new doctor. Georgie, this is Jolene.”

“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Georgie said. “I love her name. Jolene is one of my favorite songs.”

Zack smiled. “My mom’s too.”

“How far along is she?” She glanced back at Mabee.

“She’s got about four weeks left,” Mabee said, joining them at the fence.

“I’m a little surprised to have a pregnant mare under my care at this time of the year.”

“Unusual, yes but not unprecedented. The stud Tanner wanted to use wasn’t available for a spring delivery, we stimulated Jolene into a fall cycle for breeding.”

Georgie nodded. “I’ve studied the concept of doing that, but haven’t ever done it myself. How is she doing?”

“So far, a totally uneventful pregnancy,” Mabee replied.

“Just the way we like ’em,” Georgie said. “I should have brought along some treats today.”

A hand shot into view with a ruby red apple resting in the palm. “Jolene has a passion for these.”

Georgie looked into Tanner’s soulful blue eyes. Her heart flipped over at the care she saw there for his horse.

“She loves apples.” Pulling a knife from his front pocket, he quickly cut the apple into quarters. “But trust me, she’ll use you just for the treats.”

Georgie laughed. “I’d like to go in and examine her.”

Tanner gave a sharp nod and lifted the latch holding the gate closed. “I’ll go with you.”

His deep voice with its southern drawl almost sent her to her knees. Growing up in the wilds of Maine, she’d never heard anything as sexy as the molasses-thick accent of Tanner Marshall.

She picked a couple of quarters of apple and headed for Jolene. “How old is she?”

“Turned four a couple of months ago.”

She nodded. “Good morning, little momma,” she cooed. “How about a little apple for a morning snack?”

Holding out the palm of her hand with the apple quarter, she approached the horse slowly. Jolene’s big eyes watched her with a nervous edge.

“Don’t blame you for being a little leery. I’m a new person, but we’re going to be good friends.”

She kept her voice calm, and as soothing as possible. Jolene held her ground and let Georgie get next to her. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed at the apple before using her teeth to gently lift it from Georgie’s hand. Georgie smiled and ran her hand down the mare’s neck.

“Good girl.” She continued to talk to Jolene in a quiet voice as she felt along the horse’s sides. “Hello, baby.” When she spoke, the foal kicked against her hands. “Active one, huh?”

“The little guy has given his mom lots of kicks lately,” Tanner said. “I think she’s tired of being pregnant.”

Georgie chuckled. “From what I hear, most women are by this time. And you’re going to be a great momma, right Jolene?” She looked toward Mabee. “You got a stethoscope on you? I’d like to check out our little momma while I’m here.”

James pulled one from his pocket. With long strides, Tanner had the scope and was back at her side in seconds.

“Thanks.”

He only nodded in reply.

She listened to both Jolene and her baby’s heartbeats. Both were strong and regular. The foal was active, kicking against the stethoscope bell and producing a loud THUMP in Georgie’s ears. From her initial assessment, Jolene was a strong, healthy mare who should have no problems.

“She’s as healthy as a horse,” she joked.

Tanner didn’t laugh, but she might have seen a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“The foal’s pretty active too,” she added.

“Foal’s been active for a while,” Zack said from the fence. “We might be starting our own line of broncs if that little guy is any indication.”

Georgie laughed.

Before she left the corral, she fed the rest of the apple to Jolene, who gobbled the last three pieces with the enthusiasm she had for the first one.

“Have you set up a place for the foaling?”

Tanner nodded while Zack answered, “Yup. Want to see it?”

Georgie looked at Mabee, who shook his head. “We need to get moving, guys. We’ve got a number of ranches to visit today. I’m sure Dr. Greyson can make it back by before Jolene foals and you can show her the set-up.”

Tanner opened the gate to let Georgie back into the yard.

“I’d love to check on Jolene again,” Georgie said.

“Anytime, Georgie,” Zack said.

“We don’t want to keep you any longer,” Tanner said. “James, good to see you as always. Have a great time in Australia. Dr. Greyson, it was a pleasure to see you without matches in your hand.” He touched the brim of his hat. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to finish my chores.” He started to leave and then turned back. “Make sure we have a direct phone number for Dr. Brian…just in case, you know?”

His last comment knocked her back like a kick from a horse. She’d thought the visit had gone well. Obviously she’d been wrong. It was hard to believe that in this day and time a man as intelligent as Tanner Marshall appeared could let the lack of a penis be the deciding factor of a person’s qualifications.

She and Mabee visited ten additional ranches. Her reception at all of them was friendly, but she got the distinct impression that her abilities as a large animal vet were suspect for most of the men. The women she met were a little more accepting.

“Looks like I’m going to have to prove myself around here.”

Mabee snorted lightly. “I warned you, but I’m not worried. I know you can handle the animals, and their menfolk.”

“I think so,” she said with a laugh.

The only man that gave her cause to worry was Tanner Marshall. And the list of ways Tanner bugged her would fill a notebook.

Chapter Three

‡

Most of what Georgie saw the first week on her own in the clinic were dogs, cats and the occasional turtle. One of the ranches, Trickle Down, had called in Dr. Brian for a colicky horse. Since she had more than enough to do, it shouldn’t have hurt her feelings, but it had stung a little.

“Have you given any thought to what you’ll need on Saturday?”

Georgie looked up from the chart she was reading. Janet, her clinic assistant, was leaning against the office door, a pad in one hand and a pen in the other.

“I usually like to make a list so I don’t forget anything.”

Georgie searched her brain for what Janet was talking about and then frowned. “I am seriously at a loss here. What are we talking about?”

“The county fair booth. Didn’t Dr. Mabee mention that to you?”

“Gosh, let me think.” She rubbed her forehead. “Man. Seems like way in the back of my brain there’s something about a fair but…” She shook her head. “Clue me in. I’m lost.”

“The Whispering Springs County Fair starts on Thursday.”

“Am I a judge or something?”

Janet laughed. “Yeah. The or something. You, a couple of vets from Dallas and a couple of local ranchers are doing the judging for the 4-H animals Saturday morning. Plus, you’re scheduled on Saturday from noon until three to man the 4-H booth.”

“This Saturday?”

“Yup.”

“Well crud. You’ve done this with Mabee before?”

The blonde nodded. “Want me to pull out the same materials we used last year? You can look through them and see if you want me to take anything else.”

“Perfect. Thanks. Remind me to buy you a lemonade on Saturday.”

Janet laughed and left.

Georgie dropped her forehead on the desk…three or four times. This was the one Saturday a month that Dr. Brian saw patients and she was off all day. She’d been looking forward to the down time or maybe taking a horse ride or even sleeping until nine.

By Friday, all her clients were talking about the fair and the animal judging the next day. One mother had hinted that a first place in the sheep division for her daughter could go a long way in encouraging her to pursue animal husbandry. Georgie opted to not respond, other than to just nod and continue on with her exam of the lady’s overweight poodle.

But the verbal hinting was only one subtle reminder that parents had as much stake in these animals as the kids. By the time she left for home on Friday, her car was loaded with three casseroles, a chocolate cake, a blueberry cobbler, a pecan pie, four jars of strawberry preserves, and eight dozen cookies. There was no way she would, or even could, eat all these. She’d be as big as Jolene.

At that thought, she turned her truck toward Flying Eagle Ranch. She could check on Jolene and at the same time maybe unload some of her goodies on the guys. She knew from her staff that Tanner had been left in charge while Mr. and Mrs. Marshall took a long-overdue vacation around the United States.

It’d been ten days since her first visit but the place pretty much looked the same. She crossed her fingers that Zack would be around, not that she was interested in him. She wasn’t. He was a cutie, with a personality to match, but mostly, she wanted not to run into Tanner. Cutie with a personality didn’t begin to describe the oldest Marshall. He was more like a heart-stopping hottie with a sharp tongue and no personality…or at least no personality that she’d experienced.

When she climbed from her parked truck, a dark-haired teenage girl exited the barn.

“Hi,” she called. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Dr. Greyson,” Georgie said. “I thought I’d stop by on my way home and check on Jolene.”

The girl wiped her hands on her jeans. “Deborah Marshall. Call me Deb.”

“Call me Georgie.”

“Georgie. I like that.”

“How’s Jolene?”

“She’s doing great. Tanner is walking her around for exercise. Hold on. I’ll holler at him.”

Before Georgie could say, “That’s okay,” Deb had her hands around her mouth. “Tanner, come here. Bring Jolene.”

“I hate to bother him. Are they far away?”

“Just around back. Tanner’s been getting her used to the foaling area he set up for her.”

Georgie heard the clop-clop of horse hooves echoing in the barn. In a minute, tall, handsome and moody led Jolene into the front yard.

“Georgie is here to see Jolene,” Deb said.

“Georgie?” Tanner’s eyebrows arched.

“That’s what she said I could call her,” Deb retorted in a tone only a teenager could manage.

Tanner turned his gaze to Georgie, making her flinch from his high intensity laser stare.

He tapped the brim of his hat. “Dr. Greyson.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Marshall.”

Deb rolled her eyes. “Good lord. You sound like the people from Downton Abbey.”

“Don’t you have homework, Deb?” Tanner said without moving his gaze off Georgie.

“Yes,” she snapped.

“Why don’t you get to it?”

“Fine,” she huffed, whirling around, her long ponytail swinging. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

“Wait,” Georgie said. “Before you go. I’ve been inundated with casseroles and desserts all week. New doctor in town and all that. Think you guys might take some of it? There’s no way I can begin to eat it.”

“Sure,” Deb said.

“Check my backseat,” Georgie said. “Leave the cookies!”

The teen hurried off to the truck.

“We’re not a charity, Dr. Greyson. I can feed my family.”

Georgie whipped her gaze back to Tanner. “I never thought you couldn’t, but with you and your siblings, I just thought you all might enjoy some of the home-cooked meals. Like I said, most of it would go to waste at my place.”

“You wanted to see Jolene?”

“Just in the area and I thought I’d check on her. Any problems?”

Tanner shook his head. “No. Don’t expect any either.”

“Who was the sire?”

“Blue Rocket, from Halo M Ranch stock.”

She thought for a minute. “One of the Montgomery ranches?”

Tanner nodded. “Travis. Runs the best horseflesh in the area.”

The entire time they’d been talking, Tanner had been running his large hand along Jolene’s neck with long strokes. The horse shivered to the touch and shook her head. Georgie knew how the horse felt. She wanted to shiver just watching the gentle caresses.

“As long as I’m here, why don’t I take a quick look at the little momma-to-be.”

She moved closer to the horse, which put her much closer to one of the hottest, and most infuriating, cowboys she’d ever dealt with. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his elbow exposing tanned flesh and thick forearms. Every time he moved his arm, beefy muscles made their presence known. What was it about well-developed forearms that made her lose all her professionalism?

When she leaned down to press the bell of the stethoscope to Jolene, she discovered the position gave her a front row seat to study the worn denim of Tanner’s crotch. She liked how the material molded over his assets. She’d be willing be wager the backside would cup his ass just right. And—

“Is something wrong?”

Georgie startled. Hells bells. She’d forgotten to listen to the foal’s heartbeat. She held up one finger for silence, listened briefly and then stood.

“Nope. Nothing’s wrong. Momma and baby are doing great.”

The lines at the corner of his overly-sun-exposed face deepened as he glared. “Are you sure? You were listening for a long time.”

She stroked Jolene’s side. “I’m sure.”

Not like she could confess that she’d gotten distracted by his, um, jeans.

“Anything else, Doctor? I need to get back to work.”

“Nope. Enjoy all the casseroles.”

He gave her a single nod. “Thanks.”

*

Saturday morning, Georgie hit the alarm multiple times, trying to stay in dreamland a little longer. All night her dreams had been filled with a large, hot hand stroking her flesh. Fingers that had been roughened from work fondled her thighs. Thick, sculpted forearms that held her. A deep and uncomfortably familiar male voice whispered dirty, suggestive acts he wanted to do to her body. At one point, an orgasm hit her so hard she woke herself when she cried out.

She rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling. Good lord, what a night. Obviously it’d been too long since she’d been with a man. For the past year she’d been totally focused on her career. Before that, she’d had Chris in her life, but now that she could see the past clearly, she could see that he hadn’t been there for her for a long time.

This stop in Whispering Springs was only for four months. Georgie wasn’t looking for everlasting love. However, a good friend with benefits situation might help the time pass.

Her treacherous mind immediately flashed a picture of Tanner Marshall. She shook that off and climbed out of bed. Tanner Marshall was not her friend. In fact, she was pretty sure being around her was a thorn in his butt.

She turned on the shower. Oh well. Another day, another dollar. She couldn’t worry about what one guy thought of her.

“Move it a little higher on the right side,” Tanner said. Winston Clark, the volunteer firefighter working with him at the county fair information table scooted the edge of the Whispering Springs Volunteer Fire Department banner up an inch.

“Like that?”

Tanner nodded. “Yeah. Looks perfect.”

Winston tied off the sign and hopped off the ladder to stand back and admire the banner. “I do good work,” he said.

Tanner checked his watch. Eleven a.m. “When are the rest of the crew getting here?”

“They’re here,” Winston said and pointed across the aisle.

Three volunteer firefighters were hanging a banner that read A Healthy Animal is a Happy Animal. Tanner groaned when he saw who was directing the work. None other than Dr. Firebug, herself. And damn if she wasn’t looking like Dr. Feelgood today. Dressed in a casual shirt and a pair of tight jeans that were tucked into cowboy boots, there was no question why his guys had headed across the aisle. Then she laughed at something Coy Rivers said and threw her head back, her long, curly red hair swinging just above her nice, round ass.

Tanner gritted his teeth. He didn’t have time for this kind of distraction.

“Be right back,” he said to Winston.

His boots had a loud clump as he stomped across the aisle. “Excuse me, men. If you don’t have enough to do at your own booth, I’m sure there are water hydrants around the county that can be checked today.”

Checking water hydrants was a punishment job, right up there with washing the entire firetruck by hand…alone.

“No, sir, Tanner. Dr. Greyson was having a little trouble getting her banner straight. Just being neighborly.”

“Fine. The banner’s hung. Hustle your asses back to your own spot.”

The three firefighters gathered up their tools, grabbed some cookies from the tray on the table, said their goodbyes and hustled across to the fire department booth.

Once they were out of earshot, he said, “I don’t mind lending my guys if you need help but I would have appreciated being asked first.”

Her mouth opened in an O, and then her eyes narrowed. “Look, Mr. Marshall, I didn’t ask the guys to come over. They volunteered. What was I supposed to do? Say no to three hunky firemen who want to help me?”

“Firefighters.”

“Sorry. Hunky firefighters. Of course not. They haven’t been over here but about five minutes so get the stick out of your ass.”

Tanner leaned against the table separating them. “Do I need to check your area for matches or any type of fire accelerant?”

Her mouth curled into an amused grin. She snapped her fingers. “Matches and gasoline. I did forget to bring something.”

He stood and chuckled. With a touch of his fingertips to his brim, he said, “Good day, Doctor.”

She nodded and turned her back to pick up a stack of flyers for the table. He had clearly been dismissed but he stood there admiring the denim covering her bottom before he left. With a silent wolf whistle in appreciation, he went back across to his area.

“Rivers. You’re first in the dunking booth, followed by Brown and then Jeffers. Enjoy, boys.”

All three guys groaned. The volunteer fire department was always short on funds. Complete fire turnout equipment ran close to ten thousand per man. Some departments required the volunteer to supply his or her own equipment. The Whispering Springs Volunteer Fire Department supplied a complete suit for each firefighter but lately, there’d been a lot of sharing among the team. This meant that instead of keeping the equipment they would need in their personal vehicles so they could respond directly to a call, some of the guys had to go to the station first and get what they needed. That slowed response time to a call dramatically. Tanner and the Chief were working together to raise more funding. They’d secured a federal grant that would pay for some, but not all, of what they needed. The fair provided the opportunity to raise additional funds.

Saturday and Sunday, the volunteer fire department was running a dunk tank. Various firefighters were taking turns on the bench. To show that he was in it with his guys, Tanner had even scheduled himself for late in the afternoon. He figured if four or five guys went before him, the novelty would have worn off and he wouldn’t get dunked as much.

“Hi guys,” a tall blonde said. “I’m Janet, Dr. Greyson’s assistant. She wanted y’all to have more cookies as a thank you for helping us get our banner up.” She set a Styrofoam plate of cookies on the table and then quickly picked it back up. “She said that Tanner would have to approve it first.” She looked at Tanner with an arched eyebrow. “Well?”

His guys grumbled threats of mutiny if he turned down the cookies.

“Sure. Thank you.”

She set the plate on the table and the six guys working with him jumped on the cookies as though they hadn’t eaten in years.

Janet turned on her heel and headed back to the 4-H area where the delicious doctor was kneeling in front of a small boy while he petted a kitten she was holding. The child giggled and almost swooned into Georgie Greyson’s lap.

Georgie. What a horrible name for a woman. No way could he ever murmur a masculine name like Georgie during sex.

Not that it mattered in this situation. He wasn’t going to have sex with Georgina Greyson. Hell, he didn’t even like the woman. Granted, she had a rockin’ body with curves that begged to be stroked and hair so thick he could almost imagine it sliding down his body, but no.

Not just no, but hell no.

He knew all about women who put their jobs before their families. Women like Dr. Georgina Greyson. Women like his last three girlfriends. That he was attracted to her was totally irrelevant. He was looking for someone for the long term, not someone here on a stop between moves.

No. He wanted more than she could offer, so no reason to start something that had an expiration date.

*

Georgina could not believe how fast her stint in the 4-H booth passed. This morning, at the last minute, she went by the clinic and picked up three kittens and two puppies who needed homes, not that she would let them go today. Anyone who wanted to adopt one of the babies could come to the clinic on Monday and fill out the paperwork. The kittens and puppies had been a magnet for children and their parents.

As the end of her time in the booth neared, she ventured another glance across the straw-covered aisle. The firefighters had drawn a large crowd of people as they discussed fire safety and smoke alarms. She couldn’t help but notice the shocking number of young, attractive women who seemed enthralled with everything the firefighters had to say. Georgie would bet her last dollar that half of the women didn’t give a flip about fire safety. They did, however, seem to have an appreciation for the men doing the demonstrations.

What she couldn’t figure out was why some of the firefighters left the booth and came back later with wet hair.

“How’s it going?”

Georgie grinned and pulled Magda Montgomery into a hug. “Man, I have missed you.”

“You too,” Magda said.

“Where’s your hunky husband?”

Magda obviously loved that description of her husband as she beamed when she said, “Over there.” She tilted her head. “He’s talking to Tanner and Zack Marshall. How much longer are you going to be here? Reno has something he has to do for an hour. I was hoping you and I could get out and walk the midway while he’s busy.”

“I’m done,” Georgie said. “I’m waiting for Dr. Brian to come take my place. I’d love to do the midway. There’s so much to see.”

“And so much to eat.”

“Know what I want? A funnel cake. I haven’t eaten one of those in years.”

“Get this. I saw a vendor selling fried butter on my way over here.”

Georgie rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t even sound good, does it?”

Dr. Brian came strolling up the aisle licking a chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream cone. “Howdy,” he said. “How’s the afternoon been?”

“Busy,” Georgie said. “I’m ready to hand it over to you. I’ll be back in an hour or so to get the kittens and puppies to take home.”

“Nah. Don’t worry about them. I’ll take them back to the clinic when I’m done. Any potential adoptions?”

“All of them, I think.”

“Great. Now you two get on out of here and enjoy the fair.”

Magda linked her arm through Georgie’s. “Let’s go.”

“Don’t you need to tell Reno you’re leaving?”

Magda grinned. “Nope. He’s gone.”

Georgie looked toward the fire department booth and sure enough. Reno was gone, as was Tanner…not that she cared if he was there or not.

As soon as they walked outdoors, Georgie’s ears were assaulted with children laughing, people screaming on the roller coaster as it plummeted over the top, parents calling to errant children running down the dirt path, and the barkers trying to lure customers to their games of chance. None of that caught her attention as much as the aroma of hot dogs, funnel cakes frying in oil, fresh popcorn piled into a glass box and the smoke from various barbeque pits around the area.

Her stomach growled. Magda looked at her. “Hungry, much?”

Georgie laughed. “I’m starved. I was running around this morning doing judging and I missed breakfast.”

“Well, before we start on all the junk food, how about something with a little nourishment?”

“You always did take good care of me.”

They found a trailer selling pulled pork barbeque sandwiches with fresh french fries. Ten minutes later, they were full of pork, potatoes, and Diet Cokes. They wandered down the midway dodging running children and teenage couples so wrapped around each other they could have been one person. Finally the funnel cake vendor came into view. Unable to resist, not that they tried very hard, they continued their walk while balancing paper plates of hot, fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar.

“Yum,” Georgie muttered. “I love fried dough, sugar, and grease.”

Magda laughed. “Yeah, who doesn’t?” She took a big bite and then pointed. “There’s Reno. He’s helping out there today.”

“What is he doing?”

“It’s a dunking booth. The volunteer fire department is raising money for equipment.”

“So those are firemen in the booth?”

“Yep.”

Georgie laughed. “That explains all the wet hair I’ve seen today. Look at that line of women waiting to throw balls. Come on. Let’s see who’s on the hot seat.”

They got there in time to see Zack Marshall drop into the water, a big grin on his face. The women clapped and cheered as he climbed out. Georgie could see why. Zack wore only a tiny, barely there, lime green speedo and a smile.

“How’s it going, honey?” Magda said.

Reno gave her a quick kiss. “Great. Zack is quite a hit.”

“So I see,” Magda said. “Making a lot of money for the department?”

“Racking and stacking like we’re printin’ it fresh,” Reno said.

A loud cheer went up as Zack slipped into the water again.

“You realize they’re cheering for his climb out and not his splash in,” Georgie said.

Reno grinned. “Personally, I don’t think his ass is all that cute, but the ladies seem to like it just fine.”

“How much longer does he have on the plank?” Magda asked.

Reno checked the time on his cell phone. “Only a couple of minutes. You might want to hang around. The next one up will be some fun too.”

Before either woman could ask who, Tanner Marshall walked out from behind the tank. Dressed in a pair of board shorts, a tank top and flip-flops, he did not look excited to be going in.

“Tell me Tanner Marshall is next up,” Georgie said, her fingers crossed.

Reno’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “He’s next. Why?”

Georgie didn’t answer but watched as Zack climbed out of the box, throwing kisses to the ladies in the crowd. Then he took a deep bow and left. Tanner climbed onto the bench and scowled at the crowd.

Georgie dug in her purse, pulled out a fifty and handed it to Reno. “How many balls will that get me?”

“It’s three balls for five dollars or seven balls for ten. So…” He paused, doing the math in his head and said, “That’ll buy thirty-five balls.”

“That might be enough,” she said as she pushed the sleeves up on her blouse. “But if not, there’s more money where that came from.”

Chapter Four

‡

Tanner’s heart rate jumped as Georgina Greyson stepped up to the throwing line. Her thick hair rioted around her face as the wind picked up. She shoved it behind her ears and studied the bullseye target to his left as she bit her lip in serious concentration. Then she took aim and threw the ball.

It hit his cage with a loud bang.

He grinned. She couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.

Picking up her second ball, she aimed and fired. This ball went over the top of his enclosure.

“Give it up, sweetheart,” he taunted. “It’s obvious my good looks are distracting you.”

He could have sworn he heard her growl.

Georgie reared back and let her third, and then fourth, and finally fifth balls sail. Two hit his cage–and he wondered if she was aiming for his head instead of the release lever–and the final one landed short.

Really, he should have kept his mouth shut but it was just too much fun to watch her get red-faced and flustered when he goaded her.

“With your tiny hands and petite size, you’ll never get the ball to the target. Just give up while you’ve got some dignity left.”

Reno stacked five more balls in front of her.

She licked her lips. He fixated on her tongue as it flicked out and back in. A spark of lust ignited in his gut. Where did that come from? He wasn’t attracted to Georgina-call-me-Georgie Greyson. She wasn’t his type at all. He liked his women tall, blonde and experienced. She was petite, red-headed, and, as uptight as she was, he questioned if she’d ever had sex more than once.

Balls six and seven hit his cage, the ground and finally, nothing as the eighth ball sailed over the top.

He laughed. “Your lack of prowess is gathering quite a crowd. I do believe your city roots are showing.”

Balls nine and ten hit the cage directly in front of him. Yeah, he was pretty sure those two had hit where she’d aimed them.

His brother came strolling out from where he’d dried off and changed clothes. Zack’s grin grew as balls eleven and twelve missed the target.

“You’re still dry?” he shouted up at Tanner. “That’s no fun at all.”

Zack headed to where Georgie stood behind the pile of balls. He held out his palm. “Give me a couple. I’ll help you drown his ass.”

She shook her head. “Nope. I want to do that myself.”

Zack whispered something into her ear.

“No fair,” Tanner protested. “No coaching.”

“Nothing in the rules about coaching,” Zack said.

“What rules?” Reno said.

Georgie repositioned herself behind the line, moving a little more to the right. Zack got behind her, checked her aim and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Go get him,” he said.

The kiss shot a flame of anger through him. Zack should not be kissing Dr. Greyson. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t…he never got to finish his thought. Suddenly the wooden seat beneath him swung down and for a fraction of a second, Tanner was suspended in air. Then he dropped heavily into ice cold water.

The freezing liquid hit him like a wooden bat. His feet hit the bottom and he stood. As tall as he was, his head was easily above the water level.

In the midway, Georgie was dancing and hollering, “I got him! I did it.”

Around her people were cheering her on.

Tanner shook the hair out of his eyes, jerked his board shorts back up to his waist and climbed back onto the seat.

A lucky shot.

Except it wasn’t. The next ball hit and down he went again. And again, she jumped around in an excited dance and the crowd cheered.

After the fourth time she dropped him, she’d stopped dancing and was looking a little bored.

“I’m done,” she said to Reno.

“You bought more balls than you’ve thrown.”

“Keep ’em and keep the money. I got more than my money’s worth.”

She looked up at Tanner, and for the first time addressed him. “Mr. Marshall. Thank you for the best time I’ve had in a long time.” Then she had the audacity to give him a saucy wink and blow him a kiss. She linked arms with Magda, who gave Reno a kiss, and then the two women walked off.

The woman might be the most irritating female Tanner had ever met, but that didn’t stop him from admiring the swing in her hips as she walked away. Georgina laughed at something Magda said, the sound carrying to him over all the fair noise. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard her laugh but he realized that she’d never laughed around him.

For some reason, that gave him pause.

“How much longer have I got up here?” Tanner shouted to Reno.

“You’re done,” Reno said.

“No way,” Zack said. “I want a shot at him.”

“Sorry, squirt face,” Tanner said. “You missed your chance.” He climbed out of the cage before Zack could grab a ball.

*

“Tanner?”

He looked up at the speaker over his head. “Yeah?”

“Supper will be ready in about forty-five minutes.”

“Thanks, Deb. Be up shortly.”

The intercom squawked and fell quiet. He loved and hated that damn thing. Way back before every man, woman and child had their own personal cell phone, his mother had insisted his father install it so she could call him to the house. So from that perspective, the old system still came in handy.

However, once when Tanner had been in high school, he’d worked long and hard to get Tanya Jo Allen into the barn loft. Things were just getting hot and heavy when his father knocked loudly on the barn door and entered. Seemed that Zack had turned on the intercom. Tanner and Tanya Jo had been the evening entertainment until his parents got a good listen to the new radio show.

Now that he thought about it, Tanya Jo never went out with him again.

He chuckled and ran a brush along Jolene’s bulging side. Probably a good thing his dad had come in that night. Otherwise, Tanya Jo might have had a bulging belly like Jolene.

The crunch of tires on gravel drew his attention. He set the brush on the shelf. “Be right back,” he told Jolene.

Georgina Greyson was climbing out of her truck when he walked out.

“Evening, Dr. Greyson. Bring any baseballs with you tonight?”

She laughed. The sound stopped Tanner in his tracks.

“Don’t you think it’s time you dropped the Dr. Greyson, Tanner? After all, I’ve seen you in a wet T-shirt.”

A niggle of amusement tickled him. He smiled. “I think we can do that. What can I do for you this evening?”

“I was reading over Jolene’s file at the office. I didn’t see a note about late pregnancy vaccinations for tetanus, Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis and influenza. Seeing as how the clinic records are as tidy as any records I’ve ever seen, I assumed no notation meant these hadn’t been given. Any reason?”

Tanner shook his head. “It’s on my to-do list. Just hadn’t gotten to them.” He frowned. “Why are you so interested in my horse?”

“I have a serious thing for horses. That’s all.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Really? I’m thinking my wet T-shirt from this weekend has whipped you into a lust frenzy.”

She burst out with a loud hoot of laughter from deep in her gut. Her arms wrapped around her waist, she bent over and continued to laugh.

“Sorry,” she said, her words choked. “I mean, yeah. That’s why I’m here.”

“What’s so funny?” Zack asked, walking down from the house.

“Nothing,” Tanner replied. “Georgina is here checking on Jolene.”

“Tanner!” Deb hollered.

All three adults turned toward the house where Tanner’s sister held up a phone.

“Fire,” she yelled. “South’s Ridge.”

“Okay. On the way.”

“Chief is looking for Georgie. The fire’s near Reeves’s farm. Chief said might be some injured animals.”

“Tell him I’ll bring her,” Tanner said.

“I’ll follow you in the mobile clinic.”

“I’ll go with Georgie to make sure she doesn’t get lost,” Zack said.

His brother’s suggestion turned Tanner’s stomach sour.

“No,” Tanner said. “I’ll get my turnouts and ride with her. You follow in my truck.”

Zack opened his mouth as though he was going to argue, but after studying Tanner’s face and then Georgie’s glare, he nodded and headed off.

“You don’t have to ride with me,” she protested. “I can follow you or you could have let Zack show me the way.”

“It’s no problem.” He was lying. Being in close quarters with the curvy doctor was definitely a problem, but he didn’t want his brother to get too attached to the lady vet. First, she was older than Zack, and second, she was a short-timer in the area. If he let Zack get involved, he’d only be hurt when she left town.

So really, he was doing this for Zack’s own good.

“Fine then,” Georgina said with a shrug.

She appeared to be as thrilled as Tanner to be in a closed space together.

“Deb, you and Dillon stay here. Stay off the phone and off the radio in case I need to reach you,” Tanner ordered.

Deb saluted with a sarcastic grin. He would never survive his little sister’s senior year. Thanks Dad and Mom.

He hurried to his black truck to get his gear.

*

Georgie’s heart rattled with nerves. Not because she was going to be alone in the truck with Tanner. She could handle that…she was pretty sure. But she hated the thought of animals being burned in a fire. And it wasn’t just the damage from the burn that could be the problem. Smoke inhalation could kill just as quickly.

As she waited for Tanner, she began scanning through her brain for everything she’d ever been taught about treating animal burns. And then she said a silent prayer she wouldn’t need any of that information today.

Her driver door snapped opened and Tanner leaned in. “Let me drive.”

“Nope.”

“It’ll be faster.”

“You’ve never seen me drive. Now get in the passenger seat or get in your truck. Your choice.”

He slammed her door and stomped around the front of the truck. A smile desperately tried to crawl onto her lips but she fought back the urge and gave him a serious don’t-mess-with-me look.

“So? Where?”

He huffed a cuss word under his breath as his truck passed with a pair of red lights flashing on the cab’s roof and a loud siren blaring from somewhere on the vehicle. Zack waved and she pulled in behind him. Within minutes, the equipment in the truck was rattling as she hit seventy down the gravel road.

“He’s driving too slow,” Tanner grumbled. “And turn on your emergency flashers.”

“We’re doing seventy and my flashers are on.”

“I should have driven.”

That dadgum smile climbed to her face again, so she bit her lip. The last thing she needed was to poke the angry tiger beside her.

“Zack is driving as fast as is sane on this road.”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. “How old are you?”

The question was snapped at her like a wet towel. “What?”

“Easy question. How old are you?”

“Thirty-one.”

“Hmm. You look younger.”

“Um…thanks?”

“Zack is only twenty-five.”

“Um…okay.”

“You realize that you’re too old for him.”

That almost made her slam on the van’s brakes out of astonishment. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re thirty-one. He’s twenty-five. You’re too old for him.”

She chanced a glance in his direction and answered his frown at her with one of her own toward him.

“I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about. Hold on. Zack’s turning.”

She slowed to sixty for her turn and wheeled the truck onto a paved road…finally. Zack pulled away from her and she increased her speed accordingly.

“Zack’s a great guy,” Tanner continued, “but he’s not right for you.”

“Not right for me? Really? And why is that?”

“I told you. You’re too—he’s too young for you.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve lost your mind. Are you seeing a doctor for these delusions?”

“Watch out here,” he said. “There’s no shoulder and the bank in the road is totally wrong.”

She slowed slightly as they went into a curve. As he’d warned, it was a difficult curve to take. When she hit the straightaway, she punched the gas again.

“How much farther?”

“About ten miles.”

She nodded and concentrated on her driving. However the Zack’s-too-young-for-you discussion annoyed her and she didn’t know why.

“So,” she began, “you think Zack is too young for me. Did you have another man to throw in my path to distract me from my evil intentions with your baby brother?”

Did he just growl? She would have sworn he did.

“Wait. Are you throwing yourself at me to save him? Oh gosh, Tanner. I’m just so flattered.” She glanced over, batted her eyes at him and then looked back at the road. Luckily they were on a straight stretch. If they weren’t driving almost ninety, she might have taken the time to study the interesting cuts and angles of his high cheeks or maybe the slant of his nose which suggested he’d broken it sometime in the past.

And then again, lots of time could be allocated to staring into his semi-sweet, chocolate morsel eyes. Since chocolate chip cookies were a mainstay of her diet, his eyes held the potential to draw her into a hypnotizing haze.

All the more reason she should not look over again.

“Don’t be,” he said in a gruff tone, totally blowing the lust out of her eyes. “I’m not volunteering for the job, but if I did, I can guarantee you that I would make the thought of any other man disappear from your brain.”

The smile that’d threatened for the past ten minutes pushed onto her lips. A laugh bubbled up and out, popping the mounting tension in the van.

Before she could respond, black smoke and orange flames leapt over the hill in front of them. In response, Zack had slammed the truck to stop and pulled to the side of the road. Georgie did the same.

“Damn. Hold on. Let me call the chief.” Tanner pulled out his phone.

Chapter Five

‡

Zack climbed from the truck and walked back to the van. Georgina rolled down her window.

She tilted her head toward the passenger seat. “He’s on the phone with the chief,” she said.

Tanner ended his call with, “Yes, sir. If you think that’s where we’re needed.”

“What’s the deal?” Zack asked.

“Chief wants you to go on up to Happy Acres farm. There’s a team there that needs some help.”

Zack nodded. “Okay. Where you guys going?”

“Reeves’s Ranch. Got a problem with a horse there.”

“Know what kind of problem? I just sort of like to know what I’m getting into.”

Tanner shook his head. “Chief said Mrs. Reeves was screaming into the phone so he wasn’t sure. Zack, go on. I’ll catch up with you later either up on the ridge or at home.”

“Stay safe,” Zack said.

“You too,” Tanner said.

Georgina turned the van around and headed back the way she came. Tanner held on to the door as she took curves at breakneck speed. He didn’t know where she’d learned to drive, but he was impressed with her ability to control the van at such high speeds…not that he was going to mention that.

Pointing to a dirt road about a quarter of a mile ahead, he said, “Turn there.”

The sudden deceleration rocked his head forward. He held tight as she swung the lumbering vehicle into the Reeve’s driveway and flew up the narrow lane, spitting rocks and dirt behind her.

Becky Reeves was middle-aged with graying hair, an extra seventy-five pounds and the look of the woman hanging by a thread. As they parked the van, her already pale face grew a few shades lighter.

“I probably shouldn’t have called,” she said wringing her hands. “My husband is going to be upset with me.”

“What’s the problem, Mrs. Reeves?” Tanner asked.

“I asked the chief to send Doc Brian. Tommy is not going to like this.”

Tommy was her husband—rumored to be the most sour and unpleasant man in the county. Reeves was always right, no matter how wrong he was.

“Dr. Brian isn’t available, Mrs. Reeves,” Georgina said. “I’m Dr. Greyson. How can I help you?”

Tanner noticed the calming tone of Georgina’s voice. She took a couple of steps toward the fretting Becky Reeves and touched her arm.

“The chief said you had a problem. Something you needed a vet for? That’s why I’m here.”

“Oh, Tommy isn’t going to be happy with me. He…” She looked at Georgina and blushed. “It’s just he don’t believe any woman should be doing a man’s job.”

Georgina nodded. “I understand. I really do. But I’m here. I can help.”

Tanner had to restrain himself from grabbing the foolish woman and shaking some sense into her. Her husband had filled her brain with some total nonsense.

“Mrs. Reeves,” he said. “I know you and your family just moved to the area and you don’t know me but I bet you’ve heard of our family ranch, Flying Eagle Cattle Ranch. Right?”

She nodded.

“And you know I’d never let anything happen to my family’s cattle or horses, right?”

She nodded again, this time drawing her thumbnail to her mouth to chew on the cuticle.

“Then trust me when I say Dr. Greyson is one of the best animal doctors I’ve ever seen. She’s the only one I trust with my mare, who’s going to foal soon. Only her. She’s good. Talk to her.”

The woman, obviously scared of her husband’s ire, licked her lips. “The fire was coming fast. A few sparks got carried in the wind. One of them hit Pablo and startled him.”

“Pablo?” Georgina asked.

“My son’s horse. Pablo is young. The sparks scared him and he ran.” She gulped in a breath. “He’s caught in a barbed wire fence.”

Georgina nodded. “Okay. We need to get to him so I can check him out.”

Mrs. Reeves’s gaze shifted around the yard, finally landing on the drive. “Maybe I’d better wait for Tommy to get home.”

Georgina took hold the woman’s forearms and turned her. “Mrs. Reeves. I need to check on your horse now. Not two hours from now. Not twenty minutes from now. I need to see how much damage he’s done and how much blood loss he’s had. Do you understand?”

The woman nodded and her face was a study in fear.

“Tell you what, Mrs. Reeves,” Tanner said. “You tell Tommy I forced you to let the female doctor examine Pablo, okay? It’ll all be my fault.”

She swallowed loudly and then nodded. “Yes. Okay. Follow me.”

Georgia grabbed a bag of medical supplies and hurried after Mrs. Reeves and Tanner.

“Wait, y’all,” Georgina called. “Don’t rush up on Pablo. I don’t want to startle him.”

She caught up with them at the gate. “Who’s with him?” Georgina asked. “Anyone?”

“My son. Tommy, Jr.”

“Good. Mrs. Reeves, can you stay back while Tanner and I approach? Horses are so sensitive to humans. I want Pablo as calm as possible and he’s going to know you’re upset about him.”

“Okay.” Mrs. Reeves opened the gate but didn’t walk through with them.

“Can I carry something for you?” Tanner asked. The three bags she had tossed over her shoulders were bulging and appeared heavy on Georgina’s shoulders. Plus, his mother would kick his ass if she saw him empty handed while this petite wisp of woman carried everything.

“No, no. I’m fine,” she insisted. “I’m kind of weight balanced. If you take anything, it’ll screw up the weight distribution.”

She flashed him a grin. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone that you let me do all the heavy lifting.”

A petite wisp with a mouth on her. Funny. She was exactly the type of woman he wasn’t usually attracted to, except there was something about her that drew him.

They made their approach to the gelding slowly. A dark-haired boy stood holding the horse’s halter by the cheek strap. His wide-eyed expression shouted fear and helplessness.

“Hi,” Georgina said in the calming voice he’d just heard. “I’m Dr. Greyson. Are you Tommy, Jr?”

He nodded.

“Can I call you Tommy?”

“TJ. Everybody calls me TJ.”

“Okay then, TJ. You’re doing a great job with Pablo. He seems calm.”

“He’s a good horse,” TJ said. “Don’t kill him.”

Georgina smiled. “I’m not going to kill him. Mr. Marshall…” she indicated Tanner with a tilt of her head, “and I are going to get him out of that wire. And then I’ll have a look at the cuts. Okay?”

The boy’s lips were shaking when he muttered, “Okay. Just don’t hurt him.”

“I’ll be a gentle as I can be with him.”

She and Tanner stood next to the large gelding. He was easily fourteen or fifteen hands. Georgina quietly lowered her bags to the dirt.

“Okay, Pablo. Let’s see what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“What do you need, Georgina?” Tanner asked.

“Get me wire cutters out of bag number two and a pair of tongs. Oh and leather gloves. Those should be in bag one.”

He did as she’d requested.

“Well, TJ,” she said after examining the horse. “This isn’t too bad. You have done an excellent job keeping Pablo calm and still. If you can keep that up, I should have him out of this mess pretty quickly.”

She’d clipped a couple of places and removed the wire when an old, rusted-out truck came flying up the drive, dust kicking up in its wake. A man with dark tanned flesh and black hair climbed out.

“What the hell is going on?” he shouted. “Becky. What the hell is that woman doing? TJ. Come here, boy.”

Georgina caught Tanner’s gaze and then looked toward the man and back. Message received, Tanner said, “I’ll be right back.”

TJ shifted his feet. “Don’t move too much,” Georgina said. “Just keep on talking quietly to Pablo.”

“But my dad…”

“I’ll explain,” Tanner said. “Stay here and do what the doctor says.”

After a final glance at the wire and realization that Georgina was doing a great job releasing the trapped horse, he went back to the gate in time to stop Hector Reeves from coming in.

“Mr. Reeves. I’m Tanner Marshall.”

Reeves snarled. “I know who you are. Git that woman away from my horse.”

“That woman is Dr. Greyson. And your horse is wrapped in barbed wire, which Dr. Greyson is removing piece by piece.”

“Ain’t no woman doctor good enough to take care of horses and cattle. She needs to be caring for puppies and kittens, and such. Becky,” he shouted. “Call Doc Brian.” He looked at Tanner. “We need Doc Brian, not some chickie playing at being a doctor.”

“First, Dr. Brian isn’t available to come,” Tanner explained. “And second, Dr. Greyson is more than qualified to work with your large animals. In fact. She’s very good with them. And most importantly, Dr. Greyson is here and making progress.”

Reeves huffed his displeasure and remained silent. For the next few minutes, they watched as Georgina snipped and removed heavy barbed wire from around the horse’s left rear leg. Pablo lifted his left leg and stepped free, and TJ wrapped his thin arms around the horse’s neck. Georgina said something that they couldn’t hear from where they stood but the boy nodded and retook hold of the check strap.

“What’s the fool woman doing now?” Reeves asked.

“I suspect cleaning the damaged area.”

Georgie waved at them, and Reeves shoved the gate open with a loud crash. Tanner was tall with a long stride but he had to stretch his usual gait to keep up with the man who was charging across the pen.

When Reeves reached the horse, he dropped to his knee to examine the wound.

“Nice job,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Thank you, but honestly, it was your son who had the foresight to keep the horse calm and still until help could come. Without TJ, I fear Pablo might have panicked or fought against the restraint. In that case, those barbs could have sawed into the flesh much deeper. As it is, Pablo has some cuts, but nothing that won’t heal. Keep them clean and he will be fine.”

“Bah,” Reeves said. “I knew that damned demon wire needed to be replaced but I just haven’t had the time.”

“Tell you what,” Tanner said. “Why don’t I bring a couple of guys over here tomorrow and we’ll give you a hand. Between three or four of us, we’ll get this restrung in no time.”

“Why would you do that?” Reeves asked. “You don’t even know me.”

Tanner put his hand on Reeves’s shoulder. “Because that’s what neighbors do.”

After Georgina made sure the Reeves family understood what care needed to be given to Pablo, Tanner and she loaded into the clinic van and started down the drive. His cell phone rang before they got to the road.

“Tanner.”

“Fire’s under control,” the chief said. “Everything okay at the Reeves’s place?”

“Horse wrapped in barbed wire but Dr. Greyson got him out and everything’s fine.

“Great. Go on home. We’ll have the rest of the fire knocked down in a few minutes.

“You sure? I can head that way.” He glanced at Georgina who’d stopped at the highway waiting to see which way she needed to turn. She nodded her agreement that they could head toward the fire if they were needed.

“I’m sure.”

“Okay then. See ya when I see ya.” He pushed the phone back into his front pocket. “We’re good to go home. Fire’s almost out.”

She shrugged. “Okay.” Turning onto the highway, she glanced at him. “The vaccinations for Jolene. Do you have them or do I need to do that when I get you home?”

“I don’t have them, so sure. Go ahead.”

“Hey,” he said. “You did a good job back there.”

“You mean for a girl?” She shot him a grin. It hit his gut with the intensity of a flaming arrow.

“Yeah.” He laughed. “Better than your baseball throwing.” He winked which made her giggle.

“Ain’t it the truth.”

*

Soot-covered and smelling like a chimney, Zack rolled in about thirty minutes after Georgina left the Flying Eagle.

“You stink,” his sister said.

“Ah. You’re just beggin’ for a hug.” Zack reached for her.

Deb wiggled free from his grasp and ran screaming out of the kitchen.

Tanner chuckled. “She’s right. You do smell somethin’ awful.”

“You want a hug too?” Zack grinned, his teeth looking whiter than normal with his sooty face.

“Nope. What I want is to eat dinner without inhaling smoke with every bite. Deb and Dillon held it for us.”

“I’ll grab a shower and be back in two shakes.”

Tanner shook his head as Zack left for the shower. What the boy didn’t realize was that it was going to take more than one good soaping of his body and hair to get that fire scent removed. Tanner had been on more fire runs than Zack was old.

“Is it safe?”

Tanner glanced up to see his sister’s face peeking around the door frame. “He’s gone. It’s safe.”

“Phew,” she said. “His scent remains.”

He chuckled. “Turn on the attic fan. I’ll open some windows and we’ll pull fresh air from outside.”

They did, and it helped…some. The strong smell of charred wood and grass hung in the sky.

After dinner, the twins headed up to do homework while Zack took off for Leo’s Bar. Tanner turned down Zack’s invitation to go along. He’d done the bar scene back in his twenties. Lexington had provided numerous avenues for partying but now, drinking and bar hopping felt like he was regressing in life rather than moving forward.

But his days as a single Lexington firefighter had been memorable…at least the ones he could remember.

He lifted a beer to his lips. Yep. Those had been some fun days.

Hmm. Had Deb or Dillon remembered to put Jolene up for the night? Sure they had some time before her expected delivery but none of his family really understood how special Jolene was to him.

Jolene’s dam had died only a couple of weeks after delivery, requiring a team of volunteers to pick up the mothering duties for the orphan. He’d volunteered, mostly because there had been a cute horsewoman making the request but also because he’d been a little homesick for the Flying Eagle. As it turned out, Jolene had bonded with him over all the other volunteers and he ended up spending a great deal of time with her. The cute recruiter turned out to be married to the sire’s owner and he became friends with the couple. When Jolene turned six months old, he bought her, having no idea what he was going to do with her.

The sire’s owners let him keep Jolene at their farm and Tanner worked with her daily. When Tanner’s parents asked him to come home, he did, bringing a two-year-old Jolene with him. He’d ridden her up to about six months into her pregnancy and while he knew he could continue to ride her, he felt like she deserved a little spoiling, so he’d insisted no one on her back and lots of love and attention until she delivered.

He headed out to her pasture to see if she was still out, which she was. She immediately started toward the fence as soon as she saw Tanner. He would have sworn she was smiling. Of course it was his imagination, but there was a definite twinkle in her eyes.

“Hey, girl. How you feeling?”

Jolene put her head over the rail to get the strokes she felt she was due, or maybe it was the apple in Tanner’s pocket.

He scratched behind her ears and gave her long strokes around her neck. “You are looking like you’re going to pop.”

Jolene nudged him as though either agreeing or pointing out that her current condition was his idea.

“Brought you something.” He pulled the apple from his pocket. She took it whole and chomped down. “Ready to head up for the night?” he asked as he opened the gate to the corral. “Come on.”

Jolene headed toward the opening. Without encouragement from him, she headed into the barn and down the aisle, waiting outside her stall for him to open the door.

“Sometimes I think you’re just too smart.”

As though agreeing with him, she entered her stall and turned around.

“So tell me, what do you think of the new lady vet? Kind of cute, isn’t she? And smart too. But I’ve got to tell you, Jolene, the woman’s got a smart mouth on her.” He chuckled to himself. “She not my type at all, you know? But there’s just something about her.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

Tanner startled. His head snapped toward the voice. Zack was leaning against the wall in the stall next door.

“Don’t let me interrupt you,” Zack said. “Your and Jolene’s conversation was just getting interesting.”

“Jackass.”

Zack laughed. “So you think the new doc is interesting, huh? So do I.”

“She’s too old for you.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dr. Greyson. She’s too old for you.”

Zack’s expression took on a look of intense interest. “I don’t know.” He deliberately rubbed his chin. “She’s a looker, for sure. And as you yourself said, she’s smart. And heck, I’m pretty mature for my age.”

Tanner rolled his eyes.

“And now that I think about it, veterinarians make pretty good money. I’ve never thought about a sugar momma but now…hmm.”

“Mature, my ass,” Tanner said.

Zack howled. “She’s all yours,” he said in between chuckles.

“I never said I wanted her,” Tanner protested. “Besides we don’t even like each other. And what are you doing here anyway? Thought you’d headed to Leo’s Bar.”

“Am. Just had something I needed to do before I left. Invitation to come along is still open.”

“Thanks but no thanks. Been there. Done that.”

“Have the T-shirt,” Zack completed.

“Exactly. Got some reading to do.”

“Reading? Man, when did you get so old?”

Tanner flipped him off, which made Zack grin.

“Don’t forget we’re moving cattle in the morning.”

“Is that your old man way of telling me to not stay out too late?”

“Nope. Just my way of telling you that you’ll be in the saddle by five in the morning. How crappy you feel is totally up to you.”

After Zack left, Tanner headed back to the house to make a few phone calls and do some research on foaling webcams. The more he read about them, the more he liked the idea of putting one in the foaling area and maybe a couple of other ones around the barn. It would save him a lot of legwork at night, and maybe even some worry during the day, if he could log on and check on Jolene.

And he hated to admit it, but it would probably impress an almost impossible-to-impress lady vet he knew.

What confused him was why he was trying to impress Georgina Greyson.

Chapter Six

‡

Georgie loved Whispering Springs. The town was quaint with a unique charm all its own. She’d been able to shop for just about anything she needed without making the long drive to Dallas. The people in the town had been warm and welcoming, and for the first time in her life, she felt her first itch to put down roots. Too bad Mabee had been looking for a temp when he hired her and not a partner.

Texas was a huge state. She was fairly certain she could find another town just as appealing, whether in Texas or somewhere else. One of the advantages of no family was no need to worry about anyone but herself. One of the disadvantages, however, was just how alone in the world she always felt.

What she’d discovered in Whispering Springs was that the people she met and befriended wouldn’t let her feel alone. Tonight was an excellent example. Friday night and she was meeting some people at Leo’s Bar and Grill for drinks. The group was a mixture of men and women, all single, all out to have a good time. The sad thing was she wasn’t much of a partier. The ear-splitting music, harsh lighting, and loud voices usually produced a migraine within an hour. Her favorite fantasy was to go home after a long day to a warm shower, a cold beer, and a hot man. Was that too much to ask for?

A hot man popped into her head and she tried to shove him away. Tanner Marshall. Whenever she saw him, places inside her that she didn’t know existed began to tingle. She didn’t dare look in a mirror around him out of fear her cheeks would be flushed with lust. She sort of hoped he thought she used too much cheek blush.

The intercom on her desk squawked. “Dr. Greyson. You have a call on line three.”

“Thanks.”

She punched the line. “This is Dr. Greyson.”

“Hey, Doc. It’s Tanner Marshall.”

Her heart rattled around her chest. She hadn’t seen him since when she’d given Jolene her shots.

“Everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” he replied. “But I’ve got something to show you.”

She frowned. “Show me? Are you here?”

He chuckled. “Nope. I’m at home. You near your computer?”

The laptop screen was bouncing balls from corner to corner since she’d let it go to sleep.

“I am.”

“Great. Get on the internet and enter this address.”

“Hold on.” She brought up the internet and then said, “Okay. I’m ready. Remember I’m typing, so go slowly.”

“Enter this.”

He rattled off an address for Flying Eagle Ranch and then a specific page. Thankfully, he went slowly and when she hit enter, a webcam link opened. Tanner stood in front of the camera, a phone to his ear, Jolene standing behind him.

“I see you,” she said, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. “What’s this?”

“Well, seeing as you having to come all the way out here to check on Jolene, I thought I’d make it easier. I installed this camera so you can see what’s going on with her without having to come over.”

“Oh.” She swallowed against the lump rapidly growing in her throat.

“Great, huh? You’ll have a front row seat to Jolene’s foaling.”

“It sure is.” The enthusiasm in her voice sounded as fake as it was.

“Well, mark this page so you can find it.”

“I’m doing it as we speak.” Scalding tears welled in her eyes.

“Talk to you later.” He waved to her through the camera and then hung up.

Her office door stood open and she hurried around her desk to close it. Once it was locked, she slid to the floor, her knees bent. She rested her forehead on her knees as the tears she’d been fighting won.

This was mortifying. Not the crying, but that she’d been such a pest to Tanner that he’d felt it necessary to buy a webcam to keep her away. She’d thought she’d seen a couple of grins and had even gotten a couple of jokes from him. The idea that she might be getting under his skin a little had crossed her mind. Well, she had gotten something…gotten on his nerves.

She wanted to sit here and die.

“Georgina. Dr. Greyson.” Her assistant Janet knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just taking a little breather.”

“We’re done for the day. Floors mopped. Phones transferred. All our boarders have been walked and fed. Is there anything else I need to do before I leave?”

“Can’t think of a thing.” Except just shoot me for being an idiot.

“Joe will be in at ten to walk the dogs. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Okay. Busy day tomorrow? Does Dr. Brian need me to come in?”

“Nope. Actually quite light for a Saturday. You enjoy the weekend off.”

The clinic grew quiet as everyone left. The alarm on her cell went off reminding her that she was to be at Leo’s in fifteen minutes for drinks. She didn’t want to go but that didn’t matter. Shoving to her feet, she pulled her hair out of her eyes. She was going. If she didn’t, she’d sit at home all evening reliving her embarrassment over the foaling camera.

As she opened her desk drawer for her purse, she noticed the webcam was still broadcasting. Tanner was gone. Jolene was eating and looking content. She watched for a couple of minutes but Tanner never reentered the picture. She powered off the laptop and stowed it in her case.

She was going to be late to Leo’s but that was fine. Her splotchy face required a stop at her ranch for makeup. At the last minute, she opted to change clothes too. Tight jeans, boots and a low vee necked blouse made her look sexy, even if she didn’t feel particularly sexy at the moment.

As she’d been told, Leo’s was hopping when she arrived at seven. Live music had pulled in people from all over the county looking for a good time.

“Georgie! Over here.”

She turned toward the voice and waved at Tina and Delene, two of the townspeople who had adopted her into their circle. To her surprise, Magda let out a loud whistle using her fingers. Georgie laughed, and her world righted itself.

“So glad to see you,” she said to Magda, giving her a tight hug. “You too, Reno.” She giggled when he made a big show out of dipping her backwards over his arm to kiss her cheek.

“Oops,” Reno said. “I forgot my wife’s here.”

Magda slugged his arm.

“Ouch,” he said, rubbing where Magda’s knuckles had connected. “Now I remember.”

“Will you get us some beers, honey?” Magda said. “Georgie looks parched.”

“Sure. Be right back.”

Reno headed off toward the bar while Magda dragged Georgie into the knot of people. Tables had been pulled together. Chairs dragged over. There must have been twenty or more people crowded around the area. Georgie’s head swam with all the faces and greetings. Some of them she knew, like Tina and Delene, and some she didn’t. But they all greeted her like a long lost friend.

“So, you still enjoying the work?” Magda asked after they found seats. “I still can’t believe you’re Dr. Georgie.” She laughed. “It doesn’t seem right.”

“You and me, both,” Georgie replied. “And yes, I love the work. I can’t believe how fast the time has flown.”

“Tell me. You’ve been here almost a month and I’ve hardly gotten to see you. You getting settled in okay?”

“Yep. I’m loving it here. Small, low stress and friendly, even if some of the ranchers can’t believe a, and I quote, ‘wisp of gal like me can shove her arm up a cow for pregnancy testing,’ unquote.”

Magda grinned. “Seen that done a few times. Ick.”

Georgie chuckled. “You get used to it. Where’s your hubby? I’m dying of thirst.”

“If I know him, he’s run into someone he knows and is chatting.”

“You look happy.”

Magda’s face glowed as she said, “I am disgustingly happy. I’m talking chirping birds and little red hearts happy. I don’t think I ever thought something like this was possible.”

“I know what you mean. I am so jealous.” Georgie bumped her shoulder against Magda’s.

“Well, you can’t have Reno.”

Georgie laughed. “Really? No sharing, huh?”

“Nope. Great. I see him winding his way through the dance floor.”

“Good. After the afternoon I had, I could use a cold one for sure.”

Magda frowned. “What happened?”

“Long story. I’ll tell you later.”

“Look who I ran into,” Reno said.

Tanner Marshall stepped to Reno’s side. “Ladies.” He touched the brim of his hat.

Georgie’s stomach flopped over and fell to her knees. Her heart clacked noisily in her ears.

“Tanner. What a nice surprise,” Magda said. “Is Zack here also?”

“Of course. What’s a Friday night for Zack if it doesn’t include a good party somewhere?” Tanner’s gaze moved to Georgie. “Georgina. Good to see you. I think this is yours.” He handed a beer to her.

She took the bottle, careful to not touch his fingers. She was rattled enough. Touching him might send her right off the cliff.

“Thanks.” She pulled a long draw off the bottle. “Man. That tastes good.”

Tanner dragged up a chair and put it next to her. “Don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

She shrugged. “I don’t do this often. It’s not really my scene.” She tried to ignore Tanner’s sexy, masculine scent. Involuntarily, she leaned closer to take in another whiff. Woodsy. Subtle. Very alluring.

“Mine either,” Tanner said, which pulled her out of her olfactory heaven. “Zack sort of nagged on me until I came along. If it was up to me, I’d be home reading.”

“Really? Reading what?”

“Probably a cattleman’s journal. Maybe a good mystery. What about you?”

The vision of her in a steamy shower with a hot Tanner naked and playing all sorts of dirty games ran through her mind. What started as a trickle of lust bloomed into a gush quickly. Her gut became a furnace, funneling heat down to the junction of her thighs. Her face grew warm under this stare. “Uh, probably watching a movie or catching up on my professional journals.”

“You look flushed. Are you hot?”

Yes, but not in the way he’s thinking.

“I’m fine. Probably the hops in the beer.” Okay, she was making that up. She had no idea if hops make you flush, but she hoped he’d just let the story lie.

A look of confusion flashed across his face followed by a smile. She was so busted.

“If you say so,” he said. “How’d you like the foaling camera? Pretty slick, huh?”

The gulp of beer she took hit her lungs instead of her gut. Sputtering and coughing, she waved off his question. What could she say? Apologize for being such a nuisance that he felt it necessary? After he slammed on her back a couple of times—not that that helped in the least—she found her voice.

“Great,” she replied, followed by another cough.

Magda leaned over. “Y’all play nice. I’m dragging my hunk of a husband onto the dance floor.”

Georgie gave Magda a wave as she dragged Reno out of his chair and onto the floor.

Tanner leaned in close. “Well, I have to admit I’m surprised.”

His warm breath tickled her neck and set the tiny stereocilia in her ears into motion. A shiver tiptoed down her spine.

“About what?” She fought her body’s urge to rest against his chest. She just knew it would be hard like granite. Unlike the cold of that stone, he would be warm and so much fun to touch.

Good lord. She had to get herself under control. This man didn’t even like her. She was Reno’s wife’s friend, and she was the current vet. He had to be nice to her, right?

“Reno can dance.”

She twisted in her seat until the dance floor came into view. The music was slow and romantic. Reno and Magda were wrapped in each other’s arms gently rocking to the song.

Turning back around, she chuckled. “You call that dancing?”

Tanner grinned and she almost sighed.

“Not hardly. You line dance or Texas Two Step?”

She was surprised at the question. “Yep. Is this where I admit that I took line dancing lessons at the Y when I was growing up?”

“Really? Want to show your stuff?”

The music had changed to an up-tempo tune.

“You know it.”

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up and onto the dance floor. He put his right arm around her shoulder and caught her right hand. She put her left arm around his waist and they were off, gliding around the floor in perfect synchronization with the song’s beats. Tanner was smooth, spinning her out a couple of times and back in. Each time she landed against him, she caught the scent of laundry soap and starch in his shirt.

And her thought that leaning against his body would be like being supported by a slab of granite? Oh yeah, but even better. He was hard in all the right places, including one that caught her off-guard but made all her female cells want to preen.

It had been years since she’d been dancing, and even more since she’d danced in a cowboy bar. The smile on her face was so wide it made her cheeks ache, but she didn’t care. She was having fun, and she had to admit, it had been a while since she’d let herself go.

As the song ended, Tanner spun her out and back in, but this time he drew her up flush with his body instead of alongside. The impact rattled the air from her lungs, or maybe it was just Tanner who took her breath away.

The DJ heard her silent prayer and a slow, country ballad blared through the speakers. Tanner didn’t ask if she wanted to dance again. He just pulled her tight and began to move them smoothly around the floor.

He had to be a little over six-feet tall. With her standing a whopping five-feet-four-inches, a lot of the hot, hunky cowboy towered over her. Some guys would stoop to accommodate her height during slow dances. She hated that. She always wanted to tell them to stand up.

Tanner didn’t bend to try to fit her height. When he held her, her head rested comfortably on his chest. Right now she could hear his steady heartbeat pounding loudly in her ear. Her own heart was also crashing in her ears, albeit hers a little faster than his. Was she the only one in lust? Or was he having some interesting thoughts about her?

There was no time for those answers or even finishing the song. The DJ abruptly stopped the music for an announcement.

“If I can have your attention. If you’re a member of the Whispering Springs Volunteer Fire Department, you’re needed. There’s a structure fire on Albright Road. Your chief requests all hands on board for this one.”

Georgie pushed away. “My house. The animals.”

Tanner grabbed her arm and looked at her. “Your house?”

She jerked her arm free with a glare. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t leave anything burning at my house. There are such things as electrical fires.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You don’t know that it’s your house, Georgina. There are a number of ranches down that road.”

She shook her head as gas was thrown on her anger fire. “Maybe, but I bet you’re thinking it’s my place, aren’t you?”

A loud whistle shrilled. “Let’s go,” Zack shouted.

“Coming.” Tanner looked at her one more time. “Let’s go.”

“Go,” she said. “Go with Zack. I don’t want to hear you or see you right now.”

Without waiting for a response from this irritating, self-righteous man, Georgie ran from the bar, along with a good portion of the patrons. Lord, do not let this be my house. She’d never live it down.

But even as she raced toward her house, she couldn’t remember leaving even one electrical item on. Certainly no candles. The stove was electric but let’s be honest…she didn’t use it that much unless you count storing the bakeware in there.

The drive, which should have taken only fifteen or twenty minutes, felt like fifteen or twenty hours. She’d pulled in behind one of the trucks from Leo’s parking lot that had a set of red flashing lights and a siren letting him clear the traffic out of the way, not that there was much to begin with. Still, it was nice to have flashing lights when she, and all the other vehicles in the caravan, were hitting eighty on these backroads.

As she topped a hill, the orange glow from the fire lit up the night sky. It wasn’t just a house fire. From here it appeared the fire had spread to the grass and trees in adjacent fields.

But it wasn’t her house. An indescribable sense of relief poured through her. Her blasts of adrenalin ebbed, but that didn’t slow her racing heart much.

The caravan of volunteer firefighters careened to a stop and volunteers poured from the cabs.

She stopped also, not sure if she could be any help at all. As the men swarmed passed her truck, she got out. It took a couple of minutes but she saw the chief directing men.

“Chief. Is there anything I can do?” she asked. “Get something? Pull something? Anything?”

“Hold this hose for a minute. Marshall, get over here and help the doc with this hose. I need to pull Johnson to give Avery a hand. Shouldn’t take long.”

Both Tanner and Zack turned toward where she was standing.

“I’ve got it,” Tanner said.

She had to bite her tongue to keep from saying, “See? I told you it wasn’t me.”

Tanner positioned himself behind her. “Hold the hose out about arm’s length and pull the trigger.”

“I know how to use a hose, Mr. Firefighter.”

“It’s—never mind. Go for it.”

Georgie held out the nozzle and pulled the water release. The pressure wasn’t exactly what she was expecting. The force pushed her backwards until she stumbled into a hard wall, or rather Tanner Marshall. He caught her hips in the palms of his big hands.

“A little more pressure than a garden hose,” he said into her ear.

Damn him. A thrill ran down and then back up her body.

“Let’s try again,” he said. “I’ll steady you and you pull the trigger.”

She did.

“Good. Good,” he said. “Now move the water stream over to the left and let’s hit that hot spot under the pine tree.”

“Tanner?”

“Yeah?”

“Why isn’t the chief more concerned about this house?”

“It was old and vacant, and honestly a real trouble spot for the sheriff’s department. Lots of kids using it for parties and whatever. I’d put a hefty bet that’s what happened tonight. Move your water up the tree.”

Georgie saw the flame trying to leap from the lower branches up higher in the old pine and she directed the spray toward the spot.

“And,” he continued, “knowing the chief, he’s letting you spray the hose hoping he’ll be able to recruit you as a volunteer.”

She turned her head to look over her shoulder. “A, I’m only here until the end of the year. And B, I don’t know nothing about fighting fires.”

“But you are pretty good at starting them.”

She almost let her ire flare until she saw the twitch at the corner of his lips…a nice, full set of lips.

“Hardy har-har.”

Grinning, he gave her a wink. “Now watch what you’re doing.”

After about five minutes, the chief came back with Johnson. “Thanks, Doc. Appreciate you pitching in.”

“No problem. Unless there are some animals that need my attention, I’m going to head on home. I’ve got some hungry critters waiting on me.”

“No injuries. Thanks again.”

Dismissed, she headed back to her truck. Deep down she’d thought that Tanner might follow her to her driver’s door but when she glanced back over her shoulder, his back was to her as he continued to work the fire. Once ensconced in her vehicle, she sat and watched the firefighters work. Soot covered faces serious with the firefighting task at hand.

Tanner remained deep in the efforts to control the blaze. She also noticed that, in addition to the chief, the other firefighters looked to him for direction. And from her perspective—not that she knew the first thing about fires—he seemed to know where to go and what needed to be done. If he pointed and shouted, one of the other volunteers would go wherever Tanner was pointing, no hesitation, no questions.

How did he know so much about fighting fires?

While she and Magda had gossiped once or twice about the Marshall men, Georgie realized she didn’t really know anything about Tanner’s past.

A man of mystery. Nothing she liked better than solving a complex problem, and Tanner was nothing, if he wasn’t a problem for her.

*

The fire spread faster than Tanner had expected but then, there had been no rain in a month. Add in the dying leaves and dead grass for fall and it was the perfect combination for a wild fire.

The house was a total loss, meaning it burned to the ground, but it had little, if any, value left. Empty and neglected for years, the dilapidated building had served as a siren for teenage trouble. And he would know. He’d answered the call many times as a teen. Drinking, smoking, late night trysts with willing girls. He’d done them all here. And that had been over eighteen years ago.

Even with every firefighter on hand, it’d taken another couple of hours to knock the fire down and make sure it was out. In the end, they’d lost the structure, and five trees in close proximity. But they had been successful in keeping the fire contained and out of the parched fields.

Ten p.m. had come and gone when Tanner finally sat down. Sooty, dirty, and hot, he should have nothing on his mind but heading home for a shower. But that wasn’t what was foremost in his head. His brain continued to fire images of the petite redhead he’d had in his arms earlier. Dr. Georgina Greyson was under his skin and he couldn’t figure out why.

Shooting the water hose with her in his arms had been fun, if not more than a little suspicious. The chief had been playing cupid, of that he had little doubt.

Of course he’d known when she had gone to her car. The first time he’d had a chance to glance over his shoulder, she’d been sitting behind the wheel watching the activity through her windshield. The next time he’d looked, she’d been gone, but the fire had been a dragon at that point so he could not stop to think about her leaving.

Now, however, there was an urge inside to see her, talk to her, relive the water hose experience. Although he fought the craving, in the end, he fired up and headed down Albright to her house, telling himself that if her lights were off, he wouldn’t stop.

Her lights were on.

Chapter Seven

‡

He wiped his face the best that he could with an old towel he had in the truck.

This was insane. He was filthy, stinky, and horny, and not necessarily in that order. Those three adjectives did not go well together.

His best bet would be to turn this truck around and get out of her drive before she saw him. Deny everything if she ever mentioned it.

Her front door opened and Georgina stood there. He studied her expression. Did she look confused to see him at her house? Mad? Happy? But her face gave nothing away.

She walked out onto the porch and then out to his truck.

“Are you going to sit here all night?” she asked with a tilted head and arched eyebrows.

“Haven’t decided.”

She nodded. “I see. Well, I have some cold beer inside and the makings for a sandwich.”

He would sell his soul for a cold beer right now.

“I’m pretty nasty right now.”

That brought a smile to her lips. And oh God, what lips. Full and soft. And the worst part was the twin dimples in her cheeks that magically appeared with that smile.

“Well,” she said. “I do have a shower and running water.”

“I hate to mess up your shower with soot.”

“I’ve got a solution for that.” She opened his door. “Come with me.”

Too far in now to back out, Tanner exited his truck and followed her around to the rear of the house. There, she pointed to an outdoor shower.

“There’s hot water. Feel free to use it. I’ll grab some towels and soap for you.” She turned to leave, hesitated and then speaking over her shoulder said, “I promise not to peek. Besides, it’s too dark to see anything anyhow.”

When she flounced off into the house, indecision held Tanner hostage. Confusion scrambled his thinking. He’d seen her, shouldn’t he be ready to leave?

Even in his indecision and confusion, the answer to his question was no, he wasn’t ready to go.

She came back out carrying a stack of towels, a bottle of shampoo, and soap. Just outside the shower’s splash zone, a small teak table stood in a halo of light shining from a window. She piled all the supplies on the table.

“I’ve used this shower a few times myself,” she confided. “Sometimes after a long day at the clinic, I can come home smelling like unwashed dog, poop, urine, and blood. Even if I change scrubs during the day, I seem to carry the odors home with me. It’s probably all in my head, but a good shower before I go inside tends to keep those smells out here.”

Leaning past him, she turned on the water and held her hand under it until she nodded. “There. The water’s hot. Go for it, Tanner-the-Firefighter.”

No more thinking, he told himself. Just do.

He stripped off his shirt and then toed off his boots. When he reached for his belt buckle, he paused and looked at Georgina. Her eyes, which were a lovely shade of jade-green, were now dark with desire. She studied his chest as though there would be a written exam. Finally her gaze met his. She swallowed.

“I guess this is my cue to leave.”

A slow smile crawled to his lips. “Only if you want to.” He unhurriedly unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops. As he tossed it on top of his dirty shirt on the back of the chair, her gaze shifted to the belt and then back to his chest…or maybe his waist.

Continuing his casual undressing, he pushed the metal button through the hole and pulled down his zipper.

He put his hands on the waistband of his jeans. “Last chance.”

Her eyes lifted to his. “You don’t scare me.”

“Okay then.” He shoved his jeans to the ground fully expecting her to leave.

With a roll of her eyes, she said, “If you’re quick, there’s a cold beer in my fridge.” She turned and went in through the back door.

The water was warm and flowed down his body like a curtain of silk. It took two shampooings to get the smoke odor from his hair. He actually shampooed, scrubbed his body and then shampooed again before he felt like the stench of smoke and charred wood was gone. In all his years as a cowboy and as a firefighter, he’d never showered in the yard, if under the garden hose when he was ten years old didn’t count. Yard showers at his age should probably have felt strange or awkward but he liked the idea of leaving all the dirt from the day outside.

When he finished, he dried with one of the towels and wrapped the dry one around his waist. His dirty clothes were piled in the lawn chair. He hated the idea of putting them back on, so he didn’t. Instead, he followed Georgina’s path and walked into her house through the rear door.

He found her in the kitchen sitting at a table, a beer in one hand and a magazine laid flat in front of her. She pointed to a blue terry cloth robe that’d been tossed over the back of another chair.

“I found that for you to put on. I know I wouldn’t want to redress in dirty clothes after a shower.”

“Thanks.” The robe was obviously for a man. Much too long for Georgina, it would have dragged the floor in inches. And if she’d worn it, the material would have wrapped around her twice. So whose robe was it? And was it any of his business whose it was anyway? Still, it bugged him that she had a man’s robe all ready for him.

He pushed his arms through the sleeves. Meanwhile, she got another beer from the fridge and handed it to him.

“Thanks again,” he said. Popping the top, he swallowed half of the liquid in one long gulp.

“Hungry?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

“Super.” She leaned in. “Now that all my hostess niceties are out of the way, what are you doing here?” Her eyes flashed with amused curiosity.

Instead of a verbal answer, he caught her head in his hands, his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck, and he kissed her. The first touch of her lips hit him as if he’d kissed a live electrical wire. Energy ricocheted through his gut.

Stunned at his reaction, Tanner pulled back a few inches to study her, and to give himself time to gather himself. Georgina’s eyes were closed but opened slowly to look at him. A pair of glazed-over green eyes peered at him.

When he went back for a second taste, she met him halfway. Their lips met in a frantic race to taste each other. When he traced his tongue on her lower lip, her mouth parted and he slipped inside. The hops and yeast from the beer mixed with her natural taste, producing an addicting flavor. He was hooked from the first sample.

She pushed her hands inside the lapels of the robe, then glided her fingertips down his chest. Blood surged from his brain to his groin, filling his cock to an almost painful erection. The last time he’d been this aroused this quickly he’d been in high school, when he could become turned-on by a girl glancing his way.

Then she scraped her nail over his nipple, causing the breath to rush from his lips. Pulling away from her magnetic lips, he said, “What’s happening here?”

“You tell me. You started this.”

“You didn’t object.”

A slight smile curved her lips, now red and swollen from his kisses. “You noticed that, did you?”

His gut tugged as his heart took off at a gallop. He stood. “Where’s your bedroom?”

“That way.” She pointed down a hall.

He pulled her to her feet, and started the way she’d pointed. They made it just to the hall before he pushed her up against the wall and kissed her. He pressed against her, growing impossibly hard at her scent, her touch. He was at a decisive disadvantage as he was basically naked while she was fully clothed. Time to change that situation.

He ran his hand under her shirt and pushed it up her body. His palms skated across her breasts, the lace of her bra scratching gently at his flesh. Jerking his mouth away, he tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. Her breasts were heaving with her deep breaths. The artery in her neck jumped visibly in her neck.

Yeah, he wasn’t in this alone.

*

If this was one of her erotic dreams, Georgie did not want her alarm, her phone, or anything else to wake her. She lifted to her tiptoes to better reach his lips but instead his hot mouth covered one breast, sucking on her flesh through her bra. A lightning bolt shot through her and she shook with desire. Heat flared between her thighs. She arched her hips, pressing her aching groin again the stone-hard shaft inside his robe.

“Damn” Tanner muttered and then shoved her bra up and over her head, tossing it next to her feet. He unfastened the button on her shorts and then the zipper, before shoving them down her legs. She lifted each foot as he worked her shorts off.

Then, to her mortification, she realized she was wearing a pair of white cotton panties, probably something she’d grabbed at Walmart in a multipack. Why didn’t she own something scorchingly sexy from Victoria’s Secret? She dropped her head on his chest.

“What’s wrong?” He lifted her head until their gazes met. “I’m sorry. I’ve pushed too hard, haven’t I?”

She sighed and shook her head. “It’s not you. It’s me.”

“What?”

“I’m wearing granny panties.”

He looked down at her hips and then back to her face. “I can fix this.” He shoved his thumbs into her panties’ elastic waistband and pulled them to the floor. She stepped from them and he tossed them over his shoulder.

“Now, what were you saying?” he asked with a sexy smile.

“I think I was saying continue on.”

Sliding his hands down her ribs to her waist and on to her butt, he lifted her against the wall. “Much better,” he whispered and he caught her breast in his mouth again, sucking firmly on her flesh. He pulled her deep into his mouth with a strong draw, then released it until he captured just the nipple between his teeth. He bit down on the rigid tissue.

She sucked in a deep breath. Sexual arousal trickled from her, soaking the front of the robe she’d given him. She arched against him, her head pressing into the wall.

“You’re wearing too much,” she said, whispering into his ear. She darted her tongue out and, using just the tip, traced the ridges in his ear. The shudder that ran through him started a ripple through her.

“Shit. I don’t have a condom.” He looked at her. “Sorry.”

“I’ve got you covered,” she replied. “Pun intended.”

“Wrap your legs around me tight.” When she did, he took her full weight and began walking down the hall. “Which room?”

“Last one on the right.”

She’d put fresh sheets on the bed just that morning, only because it was Friday, not because she’d had any inkling anything like this would happen. If she had, she would have not been wearing cotton granny panties for sure.

He lowered her to the edge of the bed and then continued down until he was on his knees between her thighs. There, he glided his hands from her knees up the inside of her thighs, pushing them wider as he went.

Georgie’s heart was racing. The pounding in her ears was loud enough—almost—to drown out all the voices in her head warning her that this would only end badly.

His head dipped and the broad, flat surface of his tongue licked her. Without conscious thought, she pumped her hips up and forward toward his mouth.

He murmured against her labia, the sound vibrating her swollen tissues. When he licked her again, he slipped a thick finger inside, and she moaned with pleasure. When he added a second finger to the first, her eyes momentarily closed to allow her to immerse herself in the ripples and tingles coasting from head to toe.

But she couldn’t keep her eyes shut. She wanted to see this strong, virile man on his knees before her. Wanted to watch as his tongue and lips kissed and licked and caressed the very center of her soul.

He continued to suck on her as his thumb stroked across her clitoris. She groaned and ground against his hand.

Looking up at her, their gazes met. “Let go. Let it happen. Let me see you go over the edge.”

As he spoke, his fingers thrust deep inside her. She put her hands on the bed behind her and supported herself on stiff arms as he worked his broad fingers rapidly in and out while returning to sucking on her nub. A quiver that started deep inside pushed its way up and out making her legs shake with pent-up energy. Then thousands of electrical jolts flooded her system. Waves of pleasure rode over her as her orgasm hit her hard. She cried out with bliss as the sensations peaked again under his masterful hands and a second orgasm slammed through her.

Her arms gave way and she slid onto her back.

“Damnation, man. Where did you learn that?” She sat up far enough to look into his eyes. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” She flopped back on the bed. “Now take off that robe and get up here. I think I might owe you a favor or two.”

“Ohhh. Favors. I think I might like that.” He untied the belt and let the robe fall to the floor.

Good God in heaven. It was like watching the unveiling of a sculpted masterpiece. Thick, broad shoulders. An eight-pack that could have been the model for the old-fashioned scrub board, because she knew she wanted to scrub herself all over those ridges.

His narrow hips set atop solid muscular thighs. When he moved toward the bed, muscles popped out in wonderful places.

She sighed.

He sat on the side. “Condom?”

“Oh yeah.” She sat up and leaned across the bed away from him, giving him a full moon in the process.

He slapped her bottom. “Just couldn’t resist,” he said with a laugh. “But I’ll make it feel much better.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back until she was draped across his lap. “I don’t know how we got here. I only know I’m thankful we did.”

She stroked her hands up his chest until she could snake her arms around his neck. “Me too.”

Leaning forward, she kissed him, slipping her tongue inside his mouth. He welcomed her, fondling her tongue with his. Then he closed his lips over her tongue and sucked. Her insides turned to liquid as she melted under his assault.

Down the hall, a phone began to ring.

“Ignore it,” he said.

“It’s not mine.”

He froze and listened. “It’s mine.”

“Someone looking for you at…” she turned to look at her clock, “one in the morning?”

“Not usually. Now, where were we?” He nibbled down her neck until he reached her shoulder.

Then her phone beside the bed rang.

“Something’s going on,” she said. Leaning backward, she snatched the receiver from its cradle. “Dr. Greyson.”

“Georgie? It’s Deb. Deb Marshall. Tanner and Zack’s sister.”

“Yes, Deb. I know who you are. What’s wrong?”

“Something’s wrong with Jolene and I don’t know where Tanner or Zack are. I’ve called both of them and neither answered. I’m sorry for waking you up but I don’t know what to do.”

Georgie pushed off Tanner’s lap and stood. “What’s Jolene doing?”

“Did Tanner give you the link to Jolene’s camera?”

“Yes.”

“Can you turn it on?”

“Of course. Hold on.”

She put her hand over the receiver. “It’s Jolene. Deb wants me to look at the foaling camera you installed. My laptop’s in the living room.”

“I’ll get it,” he whispered.

He was back in a flash, the top open and the screen coming to life. Georgie had bookmarked the link, so it was easy to open. On the screen, Jolene lay on her side panting and struggling. All four legs were extended. Her tail flopped around as she pushed.

“She’s in labor, Deb,” she said into the phone.

“But something’s wrong,” the teen insisted. “There’s only one leg sticking out. Can you come?”

“Of course. It’ll take me about fifteen minutes to get to you. Can you get Jolene up and walking?”

“What? Why would I want to get her up, Georgie? Shouldn’t she stay down?”

“No, Deb. Get her up if you can. That might help reposition the baby. Trust me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Deb said, but her tone said she was freaking out. “Hurry.”

“Just stay calm. Let nature take its course. Jolene knows what to do.”

While they’d been talking, Georgie had put on fresh panties and a bra. Now she pulled on a pair of jeans and an old T-shirt.

Tanner had left the room as soon as he’d viewed Jolene on the screen. She heard the back door slam and Tanner’s heavy footsteps as he came back into her bedroom wearing his dirty clothes.

He took a quick look at the screen and said, “I’ll drive.”

“I’ll follow you. I have some emergency equipment in my truck if we need it. But Tanner,” she reached out to grab his arm, “Jolene will be fine.”

His jaw tightened. “She better be.”

Chapter Eight

‡

The taillights on Tanner’s truck flashed bright red as he tapped the brakes to make the turn into Flying Eagle Ranch. Right on his bumper, Georgie made the turn seconds behind him. Both trucks skidded to a stop and Tanner was out of his before Georgie had time to turn off her engine. After grabbing a bag of emergency supplies she had in the back seat, she hurried down the barn aisle until she reached the foaling stall. One glance told her everything.

Jolene lay on her side. Her breaths came in harsh pants and grunts. Sweat coated her flanks. A leg protruded from Jolene’s birth canal when there should have been two. It was obvious she’d been in labor for a while and there was no way she could deliver the foal without help.

Dillon and Deb were both in with the laboring mare.

“I got her up, Georgie, but she wanted to lay back down,” Deb said.

“Great. You did great, now everybody out.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Georgie said to Deb. “Out. Now. You too, Tanner.”

“Forget it,” he growled. “I’ll stay out of your way, but I’m not going anywhere.”

The teens left the area as Georgie dropped to her knees. She pulled on a long pair of exam gloves and inserted her hand and arm into Jolene’s birth canal.

“The foal’s got one leg folded up. I’m going to have to push this first leg back and get the second leg unfolded.”

As she’d just explained, Georgie maneuvered the foal inside Jolene, pushed the first leg back up until she could unfold the bent leg. Both legs then came through the birth canal. Another contraction hit, and Jolene grunted. The head came through still covered by the thick amniotic membrane. Georgie tore the tissue to expose a chocolate brown face with a wide white stripe that passed through on top of the legs.

Sitting back on her heels, Georgie let Jolene do what nature told her to do. If the mare needed her, Georgie would help. However, in her experience, it was better to let the mother push the foal out without interference from the veterinary staff unless absolutely necessary.

For the next thirty minutes, they waited as Jolene labored and pushed. Slowly, the rest of the foal’s body appeared until it plopped onto the fresh straw. Georgie wiped the new foal’s nose and mouth, then dropped back onto her bottom and let the new mother take over. Jolene sniffed, then licked her new baby, cleaning him up.

“Is it a boy or girl?” Deb whispered from the stall door.

Georgie looked up with a smile. “A boy.” She glanced over at Tanner, who was sitting in the opposite corner of the stall. A smile more commonly seen on a new father brightened his face.

“He looks pretty good, doesn’t he?” Tanner asked.

The colt staggered to his feet, wobbled around a little and then he was back in the straw.

“Yeah. He looks fine,” Georgie said. “I suggest we all get out of here and let Jolene and her baby get to know each other.”

The two adults joined Deb and Dillon at the stall door.

“He’s beautiful,” Deb said.

“That he is,” Tanner agreed. “Now, what were the two of you doing up at this hour to begin with?”

Dillon rolled his eyes toward Deb. That was as good as pointing the finger of guilt at his sister.

Deb shrugged. “I got up to get a drink of water and thought I’d just check on Jolene.”

“Sooo, you weren’t just getting home from your date? It’s normal for you to get fully dressed when you get out of bed and go to the kitchen for water?”

The flush that climbed up Deb’s neck was a neon sign of guilt. “No,” she said, but the denial was so tepid as to be a confession.

Tanner sighed. “We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

“Shouldn’t we stay here?” Dillon asked. “I mean, shouldn’t someone stay with Jolene?”

Georgie glanced at the new mother, the umbilical cord still protruding from the birth canal. It could be ten minutes before the placenta passed or it could be four hours.

“No,” she said. “Horses actually prefer to be alone to give birth. I doubt Jolene was that thrilled we were all here. I’ll keep an eye on her with the foaling camera that Tanner so wisely installed. If I see she needs help, I’ll come back.”

“But you’ll watch from our house, right?” Deb asked. She gnawed on her lower lip. “She should stay here, shouldn’t she, Tanner?”

Tanner put his arm around his little sister. “Of course she can watch from the house. I’ll make a pot of coffee and keep her company.”

“So will I,” Deb said.

“No, you’ll go to bed,” Tanner said.

“But—”

“But nothing. You and Dillon are moving cattle with Zack in the morning. I’d rather you not fall asleep and slide off Nelly.”

Deb rolled her eyes. “I haven’t fallen off a horse in years.”

“Jolene will be fine,” Georgie said. “Trust me. She’d rather you all go away and let her practice being a mother without an audience.”

The group trooped toward the house. She’d had some thoughts of spending the night with Tanner but they’d never included coffee, a couple of teenagers, and watching a foaling camera.

As soon as they hit the house, Tanner pointed toward a door that Georgie assumed led out of the kitchen. “Get going. And,” he added just before Deb went through the door, “don’t think we won’t discuss your missing curfew tonight.”

Deb tossed her hair over her shoulder and marched through the door, her head held high.

“Your sister carried herself like Marie Antoinette being led to the guillotine, if you ask me,” Georgie said.

Tanner sighed. “Coffee?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“I always thought I’d be a cool dad, you know? The kind of dad that all the kids loved. The dad who really understood what was happening with my son or daughter and all that.” He started the coffee brewing and then joined her at the table. “But I swear, Deb pushes all my buttons and I just want to lock her in her room until our parents come home.”

Georgie laughed. “Tanner.” She put her hand over his. “You’re not her father. You’re her big brother. She’s supposed to drive you nuts. That’s how siblings work.”

“So you know how it is with brothers and sisters then.”

His innocent statement reminded her of how alone she was in the world, how much she would give to have a sibling to argue with. Her gut twisted into a knot. She pulled her hand back. “Nope. Just me.”

“An only child. No wonder you’re such a spoiled brat. I bet your parents are wanting you to settle close to them. What do they think about your moving around so much?”

She pushed a smile to her lips but it didn’t help the hollowness inside. “No folks. No family.” She shrugged. “Just me since I was about ten. That’s how I met Magda Montgomery. She and I were in the same foster home for a while.”

“Oh, Georgina. I’m so sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry over. Everyone has been gone a long time.” She shoved to her feet. “Now, how about some coffee?”

*

Tanner felt like a real ass.

“Georgina.” He went to where she stood by the fresh pot of coffee. “I shouldn’t have called you a brat or…”

“Or what, Tanner? Asked about my parents? Ask me normal questions people ask each other?” She touched his arm. “It’s okay. Really. You didn’t know I was the end of my family line. It’s no biggie.”

He pulled her to him and held her tightly in his arms. “It is a biggie. Here I was razzing you about being all spoiled rotten when you are the furthest from that.” He leaned back until he could see her face. There were tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. “I’m such an idiot.”

She hugged him and then pushed away. “No, you’re not. You’re a big, tough cowboy firefighter.” Opening the cabinet above the coffee pot, she added, “I’m gonna need some strong coffee, cowboy.”

While she poured them each coffee, he retrieved his laptop from the office and pulled up the foaling feed. Jolene was standing, as was the foal, albeit on wobbly legs.

“God, I love to watch foals when they are just getting their legs under them,” Georgina said. “He’s a beauty, Tanner. What are you going to do with him?”

“I don’t know.” He looked into her jade-green eyes and felt a tug at his heart, which was probably not a good thing. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Leaning on her elbows toward him, she grinned. “I love secrets. Spill.”

“I don’t think I want to raise cattle the rest of my life.”

Her grin slipped from her face, replaced by wide-eyed surprise. “Seriously?”

He nodded. “Seriously.”

“So what do you think you want to do?”

“That’s just it.” He settled against the back of his chair. “I love firefighting but I love being outdoors too.”

“You looked like you knew what you were doing tonight at the fire.”

“I do. I was on the Lexington Fire Department for ten years before I moved back here.”

“So why did you quit?”

“I didn’t quit as much as my folks needed me. I’ve been here a couple of years but there’s just something missing.”

“And the volunteer department isn’t enough?”

He shrugged. “Yes and no. I can’t just keep living and working here. I need my own place, you know?”

“I guess. I just haven’t had a place to call home in a long time. I’ve forgotten what it feels like. It’s been rental houses and apartments for years.”

Her words burned him and he wanted to flinch from the harsh reality of her upbringing. Even when he didn’t live in Whispering Springs, he knew he had home to come back to, if and when he wanted. He knew he had family he could pick up the phone and call. The idea of being totally alone in the world was as foreign to him as Greek.

“Now you’re feeling sorry for me,” Georgina said.

“No. I’m not.”

When she arched an eyebrow in question, he conceded. “Okay, maybe a little. It’s just that I’ve always had family and siblings driving me crazy. I can’t imagine life any other way.”

She took his hand. “You’re lucky. Don’t ever forget that.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the center of her palm, smelling and tasting the lavender soap his mom kept over the kitchen sink. “Thanks for reminding me of all I have. Even a younger sister that I somehow am going to have to punish for being late.”

“That’ll be fun.”

“Speaking of which…”

“Yeah?”

His gaze dropped to their joined hands and then back up to her bright eyes. “Earlier tonight…” He swallowed and gathered his courage to continue. “I guess I should apologize.”

“For what?” She leaned close and whispered, “Giving me the best orgasm I’ve ever had?”

She was close enough that her breath brushed across his cheeks. Her whisper kicked over the bucket of lust in his gut, spreading it throughout his system. Sucking in a deep inhale, he said, “I was going to apologize for basically attacking you.”

She chuckled and ran a fingertip over his knuckles. “I didn’t exactly put up much of a struggle, in case you didn’t notice. But to the best of my memory, it turned out to be a one-sided event. I like even numbers, don’t you?”

“I do, especially when I’m in the second position.”

Tugging gently on her hand, he pulled her out of her chair and into his lap. He had been planning on kissing her but she beat him to it. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she pressed her mouth to his. She kissed him. He kissed her back. When she opened her mouth, he swept in, loving her with his tongue.

His hands inched up from her waist until he covered one full, curvy breast. When he squeezed, she groaned her pleasure into his mouth. Shifting her hips, she settled directly on top of his firm cock, which grew longer and harder with each of her wiggles.

He moved his hand to the hem of her scrub top and slipped under. His fingers stroked soft, warm flesh.

“God, I want you so bad,” he said against her lips. “I want to take you right here on this table.”

She pulled her mouth away and smiled. “And here I thought you didn’t even like me.”

He laughed quietly. “I’m good at hiding my feelings.”

She squirmed on his lap. “I don’t know. I think your feelings are quite evident at the moment.”

As he rose to standing, he lifted her into his arms. “I want you in my bed. Tonight. Right now. I—”

The slam of the back door interrupted him. With Georgina still in his arms, Tanner whirled toward the door. Zack stood staring at the scene in front of him.

“Now, I’ll admit I’ve had a few beers tonight. And I’ll even admit I almost fell asleep at Leo’s before I left. But I’m wondering if I’m asleep and this is the kinkiest dream I’ve had in a while.”

Tanner lowered Georgina’s legs until she was standing.

“A little late, isn’t it?” Tanner asked, hoping a strong offense would deflect any additional observations.

“I left high school many years ago, Tanner. Don’t try to change the subject when the subject is so interesting.” Zack grinned. “I knew you had your eye on the good doctor.”

“Go to bed, Zack,” Tanner said on a long sigh.

“Oh, I’m going but I’m thinking I’m not the only one—or should I say ones—headed that way.” He chuckled and started out of the kitchen only to turn back with a frown.

“Are you really here for Tanner, Georgie, or is something wrong?”

Georgina turned the open laptop toward Zack. “Say hello to Jolene’s baby boy.”

Zack lifted the computer to bring the screen to eye level. Nodding, he smiled. “Jolene’s nursing him.” He looked at Tanner. “Congrats on your first newborn.”

Tanner’s anger cooled but only slightly. “Thanks.”

After setting the computer back on the table, Zack said, “I’m exhausted. I’m sure I’ll sleep like the dead. Won’t hear a thing. Carry on.” He gave a jaunty salute and added before he left, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

As the kitchen door swung shut behind Zack, Georgina chuckled. “Nothing he wouldn’t do? Doesn’t that leave the options wide open?”

Tanner grinned. “Probably. Now…” He pulled her back into his arms. “Where were we?”

“I really should leave. Jolene is doing fine. I’m not needed anymore.”

“I strongly disagree with your assessment. Jolene might be fine, but you’re certainly needed.”

She kissed him and then smiled. “I shouldn’t be here when Deb and Dillon get up. They aren’t children, Tanner. They would be well aware why I never went home. Remember when you were eighteen?”

His face darkened. “Don’t remind me.”

She chuckled. “I’m actually surprised that Deb didn’t question why we arrived together. You might have an answer ready. I bet the question will come up.”

Sighing, he rested his chin on her head. “I’ll let you go home tonight if you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

“You want to take me on a date?”

“I do. A nice place.”

“A fancy dinner? Like no jeans and boots kind of place?”

“I might have a pair of pants not made out of denim somewhere.”

“I’d love to. Walk me out? I want to check on Jolene one more time before I go.”

Once they were outside, Tanner took her hand. It wasn’t soft and thin, like the hands of so many girls’ hands he’d held. Hers was a mature woman’s hand…solid, with long fingers and short nails. Hers was the hand of a woman who wasn’t afraid to get dirt—or blood—on them. There was a distinctive difference between their hand sizes however. His hand could completely surround her petite hand, and the effect made him feel protective, as though he wouldn’t let the harms of the world get through him to her.

And yes, he realized that was totally crazy.

Try as he might, Tanner couldn’t get a handle on his feelings for this woman. One moment he wanted to make love to her all night, and the next, he wanted to shield her from the world.

“Jolene looks to have taken to motherhood like a pro,” she whispered to him.

He’d been so distracted by his own thoughts that he hadn’t realized they’d made it to the barn until Georgina spoke. He glanced into the foaling stall. Jolene was munching on some fresh hay while her new son nursed. At the moment, his heart felt too large for his chest. He swallowed against the lump that’d formed in his throat.

Georgina wrapped her arms around his waist. “For all the bad things I have to deal with, it’s moments like this that make it all worth it.”

“Thank you for being here for Jolene.” Putting two fingers under her chin, he lifted her face until their gazes met. “And for me.”

She squeezed his waist. “I need to get some sleep. Rumor has it that I have a hot date tomorrow night.”

“Tonight,” he said with a grin.

She chuckled. “True.”

At her truck, he pushed her up against the door and kissed her. She kissed him back. With tongues and lips and teeth, they kissed and nibbled and fondled. He grew firm and solid under her touches. Pressing her between him and the car, his hard dick was cradled against her softness.

“Stop,” she moaned in his ear. “Stop or I won’t leave.”

“Maybe that’s the idea.”

He felt her lips on his neck as they curved into a smile. “You’re a bad influence, Tanner Marshall.” She pushed him away, but the power behind the gesture was weak and ineffectual. Still, he forced himself to straighten.

“Okay then,” he said. “I’ll go sleep in a cold bed all by myself.”

She laughed and allowed him to open her truck door.

“I’d feel sorry for you but I’m going to do the same.”

She got in, closed the door, and rolled down the window. “What time tonight?”

“Six-thirty. Unless you want to be the hottest item on the Whispering Springs gossip vine, I thought we’d go into Dallas for a little privacy.”

“Dallas sounds perfect.”

He leaned through the window for a final kiss. “Drive safe.”

As he watched the taillights of her truck fade down his drive, his heart skipped a few beats. Tanner was watching his future drive away…of that he was sure.

Chapter Nine

‡

By the time Tanner pulled into her drive, Georgie had changed her clothes no less than five times. Finally she settled on an A-line skirt, starched white blouse and a long fringe vest that hit a good five inches below her skirt’s hem. As she slipped into a pair of dress heels, her knees shook, which was ridiculous. She’d been on dates…lots of them. Why this particular one was making her as jumpy as a freshmen going to prom with a senior was a mystery.

Or was it really?

She liked Tanner Marshall. She didn’t want to, but there it was. She did. Once she’d peeled back his tough outer layer, she found a sweet, mature, smart man who made her laugh as much as he made her lust.

And that was a huge problem. She wasn’t looking for a man in her life. Not now. Maybe not ever. She’d tried that man-for-life thing with Chris, and look how that turned out. In the last year she’d pretty much convinced herself that she didn’t really need or want a man but then this tall, hunky cowboy had pushed his way in and she couldn’t help but wonder if getting involved with him was a good idea or bad one.

This stop in Whispering Springs was temporary. She was gone in less than three months. And she had the uncomfortable feeling that Tanner possessed exactly what it would take to worm under her skin and into her heart. It wouldn’t be the first time a man had broken her heart, obviously, but this felt different from Chris. If someone had pointed a gun to her head, she couldn’t have said why it was different, she only knew that it was.

And yet, she really, really wanted to sleep with him, only there’d be no actual sleeping involved in her plans. She loved how large and solid his hands were. Loved how he stroked her, as though she were the softest velvet. And his kisses. She lacked the appropriate vocabulary to describe them except they made her toes curl in her shoes, and smoke come out her ears. She dearly hoped he never noticed that smoke.

The loud knock at her front door propelled her from her bedroom to the living room.

“Come on in. Door’s open.”

The door opened. Her middle clenched. There, framed in her door with the dying sun at his back, stood a man so drop dead sexy, she had trouble finding her voice. Dressed in dark slacks, a light shirt, and a brown leather jacket, was a Tanner she’d never seen. Usually he wore dirt—and sometimes soot—on his face and clothes. This man looked like he’d walked off the pages of a fashion shoot.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking down at his outfit. “Is my fly open?”

She stifled the snort that so wanted out. “I can’t really say about your fly. I’m not close enough to see it.”

He stepped in and closed the door behind him, turning off the glare that’d been at his back. “You look beautiful, Georgina.”

Heat flushed her neck. “Thanks. You clean up right nice yourself.”

He grinned and the impact almost knocked her back a couple of steps. Oh yeah. She wanted to sleep with him, broken heart be damned.

“My keepers let me out of the asylum now and then.”

She laughed. “How’s Jolene and baby?”

“Doing great. I’m having trouble keeping Deb away. I grounded her for coming home late last night. She announced she didn’t care as it would give her more time with Sir Henry.”

“Sir Henry?”

“She thinks that would be the perfect name for the foal. And I don’t want to talk any more. I really want to mess up your lipstick.”

In two long strides he had her in his arms and kissing her like they’d been apart for months instead of hours. She loved it, kissing him back with an enthusiastic response.

Leaving a line of light nibbles and kisses, he worked his way up to her ear. “Wouldn’t you rather order pizza?”

His breathy question stirred her desire.

“Actually, that sounds great.” Plus by eating in, they wouldn’t waste as much time.

When he smiled at her, she hoped she hadn’t said that last part out loud.

“Tempting but I promised you a nice dinner.”

“Dallas is such a far drive. Let’s just go to the Lone Star.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t want to be item number one on the gossip mill.”

“I don’t.”

“Then it’s Dallas or maybe Tyler.”

His arms were around her waist which allowed her to lean back far enough to bring her hands between them.

“But Dallas and Tyler are such long drives.” She popped a button on his shirt through its hole.

“Plus, from what I remember…” She pushed another button open. “We were so rudely interrupted last night.”

The blood throbbed so hard in her neck, her throat felt as though she couldn’t swallow. Tanner wasn’t saying anything, but his gaze was on the work of her fingers, his eyes growing heavy with lust.

“And I heard that new pizza place in town is pretty good and that it delivers.” Another button slipped through its opening.

“I promised you a nice dinner.” The strain and gruffness in his voice made her middle squeeze.

“I know, but pizza and beer can be a nice dinner…with the right person.”

He slipped his arms down under her rear and then tossed her over his shoulder in a firefighter’s carry.

“Who am I to argue with such sound logic?” He started down the hall toward her bedroom.

Hung over his shoulder, Georgie ran her hands down his solid back until she could grasp his equally solid ass. It was a mighty fine ass, and as a veterinarian, she knew asses.

While she was admiring his delicious butt, Tanner was running a large hand across hers.

“Tight but curvy,” he said. “Just like I like them…juicy enough to bite.”

She laughed and toed off her shoes and left them in the hall.

“Speaking of yummy butts,” she said, giving his a squeeze.

He flopped her onto her bed and fell on top of her. “Sometimes part two can be as good if not better than part one.”

Snaking her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a kiss. She spread her lips in invitation, which he quickly took advantage of by sweeping his tongue inside. He tasted like wintergreen and toothpaste, and that made her heart sigh.

As he let a line of kisses and nibbles down her cheeks, neck and finally along her collar bone, he was also lighting bright flaming torches of desire inside her.

“You have too many clothes on,” she said.

“I think that’s supposed to be my line.”

She laughed and pushed him up. Given his size versus her size, if he didn’t want to move, he wouldn’t. She might have better luck pushing her truck to town. But he stood when she pushed. She scooted up on the bed and leaned against the headboard.

“What?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

“I want to watch.”

Grinning, he slowly lowered his jacket back over his shoulders and down his arms. He caught the sleeve with one hand, whirled it over his head, and let it fly into a chair in the corner.

She clapped. “More. More.”

He jerked his shirt from his slacks. Most of the buttons were already undone, so he pulled it over his head and flung it, landing the shirt on his jacket.

“I’m feeling so objectified,” he said. The twinkle in his eyes and the twitch of a smile at the corners of his lips assured her that he was in on her little game and didn’t mind a bit.

“Oh goody. Go on.”

He rolled his eyes as he tried to toe off his boots to no avail.

“Come here,” she said, and patted the side of the mattress. “Impossible to toe off boots.”

He sat down and she clamored off the bed.

“Give me your foot.”

He lifted one boot and she pulled it off along with his sock. They repeated the action for the other boot. When she stood, he pulled her firmly against his thick slab of a chest. Her hands were trapped between them, so she fingered her nails through the hair on his chest. The texture was coarse and rough and felt wonderful to the touch.

“You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked.

“I’m sure.”

He slipped his fingers under her blouse and pulled it over her head. She lifted her arms so he could remove it.

“So pretty.” His gaze left her face and slid down to her white lace bra. He covered both breasts with his hands. Heat burned through the lace onto her flesh. Her breath picked up along with her heart rate. For a couple of minutes he massaged and fondled and then lowered his mouth to pull a lace-covered breast into his mouth and sucked. The direct connection between her breast and her sex tugged.

Her head dropped back and she groaned.

He unfastened the bra and she let it skitter down her arms until it dropped onto the floor.

“So much better,” he murmured, his lips moving softly over her skin. He drew her back into his mouth, his tongue licking the underside.

Her knees wobbled from the sensory overload. He was doing all the work while she just stood there. That would never do. She needed to touch and stroke and taste every square inch of his flesh.

She dislodged his mouth, her breast shiny with his saliva. With quick work, Georgie unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor. Unlike last night’s granny panty disaster, tonight she wore a lace thong that she’d bought today. It wasn’t the most comfortable item of clothing she’d ever put on, but if it could produce the dark, heavy lidded desire in his gaze, she might have to buy stock in the brand.

“Holy shit, babe. If I’d have known what you wore under that skirt, or rather what little you had under there, I’d have thrown you over my shoulder the minute I walked in the door.”

Stepping between his wide-spread thighs, she licked her lips and tasted Tanner…her new favorite flavor. “Yeah? I might have liked that.” Her voice was thick and deep and sounded nothing like her. Whomever this woman was who’d taken over her body, Georgie ceded control.

Tanner put his hands on the globes of her ass while she slid hers up his unyielding, thick thighs. A large bulge had shoved his zipper into an arch. She allowed her hand to leave his leg and brush across his fly. He sucked in his breath.

“Nice pants,” she said in a crumbly voice. “But they really have to go.”

She made fast work of his belt buckle, button and then lowered his zipper.

“Careful,” he said with a hiss. “Delicate merchandise.”

“Doesn’t feel delicate.” Pushing her hand into the opening, she grasped his firm dick, running her hand from base to tip through his cotton briefs. “Feels pretty solid to me.”

When she looked down at her tanned hand on his white briefs, she licked her lips. Under his breath, Tanner uttered a foul cussword, but then lifted his hips and she pulled his slacks and briefs off in one long tug. She followed the motion to the floor as he raised one foot and then the other so she could rid him of what was impeding her progress.

On her knees, she looked up and saw he was watching her, waiting to see what her next move would be. As she’d done previously, she slid her hands up his thighs until she could wrap her fingers around his cock. Her fingers, long for a woman of her petite stature, couldn’t begin to surround his girth. There was a good three inch gap between her fingertips. Her mouth watered with the need to taste him.

She lowered her head and sucked the tip between her lips. Salty and sweet, she slid him further into her mouth. Tanner’s fingers combed through her hair, catching stands in his fists, twisting them with each groan.

As she slowly released him, she ran her tongue along the vein on the underside until the tip of her tongue licked the cockhead rim. She sucked and nibbled along the rim before taking him deep into her mouth again.

In the past, she’d given her ex a blow job but it’d been more responsibility than pleasure. Tonight, she was doing this as much for him as for her. The taste of Tanner on her tongue, the scent of him in her nose and the feel of his hot flesh under her fingers made her swollen and wet with a desire she hadn’t had in years.

“Enough,” he growled and eased himself from her oral ministrations. “I don’t want this dinner party over before it’s begun.” He jerked her to her feet and stripped her soaked thong down her legs. He must have noticed how sodden the skimpy material was because he smiled and said, “Enjoyed that, did you?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, instead rolling on the bed and taking her with him. With long licks, quick kisses and sharp nibbles, he worked his way down between her thighs. When he drew in a deep breath, cool air flittered across her tender flesh.

“Do you know how good you smell?” With broad laps of his tongue, he separated her folds and drew her arousal into his mouth. “Taste like the finest wine,” he said, retackling the task at hand.

He worked his hands up the inside of her thighs until he could hold her fully spread for his gaze. Her first reaction was to cover herself but she didn’t, letting him have all the time he wanted to look and taste. But the reality of his gaze, combined with the caresses from his magic tongue had her moving her hips in frustration.

“Please,” she begged. “Please.”

He didn’t ask what she needed and that was probably a good thing as words had left her brain, along with all rational thoughts.

He pushed a long, thick finger inside while the tip of his tongue played havoc with her rigid nub. Georgie arched, trying to find that cliff to soar from.

A second finger joined the first, thrusting in and out of her in rapid fire. Her hips gyrated in time to his movements. Tension coiled in her gut, pulled tighter as his tongue lapped and licked.

“Tanner,” she gasped. “I can’t take much more.”

“Then let go.” He blew cool air against her inflamed flesh. “I want to taste you coming on my tongue. Taste it in my mouth.” And with that, he removed his fingers from her and replaced them with his tongue.

Her orgasm hit her with the force of a train. Her back arched as she cried out. Waves of bliss rolled through her. As her climax ebbed, a tear trickled out of the corner of her eye.

“Hey,” he said, his voice full of concern. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“I’m more than okay. And I’ll be even better once I feel you inside me.”

“My condom is in my pants.”

“Check the drawer behind you. Your pants are too far away for me to wait.”

In seconds he was rolling the condom down himself. He spread her thighs wider with his and pushed his cock’s tip in. It’d been almost two years since she’d felt a man inside her. As Tanner entered, she bit her lip.

“Feels so good,” she said. “More.”

With one quick thrust, he seated himself deep. Georgie gasped from the sudden stretching of muscles long denied.

“I need it fast and hard,” she pleaded. “Can you do that?”

“Damn. You’re killing me. I’ll never last long like that.”

“Fine. I’ll give you another chance later. Fast and hard.”

She left no room for argument.

He pulled out and slammed into her, jarring her up on the bed. She reached over her head and grabbed the headboard.

“Again.”

He did. In and out with hard, forceful strokes that fueled the fire in her gut.

“You like that? You like the feel of me inside you? Fucking you hard?”

The next thrust was so hard, Georgie was sure she felt it in her lungs.

“Oh, yeah. I like what you do to me.”

The muscles in his cheeks hardened as he growled her name as he pounded into her.

Without much warning, another orgasm crashed through her. She cried out his name as her back arched. Within seconds, he followed with his own climax so powerful she could feel the strength of his pulses.

After he’d dealt with the condom, Tanner rejoined her in bed, pulling her snug against him. His breathing was still a little ragged, which was great since hers was too and she didn’t want to be alone in this.

“That was…awesome.”

“Yeah. It was.”

She covered the area of his chest over his heart with her hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Seeing if your heart is racing as fast as mine.”

He chuckled and pulled her palm to his mouth for a kiss. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”

She grinned. “Maybe I’ve overcome your first impression of me.”

“What do you mean?”

Turning on her hip, she looked into his eyes. “I don’t think you liked me much.”

Snugging her against him, Tanner said, “Well, I didn’t know you enough to like or dislike you. But…” he added in a hurry, “I was in lust with you from that first poke on my chest.”

“Hmm. I might have noticed you that night. So, still in lust with me?”

Georgie was stunned at herself. The minute she asked the question, she wanted to suck the words back down her throat.

“Never mind,” she blurted out.

He tilted her face for a kiss. “Yeah, I sort of am. I like you, Georgina. You’re cute and sexy and smart. But I’m not looking for anything long term.”

She licked her swollen lips and gathered up her courage. “Me neither. This is just a stop in the road for me. I’m not looking for anything right now but someone to help the time pass faster. Maybe a dinner now and then. And a sleepover from time to time. I very much enjoyed tonight and I’d loved to do a lot of that while I’m here.” She shrugged. “If you’re not interested, I can respect that.”

His eyebrows hiked. “Not a woman who minces her words, are you?” He let out a long breath. “I’d like to see you while you’re here.”

“I’m leaving, Tanner.”

“I get that. I’m okay with that. We’ll have what we have while we have it. I can’t promise more than that right now either.”

For a brief second, his cavalier acceptance of her terms stabbed her heart, but she accepted that Tanner was her transition guy…from Chris to whomever she might go to next.

“And no other women while we’re together,” she added. “Not a jealousy thing. Just a ‘don’t want to worry about diseases’ thing.”

“Ditto. No other men.”

“Not even Zack,” she teased.

He laughed. “Especially not him. This will be different for me at least,” he added.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been back for a couple of years. I haven’t dated much, not that I haven’t had the chance.”

“Oh, yes. Women throwing themselves at you. Such a bother.”

He chuckled. “I had a couple of long term girlfriends when I lived in Kentucky. Seemed like I was always trying to figure out what was going on in the relationship. Like it was a game but no one had given me the rulebook, you know? One of them broke it off with me when I forgot our six month anniversary. Not of our dating, but of our meeting. Who remembers crap like that?”

She snorted. “I know. But since we know this is finite, there’s no reason for us not to just enjoy it. No mind games. All the fun of a relationship without really having one.” Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Georgie added, “God knows I need some sex and fun.”

“Oh?” He kissed the top of her head. “Why’s that?

She told him about Chris, the broken engagement and his recent marriage.

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Yes and no. It was a great opportunity for some large animal husbandry and to catch up with Magda, but Texas did have the added benefit of being thousands of miles away from Chris and Priscilla.” She shifted in bed until she could see his face. “What about the gossip mill? Won’t we make the fodder?”

“Who cares? A fling with the sexy vet can do nothing but improve my reputation.”

“Not that it needs any help with the ladies.”

“True.”

She laughed and elbowed his side, which made him roll on top of her and start round two of all fun and no games.

Chapter Ten

‡

The next month passed in a blur of long days at the clinic and longer, sexy nights with Tanner. As he’d said, they made the gossip vine the first time they showed up for dinner at the Lone Star, even though they’d made a conscious decision of no public displays of affection. Georgie didn’t care one way or the other about the Whispering Springs gossip vine. Within a month after she left, some other couple would be on the spit, spinning the rumors.

The nights were magical, not that she’d ever tell Tanner that. Many times she wished she were more like a man when it came to sex…no emotional involvement required. As much as she didn’t want feelings for him, they came anyway, pushing and shoving their way into her heart.

But they had an agreement. Shoot, she’d lived through being dumped at the wedding altar, sort of, so she’d be able to move on from here.

Georgie was busy filling out applications for other veterinary clinics with large animal practices. Helping Jolene with her delivery had left its mark on her. Of course she still loved the dogs and cats, and even the occasional turtle, but she felt the call for large animal medicine.

In early November, Georgie headed out to the D&R Ranch to check on a sick cow and, at the same visit, have lunch with Magda. The cow would be fine, lunch was delicious, and Magda’s questions were relentless.

Magda set a plate of chicken enchiladas in front of Georgie. “This is the first time you’ve made it out for lunch in six weeks. Surely the clinic isn’t keeping you that busy.”

“Hmm. It’s busy.” Georgie forked a sliver of enchilada into her mouth and moaned. “This is delicious.”

“Thanks. Now…” Magda propped her chin in her palm and studied Georgie. “You want to tell me what’s going on with Tanner?”

The mention of his name jettisoned a heat flash through Georgie. She grabbed her water for a long gulp.

“Umm…”

“That’s what I thought.” Magda sat back in her chair with a self-satisfied expression. “I told Reno we’d be gaining a new vet.”

“Oh, no, Magda. I’m not moving here. This is just temporary. Tanner and I are just having a little fun. That’s all. Nothing serious at all.”

Magda’s brow furrowed. “Really? Cause that doesn’t sound like you at all. You were always the one who wanted a husband and kids and a dog and maybe even a picket fence thrown in.”

“It’s been a long time since you’ve known me well.” She shrugged. “I’ve changed.” She shifted her gaze back down to her plate. Magda’s words felt as if someone were pressing on bruises all over Georgie’s body.

“And what about Tanner? You just gonna use him and toss him away?”

Georgie laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about Tanner, if I were you. He’s a big boy and he has no interest in anything long term either.”

“You’re playing with fire,” Magda said.

“Nope. Playing with a firefighter.”

As Georgie drove away from the D&R Ranch, Magda’s words kept repeating in her mind. She had been the girl who’d wanted it all…the job, the perfect husband, two-point-five children, the dog who responded to every command and never threw up in the house, and all this wrapped in a pretty white fence. She wasn’t sure when that dream died for her, certainly before being left by Chris. She couldn’t even say she was all that surprised when Chris dumped her. In a way, she’d been expecting it since they’d become a couple.

She was a happy enough person, she guessed. It was just that she didn’t expect the happily-ever-after ending for her.

It was a Friday night in late November. She had not had a great day at the office. The worst—absolute worst—job was putting down an animal and damn if she didn’t have to do five today. Two dogs, two cats, and a horse. Realistically, she believed it was the humane thing to do when an animal was suffering. Emotionally, she felt a piece of her heart die each time the owners cried and then thanked her for making it easy for their loved one to go.

When she unlocked her door, the aroma of spices and meat met her.

“Hello? I don’t know who’s here but will you marry me?”

Tanner leaned around the kitchen door jamb. “Hey, babe. Come here. I want you to taste something.”

After kicking off her shoes, and dropping her keys and purse on the entry table, she followed the delicious scents to her kitchen. A quiet gasp escaped when she saw what he’d done.

The tiny kitchen table held two place settings of dishes, complete with cloth napkins—she had no idea where he’d found those in this house—fresh flowers and two lit candles. A pair of wine glasses stood ready for filling.

It was difficult for her to see everything through the tears that’d appeared.

“Tanner, what the…what’s going on? Why?”

After pouring a chilled white wine into one of the glasses and handing it to her, he said, “Heard about your day. Figured you could use a little TLC this evening.”

He pulled out a chair. “Sit.”

She sat. And then the tears she was fighting won and spilled over the dam.

“This is…is…so…nice,” she hiccupped out. “How did you know?”

“Spies.” He grinned over his shoulder where he was stirring something in a pot. “I have spies everywhere.”

“It was a horrible day.” She took a gulp of the wine.

“I know.”

She sniffed and then said, “I’ll be right back.” She finished the wine and then headed to her bedroom. A shower and fresh clothes would make her feel better. It always did.

While the water ran to allow the shower to heat, she brushed her teeth and stripped off the scrubs that still bore the scent of death.

Steam floated over the top of the glass shower door as soon as the water was scalding hot. She adjusted the temperature to just below lobster boil and stepped in. With eyes closed, Georgie braced her forearms on the shower wall under the spray and let the heat soak into her tense muscles.

A cool breeze caressed her ass just before it was replaced by a large, work-harden hand.

“Need company?” Tanner whispered into her ear and then placed a kiss on her neck.

She arched her neck to give him better access…to what she wasn’t sure. He could have access to whatever he wanted as far as she was concerned.

Removing his hand from her butt, Tanner placed both hands on her shoulders and with strong fingers, began to massage the knots there.

“Hmm,” she moaned. “Feels so good.”

His mouth found her nape and nuzzled there, kissing and licking her skin as he continued to knead her shoulders and then down her back. His thumbs pressed along her spine as he walked his powerful fingers down to her hips.

The entire time, all she could do was moan and whimper with pleasure at his touch. Sometimes coming home to an empty house after a horrible day added to her stress but having Tanner here, even temporarily, filled some of the empty places she had in her soul.

He caressed her bottom, molding the flesh with his palms. Reflexively, she arched her back, pressing into his hands.

“Spread your legs,” he ordered in a gruff voice.

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She widened her stance until her feet touched opposite sides of her rather generous shower. He continued to rub down her thighs, her calves, her ankles and then started back up her legs.

She found herself in the oddest of conditions. His gentle strokes were relaxing her taut muscles, while at the time everything inside her was racing and throbbing and aching for more. A total quagmire of feelings.

The heat from his mouth flashed over her ass, followed by a caress from his lips. She sighed and tried to open her thighs wider but it was impossible. She was as spread as she could be in this space.

He turned the water off. “Turn around.”

She did and the vision almost made her collapse into a heap. Tanner was kneeling at her feet, a supplicant at the feet of a queen, or that’s how he made her feel.

“I turned the water off because it was washing away your scent and I love the way you smell. And your taste. I love the way you taste and the water would spoil that for me.” He nuzzled her coarse pubic hair. “I love your red hair. It’s like fire.” He looked at her. “And you do light a fire in me.”

With that comment, he grabbed her thighs and put his head between them, using his tongue to lick her arousal fluid and his mouth to suck on her swollen flesh. He used his thumbs to spread her open for him, to bare her to whatever he wanted to do. In all the time she’d been with Chris, she’d never allowed herself to be so exposed, but with Tanner, she felt protected and safe.

He traced his tongue around her rigid nub, stopping to draw it into his mouth. She arched and groaned. Her hips gyrated on his mouth, wanting more, needing a release that only he could give her.

When he pushed two fingers into her, her hips moved quicker, demanding he thrust them to her tempo. He let her set the pace, sliding them in and out while his mouth worked her stiff button.

It didn’t take long before she felt the rising tension inside.

“More,” she cried. “More. I’m almost there.”

And then she was at the threshold, tense and shaking before she went over, crying out his name.

He kissed the inside of her thigh. “Finish your shower. I’ll go get dinner together.”

She grabbed his arm and looked down at his impressive erection. “What about you?”

He smiled. “You had your dessert before dinner. That’s my dessert.”

He kissed her deeply and then turned on the water.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t forget where we were.”

Later that night, she showed him that she hadn’t forgotten either.

*

“Tanner, pass me the rolls,” Janet Marshall said.

Tanner lifted the basket of hot bread and handed it over to his mother. His parents had arrived home three days before Thanksgiving. He’d been more than happy to turn back over the reins of home and ranch management to them. He didn’t have to manage a teenage girl and it had freed him up to spend a couple of guilt-free evenings with Georgina. A total win-win in his book.

“You should have invited your lady friend to join us today,” his mother continued. “I hate the thought that she might be alone on Thanksgiving.”

The bite of turkey Tanner tried to swallow went down sideways making him choke and cough. “Lady friend?”

The last thing he needed, or wanted, was his mother digging around in his personal life. She’d been hinting about grandchildren since he’d turned thirty.

His mother smiled as she lifted her wine glass to her mouth for a sip. “Deb tells us you’ve been seeing the new vet in town.”

Tanner rolled a glare over to his sister who gave him a beatific expression of total innocence.

Oh yeah? Well, two can plan this game.

“While she was filling you in on my life, did Deb happen to mention the number of times she missed curfew? Because I have to tell you, that’s a much more interesting story.”

Under the table, his shin took a direct kick from Deb’s pointed-toe cowboy boot.

“Ouch,” he said, leaning over to rub at his throbbing leg.

“No, she might have failed to mention that,” Richard Marshall said. His father glanced over at Deb. “We can talk about that later tonight, little missy.”

“Tell us more about the vet you’re seeing,” his mother said.

“Nothing to tell. Georgina’s a nice gal in town for a couple of months. She’s leaving next month. End of story.”

“Hmm. So,” his mother continued, sliding her gaze to another of her off-spring. “What’s going on with you, Zack?”

His brother grinned. “Not a thing. Working hard. Covering for Tanner while he dates the doctor.”

Suddenly, the food in his stomach didn’t seem to be setting right. A stomach cramp followed by a wave of irritation at his siblings had Tanner done with this meal.

He shoved back his chair and stood. “I need to see to the horses. Delicious meal, mom. Glad to have you home.” He picked up his plate still loaded with food, kissed his mother’s cheek and headed for the kitchen.

“What about dessert?” his mother called after him.

“I’m stuffed. Maybe later.”

After grabbing a couple of apples for Jolene, he headed down to find her and her baby. Somehow, Sir Henry had stuck as a name and now it didn’t seem right to call the little guy by anything else.

He rested one boot-covered foot on the lower rail of the fence and let his gaze roam over the acreage before him. When he finally saw them, they were pretty far down in the pasture. Tanner shoved two fingers between his lips and let out a long, loud whistle. Jolene’s head snapped up from the grass where she was grazing and she started toward him, Sir Henry trotting along beside her.

A heavy footfall behind him alerted him to his dad’s presence before the man said a word.

“She looks great,” Richard said. “And her colt is a real looker. I wasn’t sure about resetting her estrus and letting her foal in the fall, but looks like you were right about that.”

“Thanks.”

His father assumed an identical position, foot propped on the lower fence rail, and crossed his arms over the top rail. “Your mom meant no harm with all her questions. She’s just interested in what she missed while we’ve been gone. I don’t think our trip was exactly what she’d thought it would be.” He chuckled. “You guys didn’t call enough, asking for help.”

Tanner looked at him. “Are you kidding? I wanted to call her every day and ask her something but we didn’t want to bother y’all. I know she’d been wanting to do that trip for years.” He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “I do not understand women.”

His dad laughed. “And you never will, son. Hell, I’ve been married to your mother for thirty-six years and I still haven’t figured her out. But that’s what makes life interesting, huh? Trying to figure out mysteries.”

“Good point.”

“But it’s not your mom, is it? There’s something else going on with you. Want to talk about it?”

Tanner considered his next words carefully as he watched Jolene prance up to the fence. He cut an apple into wedges and fed a couple to her. He let out a long breath.

“I don’t think my future is here.”

Richard nodded. “I see. Here, as in Whispering Springs or here, as in Flying Eagle Cattle Company?”

“The cattle ranch.” He shot a quick glance toward his dad and then back at his mare as he fed her another apple chunk. “Being back in Texas has been…eye-opening, to say the least. I enjoyed my time in Kentucky, but I’m a Texas man at heart, I guess.”

“I see. Well, if not cattle, then what? Back to firefighting?”

“I definitely want to keep that going. Chief Townsend has been talking to me about taking over for him. He’s wanting to cut back.”

“And is that something you’re interested in?”

“Yeah, definitely. The county will pay for me to go to the National Fire Academy for some additional training.” Tanner looked at his dad. “I’d have to leave next week. I’d be gone until a couple of days before Christmas. What do you think about that?”

“I think it sounds like an opportunity that you’d be a fool to give up.”

“But the ranch…”

“Your mother and I aren’t going anywhere until after Christmas. Maybe even into the New Year. So there’s no reason you can’t go, unless there is.” Richard gave him a questioning look. “Is there anything, or maybe anyone, keeping you here?”

“Did mom send you out here to pump me for information?”

His father laughed and then leaned closer. “Nope, but if I go back with insider information, I’ll get a bigger piece of pecan pie.”

Tanner shook his head with a chuckle. “There’s nothing really to tell. Georgina’s great but she’s out of here as soon as Mabee gets back.”

His heart twisted as though wringing out all its blood at the thought that Georgina would soon be a memory. No more seeing her head tossed back and hearing her peals of laughter. No more watching her care for a sick animal with her tender touch and gentle voice. No more long nights of kisses and touches and caresses that drove them both wild.

“No,” he said to his dad. “There’s nothing keeping me tied here for the next three weeks.”

He was quiet for a minute thinking about this incredible woman he’d met. How she made him laugh. How she made him feel so strong and protective. How she evoked emotions in him that he’d never really felt. But he’d gone into the relationship knowing it was temporary. That’s how Georgina wanted it.

“How long you been in love with her? And more importantly, does she know?”

Tanner shrugged but didn’t answer the question. “Pecan pie, you say? Sounds like just what I need.”

His dad’s questions rang in his head long after their conversation was done. Was he in love with her? He wasn’t sure. He’d said those three words to women before who’d never had the impact on him that Georgina did.

What he did know was that just hearing her voice made his day brighter. Seeing her, holding her, could repair even his worst mood. Hell, the mere thought of her could grind the spurs off a trying day. He might have sent his wearisome sister to a nunnery within the past couple of months if it hadn’t been for Georgina. That thought made him smile.

The other thing he knew? Tanner needed to see her every day because when he didn’t, it felt like the sun forgot to rise.

Chapter Eleven

‡

“Thanks for helping with the dishes. You didn’t have to,” Magda Montgomery said.

“The least I could do,” Georgie said. “I appreciate your having me out for dinner.”

“You should have come for Thanksgiving lunch with all the Montgomerys. They would have been happy to have had you join us.”

Georgie produced a dramatic shiver. “Thanks but no thanks. How do you handle all that testosterone in one room?”

Magda laughed. “You get used to it.” She dried her hands on a dish towel and then hung it over the sink edge to dry. “Besides, I live with Reno, Mister Testosterone himself.”

“Just as well I didn’t. I ended up having a couple of emergencies and being all the way out at the Bar M would have made it tough to take calls today.”

Magda leaned against the edge of the counter and crossed one ankle over the other. “Not that I’m prying, but why weren’t you with Tanner today?”

“Not that you’re prying or anything,” she said and then quirked the corner of her mouth.

Magda shrugged. “If your best friend can’t pry, who can?”

“Give me some coffee. Maybe I could use a shoulder to lean on.”

They retook seats at the table, mugs of fresh coffee cradled in their fingers.

“Okay, so you’ve fallen for Tanner. Now what?”

“What? Who told you that? Did Tanner say something to Reno?”

Magda snorted. “Yeah. Like guys talk about feelings. Of course Tanner hasn’t said anything. But honey, I’ve seen you with Tanner. You get this look on your face.”

“What kind of look?”

“A dreamy, dopey, starry-eyed stare when you look at him.”

Georgie pounded her forehead on the table. “Oh, God.” She rolled her head to the side so she could look up at her friend. “Really?”

Magda nodded.

“Think anyone else might have noticed?”

“No. Of course not,” Magda assured her. “They’d only have seen it if they looked at you.”

“Argh.” Georgie sat upright. “Think Tanner noticed?”

“He’s a guy, so probably not.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be fun, carefree, scratch-my-itch sort of thing. And at first it was. But then one day, it wasn’t.”

“So? What are you going to do about it?”

“Not a damn thing. We agreed that nothing would come out of this. We’d enjoy what we had while we had it and then when I left, it’d be over.”

“Well, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Georgie rolled her eyes. “Spoken by the woman who ran from love.”

Magda nodded. “True. Stupid move, but still…”

With a long sigh, she said, “Maybe the plan wasn’t the brightest idea, but for once it felt good to have someone stable in my life. We promised no games, no bullshit. I can’t change the rules unilaterally.” The smile she forced to her lips felt awkward and she’d bet it looked it too. “I’ll be fine. Hearts heal, right? I’m looking…forward…to…moving.” The last couple of words came out with a cry.

“Oh, honey.” Magda put her arm around Georgie. “Maybe Tanner feels the same way. You ever think of that?”

“He doesn’t.” Georgie sniffed. “Besides, I don’t have a job here. I would never start a practice in competition with Whispering Springs Animal Clinic. That would be so wrong. Mabee only brought me here temporarily.”

“Is there enough work for two fulltime vets?”

“Yes, but I heard a rumor that some vet from Dallas was looking at vacant storefronts in town with a plan to set up a satellite clinic here and see patients a few days a week. That could really cut into our patient load. But really, none of that matters. There is no way I could stay here and run into Tanner with some new girlfriend.”

“First, Whispering Springs is a gossip factory so maybe some vet looked at property or maybe not. You don’t know that for a fact. And second, how do you know Tanner isn’t feeling the same way?”

“He’s just not and talking about it isn’t going to change anything.” Georgie stood. “I need to get going. Got a long drive home.”

Linking arms, they walked outside to Georgie’s truck where Magda gave her a hug. “I love you, girlfriend. Don’t you forget that. No matter where you are, I’m only a phone call away. And one more thing. Tanner’s been here for two years and in all that time, he’s never dated anyone more than twice, much less two months. Just think on that.”

“I will. Thanks. Love you too.”

As Georgie drove home, she thought about her agreement with Tanner. No games. No bullshit. Did that mean she owed him the truth? Did “no games” mean she shouldn’t have fallen for him, or did it mean that she should tell him that she had?

Of course, there stood the very distinct possibility that he would break it off immediately if she told him how she felt.

Was it better to enjoy what they had while it lasted and leave town with her reputation intact, or better to risk it all and possibly lose what time they had left, and leave town with a broken heart?

Well, shoot. No matter how she answered either of those questions, she’d be leaving town with a broken heart. The only question then was…did she squander what time she had left with Tanner or should she suck it up, shut it up, and enjoy him in her bed for the next couple of weeks?

Tanner surprised her by being at her house when she got home. She’d given him a key a few weeks back and he used it often to surprise her with dinner. But not tonight since she suspected he was as stuffed as she from Thanksgiving meals.

“Hey,”’ she said upon finding him sitting on her couch. “What’s up?”

“Can’t I just come by and see my gal without something being up?”

She dropped her purse and keys on the entry table and hung up her jacket. Hearing him call her my gal sent her gut into a little spin.

She sat beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You can. And this gal is glad to see you.” She kissed him, his soft lips tasting like the finest wine.

“I missed you today,” he said, as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Me too. How is having your folks home?”

“I may never let them leave again.”

She chuckled and snuggled in close. “You here for the night?” She held up crossed fingers.

“Let’s go away for a couple of days.”

She struggled upright and looked at him. “Go away? Where? When?” She shook her head. “I don’t know, Tanner. The clinic…”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I called Dr. Brian about this weekend. He said he’d be glad to cover Saturday and Sunday. We can head out when you get done on Friday.” He kissed her, his nibbles on her lips driving her crazy. “Don’t say no. It’ll be just the two of us. No animals to feed. No younger siblings to wrangle.”

“But what about the animals here at this ranch? Granted, I’m only babysitting them, but I can’t go off and leave them all nilly-willy.”

“If I can get Zack to take care of them, then would you go?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine. Zack has already agreed to come stay here. I think he liked the idea of the privacy. With the parents home again, he and I are free as birds.”

She poked his ribs. “You already had all my objections covered, didn’t you?”

He tickled her back and when she squirmed, took advantage to get her on her back with him on top. “Yep. I know how that brain of yours thinks.”

“Well, that’s scary.”

“Tell me,” he said with a laugh but then his face grew serious. “I want this time together. Just us. Will you go?”

“How can I say no?”

All day Friday Georgie thought about the trip, wondering about the suddenness, not that she was complaining. Two whole days of just Tanner—preferably a naked Tanner—sounded perfect.

She saw the last pet of the day and then went into her office to freshen up before Tanner arrived. All day she’d thought about what Magda had said yesterday…Tanner had never dated anyone as long as he’d been with Georgie.

Oh. My. God. He was taking her away for the weekend to propose. That had to be it. Her heart shot off like a rocket. How should she react? Surprised, of course. Maybe a little stunned.

She pulled a mirror from her purse and practiced a couple of expressions.

Letting her mouth gape in surprise, she opened her eyes wide in shock. No, that one made her look like a guppy.

She kept her mouth closed but smiled while opening her eyes wide. That one wasn’t too bad. She practiced it a couple of more times.

Hmm. Should she say yes immediately? Or pretend she had to think about it?

Her gut clenched and she wrapped her arms around her waist. Oh. My. God. Tanner was going to ask her to marry him.

About to burst with excitement, Georgie grabbed the phone to call Magda, but before she could dial, Tanner knocked on her door.

“Oh, sorry,” he said after he stuck his head in the door. “Didn’t know you were on the phone. I’ll wait outside.”

She quickly replaced the receiver. Damn. She almost ruined her own surprise.

“I’m done. Let me grab my purse, and get my bag from my truck and we’ll be off.”

He stepped into her office filling the space with all his yummy testosterone and closed the door.

Oh dear. Was he going to ask her right now? “What’s wrong?”

He smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace. “Not a damn thing. I can’t wait to get you all to myself.” He kissed her, his heat and scent engulfing her like the best security blanket ever invented.

He drove them south, two hours away from Whispering Springs, down a rutted road that required four-wheel drive and lots of hanging on. When they finally stopped, they were at a small, secluded cabin on the banks of a crystal clear lake. Chopped firewood was stacked in layers between two large trees. From her seat, Georgie could see a chimney, a couple of windows and that was about it.

“Tanner. It’s so cute.”

“Thanks. Belongs to an old buddy of mine. He doesn’t get up here much but he says when he and his wife can, it’s like being in their own little world.”

When the word wife had left his lips, an electrical jolt went through her heart and her gut flipped.

“You okay?” he asked. “You look a little flushed.”

“What? No, no. I’m fine. Let’s take a look.”

Cabin was the right word, but the place had a definite charm. The interior was completely constructed from split pine logs. A fairly modern kitchen, small dining area and a living room with an enormous fireplace made up the main area. There were two bedrooms, one smaller and one that was the obvious master with its king bed, and small fireplace. There was only one bathroom but it was spacious. The dining room had a set of french doors that led onto a deck that overlooked the lake. However, it was late enough in the evening for the lighting to be inadequate to fully appreciate the view.

Friday night was perfect. Dinner was hot dogs roasted over the flames from the fire Tanner had built in the living room fireplace. They made love in front of the fire after dinner, followed by a shower highlighted by more of a naked Tanner and then another round in the king bed. But not a word was said about their future. It tickled Georgie that he was stretching out the mystery.

If Friday night was perfect, Saturday was ideal. Early morning sun rays woke them for a long bout of love-making. Tanner went fishing behind the cabin while she sat on the deck and watched. She’d never get tired of looking at him. The view from every angle made her heart sigh. She laughed and clapped when he pulled in a couple of trout, which he cleaned for dinner.

That afternoon, a thunderstorm arrived bringing lightning and heavy rain. Trapped inside with rain pounding on the roof, a fire burning, and wrapped in Tanner’s arms met every hot button Georgie had. Either then or later as they made love would have been an idyllic time for him to ask her. Still, nothing.

Sunday morning, hand-in-hand, they went for a walk along the lake. They talked about everything but nothing in particular. He did ask where she was going next. The question had sent her heart racing so fast it pumped all the blood from her heart and she got lightheaded. When she explained she hadn’t taken anything yet and she’d been thinking about taking a month or so off, he told her it was a great idea, even going so far as to suggest some great places for vacations. It took every acting skill she possessed to not laugh at his cute way of digging for information from her on where to take her on a honeymoon.

They made love before they left. It was slow and attentive, as though he were trying to touch and taste every inch of her skin. That would have been the perfect time for his proposal, but no. Nothing.

On the ride home, both of them were quiet. She couldn’t think of anything left to say. She’d left it all behind at the cabin.

As they pulled behind the vet clinic so she could pick up her truck, he parked and turned off the engine. He turned in the seat toward her.

“This weekend was great.”

This was it!

“I had a wonderful time. Thank you.”

“Um…” He cleared his throat. “There is something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Yes,” she blurted out. “I mean, sure. Fire away.”

His brow furrowed. “I know we talked about this…this…well, whatever it is we have, ending when you leave.”

“That’s right.” She straightened and leaned a little closer so she’d be available for his kiss.

“You’re leaving on the twentieth, right?”

“Yes. A little under three weeks.”

He combed his fingers through his hair, making it stand up in places. She didn’t think he’d ever looked as cute as he did right now. This would be the story she would tell their children and their grandchildren. How nervous he was as he asked her to marry him. How he fidgeted and wouldn’t meet her gaze.

She wondered if he had already bought her a ring as a surprise or if that was something they’d do together.

“Well,” he drawled out. “I know we had an agreement, but I’m afraid I have to break my word.”

Good Lord man. Spit it out. Didn’t he realize that she was going to say yes?

“I’ve been offered Chief of the County Fire Department. Well Assistant Chief for now but Chief Townsend is retiring at the end of the year and the job is mine if I want it.”

“Oh, Tanner. That’s wonderful.”

He shrugged and a slight flush colored his adorable cheeks. “It doesn’t pay much, but I’d have time for a second job.”

Wasn’t he cute? He was worried about providing for them. Heck, she made enough, more than enough, for a second income.

“Maybe not,” she said. “I mean, you just never know what’s around the corner.”

His face brightened. “That’s true but that brings me back to us.”

She leaned closer. “Yes?”

“I have to attend some advanced training courses at the National Fire Academy in Maryland. I’ll be gone for the next three weeks. Those courses can get me ready for additional certifications that will be handy as Fire Chief. I was already a lieutenant with the Lexington Fire Department. I’m pretty stoked that the county is willing to financially support me in this. It’s a heck of an opportunity.”

His grin conveyed just how excited he was about these courses.

She frowned. Damn. She was going to have to lead the horse to the water.

“Okay. So how does this affect us?”

“Since I’ll be up there so long, I’m driving to Maryland so I’ll have my truck. I have to leave tomorrow night and I won’t be back until a couple of days before Christmas.” He shrugged, his smile gone from his beautiful mouth. “I hate that I won’t be here to give you a proper goodbye. That’s why I wanted this weekend for us. Something special that would give us the perfect way to end things. Don’t you agree? I mean, we both knew it was coming. I just have to move it up and I felt awful about that.”

She sat back, her face stinging as though she’d been slapped. “Oh.”

Do not cry.

“I see. Well, this does catch me a little off-guard.”

Do not cry.

She swallowed against the solid stone in her throat.

He sighed and reached for her. “I know. I didn’t want to say anything to spoil this weekend.” He pulled her across the seat and into an embrace.

Her eyes were beginning to sting. She had to leave.

Do not cry.

Georgie hugged him and then slid back across the truck and opened the door. “Good luck, Tanner. You’ll be a great chief for the fire department.” When she stood outside the truck, she leaned back in to say, “No need to get out. As you’ve pointed out, no reason to prolong the inevitable.”

She grabbed her bag from the back seat, tossed it into the bed of her truck, climbed in, and drove away, all the while leaving Tanner sitting behind his steering wheel.

The minute she turned the corner out of Tanner’s eyesight, the dam burst. Hot, salty tears poured down her face and dripped off her chin onto her shirt. Her chant changed from do not cry to do not wreck. It was like driving in a torrential downpour, except she didn’t have adequate wipers for her eyes. Didn’t matter what the speed limit, she tore home like the devil himself was behind her…but then, maybe he was.

Zack’s truck was in her drive when she got home. She hastily wiped her face on the hem of her shirt and then ran her fingers through her hair. Before she got out, Zack was on her porch.

“Hey,” he shouted. “You’re home earlier than I thought you’d be. Why you sitting in there? Come on in. I’ll get my stuff together to leave.”

Georgie waited until his back was turned to exit. After retrieving her bag, she slowly walked up her stairs and in to the house.

“Sorry,” he shouted from the guest room. “I would have been long gone if I’d thought you’d be home at six but you know how it is with parents and siblings…any chance for some alone time.”

“No,” she replied. “Don’t know how it is.”

“Do what?” He popped his face around the door facing. “What’d you say? Ohmygod, Georgie. What’s wrong?”

Zack hurried back to the living room where she stood, still holding her luggage in one hand.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Wh…what…makes…you…” she sniffed, “think…something…happened?” And the carefully reconstructed dam broke again. She dropped her luggage to the floor and covered her face.

“Oh man.” Zack wrapped her in his arms. “What did my fool of a brother do?”

“He broke up with me,” she cried.

“Do what? Are you kidding? Has he gone totally crazy?”

“I…I…don’t know.”

Zack patted her on the back. “He’s an idiot. Really. A total idiot.”

“It’s okay,” she said through tears, and continued sniffing. “We were going to end things anyway when I left, or that’s what we said. He just caught me off-guard tonight.”

Zack held her away from him. “The two of you had already planned a breakup? You had it scheduled?” He shook his head in disbelief. “And I thought I was the screwed up one.”

She chuckled and pushed away. “I just didn’t think he’d do it like that.” She walked to the open kitchen and began searching through cabinets.

He followed her. “Now what are you doing?”

Holding up a bottle of unopened bourbon, she said, “I’m gonna get drunk.”

“It’s not right for a lady to get drunk alone.”

“You want a glass?” she asked as she filled a tumbler.

“Hit me.”

She smiled and pulled a second glass down, which she filled. “Salute.” She tapped her glass against his and shot the first drink down.

Closing her eyes, she allowed the fiery liquid to scald her throat as it rolled toward her stomach, where it landed with a splash. When she reopened her eyes he was watching her.

“I thought we were going to drink,” she said.

He nodded and threw back his shot. “Damn. That’s some fine whiskey.”

“Hell, yeah. Only drink the best. I learned that from one of my foster dads.” She picked up the bottle. “Let’s adjourn to the living room. You can continue telling me what an ass your brother is.”

They drank and talked for hours. Even in her inebriated state, Georgie knew there was no way Zack could drive home. When he fell asleep, or more actually passed out, she stretched him out on the couch and covered him with a blanket. And then she staggered to her own bed.

*

On his back, feet crossed at his ankles, his arms behind his head, Tanner stared at his ceiling. The rock that’d formed in his gut made it impossible to eat dinner. The elephant sitting on his chest made breathing difficult. For a while, he wondered if he was having a heart attack. He was a little young for one for sure, but damn, he’d never hurt like this, not even when he fell off a ladder during training. He even considered driving to the hospital emergency room. In the end, he had to accept what his brain kept telling him…breaking it off with Georgina was the dumbest move he’d ever made.

Sure, they’d agreed on a limited time period to see each other. And maybe it did start off as something to bide his time and keep him sane while his parents were gone. But somewhere along the way, he’d fallen for her…lock, stock and barrel. Whether he could get over her wasn’t even the issue. He didn’t want to get over her. He wanted her back, with him, for as long as possible.

As that thought crawled through his head, he realized what he was telling himself…he had found the woman he wanted in his life for the rest of his life. He wanted to marry Georgina.

The big question was…did she want to marry him?

Had she fallen for him too? His first response was yes, of course she had, but that could be his ego speaking. Hell, it probably was his ego. He’d never had a girlfriend walk away from him like she’d done tonight.

If he was being honest, he’d thought she’d put up some argument about ending things so abruptly but no. She jumped in her truck and raced out of the lot as though on the starting line for the Daytona 500.

He sat upright. If he did not tell her how he felt and, instead, let her walk away, he’d never forgive himself. He’d always wonder what if?

The time reflected on his ceiling from his clock read four-thirty. He could be at her place by five and catch her before work. He had to tell her the truth before he left for Maryland.

Besides, she said she had some time off when she was done. She could stay here and they would be back together in no time.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, he stopped long enough in the kitchen to fill a travel mug with fresh coffee. Thank goodness for his mother and the automatic timer inventor for the coffee pot.

When he wheeled up to Georgina’s house, he had to slam his brakes to keep from rear-ending Zack’s truck. What the hell was Zack doing here?

Tanner flew from his truck up the front steps and pounded on the front door. “Zack!” he shouted. “Open this damn door.” He continued to beat on the door and shout until his brother answered.

“What?”

Zack stood there in a pair of wrinkled sweat pants, a T-shirt, no socks and a definite case of bedhead hair. He scratched his head. “What?” he asked, his eyes at half-mast.

Tanner shoved his way inside, red-hot rage pumping through his veins in place of blood. “What are you doing here? Where’s Georgina?”

“Georgie? She’s here. Probably still in bed.” His brother had the audacity to yawn.

Grabbing his brother’s T-shirt, Tanner jerked him toward him. “What the hell are you doing here? Did you sleep with my woman?”

“What is all the yelling?” Georgina came from her bedroom, still pulling on a long robe. “Tanner? What are you doing here?”

Instead of answering Georgina, Tanner shook his brother. “You knew Georgina was my gal.”

“Look, asshole,” Zack said with a sneer and jerking free from Tanner’s hold. “You tossed her over. Can I help it if she would rather be with me?”

Tanner made a fist and slammed it upside his brother’s face. Zack’s head rocked back from the force. He stumbled backwards and then hit the floor.

“Tanner. What’s wrong with you?” Georgina cried, hurrying over to where Zack lay sprawled on the floor. She dropped to her knees by his head. “Are you okay?” She touched the growing red spot on his face and then glared up at Tanner. “Have you lost your mind?”

A black hole developed in Tanner’s chest where his heart used to reside. “Well, you wasted no time replacing me. What? You’ve got three weeks left so you figured fucking one Marshall is as good as another?”

Her eyes popped wide. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

Zack shook his head. “You have really fucked up this time, Tanner.”

Tanner gave a snort of derision. “Yeah, I know. I showed up unexpectedly.” He whirled on his boot heel. “I’ll just leave you two lovebirds alone.”

He slammed the front door so hard, the glass panes in the front windows rattled, not that he gave a shit. Hell, be fine with him if he broke one, or all, of them.

Throwing rocks and dirt, he whipped out of her drive and headed home. He wasn’t waiting around for a gloating Zack to come home.

Within an hour of arriving back at the ranch, he had his truck packed and was ready to hit the road.

“Why wait?” he’d said to his parents. “I can get an early start and not have to drive at night.”

His worthless, piece-of-shit brother was pulling up the drive as he was leaving. With all the maturity of a ten-year-old, Tanner gave Zack the finger and kept on going.

Fuck him.

And her too, now that he thought about it.

Pushing himself to get as far away from his treacherous brother and the duplicitous woman he’d fallen in love with, he’d driven Monday until his vision blurred and hallucinations appeared in his peripheral vision, only stopping long enough to nap in an interstate rest stop. He needed thousands of miles between himself and them.

How could they do this to him?

He loved Georgina. He loved his brother. But they had ripped his heart out and stomped on it. He wasn’t sure he could ever go home again.

Chapter Twelve

‡

Hell was not just a place preachers talked about on Sunday. Tanner was sure because he was in hell every day. Not the classes. Losing himself in the information and soaking up all he could about leadership, arson, and wild fire management were the only things that kept him sane. The nights were the worst. Sleep, when it came, was restless. Dreams of Zack and Georgina—nightmares really—where they laughed and pointed at him plagued him. A couple of times, a flash of auburn hair made him believe Georgina was there, but it never was her.

Damn, he missed her.

On the second week of classes, his phone rang. It was almost six in the evening. He’d only been home about fifteen minutes and had left his phone in a coat jacket. Now he ran across the room to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hi, honey. I hope I’m not interrupting your dinner,” Janet Marshall said.

“Nope. Haven’t started yet. Is something wrong?” He carried the phone to the small sofa in the hotel unit and sat.

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just haven’t talked to you in a few days. Your father and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Everything’s fine.”

“How are classes?”

“Good. Some of it’s review, some of it’s new.”

“Well, that’s good. We sure miss you here.”

Yeah, he’d bet. Zack was probably gone all the time with Georgina and not pulling his fair share of work around the ranch.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Have you talked to Zack?”

Zack, the traitor you mean?

“No. Why?”

“He’s got a new girlfriend.”

Tanner’s heart squeezed and he lost his breath. “Oh? Anyone we know?”

He must be a glutton for punishment. Did he really want to hear her say Georgina’s name?

“Not really,” his mother said. “A townie named Delene.”

“Delene? Delene Younger?”

“Yes, that’s her. Do you know her?”

“Not well. Are you sure you got the name right?”

“Of course. He brought her to dinner this week. Seems like a nice girl.”

“She is nice. I knew he’d been out with her a few times, but it’s not like Zack to settle down with one girl.”

“He’s getting older and—oh, hold on. Here, say hi,” his mother said.

He heard rattling as the phone receiver changed hands.

“Hello?”

The voice was a direct strike to his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him.

“Georgina?”

“Yeah. How are classes?” Her voice could flash-freeze hot water.

“Good.”

“Oh, good.”

The conversation was awkward and stilted on both ends. He struggled for what to say.

“Here’s your mom,” Georgina said.

The rattle sounds reverberated again as the receiver changed hands.

“Thanks, Hon,” his mother said to Georgina. “Okay. I’m back. The buzzer on my oven was going off.”

“What is she doing there?”

“Who? Georgina? Having dinner with us.”

“Is Jolene okay? Sir Henry?”

“Everybody’s fine. Your sister did one of those shadow-someone assignments and Georgie was nice enough to let Deb hang onto her coattails for a day.”

“I didn’t mind,” he heard Georgina say from the background.

“Still, it was nice of you,” his mother replied, speaking to Georgina and not him. “Anyway, Deb enjoyed it so much, she shadowed Georgie for an entire weekend. And I thought having her over for dinner was the least your father and I could do as a thank you.”

“It was nice of her,” he agreed. “Can I speak to her for a second, unless you have something more to talk about with me?”

“Nope. I’m all done. Just making sure you’re taking care of yourself. Hold on.”

Rattle and then, “Yes?” Brr. Ice cold.

“I’m sorry about my brother.”

“For what?”

“You know. Taking advantage of you and then just, well, walking away.”

Her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. “You. Are. An. Idiot,” she said, and hung up.

Poor Georgina. He knew his brother was too immature for a woman like Georgina and would have a million reasons why their night together “just happened.” And that’s why he’d not answered any of Zack’s calls nor listened to any of his messages. He couldn’t stomach hearing the excuses for Zack’s behavior.

The sad thing was he did love his brother. The last thing he wanted to do was to spend the rest of his life feuding with Zack. They would just have to find a way to get past this.

A couple of days later when his phone rang, he was driving in bright sunlight. Even if he’d tried, there was no way he could see the caller ID.

“Yeah?” Tanner answered.

“It’s Zack.”

Tanner gritted his teeth, fighting the rage that flared.

“Hold on. I’ll pull over.” Tanner turned into a shopping center parking lot and stopped his truck. “Okay. I’m here. Say your piece.”

“Don’t be a jackass, Tanner.”

“You want me to hang up on you?”

“Hell, no. If you had listened to any of the fourteen million messages I left, nothing happened between me and Georgie. Nothing.”

“Go on.”

“Damn it, Tanner. Get this through your thick, jealous brain. Georgie was upset that you broke up with her. I had had an argument with…well, a woman I was seeing. We drank and talked until I feel asleep. Georgie threw a blanket over me and left. That’s it. That’s all that happened.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this when I walked in?”

“Maybe because you were too busy pounding my face. Hell, man. I was still a little drunk. And the cells that weren’t booze-infused were hung over. You didn’t give us time to explain. You hit me and marched out.” Zack sighed. “You really hurt Georgie…bad”

His words dug deep into Tanner’s soul.

“She didn’t deserve what you did to her,” Zack continued. “She loves you, or at least, she did love you. Now? I wouldn’t blame her if she wrote you off as a crazy person.”

“You didn’t have sex with Georgina?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I. Did. Not. Have. Sex. With. Your. Girl. Georgie is a nice person, but she’s too old for me.”

Tanner had to smile at the last sentence. Hadn’t he been saying the same thing? Maybe he had overreacted.

“Sorry about your face.”

Zack chuckled. “Not me. Got me loads of sympathy at Leo’s, not to mention quite a few free beers.”

Tanner sighed. “I am a fool.”

“Yep. I have to agree.”

“Thanks for your support,” he replied with heavy sarcasm.

“You know you’ve got some serious groveling to do, don’t you? I’m talking about you on your knees begging-for-forgiveness type of groveling. And that’s if she doesn’t slam the door in your face.”

Tanner raked his fingers through his hair as he blew out a loud breath. “I still have another week up here.”

“Well, bro, I’d suggest you think of how to do some nice stuff for her from afar. Good luck.”

His phone calls to Georgina went unanswered that evening. Fine. He would apologize the old-fashioned way…cards and flowers. And pray that would soften her up.

*

“Make sure that Prissy gets two pills every day,” Georgie said to Mrs. Willingham. “That will clear up that bladder infection.”

Mrs. Willingham picked up her overweight and extremely spoiled Persian cat and cradled her. “Thank you Dr. Greyson.”

Georgie left the exam room and dragged her exhausted body down to her office to collapse on the sofa. She went to bed on time. She did every get-to-sleep-trick she knew or that she could find on the internet, but sleep continued to evade her. And when she did finally drift off, her dreams were always of Tanner walking out on her. Slamming the door. Damning her to a loveless life.

Every time she thought about that morning and Tanner’s accusations she got mad all over again. After Chris left her to have an affair with her best friend, how could Tanner think that she would do the same?

She was in love with Tanner-the-idiot.

But give her a year, or ten, and she’d be okay again.

A rap on her door jerked her back to the present. “Dr. Greyson?”

“Come on in.”

The clinic receptionist pushed the door open. “Look what came for you.” She walked in carrying a dozen red roses arranged in a large white vase. Stems of baby’s breath and greenery filled out the arrangement.

“Oh,” Georgie said a little breathless. “It’s beautiful. Set it on the desk.” She stood and followed the receptionist to her desk so she could pull the envelope from the plastic stand shoved among the leaves.

The card inside read “Missing you.”

No signature. No return address. But she suspected they were from Tanner, not that a bouquet of flowers could make up for what he said.

She dropped the card into the trash. “Take them to the front desk for our clients to enjoy.”

The receptionist whipped around and carried them out.

Nope. She wouldn’t be swayed by some red petals.

The next day, the office manager dropped off a couple pieces of mail for Georgie. One was a catalog of pet supplies and toys. The other was a blue envelope. Inside the blue envelope was a card.

The card cover was of a horse that looked surprisingly like Jolene. The inside had been left blank by the manufacturer but now had handwriting that read, “Saw this. Thought of you. Not surprising since I think of you every day.”

Again no signature. She held the card over the trash can but her fingers would not let go. Finally, she opened her purse and shoved it inside to take home.

A day passed and nothing arrived, not that she expected to get something every day. That was nuts. Still, she left for home a little disappointed.

When she arrived home, an express delivery box was propped against her door. She picked it up and carried it into the house. She expected candy since he’d already sent flowers and a card. But she was wrong. The box was filled with greeting cards. Some made her laugh with the puns and jokes. But many of them were heartfelt declarations of love and loss. The largest one was heart-shaped. Inside Tanner had simply written:

I was wrong. I am sorry.

I love you.

Forgive me

Tanner

She dropped into a kitchen chair and read his message again.

He loved her.

She sort of suspected that he did. But that didn’t solve their problems, did it? Her mind began firing memory pictures of their time together, the love they shared, the laughs, the quiet moments.

Her cell phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts.

She answered without looking at the screen. “Dr. Greyson.”

A distinct crackle filled the air, followed by, “Georgie? It’s James Mabee.”

“James. What a nice surprise. Have you started home?”

“No, not yet. That’s why I’m calling. My wife wants to stay another six weeks. Is that going to be a problem? Can you stay?”

“Of course I can stay.”

“Great. Any problems at the clinic or at the house we found you?”

“Everything is going great. Love the house.”

“Good. Good. Have you thought about settling in Whispering Springs? My wife and I are enjoying the travel and I need a partner. Love Dr. Brian but he can’t handle as much as he used to.”

“I…I…I hadn’t thought about it.”

Liar.

“Well, give it some thought. The guy that owns the house you’re staying in has moved into an assisted living complex. The house with all the acreage will be going up for sale. If you decide to stay and are interested in the house, let me know and I’ll get you in contact with him.”

“Oh yes. I love the farm, and his pets he had to leave behind.”

“Good. He’ll be happy to know his animals won’t have to be sold to strangers. Grab a pencil and let me give you the information.”

He gave her the new contact information for the owner. Up to now, she’d been using direct draw to pay her rent, so she’d never contacted him. But she would now.

The second name and information was for his lawyer, KC Montgomery Gentry. His lawyer had his power of attorney and partnership papers should Georgie decide she wanted to settle in Whispering Springs.

After they hung up, she sagged against the back of her chair, then she smiled. Then she burst out with laughter.

She thought about calling Tanner but didn’t. He’d probably be happy to hear from her but she also didn’t want for him to think a couple of cards and a bunch of flowers made up for the hurt he’d caused. He made this mess. She would let him clean it up. If she was going to spend the rest of her life with him—and she had every intention of doing so—then she wanted to let him come to her.

For the next week, she heard nothing from Tanner. No flowers, cards, or even text messages. She really wasn’t good at romance. Maybe she was supposed to have called him after all the gifts. Argh. Someone hand her a rule book on dating and romance!

Friday night, she went to bed confused and sad. She had totally screwed up this thing with Tanner. Magda had told her to not call him and to stay tough and so she did. What was she doing taking advice from Magda, a woman who ran away the first time things got heavy with a guy?

A tapping at the door awoke her. Dawn was just breaking. Orange and purple streaks painted the sky.

She sat up and listened. There it was again. Someone was knocking at her back door.

Putting on a robe, she stumbled through the kitchen and peeked out the window before she answered.

Tanner stood there. A lightning bolt of lust, desire and love stunned her as it vibrated her body. Dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, boots and a heavy coat, he’d never looked better.

“Tanner?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just get dressed. I want to take you somewhere.”

“What?”

“Get dressed.” He leaned in and kissed her. “Trust me. Dress warm. Hurry.”

“But…”

He put his hands on her shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her toward her bedroom.

“Warm clothes.” He nuzzled behind her ear. “Please.”

She hurried off to throw on jeans, a blouse, heavy sweater, boots and a jacket. As a last minute thought, she grabbed gloves and a hat. The breeze through the door had been quite nippy.

Once in his truck, they didn’t drive far, only about a mile. In the open field stood a hot air balloon.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

“Yep. Come on.”

Tanner climbed out and raced around to her side, lifting her out of his truck and onto the ground. They went through a gate and trudged through the dead grass to where five people held the balloon tethered to the ground.

“Climb in,” Tanner said.

She looked at him, hesitated, and then nodded. If their future was to be together, she had to learn to trust him. In her heart, Georgie knew Tanner would never deliberately do anything that would hurt her.

He followed her into the basket, introduced her to the pilot, Jim, and then the guys holding the ropes released them. They floated off the ground in a quiet lift-off. The earth fell away. The only sound was the occasional blast of gas and flame to heat the air in the balloon to keep them aloft.

She stood looking out over the countryside. Being December, the fields were asleep for winter but they still provided homes for the cows and horses in the area. They were low enough that the animals would look up as they floated over.

“This is incredible, Tanner. I’ve never done this before.”

He put his arms around her and pulled her back snug against his chest. “Let me tell you why I brought you up here.”

“Okay.”

“When I’m with you, this is how I feel. I’m floating. The chaos of the world is gone. My mind is quiet. My heart is light. I’m at peace. Only you do this for me. I’d be lying if I told you I’d never told a woman that I loved her. I have. But it’s always been a lie, until now. I’ve never felt for a woman the way I feel for you. You make me look beyond just the field where I’m standing.” He swept his arm out in front of her. “You make me see everything. Make me believe I can do anything. I love you, Georgina Greyson with all my heart.”

Georgie looked over her shoulder. “That was beautiful.”

“Wait. I have to say more. I am so sorry for all the stupid things I said. I know you would never be unfaithful. Now, my brother…?”

She chuckled. “Nothing happened.”

“I know. I think I knew it when I calmed down but by then, my foot was so far down my throat I was choking on it. Can you forgive me?”

“It might take me a long time.”

“Like the rest of your life?”

“Yeah. That would be a start.”

He turned her around so they were facing each other and dropped to one knee. “I love you, Georgina. I want to spend the rest of my life spoiling you. Will you marry me?”

Looking down, Georgina knew her future was bright.

“You drive me crazy, Tanner Marshall.”

He grinned. “Is that a yes?”

She smiled. “That’s a yes. I’ll marry you.”

He stood and enfolded her in his arms for a kiss.

“Hold on,” the pilot said. “We’re landing and it’s a little rougher than the take off.”

Georgie settled into Tanner’s protective embrace as the pilot released the hot air and they slowly began to fall back down to earth. She was enough of a realist to know sometimes life would toss them a rough landing every now and then, but with Tanner as her co-pilot, she was ready to hit the ground running. Their life together was going to be an adventure, and she couldn’t wait for it to begin.

The End

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Cynthia D’Alba was born and raised in a small Arkansas town. After being gone for a number of years, she’s thrilled to be making her home back in Arkansas living in a vine-covered cottage on the banks of an eight-thousand acre lake. When she’s not reading or writing or plotting, she’s doorman for her two dogs, cook, housekeeper and chief bottle washer for her husband and slave to a noisy, messy parrot. She loves to chat online with friends and fans.

You can find her most days at one of the following online homes:

Website:

cynthiadalba.com

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Facebook/cynthiadalba

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@cynthiadalba

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Cynthia’s World

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Cynthia’s Page

Or drop her a line at:

cynthia@cynthiadalba.com

Or send snail mail to:

Cynthia D’Alba PO Box 2116 Hot Springs, AR 71914

Or better yet! She would for you to take her newsletter. She promises not to spam you, not to fill your inbox with advertising, and not to sell your name and email address to anyone.

Go HERE and sign up today!!

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Please…if you read, please review!

Look for these other titles by Cynthia D’Alba

Texas Two Step: The Prequel

Texas Two Step, Book One, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Texas Tango, Book Two, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Texas Fandango, Book Three, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Texas Twist, Book Four, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Texas Bossa Nova, Book Five, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Coming November 2015 – Texas Hustle, Book Six, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Coming Springs 2016, Texas Lullaby, Book Seven, Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Look for short stories by Cynthia D’Alba in these collections:

Cowboy 12-Pack

Cowboy Heat

Smokin’ Hot Firemen

The Mammoth Book of ER Romances

Controlled Burn

A Cowboys on the Edge story

Delilah Devlin

‡

Controlled Burn

A Cowboys on the Edge story

Copyright © 2015 by Delilah Devlin

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

For information contact Delilah Devlin at www.DelilahDevlin.com

Cover design by Kim Killion

Excerpt of Dangerous Liaison, Copyright © 2014 by Delilah Devlin

This flame doesn’t need a match…

One high school prank gone wrong shouldn’t define the rest of Carly Lohan’s life. But setting fire to Caldera Canyon isn’t something townsfolk will ever forget. As the last part of her final act of restitution, she’s among the group of volunteers assigned to keep a prescribed burn of underbrush and grass from “running over the rim” into the ranches ringing the park.

Local rancher and volunteer firefighter Jeremiah McCord doesn’t trust the reformed firebug anywhere near the canyon’s controlled burn. Determined to keep her on a short rein, he’s everywhere she is, watching her. His distrust and determination sparks a plan for some sexy revenge—one that will get them both too close to the flames.

Dedication

Thanks go to my daughter, Kelly, who may not read me often (she’d rather not know how kinky her mama is), but who gives me love, shares her girls and her life with me, and can’t stand to live farther than across the road. I may never be able to snip those apron strings, but we kind of like it that way. Love you, Kell!

Chapter One

‡

Caldera, Texas had been aptly named by its founders. Although technically late winter, the air was unseasonably warm—hot as witch’s cauldron, and the town just as cursed.

Or, at least the place was so far as Carly Lohan was concerned.

Carly closed her car door and drew a deep breath, thinking she’d as soon have a root canal as walk into the midst of the people gathering inside the community center. All gazes would turn her way. They’d nudge their friends, and the ugly whispers would begin.

She might as well have had a big “A” branded on her forehead, but not for adultery like Hester Prynne—her crime was far worse. Arson wasn’t something folks around here would ever forgive.

Not that she thought of herself as an arsonist. However, a charge like that, even against a minor, clung like skunk spray. Which was why she’d headed to college as soon as she’d graduated high school and now lived a town away. Tonight, she had to face Calderans one last time.

Gripping her purse like it was a shield, she strode toward the door. Before she even reached the steps, she heard a whistle sound from behind her.

“Well, would you lookie there. If it ain’t Carly Lohan. Long time, no see.”

If she were ninety, she would have recognized Tater Johnson’s nasal twang. He’d taunted from her first day in kindergarten and had been the biggest thorn in her side all throughout school. The fact she was here today was partly because of him. She forced a smile and turned. “Good to see you, Tater.”

He smoked a cigarette while sitting on the edge of his truck bed. “Burn up any canyons lately?” he drawled.

Wow. He didn’t even take a second to work up to that. Carly stopped the automatic wince before he could see it. The last thing she should do was rise to a single one of his taunts. “Not lately. You going to the meeting?” she asked, tilting her head toward the open doors.

“Course.” He tipped back his cowboy hat and gave her a narrowed stare. “Keepin’ Caldera Canyon safe is important to me—which is why I’m wonderin’ what the hell you’re doin’ here.”

Carly felt her face heat. Before she could think of a more mature reply, she shot him the bird and turned on her heel. Good Lord, she’d only been back for five minutes and was already reverting to her old ways.

His grating chuckles followed her inside the large hall. The instant satisfaction she’d felt at giving the rude gesture faded as she entered and searched the rows of metal folding chairs. All seats were taken—of course, except for a couple right in front of the speakers’ table. Shit.

She didn’t have a choice. She’d be sitting across from the current sheriff of Caldera County. Her gaze snagged on the man sitting beside him, Jeremiah McCord, and her stomach sank at the glare he leveled. Shit-shit-shit.

Only to herself would she admit the man intimidated her. He was a large man—well over six feet and broad. And he was handsome when his features weren’t set into grim lines as they were now.

“Let’s call this meeting to order,” a man dressed in a park ranger’s uniform said. “We’re all here to talk about the prescribed burn we’re implementing inside the park four days from now.”

She turned her attention to the speaker. At least, he wasn’t staring at her. She didn’t know him, so she kept her gaze glued to the ranger as he started the slide show.

Pictures of happy campers sitting around campfires flashed on the screen, followed by more photos of the rugged bluffs surrounding the park. “Our goal, come Monday morning, will be to burn brush and dried vegetation from the canyon floor, while keeping the fire under control and halting it before the blaze runs the rim of the canyon, endangering local ranches. We won’t touch the areas around the campgrounds or the park service buildings. Those have been kept clear of excess brush by camp personnel. We’re focusing our efforts on the areas north of the campgrounds, through the upper canyon, toward the north rim of the park.”

The next picture was of a jackrabbit hiding in the brush. “A prescribed burn is good for the canyon’s plants and trees, and for its wildlife. By removing underbrush and new seedlings, we give the forest a chance to grow and deprive wildfires of fuel.”

The next photo was of rows of volunteers digging firebreaks, with flames licking across dry grass. The flames blazed orange, yellow, purple—so pretty—she couldn’t stop herself from startling when the slide changed to a photograph of those same volunteers, covered in soot, but smiling as they stood in front of a scorched patch of earth, trees with their bark only slightly singed.

“This is the outcome we want. A safe burn. A way to renew the earth and prevent uncontrolled blazes in the future…”

Carly drew a deep breath, and then made the mistake of again looking at Jeremiah. His gaze bored into her, cold and hard. Had he seen how the picture of the fire held her mesmerized? Her stomach tightened, and she felt a little sick.

Keeping her expression neutral, she returned his stare. She wasn’t that same reckless girl. She’d done her penance, and then some. Performing this last act of restitution would expunge her juvenile record, and she could function without worrying someone would discover her past mistake. She could submit a job application without her hand shaking, because she feared a background check would reveal her crime. And maybe she could finally make use of her teaching degree.

Thank God, she didn’t have to work around here. Jeremiah would consider it his civic duty to make sure everyone kept a close eye on her. He wasn’t exactly the most forgiving man, and if she couldn’t find a better job, she’d never be able to repay him for what he’d lost.

The rest of the presentation droned on and on. The park ranger was followed by the local fire chief, and then the park service expert they’d brought in to help supervise the burn. She tried to pay attention, but felt as though a hundred accusing fingers were pointed at her back. So she sat rigid in her seat, arms crossed, waiting for the briefing to end. She’d get her team assignment and head back to the motel where she’d left her suitcase. Then she could close her door and sleep until Saturday’s training.

Seven years hadn’t been nearly long enough to ease the feeling of guilt that weighed her down. Moving away had helped her live a more normal life, but she’d had these little reminders every so often, part of the deal the judge had made with her to protect her future. Participating in the controlled burn inside the park would be the last time Calderans would have to suffer her presence. And she theirs.

At last, the park ranger turned off the projector. Everyone rose and made their way to the board where team assignments were listed.

She waited patiently while being jostled—probably deliberately. At last, she scanned the list.

Her name was listed on a team of ten—and led by Jeremiah McCord. Shit.

Jeremiah stood near the doors, ready to nab Carly before she could skulk away. Blake Thacker, the local fire chief, stood next to him. “You put her on my team.” Jeremiah muttered.

Blake’s mouth twitched. “You’ve been so vocal about what a hazard she is to have around, so I thought you’d rest easier keeping her close.”

Jeremiah grunted.

“It’s been seven years,” Blake said, slapping his shoulder. “She hasn’t burned up a canyon or set a house on fire.”

“Not that we know of.”

Blake shook his head. “Don’t you think the time has come to give her a little slack? She’s a grown woman now, not a rebellious teenager.”

Eyeing Carly as she moved away from the board, he couldn’t help but note the fact she was a woman now. Still skinny, but taller and with an interesting bit of flare to her hips. “She’s a menace. Nearly cost me my ranch.”

Blake gave him a baleful glance. “And walking up to the front of the room had to have taken a lot of courage, knowing no one wants her here.”

Jeremiah didn’t like the pang of doubt that struck his chest. He’d aimed a pretty mean stare her way. Not that she’d seemed the least bit put off. Her chin had inched up, and she’d kept her gaze averted, watching those images of flames spreading across brush.

He hadn’t missed the one real moment of emotion that had crossed her face. The picture of the fire had held her captive. No, she hadn’t changed a bit. Maybe she’d simply gotten better at hiding her firebug proclivities.

“Play nice,” Blake said, under his breath as people filed out of the building. “Judge Sessions says this’ll happen, whether you want it to or not. I’ve given you a way to control the situation. You can thank me later.”

Blake gave him another pat and walked away, just as Carly, who was almost the last person out the door came abreast. Her glance landed on him then darted to the door. So she was nervous around him. Good. “Don’t be late for training,” he bit out.

She halted, and her glance crashed with his. “I won’t,” she said, her mouth crimping into a straight line, and her brow furrowing.

Jeremiah felt a little thrill of attraction tingle in his balls. Oh, hell no. But before he could stem the impulse, he blurted, “Where you staying?”

“At the Prickly Pear Motel.”

He slowly shook his head, dreading what he was about to say. But he knew he wouldn’t rest easy if he didn’t have her under his thumb, twenty-four/seven for the next four days. Keep your enemies close and all… “I’ll follow you there and wait for you to check out.”

Her chin shot higher. “I’m not going away. This is the last task I have to complete to clear my name.”

“I’m not having you roaming free until this is done.”

She stuck her hand on her hip. “Gonna ask your buddy the sheriff to lock me up when I’m not with you?”

Jeremiah nearly growled. “Sweetheart, you’ve got a choice—you’re either sitting in lock-up, or you’re coming home with me.”

“The hell I am.” Her smoky gray eyes rounded.

He liked the flush of pink that crept across her cheeks. He noted, not for the first time, that she was pretty. But her beauty was likely a honey trap. The judge had taken one look at her slim body and pretty blonde looks, and let her off lightly—giving her a short stint in a juvenile detention facility, a fine she’d never pay off, and community service, rather than sending her to a women’s prison where she belonged.

Sure, she looked like an angel, but he knew better. He’d seen the excitement glinting in her eyes when the picture of brushfire had popped on the screen. She hadn’t changed. No, Carly Lohan was a danger to him and every ranch rimming the canyon. “I’ll follow you to the motel.”

“Don’t you think we ought to at least be on first-name basis before you invite me home?” At his next glare, she blew out an exasperated breath that billowed her cheeks. “Fine, it’s just five days, and you saved me the expense of a hotel. You have to feed me, too.”

“Oh, you’ll earn your room and board, Carly,” he drawled, warming to the thought of how he’d keep her busy for the next few days. She wouldn’t be so saucy after mucking out horseshit in the barn. And then an image popped into his mind of other forms of service she might provide…

He clamped down on his attraction. Don’t go there. She was trouble with a capital T, and the sooner she was gone, the better.

Carly turned on a heel, marched through the doors and down the steps, him following close behind. Her car wasn’t much to look at. Paint was peeling. The rear fender was missing.

Looked like she’d had hard times. Again, his chest tightened, wondering where she’d been all this time, and what hardships she’d faced.

Not his problem, he reminded himself, setting his jaw as he climbed into his truck and followed her taillights a mile down the highway.

The Prickly Pear was the worst sort of dive, serving long-haul truckers and tawdry trysts. He parked beside her POS car and waited in his truck as she disappeared into a room. When she came out a moment later, she carried one suitcase. Obviously, she hadn’t unpacked.

She dumped the case in her trunk and stomped to the office. He watched through the dusty glass as she paid her bill.

The kid behind the counter darted a glance out the window, and his eyes widened on Jeremiah’s truck. Kevin Twomey. Ah hell. The whole town would know he’d been waiting for her outside a motel. Just what he needed. Kevin’s mama was the biggest gossip in the county.

At last, she made her way out and stopped beside his window. “I’ll follow you. Maybe he won’t think you’re a stalker.”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond, simply turned as neatly as a soldier and marched to her car. By the time he heard the engine, a smile was tugging at his mouth. She might be a firebug, and have no business participating in a controlled burn, but the girl had grit.

Chapter Two

‡

With the moon high in a cloudless sky, Carly pulled up into the driveway next to Jeremiah’s house. Lights shone beneath the eaves of the porch and from the many windows of the house.

Jeremiah’s home wasn’t what she’d expected. For one thing, there were lovely filigree cornices beneath the porch that wrapped around the two-story structure, and it was painted a pretty sky blue, not uncommon to Victorian houses of the era in Texas.

The house and what she could see of the flower beds and landscaping were too feminine for the ornery rancher. Which caused her stomach to cramp just a little bit. She hadn’t thought of him as married. Not the way his gaze had slid over her frame back at the community center. So maybe he wasn’t the straight-arrow she’d always pegged him as.

Then she wondered what female he’d convinced to put up with his high-handed attitude. She almost felt sorry for the woman. Almost. Mostly, she felt a deep, aching envy. Puzzling, since she was sure she didn’t like Jeremiah very much.

Carly shook her head and opened her door, giving it a hard shove because the door’s rusted hinges always gave her crap. Outside, she shivered, because now that the night had fallen, the temperature had taken a steep dip.

Jeremiah was already out of his truck and looking at her with that same dark furrow shading his ice-cold blue eyes.

Her chin shot up. So her car was a rust bucket. It was hers. She didn’t have a debt in the world other than the one that hit her bank account once a month—her court-ordered restitution to this man. Carly grabbed her suitcase from her trunk and followed him as he turned and led the way up the porch steps and into his home. “I assume I’ll be staying in the bunkhouse…?”

“No, we don’t allow any females there. They’d be too much of a distraction.” He didn’t look back, tromping through the foyer and up the steps, which turned a corner at a landing midway up as the stairs changed direction. At the top, he took a left, the soft beige, Berber carpeting muffling his boot heels. At the second doorway down, he stopped, twisted the knob, and stood back.

He didn’t give her a gesture or a word to invite her in, so she frowned, passing him and stepping inside. The room wasn’t the cell she’d half-expected: sage-green wallpaper with white flowers, and an unfussy, but lovely, cherry wood bed and dresser, filmy white curtains. “It’s nice,” she said, begrudgingly.

“Don’t get too comfortable.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

His jaw ground tight, and then he took off his hat and raked a hand through his hair. “Ms. Lohan—”

“Carly. No one calls me that.” She shrugged. “Seeing as I’ll be sharing a roof with your family.”

“Just me.”

In this big house? She blinked, and then schooled her expression to hide her surprise. “The missus away?”

“I’m not married. Anymore.” And his frown deepened.

So she’d touched a nerve. Good to know. Don’t discuss the ex.

“Cook comes in every morning. There’s always something in the fridge if we miss meals.”

And because she didn’t have a clue what his plans for her were, she said casually, “We’ll be missing meals?”

His mouth curved slightly. “You’ll be busy with chores. Everyone on the ranch works, Carly.”

Not that she minded working, but he might have mentioned that before he’d had her give up her room in town. “I missed dinner,” she said, her tone a little belligerent because she was annoyed and didn’t mind him knowing.

“Bathroom’s at the end of the hallway. Get washed up. I’ll see you in the kitchen.”

When the door closed, she took a deep breath, not realizing she’d been breathing so shallowly—not until he was gone.

Swallowing hard, she glanced around the room then went to the closet. Empty, but there were hangars. Not that she’d need many. Most of what she owned was in the suitcase and wouldn’t take long to hang. But she’d settle in later. Her stomach rumbled, so she headed back out the door and to the end of the hallway.

The bathroom was nicer than any she’d ever been inside. A large, old-fashioned claw foot tub dominated the room. A white curtain hung from a circular ring above it, so she could shower, although she knew she’d take advantage of the luxury of that deep tub at least once before she left. The walls were white wainscoting below, more of the sage and white wallpaper above. Fluffy white towels were rolled and stored in an iron baker’s rack. She went to the white porcelain pedestal sink and washed her hands. Where the rest of the house hadn’t intimidated her, this pristine room did. A woman like her didn’t belong here. She’d leave smudges and dirt.

What was he thinking bringing her here? Was he really that worried she might start a fire?

She guessed from his point of view, she was every bit as foreign as this place was to her. She hadn’t been born to wealth. Had lived a hard-scrabble life, even before the fire—in and out of foster homes. What had his life been like being raised here? Where the walls felt as though they were soaked in family and history. She’d bet every one of his ancestors knew where they came from.

The thought was sobering, and one that was tinged again with, if not outright envy, a grudging understanding. Her actions had threatened this piece of history. Something that would have been irretrievable. Shame pushed her shoulders lower. She owed him more than just the monetary debt she paid every single month. If her responsibility was to work while she was here, she wouldn’t give him any sass.

Mind made up she’d try to get along and not deliberately rile him again, she left the bathroom and made her way downstairs, following the lovely aromas that set her mouth watering and led her to the big kitchen in the back of the house.

He stood in front of the microwave. Already, he’d set plastic-wrapped dishes on the counter filled with fluffy potatoes and salad.

There was a loaf of fresh-baked bread that smelled heavenly. “Shall I set the table?”

He gave her a quick glance over his shoulder. “Drawer next to the fridge.”

She suppressed a sigh. He hadn’t made any similar commitment to get along. These five days were going to be long.

She made herself busy, gathering plates, silver ware and condiments, and pouring ice tea from a pitcher she found in the refrigerator.

When he’d finished heating the food, they sat across from each other at the kitchen table, quietly passing dishes. After she had her plate filled, she glanced up.

His gaze was on her plate. She couldn’t stop her frown. “I’m hungry.” No need to reveal her last meal was ramen noodles at lunchtime back in her apartment in Two Mule.

“So I can gather,” he said, his voice gruff. “There’s more in the fridge.”

Her cheeks burned. “This’ll be fine.” At her first bite of the pot roast, she groaned. “Better than fine.”

He gave a soft grunt.

A masculine sound she found oddly appealing.

“Mayra’s a good cook. She’s been working for our family since before I was born.”

“You’re lucky to have her,” Carly said, taking a bite of the buttery potatoes.

Again, he made that soft chuffing sound.

She glanced up.

Eyebrows lowered, his gaze bored into hers.

Her back stiffened, and she gripped her fork tighter. “I’m just trying to make nice.”

“Well, don’t.”

Her eyes prickled. And she realized with a start that they were filling. She glanced back down at her plate, determined to get through the meal and not say another word. Whatever was going on with her was probably due to stress. For weeks, she’d been dreading this day. Hadn’t she known things would go awry?

“I’m sorry.”

Again, she looked at him. His expression was no less fierce, but there was something different in his eyes, perhaps a little melting of their icy chill.

“Accepted,” she said softly. “Food’s good. Didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Lunch. I eat,” she said, defensively. So she had to budget her meals. Make them stretch. She’d gotten herself through community college living on boiled eggs, peanut butter, and ramen. Definitely nothing as delicious as this meal.

“There’s pie for desert.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Really?” She loved pie.

“Apple and peach. Too much for just one person. I usually have to send leftovers to the bunkhouse. I’ll keep them in the pie safe,” he said, pointing toward a box on the counter. “In case you need a snack.”

“Thanks.”

Apple and peach pie. Not something deep-fried and in a box from a drive-thru. Maybe staying here a few days wouldn’t be so bad. At least she’d save money on meals. “So, what sort of chores do you need help with?”

“The men aren’t fond of mucking out stalls or milking goats.”

Barely able to keep her jaw from dropping, she lowered her fork. “You milk goats?”

“Mayra makes cheese.”

“Seriously? You want me to milk goats?”

The corners of his mouth twitched.

Was he going to smile? Her insides knotted at the thought. Please don’t, Jeremiah. You’re already too good-looking for my piece of mind. “Fine, I’ll milk goats. Anything else?”

He cleared his throat and leaned back. “Do you know your way around a horse?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t spend much time with horses growing up.”

“But you lived with the Sandersons.”

Irritation flashed, and she lifted her chin. “Horses were for their kids. I helped Mrs. Sanderson when I wasn’t in school.”

He was quiet for a moment, just looking at her. “So, you know how to clean house?”

She snorted. Housecleaning had been one of her jobs while she’d been in college. “Yeah. I can help Mayra.”

He nodded, and then his gaze narrowed. “Saturday’s training day. You’ll stay close to me.”

“Of course,” she said, although again, her anger nearly made her choke on the words. “You know, you don’t have to worry. I’m not the same person.” I’m not that stupid anymore.

“Glad to hear it. But you’ll still stick to me like glue.”

His distrust hung in his words. She nodded then glanced down at her plate again. The food had lost its appeal. She pushed back her plate. “Guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought,” she muttered. “If you’ll excuse me…”

“You need to eat. You’re too skinny.”

How dare he. She gave him the look she knew he expected. The same one she’d given him seven years ago when he’d sat behind the prosecutor at her trial. Slowly, she rose, took her plate to the trash bin, and scraped it clean. He could keep his good food. She didn’t need it. Didn’t need a damn thing except to just get through the next few days. Then she’d be free and clear. Her money would come and go, but she wouldn’t give Jeremiah McCord and his fancy house and handsome face another thought.

Jeremiah sat in the silence that followed her exit and wondered why he felt like he’d kicked a kitten.

Up close and personal for the very first time, certain things didn’t feel right about his long-held view of Carly Lohan.

Sure, she’d acted the way he’d expected from the moment they’d collided at the community center—confrontational and quick-tempered. He’d been prepared for any wobbler the little firebug threw.

He’d fallen into an old pattern. One he’d regretted a time or two. Quick judgments were something he cautioned himself against nearly every day, because his father had ridden him about his temper and stubbornness.

All it had taken was one look at the tilt of her chin, and he’d felt the same way he had seven years earlier, staring at her inside the sheriff’s office after she’d been arrested. He’d been tired after fighting a wildfire all night, and sick to his stomach that he’d nearly lost everything—and she’d had the nerve to raise her chin and pin him with a look that said she didn’t give a damn about his inconvenience or loss.

Tonight, his belly had knotted, and he’d found himself insisting she stay at his place. That invitation hadn’t been planned. He’d issued that edict out of spite, and regretted it the moment his blood had settled to a low boil—or maybe when he’d seen the ragged suitcase and even more raggedy car she drove. Life hadn’t been easy for Carly Lohan. Some might say she deserved a little hardship, but she had been only seventeen when she’d started the fire. And if he remembered correctly from her public defender’s description of her young life, she’d been in and out of foster care since she was ten and orphaned.

Back then, he hadn’t had a thought for anything but his own pain, but he’d been raised in abundance—a happy, well-off family, friends whose families had been friends with his for generations. He’d had history and privilege backing his pride.

Carly hadn’t any of that, and still she’d lifted her chin and dried up any sympathy anyone inside that courtroom might have had.

Only now, after sitting across from her at his table and watching her expression as she’d eaten Mayra’s food had he stopped to think about how different their lives had been.

Maybe the years had tempered his hardness, giving him the maturity to finally see the world from her viewpoint. Maybe there was more to her than simply a contentious young woman with a heavy chip on her shoulder. He hadn’t expected her to relent and offer to help out.

And he hadn’t expected to feel physical attraction.

Nothing about her should have sparked his interest. She was thin, barely a curve of feminine breast, but he had noticed the indention of her waist and the flare of her hips. Not a lot, but interesting just the same. Her hair wasn’t particularly noteworthy, falling to the middle of her back without a single wave or curl, and brown. But it was glossy and looked soft. Her skin was pale with a smattering of light freckles across the bridge of her nose. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing noteworthy.

Her eyes, however, stopped him in his tracks. Nearly always a stormy gray, when she’d said, “I’m not that person anymore,” the color had softened to an antique silver. He’d felt a pang in his chest. And then his gaze had dropped to her soft mouth, and he’d felt a tug in his groin. He’d had to steel himself against the inextricable pull.

He couldn’t be attracted to her. She was nothing like the women he’d normally dated, nothing like his wife—not blond and uncomplicated. He’d never liked complicated.

Jeremiah shoved away his plate and slumped in his chair. He’d been an ass, but he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. Because that would mean he’d have to knock on her door, and the last thing he needed was another look at her pretty gray eyes, staring accusingly.

And what the hell was that about? He’d been the one wronged. He’d nearly lost everything—because of her carelessness.

So why did he suddenly feel guilty about the years of payments he’d received, however paltry? Whenever he had considered them, he’d thought she’d gotten off light. So another ten or so years were needed to pay off the debt. He’d never considered how hard that payment had to be for her to make. Now, knowing her circumstances, guilt dug a pit in his belly.

Jeremiah raked a hand through his hair. He was tired. That was all. Tomorrow, in the light of day, her threadbare jeans and large, haunting eyes wouldn’t bother him a bit.

Chapter Three

‡

Carly wasn’t unaccustomed to hard work, but she’d never before used a pitchfork. The cowboy who’d set her on her task had called it a “shit fork”—before clearing his throat and explaining the implement was smaller than a regular pitchfork so that the balls of horse dung didn’t fall between the tines.

After mucking out the stalls, she’d forked a mini-mountain of horse manure and straw into the center of the barn. Now she was pitching load after load into the wheelbarrow so she could wheel it out and add it the larger mountain of dung behind the barn. Dung that was used in Mayra’s garden.

Before today, she’d never given much thought to horses, and she’d never had an aversion to the smell, but a day of forking poop had altered her view forever. Or so she told herself. She knew she must be a sight in her dirty jeans and tee. She’d forgotten to take off her gloves a time or two and used them wipe sweat from her face. Meaning she had to have some smeared on her cheek.

But she didn’t dare stop. Not and have the high-and-mighty Jeremiah shaking his head. The night before, he’d been so sure she’d balk at his list of chores. Little did he know, but she was used to hard work. Her foster families had made sure of it.

Still, she’d never mucked stalls, and the repetitive motions had tightened the muscles at the small of her back, and her upper arms until they felt bruised. Pausing to stretch, she reached high, letting the hem of her shirt rise. The slight breeze blowing through the open barn doors wafted against her belly and felt almost luxurious.

“Looks like we’ll make a cowboy out of you yet.”

Carly dropped her arms and glanced over her shoulder. She’d missed Jeremiah at breakfast. Mayra told her he’d been up before dawn, as was his custom, to check on the herd. Carly hadn’t seen him since dinner the night before and dreaded their next encounter.

While her mind was made up to detest the man, her fickle body responded with a wave of heat that swept her cheeks and prickled her nipples. No man had a right to look that good when he was that dirty. “The cowboy who showed me how to muck out a stall asked me what I’d done to piss you off.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows rose. “And what did you say?”

“That I’d burned three hundred acres of hay and an expensive bailer. He said that’d do it.”

He gave his signature grunt.

Even though she’d told herself that morning she must have imagined its appeal, she still felt the pull deep in her core.

“You should take a break,” he said, his voice sounding gruff.

“Why? I’m not done.” Did he think she’d jump at the chance to not finish?

“The sun’s out, and the air’s warm in here, Carly. And it’s time for lunch. Someone else can finish up.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll have to bathe again.”

He came closer and picked a piece of straw from her hair. Then he rubbed her cheek.

An action that shocked her to her toes.

“I think you’ve picked up more than a little dirt,” he murmured.

Because she was nervous with him standing so close, she laughed. “I have shit on my face. You can say it.” She swept a hand toward his own dirty clothing. “I’ve been mucking stalls, what’s your excuse?”

A smile stretched across his face.

The first she’d ever seen. Her stomach flipped.

“I chased a calf into an arroyo. He got separated from his mama. Took some doing to get him up on the horse with me.”

“I’d have loved seeing that.” And she meant it. The thought of him chasing a calf on horseback—well hell, now she was romanticizing the surly cowboy.

One dark brow arched. “You would have loved seeing a calf getting the better of me?”

“Yeah.” Feeling breathless because he was still standing close, she had to remind herself he was only being polite. That he’d likely come to see whether she was still hard at work. She moved away to lean her fork against the barn wall. “I better go shower, or Mayra will light into me.”

“I better hit the shower, too.”

Walking away, Carly pursed her lips and blew out a hot stream of air. Him being civil was tough enough on her libido. Now she had the picture of a naked, wet Jeremiah in her head.

Not wanting to track manure through the house, she took off her boots at the door before entering and making her way up the stairs. She headed straight to the shower with its lovely shower head that poured water like a soft rain over her head and never grew cold no matter how long she stood beneath it.

But eventually, she acknowledged her hunger, turned off the water, and then reached for a big fluffy towel. At that moment, she realized she’d forgotten to bring along clean clothing.

No worries, Jeremiah had likely finished his shower long ago and was already digging into his meal. She opened the door and padded toward her bedroom.

Just as she was reaching for the knob, she saw another door open, just past the staircase.

Jeremiah stepped out into the hallway, his hair wet and looking cool and clean in his chambray shirt and Wranglers.

Before she could push open the door and jump inside, she watched his head turn.

His gaze trailed from her sodden hair, dripping on her shoulders to the towel she’d knotted between her breasts. “See you downstairs,” he said, his voice thick, and then he strode quickly to the staircase and out of her sight.

She opened her door, entered, and then sagged against the cool wood. Would she ever catch a break with the man? First, he’d rubbed horseshit off her face, and then he’d caught her looking like a drowned rat.

She must be the most unappealing woman he’d ever had the misfortune to have under his roof—even if only for a few days. For once, she wished she had something stylish in the closet to pull out and wow him with. Then maybe he’d see her as something other than some white-trash nuisance.

Although she wasn’t entirely sure how she’d deal with anything other than his annoyance and mistrust. Just the thought of him ever showing any masculine interest made her heart stutter and her palms sweat.

No, she was better off to never entertain those thoughts. Jeremiah was way out of her league, and too much history existed between them—all of it bad—to think that a little spark of attraction might catch fire.

Jeremiah was sitting at the table when Carly entered the kitchen. She flashed Mayra a quick smile, a gesture that tightened his gut because her smile stretched her bowed lips and reminded him she was a pretty woman.

Carly didn’t glance his way until she set down the plate Mayra handed her and took her seat. And then, she aimed her wide gaze his way, reminding him of the shock that produced a pink blush when he’d caught her in nothing but a towel upstairs.

“You clean up nice,” he drawled, eyeing her long-sleeved, gray plaid cotton blouse and crisp blue jeans. Her wet hair was pulled into a tight ponytail which only emphasized her large eyes.

“I smell better too,” she said, a wry smile curving her mouth.

He felt an answering grin tugging at his lips.

“So, who’s teaching me to milk a goat?”

He shook his head. “That can wait. Since you said you’re not comfortable around horses, I thought we’d take a mule out to check the canyon rim.”

She frowned. “How’s riding a mule any different than riding a horse?”

“Not that kind of mule, Carly.”

“Oh. You mean the dune buggy kind.”

He gave her a nod then dug into his roast beef sandwich, unwilling to enter into more of a conversation on the odd chance they’d end up arguing again. He wanted to see her finish her meal this time.

She took a bite, and then her eyes rounded. “Hot-hot!” She chewed vigorously, swallowed, and reached for her glass of iced tea. “What’s in the sandwich?”

“There’re some mild jalapenos in Mayra’s chipotle spread. If it’s too much, you can make another.”

She shook her head and took another bite, this one smaller. “No,” she said after swallowing. “I just wasn’t expecting the heat. This is good.”

They ate in companionable silence, Carly’s eyes only watering a little, until they’d both finished. When he saw her rise and begin gathering dishes, he said, “Leave them. I’ll bring the mule around to the back.”

Minutes later, he pulled up beside the porch where Carly waited. She took her seat beside him, and he reached behind him for a hat and gloves. “Wear these. The month may be March, but the sun’s high. You still might burn.”

“Yes, sir.”

He glanced sideways. She wasn’t being a smart-ass. Much. “Guess I should have said please.”

“If you wanted me to believe you’re polite…” she said, nodding, a twinkle of humor in her eyes.

Feeling strangely light-hearted, he pressed the accelerator and headed away from the house. The sun was high overhead, and the dry air was heating up. In another month, the temperatures would be unrelenting. But for now, and for the prescribed burn, the sunny sky was no threat.

They traveled a gravel ranch road until they came to a gate. Before he could jump out, he saw Carly slide from her seat and unlatch the gate, letting it swing wide and waving him inside. He drove through and waited for her to climb back inside. “I could have managed that.”

“Why should you? Today, I’m one of the hands.”

The words were on the tip of his tongue to tell her she was his guest. That he’d wanted her company, but he still wasn’t sure about her. Didn’t quite trust his own judgment concerning her character—his attraction could be clouding his mind. Instead, he gave her a nod and off they went. He followed the curving bluff at the edge of the canyon to a point just above the herd and idled the engine.

“How many head of cattle do you have down there,” she asked, staring out at the plain below them.

“We have them split right now. That group’s only about four hundred.”

“Only?” She sniffed.

“Yeah, their scent carries.”

She coughed. “It’s not bad. Kind of like horse manure isn’t that bad when you get used it. It’s just the dust,” she said, her eyes blinking.

“In the summer when the ground’s bone dry, you can see the dust before you see the cattle.”

“Has to be hard trying to feed them all.”

“The grass is green now, but we have to rotate them, drive them from one side of the ranch to the other. If there’s any rain, we don’t have to buy too much hay.”

“You lost three hundred acres of hay when that fire jumped the rim,” she said softly, her gaze sliding away toward the herd.”

“I won’t lie. That year was tough. I had to borrow heavy to keep the herd fed. Had to sell more than I was comfortable selling and at a rock-bottom price. The fire nearly ruined me, Carly. But it also gave me a purpose.”

At her surprised glance, he gave her a tight smile. “My father had just died, and I’d inherited the ranch. The fire offered me a challenge. Something to overcome. Kept my mind off how much I missed him, because I was scrambling to survive.”

Her head dropped. “I’m really sorry, Jeremiah. For your daddy, for what I caused.” She turned to meet his gaze. “What happened was…stupid. The dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I knew I’d hurt you, but I had no idea how bad things were.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel bad, Carly. I know you learned a hard lesson, but I wanted you to know that I’m fine. That you didn’t cause me any lasting damage. I don’t want my pound of flesh.” He lowered his voice. “Not anymore.”

“Why? You were still pretty mad yesterday.”

“Seeing you again made the memories fresh. When I saw you lift your chin, like you were ready for a fight, I reacted harshly. I wanted to bring you out here today so I could apologize.”

If she looked surprised, he was no less. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d invited her to come, but now that he’d said the words, they felt right. He lifted his hand and held it out. “Can we start over, Carly Lohan?”

She eyed his hand, and for once, her expression didn’t hold an ounce of wary defiance. Her gaze was steady, a deep wet gray. “I’d like that,” she said, her voice sounding a little hoarse.

When their palms met, he felt an arc of heat bolt through him. An electric rush of deep desire. With a quick intake of air, he realized he wanted her—in his bed, beneath him. The depth of his need to make love to Carly Lohan nearly sucked the breath from his lungs. And by the way her cheeks flooded with color and her pupils dilated, maybe she wanted him, too.

He released her hand and faced forward, the shock leaving him a little unsettled. “Let’s check the rim. I instructed a couple of the hands to plow up dirt for fire breaks—just as a precaution. I’d like to see if they’re done.”

With the engine humming loudly, he didn’t have to talk. And he kept his gaze straight ahead, aware from the corner of his eye that she was staring. He began to warm. His groin throbbed. Damn, he hadn’t shown this little control over his libido since he was a teenager. He’d certainly never felt this level of anticipation—not even before he’d bedded his ex-wife Melanie for the first time.

Carly was more exciting. Her fierce temper matched his. As did her stubborn pride. They both tended to say things that sliced through flesh. Perhaps they flayed each other, not out of hatred or old hurts, but because they were both fighting their attraction.

Made sense. Question was, did she know why she was so sensitive around him, so ready to take offense?

They reached the outer fence that ran just inside the canyon rim. Beyond it stretched Caldera Canyon. He cut the engine, reached for water bottles, and stepped out of the mule, leaning his butt against the vehicle as he stared over the deep gash cut into the plain by the river at its rocky bottom.

Carly leaned beside him. He handed her a bottle, and she twisted off the lid and took a deep draw.

When she lowered the bottle, she glared. “What? You’re staring. Did it dribble down my chin?” A hand swiped up her neck.

“You know it didn’t.” Because he was still feeling off-kilter about his attraction, he turned away.

She cleared her throat. “It’s beautiful, this view.”

“You should see it when the wildflowers bloom. Looks like a blue-and-red carpet down there.

“Bluebonnets, paintbrush.” A faint smile curved her mouth. “I’ve seen it from down there, but I can only imagine what it’s like from up high.” She turned her face toward him. “The burn won’t hurt the wildflowers?”

“No, they’ll be back. Probably prettier.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the tall grass. “This where the fire leapt out of the canyon?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s strange. When I think of this place, I imagine it should be somehow…scarred.”

“It’s not. If anything, the hay’s been richer ever since.”

“I’m glad I didn’t do permanent damage.”

Jeremiah stared down at his water bottle. “I was serious before.”

She stayed still, staring at the plain. “About?”

“The fact I’m over being mad, Carly.”

Her shoulder slid against his as she turned. “Guess I’m over being a bitch.” Her mouth quirked at one side.

He grunted.

“Wish you wouldn’t do that,” she whispered.

“What?”’

“Make that noise.”

“Why?”

She shrugged, but her wide gaze remained locked with his.

He studied her face. Saw the same awakening yearning he was feeling. “Come here,” he said, trying not to sound too gruff, but his voice was tightening right along with the rest of his body.

She moved closer, her arms at her sides, her gaze dropping to his mouth, and he knew she wanted this moment too. He gripped her upper arms, trying to be gentle, and slid his thumbs up and down her shirtsleeve, wishing he touched bare skin.

Her hands came up, her fingers gripped his belt at his sides, and then she slid her chest against his as she rose slowly on tiptoe.

Jeremiah’s breath hitched, and he bent his head. With only an inch between their mouths, he stared at her lovely face. The moment felt bigger than it probably was. But he’d never been this hungry for a kiss. With a soft curse, he lowered again and kissed her.

Chapter Four

‡

Carly didn’t let herself think what that soft dammit had meant. Jeremiah’s hands were locking around her arms and drawing her closer. His mouth was busy roaming hers, moving in circles that drew her deeper and deeper into lust for the man.

Her thumbs slipped behind his belt and stroked his hips through his shirt. Her nipples tingled as they hardened against his chest. And there, between her legs, her pussy grew moist.

His hands slid from her arms to behind her back, and he held her closer, one hand pressing on her ass to force her against his erection, the other rising to cradle the back of her head. When he lifted his mouth, he stared down at her, ripening the tension between them.

Because she didn’t know what to say, was half-afraid any words would jolt him back to reality and remind him just who he held, she let her eyelids drift lazily downward, signaling her surrender.

“Tell me to stop,” he said, then pressed a kiss against her cheek.

“Too much effort,” she said, her mouth curving into a ghost of a smile.

“Anyone with binoculars might see us.” He nibbled at her earlobe, his harshening breaths gusting.

She flattened her hands and slid them up his back. “Then take me somewhere a little more private, but not too far.” How long can I wait for this?

He rested his forehead against her for a second, and then lifted it. He set her away from him. “Get back in the mule.”

She didn’t mind he’d given her yet another terse command. The truth was she liked the sharp edges of his voice. Biting back a grin, she circled the vehicle, climbed into the seat, then held on as he hit the gas.

They left the gravel road and went cross-country, heading to another dip in the landscape, this one a tree-lined stream. He parked then reached into the tool box on the back of the vehicle, pulling out a blanket.

“Awfully convenient,” she drawled.

“I keep it in case I want to eat beside the river.” A shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I like coming here.”

He’d brought her someplace he loved. She smiled. “I wasn’t complaining.”

“Get out,” he said, then gave her a sexy, narrowed glare.

Laughing, she climbed out and sauntered toward the stream.

Behind her, his boots crunched in the dirt, coming fast, but she didn’t hurry, waiting and then gasping when he came beside her and swept her off her feet.

She settled an arm around his shoulder and didn’t bother looking around. She watched his taut features, admired the breadth of his chest, the strength in his arms.

When he reached the stream, he set her on her feet and stood back, shaking out the blanket.

She reached out and helped him lay it on the ground. Then she stood and toed off her boots, unbuttoned her blouse, and slid it off her arms.

He stood watching, not moving, his darkening eyes skimming every inch she exposed. So encouraged, she continued, unbuttoning her jeans and pushing them down her legs. In her underwear now, she held her breath, knowing she wasn’t very curvy. That her lean frame didn’t appeal to some men, but the color that crept across his cheeks and the hard glitter of his eyes as he glanced down to her panties was gratifying.

She reached behind her and unsnapped her bra, then slid it off her arms. Next, she slipped her thumbs beneath the elastic at her hips.

But he shook his head. “Stop.”

She held still while he stripped off his boots and shirt. When she saw him pause and not go any further, she deliberately eyed his Wranglers. “Hardly seems fair.”

“Carly, I don’t want it over before it even begins.”

Her gaze dropped to the hard ridge riding one thigh. “Not too snug in there?”

“Snug enough. You,” he said, pointing toward her. “Here.” He jabbed the finger toward the center of the blanket.

Goose bumps rolled over her skin, and she stepped barefoot into the middle.

Jeremiah walked to her, reached out, again gripping her upper arms as he raked her nearly nude body with a hot glance. “You’re beautiful.”

His gravely rasp had her believing him. Deep inside, she relaxed. “Thank you,” she whispered.

His gaze darted upward, and a frown furrowed his brow. “You don’t think you’re beautiful?”

She shrugged. “Like you said last night. I’m skinny.”

“I was wrong. You’re…” he shook his head, “slender.” He glided a palm over her hips. “Maybe I’m a little scared about how slender you are, but I’m not petting bones here.” He gripped her ass.

“Why would you be scared?”

“Because I’ll have to be gentle.”

Carly shook her head. “No, you don’t. I’m not fragile. If I’m…slender…it’s because I work hard. I’m strong, Jeremiah.” She lifted a hand toward his face. “You’ll see.”

A muscle rippled at the side of his jaw. His eyelids dipped. “Don’t touch me.”

And because she’d been worried about what she’d do if ever she found herself in this position, that out of fear she’d show him just how ignorant she was, she held still. Happy in fact to do that.

Slowly, his hands smoothed up and down her arms, and then he went to one knee and caressed her shoulders, her breasts.

Savoring his touch, she closed her eyes and fought for breath as he kneaded her as though her small barely-there mounds were something precious. His fingertips circled her nipples, and when she was drugged with the soothing pleasure, he pinched the tips.

She blinked open her eyes to find him studying her face, and when he pinched her again, she let him see just how much she liked it—her mouth rounding and her chest lifting on a quiet gasp. But the stimulation was too much. She cupped the backs of his hands and pushed them downward, over her ribs, to her hips.

He plucked at the elastic and then dragged down her panties, his hair rubbing her belly and her mound as he bent to take them to her feet. She stepped out of them, then gasped again as he pushed on her feet, telling her silently to spread them.

The pressure on her ankles released, and he nuzzled her belly, the bristles of his whiskers scraping her skin and making it quiver. He scraped over her mound, and she let out a little moan, because moisture was trailing down one thigh, and soon he’d know.

His tongue stroked out and burrowed into the top of her folds, and, at that moment, she thought she’d die. “Jeremiah!” She gripped his hair and tugged, trying to draw him away, but he was insistent, his tongue flicking and rubbing, and her clit grew harder and harder, until the thin hood receded, and he touched it directly.

Her entire body shuddered, and she gave a choked cry, curving over him and gripping his hair to anchor her. Just when she felt ready to burst, she felt him pull back.

He held out a hand. “Lie down, Carly.”

She released her grip on his hair and let him bring her to the blanket, his arms coming around her body to help her settle to the ground. As she lay there, staring upward, he bent and kissed her breasts, taking time to lick and nibble at them before moving downward to kiss her mound.

Carly’s breaths came in shallow, ragged puffs. She combed her fingers through his hair and scraped his scalp, giving encouragement.

Quickly, he rose and stripped off his jeans and underwear.

Apparently not feeling a bit of the concern she’d had when she’d stood nude. And why would he? The man was built like a god. No excess flesh. Narrow waist. Muscled thighs. A thick, straight cock. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but he’d been adamant about her not doing that.

He wrapped his fingers around his shaft and gave one stroke, then ringed himself at the base of his cock and held it, closing his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that,” he growled.

“Like what?” But she knew she looked hungry. If he glanced at her now, he’d see her licking her lips. At that moment, she wanted more than anything to have the courage to lick him up and down, to learn his flavors, his textures. And she wanted to start with the part of him that was most male. Most interesting.

His eyes opened, and he released himself. He went to his knees then climbed between her legs, nudging her with his knees until she was spread wide. “My jeans,” he said, tilting his chin toward them lying beside her. “There’s a condom in my wallet.”

“For a rainy day?” she quipped breathlessly.

An eyebrow arched. “For a sunny one.”

Her hands were shaking a little, but she managed to slide the condom from an interior pocket of his wallet, and then held it out for him to take.

One corner of his mouth quirked upward, and he shook his head.

She bit her lower lip. She’d never slid one on a cock. Had only had one cock—in college. The experience hadn’t left her wanting more. So here she was, hoping she wouldn’t look stupid as she searched the edge of the plastic square for the little notch, then carefully tore open the packet. The condom fell on her chest.

When she picked it up and pulled at the center to stretch it, she raised her glance.

His gaze was steady and warm. “You haven’t cloaked a man’s cock before, have you?”

She frowned. “It’s that obvious?”

“You looked…worried. And you were concentrating too hard.”

Frowning, she fit the circle to the end of his cock, plucking at the center to make sure she’d left room for his ejaculate to fill it—just as she’d learned from a You Tube video using a banana. Then she slowly rolled it down his shaft. When she’d gotten the edge near the base of his sex, she arched a brow. “That okay?”

“Perfect,” he whispered through gritted teeth.

Still holding him, she gave into her curiosity, encircling him with her fingers. They didn’t meet. Carly swallowed, and her breathing grew more rapid. “We’ll fit, right?”

His mouth curved slightly. “We’ll fit. Have you been with anyone else?”

She jutted out her chin. “Of course.”

“Really?”

She glared upward. “A couple of times, with this guy in my government class in college.”

“And that’s it?”

She shrugged. “I haven’t been that interested.”

“Why change your mind today?”

She couldn’t meet his gaze, and instead trailed a finger down his length. “You did.”

Jeremiah sighed and lowered his torso to rest on one elbow while he slipped a hand between her legs. His fingers thrummed against her pussy, and then a single digit slipped inside.

At the intrusion, she stiffened and forced herself to breathe deeply.

He slid another inside, all the while watching her face.

Her lip trembled, and she bit it. Feeling his fingers swirl inside, she groaned and lifted her knees, needing to rock up and down as he began to stroke in and out.

Carly forgot to school her features, giving herself over to the sensations his fingers produced. A cool breeze wafted between their bodies, and her nipples tightened harder. She cupped one, caressing herself, and noted how his gaze followed the motion and that his fingers stroked faster.

Obviously, he liked watching her, so she put both hands into play, massaging her breasts, assuaging some of the ache he built inside her.

The touch of his thumb rasping over her clit made her arch her back, and she cried out, “Please. Please, Jeremiah.”

He withdrew his fingers and braced his weight on both hands. “Guide me inside, Carly.”

Lord, she liked the rough texture of his voice. He wasn’t unmoved. Wasn’t casual at all.

Carly reached for his cock and rubbed the tip over her clit, pleasing herself, then slid it downward between her folds. Once it was at her entrance, she glanced up to catch his glance.

“Ready?” he whispered.

“No.”

He grunted, his gaze narrowing.

“You asked.”

His dark brows drew together. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“Can’t you do it if you laugh?”

“Yes, but…” He shook his head. “I need to concentrate.”

“Why? Afraid you’ll do it wrong?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Don’t you remember how?”

“You’re teasing, right?”

“Yeah.” She let one side of her mouth curve. “I have no doubt you’ve practiced a lot.”

He gave a laugh that turned into a groan the moment he pushed inside her body.

She felt pressure as her body tried to accommodate his girth. “You’re bigger than I had before.”

“Stop talking.” His jaw tightened as he began to move inside her, pushing inward, pulling out.

“I can’t help it. I have nothing to do. You said I couldn’t touch you.”

“Changed my mind. Hold me, Carly. Hold on tight.”

Tentatively, and then with more assurance as she read the pleasure in his face, she smoothed her hands around his waist, ran her fingertips down his spine, and then clutched his buttocks because he was moving faster, and she was fascinated with the hard, flexing muscles she held.

She dug her fingernails into his skin, and his entire body hardened, his movements quickening. Soon he was driving hard toward her womb, his cock ravaging her slick, rippling walls. She couldn’t help it, she wagged her head side to side and hummed. “So good, ’miah, so good.”

He paused and pushed away from the ground, his cock slipping out, but just for a moment as he slid his bent arms beneath her knees and lifted her bottom. Then he centered himself and drove hard inside her. Soon he was pistoning, jerking her legs to slide her toward him as he hammered deep.

With him so far above her, she had nothing to touch except herself, and she did, pinching her nipples because she needed the distraction. Inside her belly, excitement tightened her core, holding her nearly breathless.

She was close. And she almost feared the explosion because she’d never felt this intensity, and knew she’d lose control—and she was afraid, because he was so strong, so much more experienced, and she didn’t want him to see her as anything less—certainly not as this wild creature who wanted to shout aloud, wanted to curse, because the pleasure was right there, and her sight was narrowing.

He fucked her faster and faster, relentlessly, ruthlessly, and then she couldn’t hide—her mouth opened on a keening cry and her back arched impossibly hard. All she heard were her heartbeats pounding in her ears, all she felt was the expanding pleasure that trembled through her body, from her core and radiating outward to her limbs. When she could think again, when she finally dragged air into her starved lungs, she slowly opened her eyes.

She rested inside his embrace, and he was pushing her hair from her face, and pressing kisses against her cheeks and mouth. “You’re back,” he whispered and rolled, taking her over his body—still locked together.

Carly rested her knees on the ground beside his hips and hid her face in the corner of his neck, still huffing her breaths.

His hands glided up and down her back. “You have goose bumps. Are you cold?”

She snorted. But couldn’t answer, because her voice felt raw, and tears burned at the back of her throat.

His hands cupped either side of her face, and he forced it above him. His gaze swept her face and his hands softened, holding her as though she was fragile. “I hurt you.”

She shook her head.

“Then why are you crying?”

“I’m not.”

A thumb stroked the moisture on her cheek, and he arched a brow.

But he didn’t call her a liar.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his tone deepening.

Another fat tear leaked down her cheek. “Don’t be. I’m okay.”

He narrowed his gaze. “You’re shivering and crying.”

“And you said I talked too much,” she griped, but her voice was muffled and thick.

“I did not.”

“You wanted me quiet.”

“You were driving me crazy, Carly. I needed to concentrate, so I could hold back. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Well, you didn’t do that.”

“Well, I did something.”

Fuck, yeah, he had. She sighed. He wasn’t letting the issue go until she told the truth. “I’ve never felt like that,” she said softly. “Please can you not look at me?”

“Impossible.”

“You like reducing your girls to blubbering, soppy messes?”

“Actually, it’s never happened before.” He smiled gently and let go of her face.

She lowered and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

He placed a hand behind his head and raised it, and then tipped her chin so that once again, their gazes locked. “Baby, I’ve never felt like that either.”

Chapter Five

‡

Saturday morning arrived, and Jeremiah was grumpy, having slept little the night before. They’d returned home in the late afternoon. Carly had hurried straight upstairs to clean up, and then threw herself into chores around the house. No matter how hard he tried to corner her to talk, she managed to slip away.

He hadn’t slept worth a damn because every time he closed his eyes, he relived those last moments when he’d made love to Carly, remembering how she’d arched and cried out, and then gone limp beneath him.

He’d never had a woman pass out on him during sex, and it had scared him half to death until she’d moaned and slowly stiffened. The moment her eyes opened, he hadn’t felt any relief because she stared with bruised, damp eyes.

Her expression haunted him. And he knew why. There was no escaping the fact they’d both found something unimaginable when they’d finally thrown down their defenses and crashed together.

They’d found a powerful connection. One he wasn’t willing to ignore.

If only she wasn’t so determined to do exactly that.

This morning, they stood with the group of volunteers in a field just outside of town. Pale, prickly stalks of cut hay awaited their drip torches. Every volunteer wore fire gear: hard hats, goggles, fire retardant clothing, leather gloves, and boots. Tools had been distributed according to what each person’s role would be during the burn.

Jeremiah held a drip torch. A two-way radio was clipped to his belt.

Glancing at Carly, he eyed the oversized yellow fire jacket he’d found because he didn’t want her wearing plain cotton. Her gloves were a little large, too, because he’d borrowed those from Mayra. Carly held a rake, and a sack was tucked and hung from her back pocket. The hard hat and goggles obscured her face, but he could see the grim line of her mouth.

Again, he wished he knew what was going through her mind. Was she excited or fearful? Either way, he’d keep close to her.

Caldera’s Fire Chief, Blake Thacker, had been made the Fire Boss above the rep from park services because he was experienced with prescribed burns and knew the local people. He stood on a wooden platform and held a bullhorn. Already, they’d formed teams, talked about their duties during the fire, and now they’d practice setting then extinguishing fires. Each group had their own little piece of the field to practice with, the boundaries marked with white stakes.

Blake raised a handheld device that measured wind speed. They were all waiting for the moment the speed rose past five miles per hour, because fire wouldn’t move without enough of a breeze to carry it along. He lowered the device and raised his bullhorn. “Teams, set your fires.”

“Okay, team, get behind the line.” Jeremiah stepped to the boundary line he’d dug with a shovel to mark the border of their burn area and pointed the long nozzle of the drip can at the ground, dispensing a stream of fuel, a mixture of gasoline and diesel. Then he struck and dropped a match.

The fire ignited, and he walked the end of the small trail he’d already lit and continued squirting fuel to extend the line of flames. When he reached the end of his borderline, he stood behind it with the others, watching as the wind pushed the flames away from them, and caught more of the dry hay, making it crackle and sending up white smoke.

One corner of the fire wasn’t moving fast enough.

Jeremiah pointed to Carly. “Use the rake and add more fuel.”

She raked together a pile of hay and pushed it over the weak flame. The pile ignited, and she stepped back, glancing up at Jeremiah who gave her a thumbs-up.

He looked around at the advancing flames. “Keep the fire moving forward. Use your shovels and sprayers to put out any flames and embers that persist as we follow the fire.”

The area they were burning wasn’t very large, but it did give his green crew a chance to practice what they’d learned from Blake and the park service expert when they first arrived. They’d learned about building fireguards and what the terms “front fire”, “back fire” and “flank fire” meant. They’d learned how to use the various forms of rakes and dampers, wet cloths, and sprayers.

After instruction, each of the teams had broken off, and the team leaders had showed them on a map their area of responsibility come Monday morning, when, if the weather and the wind held out, they’d begin the burn in the early morning hours.

The low roar of several fires now burning filled the air, along with gusting clouds of smoke. But all was going well. The fires were moving in the desired direction.

And then Jeremiah noted a sideways gust of wind that carried the smoke toward those on the left flank of the fire. The flames ate at the dry plants, spreading beyond their assigned area. “Get a sprayer over there.” He pointed, then watched as Tater Johnson ran toward the outer edge and began laying down water from the backpack he carried.

While he sprayed, the rest of his crew pulled away excess hay, robbing the fire of fuel. As Jeremiah watched, all his crew members worked in concert, and slowly, the unruly flames were put out.

A snap sounded, something settled in the middle of the fire, a flame shot upward, hotter from the color of the flame. A dry branch had somehow found its way into the field. Embers flew high, wafting on the wind. Most blinked out, but a couple were carried into another part of the field, igniting a fresh patch.

Blake pointed to Tater and Carly and then toward the blaze. “Get that fire out!”

The two ran toward the flickering flames.

Jeremiah planted his fists on his hips and watched. He couldn’t do it for them. Come Monday, they’d have to handle any emergency on their own. Still, he grew tense as the flames continued traveling, riding the tall stalks, bending them down, and then leaping to the next.

Tater flanked it and began laying down water. Leaning over, Carly beat at the flames with her wet sack. Soon, the patch became more smoke than flame. The sizzle of water dousing fire sounded from across the clearing.

When it was out, Jeremiah sent crew members with shovels and dampers to turn the earth and smother any flame that might still be left.

Carly walked toward him, holding out her sack, listing a bit to the right. Her mouth wasn’t a thin tight line now, but it was lax and open. Her skin, where it wasn’t smudged, was ghostly pale. “Take it,” she whispered, dropping the sack, and then she crumpled at his feet.

“Bring me water!” he shouted, going to one knee beside her.

Tater came up beside him and held out his nozzle. Water sprayed, soaking both Jeremiah and Carly.

“I meant to drink,” Jeremiah said, sliding up his goggles to see better.

“Sorry,” Tater muttered. “She okay?”

“Yeah, get back to the fire.” Jeremiah patted her cheek.

She slowly blinked open her eyes. Instantly, she sat up. Her hands went to his calf, then his knee as she climbed his body to stand.

“What happened?” he asked quietly, keeping track of the crew still following the fire from the corner of his eye.

Carly shook her head and brushed a hand over her mouth. “Guess I should have drank more water before we came out here,” she said, her voice sounding a little hoarse. “The fire dried me out.”

Jeremiah frowned. “Everyone has to be safety conscious. On Monday, there might not be anyone around to help you. You sure you can do this?”

She nodded, not meeting his gaze. “Yeah, I’ll head to the mule and get some water.” After turning, she began to walk away.

Jeremiah bent to grab the wet sack from the ground. “You forgot your equipment.”

She turned and eyed the sack, then took a deep breath and held out her hand. As she walked away, he noted that she held the sack like she might a snake—like something she feared.

He wasn’t sure what was going on there, but he didn’t have time to figure it out now. Later, they’d talk—even if he had to tie her to a chair to keep her from eluding him.

That last thought lingered, and he shook his head, ridding himself of the image of her bound. He had a fire to tend.

Carly pulled off her gloves, dropping them to the ground, and then pressed the button on the spigot of the water cooler strapped to the back of Jeremiah’s mule. She poured water into a Styrofoam cup, drank down half the contents, then poured some into her palm, and splashed it at her face.

Dehydration wasn’t why she’d passed out. The air wasn’t hot enough to cause any problems like that. She’d fainted because, as she’d flapped the wet sack at the ground, she’d forgotten to breathe. She’d been caught in a memory of the last time she’d tried to smother a fire.

The last time had been seven years ago, and Carly had flapped at a fire she’d caused with the blanket she’d slept wrapped inside during an overnight class trip to the canyon. The camping trip had been long anticipated by all of her classmates, and she’d been just as eager. But the event had turned into one long hazing, thanks to Tater’s constant teasing.

“Carly, where’d you get those shoes? I think my mama gave them to Good Will.”

“Give Carly the butt end of the chicken, she won’t be too picky what she eats.”

All she’d wanted was to pay him back for making that trip and her entire high school experience a misery. Yes, she’d known a burn ban was posted inside the park, but what harm could a string of firecrackers do?

She’d lit them, tossed them into his tent, and then listened, smothering giggles as they exploded and he’d screamed and rushed out into the clearing in his underwear.

But her glee had turned to horror as first his tent, and then the dry grass around it, caught fire. She’d grabbed her blanket and attempted to smother it, but she’d been too vigorous flapping it at the flames, and the cheap acrylic material wasn’t fire retardant—the blanket went up in flames.

Sparks had flown to nearby pine trees, which had gone up like Roman candles. Before too long, every teen in the campsite was running for their vehicles or the river, and the fire had spread toward the canyon rim. The fact no one had been injured was a miracle, something the judge said as he’d pointed his finger toward her when he rendered his judgment.

Carly poured the rest of the water into the dirt and reached down to swipe up the gloves. She hated showing weakness. Hated that fear had overcome her. Hated even more that Tater, but especially Jeremiah, had been witness to her moment of weakness.

But she had to get through the next couple of days. Not only to make sure her record would be expunged, but to prove to everyone in Caldera, she wasn’t that same reckless, stupid girl.

She picked up the wet sack, held it beneath the spigot, soaking it again, and then returned to the fire line, giving Jeremiah a smile and hoping he’d let the whole issue drop. She didn’t want to talk about what had happened. Didn’t want to continue to relive it. After she’d set the fire, she’d spent the last of her teenage years either in juvie or group homes, every action scrutinized like she was criminal—and in fact, she had been.

All around her, the fire continued to eat the hay, flickering and crackling. Pretty flames were the destroyer of lives and of dreams. The only thing she felt these days when she looked at them was dread. Just two more days, and her long ordeal would be over. She could go back to her life and make it better. Hell, maybe she’d move again. Far away from her past.

Against her will, she found her gaze seeking Jeremiah’s tall frame as he shouted orders to his team. A dull pain settled in her chest. Sure, it was nice that he’d forgiven her, and sex with him had been amazing, and she knew she’d miss the way she felt when they were alone together, but there was nothing, not even the truth, between them.

That afternoon, Jeremiah stood watching as Carly knelt beside a mama goat whose udder was painfully swollen with milk. Watching her catch the goat had been so comical, he’d had to fight laughter. The goat had run in circles inside of the pen while Carly attempted to coax her to come closer by shaking a grain bucket.

But once the goat had a rope slipped around her neck, she’d followed docilely behind Carly who led her to the milking stand. As instructed, Carly had set the grain bucket into the holder at the front of the stanchion and grinned when the goat put her head through the slatted, wooden bars to reach her food. Then Carly used sterile wipes to clean her udder.

She’d been tentative at first. Penny, the goat, had eyed Carly with suspicion and given a mournful bleat.

Now, Carly placed a bucket beneath her to catch the milk.

As he leaned against the barn, he hid a smile and chewed on the end of a piece of grass. He’d offered to show her how to milk a goat, but she’d refused, saying Mayra had explained it all, and she wasn’t stupid.

Carly didn’t look so sure now as she moved beside the goat. Her eyebrows were lowered in a fierce frown. Her lips were crimped into a stubborn line.

Maybe he wasn’t being fair watching as she worked her way through the process, but that was just her tough luck. He wasn’t budging.

They still hadn’t had their little talk. He’d let her milk the goat, then he’d draw her away to have a private conversation.

He needed to know she was all right after passing out in the hay field. More than that, he needed to hold her again. Last night, he’d been restless and horny, thinking about their time beside the stream. After tomorrow, she might disappear again, and he had to know whether any chance at all existed that she might agree to continue seeing him. He wasn’t ready to let her go.

Carly set aside the cloth and gripped both teats. The fact she was holding a goat’s teats in her hands was bizarre enough. The fact she had to get milk out them kind-of grossed her out.

But she’d agreed to this chore, even though she was sure Jeremiah was silently laughing behind her back. Yes, she’d seen him standing there, muscled arms crossed over his broad chest and his cowboy hat tipped low.

Lord, he was sexy. He didn’t have do anything, didn’t have to speak. Just the sight of him did something to her. Reminded her of all the nasty things he’d done to her there beside the stream with his hands, his mouth…and his wicked, wicked tongue.

Last night, she’d been tempted half a dozen times to creep down the hallway to his bedroom, but didn’t want to seem too desperate. If she’d heard him knock on her door, she would have let him in, but he hadn’t.

Her fingers tightened, she squeezed. Nothing happened. She tried again, this time squeezing harder, but only made the goat bleat louder.

A soft chuckling came from beside her. “Are you giving up? I can show you how.”

Carly aimed a glare up at him. “Fine. Show me. The sooner I get this done—”

“I know. The sooner you can get the hell away from me.”

He said the words like the idea rankled with him. Were his feelings hurt? She frowned as he settled behind her, so close the heat of his skin warmed her back. “Put your hands on her teats.”

She really hated that word. Teats. Like it was more polite than tits. So why were her own nipples tightening? She gripped the teats as she had before, her thumb and forefinger holding the appendages close to the udder.

His arms encircled her, his hands closed over hers, his fingers aligning atop her fingers. “Squeezing at the top traps the milk in her teats.”

“I know that,” she muttered. “Show me something I don’t.”

“Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” he asked, his mouth beside her ear.

She squirmed on the stool. “I slept great.”

“Funny,” he said, his voice dropping deeper. “I didn’t. I kept thinking about what happened. I kept wishing you’d slip into my bed. Why didn’t you?”

Carly grew warm. Her skin prickled into goose bumps. She should laugh and tell him she hadn’t thought about him at all. But she liked the way he felt, wrapped around her, his hands holding hers. Laughter would be a kind of rejection, and the last thing she wanted was to push him away. “You didn’t invite me,” she said, keeping her voice even.

He chuckled. “Didn’t think I had to. I apologize. Neither of us should have spent a restless night.” He cleared his throat. “Okay, the milk is trapped, now you have to coax it down the—”

“Teat,” she ground out, clamping her jaw tight.

“You don’t like that word?”

“It just sounds wrong. Especially the way Mayra said it with her accent.”

His laughter rocked his chest against her back, and she leaned against him to keep from toppling.

“You squeeze your fingers, one at time, moving down the tit,” he whispered.

A squirt of milk rang against the side the bucket.

Success. Carly laughed and turned her face to Jeremiah’s. Her smile faded as she stared into his taut features. Her gaze went to his mouth, and he leaned toward her.

The goat bleated.

Carly jerked away. “We should milk her.”

“Quickly,” Jeremiah said, continuing to coach her with presses against her fingers.

The bucket filled, and the pungent scent of goat milk rose to surround them.

“Think that will do it,” he said, and then stood, helping her with a hand at her elbow. He dipped down to turn the goat’s head and push her out of the stanchion.

Penny trotted away, bleating as she rejoined her kids.

Jeremiah picked up the bucket, and then grabbed for Carly’s hand. “Let’s drop this with Mayra.”

She didn’t even try to tug away her hand. She liked the way his felt, surrounding hers, forcing her to follow.

Mayra was nowhere in sight when they entered the kitchen.

He set the bucket in the sink then moved through the kitchen doors to the living room, tossing his hat toward the sofa. Then he turned to head down a dark hallway. At the end, he opened the door of an office or a library, or maybe it was both.

Books lined the walls floor to ceiling, shelves even framing the windows. A large walnut desk dominated the center of the room. Deep leather sofas faced each other across a large leather ottoman.

Without speaking a word, he stood her in front of the ottoman and went to work, opening her shirt, and then unclasping her bra.

She liked his efficiency, so she let him strip her without lifting a finger to help.

When he slid both garments off her shoulders, he moved them only to her elbows, leaving her arms trapped at the elbows. Ignoring her raised brows, he sat on the ottoman and opened her belt and then her jeans. He smoothed them down to mid-thigh, then gripped her ass in both hands and forced her closer.

Hunching his shoulders, he lowered his head to kiss her mound. “I want this on my mouth, Carly,” he said, his voice roughening. “If you’re stripped of your jeans and boots, will you climb over me and sit on my face?”

A laugh shook her. “Jeremiah!”

He arched a brow. “Too crude?”

“I suppose not, since thinking about doing that is making me really, really hot.” She wagged her shoulders. “I’d take off my clothes, but I can’t.”

“Let me do it for you.”

He bent and lifted each boot while she balanced on a single foot, teetering. Once, he had to grab for her hips to make sure she didn’t fall. But at last, he had off both boots and smoothed her jeans down her legs, helping her as she stepped out of her clothes. Then he moved, sliding around until he faced away, then slowly lowered to his back, his face just beneath the apex of her thighs. “Straddle me, baby. I want it on my mouth.”

This time, she had no urge to laugh. Her need was too urgent. With her arms bound by her shirt, she climbed clumsily onto the stool and spread her knees.

Jeremiah scooted toward her, then under her. His fingers parted her folds, and then his tongue stroked her, licking her from the bottom of her folds all the way to her clit.

“Jesus,” she whispered.

“Name’s Jeremiah,” he said, then grunted and licked her again.

She gave a muffled laugh then groaned when he pushed his pointed tongue inside. She made a shallow dip, not wanting to lose his wonderful tongue, but she needed to move, needed to sway above him while he swirled inside her, the sensation so lush and decadent she let her head fall backward. She swayed, and then yelped as she fell backward, off the ottoman, landing on the plush Persian carpet.

Chapter Six

‡

Before she could pull in deep gulp of air, she saw Jeremiah jackknife upward then scramble to the floor. “Carly, are you okay? Fuck, I forgot you fainted this morning.” His hands roamed her body, searching for problems.

Carly couldn’t help it. She laughed. She lay naked, her arms still caught in her shirt, her legs splayed, and all she could do was laugh.

He sat back on his haunches, and the corners of his mouth twitched. “That didn’t work quite the way I thought it would.”

“You mean you didn’t mean for me to break my arms?”

His smile disappeared. “Let me get you free.” He reached for her, sat her on the carpet, and dragged her bra and shirt off her arms. Then he smoothed his hands over her arms as though to reassure himself she was unhurt.

“All better,” she whispered. “But now, I’m completely naked and horny.”

His grunt was followed by a sexy glance that trailed slowly down her body. “Since I’m responsible for your condition…”

She climbed over his lap, spreading her thighs to straddle him. “Now, if you’d had just a little foresight, you’d be snug inside me now.”

“Won’t take a minute,” he said, rubbing his cheek against hers.

“A minute’s too long.” She held tight to his shoulders.

Frowning, he opened his pants and raised just high enough he could shove them past his buttocks. Then he dug into his pocket and pulled out a condom. “If you don’t mind,” he said, his voice tight, his hands already tearing the plastic.

Glad he didn’t want to wait while she did the honors, she said, “Not at all.”

When he was cloaked, he ground his cock against her, riding her slit.

She dragged her hips forward and back, wetting him and warming herself. She made another glide, and he clamped his hands on her buttocks and lifted her.

His cock slid through her folds to her entrance, and he shoved her slowly down until he was seated deep inside. “Better?”

Carly drew a thin breath. “So much better,” she whispered. “I love the way you feel inside me.”

“I love the feel of your insides.”

She laughed and wrinkled her nose. “You really need to work on the sweet talk.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t even try,” he growled. “Don’t they say, actions speak louder than words?”

“They do,” she said, nodding solemnly. “So…act.”

He cupped her cheek and the back of her neck and kissed her, his tongue sliding into her mouth.

The taste was of her body. She sucked on it and groaned, grinding down on his cock, because she needed more than great kisses. She needed him to move. Her inner muscles tightened all around him.

On a guttural moan, he broke the kiss. “That feels…amazing.”

Concentrating, she did it again, liking the way his face hardened and his fingers bit into the flesh of her bottom. Again…

He leaned his forehead against hers. “You’re not letting me take this slow, are you?”

She snickered. “Cowboy, slow is overrated.”

With a single move, he held her body close and leaned over, forcing her to lie on the carpet.

She let her legs fall open at either side of his hips, surrendering everything. “Ride me, Jeremiah. Make me burn.”

His jaw clamped tight, and his nostrils flared a moment before he braced his weight on both hands and lowered like he was doing a pushup. Then his hips began thrusting—long, steady drives, over and over, filling her, leaving her, filling her again.

Her breaths deepened, and her eyelids dipped. She watched him through narrow slits, aiming downward through the small space between their bodies as his cock disappeared again and again. She loved the way they looked together—him fucking her, his hips dipping and angling to stroke her inner walls just right. She raised her legs higher. “I love fucking you.”

He snorted. “I’m the one doing all the work.”

“Do you mind that I’m lazy?”

He shook his head and gave a distracted grin. “No, I like being in control. You’re so hot and tight…fuck…” He pummeled her pussy faster. “Shouldn’t talk. You wreck my concentration.”

Her breaths came out in gasps. “Why do you need to think?”

“Don’t. Just want to make this last longer.”

And she understood. Or at least, she understood what it meant from her point of view. She didn’t want this day to end. She loved the way he was with her—gentle, like she was fragile, when he could think; rough, like now, when the pleasure blew away his caution.

He leaned on one hand and slipped the other beneath her ass, cupping her to raise her as he pounded harder.

Aiding him, she curved her body, giving him the angle he sought as he sank deeper. “I can feel you all the way inside me, stretching me,” she whispered, scratching his chest with her nails.

“Not gonna last much longer,” he ground out, then abruptly pulled free.

“Bastard,” she groaned and let her head fall against the floor.

He gripped her by the waist and turned her over, then snaked an arm beneath her belly and pulled her up until she rested on her hands and knees.

Carly tossed back her hair and glanced behind her, watching as he placed himself at her entrance again, gripped her hips, and drove forward. Intense pleasure rippled inside. She whipped around and dropped her head, whimpering as he moved forcefully inside her—so deep, so fast, the friction building inside made her burn.

He reached around her and thumbed her clit as he bucked against her.

She braced herself, pushing back hard to keep from moving across the carpet. She’d have rug burns on her knees, but she didn’t care. The sounds he produced, so dirty and wet as he hammered into her pussy, were slick and percussive, their rhythm matching her escalating heartbeats. “I’m close, ’miah, close!”

And then she arched and flung back her head as a hot wave consumed her, sizzling outward from her core. Her walls convulsed, rippling along the sides of his cock, squeezing, squeezing…

“Oh God,” she cried, then crumpled to her elbows, trying to catch her breath, but each hard stroke forced out her air in harsh gusts until she was sobbing. She stretched out her arms and let his motions scrape her nipples against the carpet, the abrasion adding another layer of pleasure.

At last, he rocked deep, jerking hard against her ass, and then holding still as he made sounds so tight and guttural, she smiled.

He bent over her, curving an arm against her belly and took them both down, spooned together. His fingers pulled at strands of hair sticking to her face, and then he kissed her cheek.

She rested her head on the bulge of his arm and snuggled closer, tightening her inner muscles to trap him inside and closing her thighs to make double sure he stayed right there.

Jeremiah smoothed a hand over her hip and thigh, and then moved it upward to cup her breast. His breaths were loud, his chest pushing against her back as he still fought for air.

She wasn’t in any better shape. And she was sleepy. Placing her hand over the one massaging her breast, she waited a few more moments, enjoying the way they felt—joined, equally strained. “I liked that,” she whispered, then shook her head. Her words were a weak reflection of her true feelings.

From behind, he sighed and pulled free.

She heard the slick sounds of him removing the condom, but couldn’t guess what he’d done with it.

“Come here,” he said, moving away from her back.

She turned and saw that he was sitting with his back against the ottoman.

“Come,” he repeated, curling his fingers.

With a lazy crawl, she moved over him, once again straddling him. His cock was losing strength and size, but she liked pushing against it anyway as she spread herself and settled against his chest.

“We need to talk.”

She stiffened, and began to lean away.

But he shook his head. “No.” He bracketed her face and brought her closer, pressing a kiss against her mouth. “You trust me enough to fuck you, but you won’t hold a real conversation with me? Really, Carly? Is talking more intimate?”

Tired, she didn’t even try to school her features into a careless mask. “I’m wetting your cock. How much more intimate can we get?”

He rubbed her lower lip, and she realized she was pouting. Childish. Stupid. Why was she trying to hide from him? “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” He let out a deep breath. “But let’s start with the fire. What happened out there today?”

Her gaze veered from his. “I remembered the fire in the campgrounds. How I started it. How helpless I was to stop it. And then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe.”

A fingertip dug into the soft underside of her chin and turned her. His gaze had softened. “You don’t have to go out with the team tomorrow. I’ll talk to Blake and have him keep you with the folks refilling the sprayers or providing refreshment to the firefighters.”

Disappointed in herself, she couldn’t stop her lower lip from trembling. “You don’t have to protect me.”

He smoothed a thumb over her lip. “What if I want to, Carly? What if I’d like to do more?”

Hearing the soft tone of his voice made Carly’s eyes begin to sting. She blinked to clear the moisture welling there. If she wasn’t careful, she’d start to depend on him for strength. “I don’t need more than this,” she said, indicating between their bodies. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a very long time now.”

“What if I want to take care of you?” he said softly. “What if I need to take care of you?” Jeremiah rested his hands on her hips.

Did he know his thumbs were soothing her? Where was the surly hard-ass whose sharp gaze had flayed her? This Jeremiah was so tender he made her heart hurt. He wanted to take care of her, keep her safe and unafraid. “But I don’t deserve it,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Oh baby, come here.” He pulled her tight against his chest.

She tried hard not to cry, but his kindness was killing her. Her breaths came out in ragged gulps she couldn’t control.

Still, being in his arms was heaven, lying against his chest as he shushed her. Being comforted was so foreign, the gesture was another form of seduction. She couldn’t resist snuggling closer to fit her face into the corner of his neck. She breathed deep, taking in his lovely scent—clean and masculine. His skin was warm. “You’re spoiling me,” she murmured.

“Let me.”

“All right,” she whispered. Then because she didn’t know his full intentions and was half-afraid she was assuming too much, she kept silent, living in the moment as he held her. For the first time ever, she understood the feeling of belonging.

Monday morning, Jeremiah waited as the bulldozer finished its final pass, having bladed the hard earth beneath the escarpment. Above him, at the top of the steep cliff, lay his ranch. He’d been given the job of maintaining the fireguard at the north end of the canyon, because Blake knew he had the most to lose.

Already, fires had been set south of their location. His team’s job was to clear a wide break at the foot of the cliffs so that no embers drifted out of the canyon to set fire to the fields along the rim.

With the soil turned, everyone worked with rakes to remove any grass or sticks that could continue to fuel a fire across the break. When they were through clearing the firebreak, they turned their attention to the area in front of them.

Blake needed them to set a back fire and burn the brush—again stealing fuel from the larger fire marching their way.

Jeremiah checked his handheld wind meter. Wind speed was an optimal eight miles an hour. And the direction hadn’t changed. The wind came from the south, which aided the volunteers moving the fire his way, then turned back at the cliff.

Everything was a go. Already, white smoke was visible in the distance although pines and brush hindered his view of the others’ progress. He already had the okay from Blake to set the blaze when he was comfortable with existing conditions.

He glanced around at his crew, at Carly who was still raking at clods of earth and brush. He wondered how she was holding up, whether she was nervous. She’d been insistent she was ready, that her head was in the right place to allow her participation. And because he knew this was important to her, he held back his objections. He’d keep close. Make sure she was safe.

He went to the ATV behind the fireguard and pulled out his drip can. “Ready, everyone?”

He received waves and smiles.

Carly gave him a nod and took a deep breath.

Jeremiah began to walk the line, squirting fuel for a few feet, then lit a match and dropped it. Immediately, the fuel ignited. He continued to drop fuel, leading the flames down the fireguard boundary. Behind him, his crew used their rakes to add fuel. The wind pushed the smoke and flames south.

Satisfied the backfire was going well, he dripped fuel down one side of their boundary setting a flank fire, while Tater dragged flame down the opposite side.

Soon the blaze was set, and he returned the can to his vehicle. He unclipped his radio. “Blake, the backfire’s lit.”

Then the time arrived for the real work. With an eye constantly tracking the smoke in the distance, he shouted orders to keep the backfire moving south. Once the brush in front of them burned, volunteers used both shovels and sprayers before they crossed the charred dirt.

The morning stretched into the afternoon as the crew made their way forward. The closer they drew to the larger fire heading their way, the thicker grew the smoke. He pulled his bandana over his nose and walked the line, checking on the volunteers to make sure they wore their goggles, that they kept hydrated, and took breaks when they needed to.

He came to Carly, and she struck her shovel into the dirt and leaned on the handle.

Jeremiah pulled up the bandana hanging around her neck and set it over her nose. “Are you doing okay?”

She nodded then jerked a thumb behind her, indicating Tater who’d insisted on working close by. “My watchdog’s making sure I do my job.”

Jeremiah grunted. “You could shadow me.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s kind of fun,” she said, her eyes smiling. “Told him I was feeling itchy, that the fire wasn’t big enough.”

“Don’t borrow trouble.” He shook his head then leaned close. “I’ll want that ass in one piece tonight.”

She laughed. “I’ll be fine. If the smoke gets too thick, I’ll retreat. If the fire moves too fast, I’ll hit the river.”

He nodded, glad she’d paid attention to the safety briefing. “I’d kiss you, but that’d only give Tater more ammo.”

“Later,” she said, her voice pitched low.

A quick, casual “love you,” was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back the words. Just barely. The ease with which his mind thought the declaration shocked him. He’d dated his ex-wife for months before he’d said the words, and even then, they still hadn’t felt quite right.

He left her, his mind whirling, and walked back down the line. A gust of wind sent smoke curling around him, and he grabbed his meter from his back pocket. Twenty miles per hour.

The radio squawked. “Wind’s picking up,” Blake’s voice boomed, and he sounded disgusted.

“Do we bail?”

“Not sure if it will last, but you might want to go ahead and have your crew lay down water. We’ll start on this end, too.”

Jeremiah ran to the west end of the firebreak. “Wind’s rising. Lay down water. Put out that fire.”

He continued down the line, issuing orders as the smoke thickened and flames became visible in the distance, climbing the pines. Although recent rains had kept the pines moist inside, the wind was whipping up embers to catch any dry needles above them.

When he reached the east end of the line, he found Tater already using his backpack sprayer to move into the flames and douse them. Carly worked furiously with a wet sack.

He grabbed the damper tool she’d dropped to the ground and pounded the flat, hardened-rubber surface against edge of the fire.

Another gust of wind blew darker smoke around them. The upper branches of a pine directly in front of them burst into flame with a whoosh. “We need to pull back.”

Tater and Carly glanced beyond his shoulder. Both their gazes widened.

Carly grabbed his arm and turned him. The fire was climbing the vegetation hugging the canyon wall.

His body tensed.

“We need to get to the river!” she shouted.

With a nod, he pointed. “Through there. Tater, lay down water as you move through. It’s not far. I have to check on the others.”

“Come with us,” Carly said, her expression worried. “They had to have seen the signs.”

He shook his head, and then gave Tater a steady glare. “Get her to the water. Carry her if you have to.”

Tater nodded then held her arm as Jeremiah plunged back into the smoke.

Chapter Seven

‡

Trying not to panic, Carly trudged behind Tater as he moved out, spraying water in hopes of keeping a clear path to the river. Around them, the fire was no longer crackling—it roared.

“What the hell happened?” she asked, and then coughed as smoke filled her mouth and nose. She pulled up her bandana and walked faster.

“You happpened,” Tater bit out, then coughed hard. “First, you try to kill me with a string of Black Cats—”

“Wasn’t trying to kill you. Just pay you back.”

“For what?” he snapped, halting and turning.

She shoved him forward. “River.” The smoke was thicker, they could barely see five feet in front of their location. Heat surrounded them, flashes of orange flame from above and below penetrating the dark cloud. “For bullying me, dickhead.”

“Bullying?” he shouted over his shoulder. “Seriously?”

“You picked on me constantly.”

“I was only teasing.”

“When you pointed out the fact I was poor? That my clothes came from thrift shops?”

“Didn’t mean anything by it. Swear. I liked you.”

She threw up her hands, even though he wasn’t looking and no one was around to see. “No wonder you never had a girlfriend!”

“We’re there.” He reached back, took her hand, and started wading into the river.

Just a few feet in, the water rose to her chest. Once they stopped, they went silent, their joined hands floating on the water, listening to the creak and groan of trees, to the whoosh of the hot wind as it blew by. At least, the smoke didn’t hug the top of the water. The cooler temperature lifted the hotter air higher above them. They could breathe. She tugged down her bandana.

“I’m sorry you felt like I was comin’ down on you,” Tater said with a shake of his head.

“We’re not dying here,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t have to make good before you meet your maker.”

“I know that,” he said, his lips twisting in sneer. “Just wanted you to know. The Black Cats were a bit of overkill, though, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” She grimaced. “One would have done the job. It’s all I planned to light. But then the match was lit, and I knew one of the adults would look for more once they came to investigate. I didn’t want to get caught with them. And you really had pissed me off.”

Tater grinned. “I almost peed myself.”

She smiled back. “Would have been hard to hide in your tighty-whities.”

They laughed, and then she heard splashing nearby. Hoping the arrival was one of the team and not a cougar escaping the smoke, she turned.

Jeremiah waded toward them. His narrowed gaze went to their hands.

Tater withdrew his hand first. “You said to make sure she came.”

“I did.” Jeremiah’s gaze flicked to her.

Carly shrugged. “He likes me.”

“Liked,” Tater said. “Before you nearly killed me.”

Carly’s grin dimmed at Jeremiah’s deepening frown. “The fire run the rim?”

He shook his head. “No, never rose that high. Besides, I wasn’t that worried. I had people standing by. And the fire’s nearly out.”

She glanced around, and yes, the smoke did seem a little thinner. “Where’s the rest of the team?”

“Farther upstream.”

“Good.” Carly wished he’d lose the scowl, which made her nervous. “How long—”

“Tater, would you mind moving downstream a bit?”

Carly clamped her mouth shut. He wasn’t even trying to be polite. When they were alone, she faced Jeremiah with her arms crossed over her chest. “What is with you?”

“It’s not what. It’s who.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her against his chest.

His mouth slammed against hers, and she tasted a little blood from the impact against her teeth, but she didn’t mind so much. At last, Jeremiah was communicating. And she talked back, climbing his body to wrap her legs around his waist as he continued to ravage her mouth.

When he finally pulled back, he was breathing hard. “I didn’t like leaving you.”

“What? Were you afraid Tater would leave me in the middle of the blaze out of revenge?”

“I heard that!” came Tater’s voice from somewhere in the smoky distance.

“Butt out!” she bellowed.

Jeremiah’s frown deepened, but a laugh shook his chest. “Do you argue over everything?”

She stopped herself from giving him a stinging retort. “I guess.”

“I don’t mind so much,” he said, sounding surprised. One of his hands cradled the back of her head as he stared down into her face. “You’re pretty loud doing everything.”

“Not nice.” She couldn’t keep from narrowing her gaze.

“Heard that, too!” Chuckles echoed over the water.

“Butt out!” Jeremiah called toward the disembodied voice. When he glanced back down, he was smiling.

Something inside her seemed to click into place. Right man. Right moment. Carly put her arms around his neck and hugged him before she said something she’d regret.

His arms closed tighter, and he kissed her temple. “I think I drowned my radio.”

“Then we won’t be interrupted.” Carly kissed him, sharing her happiness in the moment, giving him everything in that kiss. They’d be all right. She knew it. Certain as the sun piercing the smoky haze.

When she broke the kiss, she returned his steady stare. “We still have a fire to work. Sooner it’s out, the sooner we can go home.” And then she winced a little over her word choice. She’d sounded presumptuous—and she didn’t have the right to take anything for granted.

“You’re right,” he drawled. “We need to get home. To our bed.”

“I’m not pushing,” she whispered, running a finger along his jaw. “I spoke before I thought.”

“I want you to push,” he said quietly, his expression sober. “Because then I’ll know you’re just as far gone as I am.”

Splashes sounded right behind Jeremiah. Tater clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a brave man,” he said as he passed, giving Carly a wink.

Carly leaned back and laughed, feeling lighter and more carefree than she ever had before. With a groan, she let her legs drop from his waist and pushed away.

Jeremiah caught her hand and together, they waded out of the river.

“When I first saw it, I thought this tub was huge,” Carly grumbled.

Jeremiah grinned, something he really hadn’t stopped doing since they’d left the creek. The two fires met and extinguished within minutes. All crews had tromped through the entire burn area, turning dirt and spraying. The teams had been released. Park services would monitor the area to make sure no flare-ups occurred, but everyone left happy at their success.

He’d loaded the mule on a trailer and sped home, the ache in his groin not helped one bit by Carly’s roaming hands. She’d felt him up the entire way home, and she’d nearly caused a wreck when she’s opened her shirt and bra and settled back against the leather seat. Why? Not because she expected him to do anything about the exposed skin, but because she said they ached and needed air.

He’d been tempted to pull over to the side of the road to have her, regardless of other vehicles that might happen by. Instead, he gripped the wheel harder, ignored her questing fingers the best he could until he rolled into the driveway. Then he opened his door and dragged her laughing across the bench seat. Before she could button her blouse, he had her over his shoulder.

He’d even smacked her bottom as he’d run up the porch. “That’s for nearly causing a wreck.”

“Ooo. What do I get for flashing that Mustang?”

“My hand on your bare ass as soon as we get upstairs.”

Now, Jeremiah sat bemused, his arms riding the top edge of the tub while Carly splashed water over the rim of the tub with her enthusiastic bounces.

She’d liked her spanking—had even thanked him when he’d finished.

“Easy.” He gripped her waist to slow her downward thrusts. “I told you your punishment wasn’t over.”

“Right,” she said, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Guess we’re clean enough now.” She rose, and then stepped over the edge of the tub, grabbing a towel as she walked out of the bathroom.

Why she’d insisted on using the guest bath instead of the one situated in his master suite, he didn’t know. But whatever she wanted, he’d give her. He shot out of the water, grabbed a towel, and followed, dripping all the way.

Inside her bedroom, Carly was already divesting the bed of covers and pillows, but she was careful to make a short stack of two in the center of the floor before kneeling in the middle of the soft goose down.

He handed her his towel, then waited as she dried his thighs and rubbed his balls and dick a little too vigorously. He bit back any complaints because he was dying by inches, waiting for the moment… And then…

Carly wrapped both hands around him and bobbed forward to slide her tongue down his shaft.

Jeremiah stared downward, watching as she lavished him with long slides and flutters. She traced the veins now prominent along his shaft with her tongue, flicked the underside of his crown, then ducked lower and took his balls into her mouth.

He wanted to shout, but the pleasure was too excruciating as she mouthed him, her lips drawing until his balls felt incredibly heavy and hard.

Before he could caution her that he was close to exploding, he felt her release him.

She pulled his cock downward, level with her mouth, and then licked in luscious circles around the head. “Soft,” she said, rubbing his cockhead against his cheek. “Feels like hot satin.”

“Carly,” he said, then hissed when she used the pointed tip of her tongue to tease his small opening.

“Mmm?” She licked one palm then gripped him, just beneath the head and began to glide up and down his length.

“Carly!”

She opened wide and guided him into her mouth. His toes curled into the carpet as she sucked on him.

What the hell? He surged into her mouth, enjoying the fullness of his balls.

With a pop, she came off him, slid her hand down to the root, and squeezed.

His orgasm halted, he blinked.

She bit her lower lip then released it. “We forgot a condom in the bath.”

He ground his jaw. “I’m clean. You are, too. One boyfriend. Years ago.”

“I’m not on the pill.”

“Don’t care.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Not worried—”

“Don’t fucking care.”

“Oh.” Her gaze dropped to his cock. “Jeremiah?”

She was killing him. “Yes, baby?”

“Is my punishment over?”

He drew in deep breaths and inched her fist off him, then he reached down and slid his hands under arms. Drawing her upward, he let his cock slide over her, marking her with the moisture beading on his tip. Next, he stepped forward, crowding her, pushing her toward the bed.

She retreated until her legs met the mattress, and then she climbed on backwards, not stopping until she reached the center of the bed.

He crawled between her legs, and stilled the moment his cock nudged her entrance. “Punishment’s just beginning.”

Carly smiled. Feeling him thrust inside, she gave a sharp, short laugh then groaned. Not that he’d hurt her—she was plenty wet and ready.

“Don’t touch me.”

She understood. He was there, right at the edge, and anything she did, even a sexy squeeze of inner muscles, would set him off. Pretending obedience, she rested her hands on the mattress beside her head and let her legs fall wide, toes pointing heavenward. He had full access now.

Which he didn’t waste. He shoved into her, all the way to the root, pulled halfway out and sank again.

“You like it this way, don’t you? You control the depth, the speed,” she said, her voice tightening.

“You feel so damn good.”

His words sounded like they’d been wrestled from his throat. “I can’t touch, but can I move?”

“Yes,” he hissed, and then he groaned when she undulated, rocking toward him as he sank, greeting his thrusts with her sexy waves.

And then she tightened her pussy, squeezing down his shaft as he entered.

“Witch, yes, yes… Oh fuck!”

Soon, they were both perspiring, both panting.

She struggled for breath and for control, because he was heating up her insides with his shortened, targeted drives. Each time he pounded against her, he rubbed, grinding against her clit, and it was swelling, the hood retreating. Sweet tingling intensified; lusty desire tightened. Her sight narrowed, all focus now on his face, on his eyes as he watched her. “I’m close, ’miah,” she gasped.

“Love it when you call me that,” he growled. “Don’t wait for me. Come, baby. Do it now.” And then he lowered and cradled her body tight, his hips flexing as he thrust harder, faster.

Carly’s breath hitched, and blinding pleasure shot through her. “OhgodOhgod!” She jerked against him, her head digging into the mattress, as she rode another wave of ecstasy.

At last, he slowed his movements, his rocking hips delivering deep, soothing caresses.

“You came,” she said, noting the profusion of moisture where their bodies met.

“Couldn’t shout. Couldn’t get a word in edgewise ’cuz you were making so much noise.”

She liked when he teased. Turning her head, she rubbed her mouth over his, tasting salt.

He kissed her then pulled free. Settling on his side, he drew her body against his.

With the fan above them cooling their bodies, she drifted for a moment.

“Stay with me.”

Frowning, she blinked and met his gaze. His expression was hard to read. Not harsh, but shuttered. “Why?”

He breathed deeply and then reached for her hand, staring down at their fingers as they interlaced. “I was married before.”

“So, you said.” She held her breath. Waiting, because she knew what he was about to say was personal, and Jeremiah was stingy with intimacy.

“We didn’t work. We were married for two years, and not once, did we come even close…to this.”

Really? Warmth spread through her body, making her eyes sting, and she blinked fast. “I don’t know what it is, but you seem to have the power to reduce me to tears,” she said, laughing.

“I’m serious.”

“I know.” And because she saw him starting to frown, she, too, took a deep breath. He’d been as open as he could be, so she had to try just as hard. Anything less than honesty would doom them. “I don’t know how to be in a relationship, let alone a family, Jeremiah. I don’t remember how. But if there’s a chance that’s where we’re headed, I’d like to stick around.” She smiled again. “I could look for work in Caldera—if anyone would hire me.”

“You don’t have to go that far.” His finger caressed her cheek. “Stay with me. Let me take care of you.”

“I don’t need you to take care of me.” She jutted out her chin. “I may not have much, but I’ve managed.”

“Then let’s take care of each other, because baby, I need you.” He played with a lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “I know I’m pushing.”

“I want you to push,” she whispered, giving him the same words he’d given her before. “The truth is, I want to be yours.”

Jeremiah sighed, and a sexy smile curved his mouth. “I never thought I’d go and fall in love with my little firebug.”

Her heart thudded against her chest. He loves me? “You should take your time. Make sure that’s how you feel.”

“Baby, do you need time?”

Her chest felt like it would burst from all she was feeling in this moment. She shook her head, and a single tear slipped into her hair.

“Then shut up. Besides, I may have just planted the next crop of McCords.”

Carly sputtered. “Is that why you didn’t care? You were trying to trap me?”

A wink lowered one eyelid. “Worked, didn’t it?

His sly drawl and wicked gaze pulled her closer. Carly slid her palm against his cheek. “Guess you have to keep me close in case I’m tempted to start any fires.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “Baby, I’m already burning.”

The End

About Delilah Devlin

Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of erotica and erotic romance with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. She has published over a hundred forty erotic stories in multiple genres and lengths, and she is published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Grand Central, Harlequin Spice, HarperCollins: Mischief, Kensington, Montlake Romance, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

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If you enjoyed this story, be on the lookout for more Uncharted SEALs stories coming soon:

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Navy SEAL Deke Warrick’s unsanctioned detail is to keep tabs on a congressman’s daughter while she vacations in the Caribbean. He’s determined to keep his distance from the beautiful Nicky Martir, but finds his limits tested when Nicky sets out to seduce him. What seemed like a simple mission becomes deliciously complicated—and then dangerous, when she’s snatched from their hotel room.

Through Your Eyes (Coming August 2015!)

A ex-SEAL sniper is forced to get close and personal to keep a woman safe…

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He rescues her. Now it’s up to her to save him…

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A pampered travel agent, roughing it at an anti-terrorist training school, escapes through the jungle with an undercover DEA agent when a drug lord mistakes her for a rival’s daughter.

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Excerpt from Dangerous Liaison

“Sweetheart, how ’bout pretending you’re driving in rush hour traffic when a road-raging gangbanger pulls in front of you and slams on his brakes. What are you gonna do?”

“Flip him off? Duck behind my steering wheel?” Maya Cordoba asked, batting her eyelashes. Really, how could the man expect her to concentrate when his sexy green gaze stroked over her bared shoulders like a physical caress? Or was it just her imagination and he was really wondering why she’d dressed in skimpy shorts and a spaghetti-strapped tee for an anti-terrorist training seminar?

Angel Rickman sighed and rubbed a large hand over his short-cropped black hair. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Keep your eyes on the road,” he practically barked at another steep, unmarked turn.

Maya almost felt sorry for him. She wasn’t exactly the class genius. After all, this was just a vacation for her. She wasn’t here like some of the other students who had to learn skills for real-life survival.

The most worrisome dilemma she’d ever faced was her travel agency’s audit when the accountant made the ominous pronouncement the company only months to prove up the business or their financial backers would sell off their assets.

All partners had drawn straws to see which of them would take the first “adventure” vacation so they could begin to familiarize themselves with this new line of offerings they hoped would net more sales. With experience only in high-end luxury packages, they’d all felt the need to become experts in the rapidly-expanding market for adventure tours. If not experts, at least they needed to get their feet wet so that they could add their personal recommendations to clients who preferred an adrenaline rush to being pummeled by a masseuse at a spa or earning a sunburn on some remote island beach.

Which was why she sat behind the steering wheel of a non-descript car on a lonely Central American highway surrounded by jungle with a man who’d introduced himself as a former merc (mercenary, he’d revised when she’d looked confused).

For Maya, the meeting had been lust at first sight.

Apparently, for Angel the experience was a living nightmare. As far as he was concerned, she drove with two left hands, braked with a lead foot, and must have gotten her driver’s license from a Cracker-Jacks box—or so she thought she heard him mumble under his breath.

Problem was, her normally razor-sharp focus on her own ambitions had lost its shiny edge. But how could she be blamed? With a build like a Chicago Bear’s linebacker, a square jaw, and blunt blade of a nose, he was the most enormous, physically powerful man she’d ever had sitting just six inches away. Never had she felt so intensely feminine—or so incredibly curious about a man’s intimate “proportions.”

And she knew for a fact he wouldn’t appreciate her opinion that his gorgeous eyes softened his tough-guy image. Moss-green with a sooty fringe of eyelashes…mmm-mm. Every gaze that sliced her way cut straight through her usual smart-ass reserve, rendering her insides into wiggly Jell-O.

She’d had hopes this winding trip into the mountains was just his way of getting her alone. Instead, he’d had her executing “boot turns” and “laying Goodyear” on the road—things he’d had her doing around a track with orange cones all morning long without mishap. But this narrow donkey trail of a highway was just another obstacle course.

“Time to play it for real, Princess.”

Recognizing the tension in his voice, Maya wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel like a $99 wedding dress at a Macy’s Fire Sale. The forest canopy opened and sunlight broke through the thick vegetation. An intersection loomed ahead.

“Gun it!” he bit out.

Maya pushed the pedal toward the floor.

Just before she entered the intersection, two cars appeared in her peripheral vision. The tires of a battered Land Rover on her left squealed as it turned ahead of her vehicle. Its brake lights flared bright.

Maya had just a moment to curse, knowing exactly why Angel had asked about gangbangers. Then she grabbed her emergency brake, gave the steering wheel a quarter turn, and executed a “boot turn” in the center of the crossing to face the opposite direction—too breathless to give a victory cheer.

But the second car slid neatly in front of her, cutting off her escape. She mashed the brake with her foot and halted an inch in front of the dented side of the Camaro.

For a long moment, she sat silent beside Angel, her lips pulling into a grimace before she shot him a glance. “How’d I do?” she asked in a small voice, hoping to be heard over her pounding heartbeat.

His eyes blinked as his fingers loosened from the dashboard. “Since we’re both dead now, I’d say you didn’t pass.”

The drivers of the other two vehicles got out and walked to her beat-up Dodge, wide grins wreathing their faces.

“What took you so long getting here, Angelito?” one of them asked.

To stop the burst of laughter threatening to erupt, Maya pressed her lips together. Who in his right mind would have the nerve to call the hulk beside her “Little Angel?” Recognizing another of the instructors, the one who’d lead the weapons familiarization class, she relaxed and decided to get out and stretch her legs.

Only when she got out of the car, she nearly crumpled to the pavement. “Hey, where’d my legs go?”

“Easy there,” Angel said, his arm slipping around her waist.

“You were fast,” she gasped as he pulled her against his chest.

“Only sometimes, Princess.”

Damn, his voice rumbled like a bear’s growl. Maya let her weak knees fold.

“You okay?” His arm tightened around her.

“Just a little shaky,” she whispered, clinging to his broad shoulders, then leaning a little closer to breathe in his lovely, musky smell.

Amusement gleamed in his eyes for a moment before he jerked up his head. His eyes turned from moss to flint. “Back to camp, boys.”

“Yeah, I’m ready for a beer. Joining us?” the other guy said, a smirk on his lips.

“Later, maybe.”

Laughter followed the two well-built men as they climbed into their cars and drove in the direction the Dodge now pointed.

Unable to peel her gaze away from their flexing muscles, Maya just stared, and then looked up into Angel’s shuttered expression.

“You want me to drive?” he asked, his face tilted only slightly towards hers.

She cleared her throat and straightened inside his embrace. However much she liked the way his big hands molded against her sides, she wasn’t going to beg him to kiss her.

Not yet, anyway. She still owned a little Yankee pride. “I’m feeling better, now.”

His hands slid slowly away, and he stepped back.

Despite the sun glaring down, she felt chilled. Bereft, even. A word she’d never have used back in her real world. With her nipples prickling against her thin shirt after contact with his hard chest, she turned and plucked at the fabric. Had he even noticed? Or was he still critiquing her driving performance?

After she summoned the courage to face him again, she met his cool, hard gaze.

Angel pulled a pair of dark sunglasses from a pocket of his short-sleeved khaki shirt and slipped them on. “Keep it under the speed limit this time, chica. Class is over.”

Angel slipped from the camp, climbing fast toward the rocky knoll. Each time he made the trek, he’d been careful to take different routes, not wanting to knock down a trail any of the training school staff or the cartel’s jungle runners might follow. Daylight was waning, and he needed to get out one last transmission to his handler. He’d have been here sooner but got just a little distracted by his last student of the day.

Remembering how Maya Cordoba, or whatever her real name might be, had melted against him, her supple fingers digging into his shoulders, had made him forget they were standing in the middle of a deserted highway with his Walter PPK stashed under the passenger seat. Out in the open like that without a weapon in reach, he’d left them both exposed to potential dangers lurking in the bushes around them.

He’d withdrawn, noting the disappointment pouting her lush lips and dampening the heat in her warm brown gaze. The ride back to camp had been made in silence, punctuated by his own alarmed groans each time the car’s wheels had left the tarmac and bit into the dirt shoulder. The woman had a real problem keeping her eyes focused on the road.

He’d had a bitch of a time keeping his own gaze from her bare, creamy shoulders. Curling his fists now, he tried not to think about how nicely put together she was. The trim indent of her waist swelled to rounded hips, all of which he’d felt as he’d dropped his hands from her body. Her nipples had poked through the sheer fabric of her next-to-nothing bra and shirt, scraping his chest and sending a sharp jag of electricity zinging southward. His cock still ached from the arousal that seemed to be a constant throb whenever she was in the vicinity.

His attraction was becoming a problem—interfering with his concentration and mission focus. Not something he’d ever experienced before. The climb went a long way toward helping him release the tension in his body, freeing his mind from the grip of sexual impulses that didn’t have a place in his life right now. He had a job to do. One that called for his full attention. Anything less could cost him his life.

The forest canopy above him thinned as he climbed through the lush vegetation. Ahead, he spotted the outcrop he’d selected to hide his equipment. Taking a quick glance around to make sure he wasn’t being followed, he ducked behind the rock and hunkered down, digging in the dirt until his fingers wrapped around the straps of the buried backpack.

Quickly, he pulled it free, unzipped the bag and unfolded the waxed canvas bundle inside, revealing the military-issue portable radio pack. He set it on the outcrop and powered up the unit. Moments later, he selected the channel and raised the mike, pressing the talk switch. “Cowboy, this is Wingman, over.”

A crackle and hiss was followed by a staticky, “This is Cowboy,” came the familiar, laconic drawl. “What took you so long, buddy? Over.”

“It’s complicated,” Angel muttered, picturing “Cowboy” with his worn, straw hat hunched over the radio set in his little hut in the jungle just outside Vista Verde.

“You figure out which of the females is Yanez’s little girl?”

“Not quite. Have a hunch, but haven’t confirmed. I’ve been through their rooms, tossed all their gear. Nothing.”

“Might have to turn on the charm. Get closer.”

“Damn, we’re screwed,” Angel said, his voice dry.

Cowboy laughed. “Only have three more days. We need to get to her before Yanez or any of the Calderon boys gets wise. No time to be squeamish. If you have to, get her into bed. We need her to talk. Gotta be sure.”

Angel grunted. Shouldn’t be too much of a chore with one of the two women, but he didn’t much like the idea of playing her. The thought of Maya’s soft brown gaze, staring up at him as he lied his way into her bed made his stomach hurt.

“It’s for her own safety, Wingman.”

“Roger, out.”

Angel stowed the radio, then reburied the pack, careful to cover the mound with leaves and vines. Then he headed back down the mountain, reentering the camp from behind the barracks building and skirting the front to make it seem as if he’d just come from his room.

“Hey, Angel,” a voice called from behind him.

Angel shot a glare over his shoulder, instantly wiping his face clear of annoyance when another of the instructors, Mark Saunders, strode toward him wearing a wide grin.

Saunders knocked his shoulder lightly with a balled fist. “See you made it back in one piece after taking the Cordoba woman out for a road trial.”

“Not quite,” Angel murmured, offering a pained smile. “I left my fingertips embedded in the dash.”

Saunders’s smile widened, and his eyebrows waggled. “She seemed a little shaken up when we boxed her in. Did she need a little comfort after her scare?”

Angel grimaced at the crude sentiment gleaming in the other man’s eyes. Like many of the school’s cadre, Saunders was ex-special ops with little couth when talking about the opposite sex.

Not that his own thoughts concerning the woman in question were exactly pure.

Maya had been at the center of most of the instructors’ private conversations. Seemingly, they rarely got a student as attractive or inept.

“I had her on the shooting range yesterday,” Saunders said, his face screwing into grimace. “Had to clear out everyone because she couldn’t remember to keep the barrel of her weapon pointing downrange. Never saw Migelito move so fast as when she waved it at him and let a few rounds fly.”

“Woman’s a menace,” Angel said, then added, “Ever figure out why she’s here in the first place?”

“She mentioned something about scoping out adventure vacations for her clientele.”

Seemed as good a cover as any for a woman who might be the daughter of a notorious drug lord. “What about the other female?”

“Maria Cortez is an ambassador’s daughter,” Mark said. “And a much better shot, although not nearly as interesting.”

Maria’s mousy appearance and demeanor made her seem a far less likely candidate to be the flamboyant Yanez’s flesh and blood, but Angel was never anything but thorough. He’d keep digging into both female’s backgrounds until he figured out which was his target.

“Gonna join us in the cantina for a beer?”

“Maybe later.”

Angel waited until Saunders headed to the mess facility, then backtracked to his room. Maybe he’d hunt down Maya after he’d had a chance to recheck the files on the two women in the administrator’s office. Time to dig a little deeper.

And if he had to sleep with her, he’d just have to remember he was doing it in the service to his country—enjoying himself would just be an unexpected perk to an otherwise uneventful assignment.

His Firefly Cowgirl

Devils on Horseback: Millennium

Beth Williamson

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Published by Beth Williamson

Copyright © 2015 Beth Williamson

Edited by Catherine Wayne

Cover Design and Interior format by The Killion Group
thekilliongroupinc.com

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author at beth@bethwilliamson.com.

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

For more information on the author and her works, please see bethwilliamson.com.

Devils on Horseback: Millennium

Rejoin the Devils for a contemporary series with the Blackwoods of the new millennium.

Dax Blackwood has more than his share of troubles and then she returns to Tanger, Texas, to set his world on its ear. Sophie Evans didn’t plan to ever return to the town she grew up in, but when a suspicious fire destroys a town landmark, she’s assigned to investigate as an insurance investigator. Sparks threaten to flare out of control when this cowboy meets his firefly cowgirl once again.

Chapter One

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July, 2015

Tanger, Texas

Dax Blackwood stared at the charred remains of Cindy’s Restaurant. He could hardly believe it was gone. It had been owned and operated by his family for generations, since just after the Civil War.

Now it was nothing but an eyesore. It had been a week since the fire but the ashes were still warm. The damn thing went up so fast the volunteer fire department had little chance to stop the blaze. They were able to keep the fire from jumping to nearby buildings, thank God.

As fire chief, it was his job to meet with the investigator from the insurance company at the site. The dude was late and it was damn hot. Scorching heat close to a hundred degrees, if he had to guess.

He took off his hat and wiped his sleeve across his forehead. If the investigator didn’t arrive soon, he’d get on back home and get some chores done. Or maybe have a beer with his dog, Kona.

It was a typical afternoon in sleepy Tanger. The town had maintained its small size despite the massive growth in East Texas. Likely because it was ten miles from the closest highway, not near enough to attract the attention of any of the big chain stores.

In Dax’s mind, that was a good thing. He liked small-town life and had no need to move onto bigger and better things. Unlike some folks, Tanger would remain his home for the rest of his life.

He peered at his watch. It was half past three. The investigator was a full thirty minutes late. That was the end of Dax’s patience. He had too much stress already to wait around for more. Although going home brought him even more stress. His sister Hannah had moved out to the ranch after the restaurant burned. Now she was making him crazy as shit with trying to fix up the house and straighten up everything she saw. Dax didn’t need his house or his life fixed.

He mashed his hat back on his head and spun on his heel to return to his truck. A blue sedan pulled in, stopping him in his tracks. His temper was slow to boil, but waiting in the heat had stirred him up.

The son of a bitch sat in the car, in the air conditioning, something his ratty ride didn’t have, and fiddled with his papers.

Dax stomped over and yanked the door open. “Look, mister, I got shit to do. Get your ass out here and let’s get this over with.”

The person who emerged from the car was not a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a paunch. Far from it. A woman with mahogany hair, eyes deeper than the blackest night sky, skin covered with freckles and a pair of turquoise glasses perched on her perfect nose.

Shit.

“Sophie?”

She pushed up the glasses. “Hi, Dax. My ass is out of the car, as ordered.” Her perfect mouth twisted.

“Don’t tell me you’re the investigator I’ve been waiting for.”

“I won’t tell you since you seem to already know.” She tapped the screen on the tablet in her hand. “Care to join me?” With that, she slammed the car door and walked toward Cindy’s.

Son of a bitch. Sophie Evans. What kind of universe made his ex-girlfriend the fire investigator he had to work with? The last time he’d seen her had been five years earlier, when she left Tanger for Houston. Left him for bigger and better things.

Now she was back.

Double shit.

He put his hands on his hips and tried to keep his temper in check. “Seriously, you’re the investigator?”

She glanced back at him, over the frames of her specs. “Yes, I am. I can give you my business card in a little while.”

Business card? Screw that.

“Jesus Christ, why you? Isn’t there any other available person, like someone recently released from prison? Or possibly one of those ridiculous wives of hockey players from television?” He couldn’t stop the bitterness in his voice. She’d almost destroyed him and now she walked, no she pranced, back into Tanger like a fucking princess.

In typical Sophie fashion, she ignored him and whipped out a digital camera. As she snapped images of the ashes, he tried his best not to look at her ass. He’d always had a soft spot for that nicely rounded derriere and damned if she didn’t look just as good as she had the last time he’d seen her. When she walked out of his life.

He couldn’t get himself tangled up over Sophie again. It took him years to get his shit together after she’d stomped all over him. Hell, he’d had only a couple dozen dates in the last couple years, and hadn’t been laid in at least six months. Pitiful to admit, even to himself. Most folks assumed a cowboy like him had plenty of women and an active social life. He snorted at the thought. Truth was, he’d much rather spend a quiet evening at home riding his horse, playing with his dog, or playing cards with his friends.

Women were trouble. This woman was the worst kind of trouble. With a capital T.

He could be a grown-up and a professional about it. Not only did his family own the restaurant, but he was also the fire chief. She would be in his face for everything. Maybe he could ask Hannah to take a hit for the team and speak to her as the owner. That still meant he would have to answer her questions as to how they’d handled the blaze.

She stepped around the remains, her dark jeans stretching taut and her shirt hugging her amazing breasts. He looked away, unable to stop his traitorous dick from twitching at the sight. Had he no pride or self-control?

“Did you determine the cause of the fire?” Her voice carried on the wind, and that whiskey tone sent a frisson of memory down his spine.

“Isn’t that your job?” Damn, he hated the knife-edge in his voice. Dax wasn’t an asshole and he wasn’t a vengeful jerk either. He needed to remember that and pretend to be over her. No, not pretend. He was over her.

She paused to enter something into her tablet, her long fingers rapid fire typing the only sound in the mid-afternoon on the near empty street in front of Cindy’s. “How long did the fire burn?”

He took a deep breath and clenched his fists to keep calm. “We got the 9-1-1 call around one in the morning. Firefighters were on the scene within ten minutes with the pumper. The building is old enough it burned hot and fast.”

“It’s customary for me to do my evaluation of the scene before I get a report from the fire chief.”

“Do you want to hear the rest of this or not?”

She paused her fingers for a moment. “Sure, please continue.” She returned her ticky tap into the tablet. He wanted to throw it on the ground and grind it beneath his shit-covered boots.

“We started hosing down the buildings around it and controlling the spread rather than put it out. My great-great-great grandfather and uncles knew how to build something to last, but the wood was too dry to save.” He’d heard the stories of how the first restaurant burned and was rebuilt by Gideon, Lee and Zeke Blackwood. They were ex-confederate soldiers who’d settled in Tanger after the Civil War.

The Blackwoods had become the backbone of the town, running at least half the businesses and two of the ranches around Tanger, including the Triple B, where Dax lived and worked. At least he did when he wasn’t avoiding Hannah.

“Hm.” She took a few more pictures, humming and mumbling to herself. He gave her his back, unwilling to look at her any longer. The sight of Sophie made him want to tear something to shreds. Or run like a crazy fucker around the town screaming his head off.

Maybe he was having a nightmare and would wake up in a few minutes. And maybe the sky was green.

“How long is this going to take?”

“Dax, your claim was over half a million dollars. It’s protocol to investigate a suspicious fire, especially one for such a large sum of money.” Her camera clicked a few more times.

“The equipment inside was where the money was. My sister has all the receipts and serial numbers.” He reached into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll give her a call and she can come down and meet with you.”

“No.”

“No?” He paused with his thumb over the speed dial for Hannah, then turned to look at Sophie again.

“No. I don’t need that information. Not yet anyway. I need to talk to the fire chief.” She pointed at him. “You weren’t the chief before, but you are now, correct?”

He narrowed his gaze. “I am. I worked my ass off for it. We might be a rural volunteer fire department, but we take our job seriously.”

“You’re defensive.”

“You’re pissing me off.”

“Same old Dax.”

“Same old Sophie.”

She shook her head. “I’ve got measurements to take, more photographs and information to record. I can meet you at the firehouse in a couple hours if you find my company offensive. That will give you time to get the receipts and serial numbers.”

An escape beckoned. A temporary one, but an escape nonetheless.

“Fine. Don’t expect supper though. We only feed our friends.” He winced at the rancor and obnoxiousness that spewed from his mouth. Would he ever get over Sophie?

Dax turned and walked to his truck with as much dignity as he could muster. Foolish, stupid idiot.

Sophie swallowed back the ancient pain that threatened. Dax always knew what buttons to push to hurt her the worst. He was so angry when he’d seen she was the investigator. What had she expected? After five years, she had hoped they could be civil.

Apparently not.

He’d hardly changed but he was different. Thick light brown, wavy hair, blue eyes, shoulders broader, chest more muscular. She swore he still wore the same black cowboy hat he’d had for ten years. His jeans hugged his well-formed thighs and ass. The man was a walking orgasm. Too bad he was also an asshole.

Sophie had built herself into a different person and she couldn’t allow herself to slip back into the shadow of who she used to be.

She shook off the dark cloud that hung over her shoulder and took a deep breath. She was here to do her job, not fall into a pit of despair. Especially over Dax Blackwood. He’d done his level best to change her into the woman he wanted her to be.

Although she’d grown up here, Sophie had left Tanger so she could become the woman she wanted to be. Now she was back, against her better judgment. Her boss had insisted she be the one to investigate, given her history with the town and her knowledge of the owner.

There were few times in her life Sophie said no. This was one of them, yet she’d still ended up taking the job. Her desperate boss had offered her an extra week’s vacation starting when she was done with this investigation.

As she walked around the perimeter of the building, memories assailed her. She’d spent many hours at the restaurant, eating, laughing and canoodling. This place was all about her and Dax as much as the pond out on the Triple B. If they weren’t at one location, they were at the other.

She pinched herself to yank her back from the reminiscing that threatened to derail her for the rest of the day. It was after three in the afternoon. If she hustled, she might finish by six or seven and make it home by midnight.

Sophie pushed aside all distractions and focused on what she did best. Investigating. She’d discovered her attention to detail dovetailed on her photographic and artistic skills. Becoming an insurance investigator brought a mixture of mystery, tragedy, sometimes a smidge of danger, and a new adventure with each and every assignment.

Now she’d found the remains of one of her favorite places in the world. Cindy’s was a landmark and now was an ashy pit of nothing. Sophie retrieved her hard hat from her car and got to work.

Three hours later, sweat ran down under her arms, under her boobs and around her waist, soaking unattractively into her dark blue shirt. She disliked the uniform she had to wear while on site investigating. The jeans were more like the fiery gates of hell and chafed her skin where she perspired, which was almost everywhere. She trudged toward her car, glancing down at her boots and expecting to see puffs of steam with each step.

What she wouldn’t give to be at the Triple B pond right now, diving into that cool, deep water. She grimaced at the foolishness of the wish. Distancing herself from the Blackwoods was her goal, not skinny-dipping with the man who’d broken her heart.

Sophie contemplated heading back to Houston without seeing Dax again. For for half a second. Then her duty as an investigator poked its nose into her pity party and reminded her she had an obligation to her employer. The serial numbers and receipts were an important part of the claim. Kitchen equipment could be cheap or pricy. Unless they had proof of how much was lost, the insurance company wouldn’t make payment on the claim.

Then she’d have to deal with Dax a lot more. Nope, nope, nope. Sophie threw her hat in the back and climbed in the front. It was at least a thousand degrees in that car, but it had blessedly cool air conditioning. She smiled as she turned the key and it clicked.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

No longer smiling, she turned the key again and again.

Click. Click.

“Goddamn it!” She slammed her hands into the steering wheel, inadvertently hitting the horn. She jumped and banged the damn wheel again. It was obvious she wasn’t going anywhere in the car.

Since it was after five, most all the shops downtown were closed. It was still a small town after all. The way she figured it, she had two choices. Option one was to find a tow truck and wait in the heat. Option two was to call Dax.

Well, hell.

Chapter Two

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Dax was washing the pumper truck when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He tossed the sponge in the bucket beside him and pulled out the phone.

His hands were wet enough it slipped and plopped right into the bucket of water.

“Damn it!” He fished it out quick and wiped it on his already-soaked jeans. The phone made a strangled sound as it rang again. He pushed the answer button. “Hello?”

Static and a few snippets of a female voice crackled through.

“Hannah, that you?”

“Soph—stuck—fire—”

The phone went dead.

His heart picked up speed. He tried to call back but the screen on his phone flashed and then it shut itself off. That had been definitely Sophie and she sounded distressed.

Dax didn’t hesitate. He ran back into the fire station. Two other firefighters were there playing cards. He grabbed his keys from the hook on the wall.

“Gotta go. Finish the pumper, wouldja?” He didn’t wait for a response although he heard them curse at him. They took turns washing the pumper and it was his job that week. If Sophie called him for help, that was serious. She had been radio silent for five years and wouldn’t contact him unless it was an emergency.

He yanked open his truck door and tore out of the parking lot, leaving behind more rubber than he’d done in years. A few horns greeted his quick turn onto the main road. His cousin Kyle, a deputy sheriff, sat at the corner in his squad car. He flipped on his lights and popped the siren for a split second. More than likely Dax would hear all about the ticket he didn’t get the next time he saw Kyle.

Screw it. He raced back toward the other end of town. The traffic had started to pick up a little considering it was after five in the afternoon. Not that there was much of a rush hour in Tanger, but there was something like it. Enough to slow him down when he was in a hurry.

He honked and swerved around cars as he could. A few middle fingers and one shrieking old lady greeted him. He racked up a great deal of infractions that he would hear about for the next twenty years or so. One of the disadvantages to living in a small town was that everyone knew everyone else’s business.

Given that he was a Blackwood, people had expectations he had failed to live up to. He was popular in high school but he didn’t go to college, no matter how smart he was or wasn’t. Instead he chose to take over the family ranch and make his living with his hands. People judge, as they often do, but he didn’t care. He made the choice that was the right one in his heart and he’d never regretted it.

As he tore around the corner half a mile from the restaurant, the back end of the truck fishtailed but he corrected the slide. He spotted the little blue car Sophie had driven up in still sitting in the same spot.

Dax didn’t see her anywhere. He jumped out of the truck as soon as he slammed it into Park. His hat flew off and landed in the dirt beside the front tire.

“Sophie?” He jogged around the truck to find the car empty. His breath huffed in and out to accompany his racing heart. Where the hell was she?

He continued his search around the smoldering wreckage of the restaurant. Her small boot prints were around the perimeter, but he saw none in the middle where things were still dangerous. The second floor hadn’t collapsed completely.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Sophie!”

“Why are you shouting?”

Her voice made him jump a foot in the air. “Son of a bitch!” He blinked at the sight of her, unsure if he was relieved or annoyed. Definitely not aroused. She was sweaty, sooty and her beautiful hair lay in limp lumps.

“What happened to you? You called me but my phone cut out. You said it was an emergency and a fire.” He sounded breathless and ridiculous. What the hell was wrong with him?

She frowned. “I said my car wouldn’t start. It wasn’t an emergency and I was still at the site of the fire. I was hoping for a ride to the fire station so I didn’t have to walk.”

Well, didn’t he feel like an idiot.

He also looked like an idiot.

“Jesus, I thought you were in trouble.”

She gestured to her car. “Technically I am in trouble. Or at least my car is.”

“Where were you when I got here?” His voice was sharper than he intended.

“Hiding in the shade of the tree hoping you’d show up so I wouldn’t have to stay in Tanger tonight. I need those receipts and serial numbers to finish my report.”

Her words were like a slap. She didn’t want him. She wanted his truck and to escape from his presence before the clock struck midnight. That was a wake-up call he couldn’t ignore. Why had he rushed to her? He didn’t want to know the answer. It was a mistake. That was obvious.

He huffed out a breath. “Then get in the truck and let’s go.” He scooped up his hat and pushed it onto his head so hard he scratched his ears.

She followed him without a word and soon they were buckling their seatbelts. When he started the truck, she put her hand in front of the air vent.

“There’s no A/C, princess.” He was pleased to see her snatch her hand back. “That’s why the windows are down.”

“I can’t believe you’re still driving this piece of shit.” She adjusted the messenger bag she’d put on the seat beside her.

“Language, Miss Evans. Ladies don’t cuss.”

“Women cuss. I’d much rather be a woman than a lady.” She closed her eyes as the air rushed in through the windows. Her hair flew like streamers toward him, not long enough to reach him but enough to distract him.

He didn’t like feeling out of control. Being the fire chief meant he was in charge. Owning a ranch also meant he was in charge. Being investigated by an insurance company, by his ex-girlfriend no less, made him uncomfortable because he had no control. Sophie was in charge.

He didn’t like that. Not even a little.

She pulled out a fancy phone from her bag and started dialing. “I’m going to attempt to arrange for a tow truck to meet me in an hour. After I finish cataloging your paperwork, can you give me a ride back to my car?”

He wanted to say no. He wanted to say no so badly it danced on his tongue like a dark chocolate truffle.

“Fine but I want gas money,” was what came out of his mouth.

She threw up her free hand and snorted. “Of course you do.”

During her conversation with the tow truck driver, he could only hear her side of it. Judging by her expression, it wasn’t going well. He shouldn’t feel satisfied to hear her being annoyed with someone else.

He was anyway.

“You can’t be serious. What happens if someone needs a tow after the sun sets?” She tapped her hand on her knee in a quick staccato. “They call Kyle Blackwood to let him know they’ve abandoned their car. That’s efficient. Then what do they do?”

Dax choked back a laugh. Things were not done the same way in a small town as they were in the big city. She must’ve blocked it out, intentionally or not.

Sophie’s frown deepened. “What? I can’t—Oh hell, fine. It’s parked in front of Cindy’s.” Pause. “Yes, I know it burned. It doesn’t really matter why my car is there, does it?”

Dax shook his head. She must’ve also forgotten her manners in that big city. No doubt Myron, who owned the garage in town, had his back up by now.

“I don’t have a choice then, right?” A dramatic sigh. “Thanks.” She tapped the end call button on her phone.

“Trouble in paradise?” He tried really hard not to sound amused.

He didn’t succeed.

“Don’t be such an asshole, Dax.”

“Darlin’, what makes you think anyone in Tanger is going to hurry? It hasn’t changed a lick since you put us in your rearview mirror.” Dax gestured to the sleepy town passing by as he drove to the fire station.

“I didn’t want him to be in a hurry. I was just hoping for a tow today. He told me he has another tow, a tractor in a ditch down at the MacRae place.” She turned her face. “Apparently Myron is the tow truck driver in Tanger now. I shouldn’t be surprised, he always liked cars. I wasn’t sure if there was a tow truck in town. He did seem to take joy in telling me he gets off work in an hour and if I’d called ten minutes earlier he would’ve made it today.”

Her voice had softened, losing the edge. She almost sounded sad. Impossible. Sophie Evans was too hard to have any soft left in her.

“You didn’t know that.”

“I called you.” She turned back, her gaze confused. “Instead of calling for a tow to get my car fixed, I called you.”

“Oh.”

The silence stretched between them the rest of the way to the fire station. He couldn’t explain why she’d called him, except perhaps if she’d never gotten over him. That was a tantalizing thought he wouldn’t allow himself to own. He pushed it away.

When he pulled up to the firehouse, his best friend Lucas and his cousin Clint were washing the pumper. Both men turned to give him dirty looks until they caught sight of Sophie.

Clint’s brows went up and Lucas’s mouth dropped open. No doubt Dax would get an earful from both of them. When Sophie had crushed his heart, both men had kept him sane and helped him get over her. Dax would be lucky not to get punched for even talking to her.

It didn’t occur to him until they climbed out of the truck that things were worse than he realized. Sophie was stranded and it was past six o’clock in the evening.

What else could go wrong?

Sophie was surprised she hadn’t caught on fire as soon as Clint and Lucas spotted her. The anger and dislike pulsed through the air, slapping her hard enough to make her flinch. The boys always stuck together. Bros before hos. Ridiculous behavior for grown men. It had been five years since she left Tanger. Did they never grow up?

She hefted the messenger bag on her shoulder and ignored the two men scowling at her. Stepping back into her childhood hometown fit like a dress that was two sizes too small. Both of them blamed her for the bad break-up between she and Dax. Not that it was any of their business, but everybody knew everybody’s secrets in Tanger. Sophie needed to ignore them as she did when they’d tried to scam her Twinkie in third grade. If she were lucky she wouldn’t be in town long enough to have a conversation with them.

“Is the boardinghouse still open?” she blurted.

Dax tucked the truck keys into his pocket, pulling the fabric across his manly bits. Damn but the man was definitely still packing. She had a flash of what his skin tasted like and a shiver raced up her spine. Her nipples pebbled and she hoped like hell her arms would cover the telltale signs of arousal.

“No. The Fosters divorced and the boardinghouse had to be sold, but nobody bought it. Been empty at least six months.” He nodded at Lucas and Clint and they turned their ire on him. “I’m showing the insurance investigator the receipts for the kitchen equipment that Hannah dropped off.”

“You dropped this chore on us and then you show up with her?” Clint was the grumpy Blackwood. He had a permanent frown and rarely had a female willing to put up with him for more than a few months.

“And why is Miss Priss investigating the fire?” Lucas smirked and she wanted to kick him in the balls. He had always teased her to the point she could happily strangle him. The stupid nickname was leftover from middle school, for pity’s sake.

“Miss Evans works for the insurance company. It’s her job.” Dax turned and entered the fire station.

“You need a new insurance company.” Clint’s snarky comment stung.

“I don’t plan on doing anything but my job.” She turned to follow Dax. “And I’m very good at my job, for your information.”

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger at herself. The men had reminded her of how low her self-confidence had been when she was younger. Ridiculous to let them get to her at all, much less in under two minutes.

The fire station was cooler than the sun-soaked outside. The building had been constructed eighty years earlier of cinder blocks so it remained relatively cool during the summer. It was still damn sticky though. Maybe somebody ought to turn up the AC a bit more. Her shirt stuck to her skin while her under-boob sweat dampened the fabric. Fun times.

She walked past the wall of pictures, certificates and such. One photo caught her eye and she stopped. Stared.

Holy shit.

Dax in his turnout suit with other firefighters at what appeared to be a fundraiser for the volunteer fire department. He also wore his helmet, boots and no shirt.

No. Shirt.

Sweet God in heaven, the man was perfectly formed. Golden brown hair decorated the slabs of muscle. The man was in substantial physical shape. He was much bigger than he’d been at twenty-two.

She managed to swallow and walk on, leaving the delicious, tempting, staggering image behind her.

It had been over a year since she’d had sex. That was the only explanation for her foolishness over a picture of a man who had been her first lover, and her first love. She would not, could not, get into bed with him for any reason. Ever.

Her resolve restored, she stepped farther into the building. When she’d left Tanger, Dax had been a new firefighter. Something to challenge him outside of running a ranch. He’d taken over for his father, who’d developed lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking. Both as ranch owner and firefighter, which was tradition of Blackwoods that stretched back over a hundred years.

It was something they’d argued about. More than a few times. Dax was what everyone expected—smart, funny, good-looking, athletic. Yet he chose to work with cattle, hard work for little reward. And as a volunteer firefighter, he received nothing but gratitude for his service.

He wasted who he could have been, in Sophie’s opinion. She chose to go to college and their relationship deteriorated over the four years she was in school until that final summer after she graduated.

That’s when the sweet, wonderful romance turned into poison in her heart. Vicious words flew and deep wounds received. The day they parted was still fresh in her mind, even after five years. She didn’t hate him, but she refused to contemplate what life would have been like if they hadn’t broken up.

She found him in the back where the desk that had been his father’s sat. It was covered with haphazard piles of paper, a half-eaten sandwich on a paper plate, a broken helmet and a chair with cracks across the leather like a road atlas.

Dax’s foot was propped up on an open drawer. A large folder sat on top of the corner of the desk. “This is all the receipts and such. Hannah put them all together by date. There’s a flash drive with pictures of the layout and equipment with serial numbers. She’s more organized than I am.”

His sister Hannah had been Sophie’s best friend growing up. When the big breakup happened, Hannah sided with Dax and hadn’t spoken with Sophie since. It was another hole in her life that had yet to be filled.

Sophie straightened her shoulders, unwilling to let herself slide into self-pity. She had a good life in Houston, which included friends, occasional dates, and swimming in the pool of her condo complex. Nothing to make a movie about, but it provided her with stability and contentment.

Now there was a greeting card statement that wouldn’t make a single sale.

Sophie told herself to stop acting like an idiot and get on with it. Coming back to Tanger had brought up memories she had buried deep within the vault in her heart. Ones she wished she could burn as easily as all the mementos from her time with Dax.

“Sophie?” He was standing in front of her with the file folder, a puzzled expression on his face. “You okay?”

She managed a weak smile. “Yeah, just hot. Thanks.” She took the folder, noting it was at least an inch thick. “I need to scan all of these.”

He raised his brow. “I don’t have a scanner.”

“I’ve got an app on my tablet I can use. I just need space to do it.” She tucked the folder into her bag.

“Here’s the flash drive with the pictures.” He held a flash drive in the shape of a red chili pepper.

“She still likes her spicy food, hmm?” Sophie’s grin was more natural this time.

“Like she was eating buttered toast.” He shook his head “I swear that girl has a stomach made of cast iron.”

She remembered where she was and whom she was with. Her smile faded. “I need to find a hotel. Let me check Google maps.” When she discovered she had two bars of extended service, she knew using any app that required a connection would be impossible. She glanced around. “Yellow pages?” When in Rome and all that.

“There is no hotel, Soph.” He leaned against the wall covered with curling bits of paper and posters.

“Taxi?”

“Nope.”

“Bus?”

“Nope.”

“Shit.” She sat down in the chair. “Then I’d better use my time wisely and get all these scanned.”

The silence in the room was only broken by the turning of paper and the snap of the app as she worked. Dax left the room and she was once again alone. She didn’t know how much time had passed but her stomach howled. She’d scarfed down a protein bar in the car on the way to Tanger. Her mouth was also dry as cotton.

She finished the last paper and returned everything to the folder. One more thing to do. She pulled her laptop from the messenger bag and plugged the flash drive into the USB port. After a few keystrokes the photos were copying to her hard drive. She plugged the tablet into the other USB port and started downloading the scanned documents. It would take a while so she sat back in the creaky leather and folded her arms.

What she’d do tonight for food and a place to lay her head was a mystery. Her options were limited, even though she grew up in Tanger. The truth was she had no one to call and nowhere to go.

“I have an idea.” Dax reappeared in the office doorway. “Why don’t you come home to the Triple B with me for tonight?”

Oh, bad, bad, bad idea. So very bad.

Then why was she considering it?

Chapter Three

‡

Dax didn’t stop to consider what came out of his mouth. That was not unusual sometimes, but this time it was purely suicidal. What could he possibly have been thinking?

She might say no.

“I couldn’t possibly.”

“You’ve nowhere else to go, do you?” Jesus, hell and damnation, he was out of control.

Her mouth tightened. “You know I don’t. You of all people know.” Her eyes grew moist and she looked away.

Guilt twisted his gut. He shouldn’t have said that. Sophie’s parents had been killed when she was eighteen, a freshman in college. As their only child, she had inherited their house, which she sold to the family who’d been renting it when she left town five years later.

To his knowledge, she’d never even visited their graves since then. The Blackwoods might be a large, boisterous bunch of redneck Texans, but family was the most important thing in his life. They gave him the love, support and occasional kick in the ass he needed.

He couldn’t imagine life with no family. Unless she was married or in a relationship. His gut tightened.

“I’m sorry I said that. It was a dick moment.” He hoped he sounded as contrite as he felt.

She shrugged.

“I meant what I said though. Come back to the Triple B tonight. I’ve got high-speed Internet and the guest room has fresh sheets.” He was stupidly desperate to have her say yes. Must be he wanted to stab himself in the eye with a rusty nail too. “Your only other option is to sleep in the black hole upstairs. I can give you the key so you can lock it and be safe here in the firehouse.”

No one was usually at the firehouse overnight. There was a room upstairs with a couple cots they jokingly called the black hole. There were no windows in the room. Once in a while one of the firefighters had to crash there, but it wasn’t used much. It probably didn’t smell good either.

She stared off, not meeting his gaze.

“I promise I’ll make sure Myron tows your car first thing and gets it running so you can get back home to…whoever is waiting for you.” He didn’t want her to fill in the blank. Not really.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“No, but it’s the only option. My mom would be happy to see you.” He put his hands on his hips. “She moved into the guest house after my father passed but she still cooks supper every night.”

Sophie frowned. “I was sorry to hear about your father. He fought a good fight.”

A pinch of grief passed over his heart. It had been more than four years, but he still missed Pops. The man had taught Dax how to be a person he could be proud of. He liked to think his father still watched out for him in some way.

“Thanks. You and me both know grief, Soph. We don’t have to give each other any more. This is an offer from one old friend to a stranded friend. Nothing more.” Dax wasn’t one to hold a grudge or seek revenge for wrongs, real or imagined. Life was too short to get caught up in bullshit.

His father had always said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It ain’t worth a hole in your gut to worry about none of it. Ride a horse you enjoy, eat the food you like and hold onto the woman you love.”

Dax hadn’t yet found the woman he loved. Or at least he had found her, but lost her too long ago to get her back. At least now he wouldn’t have a dark ball of regret in his gut over his last conversation with Sophie.

“I don’t think I should.”

“It’s up to you. I’ll go wait out in the truck for you. When you get out there, let me know where you want me to take you.” He knew she didn’t have any choice, but giving her the choice was important. Sophie was smart enough to use her rational side.

Dax walked out to find Clint and Lucas waiting for him. They leaned against the now-shiny, clean pumper.

“What the hell are you doing?” Clint was never one to be shy about letting his opinion fly. Someday it was going to bite him in the ass. His cousin was younger by one year, but they could have been brothers.

Each had thick wavy brown hair from their grandfather. And being the firstborn son and a descendent of the first Blackwoods in Tanger, they carried the middle name of their ancestors. Dax was thankful his was Gideon. Clint was saddled with Cornelius.

“I’m cooperating with the insurance investigator so we can get the money to rebuild the restaurant.” Dax wasn’t going to let anyone push him around, not even his cousin. “You got a problem with that?”

“I got a problem with you hanging around with her. She burned her bridges, dude. Mostly on you.” Clint nudged Lucas. “Back me up here, bro.”

Redheaded Lucas frowned. “We’re just looking out for you, Dax. It’s bad news to fall into old habits.”

“She’s not a habit. She’s not staying.” Unless of course she went to the Triple B with him. They didn’t need to know all his business.

“Ginger-boy is right. Don’t pick up with Miss Priss again. It’s bad news.”

“That’s enough.” Dax’s temper bubbled up fast and hard. “This is my life and y’all have no right. I damn well did my best to get over what happened. It’s the past. Stop throwing it in my face like cold vomit.”

Lucas held up his hands. “I’m Switzerland, man.”

Clint stood up, scowling. “Family is more important than women. You can be pissed at me if you like but she ain’t worth your time.” He walked off toward his Jeep parked around the side of the building.

When Sophie walked out, Lucas stood. He saluted Dax and disappeared around the other side of the pumper. His friend worked at the Triple B so he would no doubt see Sophie if she was there in the morning.

It wasn’t something Dax was going to worry about. He was hungry and it had been a long afternoon.

“Dinner is at six thirty. We’ll be late but if we leave now, we can get some hot food.” He opened the truck door. “And a shower.”

Those were apparently the magic words. She climbed in and he shut the door behind her.

He wondered if he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life.

The ride out to the Triple B took about twenty minutes. Sophie spent her time counting the seconds, pressed up against the door and regretting her decision. Sleeping in a musty cot in a firehouse alone wasn’t a smart choice. Sleeping at the ranch was a dumb choice.

She watched the town roll past, achingly familiar sights and new ones as well. Her parents had come to Tanger for her father’s job when she was a baby. As the only large animal vet within a hundred miles, in addition to a volunteer firefighter, he’d been busy constantly in and around the town. They had been killed in a car accident with a truck on the highway coming back from visiting her at college in Houston.

In one tragic moment, she lost the family she loved and the stability she needed. Then she lost Dax, or perhaps she let him go. Her life wiped clean, leaving her with nothing but empty days and lonely nights. Moving to Houston gave her a chance to start again. She’d used her smarts and her skills, along with a sublet from a college roommate, to remake herself.

She’d never doubted her decision was the right one. Until now. Until she sat in the same seat she’d occupied too many times to count, in the truck of the boy turned man who’d taught her how to love. Regret wasn’t something she would allow herself to feel, but damned if she didn’t feel melancholy for what she’d lost, what she’d given up.

“What did you find at the site?” Dax’s voice startled her.

“Site?” She had to pull her mind back from the memory lane that had captured her thoughts.

“Cindy’s Restaurant? You’re investigating the fire.” His tone was amused.

That rattled her cage. “You know I can’t share that information with you. I work for your insurance company, not you or the fire department.”

“We fought that fire as best we could.”

She didn’t reply. The truth was, she agreed with him. The evidence showed her they laid down a perimeter of water, as well as dug a ditch between the restaurant and the meadow behind it to keep the dry grass from igniting. They’d prevented a wildfire and saved the other buildings from burning although they’d failed to save Cindy’s.

Her duty was to her employer and sharing her findings with a client, or with the fire chief, was grounds for being fired. Potentially even criminal action for collusion. Sophie liked her life, such as it was, and her job.

As they pulled into the road leading to the Triple B, she couldn’t stop the rush of pleasure at the sight. The ranch was a beautiful property with rolling hills of rich green grass, huge groups of trees, fat cattle grazing as far as the eye could see.

Peaceful. Idyllic. Not for her.

“Hannah’s been staying here since Cindy’s burned.”

“I thought maybe she’d married. Wasn’t she engaged?” Sophie had blocked out a great deal of what happened the year she left town. After losing everything, she didn’t want a reminder.

“She was, but he was killed in Afghanistan.” Dax’s jaw tightened. “She cut herself off from men after that. Her entire life has been the restaurant. The fire just about destroyed her.”

Sophie was sorry to hear that. No matter what happened between she and Dax, she still considered Hannah a friend. It sounded like the other woman had struggled too.

Dax stopped the truck in front of the house and the front door opened as if on cue. Hannah stood in the doorway. She hadn’t changed much in five years, except for dark circles beneath her eyes. Her long brown hair was in a fat braid that lay on her shoulder.

“I should change my mind about being here.” Sophie could not deal with any more confrontations. The day had been emotional enough.

“Don’t worry. This is a safe place.” Dax climbed out of the truck and after a brief hesitation, Sophie did too then slung the messenger bag on her shoulder.

“Mama’s feeling poorly so she’s lying down. I made mac and cheese. It’s in the oven on low.” Hannah’s voice was laced with melancholy. “Y’all can wash up at the pump. I’m going upstairs.” With that, she disappeared from view.

“Was it me?” Sophie didn’t want to be the cause of strife between siblings.

“Nah. She’s either frantic as all hell or depressed. I’ve told her she needs to go talk to a therapist. It’s only been a week since the fire and she’s no better.” He walked around the side of the porch and she followed.

Mrs. Blackwood had a faucet and pump put in at the side of the house while her children were growing up. The boys and girls, cousins and siblings, were usually dirty, sweaty and in desperate need of soap and water. The rule was you had to wash your hands, arms and face before sitting down to a meal.

Sophie had a flash of a water fight with Dax sometime when they were sixteen. It had ended with some hanky panky in the barn rather than supper. She smiled at the memory.

“It’s good to see you smile.” Dax turned on the water. A soap dispenser jutted out beside the faucet and a towel hook, chipped with age. It was almost as if everything had shrunk, smaller and older than she remembered. Everything hadn’t dulled with memory but rather was sharper, different than she had last seen it.

She set the messenger bag with her glasses in the dry grass. They didn’t speak as they soaped up and washed. The cool water was incredible on her overheated skin. The soot and sweat had no chance when she started scrubbing.

Dax stepped back and gave her space. He left the towel for her to use. One thing she could say about the man, he was a gentleman. Even though the cotton would be unusable when she was done, he’d given her first dibs.

While it should have been awkward, washing up beside each other was comfortable. They’d done it a thousand times before and the rhythm was familiar. Sophie was able to take a breath for the first time that day. As she patted her face dry, the tension began to slide away.

“It’s nice in the shade this time of day.” Dax accepted the towel from her. “With the water on my skin, the breeze makes it that much cooler.”

Sophie turned to find Dax had removed his shirt.

Holy shit.

His nipples were small points in the swirling golden-brown hairs on his chest. Those slabs of muscle she’d seen in the picture were there, a foot away from her. Water droplets meandered down his chest, following the contours of the muscle and bone.

She licked her lips, the urge to taste his skin overpowering. Sophie knew that action was a bad idea. The most-supreme bad idea in the history of bad ideas. Catastrophically stupid.

His gaze caught hers and she saw the moment he followed her thoughts. “Soph?”

“I can’t get involved with you again.”

“I never asked you to.” He moved a half step closer.

Her body reacted as though he’d touched her, flooding with heat and need. Her own nipples tightened into aching peaks, needing to be pleasured, touched, licked.

No, no, no.

“I don’t want to kiss you.” She hardly recognized her own voice; its roughness reflected the arousal swirling through her.

“Then don’t.” He moved within a few inches of her. His body heat snaked out, skimming away the coolness she’d found from the cold water.

She looked up at him, a view that was bittersweet and frightening. She wasn’t small for a woman, by any means, but his height and size made her appear dainty. Feminine.

He plucked the towel from her hand and hooked it on the rack behind them. She blinked but didn’t protest. He reached up and almost cupped her face. Close enough to make her shiver, too far to touch her. She closed her eyes and his lips found hers.

Dax hadn’t intended to kiss her. Hell, he had no doubt he would get his ass kicked by several people for even touching her. Yet he couldn’t stop himself any more than he could stop breathing. Kissing Sophie Evans was as natural as any act in his life.

She was perfect for him—curvy, soft, smart and so goddamn sexy. His dick was hard as blue steel, pushing and howling to be let loose from the confines of his jeans.

He shouldn’t kiss her, but he did. It was like coming home. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. A groan worked its way up his throat. Her perfect breasts tempted him, teased him as they pressed into his chest.

Jesus, he might do something really stupid and come in his pants from merely kissing her. But oh, it was much more than a kiss. Much more.

Now that he’d started, he couldn’t stop. No matter that they were at the pump barely hidden from view by a privacy screen.

He couldn’t stop.

He brushed his lips from one side of hers to the other, nibbling and tasting her. Although she didn’t taste the same, kissing her was like coming home. He cupped her ass and pulled her tighter, pushing his aching staff into the softness of her belly. She was perfectly made for his hands and body, her curves filling his hands and her mouth melding to his.

He teased the seam of her lips until she opened, and he dove in, tangling and twisting with her tongue. She made a mewling sound in her throat and he thrust against her in rhythm with their mouths.

Jesus Christ on crackers, he wanted to strip her bare and fuck her until neither of them could see straight. He backed her into the wall, his body throbbing with need and passion.

“Please, Soph.” He didn’t know what he was begging for, but she seemed to.

“God, yes.”

Somehow she managed to undo her own jeans and his. As his cock sprang free, she grasped it in her still-damp hands and he groaned. Her delicate fingers pumped and squeezed his staff, and his balls tightened to the point of near-pain.

“Now.” It was all he could manage to say.

She kicked off her boots, then slid her jeans down until they dangled from one leg. He lifted her, bracing her back against the wall and entered her.

Home. Heaven.

Sophie.

They both gasped when he filled her. She was hot, tight and gripped him with her muscles as though she didn’t want to let go. Dax found her mouth again, wishing he could suck and bite her nipples, but his hands were full of her perfect ass instead.

He thrust into her fast and hard, unable to control the near-animal urge to claim her. She scratched at his back, pulling him closer and urging him on. It wasn’t making love at all. This was fucking. Beautiful, marvelous fucking.

“More.” She pulled her shirt off and popped her bra with skills he didn’t have time to be impressed with. Those perfect, big breasts were right there at mouth level.

He devoured her, suckling and biting at the pink peaks. She yanked his hair as a series of small moans burst from her throat. He knew he wasn’t going to last long. Hell, he was surprised he hadn’t lost it when she grabbed his cock.

“Now, baby.” He bit down hard on her nipple, the way she always liked to come, and he wasn’t disappointed.

A high-pitched, keening cry accompanied her pussy muscles fluttering and tightening around him. He let himself go, the orgasm starting somewhere near his big toe and racing through his body like wildfire. He might have shouted. He might have not made a sound.

Dax was lost in the pure ecstasy of the moment, the pleasure intense and sharp. He dug his fingers into her ass, holding on as he rode the wave of the powerful release.

“Holy shit, Dax.” Her voice came from far away, husky and confused sounding.

Holy shit indeed.

What had they just done?

To call supper an awkward occasion would be a ridiculous understatement. Sophie could barely choke down the mac and cheese and its delicious, cheesy flavor. It was a crying shame she couldn’t focus on how hungry she was or how delicious the iced tea was.

Good sweet tea was worth its weight in gold and there was a full pitcher with ice cubes lazily floating in the amber liquid on the table. She focused on the tea so she didn’t have to look at Dax.

Her body still buzzed from the incredible sex they’d had in the side yard. In full view of anyone who happened to be nearby. Embarrassment made her cheeks burn with the memory but satisfaction made her pussy hum.

With her glasses back on, she could see him clearly. Good thing she was nearsighted or she’d have missed seeing all that male hotness without her specs. Ye gods, the man could model for a Michelangelo statue.

The situation was a conundrum. Kissing him had been like sliding down a slippery mountain with nothing to stop her fall. And oh what a fall it had been. She’d forgotten what good sex, really good sex, was like. How her body reacted before, during and after. How a delicious ache resonated through her afterward.

They shouldn’t have done it. Both of them knew it, but that hadn’t stopped them from losing control. Their physical relationship had always been strong. That obviously hadn’t changed.

However, she should have stepped away or smacked him or maybe even kick him in the balls. Something to avoid the disaster they’d just accomplished together.

“We need to talk.” His voice cracked through the thick silence.

“No, we don’t.” She stuffed her mouth with more mac and cheese, hoping like hell he would drop it.

“You’re staying here tonight. It would be kinda foolish to spend the next twelve hours in silence.” He tapped on the table. “This isn’t a monastery practicing silence.”

She snorted. They don’t have wild monkey sex at a monastery.

“I didn’t intend on that happening.” He wasn’t giving up.

She sighed and put down her fork, then a big swig of tea to buy her time to find a coherent answer. Apparently sex turned her into a blithering idiot.

“Neither did I.”

Scintillating conversationalist.

“We’ll call it a screw for old times.” He sounded as uncomfortable as she was.

“Isn’t there a drink called a ‘slow comfortable screw against the wall’?” popped out of her mouth.

It was his turn to snort. “That there is. Not a fan of sloe gin so I’ve never had one.”

A laugh exploded out of her mouth. “I think you’ve had one. About half an hour ago in fact.”

Just like that, the air lightened and the tension popped. She smiled at her plate as she resumed eating. The rest of the meal passed and Sophie was able to enjoy the delicious food. She ate much more than she expected. A burp escaped her mouth before she could stop it.

His brows went up. “Well then.”

She shrugged. “I usually don’t have time to eat well when I’m working. I can’t put it in my expense report that I was fed by the owner of the building.”

“What about the fire chief?”

The image of him in his turnout suit flashed through her brain. “Ah, no, definitely worse than the building owner.”

“Then tell them you stayed with an old friend. It’s the truth.” He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers over his belly.

Oh, that rock-hard belly with muscles of steel. Her fingers had traced the dips and lines and itched to do so again.

Easy, girl.

She couldn’t forget what had happened between them when they’d broken up. How the vicious words flew through the air, slicing and dicing through their hearts. They couldn’t forget the past no matter how tempting the present was.

“You want coffee?” He got to his feet and picked up both their plates.

She hid her surprise. His mother had spoiled her children and did all their household chores. She’d never seen Dax put a plate in the sink before. To her shock, he turned on the water and started washing the dishes.

“Holy shit.” It jumped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

He didn’t pause in his work. “You’d be surprised what I’ve learned to do the last five years.”

A shiver raced up her spine. He didn’t mean sexual skills, but her mind was rolling around in the gutter anyway. She had to pull it back, way, way back.

“Doing laundry too?” She poured herself another half a glass of tea.

“That too. Sometimes necessity makes a man do what needs to be done. I’ve been something of a bachelor.” He gestured to the back of the house. “Mama lives alone in the guest house. Hannah moved out years ago.”

He was telling her he had remained single. No girlfriend, live-in or otherwise. She didn’t want to know that. She especially didn’t want to feel a measure of satisfaction at the knowledge.

Sophie had lost her mind sometime in the last four hours. Why did she think she could survive coming back to Tanger unscathed?

She sipped at her tea and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Dax touched her shoulder. “Do you want to go see the stars?”

The one thing she truly missed living in a city was the night sky. Growing up in the country, she had a front row seat to the most beautiful light show in the universe.

They walked out of the house together through the back door. No words were necessary. They had made a nightly sojourn to watch the stars many times. The best stargazing was at the crest of one of the hills where the trees didn’t grow. Thick wild grass dotted the land making for a comfy spot to look up.

Sophie breathed in the sweet scents in the night air. She resisted the temptation to find the honeysuckle and taste the nectar as she did when she was growing up. She wasn’t a child any longer and life wasn’t simple. The velvet blackness of the sky lay out endlessly above them.

They reached their favorite spot and lay back on grass. The dew had already coated the blades, providing a cool bed beneath their backs. The stars twinkled above them, thousands upon thousands of pinholes in the darkness.

An owl hooted nearby to accompany the night peepers filling the air with their song. Sophie hadn’t remembered what peace felt like. It came upon her in a slow wave, starting from her feet and sliding up her body. Goose bumps prickled her skin.

“I forgot.” The words were a whisper on the night breeze. She wasn’t sure if he heard her.

“Sometimes I forget too. I haven’t been out here in a long time.” His hand touched hers and she twined their fingers together.

She couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment.

Chapter Four

‡

Sophie didn’t have a change of clothes or even a toothbrush. She found both sitting on the guest room bed. They had watched the stars in silence for an hour until sleep threatened to overtake her. The day had started with a hellacious morning commute and then the long drive to Tanger.

She yawned widely against her hand. Hannah must’ve left her the necessities. Sophie wanted to thank her but she didn’t know which room was her former friend’s.

Being beholden to others went against Sophie’s grain. She had done everything she could to be independent, to support herself, and rely only on her own wits, intelligence and skills. Now here she was stranded, without clothes or a place to sleep, or a car that ran.

No matter what Tennessee Williams wrote, Sophie did not depend on the kindness of strangers. She didn’t know how to accept it.

She took a long, hot shower, washing away the sweat, stink and soot that clung to her. The guest room at the Triple B had a lovely en suite bathroom that provided her with fluffy towels and everything she needed to get clean.

When she pulled on the nightie, she remembered that Hannah was tiny in stature although big busted. Apparently Sophie was a foot taller and her boobs were twice as big because the damn nightie looked more like a hooker’s outfit when she put it on.

She didn’t want to go work a corner and she couldn’t sleep in her dirty clothes so that left one option. Sophie crept beneath the covers naked as a jaybird. The sheets were the kind of cotton that had four-digit thread counts and was soft as a baby’s skin. She snuggled down into the pillowtop mattress and promptly passed out.

Sophie awoke sometime later, the room dark and still. Something had brought her to full wakefulness in an instant. Shadows danced around the room as moonlight crept in through the sheer curtains.

Dax stood in front of the window, wearing only his boxers. She tried not to react, but she wondered what the hell he was doing. At least he wasn’t standing over her. Yet he was in the room in which she slept.

She must have made a noise to alert him because he started speaking as if picking up a conversation they’d been having.

“You broke my heart, Soph. Big, strong football player and cowboy. Busted it into a thousand pieces.” He kept his voice in a hushed tone, but she could hear the real pain behind the words.

Shock kept her immobile on the bed. That, and she didn’t want to prance around in front of him naked again. Skipping down that path was not on her agenda.

“I broke your heart?” She sounded as confused as she felt. “You didn’t seem to want a girlfriend anymore. How many times did you visit me when I was in college?”

“I was working. I couldn’t just go gallivanting off in Houston with you and your college friends. Ranches are twenty-four/seven operations.” He pressed his hands against the glass. “You had plenty of fun without me being there to spoil it.”

“Fun?” Now she did sit up, her ire simmering to a boil at his assumption. “I worked my ass off at that school. I didn’t have a gaggle of friends. I was lonely every day and you never once visited me.” Emotion clogged her throat and her eyes stung. Here was the argument she’d dreaded. It was coming at them like a freight train. There was no stopping it now. “I needed you but you never came. You chose your friends, your horses and your damn cows over me.”

The silence in the room was only broken by their breathing. She held the covers around her chest, unwilling to let go of the shield.

“You chose college over me.”

“Bullshit! I wanted to get my degree to get out of Tanger.”

“Then you succeeded, didn’t you?” He shook his head. “Shook the shit right off your shoes from here.”

“Nothing I did was to hurt you. I felt stifled in this small town. Nothing has changed in decades. It’s caught in the past and you’re following right along with Blackwood tradition. You have a mind of your own, Dax, but you chose instead to snuggle down at the homestead and ignore what you wanted.”

A few beats passed. “What I wanted was my girlfriend to love me enough to stay here.”

“What I wanted was a boyfriend who loved me enough to support me.”

“Good thing we didn’t stay together then, huh?” He pushed away from the window and faced her, hands on his hips. “You would never be satisfied to live in a podunk down like Tanger with a backwoods cowboy who likes to lay out under the stars for fun.”

He turned and left the room, his strides almost stomping. She leapt out of bed and chased after him. When she caught up to him, she remembered she was naked.

Oh well.

She thumped him on the back with both fists. “You never talked to me and you still don’t. You assume you know every thought in my brain and draw conclusions. This is the conversation we should have had five years ago, not now. The scars are too deep to repair them.”

“Are you naked?”

She waved her hand to dismiss his obvious question. “I loved you with every fiber of my being, Dax Gideon Blackwood, and you didn’t love me enough.”

To her horror, a sob worked its way up her throat. She didn’t want to cry over him again. She’d made that promise to herself after months of depression and crushing sadness. He’d made his choice and it wasn’t her.

“I loved you more than any human being on the planet.” His voice sounded sincere, but the words were years too late.

“I don’t believe you. If you did, you would have come after me.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized what she said.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as they faced each other in the weak moonlight. She’d wanted him to chase her, to demonstrate she was more important than his family ranch. After accusing him of not accepting herself, the opposite was true. She’d not accepted him and his choice to be a rancher.

“Oh my God.” She turned and raced back to the room, ashamed and sick to her stomach. Had she been that shallow? What was wrong with her?

She tried to close the door, but a large hand blocked her. “Let me alone, Dax. I can’t do this anymore.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and her throat tightened. “Please.”

He scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Sophie was tired of trying to be so strong and independent. Tired of never having a single soul whose shoulder she could cry on.

Dax sat on the bed and cradled her against him. Sophie let herself cry on the broadest shoulder in East Texas.

The gray light of dawn slid through the curtains. Dax dozed with Sophie curled around him, her mahogany hair soft as a feather on his bare chest. She’d cried for both of them.

The time he’d spent with Sophie the last day had been a maddening mixture of frustration, annoyance, anger, arousal, passion and sadness. A cocktail of ups and downs it would take at least a week to recover from. If ever.

He forgot how she felt against him, her softness surrounding him, reminding him what he’d been missing. He was a fool to have had sex with her and an even worse fool to allow the painful thoughts out of his heart.

He’d kept the feelings hidden, crammed into dark recesses where he didn’t expect to let them out again. When he’d come into the room to check on her, she’d looked angelic, sleeping like a baby. She was so damn beautiful it made his eyes ache.

Dax struggled to leave her then. He stood by the window, waiting for the urge to check on her to pass. His heart told him to take a chance. His head told him to run. Then she’d woken up and all hell had broken loose.

Sharp words had been thrown, leaving wounds and ragged emotions. Dax sighed and wondered what would happen tomorrow when she was gone again. He had a full life. He didn’t need a woman, and he especially didn’t need Sophie.

That didn’t mean he didn’t want her.

If he were lucky, Myron would have towed her car and fixed it before Dax dropped her off. Then he could say goodbye and she would be on her way.

“Is it tomorrow?” Her sleep-tinged voice stopped his musings and startled his dick awake.

That wasn’t good.

“Yep.”

Oh hell, she was naked too. The blanket slipped off her shoulder and he remembered how she looked last night, punching him, her face full of fire. Her soft, curvy body bared for his view.

Shitfire.

“We should get up.”

“Ah, yeah, we should.” Parts of his anatomy were already up, like, really up.

“You’re comfortable.”

A strangled sound came out of his throat.

A few moments passed before she came into full wakefulness. Then she must’ve realized exactly what was poking her in the hip.

“It’s morning.”

“We already covered that.” He didn’t know whether to move and allow her to keep her dignity, or let her escape to keep his dignity.

“This is awkward.”

“We’ve had a few of those moments since yesterday.”

She tried to wiggle off his lap and instead managed to turn herself until his dick ended up between her thighs. He sucked in a breath, tortured by the soft trap.

“And a few more ahead apparently.” She glanced up at him, her dark eyes a mixture of arousal and confusion. He had to pull back and save both of them. A gentleman would.

“We shouldn’t have done what we did yesterday.”

“Bareback no less.”

“I’m clean.”

“So am I, but that doesn’t prevent pregnancy.”

His gut slammed up to his throat then back down to his feet. “What was that?”

“That’s how babies are made, Dax. I thought for sure you’d taken sex ed in high school.” She sighed. The very thought of a baby made Dax want to jump out of the bed and run like hell. It also made him imagine what a baby would look like, half Sophie, half himself.

What in the ever-loving hell was he doing?

“I, uh, should’ve thought of that.” His lame excuse was met with silence.

“There’s no help for it. I’m gonna have to bare my boobs to get out of this,” she finally said.

He tried to stop her. He truly did, but she rolled onto her back, baring those beautiful orbs to his view. The dark pink nipples hardened as the cool air hit them.

His mouth watered. “Damn, woman. You are hot as hell.”

She blinked. “Really?”

“God, yes.” He leaned down and pulled one nipple into his mouth. His hard-on did a happy dance.

She groaned and tugged at his hair. “Jeeezus.”

He suckled, nibbled and laved at the turgid peaks, her skin as sweet as honey. His pulse notched up with each suck, his heart beating a faster rhythm.

Thump-thump-thump.

“We can’t do this again, cowboy.” She ran her hands up and down his back, a purring emanating from her throat. “Not after all we said.”

He didn’t stop. Didn’t even consider stopping. Nope. Too lost in the delicious breasts in his mouth. He moved to the other breast and his hand crept down her belly. Her pussy called to his fingers, the scent of her arousal teasing his nostrils.

Good God, she was all sweet, wet heat.

He slid through her silken folds until he reached her clit. She arched her back, pushing her nipple farther into his mouth. As he pleasured her, his own body throbbed with need. He wanted to plunge into the heated depths, to bring both of them to the ultimate release.

“We should stop.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Right there. Harder. Harder.”

He continued to pluck and circle her hot button. She started to make chuffing noises and he knew she was close. He bit her nipple and she screamed as an orgasm ripped through her.

“Do you have protection?” Her voice was husky and sliced through his self-control.

He jumped to his feet and raced to the bathroom, hoping his stash was still in the drawer. “Bingo!” He snagged a condom and made quick work of putting it on before returning to the soft, sexy woman on the bed.

He rose up on his knees, the head of his cock poised at the entrance to heaven. “Still want to stop?”

Her eyes fluttered open and a slow, lazy smile spread across her face.

“I think I can stand a little more fun.”

He thrust into her depths and spots danced in front of his eyes from the sheer ecstasy of entering her. It was paradise on earth. After he slid his cock almost all the way out, he paused to tease both of them. A lazy smile crossed her face.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Fuck,” he whispered. Dax scowled at the door, willing away whoever was interrupting their sex.

“Dax, are you in there?” Hannah spoke through the door. “Your phone’s been ringing off the hook and Clint just called me. There’s a fire.”

His responsibility as volunteer fire chief trumped some morning delight with Sophie, no matter how much he wanted to push himself back inside her.

“Yeah, I’m here. Be there in a minute.” He saw the regret in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Soph.”

She didn’t speak as he rolled off and pulled on his clothes as fast as he could. There weren’t many fires in Tanger and to have two so close together was suspicious.

“It could turn out to be someone’s trash burning.” He yanked on his shirt. When he popped his head through he found Sophie almost dressed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not staying here with Hannah. I’m coming with you.”

“I can’t think about you right now. I’ll have Myron come by to pick you up.” He jogged out of the guest room and down to his own. Snatching up his boots, he turned and ran straight into Sophie.

“There’s not a chance you’re going to leave here without me.” She had already dressed and pulled on her own boots. Hell, she had her damn messenger bag on her shoulder and was currently twisting her hair into some intricate knot.

Instead of answering, he ran down the stairs. That’s when he heard the siren from the firehouse wailing in the distance. How could he have missed it?

Easy answer. He was busy sticking his dick where he shouldn’t be. Sophie was beautiful, smart and intelligent, but she was his past. She made it very clear there was no future. It was a quick fuck. Or two. He shouldn’t be disappointed and he damn sure shouldn’t be feeling a pain in his heart.

He grabbed his replacement phone from the charging station by the door and slammed outside, Sophie hot on his heels. She definitely had the speed required to keep up with him.

He wasn’t sure if he should be impressed or pissed.

They reached the truck and he threw himself in, starting the truck even as he closed the door. He flipped on the flashing lights in the back and front windows. Sophie didn’t miss a beat, climbing in like an acrobat. He continued to ignore her and dialed Clint from the phone. Thank God he’d picked up a burner at Madison’s yesterday or he’d have had to ask Sophie to use hers. It only took half a ring before his cousin picked up.

“Where the fuck are you?” His angry voice almost busted Dax’s eardrum.

“On my way. What’s going on?”

“Fire out behind the jail in the old building. Kyle’s fixing to have kittens.” A few shouts and the sound of the pumper truck siren sounded in the background. “Get your ass over here. I’ve got your shit with me.”

Clint hung up and Dax grimaced at the phone. “That’s not a coincidence.”

“What’s going on?”

Should he tell her? She was an insurance investigator and had no personal stake in Tanger or its residents. He should thank her for the memories and tell her to go home.

Dax opened his mouth to say just that, but the words didn’t come out. Not the words he should have said anyway.

“The old jail is burning. A week after the restaurant burned.”

She didn’t say anything for a few beats. “Someone is burning the older buildings in town.”

“That’s what I thought too. Then I took into account the structures are also old so the wood is drier and they burn faster. But I also know we had new insulation put in about fifteen years ago and a state of the art sprinkler system and fire alarm put in the restaurant.” He blew through a stop sign, counting on everyone in town knowing his vehicle and heeding the flashing lights on his truck.

“Your receipts—”

“Yes, the fucking receipts are in the file I gave you.” He was too worked up to worry about her feelings. Anger and frustration bubbled in his gut. He wished he’d had a chance to grab coffee because it would give him something to do besides snarl at Sophie.

She remained silent as he drove like a madman, swerving around a few cars and one foolish dog. It took less than ten minutes but it felt more like an hour. Sphincter factor of ten.

He stopped his truck on the seat and jumped out of the truck. The acrid stench of smoke filled his nose. He needed to get to the pumper, parked sideways in front of the newer jail and assess the situation.

Flames flickered in the early-morning sky, angry red and orange against the blue. He grabbed his gear and started pulling it on, hoping his daybreak foolishness didn’t cost the town more of its soul.

Chapter Five

‡

Sophie had never felt so small and unimportant. When she’d been with Dax years ago, he’d been an eager volunteer firefighter with very little experience and more energy than common sense.

He was no longer that fresh-faced boy.

This was a man who took charge, shouting orders and pulling on his turnout suit with practiced efficiency. The heat from the fire was intense even a hundred feet away. She should move farther back, but she couldn’t take her eyes from Dax.

He had been serious about his family’s ranch and firm in his decision not to go to college. However, she’d judged him for that choice. He was so smart, and could have been anything other than a rancher and a volunteer firefighter. It was a waste.

At least that’s what she’d thought at the age of eighteen. Ten years, and hard life experiences had taught her how foolish her opinions had been. Dax had not only kept his family’s ranch in the black, but he’d helped his sister run the restaurant and he’d become fire chief. He was successful. On his own.

Without her.

She was the one who’d made the choice to leave everything behind. Whether or not it had been a mistake, it was far too late to change it. Regretting her decision wouldn’t gain a thing except more heartache.

Then why did her throat tighten as she watched Dax? He was ridiculously good-looking, intelligent and great in bed. Her body still hummed from the near-sex less than twenty minutes earlier.

“You shouldn’t be this close to the fire.”

She started at the sound of an unfamiliar male voice. Sophie turned to find Kyle Blackwood at her elbow. The oldest of the generation of cousins, Kyle was the most serious. It also appeared he was a deputy sheriff now. His curly brown hair was cut short against his skull, but a few random curls popped up. She decided not to mention them given the fierce scowl on his face.

His deep-green eyes regarded her steadily. “I’m serious, Miss Evans. You need to move back to the other side of the street.”

“Miss Evans?” She matched his scowl with one of her own. “I seem to remember we played in the mud together when we were barely out of diapers.”

His jaw tightened. “That was twenty-five years ago. We’re grown adults. Responsible grown adults.” He pointed to the corner opposite them. “Now move, or I’ll move you.”

She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not but he sure as hell looked serious. Especially considering he had a wicked-looking gun strapped to his hip. The uniform suited him, accentuated his broad chest and shoulders.

“Dax’s truck is here. I came with him.” She waited to see what he’d say.

“Dax is the fire chief. You’re a stranger and you need to move to a safer location.” Damn but he was a hardass. Calling her a stranger was downright mean.

“Fine, but I’m going to get my things out of the truck first.”

“Make it quick.” He glanced back at the firefighters as they worked together to extinguish the flames.

As she hopped into the truck, Sophie knew she’d get in trouble but she couldn’t rouse herself to care. She had to stay close and keep an eye on Dax. Later she’d examine why it was so important to her.

She locked the doors and settled in to watch.

Kyle turned and looked at her for a few moments before he realized what she’d done. He glanced at the door locks. “Miss Evans. Unlock the door.” He raised his voice to be heard through the glass.

She shook her head and pointed at the fire. “Help your cousin. I’ll be fine.”

The truth was, Sophie was far from fine but what was important was not her moving across the road. She needed to watch to be sure Dax would be all right. Never mind that it had been five years since she’d laid eyes on him, time didn’t erase love.

Jesus please us.

Sophie wanted to slap her forehead. How could she still be in love with Dax Blackwood? Her heart was a foolish, ridiculous organ. There was no reasoning with it. She didn’t want to love him.

Damn, damn, damn.

Kyle knocked on the window. “I won’t ask you again.”

“Good. Then go do your job and leave me be.” She hoped he wasn’t pissed enough to arrest her.

He shook his head and walked away, shouting at some kids on the corner who were creeping closer to the fire. Sophie let out the breath she’d been holding and returned her attention to the firefighters.

Two of them held the hose while a third monitored the gauges on the pumper truck. There were at least four or five more firefighters but she couldn’t see them. They wore their turnout suits and helmets so she couldn’t see their faces.

A steady column of smoke burped out from the old jail. Waves of heat shimmered around the entire site. The old jail had been something of a place to step into the past. It had one old cell in the back of it with crude-looking iron bars. She remembered one of Kyle’s ancestors, the Ezekiel he was named after, had been a sheriff in Tanger in that very building.

Now it was burning, its history and memories incinerated. She didn’t know if this fire was connected to the restaurant one, but it was quite a coincidence that both buildings were more than a hundred and fifty years old. Statistically speaking, it was off the charts.

She didn’t suspect negligence on the part of the owners. The buildings were also on opposite ends of the main street. This situation just went up to a level higher than Sophie’s expertise. They needed a fire marshal investigator. She pulled out her phone and started dialing.

If she still loved Dax, the best thing she could do for him was to find out who was setting fires in Tanger. The next best thing was to leave town as soon as possible.

Or perhaps leaving was what was best for her.

Dax sweated rivers beneath his gear. The fire burned hot, much hotter than it should. That told him there was an accelerant involved. His thought about someone setting fires was more of a certainty.

An hour passed while they worked to extinguish the fire. The jail was more isolated than the restaurant so there was little danger of the flames jumping to another building. That didn’t make them work any less to get this done.

The sun rose as they worked, making the heat worse. They finally took control of the blaze after another hour. Thank God it was almost over. His stomach had long since stopped growling for breakfast and his balls might not ever forgive him for the heated hell they hung in.

Clint signaled to him and Dax walked around the back of the building. The back knee wall had been fortified by cinder block about fifty years earlier. They stood strong and undamaged by the blaze. He breathed a sigh of relief and swung around the entire structure, pleased by how well they’d extinguished the blaze.

“It’s gone.” Kyle stepped up beside him.

Dax pushed up the faceplate on his helmet. “Not entirely. The back wall is still standing.”

Kyle handed him a bottle of water. “That isn’t going to stay standing and you know it. The town will tear it down.” He frowned at the dwindling blaze and coughed. “Son of a bitch.”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“If you’re thinking some asshole set this blaze and the one at Cindy’s, then yep, I am.” Kyle wasn’t one to swear so when he did, Dax paid attention.

“Who did we piss off lately? You know some folks hate the Blackwoods.” Dax couldn’t think of anyone bat shit crazy enough to burn down two buildings.

“I aim to find out.” Kyle gestured to the street. “Sophie Evans locked herself in your truck despite my efforts to move her to the other side of the street.”

Dax had forgotten she was there. He’d hyper-focused on what he had to do to as a firefighter. The emotion of the last twenty-four hours made him want to punch something.

“Leave her be, Kyle.”

“I was doing my job, nothing more. She got cute and locked herself in the truck.” Kyle put his hands on his hips, emphasizing the sheer size of him. “I was gonna get the Slim Jim and pop that ancient lock but—”

“Hey now, no call insulting my ride.” Dax took a swig of water. “That old bucket of rust runs and gets me from there to here and back.”

“I figured the heat would force Sophie out before long.” Kyle’s mouth twisted. “I forgot how stubborn that female was.”

Dax laughed and damn but it felt good. “I think there’s a picture of her in the dictionary under the word stubborn. Possibly under contentious too.”

The two men grinned at each other, a shared memory from their growing-up years breaking the darkness of the day’s events. They’d built a fort in the woods near the Triple B. They’d hung a sign that said “Boys Only”. They couldn’t have been more than eight at the time. Sophie had dressed in boy’s clothing and showed up, demanding to be allowed in. Stubborn as hell, she’d stood beneath fort for hours until she ran off only to appear with cookies. That was the end of the boys-only designation for good.

“You want me to check on her?” Kyle offered.

“Nah. We’re almost done. I’ll mosey on over and make sure she hasn’t passed out.” Dax didn’t know how hot it was outside of his suit. It was likely close to ninety and it probably wasn’t even ten yet. After they finished up here and did all the required paperwork, he was heading back to the ranch and diving in the pond. The thought of the cool water kept him moving when he wanted to sit down and catch his breath.

Many folks didn’t know how physically taxing it was to be a firefighter. Of course there were television shows and what people assumed from movies, but the truth was, it took every molecule of his being to do what he did. It wasn’t just about being in good physical shape, although that was a given. It was also about the mental focus and the ability to track how the wind and weather affected the blaze.

Volunteer firefighters weren’t paid for what they did, but he sure as hell owned it. Good or bad, Dax did what he did because he loved the town and was proud to protect it. He wasn’t carrying a gun and dealing with criminals like Kyle but he fought the good fight nonetheless.

When he reached the truck, he found Sophie with her cheek pressed against the window as she strained to watch the firefighters. He came up from behind and knocked on the window. She jumped about a foot in the air and watched him with wide eyes.

To his shock, she unlocked the door and jumped out. She wrapped her arms around him so tight she cut off his air. He couldn’t extract her arms so he let her hang on, surprised to find she was trembling.

“Soph?”

“I never saw you fight a fire before.” Her muffled voice came from where her face was buried in his neck.

“The fire is almost out.”

“You put your life on the line every second. It’s terrifying.” She leaned back to look at him. “And humbling.”

As he stared into her dark eyes, he found himself tumbling right back into love with her. His feelings had always been there, tucked away. Perhaps he never would have fallen in love with any other woman. It had always been Sophie who owned his heart.

Son of a bitch. He didn’t need to accept or admit what he knew to be the truth. She couldn’t know or he would set himself up for another heartbreak for which he might never recover.

“I enjoy it and I do it for the town.” He kept his voice neutral. “I’m not done doing it either. Just wanted to check on you since Kyle was all twisted in a knot after your stunt.”

She wrinkled her nose. “He’s turned into such a hard-ass.”

“He has to be. Deputies have to deal with more shit than a volunteer firefighter, sometimes literally.” He set her away from him. “Stay here.”

She nodded and crossed her arms. Dax didn’t know whether to be glad she listened, for the first time ever, or suspicious.

He couldn’t think too hard about Sophie for right now. There was a dwindling fire to kill. Later he would examine what the hell had just happened.

Sophie cracked the window in the truck but, to her horror, the heat from outside added more sweat to her already disgusting clothes she’d worn the day before. Perhaps she should have asked Hannah to borrow something. She could go down to the general store and see what they had. It might not be fashionable but it would be clean.

What she should be doing is finding Myron and getting her car fixed. Then getting the hell out of Tanger. Instead, she sat in a sweltering old truck that smelled of the horse shit on the rubber mats. It was a rancher’s vehicle so it should smell. That didn’t make it any easier to sit there.

Sophie was paralyzed by her own indecision. She recognized how ridiculous the situation was, but she didn’t do anything to change it. The sad truth was, she could have called a rental car agency or another tow truck company and paid through the nose to get herself back to Houston.

What she did was let Dax take charge. She knew it and acknowledged it. As a woman who had steered her own destiny for ten years, it was galling to realize what she’d done. She had wanted to relinquish that control.

To Dax.

Another hour and another quart of perspiration later, he returned to the truck. His turnout suit was rolled down to his waist exposing the black T-shirt he’d been wearing. It was soaked with sweat and molded to every muscle and tendon in his fine, fine chest.

Her body clenched with an urgent need to get him naked again. Holy shit, but that man was delicious.

Soot marked his cheeks and his hair was sticking every which way with sweat. No doubt he would smell horrible but she was too busy staring at him to think about it.

He put his helmet and boots in the back of the truck. As he slid off the turnout suit, she climbed out to watch. He quirked a brow at her but didn’t ask her what she was doing. Good thing, because she couldn’t explain an iota of her behavior over the last day.

“I’m sorry this took so long. You could have stayed at the ranch.”

She shrugged, her eyes not straying from his body. “I’d rather be here.”

“I need to call Myron to find out what he’s doing with your car.”

The reminder of her way home to Houston was like a slap. She nodded.

“I should’ve done that already.” She had no reason why other than her preoccupation with Dax Blackwood.

“Let me give him a call now and we’ll get you on your way home.”

Sophie’s throat tightened. “I’ll be grateful for clean clothes. Maybe we can stop at Madison’s so I can pick up a few things to wear.”

His brows went up. “You want to buy clothes? In Tanger?”

“I’ve been in these underwear for about thirty-six hours. I’d pay quite a bit for a fresh pair no matter where I bought them.” It was true no matter if she was lying to herself as to why she wanted to go to the store. He didn’t need to know she wanted to extend her time with him.

“We can stop at Madison’s.” He put the turnout suit in the bed of the truck and pulled his phone from his pocket.

As he called Myron, Sophie turned away. She should tell him what she’d realized, but self-preservation made the words stick somewhere between her voice box and her mouth. What if he told her it was too late? What if he said he didn’t feel the same? Or worst of all, what if he laughed?

No, she couldn’t tell him. She’d spent five years hiding her feelings and pushing herself to do more, be more, achieve more. Now to discover she’d been hiding her true feelings was shocking and frightening. Sophie had thought she knew who she was.

She was wrong.

“Myron said he towed the car. The starter is bad. He can jump it but he’s not sure if you’ll make it back to Houston safely.” Dax leaned against the truck, his exhaustion apparent.

Her selfish thoughts brought her back to reality. He’d just spent three hours fighting a fire.

“You can go ahead home. I’ll make my way to the garage and wait for the car to be fixed.” She turned and picked up her bag from the truck. “I appreciate your help last night.”

And the rest of it too. The sex, the companionship, the stargazing. All of it was more fun than she’d had in a very long time.

“You didn’t let me finish. Myron doesn’t have the starter. He’s going to go to the junkyard about twenty miles west of here to see if he can find one. Otherwise it’s two days to order one online.” He tapped the side of the truck. “I can find a car to lend you and when your car is fixed, I can bring it to you.”

There was her out. A borrowed car and a path back to sanity. She should take it and run like hell.

“Why don’t we go to Madison’s now? I think we should wait to decide about the car until after Myron gets back to you about the junkyard.” Sophie gave herself a brief reprieve before she had to decide.

“Fair enough. We’ll get you some clothes at Madison’s. I’ve got a go-bag in my locker at the firehouse. Let me take a quick shower there and change. Then we can have a late lunch.” He walked around to the other side of the truck.

Sophie climbed back in and set her bag down. The clock was now ticking. She had an hour, no more than two, until she had to make a decision.

Would she stay or would she go?

Chapter Six

‡

Dax walked behind Sophie as she picked through the clothes at Madison’s. It was plain, serviceable stuff but it was clean. She looked as hot as he felt. The heat of the day had settled over the town. Summer was in full swing before it was technically summer.

She didn’t complain about the selection or the quality. He didn’t know her anymore to understand her behavior. He was too grateful to be in the air-conditioned store to bring it up.

“Nice job today, Dax.” The store’s owner, Bridget Johnson, handed him a cold bottle of soda. She and her husband had moved from Seattle and bought the store a few years earlier. When they’d revamped the interior and hung a new sign, some folks balked, others welcomed a fresh look at the only store in Tanger.

“Thanks, Bridget.” He gestured to Sophie. “This is Sophie Evans. She’s the insurance investigator for the fire at Cindy’s.”

Bridget’s black brows went up. “Nice to meet you, Miss Evans.”

After the ladies exchanged pleasantries, Bridget pointed to the drawers beneath the display. “There’s a few more sizes and colors underneath. Feel free to look through what’s in there.” She smiled and walked back toward the front of the store.

“What happened to the Fosters?” Sophie asked as she squatted down to open a drawer.

“They retired and moved to Phoenix. The Johnsons bought this place three years ago or so. Nice folks.” He took a swig of the ice-cold soda. The sweetness slid down his throat with a nice buzzing of carbonation.

She put a pair of shorts, T-shirt, bra and underwear in a pile. “Sandals?”

He pointed toward the back. “Behind you.”

After a few minutes of reviewing her options, she picked a pair of pink, sparkly flip-flops. It was in sharp contrast to the dark colors and boots she currently wore. He wanted to ask her if she normally dressed one way or the other, but it wasn’t his business. None of what she did was his business.

They made their way to the front of the door and he tried to pay for her clothes. That was a mistake.

Her brows drew together. “Do you remember me telling you I can’t accept gifts from you and why? Please stop trying to pay for things.” She pulled out a small wallet from her pocket and paid cash.

He didn’t know whether to be insulted or chastised for offering to pay for her clothes. “I would have offered no matter if I knew you or not. You were in town to investigate a claim for my insurance company. I feel an obligation.”

Yet another mistake.

“Jesus, Dax, stop while you’re behind, would you?” She opened the door to the truck with a screech of metal, which was normal but seemed to punctuate her annoyance with him. “I’m no one’s obligation.”

He climbed in and started the truck. “We’ll head to the firehouse and clean up, change clothes then have lunch.” He waited for her to complain about him taking charge again, but she kept silent, her gaze locked out the window to her right.

Dax didn’t know his ass from his elbow apparently. She was mad when he was a gentleman. She was mad when he wasn’t. He had to give up guessing what was the right choice. His heart was a fool to be in love with such a contrary female.

They reached the firehouse in minutes and he offered the bathroom to her first. He spent his time drinking cold water in the kitchen. It was crude, but it functioned for what they needed. Clint walked in and spotted the bathroom door closed.

“She still here?”

“She is.”

Clint shook his head. “I still think you’re playing with fire.”

“If I get burned, it’s on me. I won’t ask for help this time.” Dax wasn’t sure what he would do when it was time for her to leave. He might spill his guts or he might chicken out and let her walk away again.

Clint grabbed a soda from the fridge and popped the top. He was covered in sweat, grime and soot too. The air conditioning in the firehouse was cranked up for once, thank God. There was nothing like hitting that icy cold air after you’ve been standing next to an inferno for hours. He still wanted a swim to wash away the soot and sweat.

“That fire was set.” Clint crushed the can and tossed it in the recycling bin in the corner. “I smelled gas on the pavement.”

“Yep, I thought the same thing. So did Kyle. We’re gonna need bigger guns to investigate. I’m gonna call the state fire marshal’s office after I get back down there and take some pictures.” It was good to focus on something other than Sophie for two minutes.

“Some fucker decided to start torching Tanger. What the hell is that about? There ain’t nothing, and I mean nothing, going on in this town that warrants a firebug like that to trash it.” Clint took another soda. This time he took sips rather than gulps, with an occasional belch as the carbonation hit his stomach.

“We’ll have to come up with a list of disgruntled people who have a grudge against the Blackwoods.”

“Or the fire department.” Clint gestured to the building. “Maybe someone wanted to volunteer and we turned them down. Or maybe someone was mad that we didn’t respond to their call quick enough.” He shrugged. “People are fucking crazy.”

“I think you’re right.” Sophie appeared in the bathroom doorway wearing a pair of navy blue shorts, a white-and-blue striped T-shirt that was taut against her incredible tits, and the girly pink flip-flops.

He wanted to eat her for breakfast.

“That so?” Clint watched her with a guarded expression. “What am I right about?”

“I believe both of those fires were set. I might lose my job for telling you, Dax, but I think it’s too important not to bump this higher up the chain. I called a friend at the state fire marshal’s office. Someone will be here by two o’clock.”

Clint looked as shocked as Dax felt. No matter how many times they called the state fire marshal, little Tanger ranked low on the list of priorities. Certainly they hadn’t come to town within hours of being called. Sophie had friends in high places.

“Thanks. Glad to see you haven’t completely forgotten where you came from.” Clint strolled out of the room leaving Dax and Sophie alone.

“Your turn.” She carried her boots and dirty clothes. “I didn’t have a brush so I did the best I could.”

“You look beautiful,” popped out of his mouth.

She glanced away. “I’m also starving.”

“Right, let me clean up quick and we’ll head over to the diner.”

With Cindy’s burned down, there were few choices in town. An Italian place near the mill, a fast-food place, the ice cream castle or the diner at the edge of town. It was in a shiny trailer-looking building. They had good omelets, but otherwise it was typical greasy-spoon fare.

Dax grabbed clothes from his locker and went into the bathroom. He hurried, not because she was hungry, but because he wanted to see her in those clothes again. Her curves made him hungry for much more than lunch.

Sophie paced the small kitchen in the firehouse. She texted her neighbor Barb and checked on her cat, Rufus. The older woman always took care of the tabby whenever Sophie traveled overnight. Fortunately Barb had been able to pick up the cat yesterday when Sophie had texted her about being stranded.

She checked email with glacial speed but didn’t see anything urgent. It was Saturday after all. Not much happened on the weekend when you worked for a corporation, unless you were an investigator sent out on a job. It was one of the reasons Sophie aspired to the role. She could travel, meet people and never be home for more than a week at a time.

Solving puzzles had always been one of her strengths. The appeal behind being a fire investigator was a mixture of being a detective and a scientist. Sophie could’ve done anything with her B.S., but she gravitated toward investigating fires. Sophie’s father had been a volunteer firefighter in Tanger, in addition to being a vet, and she’d spent many hours learning about fires from him and from Dax’s father.

If she were honest, Rufus was more Barb’s cat than hers. Sophie’s townhouse was lonely and empty. Her furniture was included when she purchased the place. The only things that truly belonged to her were her clothes and books.

Sophie had been so busy making her life perfect she forgot to live it. The realization, and acceptance, made her chest heavy. Coming back to Tanger had shown her everything she’d left behind, all she’d missed, and all she could have had if she’d made a different choice.

“Ready?” Dax stepped into the kitchen, his curls damp and springy, smelling as fresh as a bar of soap. He smelled of toothpaste too. She wanted to run her hands through that hair and taste those lips to see if the minty scent was on his tongue too. “Soph?”

She managed a weak smile. “Yes, let’s go eat before I start gnawing on my boots.”

They drove to the diner and were seated in the funky little building in just a few minutes. She’d seen it when she drove into town.

“How long has this been here?” she asked as she opened the menu.

“Three or four years. The Kraskys had it moved here from somewhere in North Carolina. They’re open until midnight so they get the late-night crowd.” Dax leaned forward and spoke low. “Don’t tell Hannah, but their meatloaf is better than hers.”

Sophie blinked. “Do you plan to rebuild the restaurant?”

He nodded. “Of course. The Blackwoods have been running that business for a hundred and fifty years. Why would we let another fire ruin it?”

“Another fire?” She had to wait for an answer because the waitress stopped to take their orders and brought them glasses of ice water. Sophie sipped at her water and waited for Dax to reply but he didn’t. Impatience won out. “Was there another fire?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, back after the Civil War when the Blackwoods settled in Tanger, it burned to the ground. The story goes, they built it as an investment and it turned out to be such a lucrative business, they kept at it.”

“Will you still call it Cindy’s? Do you know who that was?” Sophie hadn’t ever asked about the restaurant before. When they were growing up, Dax’s mother ran the place and it was a hangout, not a history lesson.

“We have to keep it as Cindy’s. It’s what everyone knows it as, even the truckers who drive through town. Our biscuits, cobbler and sweet tea are legendary, not to mention the other delicious dishes. Hannah has really kept the quality up, and the profits too.” He took a drink of his water. “From what I was told, Cindy was the daughter of the original owner. She died or something like that and he named the restaurant in her honor.”

Sophie liked that story. It was something good from what was probably a tragedy. The Blackwoods had a knack for building something from nothing. Through good times and hard times, they kept at it. Perseverance was in their blood.

Then why hadn’t he come after her in Houston?

That question would haunt her for the rest of her life and there was no answer forthcoming. She wouldn’t ask again. The rest of the meal passed in silence as they both dug into the food with gusto. They ate until their plates were empty and bellies were full.

“I think I’m in a food coma.” Dax patted his still-flat belly. “Damn, I was hungry.”

She found herself smiling. “Me too.”

When the waitress returned, Sophie requested two checks. Dax didn’t protest, for which she was grateful. She needed some level of independence and autonomy. No matter how she felt about him, Sophie was still there in a professional capacity. That had blurred a bit yesterday out by the pump at the ranch, and in her bed, but it was still nonetheless the situation.

After they paid, they got to their feet. Dax swung the keys to the truck in his hand. “Ready to get home?”

She started, her heart hammering into high gear. “Pardon?”

“Home? You can use my mom’s car to drive to Houston. When Myron fixes yours we’ll get it out to you and drive back my mom’s.” He spoke casually, as if he hadn’t just told her it was time to leave for good. “She doesn’t drive much anymore, not since Dad passed away.”

Sophie’s lunch sat like a lead weight in her belly, the taste of regret strong in her mouth. She needed to tell him how she felt or she might not ever get the chance. By the time they pulled through the ranch gates, she had worked herself into a fine snit. Chastising and goading herself into revealing her thoughts.

A white sedan sat in a carport by the guest house. That was to be her chariot of doom.

“I’ll go grab the keys from Mom. Be right back.” He jogged off and left her alone.

Her eyes stung as she walked to the car, her bag and clothes in hand. This was it then. The end of the line of the wild adventure in Tanger. She had to go home, to return to her life and to control.

Didn’t she?

Dax’s mother was sleeping so he jotted a note on the counter and took the keys as quietly as he could. She’d been feeling poorly of late and he was worried about her. In the years since Dad had passed, she’d become melancholy and frail. Dax needed to get her back out there and living life. Maybe he could get Hannah interested in helping Mama and in turn, get herself out of her depression.

He shook off the maudlin thoughts about his mother and grabbed a couple towels from her linen closet. After Sophie left, he was going swimming in the pond. Possibly for hours, until his body was too exhausted to do anything but sleep. He hoped he didn’t dream of her.

When he went back outside, Sophie stood by the car, her back to him, arms crossed. He wanted to scoop her up and carry her to his bedroom. There he could take his time tasting, teasing and pleasuring her for the rest of the weekend.

It was clear she didn’t want it or she would have said something. Instead she stood waiting for the keys, eager to put Tanger—and Dax—back in the past.

“Here you go.” He handed her the keys then put his hands on his hips to avoid kissing her. Even if every fiber of his being told him to taste those lips one more time. “Gas tank is full. Myron will give you a call when your starter is replaced.”

Dax had to step back, away from her and any thought of this relationship, whatever it was, from continuing.

“Thanks.” She opened the car and put her things in the backseat. “I appreciate the loan.”

He shrugged with no casualness whatsoever, completely faking it. “I should’ve thought of it last night.”

But I was too distracted by the thought of you, the taste of you, the anticipation of having you.

“Well, bye then.” She climbed into the car and started it, backing out with care. Sophie waved as she pulled away.

He didn’t see tears in her eyes. It was just the sun reflecting on her glasses. It had to be. She wouldn’t cry over leaving, not when she wanted it.

Dax watched the car until it disappeared over the rise by the gate. She was gone. Again. He blew out a breath and pressed a fist to his chest. It still hurt, goddamn it.

He thought about changing into swim trunks but no one would be at the pond this time of day. With a heavy step he walked to the pond alone. It would have been better if she never had returned.

Maybe then he wouldn’t have another broken heart.

Sophie drove with the windows down, the wind whipping through her hair. It was so loud, it drowned out all other noise, but it couldn’t quiet the ache in her heart or the certainty she’d just made a very big mistake.

She traveled to the edge of town to the four-way stop. As she braked, she reached up to find tears rolling down her face. Why should she cry when there was a very real man who’d been kissing her not six hours earlier? He was real. He was there.

She loved him.

Sophie swung the car around, heedless of the speed limit. There was no time for dilly-dallying. If she wanted him she had to claim him and that meant opening herself up to pain. Or potentially to joy.

Either way, she couldn’t leave Tanger without telling him how she felt. He was probably at the pond swimming. She pulled the car back under the carport and left the keys on the seat. She ran as fast as the cheap flip-flops could carry her through the tall grass.

The worn path was so familiar, so dear, she smiled at it. She’d definitely lost what was left of her sanity, but that was okay. Love was the very definition of insanity.

As she rounded the bend and ducked into the woods, she noted how much the trees and bushes had grown. The lush, green woods that ringed the pond were an oasis in the sometimes dry heat of the summer.

She breathed in deep of the rich Texas scents and her mouth curved into a smile. This was the right choice. For the first time in a long time, she made a choice that felt right.

When she stepped onto the bank of the pond, she saw Dax on the rock formation above the water. He executed an impressive cannonball into the water.

And he was stark naked.

Her pulse thundered through her ears. The decision to return hadn’t involved him being nude when she spoke to him. She could hardly think with all that male lusciousness in front of her. He cut through the water back to the rocks to apparently jump into the water again.

Sophie toed off her flip-flops and pulled off her clothes, leaving them in a heap on the ground. She walked into the water, the soft mud squishing through her toes. The coolness of the pond was welcome. He reached the top of the water and leapt into the air.

That’s when he spotted her and his cannonball turned into a near belly flop. “Soph—”

Oh, that was going to hurt. She swam over to him and reached him as he broke water. He shook his head and his hair swooped up across his forehead. His gaze was full of confusion and what she sincerely thought was hope.

“You came back.”

She treaded water, her heart and soul light. “I had something to say.”

“That included saying it while you’re naked?”

She laughed. “You were naked.”

He smiled. “I was swimming.”

“So am I.”

He moved closer, cupping her cheek. “I thought you wanted to say goodbye.”

“I thought I did too.” She blinked back tears. “I was wrong.”

“I can’t talk when your boobs are right there. They’re distracting. I want to lick them.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her flush against his very hard, very aroused, male body.

Her nipples were already hard, but now they ached. “I want that too.”

“Then let’s get out of this water before we drown trying to see just how hard we can make your nipples before you come.”

Her body roared from aroused to needy in an instant. They swam side by side to the shore where he’d left his clothes and towels. As they walked out of the pond, he took her hand. As his fingers laced with hers, she could hardly believe how wonderful it felt.

He shook out the towels, making a bed of sorts on the soft grass of the bank. He turned to look at her, his cock standing straight at attention. She licked her lips at the sight. It twitched, slapping against his belly.

“You start that and we’re liable to be finished before we get going.” He lay on the towels and crooked his finger. “My lady?”

She joined him, her body tingling with anticipation. He pushed her on her back and his mouth found hers. He kissed, licked and nibbled at her lips, taking his time to thoroughly explore her. It reminded her of many erotic moments in his arms.

She leaned back and reveled in his skills. He kissed his way across her jaw to her ear while his hand found the nipple awaiting his attention and plucked it. When he reached her ear, he blew into the pink shell, sending goose bumps down her spine.

“You like that?”

“Mmmmm.” She turned her cheek to give him better access.

He sucked at her earlobe before kissing his way down her neck. A slow, sweet trail on her skin. When he reached her breast, he licked around the areole making her near frantic with need. His hand continued its journey down her belly to her aching pussy.

As his fingers sank into the depths of her core, he finally pulled the nipple into his hot mouth. Her breath caught and she closed her eyes. He circled her clit, then plucked it, and pinched it, then stroked it.

“Oh my God, you’re good.”

He chuckled against her skin and continued his work by moving to her other breast. As he continued to play her like an instrument, his cock pulsed against her hip.

“I’d like a bit of that, please.”

This time he raised his head. “Wait right here.” He grabbed for his jeans nearby and produced a condom from his wallet. “This ain’t new but it will work.”

She watched impatiently as he got to touch his cock and she didn’t. “Please, Dax. I can’t wait.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Good.” She sat up and pushed him onto his back then threw her leg over him. “I want a ride, cowboy.”

He smiled and grabbed her hips. “I’m all yours, Soph.”

She guided the tip of his staff and sank down on its length. She moved inch by inch until he was fully embedded within her. Sophie paused, the moment so poignant, so perfect, she wanted to stop time and savor it.

“You feel so good.” His fingers dug into her hips as she began to move.

“You aren’t so bad yourself.” Her hair hung down in wild disarray but he smiled up at her as though she were the only person in the world. Love made her ride him, passion made her tease both of them by going slow, then fast, over and over.

He thrust up as she pushed down until they found a forgotten rhythm. She gasped as he found her breasts again, tweaking one nipple than the other while his other hand flicked her clit. Her body pulsed and moved with need, with an eagerness to find that release she craved.

Faster. Faster.

She slammed down onto him as her orgasm raced through her. It began somewhere in her past and moved to her present, and to her future. Waves crashed over her and she shouted his name, the ecstasy sharp. He shouted her name, thrust deep within her depths until they were truly joined as one.

Sophie collapsed onto his chest, spent and breathing heavily. She’d never experienced such pleasure with anyone else. Sophie knew she never would.

Dax was hers, and she was his.

They lay on the towels for another half an hour while their passion and bodies cooled. Dax was happy. It was a lame term to describe what he felt, but there it was. He had been lucky enough for a second chance with the woman he loved.

The sunshine played on her skin and he traced the pattern of the leaves with his finger.

“I’m sorry for not coming after you in Houston or visiting you in college. I was afraid you’d find another man, another life, better than me.” He got the words out before he lost his nerve.

“And I’m sorry I didn’t see what I had was far more important than what I didn’t. I should have chosen you.” She sat up and looked at him with her wild, knotty hair. “I think we should go swimming again.”

His heart twisted at the sight. “Last one in is a rotten egg.”

They scrambled to their feet and raced for the pond. He jumped in like a madman, laughing and splashing her. Their horseplay was cut short when someone shouted his name.

He wiped the water from his eyes and spotted Clint and Hannah standing on the shoreline. Both of them had their arms crossed and scowls on their faces.

Shit.

Sophie slicked her hair back and glanced at him. He didn’t want to see regret in her gaze, and thankfully he didn’t. She waited for him to say something to them.

“Hey,” he called to them. “I’d invite you in but we, ah, forgot our swimsuits.”

Hannah shook her head. “I came down here to ask you about the fire because I knew you’d be here. Clint was the one who told me about the possible arson. At my restaurant. Worse, now I find you here with Sophie. You forced me to end my friendship with her. You told me she was dead to me and refused to let me even text her.”

Sophie stiffened beside him. He couldn’t look at her.

“My heart was broken, Hannah. I couldn’t be around anyone that talked to her.”

“You made me choose between my best friend and my brother. Now you’ve conveniently forgotten all those promises you made to yourself and to us.” She shook her head. “I think I made the wrong choice five years ago. I’m sorry for that, Sophie. My brother is an asshole.”

Sophie swam toward the opposite end of the pond where her clothes were. Dax stared at his family, wondering how everything had gone so horribly wrong.

“I came to tell you the fire marshal is in town. I’m going to work with him on the fires so you can spend your time with afternoon frolicking.” Clint turned and gave Dax his back.

This time Dax made the choice to follow Sophie. By the time he reached her, she’d pulled on her clothes and ran down the path barefoot. He’d fucked up big time.

He lost the one perfect, beautiful thing in his life. There was no excuse for what he’d done, or hadn’t done. And now he’d lost her.

Dax nursed a beer by taking small sips. He really, really wanted to get drunk but he’d driven himself to the bar outside town so he needed to be his own designated driver. He sat in a corner booth, away from any chance someone would speak to him.

He wanted to wallow in self-pity all by himself.

It had been twenty-four hours since Sophie walked out of his life again. He’d blamed her for so long, he had forgotten how much he expunged her from his life five years earlier. Forcing his sister to break off her friendship? He winced.

Hannah was right. He was an asshole.

“You know hiding at this bar doesn’t mean we won’t find you.” Lucas’s voice cut through the din of the noise.

Dax’s head snapped up from the amber brew to find Hannah, Lucas, Kyle and Clint at his table.

“Fuck off.” He spoke without any real heat. Misery was a heavy blanket on his shoulders right about then.

They didn’t take heed. In fact, they slid their asses right into his booth and trapped him with two on one side and two on the other. He looked at them, his closest friends, and saw the concern on their faces.

“I fucked up.”

Hannah patted his shoulder. “Yeah, you did.”

“Ain’t the first time.” Clint was so helpful.

“Won’t be the last.” Kyle had to chime in too.

“Why are you all here?” He had been enjoying the wallowing, as much as he could anyway. Self-pity was weirdly satisfying when you wanted to punish yourself.

“The fire marshal finished his investigation.” Clint’s statement got Dax’s full attention. “Someone did pour an accelerant around the perimeter of each building. Same substance, and he thinks it was ordinary gas. He suspects it’s the same guy who burned other various buildings in and around small towns in east Texas.”

“No shit.” Dax forgot about his beer. “Do they know who it is?”

“Nope, but he seemed right pleased to get a detailed report from a Sophie Barnes with information they hadn’t found at other sites.” Clint’s mouth twisted. “She wasn’t kidding when she said she was good at her job. Might help them break the case.”

“Fuck.” Dax put his head in his hands. “Everything always leads back to her.”

Lucas reached over and picked up the beer, taking a big swig. “You know my granddaddy always used to say there’s one mate for you in this life, and sitting on your ass isn’t going to change a thing. You gotta snatch at life with both hands or it’s gonna pass you by.”

“She might be my mate but she’s not gonna give me a third chance. I stepped in the shit too deep this time.” He glanced around at the four best friends he’d had all his life and realized that family was the most important thing. Family was more than blood. Lucas was a prime example of just that.

So was Sophie.

“If you’re going to get her back, you’d better learn to grovel.” Hannah smiled at him. “Girls like men who can grovel.”

They all laughed and called the server to order drinks. Dax had the support of his family. Now he had to find a way to convince Sophie they were meant to be together.

And practice being on his knees to grovel. He couldn’t let her get away this time.

Sophie unlocked the door to her townhouse a week after leaving Tanger, feeling more exhausted than she ever had in her life. She’d pushed herself beyond her limits keeping herself busy and occupied so she didn’t have to think about Dax. About how he’d turned all her friends against her, leaving her alone for years simply because he didn’t want any reminders of her existence.

The memory of that moment was like a knife to her heart. She closed the door and set the borrowed keys on the counter. Myron had texted her earlier that day letting her know her car was fixed and that she would have it back by evening.

The sedan was the last visual reminder of the two days she’d spent with Dax. It would be good to send it back where it belonged so she could get on with her life.

She consoled herself with the knowledge she hadn’t confessed how she felt about him. That at least she was grateful for. The past was too painful to set aside. She needed to bury it again. This time for good.

Sophie had asked her boss for a transfer to anywhere but Texas. She needed a fresh start away from memories, old and new. She might hear something next week.

For now Saturday was over. One more day and she’d travel to Austin for another investigation. One more day to get through with only herself as company. How was she going to endure the rest of her life? Being with Dax had reminded her of how much life should be enjoyed, not endured.

Sophie was eager to drop the shackles she’d wrapped around her own wrists and begin anew. No Tanger. No Dax. No heartache.

She took off her hiking boots and trudged to the kitchen to grab a beer. After she twisted off the top, the doorbell rang. She glanced at her watch. Myron was right on time.

She opened the door and almost dropped the bottle on her foot.

Dax stood there looking as perfect and handsome as always. Her heart clenched in pain. “Soph, I—”

She slammed the door in his face. He knocked softly.

“Please open the door.”

“Go away.” She took a gulp of beer, hoping she was hallucinating his presence.

“I can’t. I have your car keys.”

“Shit.” She closed her eyes. “Leave them on the mat and go away.”

“I can’t. You have my mother’s car keys.” He knocked again. “Please, Sophie.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Then just listen. I’ve been waiting all week to tell you this and with Hannah’s help, I’ve been practicing how to grovel. You are the one person I will always return to. You were my true north and I fucked it all up.” He spoke through the door. “I’m sorry. More sorry than I can possibly explain.”

“You should be. You were vindictive after I left and you took away the people I had left in my life.” She blinked as her eyes stung. “You left me with nothing.”

A pause while she drank more beer.

“I know. I was a dick. Believe me that my family and friends have been pounding me over the head with it for the last week.” A thump on the door. “Please, Sophie, let me see your beautiful face.”

“No.”

She waited a full minute and no sounds emerged from the other side of the door. She hadn’t wanted to see him but she was a little glad he apologized. That didn’t mean she forgave him.

“I love you, Sophie. Always have. Always will. You will always own my heart.”

She fell to her knees and set the bottle down. Her heart pounded at the words she’d hoped to hear. Was she ready to accept them and respond?

Sophie rocked herself for a few minutes while she contemplated what her choices were. If she opened the door, she was forgiving him. If she remained inside, she would be alone again.

Her heart cried out for Dax, for the perfect pair they made, for the children they could have together, for the future she could have if she took a chance and forgave him.

For the love she had for him.

She made it to her feet and opened the door to find the stoop empty. Her breath caught. She was too late. Sophie ran outside barefoot searching for her car. Searching for Dax.

“Looking for me?”

His voice came from behind her. She whirled around to find him sitting on her front porch swing. Sophie burst into tears and ran toward him. Dax opened his arms and she flew into them.

No matter what happened next. There was this. There was love.

The End

About the Author

Beth Williamson, who also writes as Emma Lang, is an award-winning, bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her books range from sensual to scorching hot. She is a Career Achievement Award Nominee in Erotic Romance by Romantic Times Magazine, in both 2009 and 2010.

Beth has always been a dreamer, never able to escape her imagination. It led her to the craft of writing romance novels. She’s passionate about purple, books, and her family. She has a weakness for shoes and purses, as well as bookstores. Her path in life has taken several right turns, but she’s been with the man of her dreams for more than 20 years.

Beth works full-time and writes romance novels evening, weekends, early mornings and whenever there is a break in the madness. She is compassionate, funny, a bit reserved at times, tenacious and a little quirky. Her cowboys and western romances speak of a bygone era, bringing her readers to an age where men were honest, hard and packing heat. For a change of pace, she also dives into some smokin’ hot contemporaries, bringing you heat, romance and snappy dialogue.

Life might be chaotic, as life usually is, but Beth always keeps a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a cowboy on her mind. ;)

Website:

www.bethwilliamson.com

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/bethwilliamson

Twitter:

twitter.com/authorbethw

Newsletter:

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Her Volunteer Cowboy

A Harland County Novella

Book 6: Tanner

Donna Michaels

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HER VOLUNTEER COWBOY

A Harland County Series Novella//Book 6: Tanner

Copyright © 2015 Donna Michaels

Cover Art by Donna Michaels © 2015

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web. For information, please contact the author via email at Donna_Michaels@msn.com

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

Book 6 in Harland County Series

What they’re saying…

About Wyne and Chocolate:

“The Citizen Soldier series has a fantastic new addition with Wyne and Chocolate. The book had a great start. I found myself laughing out loud right away – and that set the tone for a light-hearted, funny, and romantic read. I’ve read a LOT of romance books, and Wyne and Chocolate has one of the best first kisses that I have read.”

—Reviewer – Romancereader

About Her Uniform Cowboy:

“Ms. Michaels pens a tale with pure heart and true grit! This story will hit so many readers close to home there is not one part of the plot that will feel foreign. No super models here, just true, down to earth servicemen and woman getting back to their place in the world. The characters and plot have a wonderful arc and the laughter, tears and emotional ride readers get to take on this journey will not disappoint.”

—InD’tale Magazine, Crowned Heart of Excellence 4.5 Stars

—Voted BEST COWBOY in a Book/Reader’s Choice-LRC

—Finalist BTS eMagazine Red Carpet Book Award/Reader’s Choice-Best Romance & Best Book 2014

About Her Forever Cowboy:

“Ms. Michaels has done it again! Book four in this series is another great success. The author knows how to lure her readers in by telling them a wonderful story that’s wrapped around characters we get to know and love as if they’re real people. This book was no exception. I highly recommend this book and this author!”

—Night Owl Reviews, Reviewer Top Pick

—July Read of the Month—SSYL

—Nominee BTS Magazine Red Carpet Book Award/Reader’s Choice-Romance 2014

-RONE Award Finalist 2015 InD’tale Magazine/Cops, Jocks & Cowboys

A note from Donna

Thank you for purchasing Her Volunteer Cowboy. This is the sixth book in my Harland County Series. Unruly cowboys and the women who tame them…

This book is about one of Kade’s guardsmen, Tanner Hathaway, a firefighter and Sergeant in the Texas National Guard. He volunteers his time, but never his heart. Except for his mentor, the former fire chief suffering with Alzheimer’s. Between the station, the guard, and taking care of his old friend, he doesn’t have time for love. Doesn’t want it. Too bad it shows up in the form of a one-night stand from the Poconos.

Gwen Gablonski, reforming bad girl, and former supermodel, is eager to change her ways. Agreeing to help Kerri and Jordan out while Kerri has her baby, she shows up in Harland County to cook at The Texas Republic. Rekindling an old flame with the volunteer firefighter isn’t on the menu, but she can’t seem to control the burn Tanner causes when he’s near.

This is another hot, heartfelt, sexy read in this series involving some series regulars, and introducing some new ones.

Thanks for reading,

~Donna
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

Also by Donna Michaels

~Novels~

She Does Know Jack

Royally Unleashed

The Spy Who Fanged Me

~Time-shift Heroes Series~

Captive Hero (Time-shift Heroes Series-Book One)

~Harland County Series~

Harland County Christmas (Novella/Brock and Jen)

Her Fated Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book One)

Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book Two)

Her Uniform Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book Three)

Her Forever Cowboy (Harland County Series-Book Four)

Her Healing Cowboy (Harland County Series Book Five)

~Citizen Soldier Novels~

Wyne and Chocolate (Citizen Soldier Series-Book Two)

Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series-Book One)

~Novellas~

Cowboy-Fiancé (formerly Cowboy-Sexy)

Thanks for Giving

Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy

Vampire Kristmas

Valentine’s Day Do-Over

Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings

UPCOMING RELEASES:

Cowboy Payback (Cowboy-Fiancé Sequel)

~Dangerous Curves Series~

Knight’s SEAL—(Cat Johnson’s Hot SEALs Kindle Worlds Crossover/Rel. 08/04/2015)

Locke and Load—(Book 1/Nikki /Rel. 09/09/2015)

~Harland County Series~

Her Indulgent Cowboy (Book 7/Jesse)

~Citizen Soldier Novels~

Wyne and Song (Book 3/Ethan/Rel. Nov. 2015)

Dedication

To Harland County fans. I appreciate your unending support! To my family, the HOODS, my wonderful street team, and my fellow 12-Alalrm authors.

And especially Dawn and Roger for their help and guidance with all things firefighter. ♥

Chapter One

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Harland County was hot. Sizzling hot.

Gwen Gablonski sipped a tall glass of iced tea as she stood quietly in a corner and silently approved of the gorgeous, southern, testosterone filling Texas Republic, the restaurant/bar that was her temporary place of employment. The honky tonk had a huge fire pit, stage, and dance floor, with netting, driftwood and seaside décor gracing the white clapboard walls, giving the place a warm, friendly atmosphere.

The Tex Pub, as she heard it referred to, was currently the site of a going away party for the doctor she’d met last year at a wedding up in the Poconos of Pennsylvania where she had grown up. Jace and his girlfriend, Holly, were leaving tomorrow for a stint with Doctors Without Borders, and judging by the packed room, the whole county was seeing them off.

Including…him.

Tanner. The sexy-as-sin cowboy she’d spent a few hours with—naked hours—back east six months ago at that dang wedding.

She blamed that moment of weakness on her overloaded stress level at having returned home after a decade of modeling and traveling the globe. She’d had damage to repair in the Poconos. Attending the wedding of her sister’s best friend had been part of the mending process…and a little awkward. Okay, a lot awkward, considering she’d dated one of the bride’s brothers in high school, then dumped him a month after she’d left to model. Not one of her finest moments. But definitely the first fence she’d mended. She and Ben weren’t exactly BFFs, but they were in a good place, which was important since her sister was now engaged to the man.

Gwen smiled. She’d never seen Lea so happy. The two were perfect for each other.

Thank God she and Ben had never done the deed. Although, losing her virginity to him would’ve been a hell of a lot better than the asshat photographer she’d foolishly believed had loved her.

She’d been stupid and foolish, especially back then. Cripes. The past decade had been one mistake after another. As smart and successful as she had been with her career, she made a fiasco out of her love life. Too bad it had taken a tragedy to open her eyes. But, she finally got a clue, quit the business—retired Gwen Gable—and endeavored to travel a better path, one that led to a better her.

She hoped.

First stop, Harland County.

The only downfall…Tanner.

The brown-haired, brown-eyed, hot cowboy strode straight toward her; that sexy, kickass, eagle tattoo of his peeked out from under the edge of his short sleeve and made her want to push the material up and expose his muscled bicep to her tongue. But, she would behave. That ship had sailed, she reminded herself, watching him approach, dimpled smile absent from his handsome face. It didn’t stop her pulse from kicking up, or the strange prickling of her skin as he neared.

“Hello, Gwen,” he said, voice a little deeper than she remembered.

And sexier.

Damn him.

She lowered her glass and nodded. “Hello, Tanner.”

He cocked his head and eyed her closely. “What brings you to Texas?”

Apprehension tightened his features, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. Exactly what she feared he would think when he saw her in his town.

She couldn’t help but smile. He was such a guy.

“Relax. I’m not here because of you,” she informed with a shake of her head. “Jordan and Kerri McCall hired me to cook when Kerri takes maternity leave.” Was it mean that she enjoyed watching surprise replace the wariness in his gaze as the idiot got a clue? Probably, but…oh, look at that, she didn’t care. “Get over yourself, cowboy. Our time between the sheets was good, but not that good.”

Using that as a parting shot, she pushed past him and headed for the table where her new bosses were seated with Brandi and a few other women she recognized from the wedding.

“Mind if I join you?”

“No. Pull up a chair,” Holly replied, motioning to an empty seat.

“Thanks.” Beyond happy to have at least gotten her meet-and-greet with Tanner out of the way, she sat and silently snickered. It had gone exactly as she’d expected.

A quick glance to the side had her noting the bad boy cowboy was now surrounded by grinning women.

Shocker.

Not.

The man was very easy on the eyes with a lazy, sexy grin that drew you right in and made you feel special. And for a few, decadent hours last fall, she had felt special.

Then reality had returned with a vengeance, and she’d scrambled from his hotel room before she did something foolish, like stay the whole night.

Her behavior should’ve given the guy a clue. Apparently not. The surprise that had turned to apprehension a few minutes ago spoke volumes. He’d assumed she’d pined over him the past six months, until she couldn’t take it anymore and had to rush down to his neck of the woods to see him again.

As if.

She tore her gaze away and huffed into her drink. She never ‘pined’ over a guy. Not anymore, at least. Not since that asshat photographer nearly ten years ago. No. There had been no pining over Tanner, just a few isolated pauses when she’d allowed the memory of her liaison with the lean Texas bad boy to warm her on frigid winter nights.

She wouldn’t have that issue here.

Harland County was anything but frigid, even at the beginning of March, as she discovered an hour ago. The instant she’d stepped out of the cool confines of the McCall Enterprises’ jet with Brandi and her husband, Kade—who had been in the Poconos for a funeral—she’d gotten her first taste of the Texas warmth and humidity.

“Thanks for flying down.”

The voice of one of her employers brought her attention back to the table. Dressed in a tan sheriff’s uniform, Jordan McCall appeared cool and composed, wearing an air of command that instantly put you at ease.

A woman with her shit together.

Exactly the state of mind Gwen hoped to someday achieve. But, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and judging by the worldly look in her boss’ dark eyes, the sheriff had seen and experienced more than her share of grief.

She’d met the McCall sisters at the wedding last year, too. That’s when they’d asked if she’d consider filling in as a cook when the younger took maternity leave.

It was hard to believe six months had gone by, until she rested her gaze on Kerri McCall, the mother-to-be sitting to her right. Poor thing appeared ready to pop any second.

“Have you had a chance to settle in yet?” the very pregnant woman asked, rubbing her back.

She shook her head. “Not really, but I will later.”

“Yeah, poor thing,” Brandi said, apologetic smile tilting her lips. “Gwen had barely set her suitcases down in my old cottage when Kade and I whisked her across the street to this party.”

She smiled and lifted her glass to her mouth while her darn gaze strayed to the bar where Tanner now stood talking to a bunch of gorgeous guys.

Dang me. Now, that was a sight she could get used to.

In her former line of work, she’d been around plenty of good-looking males, some were great guys who took the business and their role in it seriously, eating right and living right. But there were others who were bigger divas than the women. The major difference between them and the eye candy before her was that these handsome specimens were men. No spray tans or pedicures or waxing, just one hundred percent testosterone at its finest.

Kerri leaned close, still rubbing her back. “The male scenery sure is something here, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she replied, only because she’d been caught staring more than once, and always at the same scenery, too.

Dammit.

“Tanner’s a great guy.” Holly smiled from across the table, nodding toward the scenery Gwen’s gaze kept returning to ogle.

Did he have to look so damn good in a pair of jeans? What was with that?

With his back to her, leaning against the bar as if he owned it, talking to Kade, Jace, and a few other men, the sexy cowboy wore denim in the best possible way—tight in the hips, butt, and thighs, and loose from the knees down, declaring his frame solid, lean, and sexy as sin. And it was certainly all that. The gray T-shirt, stretching across his broad shoulders, emphasized the muscles rippling down his back and arm as he lifted a bottle of beer to his mouth.

A hot, talented mouth…

Gwen gave her head a mental shake and did her best to ignore the unwanted flash of heat rushing through her body. “I suppose.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know him that well.”

Just in the biblical sense.

“Yeah. Right,” Jordan scoffed. “Your eyes kind of tell a different story.”

Damn woman’s too astute to argue.

She did anyway. “And I think maybe your eyes must be reading a different book, because I’m not interested.” Much.

Jordan smiled.

So did the others at the table.

“I’m not,” she insisted, and even turned so the cowboy was out of her peripheral view. “Besides, I’m only here to cook until Kerri comes back to work. I’m not staying.”

Brandi blew out a breath. “Oh boy.”

“Yeah.” Kerri nodded. “Where have I heard that before? Oh, right. From me.”

“And me.” Holly raised her hand.

Shayla, the pretty redhead holding a sweet little newborn nodded. “Me, too.”

“Me, three.” The sheriff grinned.

Gwen’s jaw dropped. All of them? Seriously?

Had they all only planned to be in town temporarily and now had Harland County husbands? Damn. Not great odds. Even Holly, the smiling guest of honor, had a Harland County boyfriend she was about to follow to some Godforsaken country.

She lifted her chin. “It’s not going to happen to me. I’ll just avoid the water around here. Must be something hokey in it,” she added, before dismissing the subject by taking a long pull of her tea.

No way would she fall for Tanner, or any Texan. No matter how hot he was, in or out of clothes.

The women laughed, and Kerri said, “Too late.”

Gwen’s heart lurched. No, it wasn’t too late. She’d only spent one night with the guy, not even a night. A few hours, and, okay, so they were two incredible hours, but that didn’t mean squat. She wasn’t interested. Her temporary time in Harland County had nothing to do with finding a man and everything to do with finding herself again. Liking herself again.

She sucked down more tea.

The mother-to-be smirked and nodded to the glass blessedly cool in Gwen’s suddenly warm hand. “You’ve been drinking the water for over a half-hour now. I used it to make the iced tea.”

Shit. She shoved the nearly empty glass away. “It’s okay. I’m immune.”

And nothing like the friendly women seated at the table. There was a difference between her and them. A big difference. They all had something in common—they were good people.

She wasn’t.

And had the past to prove it. A past, at times, unfortunately captured in print.

But she was working on changing her life. Working on making amends. Behaving. Keeping on the straight and narrow. Avoiding bad boys like Tanner. That was key.

And, oh yeah, he was definitely the poster child for bad boys, from the wicked tug of his lips pitting dimples in his cheeks, to the devilish glint in his brown eyes. Pure sin. Pure temptation.

Pure trouble.

“Exactly what I said,” Kerri stated. “I thought I was immune.”

“Me, too,” Holly agreed.

Brandi nodded. “Me, three.”

“Ditto.” Shayla smiled.

The hell with it. Gwen reached for her glass and finished the remainder of her tea while the women continued to smirk. Damage was already done.

“I meant what I said.” Holly leaned closer to the table a few seconds later. “Tanner is a good guy. And I could tell there’s something between the two of you when I saw you talking earlier.”

She snorted. “I could tell something, too.”

“What?”

“He thought I came to Texas looking for him.” She shook her head. “I set him straight, though.”

Kerri narrowed her gaze. “What’d you do?”

Gwen shrugged. “Told him to get over himself. I was here to help you.”

Once again, the women laughed, and Jordan even slapped the table. “I knew I liked you.”

At least someone did.

“Well, you may have put Tanner in his place,” Holly said, damn smile still curving her mouth. “But I know what I saw, and what I saw was some serious chemistry. And trust me, I know chemistry and the losing battle of trying to fight it.”

“Amen,” Shayla murmured.

She shook her head and sighed. “You’re still not getting it. I did not come down here because of Tanner.”

“No, I do get that,” the guest of honor insisted. “You’re here temporarily. To help out. To work.”

“Yes.”

Holly sat back in her chair and lifted a shoulder. “So was I, but things change. My priorities changed. I changed. And I’m blessed to have met Jace, and damn lucky he wants me in his life.” A happy expression lit the woman’s face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to badger, it’s just, I’ve been where you are, and well, things have a way of snowballing out of control.”

“Amen.”

“Ditto.”

Crap.

“Thanks for your concern, but I’m pretty sure that won’t happen to me. Tanner and I had one night. A great night, but that’s all it was. It’s enough,” she defended, more than a little disconcerted to realize she was lying through her teeth. A few more nights in the cowboy’s capable hands would probably put an end to her strange longings. But she refused to go there. “It really was nothing more than letting off some steam. Hell, I don’t even know his last name.”

“Hathaway,” the women replied in unison.

Shit. She didn’t want to know that.

“He’s a national guardsman and volunteer firefighter who helps out at all the ranches around here, including ours,” Brandi added.

Or that either.

“Hate to break it to you,” Jordan said. “But, despite his bad boy persona, Tanner Hathaway is a stand up guy. He’s always first to help out, lend a hand, give up his time.”

Heat gathered low in Gwen’s belly as her body instantly remembered how he’d helped her out when he lent a hand and gave more than his time.

“See that man he’s talking to?” Holly pointed to the bar.

Reluctantly, she twisted around and looked. Tanner, Jace, and Kade were laughing at something the older, gray-haired man had said. “Yeah.”

“That’s his mentor Barry Patterson, the old fire chief,” the dark-haired woman explained. “Barry has Alzheimer’s and no family left to take care of him. Guess who stops in to check on the guy daily?”

Well, hell. She definitely didn’t need to know that. Her heart cracked open enough for her chest to hurt with some unknown emotion. Dammit. She needed to shut these women up and fast before she rode the stupid train and warmed up to the bad boy.

She turned back to face the table, and change the subject. “I did a calendar shoot once to benefit Alzheimer’s. It’s a terrible disease.” The mother of one of her model friends had suffered from it for years before succumbing. In her grief, Jane had turned to drugs and alcohol, and although Gwen had liked to party, she’d refused to do drugs and had tried to get her friend to stop.

Now, it was no longer an issue.

“Are you really done with modeling?” Brandi asked.

“Yeah.” Shayla lifted the baby girl to her shoulder to pat a man-worthy burp from the newborn. “You’re so darn tall, and slim, and beautiful.”

“And your long, blonde hair is so shiny,” Kerri said, shifting in her seat. “A gorgeous combination with your blue eyes.”

Jeez. They made her sound perfect. Lord knew, far from it. Although, for the past ten years, she’d made a living off of perfection, traveling to perfect places, eating the perfect cuisine, dating the perfect billionaire, rock star, movie star, or politician. Doing what she was told in front of the camera. Doing what she was told behind the camera. Smile. Don’t smile. Pout. Laugh. Smolder.

God, how she hated smolder.

And hated the lifestyle she had once loved. It had become too…fake. She had become too fake. She didn’t even know who the real Gwen was anymore. So, she’d left it behind. Walked away.

“You look like a woman who has shut a door and turned a corner.” Jordan’s gaze was shrewd and sure.

She lifted a shoulder and pursed her lips. “Guess you could say I’m at a crossroads, trying to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of my life. Which is tough, considering I have no real skills except smiling and posing. And, well, cooking, thanks to growing up working in my dad’s diner.”

“Which I’m forever grateful.” Kerri grinned as she lightly touched Gwen’s arm. “Thanks, again, for dropping everything and coming down here to help me out.”

She returned the woman’s smile. “It’s like I said, I was sort of in limbo anyway. It’s nice to have something to do.”

In her attempt to move forward, Gwen discovered you couldn’t go back. After making amends with her family and ex-boyfriend, she realized her stay in the Poconos wouldn’t be permanent. Something was missing. A piece of her. Too bad she had no idea how to find it, or even where to look. But she knew she was on the right track in her quest to like herself again. Maybe, her time in Harland County would reveal another piece.

The sound of men’s laughter drew her attention back to the bar and the tempting man she planned to avoid. Like the plague. And chain letters. The minute she’d laid eyes on Tanner last fall, she’d known he was six-foot plus of pure trouble, because he’d managed to make her do something she hadn’t in years.

Feel.

As if sensing her scrutiny, he stilled, then turned to stare straight at her. Gwen’s heart leapt in her chest.

Dammit.

Any last hope she’d had about their chemistry being a fluke dissipated, along with her breath.

Still on the fence about his smokin’ hot, one night stand from Pennsylvania showing up out of the blue, Tanner Hathaway should’ve been thrilled to learn Gwen was actually in town to help out the McCall sisters, and not there looking to hunt him down.

So, why the hell was he letting her parting remark eat at his gut?

Get over yourself, cowboy. Our time between the sheets was good, but not that good.

What the hell had she meant by not that good?

It had been great. Hot and frenzied. Unexpectedly intense. And as he recalled, she’d enjoyed herself. Twice. He’d made her cry out two damn times during their brief visit to his hotel room.

Yeah, okay, so he’d been a bit surprised to find her dressed and heading for the door when he’d emerged from taking care of the condom in the bathroom. Hell, he’d only just rolled off her gorgeous curves two minutes earlier. Truth was, he’d hoped to have the whole night with the hot woman, but wasn’t stupid enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her leaving took care of him having to come up with some passable goodbye in the morning.

He’d been relieved.

Now, he was beginning to wonder if she’d split because he’d come up lacking, despite her two orgasms.

He eyed the woman now seated with Holly, Brandi, and several other Harland County beauties. She fit right into that category, with her mesmerizing blue eyes, long legs, and sleek blonde hair that had felt so damn soft and silky when he’d cupped her head and plundered her mouth as he’d driven deep inside her.

Shit. His zipper started to bite into his dick. Again.

Damn woman and her flowery scent had spiked awareness straight to his groin when they’d spoken earlier. Standing there, taking her attitude, his body had remembered every bit of hers…and how it had hungered for more ever since that night back in PA.

His gut clenched as a thought occurred. What if she’d faked it?

No. No way in hell.

Sure, she could’ve faked the screaming, but she sure as shit hadn’t faked her body quivering around him. No, she’d definitely climaxed, twice.

So, what the hell more had she wanted?

“Yo, earth to Tanner. What’s going on, man?” Harper, one of his guard buddies shoulder-checked him as they stood at the bar with a few friends.

He blinked and refocused. “What’s up?”

“Good question.” Doctor Jace Turner smiled.

“Agreed,” Top, their First Sergeant, Kade Dalton, said into his beer.

Well, his First Sergeant. Jace had resigned his commission to join Doctors Without Borders and was no longer in the Texas National Guard with them.

Damn. That was going to take some getting used to. He and his buddy, Jesse Briscoe, who stood smirking behind the doc, had joined the guard a year after Jace.

That was nine years ago.

Doc cocked his head. “You keep making googly-eyes at the gorgeous blonde you disappeared with at Kade’s wedding last year. You two planning to pick up where you left off?”

Chapter Two

‡

Tanner studied the woman whose gaze turned slightly apprehensive and possibly a little regretful when Jordan and Kerri’s mother and mother-in-law approached, gushing over Shayla’s baby girl.

He couldn’t tell by her reaction if she wanted kids or detested them. The woman was five-foot-ten inches of gorgeous contradiction and puzzlement.

He hated puzzles.

Top stopped drinking to spare him a sideways glance before transferring his gaze to Gwen, then returned his attention to his beer. “Hope you know what you’re doing.”

“And who,” Harper added. “That’s supermodel Gwen Gable. Man, the tabloids loved her, and her wild times. Bet they’ll miss her now that she’s retired. How the hell did you manage to land a beauty like that, Tanner?”

“I didn’t land her, you ox,” he replied, facing his idiot friend. “We conversed, you know, something civilized people do. You should try it.”

Harper snickered. “Conversed? Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

He shook his head and reached for his beer. “Why do I bother?”

“You still didn’t answer the question,” Jace reminded.

Damn. He’d hoped the doc had forgotten the question.

“She’s pretty, Tanner.” Barry Patterson, former fire chief and his mentor smiled as he cupped his shoulder. “You should go talk to her.”

He already had, and it hadn’t gone so well. But, he wasn’t about to tell that to the man who was more like a father to him than a friend.

Barry owned the ranch next door to the one Tanner had grown up on. Patterson Ranch had become a place of refuge and learning when his no-good-piece-of-shit uncle got drunk.

From the day he’d been dropped off at the run-down ranch when his crack-head mother had overdosed when he was eight, Tanner had put up with the alcoholic’s bullshit and beatings, until he’d been sixteen, grew several inches, and a backbone, and swung back. By that time, he’d been in trouble with the law on several occasions, and had snuck over to the Patterson Ranch to take the man’s old Thunderbird out for a joyride.

Barry had caught him red handed…after Tanner had crashed the car into the side of his barn. Instead of turning him in and pressing charges, though, the then fire chief had made him repair the barn, and the car, working alongside him every step of the way.

No one had ever given him the benefit of the doubt before. Or given him time. Barry Patterson had saved his life, not from a fire, or car wreck, or flood, but from himself, and the destructive path he’d been on since arriving in Harland County.

“Oh, look, there’s Chief Tattersall,” Barry said, his attention suddenly transferred to Tanner’s supervisor at the fire station. “Excuse me, fellas.” He nodded to them and moseyed off.

Once upon a time, Barry had been his supervisor. Hell, the man had been the reason he’d become a volunteer firefighter. He admired the hell out of the guy. Wanted to be like him. Wanted to make him proud.

Nowadays, he just wanted to keep him safe.

“How’s he doing?” Jesse slid closer, eyeing the retreating older man. “Seemed pretty lucid today.”

Tanner nodded. “Yeah. Today’s a good day.”

“Unfortunately, with Alzheimer’s, those days dwindle,” Jace proclaimed, sadness darkening his gaze. “They’re going to start to become few and far between.”

They already had. Tanner steeled himself against the stab of pain that always accompanied that thought. He hated watching his friend fade away. Hated being helpless to stop it.

Hated the possibility of his mentor forgetting him…

“You’re doing a good thing, Tanner,” Kade said. “Barry’s lucky to have you.”

Jace nodded. “You do know daily visits aren’t going to be enough. You never know when he’s going to slip, or for how long.”

Tanner nodded. Yeah, he knew. He’d witnessed it more and more. The pain piercing his gut increased.

“Have you given any thought into talking to him about a home?” Doc asked in a low voice full of concern.

He blew out a breath, trying like hell to relieve the sharp throbbing suddenly pummeling from all sides. The thought of his friend, his helpless friend in a home, walking aimlessly through halls, not knowing a soul, just about killed Tanner.

“He’s not that bad yet,” he said, okay, more like growled, but dammit, he was angry. Not at Jace, but at life.

Barry was a great man. He’d saved countless lives, never giving a thought to his own safety. Year after year. Someone you could count on to help. Go to for help. Even if it had been just to lend an ear, as Tanner had sometimes needed after returning from deployment from the war. Barry never judged. Never lectured. He supported. Had your back. He didn’t desert, and dammit, Tanner would not desert the man in his hour of need.

“There’s going to come a time when you’ll need to discuss it. Even if you moved in, you can’t be with him twenty-four-seven,” Jace said, shoving a card into Tanner’s shirt pocket before cupping his shoulder. “That’s the number of a good place here in the county. They have a compassionate staff. Locked doors. Constant supervision. I wouldn’t steer you wrong, you know that.”

He nodded, even though the desire to remove the card and rip it into shreds shook through him.

“I know you want to throw it out. But don’t,” the doc said, exuding a keenness he was known for. “Keep it in a drawer. Promise me, man.”

Tanner clenched and unclenched his jaw a few times before he cleared his throat and nodded again. “Promise.”

Son of a bitch. Now that meant he had to put the damn card in a drawer. He’d made another promise long ago—a promise to Barry to never welsh on his word.

“Okay, so let’s get back to this Gwen thing,” Harper said, lifting his beer. “I still say Tanner needs to go converse with her.”

Damn man was snickering.

Ah, hell. So was Jace and Kade.

The only one who hadn’t said anything about the woman yet was Jesse. His buddy peered at him from over the doc’s shoulder, but remained silent. He smirked—he smirked a lot—but didn’t say a damn word.

Bastard.

“From my understanding,” Kade began. “She’s only here for a few weeks. Just to fill in for Kerri.”

He kept his mouth shut and nodded. The woman had already informed him, just…not quite as politely.

“Well, since Kerri hasn’t had her baby yet, I’d say you have the possibility of stretching the conversation over a good twelve to fourteen weeks.” Jace winked.

Good. That worked for him. He wanted another shot with the woman.

‘Not that good,’ my ass.

He was going to make Gwen cry out a third time…or more.

Gwen spent the next morning and half the afternoon cooking alongside Kerri at the Tex Pub, which was closed until four o’clock, learning the menu and how certain dishes were made. And swiftly becoming enamored. The brown-haired beauty was a bazillion months pregnant and running rings around her in the kitchen.

Finally, after mastering ribs, Cajun sirloin, and a pot of chili, she was given a thumbs up by her temporary boss.

“You’re a quick learner,” the woman said, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “You have no idea how relieved I am to be able to leave my kitchen in the hands of someone as capable as you.”

An unexpected burning stung Gwen’s eyes. She’d worked with plenty of people who’d appreciated what she could give them—mega magazine sales, clothing sales, car sales, even music downloads, which all translated into money—but this was the first time, in a long time, someone was genuinely happy to have her around for herself, to keep a place in order, running smoothly, not to bring in a boatload of cash.

“Don’t worry,” she said, forcing the words from her hot throat. Stupid throat. “I’ll take good care of your kitchen and customers. I promise.”

“I’m not worried.” Kerri smiled at her with confidence shining in her brown eyes as she pulled her in for a hug. “I know you will. Thank you.” The woman drew back and grimaced. “And now I need to go to the bathroom for what feels like the twelfth time in the past two hours. Dang baby must be napping on my bladder today. Excuse me.”

After her boss disappeared into the dining room, Gwen moved over to the sink to finish washing the last pot. Maybe coming to Harland County was going to work out better than she’d thought. It was only the second day, and she’d already put a genuine smile on someone’s face without having to pose.

Might seem like a small thing to most, but not to her. That was rather a big thing. Her own lips tugged into a smile as she hung up the dry pot, then went back to the sink to drain the water. If the glamour magazines could see her now, hair pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck, no makeup, comfortable old NASCAR T-shirt and pair of cutoff shorts on legs she hadn’t shaved in two days…

“Don’t you look right at home?”

Gwen squeaked and spun around, clutching the sink behind her with one hand and her throat with the other as she faced her visitor. “Tanner,” she said, covering her pulse with her fingers in a foolish attempt to calm the rapid thumping. “You scared the hell out of me.”

If she hadn’t recognized his deep, lazy tone, her body’s reaction to his presence was a dead giveaway. Damn goosebumps raced down her arms and spine in unison. What was up with that? He was the only man ever to cause her skin to bump up.

“Sorry, darlin’. I assumed you’d heard me talking to Kerri before I came in.”

“No, I was too busy putting away pots and pans to hear you over the noise,” she told him, then added, “Darlin’.”

He chuckled as he stopped in front of her, one of the few men tall enough to make her need to tip her head to see his face. And what a handsome face it was, too. Strong cheekbones and jaw, all tanned and covered in a day’s growth of beard, dark lashes framing a brown gaze, warm…and heaven help her…heated.

“W-well, what did you want?” Even though she wanted to bolt, her stubborn side refused to let her move.

The right side of his mouth slowly tugged into a grin. “You always so testy?”

“You always so pushy?”

Now, the left side of his wicked mouth curved, too. “I’m not pushy,” he insisted, gripping the sink on either side of her, bringing his hard, muscled, black T-shirt and jean clad body to within a fragment of air from hers.

Which was a problem. A serious problem. Especially, considering just the simple act of walking and his solid frame moving made her body itch to ditch her clothes.

Not good.

His nearness fogged her brain, and heated her from the inside out. Or was that a Texas thing? She wasn’t sure. Only that he was so deliciously damn close she could see the golden specs in his eyes melt into a deep, decadent caramel blazing hot enough to evaporate her composure.

“Wh-what are you doing?” she whispered, wishing her stupid, stubborn side hadn’t butted in and she’d moved when she’d had the chance, because at the moment, she couldn’t feel her damn legs.

“Testing a theory,” he replied, his words as slow and deliberate as his movements.

And even though he’d given her plenty of time to push him away, she didn’t move a muscle. Just stood there, anticipating, and waiting for the sexy man to make a move. After several, long seconds, he leaned down and, oh God, she could feel the slightest brush of stubble against her neck as he slowly inhaled.

“Damn, no one smells as good as you, Gwen.”

He smelled pretty good, too. Damn good, and she could no more stop herself from inhaling his freshly showered, musky male scent than her eyes from crossing.

“Not good my ass,” he muttered, drawing back to stare down into her face.

She blinked, then smiled, her brain finally cluing in to what this was all about. “You’re sore about my remark yesterday.”

“Damn right.” He lifted a hand to run his finger from her ear to her jaw, lingering just below her lower lip. “What we did in the Poconos was better than good.”

True, and she even might have told him had she been able to draw air into her lungs.

Ah, shoot. He’d set his other hand on her hip and lightly squeezed while he leaned in to brush her jaw with his lips.

“Wasn’t it, Gwen?”

Her body strained closer to his and quivered when he nibbled on her ear.

“Say it.”

When she still didn’t respond, mostly because of the lack of air thing, he cupped her head and sank his teeth in the spot behind her ear that drove her crazy. Apparently, the spot had to be connected to her airway, because she was able to suck in a breath, and even let out a strangled moan. “Yes…”

He continued to stroke and tease with his mouth and tongue while she slid her hands up his chest.

“I could have you crying out in less than five minutes,” he murmured, his words as hot as his breath on her skin and the bulge pressing against her low, and nearly on target.

She let out a needy little sound and fisted his shirt. Damn man was trouble.

When he drew back, eyes heavy-lidded and wicked, he glanced from her hands to her face. A slow, satisfied smile curved his sexy lips. “Not good my ass,” he repeated.

Part of her wanted to push him away and tell him to get the hell out of the kitchen, but another part, a bigger part, wanted her to start owning up. To be real with people. Not fake.

So, even though it was tough, she held her head high and smoothed out his shirt. “You’re right. It was better than good, Tanner. It’s just not the reason I’m down here.”

He studied her gaze for a moment, then nodded. “I believe you.”

“So…we’re good?”

He stepped back into her, pushing a solid thigh between her legs as he cupped her face with both hands. “Getting there.”

His dark, simmering gaze did crazy things to her pulse, which manifested when he slowly lowered his mouth, again giving her time to push him away.

She should have. Definitely. That would’ve been the smart thing to do, and she was all about making smart choices for a change. But the need and hunger in her won out and kicked smart right in the ass. She’d go back to being smart in say…five minutes?

The instant his lips brushed hers, a remembered warmth spread through her body, making her re-fist his shirt. A deep groan rumbled through him and repeated when he parted her lips with his, kissing her with a familiar intensity she’d passed off as a fluke last year. An imagined occurrence. But she wasn’t imagining or remembering right now. No. She was feeling and kissing and touching, and the intensity was definitely holy-shit real.

By the time they broke apart for air, she was halfway to that orgasm. And all he’d done was kiss her.

“Okay, that was…” She was at a loss for words, and air.

“Better than good,” he supplied, his breathing just as ragged and deep.

“Yes.” She smiled. “It was definitely better than good. Too good. I was thinking more on the lines of trouble.”

“Agreed.”

“Then, maybe we shouldn’t do that again.” Unless they wanted to get burnt to cinders. That wasn’t a good look for her. She doubted it was on the top of his list, either. She cocked her head and frowned. “Besides, I got the impression you didn’t date the same woman twice.”

His mouth quirked and dimples appeared as he leaned close. “Well, now, we never actually went on a date, did we?”

“True,” she agreed. “We sort of fast forwarded to the hot and heavy part. But, that’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid, Tanner. I’m trying to make something more of my life than a good time. To think before I act. I need to concentrate on me, and well, you’ve just proven you’re too distracting.”

“I understand,” he said quietly, and stepped back.

Thank God…I think. Was it normal for disappointment to rush through her veins? “If I ever get to the point where the me part is ready for some fun, I’ll look you up.”

“You do that.”

“I will.” She nodded, holding his friendly gaze, sharing an actual…moment with the hot cowboy. “I came down here to help Kerri out…” She paused, then frowned at the round clock on the wall.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, gaze narrowed and alert.

“It’s Kerri. She’s been gone a little too long just to…” She rushed from the kitchen with Tanner hot on her heels, a sense of dread clawing at her gut.

Chapter Three

‡

As soon as Gwen pushed through the swinging door, she heard her boss calling her name, and was surprised to find Kerri sitting at a table. She changed direction and scrambled to the woman’s side.

“Are you okay?” Taking in her friend’s pallor and shallow breathing, she concluded the answer was no.

“My water just broke,” Kerri replied, then bent forward and clutched the table edge until her knuckles went white.

A contraction.

Invisible bands appeared out of nowhere to squeeze Gwen’s chest tight. For a moment, she froze. Couldn’t move. Or blink. Or breathe as images and memories from the past came crashing back.

Tanner knelt at her boss’ other side. “Easy, darlin’. It’s going to be fine.”

“No, it’s not.” Kerri shook her head. “We need to sanitize the floor and probably burn this chair I’m on.”

The sound of their voices broke through Gwen’s haze, and she touched her friend’s arm. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it. You just worry about this baby.”

That was the only thing important right now. Kerri and her unborn baby.

“Yeah.” Tanner nodded, reaching for her boss’ wrist as he studied his watch. “You’re doing great,” he said several tense seconds later, then released her to stand and fish out his phone. “I’m going to call for the ambulance. It’s about time your little one made an appearance.”

“Can’t you just take me?” Kerri frowned. “I’d offer my car, but Connor dropped me off. He doesn’t want me driving. And Gwen walked over here this morning.”

“Sorry, darlin’. I brought my bike.”

Amusement lifted some of the pain from her face. “What? Afraid a pregnant woman on the back of your Harley would ruin your reputation?”

“No.” He laughed. “You’d rock that look, but I think you need something a bit more comfortable.”

Of course he had a Harley. He probably skidded out of his mother’s womb on one. Just picturing his powerful body, all laid back, muscles bunching and rippling down his arms as he gripped the handle bars turned Gwen on a teeny bit. And pushed the dark images from her past to the back of her mind.

“Gwen? Can you…g-get my p-purse?” Kerri panted, fingers whitening around the corner of the table again.

“Sure,” she replied, noting Tanner had ended his call.

“Ambulance is out on another call,” he informed, shoving his phone into his pocket before kneeling back down at Kerri’s side. “But your sister is on her way. Seems you’re going to get to ride in the back of a squad car.”

“Lovely.”

Gwen heard her boss’ grumble on her way into the kitchen to grab the purse, a clean tablecloth, and fill a cup with chipped ice, before stopping briefly to wet a dish towel and squeeze it. She knew her friend would need them all.

Hands full, she returned to the dining room. “Here,” she said, receiving a strange look from Tanner as she set everything on the table and handed Kerri the purse.

“Thanks.” Her friend immediately shoved her hand in a side pocket. “Just what I thought.” She smiled at her phone. “Four missed calls. I need to call…C-Connor back.” Despite the pain obviously wracking her body, Kerri dialed the phone, then frowned. “He’s n-not answering.”

Tanner took the cell from her. “We’ll find him.”

His voice was reassuring and as calm as his expression.

“You don’t understand.” The distressed woman tried to stand, but Tanner cupped her shoulders and held her in place. “He’s…I don’t want him driving either.”

Beyond puzzled by that statement, Gwen pulled a chair close and sat down. “I’m sure your sister can help. Just sit tight until she gets here.”

Kerri sighed. “You’re right. Thanks.” She patted Gwen’s hand, then squeezed, hard.

Pain radiated up her arm, but she didn’t pull back. Instead, she held firm as the poor mother-to-be suffered through another contraction. “Let’s breathe through it, Kerri. Like this,” she encouraged, and demonstrated the technique she’d learned long ago.

Again, Tanner sent her a strange look, but she put him and the sad memories from her past out of her mind, and concentrated on her friend. This time, things were going to be fine.

“Thanks.” Kerri fell back in her seat a minute later, chest heaving, sweat dripping down her temple. “They’re getting stronger.”

“And closer,” Tanner observed, picking up the wet cloth Gwen had placed on the table and pressing it to Kerri’s forehead.

Her boss sighed. “Feels great. Thanks, Tanner.”

“Thank, Gwen,” he said, a spark of admiration in the warm gaze he turned her way. “She’s the one who brought it out.”

Gwen ignored the flutter in her chest and held out the cup of ice to her friend. “Here, it’s not good to drink anything right now, but you can suck on a piece of ice to relieve your dry throat.”

“You are a goddess.”

She chuckled. “I like the sound of that.”

“Goddess Gwen.” Tanner grinned. “Seems fitting.”

She had no idea how to respond, especially since a little heat entered his gaze, but was spared as Connor and Jordan burst inside the restaurant.

“Kerri!” The big guy covered the distance in three strides.

Tanner moved back, and she followed to let the others close.

“I’m here, darlin’.” The cowboy knelt down to gently grasp his wife’s hand.

“Hey, sis.” Jordan set a hand on Kerri’s shoulder, her smile warm and reassuring. “This is what you’ve been waiting for. You’ve got this.”

The mother-to-be nodded, then grimaced. “Yeah, but, I wouldn’t mind not having it a few minutes so I could catch my breath.”

“Ah, hell, darlin’.” Connor leaned in. “You okay? I’m so, so sorry you’re in all this pain.” The poor guy’s face was just as pale and drawn.

Gwen set the cup on the table, her heart warming at the sight of the love, so tender yet fierce, shining in the man’s eyes as he stared at his wife.

“It’s okay. It’ll be worth it,” Kerri said, then grit her teeth and held onto her husband as she began to breathe like Gwen had instructed a few minutes earlier.

Connor joined in, pain etched on his face while the couple worked through the contraction. Gwen had no idea if the cowboy’s pain was from Kerri’s tight hold, or something else.

“I hate being this helpless,” Jordan murmured after she rose to her feet and backed up to where she and Tanner stood out of the way. “Thanks for being here with her.”

Gwen nodded. “No problem.”

She certainly hadn’t done anything special. The day was a scheduled day for her to be at the Pub to learn and watch. Guess she’ll be learning on the go tonight. But that was fine with her. She came to Texas knowing she’d be jumping right into work.

“That was another big one,” Kerri stated a half a minute later, reaching for the cup of ice. “You okay, Connor?”

“I’ll be better once you’re not in all this pain,” he replied. A worried frown creased his brow as he glanced at Tanner. “You’re a first responder. You’ve been on calls like this before. Something’s wrong. That much pain can’t be right.”

Gwen’s stomach knotted and it took a second to find her breath.

“Everything’s good, man,” Tanner reassured. “Kerri’s getting into the hard labor stage, that’s all.”

The mother-to be cupped her husband’s jaw and forced him to face her. “I’m fine. That’s what the classes told us to expect, remember?”

“Yeah, but…damn, darlin’.”

“I know.” Kerri smiled.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Cripes. My mother went through it twice. Willingly? She’s a damn saint.”

Jordan stepped toward her sister. “What do you say we get you to the hospital so you can have my niece or nephew?”

The cowboy nodded as he rose to his feet, scooping his wife up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather.

Kerri grimaced. “I’m going to get you all gross.”

“Not a damn thing gross about you having our baby,” Connor said with such tender conviction, Gwen had to blink her vision clear.

“Aw, thank you, sweetheart.” The woman smiled sweetly up at her husband. “And I appreciate you not comparing me to one of your birthing heifers.”

“Of course not. I would never do that. I value my man parts too much.”

Tanner chuckled. “I’ll get the doors.”

Kerri reached a hand out toward her. “Gwen, I’m sorry to leave you all this mess on top of needing you to cook tonight.”

“Hey, it’s fine. Honest,” she said, clasping her boss’ outstretched hand. “I’ve got this. You go have your baby.”

“See? Goddess,” Kerri said with a smile just before her husband carried her out the door Tanner held open.

Gwen shook her head and grinned at Jordan. “Your sister’s delirious. Must be all that pain.”

“I’d say she’s spot on,” the sheriff said, then cupped her shoulder and leveled her with a serious gaze. “Thanks again, for stepping up and helping Kerri.”

“No thanks necessary.” She shrugged then moved out of her hold to grab the tablecloth. “Here, you might want to get out there and put this on the seat.”

“A kind, beautiful, and smart Goddess.”

The woman was gone before Gwen could get a word past her hot throat. Jeez, she was in Harland County a little over twenty-four hours and already on emotional overload. The past several years, she’d closed up, bottled everything in. Smiled for the cameras and played it close to the vest, keeping emotions on the back burner. But, that was in the past. She was trying to find her feet, but not this damn fast. She needed a break.

Baby steps.

A small smile tugged her lips. Given the events of the past twenty-two minutes, baby steps were definitely appropriate for the day.

After helping Connor and Kerri settle into the back of the cruiser and seeing Jordan off, Tanner glanced at his watch. He needed to be at the fire station in four minutes to meet up with a few other volunteers scheduled to tackle cleaning. After stopping at The Creamery for a milkshake and discovering from new hire Caitlin that Gwen had started work at the Pub the same day, he’d foolishly rolled into the restaurant parking lot instead of heading to the station earlier.

Dumb.

It was supposed to be just a friendly visit to check on the ladies, but the minute he found himself alone with Gwen, her ‘not that good’ remark flittered through his brain and turned him stupid.

No, turned him into an ass. Cripes, he’d accosted her in the kitchen. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d lost his mind. Well, his ‘friendly visit’ had backfired. Served him right, too. In his quest to prove they were ‘good’ together, he’d proved…they were good together. Better than good. Their chemistry was off the charts.

And dangerous as hell.

Wanting another shot at her turned into wanting to turn tail and run.

He shoved a hand through his hair and eyed the entrance.

Leave, idiot.

She’d told him what he’d wanted to hear. Admitted his performance had been memorable. Restored his mancard. They’d left things in a good place. It was time to get on the damn bike and ride away. Hell, he’d done it a dozen times in the past.

Leaving was smart. He strode to his Harley because he always played it smart and cool.

But, this time, it was different. This time, he’d seen deep pain and remorse in the woman’s eyes. This time, it mattered. She mattered.

Dammit.

Muttering a curse, he pivoted around and marched back into the Pub to find the dining room cleaned and Gwen putting away the cleaning supplies.

“Need any help?” he asked, hiding a smile when she squeaked and turned to face him, hand to her throat in a déjà vu from the kitchen.

“Tanner!” She blinked. “Jeez, you scared me. Again. What do I have to do? Put a damn bell around your neck?”

He chuckled. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. I came back in to see how you were doing.”

She stiffened, and her expression closed right before his eyes. “Things are good. Just finished cleaning up, now I need to tackle some chores to get things ready for the kitchen staff and set up crew that’s due in an hour.”

“I wasn’t talking about the restaurant, Gwen,” he said quietly, stopping right in front of her. “I was asking about you.”

“Me?” She frowned. “I’m fine.”

Did the woman think he was blind? “Fine my ass. You’re shaking.”

Her chin rose. “Because you bug me. I don’t like to be bugged,” she said, and made to walk around him.

He stepped closer, blocking her path. “Gwen.”

“Don’t you have a fire to put out or a cat to rescue or something?”

Now, she was frowning at his throat, refusing to meet his gaze because she no doubt knew he’d read the bullshit. Lord knew, he’d thrown enough of it during his youth. Due to that experience, he was a qualified human bullshit meter.

“Gwen. Look at me.”

To help, he crooked a finger under her chin and gently tugged until she finally met his gaze.

Ah, hell.

She slayed him. Her big, blue eyes were full of determination and grit that didn’t quite mask the vulnerability and pain lurking beneath.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her close, unwilling to dissect the relief flowing through his veins when she offered no protest and burrowed deep.

Tanner knew he’d just crossed a line, a line he never even approached in the past. One that separated his emotions from his sexual liaisons. But right now, the distressed beauty and whatever haunted her, making her shake in his arms, was more important than his damn comfort zone.

“It’s all right, darlin’. It’s okay,” he told her, stroking her back as she clung tight.

Whatever bothered her had to be pretty big to get through her tough skin. He recognized a kindred spirit when he saw one. A master at holding things in and only showing the world what she thought the world wanted to see, keeping her fears and hopes to herself so they would never be crushed.

Because at one time, they had been.

“Sorry,” she said, drawing back with a sniff when her trembling subsided. “I don’t usually let the past get to me.”

“No worries,” he replied, wiping away a stray tear from her soft cheek. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Hell no.” She stepped back and away from his touch. “I’m good. Thanks.”

“There’s no shame in being affected by witnessing a woman in labor.”

A lot of people would bolt the minute someone was in pain, or bleeding, whether they knew that person well, or only met them a time or two. Gwen had shown her true colors. She’d been a rock. Dependable. Calm and caring.

“You were terrific, and a big help to Kerri,” he said, admiration seeping in.

Her gaze narrowed in an apparent sign she was unsure what to do with his praise. “Thanks. I…helped a friend through it once.”

He wasn’t sure if she meant herself or an actual friend. Either way, she didn’t elaborate, and it was none of his damn business. “Well, thank you for keeping Kerri calm.”

“No thanks necessary. I’m just glad things are good.”

For a brief second, a haunted look clouded her blue gaze.

Again, he got the impression something had happened in her past related to childbirth, but he wasn’t stupid enough to push. And why should he? They hardly knew each other well enough to dive into something so personal.

Hell, he didn’t want to know her that well. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. And since the woman just reassured him she was, and stopped shaking, he needed to leave.

“Well, good luck on your first day here, and flying solo.”

She blew out a breath and nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’ll do great.” He sent her his best reassuring grin. “See you around.”

“Yep.” She nodded again. “See you around.”

Neither of them moved, even though they both had jobs to do. The longer they stared at each other, the warmer it became, until his body temperature reached critical mass. He fought the need to strip them both naked and assuage their burning. But, because they were combustible and had wisely decided to leave things in the past, he pivoted on his booted heel and strode for the door.

Chief Tattersall was going to wonder what the hell happened to him. Considering he was five minutes late, he knew the drill. A phone call was eminent. The last thing he needed on his conscious was another hot embrace with the tempting beauty. Given the amount of heat that had entered her gaze when she’d stared at his mouth a second ago, that was exactly what would happen if he didn’t leave as if his pants were on fire.

As he pushed through the door and fished the ringing phone from his pocket, Tanner silently admitted his body was a walking inferno and Gwen was the accelerant.

A dangerous combination. One to be avoided at all costs.

Trick was getting his body to agree.

Chapter Four

‡

Faith Ann McCall was born forty-three minutes after her mother had arrived at the hospital. Relief had eased the stiffness from Gwen’s spine the second Jordan had called to tell her the good news. It had been the icing topping a slightly lumpy cake on her first day of work at the Tex Pub.

That was nearly two weeks ago. Finding her feet in a restaurant that served some dishes she’d never even heard of—let alone cooked before—had been a challenge. One she thoroughly enjoyed. Who knew?

The staff had been knowledgeable and friendly, which had also surprised Gwen. She wasn’t used to being accepted without having to prove herself worthy. All those years of serving at her dad’s diner had actually rubbed off. Stuck to her ribs. When she’d been young, she couldn’t wait to leave, to get away from the place and the tedious, boring chores of peeling, cutting, slicing, simmering, frying, and baking. Now, she found the tasks created a completely different emotion. It made her feel like…home.

It was familiar, and she felt a certain amount of comfort in the kitchen, turning out entrees and desserts on command. The pace was hectic and frenzied, but always upbeat and gratifying. Especially when customers complimented the cook.

Gwen was no Kerri McCall, not by a long shot, but she was pleased to know the woman’s customers were happy and satisfied with her attempts to fill in. They even enjoyed the pierogies she’d made one night, exposing the good people of Harland County to her polish side. She took her role seriously, even so far as to practice at night in her cottage if she was unsure of the next day’s special. And she was getting good, too; a fact her hips and thighs could attest from sampling her results.

“I’ll bite,” Caitlin said. “Why are you smiling?”

Gwen blinked and brought her mind back to the present, and the fabulous sundae dripping with chocolate and caramel the woman set in front of her, making her taste buds sing.

“Anticipation,” she replied, pointing to her treat.

The same treat she ordered every time she stopped by The Creamery to chat with her new friends, Caitlin Ryan, another Harland County transplant, and Lacey Turner, a lifelong resident; her go to person if she had a question about someone or something in town.

The two women were several years younger than her, but they’d bonded over the fact they’d started their new jobs the same week. Caitlin was working her way through college, and Lacey was working her way through going stir crazy. They met a couple times a week, usually when one of the women had a shift at the ice cream shop.

Like now. Caitlin was on duty, and on her break, while the woman’s college buddy, Donny, manned the window counter. He was cute in an awkward way, always blushing beet red whenever he glanced at Gwen. She knew right off he’d recognized her, but he always glanced away and never said a word.

She got that a lot. She also got the opposite. The jerks who thought it amusing to inform her that her swimsuit photos came in handy…in the bathroom.

“Yeah.” Her friend smiled as she sat across from her with a strawberry smoothie. “You do tend to like chocolate.”

“Who doesn’t?” Lacey asked, spoonful of Death by Chocolate rising to her mouth. The dark-haired, blue-eyed woman would’ve been stunning in print. Her strong personality would’ve leapt off the page, and probably gotten her in trouble, too.

Gwen swirled her spoon through a glob of caramel and chocolate. “It’s my one vice. I’ve been lucky enough to sample it from all over the world.”

Caitlin nodded. “I’m so envious. And you’re so blonde.” She tugged on a strand of her own hair. “Mine is a non-color. Not really dark blonde or light brown. Just sort of…meh. But yours is golden and long and sleek. The perfect shade.”

She reeled back, along with Lacey who stopped eating, and together they frowned at their misguided friend. “You need to drop those blinders you have on, Cate.”

“What do you mean?”

“She means, you have gorgeous, wheat-colored hair with sun kissed golden strands haloing your head,” Gwen informed with a wave of her spoon. “The perfect shade to compliment your blue eyes.”

“I do not.”

“Yes, you do.” Lacey shoulder-checked the ignorant woman.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “If you say so.”

“It’s not just me. There are plenty of cowboys that come in here just waiting for you to bat your lashes their way.”

“No.” The woman laughed. “They’re here for you. Not me.”

“Right.” Lacey snorted. “That’s why they line up at your counter, not mine.”

Caitlin blinked, meeting her gaze, a look of puzzlement lining her face.

“It’s true,” Gwen said. Apparently, her friend’s naiveté extended to her beauty. “I’ve seen them, too.”

The sweet woman shook her head and laughed. “It’s news to me. Why the heck don’t the guys make a move?”

“Because they’re idiots,” Lacey replied, stabbing at her ice cream. “They think we can read minds. And we should make the first move. And when we do, they…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced up at them, then waved her spoon. “They’re idiots.”

Tell us how you really feel, Gwen thought to herself, unable to voice the words due to a mouthful of ice cream.

“Yeah, we got that part.” Caitlin scooted closer. “Care to elaborate on who this particular idiot is?”

“Nope.” Lacey scraped ice cream from her bowl. “But I would like to know what Gwen’s favorite chocolate is and where it’s from, since she said she’s sampled a lot.”

Nice subject change. The woman was a master. But, she played along. Mostly because she was happy to talk about chocolate.

“Believe it or not, my favorite comes from the Poconos. My friend Jill is a chocolate connoisseur. She’s so good, some big New York conglomerate just picked her up and wants to market her chocolate.”

“Oh!” Caitlin pointed at her with her spoon. “She’s the one who made the chocolate penis pops, right?”

She grinned. “Yes.”

“Wait. Chocolate penis pops?” Lacey blinked at them. “Mmm…they sound yummy. And naughty. I’d like to get my hands—and mouth—on one of them.”

Caitlin set her spoon down and reached for her water. “The pops were a big hit at Brandi’s bachelorette party, and so good they melted in your mouth.”

Gwen recalled having several melt-in-your mouth experiences that day.

A wicked grin curved the dark-haired woman’s lips. “A chocolate co—”

“Don’t say it,” the sweet girl cut their abrasive friend off, half-choking on her water as she glanced around the semi-crowded shop. “There are kids in here.”

“Yeah, so? They’re clear across the room, and too busy shoveling ice cream into their faces.” Lacey narrowed her gaze. “Besides, you said penis.”

Caitlin blushed to the roots of her shaking head. “It’s not the same.”

Lacey snickered. “Trust me, Cate. A penis and a cock are exactly the same.”

Gwen laughed as she watched the two arguing over chocolate penises. Not an everyday conversation, but an interesting one.

“Let’s get back to Gwen.” A blue gaze stared at her, pleading. “You were about to tell us the name of your favorite chocolate dessert.”

“Right,” she said, taking pity on the poor girl. “That would be the special chocolate Jill made for my sister called Better Than. It’s to die for.”

Lacey frowned. “Better than what? Sex?”

She laughed. “No, well, yes…that’s what we’d originally called it, but Jill had to drop the sex because of the younger clientele.”

“So, no sex.”

“Right.”

A black brow rose. “But is it?”

“Is it what?”

“Better than sex?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say yes, but then memories of sex with Tanner flooded her mind and warmth spread low in her belly. Although she only had the one time to compare, it had been enough for her to form an opinion. And the answer was a solid no.

Dammit.

She sighed. “For the most part.”

“Ooohooo…” Lacey’s grin broadened as she pointed to Gwen. “You hesitated. Who was he? Come on. Fess up. Who was the guy who was better than the Better Than chocolate you love so much?”

Ah hell.

Lying wasn’t an option, but neither was telling the truth. And there was no way her cantankerous friend would let it drop without some sort of answer. The woman was like a rabid dog when she sunk her teeth into anything juicy.

Besides, Gwen had vowed to turn that new leaf and keep things above board. But damn. Being truthful sucked. She never thought it would be so tough.

“I know him, don’t I?” Lacey’s blue eyes sparkled with interest. “Jeez, girl, you’re quick. You’ve only been in Texas two weeks.”

“I don’t think it happened in Texas, Lacey,” Caitlin observed quietly.

She knew.

Bless her. Sweet girl was trying to help Gwen keep Tanner a secret. Just as she’d keep Caitlin and Keiffer hush-hush; although, she doubted either of their Pocono liaisons weren’t old news.

“Interesting.” Gaze, calculating and shrewd, the brunette stared her down while tapping her chin with her finger. “Since you didn’t deny that I know him, or dispute Caitlin’s claim about Texas, it must mean this epic sexcapade took place the weekend of Brandi’s wedding.”

Witch.

“Save your efforts,” she said with a grin. “It was a one and done type of thing. Water under the bridge.” Although, she had dreamed about floating in those waters for a bit. No harm in fantasizing.

“Yeah, but it had to be pretty epic to rank higher than your favorite dessert.” Lacey sighed. “I was trying to live vicariously through you. Spoil sport.”

Gwen swallowed a snicker. She was about as vicarious as a piece of cardboard.

She enjoyed her ice cream in silence for a whole minute. So did Caitlin and Lacey. A new record for the three of them.

“I have to get back to work soon, but there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you, Gwen.” Caitlin clasped her hands in front of her on the table as if mustering up courage.

Concern tripped her pulse. She reached out and covered the woman’s cold hands. “Hey, you can ask me anything. What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Well, since we were talking about the wedding, it made me think of Keiffer. H-how is he?”

Lacey turned to the woman and raised a brow. “Who’s Kieffer?”

“One of Brandi’s brothers. We…ah…had some fun that weekend.”

A smile tugged at the witch’s lips. “Fun, huh?”

“Yeah.” Caitlin smiled, pulling her hands out from under Gwen’s. “I was in a bit of a funk since my ex dumped me for Uncle Sam. And Keiffer, well, he made me feel good about myself. You know?” Her attention returned. “I was wondering how he was doing since his friend’s suicide.”

“Oh, wow.” Lacey’s expression sobered.

Gwen was tempted to sugar coat the truth in an effort to spare the sweet woman, but that would only do them all a disservice. What happened was tragic, and poor Keiffer was a changed man.

“Not good,” she replied, recalling his pale expression, pinched tight with pain and grief and guilt. “He’s hurting. And blaming himself.”

Caitlin frowned. “But why?”

She shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s just not in a good place.”

“That’s what I thought.” The woman blinked back tears and blew out a breath. “We chatted on Facebook once in a while, but sometime in the past two weeks, he cancelled his account.”

That wasn’t good, but she wasn’t surprised. “I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” Caitlin sniffed. “I feel so helpless. I’d wanted to fly up there with Brandi and Kade for the funeral. How stupid was that? Huh? The last thing the guy needed was an old fling showing up.”

She reached across the table to touch her friend’s arm. “I’m not even sure he would’ve realized you were there, hun. He sort of walked around in a daze.”

“Shoot.” Caitlin closed her eyes and nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I can tell Brandi is worried, even Kade. And that’s not good.”

True. And Brandi’s husband didn’t appear the type to let much bother him.

The kindhearted woman sighed, opening her eyes. “I wish there was some way I could help.”

Gwen had felt the same, and had tried, surprised the guy hadn’t told her to get lost when she’d found him staring at a fire pit near the lake the night before she’d flown to Texas. Of course, she’d been carrying a six-pack, which probably tipped the scales in her favor. She didn’t blame the Wynes for being angry with her over the way she’d treated Ben a decade ago. But Keiffer never said a word. They’d shared the beer in silence. Okay, she’d had one and a half, he’d finished the rest. But, hey, that was sharing, right?

“Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.” Lacey spoke up. “I’m living proof they work. Hell, they helped me. I’m not foolish enough to think it was my stubborn nature and determination that helped me walk again after I fell off my horse and broke my back last year.”

Tanner had told Gwen about the accident and the woman’s miraculous recovery. He’d told her a lot of things lately, because they’d bumped into each other quite often. Between the Pub and ice cream shop, and Lacey’s ranch and Brandi’s, Gwen was rubbing elbows with the guy nearly every day.

And she’d discovered something, too. Jordan had been right. The cowboy/firefighter/guardsman was very helpful and sweet. Underneath his bad boy persona was a nice guy. And the more she watched him with Barry when he brought the man to the Pub for dinner three nights a week, the further he burrowed under her skin, cracking her shell.

Which didn’t lessen his trouble-maker qualities, because, yeah, he was big trouble…to her heart.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Lacey,” Caitlin was saying. “I think you’ve been amazing.”

“Nah.” The woman shrugged. “Just stubborn. And not at all forgetful.” She turned her shrewd gaze on Gwen once again. “So, you going to tell me who is Better Than?”

Ah, hell. She’d hoped to have gotten past the kiss and tell. Maybe it was time to try a different tactic. She cocked her head. “Why the interest? Afraid it might’ve been Jesse?”

Lacey reeled back, face puckered as if trying to swallow a boulder through a straw. “Jesse? No. So what? I don’t care if it was him.”

“Interesting.” She tapped her chin with her finger.

Dark brows bunched. “No. Nothing’s interesting.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right, Gwen. Interesting.”

“Cut the crap.” Lacey folded her arms across her chest. “You two are just trying to distract me.”

A grin twitched Caitlin’s lips as she stared at Gwen. “And she’s deploying distraction techniques, too. Maybe she slept with him.”

“Or wants to.”

“Oh, for crying out loud, I don’t want to sleep with Jesse,” Lacey claimed loud enough for everyone in the shop to hear, including the two guardsmen that just waltzed in.

Tanner chuckled as he slapped his friend’s shoulder. “Damn, Jesse, we’re barely through the door and you have women dissing you.”

Gwen’s pulse hiccupped at the sight of the handsome firefighter decked out in camouflage, looking all sexy and lean and lethal.

Caitlin sucked in a breath a second before her hand flew to her mouth, while Lacey muttered a curse; Gwen blinked, unsure whether to be horrified or amused.

“That’s okay, Lacey,” the dark-haired soldier replied as the men drew near their table. “I’d never invite you into my bed.”

Her friend glared and shot to her feet. “Why would you if you’re sleeping with Gwen?”

Oh shit.

“What?” Tanner’s head snapped back.

Gwen slowly stood. Things were getting way out of hand.

“You’re sleeping with Gwen?” He turned to his friend, jaw resting on his chest.

Yeah, big time out of hand.

Jesse muttered a curse. “I’m not sleeping with Gwen.”

Lacey hit her with an accusing gaze. “You said you slept with Jesse.”

“No. I didn’t.” All eyes focused on her. “I asked if you were afraid I’d—”

“Okay! Okay. I get it,” she cut her off. Then laughed. “You’re good. You were just trying to throw me off the scent.”

Jesse frowned. “What scent?”

“Yeah, what the hell’s going on?” Tanner asked, narrowed gaze bouncing between them.

“Nothing.” Gwen lifted a shoulder, wishing she could scoot through the exit, but the men blocked her path. “We were having a discussion over ice cream, and now it’s time for me to head to work.”

“More specific, we were discussing who she had Better Than sex with at Brandi’s wedding,” Lacey unfortunately informed.

Witch.

“Really?” Tanner sidled up to her, brown gaze alight with interest, lopsided grin tugging his damn mouth to tempting as sin. “I’d like to know the answer to that, too.”

She snickered and punched his arm. “Lacey just misunderstood. We were talking about Jill’s chocolate,” she lied through her teeth, completely okay with fudging the truth this time.

“Bullshit.” His grin broadened.

So did Lacey’s. “Think I just found my answer.”

“Good, then I can go.”

“What’s wrong, Gwen? Too afraid to talk about Better Than sex?” damn, sexy man teased.

And she was too weak to resist retaliating. “On the contrary, I’m always up to talking about Jill’s chocolate and the way the penis pop melted in my mouth as I slid it in and out…and in and out.” Her slow emphasis wiped the smiles off the men’s lips…and put it on the girls. She snickered on her way out the door. “See you around.”

Definitely, Tanner silently vowed. Hell…after a comment like that, and the cute little wiggle as she sashayed out the door, the minx could count on it.

“Damn, Tanner, you should see your face.” Jesse laughed good and hard.

Bastard.

“Kind of looked like yours, Sergeant Briscoe,” Lacey said, stepping to his buddy who suddenly stopped laughing. “And what do you mean you wouldn’t want me in your bed? That’s not what your tongue said when you had it in my mouth last month.”

“Oh boy.” Caitlin shuffled around the glaring couple. “What can I get you, Tanner?”

“Three vanilla milkshakes…and maybe some popcorn. This looks like it’s gonna get good.” He dropped into the chair Gwen had vacated and watched his best friend swing from an imaginary noose.

“Yeah, well, I’ve wised up since then.”

Ah, hell. The idiot was asking for trouble. Jesse should know better than to egg Lacey Turner on. That woman would never back down. It was like taking on Jordan.

Just plain stupid.

“No.” A slow smile stole across the dark-haired beauty’s lips. “I think it’s more like you know you’re not man enough to handle me.”

Ouch.

His buddy stepped right up to the scowling bombshell, dark gaze glinting like coal. But instead of grabbing her, he grabbed the chair, then turned and sat.

Lacey released a breath and lifted her chin. “Thought so,” she said, then marched out the door.

Tanner shook his head. “Why do you do that, man?”

“Do what?”

“Poke the tiger,” he replied. “You know Lacey’s got a sharp tongue to match her claws.”

Jesse shrugged. “She doesn’t scare me.”

“Really?” He eyed his friend. “Then why did you back down?”

“She’s Jace’s kid sister.”

“Yeah, so? We both know Jace would have no issues with you hooking up with Lacey.”

“Are you serious?” A deep groove cut across Jesse’s brow. “He asked me to keep an eye on her and his mom while he’s away, that doesn’t mean take Lacey to bed.”

“Then why exactly did you kiss her last month?”

And why the hell was he just hearing about it now?

“To shut her up,” Jesse replied, aggravation tightening his features. “Spoiled brat kept getting in my face, poking my chest, squawking about how to take care of her damn horse.”

“So, you took care of her.”

His buddy’s lips twitched. “It worked. She shut up, then pushed me away and ran from the barn, leaving me alone in blessed peace.”

Tanner laughed as Caitlin set their milkshakes on the table. “You’re asking for trouble, man.”

“Can I get you guys anything else?”

“No, thanks, darlin’,” he replied with a smile. “We have to head back to the armory.”

Caitlin Ryan was beautiful and sweet. The kind of woman that brought out a brotherly instinct in him. And apparently, Kade, too, because the first sergeant had given his men the ‘look but don’t touch’ order on Shayla’s kid sister months ago.

“Didn’t you just get off drill?”

“No.” He shook his head. “We’re on a lunch break.”

And he’d had a hankering for a milkshake, which had nothing to do with the possibility of running into Gwen. Absolutely nothing.

She frowned. “I didn’t know you could leave the armory.”

“Yeah, at certain times,” Jesse replied, reaching for his drink. “We told Kade we’d bring him back a shake.”

“Ah, I see, bribe the boss type of thing.”

“Exactly.” Tanner nodded again. “Thanks for the milkshakes. You put them on my tab, right?”

“I was going to, but there was an older couple at the counter who insisted on paying for them.”

“Where?” He glanced around, but the shop was empty, except for them.

She grinned. “They left, didn’t want any recognition, just said it was just a small way to show you their gratitude.”

Dammit. He shared a frown with Jesse, relating to the discomfort in the man’s eyes. Normally, they changed out of uniform before walking into a restaurant. Otherwise, people tended to feel the need to pay for their food.

“Okay, thanks, Caitlin,” Jesse said, rising to his feet.

Tanner stood. “Yeah, thanks,” he echoed, following his friend out the door.

He hadn’t joined the National Guard to get perks at diners or stores. Same with Jesse. A fact he contemplated on their short, silent ride back to the armory. They’d joined to fight for their country. Neither felt entitled to free meals because they fought overseas. That didn’t mean they were ever rude to those who tried to thank them—he appreciated being appreciated—hence the reason he’d asked if the couple was still around.

He also appreciated only having three hours left until dismissal. After attending drill all day yesterday, a call for a car fire last night, then drill today, he was dog-ass tired.

“Thanks for the shake,” Kade said when Tanner set the cup on the first sergeant’s desk five minutes later. “You two still coming out to the ranch on Wednesday to help with the new arrivals?”

“Yep.”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Thanks.” Top nodded before he took a drink. “Why don’t you bring Barry? I could use his help, too.”

There were several reasons why Tanner liked Kade Dalton. This was one of them. The man’s uncanny ability to know when people and animals needed help, and when they needed to do the helping. Top reminded Tanner a lot of Barry. Strong. Reliable. Kind. And now that the former fire chief was getting old, and aware that he was slipping away, he needed to feel useful. It was important, not only to Barry, but to Tanner, too.

A fact he suspected Kade knew as well.

“Thanks. I will,” he said, before following Jesse from the office to head to section training. “Is it just me, or does it feel weird not to bump into Jace in these halls?”

“It’s not you. It is weird,” Jesse replied before entering a classroom.

Tanner nodded and continued to the next room where he headed to the front to begin teaching his squad a mandatory class on sexual harassment.

Several changes had taken place in his life lately. Some good, like his promotion to squad leader in the guard, and section chief at the fire house. Some bad, like Barry’s increasing forgetfulness. And some in between, like Gwen showing up in Texas.

He was still undecided if the sexy, distracting woman was a good thing in his life, or bad, very bad. It may require more study. Hands on study.

Of the in-depth variety.

Chapter Five

‡

Wednesday afternoon, Gwen sat at the Dalton’s kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee with Brandi after their Skype session with Lea. Her sister was keeping them informed on Keiffer, and as expected, the guy wasn’t doing so good, unless you count drowning sorrows in scotch as good.

She didn’t—no one did.

“I wish there was something I could do.” Brandi sighed, staring into her untouched coffee.

It was on the tip of Gwen’s tongue to say things would be fine. To tell Brandi her brother had a great support system and would get through this tough time.

But that would be a lie. There was no guarantee. No crystal ball.

“No one can predict how things will turn out,” she said instead. “Just as no one can help Keiffer but Keiffer. In my experience, the key to salvation lies within yourself. You need to realize what’s good and healthy for you, then strive to meet that goal.”

Brandi lifted her gaze and blinked. “Wow. That was…deep.”

A smile tugged her lips. “I’ve been known to venture off my shallow shores once in a while.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply—”

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “I do swim in both waters.”

Her hostess reached out and touched her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?”

“Whatever happened in your past to put such insight into your words?”

Oh, that. “No.” She sucked in a breath and pulled her hand away. It was too deep…too painful to share. Especially, since it proved she was unworthy of the compassion lighting the woman’s eyes. “I’m good. But, thanks.”

“For what?”

“For not judging me. You have every right to dislike me after how I treated your brother Ben.”

“Oh, Gwen, that was so long ago. You were a teenager who’d just lost her mother. That would throw anyone into a tailspin.”

“That’s no excuse.” She shook her head. “You lost your mother around the same time, and you didn’t treat your boyfriend so badly.”

Brandi giggled. “That’s because I was too young to have one.”

“True.” She smiled. Her friend had been ten, like her sister. Neither Brandi nor Lea had rebelled. “Still, that doesn’t excuse my bad behavior and horrific choices I made the decade that followed.”

“I’d say your peers where partly to blame, too.”

Possibly. Well, not to blame. That was all on her, but they didn’t help. She’d broken away from her bad influences, slowly but surely over the past two years.

“You seemed to have turned things around lately. You seem happy.”

She shrugged, then even released a smile. “I am, and now I totally understand what has kept you down here in Harland. No one judges you. You’re accepted. It’s so weird. I can walk around in flip-flops, cutoffs, and a T-shirt, with no makeup, and my hair tied back, and no one bats a lash.”

Brandi nodded, returning her smile. “I know. It’s refreshing.”

“Very. It’s like I can actually…breathe or something.” And she liked breathing. A lot.

“It is a great feeling,” her friend agreed. “I’m so glad you found it. And I’m proud of you, Gwen. I know it’s not easy to get out from under controlling people.”

Her heart rocked. “Why? What happened to you?”

She felt bad for not having kept up with the personal lives of her family and friends back home while she was living life to the fullest. Make that to the foolish.

Brandi snorted. “Let’s just say I was in an unhealthy relationship a lot longer than I should’ve been, and I’m not happy with myself for staying in it so long.”

Wow. She blinked. Never would she have expected Brandi Wyne to have poor judgment, or for her brothers to make sure her boyfriend didn’t treat her well.

“My brothers didn’t know,” the woman added as if reading her mind. “I kept the jerk’s abuse a secret. In fact, I hadn’t realized it was abuse until I saw an episode on one of those cops shows on TV.”

Gwen’s blood began to run hot. She sat up straight. “Who was he? Did he lay a hand on you? Who do I need to throat punch?”

Brandi laughed. “No one. It wasn’t physical abuse. It was mental and verbal, and done so slowly and slyly over a three year period, I didn’t see it coming. But the last straw was when I gained over forty pounds because of my dead thyroid, and was dealing with self-doubt, and he told me he didn’t find me attractive anymore and didn’t want to have sex. That was his excuse to cheat.”

“Bastard,” she grumbled. “He definitely deserved a throat punch. I hope you kicked his ass to the curb.”

“Yes. It was my wakeup call.”

She sat back in her chair. “What did your brothers do?”

“Like I said, I didn’t tell them.”

“Wise.” She snickered. “If my brother knew how some of my old boyfriends had treated me he’d…” She stopped talking the instant she realized they were no longer alone. Between Brandi glancing over her shoulder, and the awareness spreading across her skin, she’d clued in. A little late.

Dammit.

“It was one of those damn rockers you dated, wasn’t it?” Tanner’s voice was deathly low and sent a batch of shivers down her spine.

Both rockers, actually.

Not something anyone needed to know. Muttering a curse, she rose to her feet, along with Brandi, and together they turned to find Tanner and Kade just inside the doorway.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” She held the frowning cowboy’s gaze as he stepped closer. “And I really need to put that damn bell around your neck.”

“Hah. That I’d like to see.” Kade smiled, bending to kiss Brandi’s cheek.

“And I’m still waiting for an answer,” Tanner said, staring down at her, gaze the color of aged whiskey.

She was trying to come up with a passable answer when Barry and Jesse walked into the room and saved her from lying.

“Chrissie!” The older man’s face lit up like Vegas at night, then rushed forward to pull her into his arms for a tight hug. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? When did you get into town?”

Ah…Houston…anybody?

She stood stalk still, glancing over the hugging man’s shoulder and into four worried faces. Shit. With no idea who Chrissie was, she followed her own lead and patted the man’s back.

“I…uh…just got here.”

Tanner nodded, then stepped closer. “Yeah, it was a surprise, that’s why I brought you to the Dalton’s ranch.”

Barry released her and stepped back, big grin still covering his face, making him appear years younger. “You’re a sly one, Tanner. I had no idea.”

The sly one smiled, slipping an arm around her shoulder. “That was the idea.”

What idea?

“Well, go on.” Barry waved his hand. “You can kiss my daughter. I know you missed her, too.”

Kiss? Wait…Barry has a daughter?

It’d be really swell if someone clued her in.

But the only cluing she got was Tanner tasted as good as she remembered and that cupping her face and kissing her softly wasn’t nearly enough. Her body demanded more. Much more.

The traitor.

Drawing back, Tanner stared down at her, apology blaring in his eyes.

The thing was, she wasn’t sorry. And that was probably bad.

But she was confused.

“Who’s Chrissie?” she whispered as he remained close.

“Barry’s dead daughter.”

Ah, shit.

Her heart squeezed tight. The poor guy forgot his daughter had died. What happened when he remembered? Cripes. Did he have to relive that pain over and over again?

It was bad enough losing a child once, but to have to go through the tragedy again… God, she’d barely…

“Okay, what do you say we go home?” Barry stepped close to drop his arm around her. “I’ll ride with you. Tanner can meet us there.”

She sought Tanner’s gaze and found it clouded with worry, as if he was afraid she’d try to set the man straight. That never crossed her mind.

She slipped her arm around the older man and smiled. “Sounds good. I can cook your favorite for supper.”

Too bad she had no idea what that was.

“Fried chicken and dumplings?”

She broadened her smile. “Absolutely. And gravy.”

“You know it.” He smiled.

She did now.

Waving to the others, she noted relief in their gazes as she played along, leading Barry out of the kitchen, wondering just what the hell she’d gotten herself into.

And just how serious things had been between Tanner and Chrissie Patterson?

It was barely dawn when Tanner parked his pickup next to Gwen’s rental in Barry’s driveway. Guilt and worry had followed him home last night after he’d been forced to leave her to continue her charade when his mentor had politely, but firmly, walked him to door, spouting a gentleman knew better than to overstay his welcome. He rushed around back and let himself into the kitchen with a key Barry had given him long ago.

Stepping inside to find a beautiful woman in a T-shirt and cutoffs, standing in front of an opened refrigerator, he’d experienced his own version of déjà vu.

Except, this time, his body heated at the sight.

Barry’s daughter Chrissie had been beautiful, and they’d gone out a few times, but it had all been a ruse. One that may have led to her death, and haunted him to this day.

Gwen twisted around with a strangled shriek. “That’s it. I’m buying that damn bell today.”

“Sorry.” A smile tugged his lips as he walked closer. “How’d your night go?”

She shut the fridge and yawned. “Okay. Uneventful.”

He glanced into the living room, noting a blanket on the floor and pillow on the couch. “You slept out here?”

She nodded, covering up another yawn. “Yeah. I wanted to make sure I heard Barry if he needed anything.”

His heart chipped open, and a deep warmth spread through his chest. “Thank you, Gwen.” The woman kept on surprising him. And even though he knew it was dangerous, he pulled her in for a hug. “You’ve been so damn good about all of this. I’m grateful as hell.”

She squeezed him back. “No worries. I had a model friend whose mother had Alzheimer’s, and I helped take care of her. I know it’s not easy.”

That explained the couch, and how she’d gone along with everything yesterday.

“Then you understand.” He grasped her upper arms and drew back. “You never know what to expect.”

She nodded. “Monthly occurrences become weekly, then eventually daily, until…”

He was unwilling to let his mind go past the until part.

A warm hand slipped up his chest.

“How are you doing?”

“Me?” He blinked. “I’m good. I wasn’t the one forced to give up a night and pretend to be someone she’s not.”

A sad smile crossed her lips as she slowly released him. “I’ve pretended for nearly a decade, one more night was no big deal.”

But it was a big deal. To him.

He stepped close and cupped her face. “You never have to pretend around me, Gwen. Never around me.”

She sucked in a breath and gripped his wrists, but he didn’t know if she wanted to break free or hold tight. “Tanner, I-I’m not sure…”

“Me either,” he said before covering her mouth with his, tasting her hesitation, then acquiescence when she moaned and slid her hands up around his neck.

The feel of her exquisite body pressed against him, combined with her wicked tongue, slipping inside his mouth, made him instantly hard and ready for a Pocono repeat. He backed her against the fridge and the kiss got out of hand real fast. Tasting and plundering, he lost his mind, even went a little insane at the feel of her pert nipples poking his chest.

With the need to touch her skin ruling his actions, he brushed a hand up her side. God, it was so soft. She must’ve felt the same because her hands were up under his shirt, touching him everywhere, drawing a line of fire straight down his spine.

He lifted her up and set her sweet ass on the counter, grunting his approval when she wrapped those gorgeous, mile-long legs around his hips and drew him in tight. Damn. The woman was just as hungry, just as damn needy as him.

And so soft.

He broke the kiss, gulping in air as he pushed her shirt up and tugged her lace bra aside. So beautiful and pert and rosy, and he forgot where he was as he drew the sweet temptation into his mouth. She moaned and grabbed his ass as she rocked against him. He could feel her heat and taste her tremors, and heaven help him, he swore she was trying to kill him.

But what a way to go…

He remembered their fling in the Poconos and how incredible she’d felt, and tasted, and shuddered. With his own desire overruling his mind, he released her to expose the other nipple, flicking the stiff peak with his thumb while her breath hitched and body continued to rock. This had driven her crazy that night, and he was all about pleasing her.

She grabbed his head and drew his mouth back to hers. The woman was hot and demanding, and he had to know just how damn hot. Sliding his hand up her thigh and under her cutoffs, he brushed her center and clenched his jaw.

Ah hell, she was wet. So wet.

Gwen moaned into his mouth, rocking against his hand, telling him, spurring him on.

He wasn’t one to disappoint. Ever. Completely ignoring the fact they were in Barry’s kitchen, he slid a finger under the wet lace and into her slick heat, needing to give her the release she sought.

Another moan vibrated in her throat, and he took that to mean he was on the right track. Slipping his tongue inside her mouth, he matched the rhythm of his finger, encouraged by her little mewls, and the way she arched back.

Damn…she was wound so tight. Well, he was going to take care of that, take care of her.

Increasing the pace, he brushed her with his thumb, and she went off like the firecracker he knew her to be. Moaning low and long in her throat, she clutched his shoulders and bucked as tremors shook through her body, nearly setting him off.

Despite being rock hard and a hell of a lot more intimate with his zipper than he’d like, Tanner let Gwen down slowly, waiting until her tremors subsided before he pulled out.

“Tanner? Is that you down there?” Barry called from upstairs.

The creaking of floorboards sounded overhead.

Shit!

He jumped back, and she slid off the counter, both of them dragging air into their lungs while righting their clothes with jerky movements.

“Yeah,” he replied, stepping in front of Gwen, but facing the doorway in an attempt to block her from his mentor’s view, until she had a chance to cover up.

Damn. That was close. What the hell was I thinking?

He wasn’t. At least, not with the head on his shoulders. That was the problem.

“I thought I heard someone… Oh, hi, Gwen. I didn’t know you were here, too.” The older man smiled, walking into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, but apparently alert enough to have seen them both. “Getting an early start on the day?”

Tanner twisted to see her blink, and her panicked expression turned soft.

“Yes. I, ah, followed Tanner over.”

She was the only one to…arrive.

Although he still needed a moment, he found moving was painful, but necessary. “I talked her into making us breakfast,” he said, handing her a frying pan, then swallowed back a snicker at her murderous gaze.

He knew she wanted to hit him with it.

Barry sat down at the table and smiled. “Breakfast sounds great. Do you know how to make a western omelet? I haven’t had one in ages.”

“Three western omelets coming right up,” she said, opening the fridge and rummaging inside, her face still flushed from their cooking.

Fifteen minutes later, she set three dishes on the table next to the coffee and orange juice he’d poured. The omelets smelled incredible. Almost as incredible as the cook.

“I’m glad you’re here, Gwen,” Barry said after they’d put a dent into their breakfast. “Maybe you can help me talk some sense into Tanner.”

She snorted and glanced sideways at him, the first time she’d held his gaze for longer than a second since they’d been interrupted at the counter.

“Doubtful.”

“Hah!” Barry laughed. “She’s got your number, boy.”

God, he missed the sound. He sat still a second and took in the merriment. It was so great to see him relaxed and happy in his own skin. That was so damn rare lately.

“What do you need help with?” Gwen asked, reaching for her coffee.

The old man sat back in his chair and cocked his head. “I want you to explain to Tanner that it’s a good idea if I went into a home.”

The delicious food in his mouth suddenly tasted like sawdust. Swallowing it down with a mouthful of juice, he shook his head. “Ah, hell, Barry. Not that again.”

“Yes, that again. And we’ll keep going through it until you see I’m right.”

“I’m not putting you in a home.”

“You’re right. You’re not. I’m putting myself in one. I just need you to drive me to a lawyer to get my affairs in order, then take me to the home Doctor Turner told you about. And before you have a bird, I asked him to recommend one before he left.” Barry glanced at Gwen. “Tell him I’m right.”

Her gaze bounced between them, and he could tell she wanted to say something, but she set her coffee down, pushed her chair back, and stood. “I think you both have things to discuss and it’s best that I go.”

She grabbed her purse from the counter and walked out the door.

“Why don’t you listen to reason?” Barry shook his head. “I read up on this disease. I’m running out of time. It’s best I settle into one of those facilities while I still have some brainpower left.”

His pulse pounded loud in his ears. “There’s no need. I’ll take care of you.”

“Don’t you get it, Tanner?” Barry jerked forward, moving the table with his chest. “You’re like a son to me. I don’t want to be a damn burden, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

“I won’t let you stay with a bunch of strangers.”

His mentor sat back in his seat and sighed. “They’ll only be strangers in the beginning. Besides, after a while…you’re going to be a stranger to me, too.”

Tanner sucked in a breath. The truth of that statement hit him hard. God, it hurt. He blinked away the burning from his eyes.

“Don’t you see? I’m trying to save you from that pain.”

He nodded and swallowed past his dry throat. “I know. But I’ll deal with it.”

Barry chuckled. “You’re a stubborn son of a bitch. Hope Gwen knows what she’s getting into.”

Happy for the subject change, he nodded. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to chase her away.”

A smile tugged his lips. “I’m pretty sure Gwen does what she wants to do. And what she wanted was to give us privacy.”

Barry pointed at him with his fork. “I like her, and I can tell you do, too.”

He didn’t reply, mainly because the man was right. He did like Gwen. A lot. Too damn much. And touching her proved he had no damn control where she was concerned. None whatsoever. Hell, if Barry’s interruption had been delayed a few minutes, the guy would’ve seen firsthand just how much he liked Gwen.

“It makes me feel good knowing you have someone like her in your life,” his mentor said. “I like the look she puts on your face.”

It was called lust. But something in the man’s eyes told him it was more. He wanted to ask, what look? But he was too much of a pansy ass, and even more terrified he’d agree with the answer.

Later that night, Tanner stared up at the ceiling for hours, willing sleep to come. It had been a hellish day, and he was still antsy.

He wasn’t putting Barry in a home, end of story. Period. If he had to sell his place and move in with the man, he would. Hell, he expected to do that by summer’s end. He wasn’t trying to be heartless; he understood it was tough on Barry. If the shoe was on the other foot, he knew he’d be as adamant as the old man. Relying on others, after decades of leading, and doing, and supervising, would be a daily hell. But, the shoe wasn’t on his foot.

So, he wasn’t putting Barry in a home.

They’d all get through it. There was no other option. More than five hundred thousand people were diagnosed with the disease every year. Others managed. He and Barry would be no different. Gwen and her friend had gotten through it.

Gwen…

A smile tugged at his lips, and he could feel some of the tension leave his body as his thoughts turned to the temporary cook. Every time he saw the woman, she did something to surprise him…in a good way.

She wasn’t the shallow, former supermodel the tabloid’s made her out to be. Once you looked beyond the stunning good looks and pushed past her barriers, if you were lucky enough, you caught a glimpse of the kind heart she buried deep inside. He had. Gwen Gablonski was a good girl turned bad, turned good again. She pulled herself out of a dark, destructive pit most people never recovered from, and yet, she had, and didn’t realize how strong she actually was, or how important an impact she made on others’ lives. He saw it daily, from a little selfless act like a smile or wave to the senior citizens playing checkers in the park when she walked past on her way to work, to the lunch she dropped off at Mrs. Avery’s, a cat-loving retired school teacher, to pretending to be the man’s dead daughter, instead of walking away as most would do.

Yes, there was more to that woman than met the eye, and for the first time in his life, he actually wanted to take the time to look and discover. And if the timing didn’t suck, he probably would, too. But, right now, Barry needed all his attention. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by Gwen, no matter how much he wanted to be distracted. No matter how hard she made him with just one look. No matter how incredible she felt and tasted.

Barry was his main concern.

The sound of first tones dropping, followed by beeping on his pager broke the silence of the night. When dispatch called his department for a structure fire, he sprang from the bed and was donning his turnout gear as the address for the fire was announced.

He stilled, heart dropping to his boots.

Gwen’s cottage.

Chapter Six

‡

Tanner called county to respond, then lit out of the house, heart jumping to his throat as he tried to get Gwen on the phone. No answer.

Fuck.

He started his pickup, flicked on the red light and tore down the drive, straining his ears to hear updates on the radio from anyone who managed to get on scene.

The image of the beauty standing by the fridge, smiling at him that morning, replayed in his head.

Please, God, let her be okay.

He made it into town in record time, and was one of the first to arrive. His heart, still lodged in his throat, stopped beating as he came to a screeching halt in the Tex Pub parking lot to keep the road clear for apparatus.

Flames shot from the windows and licked the roof on all visible sides. Ah hell. It was a fully engulfed. He hoped to God Gwen wasn’t still inside as he ran to meet the engine pulling up to the nearby hydrant.

“All right. Pull the two and a half and hit the house,” he told the men. Fighting the urge to rush straight inside, he called county for an assist, a paramedic, and a tanker.

“Tanner!”

He twisted around to find Caitlin waving at him from a bench across the side street as she draped an arm around a soot-covered…Gwen.

Thank God.

Dressed in nothing but a nightshirt, the woman sat hunched and in a daze with her purse strapped across her body. Hair, half in and half out of her ponytail, clung to her dirty face and chest. God, she never looked so good. Air entered his lungs for what felt like the first time since the first tones had dropped. She wasn’t inside that fiery hell. She was safe.

He jumped into action, racing back to his truck to grab the jacket he kept behind the seat, then brought it to Gwen.

“You okay?” He placed the coat around the bedraggled woman, then knelt in front of her and squeezed her hands. Despite the humidity and heat surrounding them, they were as cold as a dish of Crowley’s ice cream.

“Yeah,” she croaked, then coughed.

He twisted around and motioned for the paramedics that had just arrived. “Can I get some oxygen over here?”

Stepping out of the way to let them do their job, he remembered he had one of his own to do. Damn. For the first time ever, he’d neglected his duty.

“I saw the flames from my apartment above the Pub and called 911,” Caitlin informed as she stood to let the men work. “By the time I got over here, Gwen was crawling out of her bedroom window.”

Fighting the urge to push everyone aside so he could hold the bemused woman, he forced his feet to step off the curb. “Okay. Thanks.” One last glance at Gwen to reassure himself she was okay and in good hands, then he turned around and got to work.

He never thought of himself as brave. In the guard, he did what he had to overseas, and used the same ethics when it came to fighting fires at home. It was a job, with certain risks, tasks, and duties to perform. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit he loved the excitement and adrenaline rush of a call, but safety always came first. As the assistant fire chief, he had to look out for everyone’s safety, not just his own.

Since this wasn’t a rescue mission, and the damage was too extensive to save the structure, he wasn’t sending anyone inside. Their job was to make sure the fire didn’t spread to the nearby cottages. As more help arrived, he positioned lines around the house and hit it from all sides. The heat was so intense, he could feel it through the layers of his protective clothing. That, coupled with the humidity, made for one hot-as-hell night.

Over the roar and crackle of fire, a distinct cracking sound could be heard, and a second later, the roof caved in. Debris shot into the smoke-filled air before settling back down into the inferno.

The gathering crowd gasped, and he silently concurred. It was a damn shame to see the destruction of the quaint house, especially since he knew the renter and the fact all of her belongings were disintegrating before their eyes.

But, he needed to distance himself in order to perform his job with the utmost proficiency. Gwen was safe. They were containing the fire, and the sheriff had arrived and was keeping the onlookers at bay.

Jordan’s appearance also brought Tanner the peace he needed to push aside his personal involvement. She would make sure Gwen was taken care of and had a place to stay. There was no need for him to worry about the woman who crawled out a window in her nightshirt with fire licking at her heels.

Right now, his duty was to his team. Not a lover from his past…and sort of present. Keeping his team safe and putting out the fire were the only things that mattered.

Except, that wasn’t true. That was pure bullshit. Somehow, between that night in the Poconos and tonight’s call, things had changed.

Big time.

Gwen sat at Caitlin’s kitchen table the next morning, cupping a mug of coffee, after just getting out of her second, long, hot shower in an attempt to get warm. Heat seeped into her palms, but she was still cold. The shaking had subsided a few hours ago, but she couldn’t shake the chill. Standing under a hot shower had helped. A little. It had warmed her skin, but for some reason, she was still cold on the inside. Logic told her it was shock and would wear off, so she tried to ignore it by reassuring everyone she was fine.

She’d already Skyped with her sister, father, and brother on Caitlin’s laptop an hour ago. Lea’s fiancé, Ben, and his sixth sense had struck again. The man had always had premonitions. He’d foreseen her mother’s death, and apparently last night’s fire. But, she’d reassured them all she was good, and they were appeased enough to let her go.

Now, she was eating and making small talk with her friend, trying to get warm.

“That dress looks a lot nicer on you than it ever did on me,” Caitlin said, sinking a fork into a slice of banana nut bread Gwen had whipped up before dawn.

After going to the hospital—only because everyone had insisted she be checked out—Gwen took her hot shower, then tried to sleep, but every time she closed her damn eyes she heard phantom sounds of the smoke alarm and roar of the fire. So, she’d given up, pulled on one of the sundresses her friend stuck in the guestroom closet, and headed to the kitchen to bake.

One dozen blueberry muffins, two loafs of banana nut bread, and that Skype call later, she cleaned up her mess and put on a pot of coffee.

“Of course, it’s not quite that short on me.” Her friend crinkled her nose. “Sorry.”

Gwen shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m used to it.” Her throat felt scratchy and dry, from the smoke, no doubt. “We may be the same hip and bust size, but I’m two inches taller and that makes a difference when it comes to hems.”

Caitlin nodded. “At least the two brand new pairs of bikini panties fit.” She giggled. “I’m sorry. They were gag gifts from my sister.”

“Shayla has a weird sense of humor,” she said before biting into a muffin.

She was grateful to have something to cover her goods. Really, she was. But, less than thrilled to be wearing lime green panties with the face of a frog in front and the words ‘My Pad Or Yours’ across the back. Still, it was a hell of a lot better than the second pair—pink with the gray trunk of an elephant strategically placed in front and an elephant tail in back, appearing as if the elephant had been sucked up into…Neverland.

Gwen didn’t want to offend her friend by refusing them, so she left the panties on the pile of clothes Caitlin had set in the guestroom. But…hell, she’d go commando before donning those suckers.

“At least they don’t have matching bras.”

“True.” She snickered as a knock sounded at the door.

Her heart kicked up speed. Maybe it was Tanner. Last night was a bit of a blur, but she remembered feeling warmth for a brief moment when he’d set his jacket around her shoulders and held her hands.

Then he was gone, and so was her warmth. The brief glimpse she’d caught of him fighting the blaze, with the roof collapsing, was etched in her mind. She’d been whisked off to the hospital then, and had been cold ever since. She thought about calling him, or texting, then remembered she didn’t have his number. Besides, she had no idea what his firefighting duties were. He might only be getting to bed now.

“Hey, Gwen. How are you?” Kerri rushed into the kitchen and pulled her to her feet for a tight hug. “Jordan assured me you were okay, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to see for myself.”

She returned the hug then drew back, needing to change the subject. “I’m fine. Where’s that cute little girl of yours?”

“Downstairs with her daddy.” The new mother smiled. “I have to fight him to hold her, even to change her diapers.”

A genuine smile found her lips for the first time that day. “He’s a proud papa.”

“Yes, he is, and worried about you. We all are,” Kerri added. “You need to come downstairs to the Pub. But here, put these on first.” She handed her a pair of flip-flops. Bless her. Gwen had climbed out of the cottage barefoot last night. “Out of all of us, my shoe size is probably the closest to yours.”

And before she could ask why or protest, she shoved her feet in the flip-flops, surprised to find they fit, then was ushered out the door, down the hall, then down the stairs that led outside. Several familiar cars were parked out back, which was weird. Only the cooks usually parked in back. And her rental was back there. How had that happened? She didn’t remember moving it.

“I drove your car over,” Caitlin said, noticing her strange look, no doubt. “Don’t you remember giving me the keys so I could move it before the fire engines arrived last night?”

She shook her head. “Not really.” She was having enough trouble functioning on the norm today. Considering the circumstances, she thought she was doing pretty well. She had clothes on her back, shoes on her feet, and her purse.

Hell, she didn’t remember grabbing it before crawling out the window last night, but she had the crossbody around her when she’d stumbled into Caitlin in her yard. At least she wouldn’t have the added headache of ordering new cards and a license.

Trying to keep her mind blank and focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, she followed the women the few yards to the back door of the Pub kitchen. Once inside, she made to sit at the table in the corner, but Kerri grabbed her hand and tugged her straight to the dining room…where she stopped dead.

Half the county was there.

Hell, more than half. Every booth and table was full. And someone had placed a long table on the dance floor, which was piled high with bags and boxes, dishes and towels, a new TV and laptop. Her mind had trouble digesting it all.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“Everyone heard what had happened and wanted to help,” Kerri said, stepping aside as the crowd approached.

The next ten minutes were spent receiving hugs and wiping the damn tears from her eyes that had appeared out of nowhere. Okay, that wasn’t true. They arrived with the very first hug—the instant Tanner’s strong, blissfully warm arms pulled her into his solid chest and held her tight.

Oh, how she wanted to stay there and take refuge in the comfort he offered, but she knew if she did, she’d break down altogether. Not an option. Too many people around. So, she stiffened, and drew back, forcing a smile as she met his concerned gaze. Then the warmth was gone as someone else pulled her in for a hug.

This went on for ten more minutes, and her brain absently noted most of the men in Harland County were damn solid. The one that surprised her the most was Jordan’s husband, Cole. For some reason, she hadn’t expected him to be packing so much muscle under his expensive Italian suits. Damn. Same with Kevin, Shayla’s husband. Where did all his muscles come from? Didn’t he sit behind a desk and write codes or something? Most businessmen she’d encountered were…well, soft.

Not those two.

She hiccupped down a hysterical giggle. Why in the world was all that going through her mind?

Because it was shot. To hell in a hand basket.

“Hey, come here, you,” Lacey said, wrapping her in a tight hug. “You can hug me back, you know. I won’t break.”

Another giggle hiccupped up her throat as she returned the hug. “Sorry, I’m running out of steam.”

“No worries.” Her friend drew back and narrowed her gaze. “You ready to get out of here?”

Hell yeah, except… “I don’t have anywhere to go.”

Caitlin had told her she could stay with her indefinitely, but Gwen was used to being on her own. She was kind of set in her ways. Stubborn, and yeah, ornery at times. Okay, bitchy; she could be bitchy, but she was working on it. The poor, sweet girl didn’t deserve to be subject to bouts of bitchy on a daily basis.

“Maybe I can help with that,” Mr. Crowley said, stepping out from behind Lacey. “You can stay in the cottage my niece stayed in. I haven’t rented it out yet.”

“Really?” This time, she initiated the hug. “Thank you, Mr. Crowley. That’d be great!”

He laughed. “I happen to have the keys with me.”

“Perfect.” She drew back and grinned as he dropped the keys in her hand.

“I left the lease agreement on the kitchen table.” He winked. “I’ll swing by later to pick it up.”

She couldn’t believe the turn of events, or the generosity of the people in the county. The trait had been lacking in the circles she’d moved in over the past decade. It was a bit of a shock. She kept waiting for the punch line, or people to ask a favor in return.

“Listen up, everyone,” Tanner said, and the place quieted down. “We have a destination. Let’s get my truck loaded.”

Twenty minutes later, Gwen stood in her new rental, an exact replica of her old cottage, and watched the parade of handsome cowboy volunteers carry in the boxes of her donated goods. Connor had reluctantly given little Faith to Mrs. Masters at the Pub, while Kevin had handed Sarah to Mrs. McCall, so they could help Tanner and the rest of the guys.

“How you holding up?” Brandi asked as she approached with Jordan, Caitlin, Shayla, Lacey, and Kerri who shoved a glass of homemade sangria into her hand.

She sipped the refreshing blend of fruit and alcohol, and sighed. “Better now.”

They laughed with her and clinked glasses.

By the time she got to the bottom, Gwen felt a lot more relaxed, and wondered just how much alcohol was in the drink, since she had a warm buzz going on. Despite the coldness of the beverage, her chill had started to evaporate.

“Thanks, Kerri, that hit the spot,” she said. “I’m just going to unpack a box or two, then head over to the Pub to start my shift.”

The woman shook her head. “Absolutely not. You’re not working today. In fact, you’re not working the next few days. I have others that can cover temporarily. You take the week off and get settled in here.”

“But…” She blinked, meeting a wall of determined female faces, especially her two bosses. “I can come in tomorrow.”

“I know, but I’d like you to wait a week.” Kerri stared unblinkingly at her through compassion filled eyes.

She appreciated the concern. Everyone was being very sweet. Gwen wasn’t stupid enough to claim she was a hundred percent okay, but neither was she in need of a whole week off. “All right, but only a few days. Today’s Friday, how about I come back Monday? Sitting around for seven days will end up driving me nuts.”

“Monday is good.” Jordan stepped close to drape an arm around her shoulder. “I wouldn’t last that long being idle, either. But, since the weather is supposed to rock, maybe you can get that handsome man of yours to take you paddle boarding or something. He’s very outdoorsy.”

My man?

“I don’t have a man.”

“Are you sure?” Jordan asked, releasing her. “I think maybe you do.”

She followed the woman’s gaze and her pulse hiccupped. Tanner stood with a beer in his hand and a smile directed at her. Just looking at him in a white T-shirt and jeans with delicious worn spots near his hips, made her all warm and tingly inside, reminding her she was alive.

And she owed him one.

Her mind immediately shot to their heated embrace in Barry’s kitchen yesterday morning, and how she’d gotten…hers, but the poor cowboy had been left hanging.

“Yeah.” Lacey smiled. “I’d say that was a big ten four.”

Caitlin nodded.

Shayla patted her back. “The woman’s always the last to know.”

“But once we do, we make the best of it.” Brandi raised her glass and winked before sipping her concoction.

Gwen was still contemplating that conversation as she unpacked the last box, which was full of towels. Stacking them in the small closet in the bathroom, she felt her composure starting to slip. Ever since the fire, she’d been operating on adrenaline and pure grit, but they were both beginning to desert her.

Throughout the day, she had bouts, but every time she did, Tanner appeared out of nowhere, and the feel of his steady hand on the small of her back, or touching her arm, gave her the strength to continue on.

And she had, signing her new lease and handing it to Mr. Crowley when he’d shown up a half-hour ago. He didn’t make her sign a year lease. What a sweetheart. He agreed to let her stay for only three months, or however long she desired.

After he left, she’d turned her attention to filling up her cabinets with the new dishes Kerri and Caitlin had washed. She’d left them to finish the donated silverware and small kitchen appliances, while the men stocked up her refrigerator.

Jordan and Shayla were tackling her bed, so that had left the bathroom.

Glancing out the small window above the towel rack, she clenched her jaw to steel herself against the sharp tightening in her chest. The burned out structure she’d stood in twenty-four hours earlier was visible from the back of the house.

Brandi walked in, then moved past her to pull down the shade. “Maybe you should keep this down for a while. Even I have trouble looking at it.”

She nodded, forcing air past her hot throat. “Sorry, Brandi. I was practicing a recipe for the Pub last night, but I could’ve sworn I shut everything off before I went to bed.” All the dishes had been washed and food packed in a container and shoved in the fridge. Surely, she’d shut off the oven.

God, she didn’t know.

No matter how many times she went over last night’s events before bed in her head, she just didn’t know. Guilt clawed at her gut. She might’ve been responsible for destroying her friend’s property.

“Hey.” Two hands grabbed hers and squeezed. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter how it started, just that you are okay,” Brandi said. “When I think of what might have happened if I hadn’t changed the batteries in the smoke alarm…”

She squeezed back. “Well, it worked. Trust me.”

The blaring had startled her right out of a good dream. A hot one. So hot the smoke detectors had gone off in the dream. She’d had her legs wrapped around a fully naked Tanner as he set her on the counter, and they’d taken care of his needs and hers, furthering that hot embrace in Barry kitchen earlier that day.

Cripes. Was that only yesterday morning?

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, bringing reality back into view.

“Must be the pizza Jordan ordered,” Brandi said, ushering her into the living room where the others were waiting.

The sheriff opened the door to two men on the porch, their hands full of shoe boxes and garment bags with the logo from a famous high-end shop.

“Delivery for a Gwen Gablonski?”

She frowned as she approached. “I didn’t ord—”

Kevin stepped forward. “I got this,” he said, then directed the men to place everything on her bed. “Thanks.” He tipped them and sent them away with huge smiles on their faces…all while she stood staring with her mouth open.

She blinked at him. “What just happened?”

The gorgeous man set his hands on her shoulders and smiled. “Well, darlin’, your new wardrobe arrived, and I paid for them.”

“But I didn’t order any clothes…”

Amusement danced in his blue eyes. “Shayla, Brandi, and your sister did.”

Wow. How…? Jeez, they worked fast.

“Thank you. Thank all of you,” she said. “But…how did they get here so fast? And how did you know what size?”

A lopsided grin tugged his dimples to life. Damn, the man should’ve been in pictures. “Trust me, darlin’, I can afford it, and I’m good at sizing people, especially women.” He released her and brought a finger to his mouth. “Shh…my wife knows, but she gets a little jealous of my past. It’s the red hair.”

His wife walked over and laughed. “Don’t listen to him, Gwen. Your sister told us what sizes to get. My husband likes to think he’s still a ladies’ man.”

“But I am, darlin’. You’re a lady, and I am your man.”

Shayla rolled her eyes, but there was nothing but love in her gaze. “Oh, boy. I’m glad I didn’t eat yet or I’d be tasting it twice.”

Gwen was still smiling an hour later when the last of the pizzas disappeared. It was nice to be surrounded by good people. The genuine honesty and emotions passing between them was real enough to feel. It was refreshing. She was coming to realize the only bullshit in Harland County came from the bulls on Connor’s ranch.

“Well, I think it’s time we all get out of Gwen’s hair.” Jordan rose to her feet. “She can handle the rest of things from here.”

She rose, too, and hugged each of them. “Thank you all so much for everything. I can’t even contemplate what has gone on today.”

“No worries,” Kerri said. “Just remember, no work until Monday.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She nodded and followed the crowd outside, watching them walk to their cars parked across the street at the Tex Pub.

All but three. Brandi had stopped to stare at the charred cottage, and Gwen’s heart busted at the anguish that crossed Kade’s face as he pulled his wife in close. It was obvious the man was grateful Brandi hadn’t been in there last night.

Gwen had never felt so horrible in her life. Well, maybe once before, and she still hadn’t recovered…

“Come on inside,” Tanner said, his warm, sure hand clasping hers as he tugged her back into the house.

It would be so easy to lose herself, to beg him to hold her until she couldn’t remain conscious. But, the poor guy didn’t deserve her wigging out on him. He’d been a rock, going beyond the call of any type of duty to help her today. And she knew, she could tell by the exhaustion lining his face, and slump of his shoulders, that he hadn’t slept last night, either.

She pulled free and headed to her bedroom to put away the new wardrobe still littering her bed. After stacking the shoe boxes in the closet, she grabbed a garment bag. “You should go home, Tanner. Lord knows I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

And energy.

And strength.

And kindness.

Too tired to care what was inside, she hung all four bags in the closet without opening them.

“Not until I know you’re okay.”

A half-giggle, half-hiccup bubbled up her throat. That wasn’t going to be anytime soon.

“Gwen.” He stopped at her side. “Look at me.” Tanner cupped her shoulder and turned her around. “Gwen?”

If she did what he said, she would most certainly lose it. In spades. “I can’t.” She began to shake. “Please, just go…”

He crooked a finger under her chin and tipped her head back, muttering a curse when she met his gaze. “It’s okay. Let me in. Let me hold you.”

She was shaking in earnest now, but held her ground. It wasn’t too late. He could still leave and not have to put up with her. Tanner was such a great guy. Why did he want to put up with someone like her?

“Gwen, please,” he said, gaze dark and tortured like he was barely able to hang on himself. “Don’t you see? I need to hold you, too. I need to know, to feel that you’re all right.”

The honesty in his voice matched the purity of his gaze and wiped away the last of her restraint. She burrowed into him, wrapping her arms up around his back and sighed into his hard chest.

“God, Gwen.” He buried his face in her neck and sucked in a breath. “When I drove up last night and saw those flames and thought you were inside…”

She squeezed him tighter, letting him know she was fine, she was there. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” And in saying this, she realized it was true. She was okay. “I’m alive. And unharmed.”

“I know.” He nodded, drawing back slightly. “But I wasn’t sure if you did.”

Smart man. “I do now.”

Especially with his body so near, pressed close, heating her from within. Any last bit of chill she’d had just vanished. Poof. Up in smoke.

She yawned.

A smile tugged his mouth, his very close mouth. “Come on. You’d better lay down before you fall down.”

He drew back the covers on the bed Jordan and Shayla had made with a luxurious plum comforter and matching sheets, then turned to her and brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “Get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

Gwen grabbed his wrist and held his hand to her face. “Okay, but only if you stay with me.”

He swallowed and took a moment before he spoke. “I’d love nothing more, but you need to get some rest.”

She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his palm. “What a coincidence. So do you. Stay with me. To sleep, Tanner. I know you didn’t get any last night either.” When he remained quiet, concern and heat fighting to claim possession of his gaze, she smiled. “I promise I won’t jump your bones. We’ll just sleep.”

His lips twitched. “What if I want you to jump my bones?”

She chuckled. “Then you’re shit out of luck, pal.” Another yawn threatened. She released him, kicked off her flip-flops and crawled in bed. “I’m exhausted.”

He stared down at her a moment, then turned and left the room. Disappointment stung her eyes, but before she had a chance to wallow in self-pity, he returned.

“I locked your door. No telling how long we’ll be out.”

Crap. She hadn’t thought about her door. Or the lights. Or much of anything. She’d just gotten so tired all of a sudden, it was becoming difficult to keep her eyes open.

“Thanks,” she said, then nearly swallowed her tongue when he yanked his shirt over his head, reminding her just how delectable his tan, sinewy muscles were and his sinfully sexy tattoo. The one that had made her a little bit stupid back in PA.

The eagle clutching a fiery twig with its talons made a whole lot of sense to her all of sudden. That was Tanner. He was just. And strong. His version of serve and protect.

And just like that, she was a wee bit more awake. Her pulse even kicked up when he sat on her bed to take off his boots. She didn’t care how much her eyes were burning, or head was pounding. The man was about to drop his jeans, and she was totally on board for the show.

Tanner could feel Gwen’s gaze as if it was a tangible caress. Hot and strong, like the blood rushing through his veins. She was killing him. Killing his restraint. Killing his good intentions of holding her close while they both got some much needed sleep, leaving him to deal with the burning need to be inside her.

Muttering a curse, he rose to his feet, forcing those thoughts to the back of his mind. Sleep first, then they’d see what happened. He shucked his jeans and crawled in bed without looking at her. That would be his undoing. As it was, he was going to have a hell of a time behaving with her soft body pressed against him as he held her close.

“Tanner?”

He swallowed then cleared his dry throat. “Yeah?”

“I’m not so sleepy right now.” Her warm fingers suddenly slid down his chest to his abs.

He grabbed her wandering hand and held her still. “Don’t. I’m trying to behave, but I’m barely holding it together here, Gwen.”

She lifted up on her elbow and stared down at him. “What if I don’t want you to?”

Chapter Seven

‡

Momentarily closing his eyes, Tanner swallowed another curse as heat shot straight to his groin. “Gwen.” He sucked in a breath before opening his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re still suffering from shock. I can’t take advantage of that. Of you.”

She shook her head, gaze glinting blue steel. “Don’t tell me what I’m feeling, Tanner. I know what I’m feeling, and yeah, shock is probably part of it, but you and I both know this chemistry existed between us way before that damn fire.” Her chin lifted defiantly, her gaze hot, daring him to deny it.

No need. It was true.

“Yes, it has,” he said, sitting up to cup her face. “And I do intend to explore more of that chemistry real soon. But first, you need rest, because what I plan to do will make the Poconos look like a picnic.”

She sucked in a breath, along with her lower lip, before her heated gaze dropped to his mouth. “Damn, Tanner. You can’t say something like that, promise something like that, and expect me to sleep. I’m not made that way.”

Well hell. Now he wasn’t going to sleep for sure.

“Don’t you see? I need you to hold me, to touch me, to make me burn so I could get lost, yet feel alive. I can sleep later.” Her warm, shaky hand trailed up his chest to stroke his collarbone. “I need you. Make me feel alive, Tanner. Remind me that I’m alive. Please…”

Her words were his undoing. Her pleading was too much; her trembling caught his heart and ripped him wide open.

To hell with sleep. They’d sleep later.

“I need all those things, too, Gwen.” He pushed her down into the mattress and captured her mouth, his control and all the reasons he should keep his distance going up in smoke.

A sexy sound rumbled in her throat as she opened up under him, brushing her tongue against his as he plundered inside. Damn. Her taste, her hunger, was so fierce and demanding he already broke out into a sweat.

Her hands stroked him everywhere as she rocked up into him, trying to kill him. Had to be, because he was dying. Of need. He wanted to slow down, to take his time with her. They’d gone at it like a pack of hungry wolves back in Pennsylvania, and again in Barry’s kitchen yesterday. Now, he was wondering if they’d ever be able to slow down and savor. Every damn time he kissed this woman, hunger consumed him until he couldn’t see straight, and he had to be inside her.

Maybe once they got fast and furious out of the way. Again.

He broke the kiss and sucked in air. “Lift up.” In one swift movement, he grabbed the hem of her dress and tugged it up over her head, revealing her braless form. His heart rocked. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

Bending down, he licked a delectable peak while he brushed the other with his thumb as he cupped the gorgeous breast in his hand. She moaned and arched up, testing his control. So damn responsive. He tugged her nipple with his teeth, his whole body tightening at the sexy as hell sounds leaving her lips. Her hands were busy, too, clutching his shoulders tight.

“Tanner…” She squirmed. “I need…”

He didn’t need to ask what she needed. He knew. Hell, he needed it, too. Releasing her nipple, he kissed a path down her soft belly, nipping at her hip as he wedged his body between her legs. She was so soft, and hot, and…had a frog on her panties?

A smiled tugged his lips as he stared up her gorgeous body to her face. “Ribbit,” he murmured, then bent down and kissed the green emblem.

Her chuckle turned into a hitched breath. He hooked his fingers under the panties and drew the green material slowly down her legs, looking his fill as he took his time. Delectable. Tugging them off the rest of the way, he kept his eye on the prize. She was so lush, and beautiful, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to taste her.

Starting at her ankle, he kissed a path up her leg, spurred on by her words of encouragement. Using his hand to stroke her other leg, he made his way to her quivering thighs, then drew back and looked some more.

“Tanner…I…”

He stroked a finger over her center and dipped inside, his blood heating as he found her wet. So damn wet. She lifted off the bed.

“Easy, I’m just getting started.” He pressed her back down, then stroked her again, and again, loving the way she clutched the sheet, sexy little mews on her lips.

He hadn’t had the opportunity to taste her last year, or yesterday, but that was about to change. Now. He leaned in, and while he continued to stroke, he licked her, relishing her moan and how her hands were suddenly on his head.

“Yes.” Her voice was hoarse and full of need, while she gripped his hair tight and thrust up. “Faster…I need…”

He slid another finger inside, changing the angle as he drew her into his mouth. She tugged his hair and cried out as she burst with a delicious heat, nearly taking him with her. Delicious and so damn hot. He fought for control while he slowly brought her down.

Still trembling and panting, she released his head and smiled up at him. “Damn, Tanner, what did you do to me? My body feels like goop without bones.”

“I can help you with that in a minute.” He smiled, slipping off the bed to dig a condom from his jean pocket.

“Is that right?” She lifted up on an elbow to watch him, her gaze heated, and smile wicked.

He crawled up her, dipping down to kiss and lick soft curves and valleys on his way to her mouth. “You doubting that?”

She answered by sucking in a breath and clutching his back as he gave equal time to each of her gorgeous nipples, too perked and tempting to ignore. He was beginning to realize it was more than her body that tempted him. It was the whole package. Everything. Her sweet smile, kind heart, hot sighs, needy little moans.

He kissed a path up to her neck, tasting and sampling, enjoying her squirms and sighs with equal pleasure. She was truly exquisite. He didn’t think he was ever going to stop needing her. She was under his skin but good.

“How do you do it?”

He stopped and drew back. “Do what?”

“Make me crazy with need two seconds after I was so relaxed I’d nearly became one with the mattress.” Gwen couldn’t believe her body was already heating and aching to have Tanner inside.

The sexy cowboy smiled down at her, his eyes deliciously dark with need. “Just following your lead.”

If that was his way of saying she was wanton, he was correct. Something she should probably be embarrassed about, but she wasn’t. After all, it was the truth. She wanted Tanner. Couldn’t get enough of the hot cowboy. His touch made her feel things she’d never felt before, things she liked way too much not to indulge.

Gwen trailed her hands down the sinewy muscles of his back to cup his fine ass. “Then you probably know what I want now.”

And in case he didn’t, she nipped at his shoulder and rocked her hips.

“I believe I can help you.” His voice was as unsteady as the pulse throbbing at the base of his neck.

Using his knee, the clever man pushed her legs open, then bent down and drew her nipple into his mouth while the head of his erection teased her aching center.

Hot damn.

He was so thick and hard she could barely hold back her moan; she’d done way too much moaning already.

When he released her nipple and stared down at her, his gaze was warm and open, showing her honest, pure emotion. He wanted her. Needed her. And not just sexually. Gwen almost didn’t know what to do with that. How to respond to a real emotion, not something faked to get her to perform to their satisfaction.

This was different.

So different.

So much more.

She felt light. Beautiful. Accepted and needed.

He slowly lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly at one corner, then the other, bringing tears to her eyes with the tender caress. Now, she felt cherished. No one had ever cherished her before. It felt incredible, like some of the smudges on her heart had washed away.

She cupped his face, and kissed him back, starting at one corner, then the other, basking in the warmth of his gaze. When he looked at her like that, she felt new.

Reborn.

“Gwen,” he whispered, kissing her over and over again, longer and deeper each time.

Oh man, could he kiss. He was a master, sending heat low in her belly as she trembled with desire. She was on the brink again, nearing that blissful edge only Tanner could find.

He broke the kiss and drew back, staring into her eyes as he drove inside with one sure, delectable thrust. She cried out, uncaring how needy she sounded. He felt too damn good.

“So right,” he said, eyes closed, muscles bunching in his neck. “I thought I’d imagined it last time.”

Then his eyes were open, staring down at her as he began to move. She clutched at his hips, thrilling at the sexy damn sound rumbling in his throat.

He grabbed her hips and drove in deeper. “So damn good.”

She wasn’t going to last. “Tanner…” she panted. She was so close.

“I’m with you.” He bent down to kiss her lips, before he straightened his elbows and increased the pace.

Harder. Faster.

It was too good. She flew apart, climaxing hard as she clutched his hips, and held tight. He followed her over, body hot and slick with sweat as he drove deep and came with her name on his lips.

When she returned to her body, and the ringing in her ears subsided, she worked on getting air into her lungs. Tanner had collapsed on her, breathing heavy and ragged.

He lifted up and smiled. “Amazing,” he said, dipping down to kiss her nose, before he rolled off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Déjà vu filtered through her mind, bringing with it their short escapade in the Poconos. This was the point where she’d fled, scrambling into her clothing on the way out the door.

Not this time.

Hell no.

She was right where she wanted to be. They’d shared a whole hell of a lot more than their bodies just now. It hadn’t been planned. Just sort of happened, and as scary as it all was, she was going to ride it out. Stay put. Not run. Take a chance.

Nodding, she smiled at the ceiling and worked to get her breathing under control. He was right. That—whatever that was—had been amazing. Something had made it different, but she had no idea what the something was, only that it had to do with Tanner and the way he made her feel…and the way he felt about her.

He returned a minute later and crawled back in bed, tucking her against his warm body. “I’m going to take that smile to mean you agree. You were amazing.” He kissed her head.

“Me?” She twisted to glance up at him. “That was not all me, Tanner. You were the reason that was so good.”

He shook his head and squeezed her shoulder. “We were the reason that was good. We’re good together.”

“I agree.” She smiled and settled back down, snuggling close to his warm, naked body, and yawned. “I think it’s probably a good thing I don’t have work until Monday.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Because you wore me out.” She chuckled. Then yawned again, so completely relaxed and utterly satiated. “I think I could sleep for days.”

And the last thought she had as her eyes fluttered closed was she never felt so absolute, so whole. And she liked it.

Tanner woke up, blissfully aware of the soft, naked body wrapped around him.

Gwen.

He smiled, enjoying the feel of her curves lightly brushing his body as she breathed steadily in her sleep.

This was the part where he detangled himself, shoved his body back in his clothes on his way out the door. Two times with a woman was his limit. His all-time rule. One he never broke. Ever. One that had always kept him safe, and out of trouble.

One he was tossing out the window.

It wasn’t needed. Not this time.

But Gwen was. He needed her, and twice with the incredible woman was nowhere near enough. Hell, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough. And that was okay. He got it now. He understood what Kade and Jace had gone through. What had made them take the plunge and tread into monogamist waters. In the past, that was one pool he’d avoided like the plague. Had never wanted to enter. Hell, he never had an interest in it before.

But he did now. With Gwen.

The thought of walking away, never touching her again, never kissing her again, watching her with someone else twisted his gut something fierce. Those thoughts never bothered him with other women.

Because he didn’t have feelings for them.

He did for Gwen.

Although this realization scared the shit out of him, he wasn’t about to walk away. He wanted to see where this took him.

“Hey, you,” she said, stretching her luscious body. “What time is it? Or should I ask, what day?”

He chuckled, rolling so he was on top of her. “It’s two o’clock Saturday afternoon.”

“Oh, good.” A wicked smiled tugged her lips, while her hands trailed down his back, then slapped his ass. “That means I can get me more of this.”

“You’re not too tired?” he asked, kissing her neck and growing hard as she rocked her hips.

Witch.

After sleeping several solid hours, they’d woken up famished, and headed to the kitchen. There was nothing finer than sitting buck naked at the table, eating left over pizza, getting glimpses of pert nipples through a curtain of long, golden hair.

That had led to spreading the sexy woman out and testing the integrity of the table while he took his sweet nature time exploring the world of Gwen. By the time they’d finished and crawled back to bed, dawn had peeked through the blinds.

“Nope.” She pushed at his shoulder and flipped them around so she was sitting on him.

Once again, he got a glimpse of her glorious breasts, peeping through her golden hair. He reached up and brushed a thumb over the tempting buds. She slapped his hands away.

“Soon. Not yet. I can’t think when you touch me, and I wanted to ask you something,” she said, gaze turning serious.

“Okay.” He shoved his hands behind his head and held her gaze. “Ask away.”

“I wanted to know about Chrissie.”

His pulse quieted down. He hadn’t expected her to say that. He’d thought she was going to ask his intentions or demand he make a claim or something. Not ask about Barry’s daughter.

“How did she die?”

He could still see Barry’s face when he’d found out. Tanner had been with him at the fire station when the news flashed on the TV. “On vacation, in a plane crash.”

“How awful. I’m sorry.” Compassion filled Gwen’s eyes as she stared down at him. “Were you seeing her at the time?”

He shook his head and trailed a finger up her arm. “No. We were never an item.”

She frowned. “But…I thought. Barry said—”

“Chrissie asked me to pretend to go out with her so she could sneak to see her girlfriend in the next county.” He waited for his meaning to sink in.

“Oh…Oh.”

“Yeah.” He sighed.

Chrissie hadn’t thought her father would understand. Tanner had tried to tell her he would.

He should’ve tried harder.

“She’d been too afraid Barry would see her differently. But, he loved her dearly. She was his world. Especially after his wife had up and left them when Chrissie was three.”

“I’m sorry.”

He watched his finger as it glided over her soft skin. “I eventually got her to agree. She’d promised she’d tell him when she came back.” He blew out a breath. “She never made it back.”

“I’m sorry,” she said again, brushing a thumb over his jaw. “Why do I get the impression you blame yourself for her death?”

He let out a mirthless laugh. “Because I do.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Why?”

“If I had insisted she tell her dad before the trip, she would’ve been here in Harland that weekend and would never have gotten on that plane.”

“Oh, Tanner. You can’t take the blame for fate. You just can’t. If Chrissie hadn’t gotten on that plane, she would’ve died some other way.”

He stared up at her, surprised at the conviction in her eyes. “You really believe that?”

“Yes. When your number’s up. It’s up.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I have to. It’s the only way I can live with…” Her voice trailed off and eyes closed, but not before he’d seen grief and guilt filling her gaze.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Is this about the child you lost?”

She gasped, and her eyes flew open. “H-how’d you know?”

Chapter Eight

‡

Tanner continued to hold Gwen’s hand, which now had a slight tremor. “I kinda knew by the way you were when Kerri went into labor.” He’d seen the same grief and guilt in her eyes then, too.

She nodded.

“Want to tell me about it?”

She shrugged. “It’s as you probably guessed. My lifestyle led to a miscarriage.”

He was careful to keep emotions from showing. “How far along were you?”

“Only three months.” She sniffed, brushing a stray tear from her face.

His insides gripped tight. He wanted to crush her close, to comfort her, but he sensed she needed to talk about it. That she had never talked about it before. So, he continued to hold her hand, and his tongue.

“I didn’t do drugs. Ever. But the father did. It was weird, you know? I never thought about being a mom, but when I discovered I was pregnant, I was…happy. I immediately quit drinking and partying. I kept thinking, if I can just get through the first trimester, we might be okay.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “Guess the damage was already done.”

“Come here.”

He tugged her hand, and she toppled onto his chest. He couldn’t take it, had to hold her. She hugged him tight and cried. This, too, was something she needed to do. He couldn’t pretend to know what she was going through, only that it hurt and guilt ran deep. That was something he understood.

He waited until her sniffs turned into random hiccups before he spoke. “None of that was your fault, Gwen.”

She gave a mirthless laugh. “But, if I had been a better person. If I—”

He shook his head. “Don’t you see? You did what you could. You quit the party lifestyle, cleaned up. That proved you were a good person.”

“But not before. I was a little out of control.”

A smile tugged his lips, despite the gravity of the subject. “I like you a little out of control.”

She sniffed and giggled at the same time, then rolled completely back on top of him again. “I know.”

“Minx.”

Her chin lifted. “I prefer fox.”

He laughed, running his fingers through her soft, silky, gorgeous hair. “You are certainly that.”

“And you are certainly a good person, Tanner Hathaway, for trying to make me feel better.”

“Did it work?”

“Yes, thank you.” Her gaze softened. “And you were not responsible for Chrissie’s death.”

He stared up at her. “Then you weren’t responsible for your baby’s.”

“But—”

He pressed a finger to her lips and silenced her. “Fate. We will both agree they were fate.”

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

“Good. Now…” He paused to run his hands down her back to squeeze her sweet ass. “About that out of control thing…”

It was the last week in April and Gwen wondered where the past seven weeks had gone as she sat at a picnic table with Brandi and their friends. The eight of them occupied a spot in the shade at the Daltons’ annual Spring Barbeque.

What a view. “Damn.”

Ten handsome cowboys, stretching their T-shirts and jeans to new limits, stood a few yards away playing horseshoes. The bending and throwing showcased some fantastic muscles and tight butts. She’d seen Tanner in several types of gear, and had trouble trying to decide which she liked most. This cowboy thing he had going on today was pretty damn hot.

“I know, right?” Brandi smiled.

Jordan agreed.

Lacey lifted her beer. “Amen.”

Caitlin and Jen, Kevin’s sister, sat fanning themselves with paper plates.

“They put the hot in Texas,” Shayla stated as she and Kerri sat cradling their slumbering newborns.

“I’m glad you got to experience a Dalton barbeque before you left, Gwen,” Jordan said, glancing sideways at her. “Or are you staying?”

That was a good question. Was she? “I’m not sure,” she answered honestly. “I probably might.”

The past month had been incredible. As the cause of the fire had been faulty wiring, Mr. Crowley had the similar cottage she was now staying in double-checked, bringing her comfort when it had passed inspection. Tanner had expressed his own relief in a very…relieving way.

She and the handsome firefighter/guardsman had fallen into a fun routine. Between work and Barry and the station and guard, they fit in seeing each other as often as they could. He usually crashed at her place, although, she’d spent a few nights at the house he owned just outside the town.

The one-story ranch was on a few secluded acres. It was peaceful. She could hear herself think. She liked that. A lot. Almost as much as the owner.

“Well, I hope you do,” Lacey said.

Caitlin nodded. “Me, too.”

“So do I,” Kerri agreed. “I also hope you’ll consider continuing to work at the Pub. I’m thinking about cutting back on my hours, once I go back.” The new mom stared adoringly down at her baby girl. “I think I’m going to have trouble leaving this sweetpea.”

Pain and envy mixed to form a deep ache in Gwen’s heart. Then she chided herself. It was her own fault—and that thought brought back her conversation with Tanner earlier that month. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. She had promised to work that into her head every time she tried to take the blame.

“I know what you mean,” Shayla said, smiling lovingly down at her daughter. “I’m lucky. Most of my work can be done at home, as long as I have a phone and a computer to keep Brandi’s designing business organized.”

“I get the impression Tanner would like you to stay,” Jordan said. “He’s a good man.”

Gwen nodded. “I know.” Maybe too good. She was still working on liking herself. He’d been a big part of her progress, but she couldn’t help but feel he deserved someone less…smudged.

Jordan reached out and squeezed her hand. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

It was on the tip of Gwen’s tongue to deny it. Would be so easy to do. Safe, too.

And a lie.

Holy crap.

Her heart rocked in her chest. “Yeah,” she whispered.

She was in love with Tanner Hathaway.

“You’re good for him,” Jordan continued. “He doesn’t want perfect. He needs someone who has—”

“Been bad?” she asked, cutting her friend off.

The sheriff smiled. “Well, he does have that bad boy image to uphold, but I was going to say, changed her life around. He’s not the type to want a silver spoon, perfect model. He wants someone who has lived. Made mistakes. Realized what’s important in life and worked to achieve that.” The warm fingers surrounding hers squeezed. “He wants you.”

Gwen swallowed past her hot throat. “Dammit. This is a spring barbeque. I’m not supposed to cry at a cookout.” She sniffed, and swiped at her face.

“You can cry anywhere you damn well please.” Her friend smiled. “It’s my county. My rules.”

She laughed, and the other women joined in. No one doubted Jordan’s claim for one second. The sheriff was tough, but fair.

Gwen was listening to the women suggest other activities that were acceptable in Sheriff McCall’s county when the men lumbered toward them.

“And just what has put the smiles on such pretty faces?” Kevin asked, bending to kiss his wife and daughter.

Shayla smiled. “Just Jordan being Jordan.”

Cole tugged his wife to her feet. “I heard that.” Then pulled her in for a kiss.

“Think we all need one of those,” Connor said, settling his big frame down on the bench next to his wife and newborn.

Lacey glared at Jesse. “Don’t even think it.”

The cowboy held his hands up and backed away. “Wasn’t asking, princess.”

“Well I am,” Tanner said, pulling Gwen to her feet. “You were too distracting. I got my butt whipped.”

“Sorry.” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sank against him.

This was the man she loved. It felt good to admit that to herself, but she wasn’t ready to tell him.

“How can I make it up to you?”

A sinful gleam entered his eyes as he lowered his mouth. “This is a start.”

Then they were kissing. In broad daylight. In front of their friends. No one really cared, since they were all guilty of the same. Well, except for Lacey, Jesse, and Caitlin.

“Chrissie!” Barry’s voice boomed.

In a bad way.

She stiffened, and they drew apart as the disgruntled man marched toward them.

“Get away from him!” The former chief pushed his way through the guests to grab her arm and yank her from Tanner. “What did I tell you about the Hathaways? They’re trash. Now, let’s go home. You don’t need to be around this one.”

Gwen wanted desperately to tell the man she wasn’t his daughter. That he was wrong. But knew that wouldn’t work. She glanced at Tanner, and her heart squeezed so tight it nearly burst. The look of pure devastation tightening his face nearly killed her.

Thank God for Kade. He stepped behind Tanner and set a hand on his shoulder as he stared at the angry guest. “Calm down, Chief. That’s a little harsh.”

“No. It’s not. Come on, Chrissie.” Barry tugged again.

She wanted to protest, but Tanner shook his head.

Jordan stepped close. “I’ll take you home. I believe Chrissie’s car is in the shop.”

Considering Gwen had returned her rental because she really had no use for a car, and Barry had arrived with Tanner, yeah, a ride was definitely needed to get the confused man home.

With one last look at her cowboy, she did her best to tell him she was sorry. The poor guy stared woodenly at her and nodded again. She knew that look. Safe mode. As she turned to leave, she had trouble breathing past her tight chest. She’d never felt so damn helpless.

This was exactly what Barry had wanted to avoid. She felt bad for him, too. But he would never know, because Tanner would never allow it. The kind cowboy would also never forget it.

Two hours later, Gwen sat in Barry’s kitchen, while the man took a nap on the couch. Her chest still hurt at the memory of Tanner’s face earlier. His mentor was like a father, so to hear the man call him trash had to hurt like hell.

She blinked back tears. Life sucked sometimes.

The sound of the front door closing met her ears.

Tanner?

She’d texted him a half-hour ago when he’d asked how things were going. He’d told her he thought it best if he stayed away until his mentor was…better.

Another second went by, but no one entered the kitchen. Her heart stopped.

Barry.

She shot to her feet and rushed into the living room to find the couch empty. Dammit! He’d been the one to open the door. Gwen raced outside, scanning the long driveway and fields.

Nothing.

“Barry?” she called, rushing to the side of the house. Again, nothing. Just the barn. “Hello?” She pushed through the barn door and screamed. “Barry, don’t!”

Standing on a big, upside down bucket, he was tossing a noose around a wooden beam. “Go away! I have to do this, Gwen. It’s the only way. No one will listen. No one will listen.”

She lunged for the rope and yanked it from him. “I’ll listen, Barry. I’ll listen.” She held out her hand to him. “Please, come down and talk to me.”

With a reluctant sigh, he took her hand, stepped down, then sank to his knees and sobbed. Tossing the rope across the barn, she sat beside him, her legs too shaky to stand.

“I’m listening,” she said, putting her arm around him.

“I had another episode again today, didn’t I? Last I remember, we were at the Dalton’s barbeque. Then I woke up, and I’m at home.” Confusion etched his anguished face. “I can’t remember things. Or faces. Or people. I have missing time. Don’t remember how I get to places. And I’m only going to get worse.” He glanced at her. “Where’s Tanner?”

She hesitated, trying to figure out how best to answer.

He must’ve seen the inner battle in her expression, because he let out a curse and slumped against her. “What did I do?”

Again, she was faced with a dilemma. Hard truth, or easy lie. In the end, honesty won out. “You wanted to leave the party without him,” she told him, omitting the rest. She saw no reason to make him feel any worse.

Tears spilled down his face. “I don’t remember. It happens a lot. There are gaps. I start off in one place, then I wake from a nap and I find it’s hours later, and I’m somewhere else.” He reached up and covered the hand she had wrapped around his shoulder. “I’m scared, Gwen. What if I walk outside and get lost? And no one finds me.”

Her heart cracked open for the man. She couldn’t even imagine what he was going through. Genuine fear clouded his gaze. She squeezed him. “Maybe Tanner should move in.” She didn’t know what else to say. It wasn’t really her place, but she still felt he deserved to have someone listen to his fears.

He released her hand and shook his head. “I don’t want to be a burden on him. And I refuse to live in fear. The best place for me is in a home, so I can’t wander off. And as I slowly slip away and remember people less and less, I’ll still be taken care of without saddling those I care about most.” He turned to look her in the eyes. “I’m going to ask you one last time, Gwen. Will you please take me to a home?”

Her chest hurt so bad, she could barely breathe. He was asking her to betray Tanner. She thought of calling him, but he’d refuse Barry’s request. And that would lead to something much worse.

“I won’t live like this anymore. I’m done. I mean it. I’m done,” he repeated, gaze determined and resolute.

Not a warning. A promise. This suicide attempt would not be his last if he was left alone.

Gwen didn’t want to betray Tanner. She loved him. But he would never know, never believe her, never talk to her again if she took Barry to a home.

Still, the alternative was worse. Her friend’s mother had gone that route, and Jane had never recovered from the guilt.

She couldn’t do that to Tanner. Refused to put that on him.

That left her with one choice.

“What do you want me to do?”

Chapter Nine

‡

Tanner sat on a bench, staring out at the moonlit ocean, listening to waves hit the shore. The sound was a soothing form of medication and good for his soul. His great day had turned to crap in the blink of an eye.

Happened a lot lately with Barry.

He shoved a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. The man’s episodes were getting worse and more frequent. And the temperament change the doctors had warned him about was showing up more often, too.

Just when he thought he could handle it—bam—something happened to prove him wrong. Like this afternoon. He’d taken Barry to the party, and the man had been fine. Hell, they’d been there for several hours without incident. Then out of the blue…this stranger appeared.

Tanner knew his mentor hadn’t meant what he’d said. He knew it, and yet, he couldn’t stop the pain that gripped his gut and twisted tight.

Then there was Gwen.

The poor woman had gotten caught in the middle. She didn’t deserve that shit. The thing was, she didn’t seem to care, not about herself, anyway. Her gaze had been dark with worry for him. Something Tanner wasn’t used to. Something he’d never craved.

Until now.

Until Gwen.

The woman was special.

And finally arriving at her cottage.

She’d been texting him since she got to Barry’s. It had taken her a while to calm him down. Then she said he’d fallen asleep, but she was afraid to leave him. He’d texted her back and told her not to. That he was fine; they’d catch up later. So, he’d driven here and sat. For hours. Lost in thought, some good, some bad. But now, it was later, and she was finally arriving home.

A slice of guilt stabbed at his gut at the sight of the sheriff’s car pulling into Gwen’s driveway. She’d told him not to worry, she’d get a ride home, and he’d reluctantly agreed. He hadn’t wanted to take the chance his presence would disturb Barry again.

She got out of Jordan’s car, and as the sheriff pulled away, turned to walk toward him.

He headed to her, and even in the dimness of the streetlight, he could distinguish the concern in her eyes. She rushed to him, something he’d never seen her do before. Gwen Gable didn’t go to people; they came to her.

The uncharacteristic action made him feel special. She was good at that. Making him feel special. He hadn’t realized how much it meant to him. How much she meant to him, until today. Until she let Barry pull her away, when her gaze had clearly said she was sorry and wanted to stay and hold him tight.

As low as he’d felt from his mentor’s hateful words, he’d felt just as high from her deep concern. She meant the world to him. Not Gwen Gable the supermodel, but Gwen Gablonski, the beautiful, mistake-making, approachable human being.

“You okay?” She pulled him in for a hug. “Please don’t believe anything Barry said. It wasn’t him.”

He nodded and drew back. “I know, and I know things are going to get worse with him. Today was just the beginning.”

“Yeah. About that…we need to talk. Let’s sit.” She grabbed his hand and led him back to the bench, entwining their fingers as they sat, knees brushing.

Instinct told him this was bad. His heart rocked. Something was wrong.

“What is it?”

She sucked in a breath, then blew it out. “I think you should know that when Barry woke up tonight, he…begged me to drive him to a home so he could check himself in.”

Shit. He clenched his jaw to keep from cursing out load.

“He’s aware that he’s having episodes, Tanner,” she said quietly. “He doesn’t want to hurt you, and well, he’s scared.”

He released her hand and sat back. “He said that?”

She nodded again. “He told me he was scared. He’s afraid he’ll wander off and get lost, and that people might get hurt looking for him. He can’t do that in a home. They have alarms on their doors, and he said he wouldn’t be able to just open them and leave.”

That was one of the things Jace had told Tanner about the home he’d recommended. He had to admit, that was a good thing.

Still, he was conflicted.

She touched his arm. “I know you didn’t want to leave him with strangers, but you can still see him every day like you have been.”

Have been? What the hell did she mean…have been?

His heart rolled over. “Gwen…what’s going on?” He sat up straight. There was more. He knew it. He could sense it. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her face. “Please don’t hate me, but an hour ago, Barry signed himself into the hospital, so he can then be admitted into the home Doctor Turner had recommended.”

What the fuck?

He shot to his feet and stared down at her, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. “Dammit, Gwen, what have you done? How’d he get there? Who took him?”

“I called an ambulance for him. But I didn’t have a choice, Tanner.” She jumped up and touched his arm. “I had to help him. He tried—”

“Bullshit, Gwen! You should’ve called me, not the damn ambulance.” He shook her off and began to pace. “You had no right. No damn right! You don’t even know him.”

And here he’d thought she was different. That she had his back. How the hell could he have been so wrong?

He’d never felt so damn betrayed.

“I can’t believe you’d do this to me. You knew how much I didn’t want strangers taking care of him. This was not your call, lady. Not your call.”

Tears continued to stream down her face. “I’m so sorry, Tanner. I didn’t have a choice.”

“Well, I do. You can save your apologies. I don’t need to stand here and waste my breath on you any longer.” He twisted around and strode to his truck, his chest squeezed so tight by the pain of her betrayal he could barely get air into his lungs.

Tonight, not only did he lose his mentor, he lost the woman he thought he’d loved.

Chapter Ten

‡

The next morning, Tanner sat in his truck outside the hospital, waiting for visiting hours to start. He’d tried to get in to see Barry last night, but was stopped by security. It was his damn friend in there. He should be able to see the man when he wanted.

He shouldn’t be here.

Barry shouldn’t be there.

This is fucking wrong.

His alarm went off. The one he set on his phone to go off at the start of visiting hours. He shut off the alarm, slid out of the truck, and headed for the building. This was bullshit. He didn’t know how he was going to talk Barry into checking out, but he wasn’t leaving there without the man.

He strode through the automatic doors and headed straight to the information desk.

“Can I help you?” The young nurse behind the counter smiled, her gaze warm and friendly, so he did his best to file away his bad mood for the first person who deserved it.

“Yes.” He nodded, and even remembered to smile back. “I’m looking for Barry Patterson?”

A blush rushed up her neck as she glanced down at the computer and typed a few keys before telling him the room number and how to find it.

As he rode the elevator and walked down the halls, turning where he’d been directed, he thought about what he’d say to Barry when he saw him. Demanding the chief come to his senses was a bad move. He needed a new tactic. Which he didn’t have. Lack of sleep had zapped his brain.

And he hadn’t slept a damn wink.

Every time he’d closed his eyes last night, he saw Gwen’s face. Twisted in anguish. Wet with tears. Then he’d remember her betrayal, and his stomach would clench. Yeah, sleep hadn’t been attainable.

He yawned as he approached the room number the nurse had given. Once he got Barry home, he could crash on the man’s couch.

“Tanner.” His mentor blinked at him from his chair by the window. “I didn’t think you’d want to see me. Especially after I tricked Gwen into bringing me here.”

Tricked?

“What do you mean, tricked?”

“Well, okay, maybe not tricked so much as coerced,” the chief corrected, guilt forcing his gaze away.

Shit.

Tanner’s heart squeezed again, and he had the sinking feeling he’d gotten more than a few things wrong. He walked over to the man, sat in a vacant chair, and held his gaze. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened.”

An hour and a half later, Tanner parked in front of Barry’s house—alone—and stared at the barn. He was still a little numb from the bomb the man had dropped about yesterday’s events. It didn’t compute. Had to be a mistake. That was the only explanation for the tale his mentor had told. It couldn’t really be true.

So, he’d driven over to see for himself. Not that he thought his mentor had lied, but well, considering his state, maybe Barry just didn’t remember it exactly correct.

Sliding out of the truck, Tanner set his shoulders, then strode to the barn. It needed to be done. He had to know.

He stopped outside the opening and stared at paint peeling on the weathered door. The whole barn could use a good coat of paint. Something he’d planned to tackle that summer. It wasn’t a priority right now, though. Neither were those thoughts.

He was stalling.

Because he was scared.

What if Barry had told him the truth? That meant Tanner had come real close to losing him…

And Gwen deserved a huge apology, and he had a shit-ton of groveling to do.

There was only one way to find out. Go inside.

Too bad his damn feet wouldn’t budge. This was stupid. He’d exchanged gunfire with the enemy overseas, rushed into burning buildings here in Harland County, and yet, he was too damn afraid to walk in the barn to face the truth about last night.

He owed it to himself. Owed it to Barry. And possibly Gwen.

Finding the nerve, he shoved the door open then stepped inside.

Son of a bitch.

In the center of the floor sat an upside down bucket, just like Barry had claimed. He glanced off to the right and his heart dropped. A rope. With a noose.

His stomach churned, and he had to fight to keep from being sick. Barry had actually intended to commit suicide yesterday.

Jesus.

If Gwen hadn’t…

Tanner slumped against the door and sucked in a breath. It was all his fault. He’d pushed the man too far. Trying to make sure the old chief got the best, loving care, he’d nearly failed to protect the man.

He would’ve had no one but himself to blame. Thank God Gwen had walked in.

Gwen.

The invisible bands squeezing his chest tightened, forcing the air from his lungs, flattening his heart. What had he done? Tanner rubbed at his chest, trying to dispel the tight ache.

He was an ass. The woman had been through hell, and he’d only added to her misery. All she’d been guilty of was saving Barry’s life, and he’d rewarded her with harsh words and turning his back. Why hadn’t he listened to her? She’d tried to tell him yesterday. But, no. He’d had to be a stubborn jerk, assuming she’d betrayed him like all the other women in his life that had mattered.

Gwen was different. And he knew this. He’d known, way back when he’d first laid eyes on the beautiful woman last September. She was more than just a beautiful face. There was something about her that had caught and held his attention. The combination of beauty, attitude, and vulnerability had hooked him from the start.

And underneath her tough exterior was a kind heart. One of the things he loved most about her.

Loved…

He straightened from the door. What the hell did he know about love? Not much, other than he ran from it like a baby his whole life.

The thing was, he didn’t want to run now. At least, not run away. He wanted to run to Gwen, like she had rushed to him last night.

“You okay?”

He turned to find the sheriff standing in the doorway, concern etched in her dark eyes.

“Not really.”

She nodded, cupping his shoulder as she glanced inside. “I take it you’ve seen Barry.”

He nodded, forcing air into his lungs. “About an hour ago. He told me how Gwen had called you, and the three of you had had a heart to heart before you called for the ambulance to take him to the hospital.”

“Under the circumstances, I think it was for the best.”

“Thanks for your help.” He nodded, even though his inner voice was screaming.

“I’m not the one you need to thank.”

Tanner shook his head and blew out a breath. “Screwed that up.”

“Nah.” She squeezed his shoulder before dropping her hand. “I’ll let you in on a secret. Gwen’s skin might be beautiful, but it’s also pretty thick. An apology will go far.”

He smiled, but in reality, he felt like hitting something. Mainly, himself. Hard. Several times. “She deserves a hell of a lot better than me.”

“What if she doesn’t want anyone but you?” Gwen asked, shocking him silent as she stepped around Jordan to face him.

Well…hell.

He glanced from one beauty to the next.

The sheriff smiled. “Did I forget to mention I brought Gwen with me?”

Yeah. The sneak.

She laughed. “My bad. If you’ll excuse me, I have some sheriffing to do.” And with a nod to them both, she walked outside, whistling a popular song from The Pretenders about love and support.

“Are you okay?” Gwen stared at him, standing rigid in the doorway, hands wrapped around her middle.

With her hair in a ponytail, and nothing but honest emotion on her face, she looked vulnerable and beautiful, and he ached to hold her.

Thanks to his stubborn ass, he’d forfeited that right last night.

Realizing she was waiting for an answer, he blew out a breath and shook his head. “No. I’m not. I’m having trouble dealing with this.” He waved a hand in the direction of the bucket, then turned to face her. “And the way I treated you last night. God, Gwen, I’m sorry. You tried to tell me, and I wouldn’t let you.”

He clenched his jaw as emotions overtook him. She’d saved Barry’s life, and he’d treated her like dirt. The woman deserved so much better.

“It’s okay, I understand,” she said quietly, compassion softening her gaze. “You thought I’d betrayed you, and in a way, I did. But, I just couldn’t bear the thought of you going through the stuff my friend went through with her mom.”

Sadness etched lines around her mouth and eyes, and the urge to go to her and pull her in to his arms was so strong he had to shove his hands in his pockets.

“Did your friend put her mother in a home?”

She slowly shook her head. “No. Her mother gave the same arguments as Barry, but Jane couldn’t bear to leave her with strangers. One day, we arrived to find her mom had taken a whole bottle of pills…and never woke up.”

He sucked in a breath, unable to contemplate dealing with the tragedy.

Gwen swiped at the lone tear that slipped down her cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you yesterday, but I know you would’ve refused to let Barry go to the home. And that he would try to take his life again if you didn’t listen. I couldn’t bear for you to go through what my friend did, Tanner. The guilt has eaten her alive. She turned to alcohol and drugs. I tried to get her clean. To keep her clean, but if you don’t want help, you won’t get it. I’ve had to learn to accept that.”

A sudden realization shot through him. He stepped closer and held her gaze. “When did her mom die?”

“Two years ago.”

The same time Gwen had started to turn her life around. These events were the catalyst.

“I tried to tell Jane it wasn’t her fault. That she had good intentions.”

He nodded, his heart going out to the kindhearted woman before him. She must’ve been worried sick for her friend. “What did she say?”

“She flipped me the bird and told me to fuck off. Then went out and got stoned.”

His chest tightened at all she’d gone through alone. “I’m so sorry,” he said, lifting a hand to brush away another tear.

“Me, too.” She shook, drawing in a ragged breath. “I stuck around for a whole year. She was in and out of rehab. But I finally realized she was the only one who could help herself, so I had to walk away.”

And she hated herself for it, too. He could tell by her tone. “You did the right thing.”

“I can’t help but feel I failed her.” She reached up to cover the hand he held to her face. “But I’m not going to fail you, Tanner. That is…if you still want me around.”

Hell yeah.

“So much.” His heart pounded hard in his tight chest.

Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “I’m glad.”

He cupped her face with both hands, marveling at the inner beauty shining out of her eyes. “Thank you for being there for Barry. I’m so damn sorry I was such an ass about it. I just didn’t realize…”

“It’s okay.”

“No.” He shook his head hard. “It’s not. What you did…it meant the world to me.”

The most radiant smile lit her face and stole his breath.

“I’d do anything for you, Tanner Hathaway.” She leaned in and kissed him.

Her lips were warm, and sweet, and so damn tender he shook from the force of emotion he felt flowing between them. When they drew apart, she had tears in her eyes again.

He brushed the wetness from her cheeks with his thumbs. “I know. I feel it too, Gwen,” he told her, afraid to blink in case he was imagining the whole thing.

Or worse. Dreaming.

“You love me? Because that’s what I’m feeling,” she confessed. “I love you, and I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never felt this way before. I’ll probably suck at it. And make a mess of it. I don’t have a great track record. I tend to hurt those who care about me. And I don’t want to hurt you, Tanner. I don’t ever want to see the hurt in your eyes again. I—”

He kissed her this time, putting a stop to her words, showing her that he felt exactly the same and was more than happy to take his chances.

When they broke for air, he finally pulled her in close and held her tight, because, God, it felt so good to hold her. He needed to hold her. To keep her close.

“I love you, too.” He kissed her head. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

She drew back and shook her head, gaze dulling with self-loathing. “You deserve so much better than me—”

“Don’t say that.” He cupped her face and frowned. “Don’t ever say that again. You are exactly perfect for me, Gwen. You’re beautiful and kind. You know guilt and pain and the trials of turning your life around. I love that about you. You’re not showroom. You’re used. With bumps and dings to prove you’ve lived and learned. Just like me.” He set his forehead to hers. “You’re a gift. A sweet, beautiful, very precious gift.”

More tears spilled down her face. “Thank you.” She burrowed into him and sniffled near his ear. “And thanks for putting up with my tears. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think I’m broken.”

She felt so damn good pressed against him, he closed his eyes as he soaked in her calming presence.

“That’s why we fit together so well.” He opened his eyes as she drew back and gazed at him with so much love and support in her warm expression his chest ached.

“I promise I’ll always have your back, Tanner.” She reached up to lightly cup his face. “And together, we’ll help Barry get his personal things in order, and help him prepare to be admitted into the nursing home. We’ll make sure he’s never forgotten.”

His throat closed on that, and he hugged her tight. He was so damn blessed. Having someone by his side that understood what he was going through with his old friend humbled him. He truly was the luckiest man in the world.

He held her close, until he was able to find his voice. “Thanks, Gwen. I—”

First tones dropped from his pager and echoed through the barn, followed by that of his department, calling him to a garage fire.

“Sorry.” He drew back and sighed. “I’ve got to go.”

“I know.” Love warmed her gaze as she brushed his jaw with her thumb. “I’m not the only one who needs you.”

He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “Will you be okay here? The house is open. I’m sorry, but I can’t drop you off at your cottage. The fire isn’t near town.”

She nodded. “I’ll call Caitlin. You go ahead. Just make sure you come back to me when you’re done.”

He pressed their entwined fingers to his chest. “I’ll always come back to you, Gwen.”

And he would, because she was worth coming back to. Worth fighting for. Worth loving. The only one to ever stick around, sneak under his skin, and get to know the real him. Accept the real him. She was the only one he’d ever cared enough to volunteer his heart.

The End

**♥**

Sparks aren’t the only things to fly whenever a certain dark-haired cowboy is near Lacey and her smart mouth. Which is often, since her brother asked his guard buddy to watch over her while he is away. Too bad she wants more than the cowboy’s delicious, dark gaze on her.

Can the two find another way to show how they feel, or will words get in the way?

♥

Her Indulgent Cowboy

Harland County Series: Book Seven/Jesse

Coming early 2016

**♥**

**♥**

Phoebe’s temporary gig as a substitute music teacher at an elementary school is just what the burnt out, former Broadway star needs to regroup from a demanding, and lately, unsatisfying career. Exposing children to the magic of music has reawakened her love for the basics. The Poconos is a great place to find herself, and she was finding her frequent encounters with the handsome, single father of one of her students has reawakened a different type of passion.

But he’s made it clear he’s not looking for permanent, and for the first time in her life, she’s not looking for temporary. Maybe what his locked up, guarded heart needs is a little song.

♥

Wyne and Song

Citizen Soldier Series: Book Three/Ethan

Coming November 2015

**♥**

***

For announcements about upcoming releases and exclusive contests:

Join Donna’s Newsletter

Visit me at: www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

***

Harland County Series

Visit my Harland County Series Page at my website www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for release information and updates!

Prequel Book .05: Harland County Christmas-Novella

Book One: Her Fated Cowboy

Book Two: Her Unbridled Cowboy

Book Three: Her Uniform Cowboy

Book Four: Her Forever Cowboy

Book Five: Her Healing Cowboy

Book Six: Her Volunteer Cowboy-Novella

Coming soon:

Book Seven: Her Indulgent Cowboy

Become a Cowboy Tamer!

Drop me a line at donna_michaels@msn.com and request some Cowboy-Tamer swag!

***

Cowboy-Fiancé

Honky Tonk Hearts Series with

The Wild Rose Press
by Donna Michaels

**4 Star RT Magazine Review*&*NOR Reviewer Top Pick**

**Going Global! Now being translated into Japanese as a MANGA!**

Finn Brennan was used to his brother playing practical jokes, but this time he’d gone too far—sending him a woman as a ranch hand, and not just a woman, but a Marine.

When Lt. Camilla Walker’s CO asks her to help out at his family’s dude ranch until he returns from deployment, she never expected to be thrust into a mistaken engagement to his sexy, cowboy twin—a former Navy SEAL who hates the Corps.

The Corps took Finn’s father, his girlfriend and threatened his naval career. He’s worked hard for another shot at getting back to active duty and won’t let his brother’s prank interfere. The last thing he needs is the temptation of a headstrong, unyielding, hot Marine getting in the way.

COWBOY PAYBACK

(Brett’s story)

Coming Soon!

through The Wild Rose Press

***

Citizen Soldier Series

Guarding the hearts of the Pocono Valley

A Harland County Spinoff

Visit my Citizen Soldier Series Page at my website www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for release information and updates!

Book One: Wyne and Dine

Book Two: Wyne and Chocolate

Coming soon:

Book Three: Wyne and Song (Rel. Nov. 2015)

***

Dangerous Curves Series

Guarding the hearts of the Pocono Valley

A Harland County Spinoff

Visit my Dangerous Curves Series Page at my website www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for release information and updates!

Book 1: Locke and Load

Rel. Sept, 9, 2015

Locke and Load

Former Naval Intelligence Officer Lt. Nicole Locke is asked to assist the local police in a murder investigation, and finds herself face-to-face with the only man she ever loved—the man she was forced to jilt in order to save his life.

Det. Cage Burnett vows to do whatever it takes to bring down his partner’s killer, even work with the woman who crushed his heart four years ago when she left him for another man. The dangerous investigation rekindles their desire, but when someone from Nikki’s past reappears and threatens Cage’s future, once again, Locke is loaded with determination to keep the man she loves alive at any cost.

***

Thanks for reading,

~Donna!

Cowboy’s Match

Novel #2 in the Poker Flat series

Lexi Post

‡

Copyright © 2015 by Lexi Post

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

For information contact Lexi Post at www.lexipostbooks.com

Cover design by Syneca Featherstone

Cover photo by Billie Dee Williams at www.facebook.com/AbSoluteFotog

Cover model: Don Allen

Desert photo: Robert A. Fabich, Sr.

Excerpt of Pleasures of Christmas Past: A Christmas Carol Book 1 Copyright © 2015 by Lexi Post.

Cowboy’s Match

Two Hearts, Two Fires…

Cowboy Cole Hatcher became a firefighter to support his horse rescue ranch. He never dreamed it would lead him back to his first love, but a fire at the Poker Flat Nudist Resort lands him face-to-face with Lacey Winters. She may have started the fire that ended their relationship, but the sight of her reignites his long buried feelings.

Lacey is shocked the hunky firefighter is the same man who dumped her eight years ago. Cole burned Lacey in the past when he failed to stand by her and she’s determined not to let him back into her heart. But everything about the new Cole is just too hot to resist. He melts her defenses, sweeping her away into a night of erotic passion only to rip open old wounds.

Determined to prove who set the Poker Flat fire and the original fire that destroyed their relationship, Cole investigates both, unearthing ugly truths that reveal even more damage. Now, he’s not sure he can catch the arsonist or the heart of the woman he never stopped loving.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to my better half, Chief Robert Fabich, Sr., for his invaluable help and knowledge of arson, fires and fire suppression. I learned so much…as usual.

For Paige Wood, who really enjoyed this story and keeps the pressure on for me to write the next one. And for my mom, Jo Brous, who came up with the title when I was at a complete loss.

Thank you to Spur Cross Stables in Cave Creek, Arizona for accepting less than perfect horses for trail rides and for allowing me to visit. I especially have to thank the Spur Cross Stables head wrangler Boot (his real name) for spending hours answering all my questions and introducing me to their wonderful horses.

Of course, I dragged my critique partner, Marie Patrick, out to the ranch as well and she was so patient (and learned a lot, too). I struck gold when I met up with her. Last, I’d like to thank Merritt Crowder for her sharp eye and excellent vocabulary.

I couldn’t ask for better resources on this story. Any incorrect information is completely the fault of the author.

Author’s Note

Cowboy’s Match was inspired by Bret Harte’s short story, The Outcasts of Poker Flat, first published in 1869. In Harte’s story, four members of Poker Flat society—a gambler, a prostitute, a madam, and a drunk—are banned from the western settlement when a sudden urge to be virtuous overtakes the citizens. On their way to the next settlement, the outcasts stop to rest at the base of some high mountains. An innocent couple, a young man and his fiancée (a tavern waitress), comes down from the mountains and rests with them. This cast of characters explores the relationship between the innocent and the tainted in Harte’s story.

But what if the lines blur and it becomes unclear who is innocent and who is tainted? Can love become the fire by which the truth is revealed?

Chapter One

‡

Cole Hatcher ignored the yellow and orange streaks of the Arizona sunset and focused on the same colors rising from the burning building as flames moved with the breeze. He spoke into the radio. “Move the two and a half inch to the northwest corner.”

Two firefighters lugged the hose toward the base of the fire at the edge of the partially constructed building. Not more than fifteen feet away was a pile of old barn wood just waiting to ignite.

Stepping back toward the engine, Cole received a nod from Mason, the fire engine monitor, before speaking into the radio again. “Tanker, is the dry hydrant hooked yet?”

“Almost.” The reply was not the answer Cole wanted. They would need more water than an engine and tanker could provide, and the chance of the winds picking up once the sun disappeared were better than a horse getting loose through an open gate.

As if on cue, the whinny of several frightened horses in the nearby barn caused him to tense. There was no way he would let the fire spread that way.

The radio clicked before a firefighter’s voice came through. “We’re hooked.”

Cole breathed easier. As long as he had water, he could put this baby out. “Good. Stay with the tanker. I’ll need someone to come over here and grab the one and a half inch with Clark.” He watched as Clark unwound the hose, already heading toward the construction site that hid behind the smoke and flames of the fire’s onslaught.

Glancing back to where the tanker was parked thirty yards away, Cole swore. “What the hell?” Coming up the hill along the dirt road his trucks had just rolled in on, were at least a half dozen golf carts filled with naked people.

He stifled a laugh. What’d they think this was? A campfire? A Wild West show? Did they plan to make s’mores? This would be a story to tell at the firehouse for sure. Still, as with all spectators to a disaster, it wasn’t safe for them to be there. He silently wished he had a radio to communicate with the owner, who had enough sense to keep the resort guests from getting any closer.

For over a year, he’d been curious about the Poker Flat Nudist Resort, but Clark had been chosen to give the fire extinguisher class to all the employees before the resort opened three months ago, and Cole had no official reason to come check it out. Fighting a fire wasn’t a good way to learn about a place. Whatever this new construction was, it was toast. His concern was with the barn and the horses and which way the wind would blow next.

An explosion from the fire shook the ground as flames shot into the air. “Shit.” What the hell did they have in that unfinished building? The two men with the smaller hose lost their footing and fell, but since they hadn’t made it to the fire yet, they were unharmed.

He’d be damned if he’d put his men in harm’s way when no lives were at stake.

He turned toward the owner and motioned her closer, then faced the burning construction site. As the sky behind the fire turned a dull pink, the breeze picked up, changing the direction of the flames toward the open desert. Good for the horses, but not for wildfire potential. It’d been the driest summer on record. October temperature highs had finally dropped below triple digits and the nights were already getting cold, but there had been no rain during monsoon season.

Cole spoke into the radio again. “I need the two and half inch to lay down a curtain between the building and the open desert on your side.”

“Got it.” The two firefighters adjusted their hose and started a continual spray, wetting and cooling the area toward the open desert even as the men with the one and a half inch hose moved in to cover the fire base.

“Lieutenant, you wanted us?” The female voice had him turning around.

He’d forgotten he’d called over the owner. At least she and the cowboy with her were dressed. “You need to get those people out of here. I can’t control the fire’s embers and right now the wind is picking up.”

The tall man nodded. “I’ll take care of that.” He immediately strode toward the golf cart brigade.

Cole turned his attention to the woman. “I’ve got my men focused on keeping the fire from spreading to your barn or out into the desert. A wildfire would be catastrophic, but we won’t be able to save the building.”

She waved her hand as if it meant little to her. “I’m not worried about the building as long as everyone is safe.”

“Have you accounted for all your employees and guests?”

“Yes.”

Another explosion had Cole turning away to check on his men. A voice came across his radio. “What the fuck is in here? A chemical lab?”

Cole frowned. He’d never thought of how convenient it would be to have a meth lab out at a nudist resort. He’d make sure the police investigated the place in case there had been illegal activity.

He looked at the owner. “How many more explosions should we expect?”

She frowned. “We had one before you arrived, that’s what alerted me to the fire, but there shouldn’t be anything that would explode over there. The plywood for the roof was completed, but they hadn’t even set the windows in yet. All that was there was whatever the construction crew left.”

“Do you have electricity out there yet?”

She shook her head.

Shit. “Gasoline for their generator.” He spoke into his radio again. “Possible gas containers.”

A gust of wind compounded his problems and he quickly repositioned his men. A siren could barely be heard in the distance, but the red and blue lights of a sheriff department car reflected far into the desert. About time they got here.

Cole spared a glance to where the golf carts had been parked and was relieved to see only a few left, but he scowled as a young woman with golden hair moved toward him and the owner, a tray of food and drinks in her hands. Shit, didn’t these people realize this was a working fire? This was dangerous!

A third explosion rocked the ground and he spun in time to see a gust of wind pick up the roiling flames and throw them toward his men. He pressed the button on his radio. “Fall back!”

One man stumbled backward, catching his foot on the old barn wood and lost his grip on the hose. The other firefighter struggled with it before he went down too.

“Fuck.” Cole sprinted to his men, pulling them back by their coats as the flames licked at their boots. The barn wood caught, feeding the fire.

Once his men were out of harm’s way, he tackled the flailing line. A loose hose was a danger in its own right.

“Lieutenant, do you want us on the wood pile?” The question came through his radio.

Cole slammed his body onto the hose before replying, “Negative. Keep that curtain up.”

The two firefighters that had been blown down regained their feet and grabbed the hose. “Thanks, Lieutenant.”

He released his hold. “Pull back and soak that pile. If the wind shifts again, I don’t want the barn catching.”

The men nodded.

Cole turned around and strode back to the engine. The two women were still there. This wasn’t a movie. Didn’t they have any common sense?

After checking with Mason to be sure the water pressure was steady, he approached his audience, irritation growing at the petite stature of the blonde. Someone so delicate didn’t belong at a working fire, but like the owner, at least she had clothes on. “Ladies, you need to get back.” He pointed to the rise the golf carts had congregated on earlier.

The blonde smiled. “Selma sent over churros and iced tea for your men in case they need something.”

Cole’s blood froze. That voice. He studied the woman and his heart stumbled inside his chest. Her shapely figure proved she’d grown into a delectably curvy woman as he’d always expected she would, but her face was almost the same, just more refined. “Lacey Winters?”

Her brows furrowed and her button nose wrinkled as she peered back at him. Had he really changed so much in eight years? Yeah, probably. He been a bean pole last he’d seen her…the night he broke it off with her.

She gave up trying to figure out who he was. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

He should let it go. No need to dredge up the past. He had a fire to control.

His pulse went into overdrive. Another fire. It couldn’t be coincidence. He scowled at her. “You should. I’m Cole, Cole Hatcher.”

Even in the reflection of the flames, her face turned pasty white and he kicked himself for revealing his identity. All he needed now was a fainting woman to contend with.

“You two know each other?” The other woman leaned on one hip, her concern for Lacey evident in the look she gave him.

At the owner’s voice, Lacey recovered her color. Actually, her face changed from white to an angry flush in a matter of seconds. It reminded him of a flashover.

“Not that I want to know him.” Lacey handed the tray over to the owner and stepped up to him. She poked her index finger into his chest. Hard. “So, Cole Hatcher. Are you going to accuse me of setting this fire? After all, I’m here, on the same property. It’s not like you need evidence or anything. Feel free to assume the worst. I’m sure it helps to justify the way you treated me.” She pulled back as if touching him made her feel sick. “Good luck with that.” Turning on her heel, she stalked off, her hips swaying enticingly until he remembered where he was and who he was looking at.

“So you’re the one who broke her heart.” The owner studied him briefly then set the tray on the ground and followed after Lacey.

Shit.

Lacey didn’t have a destination in mind. She didn’t even see the dirt road she walked on. All she could see was Cole Hatcher, or rather the new and improved Cole Hatcher. He’d grown even taller and had filled out like a pro football player. What right did he have to look that good?

“Lacey, wait.” Kendra’s voice stopped her.

She didn’t want to wait. She wanted to get as far from Cole as she could. That was why she’d applied for the job at Poker Flat in the first place. But Kendra was her boss.

“Lacey.” Kendra grabbed her arm. “Were you planning to walk into the ravine?”

She looked at her boss blankly before refocusing on her surroundings in the growing darkness. Shoot. She’d almost walked right off the road.

She returned her gaze to Kendra and shook her head, her eyes watering at her near miss. She shouldn’t let Cole affect her so much. She was supposed to be over him by now.

Kendra looped her arm in hers. “Come on. Let’s let the firefighters do their job and you can tell me all about it.”

Lacey swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’d rather not.”

“That wasn’t a request.” Kendra tugged on her arm and she gave in. Her boss was twice her size and tough. Besides, Lacey owed her an explanation. Her broken heart and arson charge had been the two deciding factors for getting hired. Kendra only hired misfits and at first Lacey had appeared too perfect.

She sniffed. Heck, she was anything but perfect.

“So he’s the one who broke your heart, isn’t he?” Kendra didn’t waste time getting to the point.

“Yes.”

“I thought you said he was a cowboy and lived in Orson, Arizona.”

Lacey pulled up her memory of the young man she’d fallen head over heels for. He’d been six feet tall as a high school senior and as thin as any wrangler, but even then his hard chin had given him a more mature look. Her weakness, though, had been his eyes. Cole Hatcher had always had the kindest green eyes she’d ever gazed into.

“Lacey?”

“Yes, he is, he was, I don’t know. I have no idea what he’s doing here or why he’s a firefighter.” Her stomach tensed. The last time they were at a fire together, he held her close as her parents’ carriage house went up in smoke.

Kendra steered her toward her own casita. “I think we’d better have this conversation at your place.”

Lacey stopped, forcing Kendra to halt. “We can’t do that. We have guests and they will all be in the main building asking questions, needing food and attention.”

“Of course they will, and Wade and Selma can take care of them. You and I are going to your casita.” Kendra tugged her into walking again.

She sighed. She’d finally forgotten about Cole, except for the dull ache of her bruised heart. She’d moved on, gone to college, done what was right, as she always had…except he’d ignored that fact when he decided to agree with the rest of the town.

Kendra stepped back when they reached the door to her casita.

Pulling her resort keyring from the pocket in her skirt, Lacey quickly identified her house key and unlocked the door. She flicked the light switch and a pale-yellow glow filled the living room. “Would you like some lemonade?”

Kendra hooked her arm again and steered her to her white wicker couch with the cactus floral cushions. “No, I don’t want anything to drink. I want you to tell me why you and that hunk of a firefighter out there aren’t living happily ever after on a ranch in Orson.”

Lacey sat and clasped her hands as Kendra pulled the matching wicker chair over to sit opposite her.

“I’m not sure where to start.”

“Okay, then I’ll ask the questions and you answer them. How long had you two been an item?”

Technically, they had met sophomore year of high school, but it was their junior year that they became an item. “About two years.”

“How long has it been since you last saw him?”

She gripped her hands tighter. “Eight years.”

“And what caused the breakup?”

Lacey narrowed her eyes. “That stupid arson charge.” Her tone dripped with bitterness she couldn’t control. She’d always been a good girl, and being accused of something she didn’t do had rankled.

“Ah, so he broke up with you because he thought you were a firebug and as a future firefighter he couldn’t be with you.”

“Yes. No. I mean, yes, he did believe the accusations and dumped me because he couldn’t be with ‘someone like me’ as he so graciously put it. But he was a cowboy then, not a firefighter. He was supposed to stay in Orson and take over his parents’ horse ranch.”

Kendra pondered that information for a moment. “But didn’t you say when I hired you that they ruled that fire as accidental?”

She shrugged. “Yes, but by the time they made that decision, I was away at school and my reputation in Orson was dirt.” The fact was, she’d been lucky to escape from the burning carriage house. It had taken her over a year to get over the nightmares of waking up in the dark, her lungs filling with smoke.

Kendra stood. “I want you to stay in this casita all night. I don’t want anyone trying to blame this fire on you.”

“You believe me?”

Her boss rolled her eyes. “Lacey, I didn’t have to work with you for a year and let you handle all my money to know you wouldn’t have started a fire. The fact that some idiot who supposedly loved you couldn’t figure it out doesn’t mean the rest of the world is so stupid.”

Tears welled in her eyes and Lacey threw her arms around Kendra. “Thank you.”

Her boss gave her a tight hug, then pushed her back. “First rule, don’t let him see your weakness. Got it?”

Lacey nodded and brushed her tears away with the hem of her western shirt, even though her heart was breaking all over again. Kendra had been a professional poker player and if anyone would know how to appear to Cole, it would be her.

“Second, don’t give him the opportunity to point fingers. Go about your daily business as if nothing unusual has happened.”

She nodded. “But what about the real reason the fire started?”

Kendra scowled. “Shit, that could be anything from more vandals hating our nudist business to a careless construction worker to a guest with an arson record. We’ll let the fire department figure that out. Okay?”

“Okay.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’ll stay here tonight and review Selma’s inventory. I have it on my computer.”

Kendra walked to the door. “Good. Maybe you can also check our reservations and see if anyone is due to arrive tomorrow. I’d like to know what kind of guest relation mitigation we will be up against with the police and fire people here.”

“Already did.” Lacey opened the door for her boss. “No one is due to check in until Wednesday when Ginger and Buddy arrive, unless we have day guests.”

Kendra smiled. “Good. That’s one thing in our favor. Ginger and Buddy won’t care.” Instead of turning away, her boss shifted her weight, a clear sign she was concerned.

Lacey’s stomach tightened. “What is it?”

“I just realized how important it is for me to hire a new security guard. It’s been so quiet this fall I haven’t made time for interviews. Now with your ex in the area, I’m thinking that should become my first priority.”

She was about to reassure Kendra that Cole didn’t have a dangerous bone in his body, but she swallowed her words as the image of him hefting his fellow firefighters away from the flames came to mind. The teenage Cole certainly didn’t have that kind of strength. Truth be told, she didn’t know this Cole Hatcher at all.

*

Cole fell into a cushioned chair in the Poker Flat Nudist Resort’s lobby and lifted the neck of his t-shirt up to wipe his eyes. The material came away dotted with tiny black specks. Shit, he needed a shower. Just a few more minutes and he could head back to the station.

Wade Johnson, the resort manager, strode away in search of his fiancée, the owner of Poker Flat. The man had stayed up all night with him. Their mutual interest in protecting the horses had Cole thinking. It may be a nudist resort but it was still a resort. He couldn’t pass up a possible opportunity for the horses from his and his grandfather’s ranch. He’d see if he could get a business card.

Crossing his legs at his ankles, Cole leaned back. He had to admit the resort was first class. The chair he sat in was so comfortable he’d have to be careful not to fall asleep. He glanced at the wooden clock above the receptionist desk. 5:50 a.m. He doubted many nudist guests would be up yet. He could close his eyes until Wade returned. Watching for hot spots all night to protect the desert and the horses had been a strain on the eyes.

A slight change in air temperature was the only warning he had he wasn’t alone anymore.

“Oh come on, Selma. You were sitting at your kitchen table twiddling your fingers waiting for the sun to rise. Now you have an extra ten minutes to prep your huevos rancheros.”

“Humph. Could have used the extra minutes for my beauty sleep.”

Cole opened one eye. Lacey strode toward the front desk in a pair of white cowgirl boots with fringe, a too short white skirt, and a loose white blouse with tiny pink stars and six-shooters printed on it. The only thing missing was a white hat, except she had that too, in her hand. From behind she made him think of a piece of tres leches cake with strawberries on top. The desire to eat her up hit him in the groin.

She stopped at the desk and gave the shorter woman with salt-and-pepper hair a quick hug. “You are far too beautiful as it is.”

The woman ducked away, grumbling, but Lacey smiled after her fondly. Cole’s heart thumped hard in his chest. He remembered that smile. It had made him believe he could conquer the world. Too bad he hadn’t had her with him when he needed to conquer his parents.

Lacey moved to adjust the pamphlets on the side of the counter. Her shapely legs had a slight tan as they disappeared beneath the ass-hugging skirt. He scowled. She shouldn’t wear such revealing clothes to work. Was she looking to get laid? Her straight blonde hair was caught in a braid on one side of her neck, giving her an innocent look.

She wasn’t innocent at all. As a randy teen, he’d made sure of that. Need slithered through his crotch and up his backbone. The first time he’d had her petite body beneath his own, he’d been afraid of crushing her. But his little lady was made of sterner stuff on the inside. His balls tightened and he shifted in the chair, his erection making him uncomfortable. She’d been so tight.

“What are you doing here?”

Chapter Two

‡

She must have heard the creak of the chair when he moved. Shit. She faced him now from across the room, her stance rigid.

Leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees to hide his hard-on, he tried for a nonchalant attitude. He didn’t need her to know his body remembered hers. “I never left. There was a fire last night. Remember?”

Her face softened. “You all worked through the night?”

He shook his head as much to answer her as at the obvious concern in her voice. “No. I sent the men with the tanker back to the station. Only myself and Mason stayed with the engine to be sure the fire was completely out.”

She dropped her hat on the desk and sighed. “I better tell Selma. She’ll want to get you breakfast.” Her tone made it clear she wasn’t happy about that. She walked toward the main room, but he didn’t want her to leave.

“No. That’s okay.” He stood. “We’re heading back to the station now. I’m just waiting for Wade to find Kendra.”

She hesitated before clasping her hands in front of her and leaning against one of the wood post supports. “If you’re waiting for Kendra, it will be awhile. She’s a night owl and I doubt she got much sleep at all last night. It will take Wade some time to wake her at this hour.”

“That’s fine. Mason and I will eat when we get back to the station.”

“Okay.” She stood staring at him but not meeting his gaze.

The silence became awkward. Hell. They were two adults now. Their relationship had ended a long time ago. Certainly they could have a civil conversation. “Why are you working here, at a nudist resort?”

Her gaze flew to his and she stood straighter. “You mean how could I stoop so low as to work here? As a matter of fact, after getting my degree in accounting and graduating summa cum laude, I had my pick of jobs, but I chose to work here because these are good people and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being nude.” She put one hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. “In fact, I remember a few times when you were wont to prance around in the buff.”

Heat rushed to his cheeks. Yeah, as a dumbass adolescent, he may have pulled a couple pranks. But he wasn’t a teenager anymore. “I never pranced.”

She brushed his comment aside. “Whatever.”

No, not whatever. “I was a teenager then. What’s your excuse?”

“I don’t need an excuse. It’s exactly your kind of people who judge nudists that is enough for me to want to help.”

He stiffened at the image of Lacey without clothes filling his mind. “You don’t actually walk around nude, do you?”

“What if I do? What’s it to you?” Her chin came up in challenge.

Shit. Just the thought of her parading around the resort absolutely naked had his heartbeat racing and his cock growing hard. She had filled out so nicely he could imagine what she might look like, but now he wanted to know for sure.

Footsteps approaching from the large room to the right saved him from saying something he would regret.

Kendra Lowe walked in and stopped in front of him, not seeing Lacey. “Wade said you needed to talk to me?”

“Yes, ma’am. The fire is now completely out. Later today you’ll receive a visit from an investigator. He needs to determine why the fire started. Don’t let the construction crew touch anything. They’ll probably want to know what of theirs was damaged. If they get here before the investigator, keep them on this side of the resort or tell them to come back tomorrow.”

The woman cocked her head. “Very well. I hope the investigation won’t take long. I’d rather my guests not be disturbed too much. As it is, I will have to discount their stay.”

“Hopefully it won’t, but you have to let the investigator determine the cause of the fire. I’m assuming you had insurance on the new construction?”

“Of course.”

Cole grabbed the paperwork he’d left on the side table next to the chair he’d relaxed in for those brief moments. “I’ll need you to fill out this sheet and then we’ll be on our way.”

Kendra took the paper. “Let me get a pen.” She turned and walked toward the front desk.

He followed, scanning the area behind it for Lacey, but she wasn’t there. He ignored his disappointment and focused on the owner. She took a pen from behind the counter and filled in the information needed.

The door behind him opened and he turned to see if it was Wade. He wanted to get the man’s contact information. But the couple entering the building was definitely not the resort manager. In fact, they were both naked except for flip-flops and they carried a bag and towels.

Kendra glanced up. “Can I help you?”

The young woman, no older than Lacey, had naturally red hair on her head and at the juncture of her thighs, as well as a smattering of freckles on her cheeks. “Yes, we drove up from Phoenix to try Poker Flat for the day. I know it’s way early, but we wanted to get the most for our grounds fees.” She gave an apologetic smile.

Kendra nodded. “That’s a smart idea. One moment.” The owner disappeared down the narrow hallway that must lead to the back offices.

The young woman turned her attention to him. “Are you here for the day as well?”

He swallowed, making a conscious effort to look only at her face and not at her very large nipples. He was well aware she was with her man. “No, miss. I was just about to leave.”

“Hey, are you a firefighter? Is there a fire?” The young man craned his neck to look past his girl and out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lobby.

Cole took a tired breath. “No need to worry. The fire is out and no one was hurt. It shouldn’t interfere with your day.”

The young lady gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’m so glad. This is our first time at this particular resort. We’d heard it was beautiful and we’re so excited to spend the day checking it out.”

He nodded, trying not to smirk. Despite his need for a shower and sleep, he found it amusing that people paid to walk around nude in a public setting.

“May I help you?” Lacey’s voice came from behind the front desk, pulling his attention to her.

She focused solely on the young couple and ignored his presence. He wished he could do the same. She looked so much like his old Lacey but different. Did she still wear the scent that reminded him of clean sheets drying on an outdoor line? Did she still wear the fancy panties and bras she’d been so fond of as a teenager? His nickname for her when they were alone had been Racy Lacey.

He couldn’t help staring at her chest as she helped the guests, trying to see through the white blouse to identify any lace or polka dots.

Kendra returned. “I’m sorry about that. I had to find the insurance company’s number.”

He nodded absently as she continued to fill out the form. He tried to stay focused, but Lacey’s welcoming voice had him glancing her way again.

She smiled warmly as she handed the couple a map. “When you are ready to leave, just let any of the staff know and they will call Billy to take you back to your car. Enjoy your day.”

When the young couple turned to leave, Lacey spared him a glance. It was anything but friendly.

Maybe he was punchy from lack of sleep, but he smiled in response. She was still damn beautiful, her light-brown eyes matching the mahogany-stained beams of the lobby.

Those eyes widened before she spun on her heel and disappeared again.

He turned back to the owner of Poker Flat to find her studying him. Shit. She knew all about his past with Lacey.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Mason and I are heading out now, but expect the investigator this morning.” He turned to leave, but Kendra put her hand on his arm. “Cole.”

He started at the use of his name. She’d only called him Lieutenant until now. “Yes?”

“Lacey didn’t do it. This one or the last one. You might want to chew on that.”

Before he could respond, Kendra Lowe strode back the way she’d come. Shaking his head at her message, he chalked it up to loyalty among women and headed out the door.

Jumping into the engine truck, he sat back as Mason drove them off the nudist resort. No matter what the owner believed, he had an obligation to let Detective Sean Anderson know what he knew. Lacey Winters had been accused of arson once before.

Lacey contemplated the coffee cup in her hands. The dark-brown color reminded her of Cole’s hair when they were younger. Now his hair was cut very short. Did he do that for his role as firefighter?

Kendra poked her head around the corner. “All clear. You can go back out to the front desk. He’s gone.”

“I was just having some coffee.” She held up her cup. “Didn’t want to drink it in front of check-ins.”

“Yeah, right. Since I’m up so damn early, I’m going to the stable to see if I can coax Wade into a short ride.” Kendra paused. “Did you stay up all night working?”

Not exactly. Her nightmare had come back with a vengeance and made her afraid to go back to sleep. She shrugged. “I admit I didn’t get a lot of sleep, but I wasn’t working.”

Kendra gave her a knowing look, probably assuming she’d been thinking about Cole, which in a tangental way she had been.

“Well, stay awake until I get back, okay? You’re in charge.”

She nodded. “Okay. Have fun.”

Kendra left the doorway only to poke her head around it again. “I almost forgot. Price Construction will probably show up soon. Cole said they aren’t allowed on the stable ridge until the fire investigator arrives which will be later today. I’ll have Wade block the stable road with the wagon so they come directly here. Let them know what happened.”

“Got it. And if we have more day guests, they can wait to use that part of the resort until later.”

Kendra nodded in agreement then disappeared again, this time for good.

Lacey topped off her coffee and moved to the reception area. She was a wimp for hiding in the back, but she didn’t know how to react around Cole. He was the same person but so different physically. He must have added at least fifty pounds of pure muscle since high school.

She set her coffee down and powered-on the computer. In the light of the lobby, she’d been made aware of exactly how big Cole had become. He had to be at least a foot taller than her now and the navy-blue fire department t-shirt fit him like a second skin, showing a broad, mounded chest, narrowed waist and biceps that stretched the short sleeves to their limits. The firefighter pants he wore hid his legs, which just had her imagination running wild. Then he’d had to go and smile at her, his warm green eyes twinkling as if he knew it would make her melt inside.

Shaking her head, she tried to dispel her thoughts of Cole. She sat and reviewed emails from the website asking for information. She always liked to do those first in the hopes of turning them into reservations. She completed three before her mind reverted back to Cole like a quail to her nest. Cole Hatcher’s opinion was like a steel trap. Once set, it never changed. Yes, he was charming and courteous and had a good heart, but if she was a persona non grata then there was no reason to hope he’d changed his opinion about her over the years. Stubborn cowboy.

She took a sip of her cooling coffee. Cole would probably never set foot on Poker Flat again, so there was no reason for her to worry about him anymore. If anything, seeing him again had helped. In her heart, she’d kept that little flame of love alive all these years, but there was no hope there. She’d been a silly school girl. Now she was a grown woman. She would find a nice man to marry someday. One who would listen to reason and stand by his woman no matter what.

That’s what she wanted. Loyalty and unending faith. Two qualities she’d not had with Cole.

Feeling a bit more balanced since seeing her ex, she answered a few more emails and then stepped to the back to warm her coffee. When she returned, the front door opened and two men walked in.

Keith, the owner of Price Construction, stalked forward with a scowl, his bald head reflecting the lobby’s recessed ceiling lights. Behind him was John Lockhart, one of the men who worked for Mr. Price. Reflexively, she brushed down her skirt. John was attractive in a rugged way. They’d been flirting a bit when she’d taken Selma’s treats out to the site, a job she’d volunteered for after meeting him. Maybe she should ask him out to help her forget about Cole.

“What the hell is going on?” Keith punctuated his question with a meaty fist to the counter. “There’s a wagon blocking the road up to the site.”

“Good morning, Mr. Price. I’m afraid we’ve had to halt construction for a while.”

“Halt construction? I’m on a deadline thanks to that tight contract Kendra negotiated and it looked from the ledge top that there’s been some kind of damage done. I’ll need time to fix that. I can’t afford to ‘wait a while’.”

Lacey kept her smile. Her mom always said a person could attract more bees with honey than vinegar, even if it wasn’t honey the bees were after. “Oh, I’m sure Kendra will renegotiate.” She winked. “I’m even guessing it will be more to your benefit.” She glanced at John, who was smiling at her. At least her heart didn’t race when he looked at her.

Mr. Price slapped his hand on the counter to gain her attention. “Out with it, girl. What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying there was a fire at the construction site last night.”

“What?” Mr. Price looked stunned.

John put his hand on the counter as if he wanted to touch her. “Are you okay? Was anyone hurt?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.” She smiled at him before turning her attention back to Mr. Price. “No one was hurt but there were four explosions and all the new construction is burnt. Even the old barn boards Kendra had shipped in. So my guess is you will have to start all over again, which will mean more money, right?”

Mr. Price finally relaxed. “Yes, it will. And this time, I’ll negotiate a better timeline.”

“So why can’t we get to the construction site?” John frowned. “Is there anything dangerous there?”

He really did have a great jaw and his wavy blond hair was attractive in a relaxed way. “I don’t think there’s anything dangerous, but I haven’t been there since last night. The firefighters said no one could go to the site until the investigator came to look it all over.”

Mr. Price groaned. “This could take forever. I’m going to pull my men to another job. Tell Kendra to call me when she wants to renegotiate and have us start again. If she needs someone to clean up after the investigation is over, I’ve got a crew for that too.”

“Really?” She raised her brows then winked at John.

The older man shifted his weight. “Well, yeah. We have to clean up our sites when we’re done, so I use that crew to do odd clean up jobs. Can’t hurt to bring in some more money. Not a ton of building going on out this way.”

She nodded. Phoenix and more populated areas had recovered from the housing slump, but the smaller towns were still struggling. “I’ll be sure to give Kendra the message.”

Mr. Price nodded then headed for the exit. John reached out. “I look forward to coming back to work on the project.”

She smiled and shook his hand. “I hope it won’t be long.”

He gave her hand an extra squeeze then followed his boss out. Lacey watched his stride, which was so different from a cowboy’s. Maybe she should keep her sights on men who weren’t cowboys. Her luck with them hadn’t been so great.

*

Cole called himself a fool from here ’til Tuesday. What the hell was he doing? “Thanks for letting me tag along, Sean.”

The detective with bright-orange hair cut short looked like a young recruit, even after ten years on the force, but Cole knew better. Sean was good at investigation and he’d specifically gone to arson school to be better equipped to help out the fire stations in the area. Cole trusted him to discover the truth.

“I don’t mind the company. I also appreciate the information you gave me. It’s good to know, but I’ll let the evidence lead me to the cause.”

“Of course.” Cole shrugged as if the outcome of the investigation didn’t matter to him. But it did…a lot. “I’m wired after the battle last night. I won’t be able to sleep until tonight now. Besides, I’d like to check out what this nudist resort is all about.” He didn’t want to divulge his interest in setting something up with the resort manager.

Sean took his eyes off the road for a moment to give him a sideways look. “Really?”

Shit, now the man was going to think him a pervert. “Oh, I have no plans to get nude, but I’m curious as to how they operate. I hear they have naked horseback riding. I just don’t get that. You could hurt some pretty sensitive parts doing that, if you know what I mean.”

Sean grimaced even as he turned down the dirt road with the new wooden sign declaring the entrance to Poker Flat Nudist Resort. “I don’t see anything but desert out here.”

Cole grinned. “Wait until after we park. It’s well hidden, which is probably a good thing.”

They continued down the flat dirt road passing nothing but saguaro, mesquite trees and an occasional ocotillo. Finally, they came to the roadblock, the tire tracks from his fire trucks still visible going around the wooden barrier.

“Pull in here. They’ll bring us down in a golf cart.” He pointed to the three-sided garage the size of two fire stations.

Sean raised a brow, but didn’t comment as he parked the unmarked vehicle in the shade of the giant steel structure. As they exited the car, an older man approached dressed in jeans, a checkered shirt, and suspenders with a rumpled cowboy hat in his hand.

“Welcome to Poker Flat Nudist Resort. I’m Billy.” He clutched his hat with one hand and held out the other.

Sean shook. “Detective Sean Anderson. You probably remember Lt. Cole Hatcher from last night.”

Billy scrunched up his face as he peered at Cole, and thrust his hand forward. “I were asleep last night. Nice to meet ya.”

Cole looked down at the short elderly man and shook his hand. He’d slept through fire engine sirens and gas explosions?

“This way.” As Billy led them to a golf cart, Cole studied him a bit closer. Maybe the man was hard of hearing. One way to find out.

Sean sat in the front, so Cole took the back seat. Once they started off toward the edge of the ravine, he quietly commented on the resort, lifting his voice to just above a whisper. “It amazes me how hidden this place is.”

Billy turned his head slightly. “I loves that guests is so surprised. I never gets tired of that.”

So much for hard of hearing. Maybe the old man had been off the resort when he wasn’t supposed to be.

Sean turned toward Cole. “There is a resort here, right? This isn’t a joke.”

Billy chuckled as he slowed the cart at the ridge of the ravine. “There she be.”

“Holy sh—cow.” Sean stared.

Cole could sympathize with the man. When the fire engine had crested the ravine at sunset yesterday, he’d had a similar reaction, though not so polite. His men had echoed his expletives. From the desert road, the ravine wasn’t even noticeable, but once cresting it, the resort came into view, perched high on two large shelves of land on the opposite ravine wall, yet below the top ridge.

One side held the stables, a steel building and the burned construction, while the other shelf held the main building and pool with adobe casitas lined up behind it. More casitas were scattered farther down the sloping wall of the ravine with golf carts parked outside. Between them and the resort was a dirt road with a sturdy bridge at the bottom that crossed the stream, which barely trickled at this time of year.

He pointed at the shelf with the stable. “That’s where the fire was.”

Billy picked up speed again. While Sean viewed the entire resort, Cole focused on the building in ashes. Its proximity to the barn from this angle made his gut clench. Last night was too close for the horses here.

After crossing the bridge, they rose up the other side of the ravine and at the split, headed left toward the stables.

“Ms. Kendra say you be coming and to keep everyone away. Lacey send the construction guys a packin’.” Billy smiled a toothy grin, showing a significant gap between his tarnished teeth.

Sean nodded. “Good. What’s that?”

Billy slowed the cart. “Sheet, I forget. Wade block the road with the buckboard to keeps everyone away.” He brought the cart to a stop.

Cole stepped out. “Can we move it?”

“I doesn’t know. Wade use the big horses to pulls this.” Billy scratched his head. “I guesses I can walks to the barn and gets Wade.”

Sean exited the golf cart and walked around the wagon. “This is a pretty sturdy reproduction piece.”

Cole joined him. “I think we can move this. You two guide it at the front and I’ll push from behind. We only need to move it far enough for the golf cart to get by.”

“It can’t hurt to try.” Sean patted Billy on the shoulder. “Come on, Billy. Time for your morning workout.”

Billy grumbled something unintelligible and Cole smiled. He doubted very much that Billy was excited, but if this worked, it would save them at least a half hour.

He strode behind the replica of an old western wagon, glad he wore his Stetson because the morning heat was well on its way to the low nineties. He leaned against the wagon to test its willingness to move. Though it had four sturdy wooden wheels, it didn’t even rock. Not a good sign.

“Ready when you are, Cole.” Sean looked back at him from the horse hitch.

Pressing his hands against the back of the wagon’s bed, he pushed. The wagon rocked but remained in place. Shit.

Sean yelled back, “Need some help?”

He shook his head. “And get your pretty clothes dirty?”

“Trust me. They’ll be dirty soon enough.”

Cole grinned. Investigating fires wasn’t exactly clean work. “Let me give it another try. I just need to get it rolling.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he leaned his back against the wagon and used his leg muscles. The vehicle rocked, creaked, and finally rolled. Not wanting to lose the momentum, he quickly shuffled his feet back and pushed harder. When the wagon had rolled a good fifteen feet, he stopped. He turned to see where they had directed it. Billy and Sean had angled the wagon so the horses could easily be hitched. He was glad someone was thinking.

Sean walked over. “You guys obviously don’t have enough fires to go to. It looks like you spend your shifts working out on the equipment at the station.”

He shrugged. “Hey, it was donated to us. The least we can do is use it between calls.”

“I may just start coming by once a week.” He patted his lean stomach. “Detective work isn’t helping my beer belly.”

Cole raised one eyebrow. “Yeah, right.”

Billy drove the golf cart to where they stood. “Ready?”

They both resumed their seats and Billy headed up to the burn site. When they arrived, they climbed out.

Sean immediately switched into detective mode. “Billy, thank you. We will find you when we need a ride back.”

“Okay.” The old man smiled then headed the golf cart toward the barn.

Cole tamped down his interest in the barn and focused on the wet debris spread over thirty yards. What was the building going to be? The layout gave no clue.

“Explain to me where the fire was when you arrived.” Sean took out a pad of paper and a pen. “Then walk me through your strategy for knocking it down.”

Cole filled Sean in on the entire night from driving up to the blaze, the explosions, the old barn wood, the precautionary measures and the decision to let it go. The man took copious notes on his pad.

“And you say the woman you knew from another fire was here?”

“Yes. She brought out churros and iced tea for the men.”

Sean raised his brows. “Really? I like this place already.”

He kept his thoughts to himself. He’d been pissed when he’d seen her walking up with food, but he and his men had devoured it shortly after, as well as the sandwiches Kendra brought them later in the night when it was only himself and Mason.

“So tell me about the other fire this woman was accused of starting.”

Cole’s gut tightened. He didn’t want this fire to be laid at Lacey’s door, but he had to tell Sean what he knew. “Lacey Winters is her name. Eight years ago she used to hang out in an old carriage house on her parents’ property. It was her space to gather with friends of which I was one. One night a friend called me to tell me the carriage house was on fire. I rushed over and Lacey had soot on her clothes.” He didn’t need to tell Sean it was Lacey who called him. The less the detective knew about their past relationship, the better.

He never forgot how her hair smelled like smoke as he held her in his arms while they watched the building burn to the ground. The firefighters had focused on protecting the barn and the house, very much like he’d done last night.

“How did the arson charge come about?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t privy to the investigation. I was just a senior in high school at the time, but rumors were rampant. The next thing we all hear, she’s been charged with arson and then later the charges were dropped. I do know there was gasoline involved as there were two explosions at that fire.”

“What was the carriage house used for?”

“Mostly storage.” He envisioned the place as it was when he hung out there with Lacey. They enjoyed not only the old couch, but the old bean bag chair, the saw horses, the antique rocker and the gilt-framed mirror. “There were antiques in there as well as old junk, like family portraits, clothes, and old toys.”

Sean scribbled on his pad. “So no reason for gasoline to be in there?”

“Actually, there were also old farm tools, a weed whacker, lawn mower and stuff. It kind of doubled as a garage, I guess.”

More scribbling. “Okay, got it. Now I need to get to work on this one. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave.”

Cole took the hint. “Good luck.”

Sean shook his head. “I don’t need luck. I just need to read the story written in this debris.”

He nodded. His own goal was to make captain so he could go to arson investigation training. The extra cash couldn’t hurt. He didn’t want his grandparents to have to help support his horse project forever.

With that project in mind, he strode toward the state-of-the-art barn in hopes of catching Wade inside. He’d learned last night that the stable manager was on vacation for two weeks, so Wade was the person he needed to convince. Billy’s golf cart was gone. He must have returned to the garage to wait for other visitors.

As Cole stepped into the relatively cool shade of the red structure, he noticed two horses had recently been brought in for a good combing. That meant whoever was planning to do the work should be back shortly.

He took the opportunity to walk by the stalls. Including the two horses in the grooming area, there were four others, but another ten stalls remained empty. The first six had name placards for each horse. His heart beat harder at the potential. If the resort did a good business, they would need more horses…maybe his horses. Opening the barn doors at the back, he found a large empty corral. The place could be the perfect home for his rescues, if they were treated well.

“Can I help you?” He recognized the male voice before he turned around.

“Yes, Wade. You may just be able to.” He strode forward then tipped his hat toward Kendra. “Ma’am.”

She looked at him quizzically before recognition dawned. “Oh, it’s Cole.” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

He forcibly kept himself from shuffling his feet beneath her hard stare. “I’m not here on official business. Just wanted to talk horses with Wade here, if that’s okay, unless of course I should be talking to you.”

Her demeanor changed from affronted to uninterested in seconds. She waved her hand. “If it’s horse talk, you can chat with him. I have to get back to my office.” She put her hand on Wade’s. “Thanks for the ride.”

Wade smirked and wiggled his brows. “Anytime.”

The two had obviously gone for a ride, and from the looks of it, had sex out in the desert. Talk about uncomfortable.

Kendra winked and sauntered out the open barn doors. Cole opened his mouth to ask about the trails, when Kendra came back in. “Who moved the wagon?” She didn’t sound happy.

Cole suddenly felt as if he’d done something wrong. “I did, ma’am. We needed to get the golf cart by so the investigator could reach the burn site.”

The woman stared at him as if he’d turned into a jackrabbit. Then she raised her brows at Wade.

The man shook his head, his smirk firmly in place. “That’s one heavy wagon to be moving without draft horses.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Cole rolled his shoulders.

Kendra turned back to him. “When you’re done talking horses, maybe you could help Wade hook up the team and move the wagon back to the barn.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Wade opened his mouth, but Kendra spoke. “Don’t call me ‘ma’am’. Kendra will do.”

He nodded, keeping his mouth shut. It was too much a habit to risk saying it again, so he kept quiet. Luckily, she didn’t wait for a reply and left.

“What can I help you with?” Wade strolled over to the two horses waiting to be attended to.

Cole followed him, noticing the Arabians were particularly fine horses. He had an Arabian on the ranch. Elsa was well built, but scars marred her neck, making it look like the hair of her mane was falling out. “These are good-looking horses.”

Wade began to rub one of them down. “This is Ace and that one is Sundancer. I got them from the same ranch.”

“Do you always buy your horses in pairs?”

Wade stopped and looked at him. “So far, but not for any particular reason. Why?”

Cole had pitched his horses many times and been shot down more times than he could count. He steeled himself for rejection again. “I have a number of horses for sale, but none are matching pairs.”

Wade resumed rubbing down Ace. “I’m always on the lookout for new horses, but they need to be dead broke because these riders are completely inexperienced.”

“That makes sense. I have a number that would fit that category.” Mainly because they were almost dead when he’d obtained them. Others, though, were far too afraid of humans. Those he would never be able to sell.

“Do you have a website?” Wade didn’t pause in his chore. “I usually research online before taking a drive to who knows where. I got these two from a little town near Payson.”

Cole hesitated. His horses didn’t show well, which is why he never put full body shots on his site and the few photos up there were to add to the general write up about Last Chance Ranch. “I have a site, but my horses aren’t up there. I’m just outside Wickenburg on the west side if you’d like to come by.”

Wade dropped the curry comb on a nearby table and looked over the two horses to stare him in the eye. “Why wouldn’t you have photos of your horses on your site?”

No more beating around the bush. “Because they don’t look as pretty as what you have here. My horses are rescues. When horses have been abused, starved, abandoned or have an injury an owner can’t afford to fix and is going to put them down, I take them. Once I have nursed them back to health, I sell them to resorts who are willing to have less than perfect horses for their guests to ride.”

Wade stared at him for a couple moments, then laughed.

Chapter Three

‡

Cole fisted his hands. He’d had people shake their heads, but never had someone laugh at him. What he did was not a laughing matter. Some of the horses he saved had turned his stomach when he’d first seen them.

“I’m sorry.” Wade smiled and stepped around the Arabians. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at Kendra and her unique ability to attract those who need a second chance. I only thought she attracted people, but it sounds like she attracts animals too now.”

He had no idea what the man was talking about, but he relaxed his stance. “So you might be interested?”

Wade clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not just interested. I think once Kendra finds out, she won’t let me order a horse from anywhere else.”

Cole breathed deeply. To have this new resort buying his horses could be the boost they needed. “Like I said, they’re not perfect.”

Wade grinned. “That’s even better.”

“I don’t understand.”

Wade slipped his hand into the curry comb and moved around Ace to start on the horse’s other side. “Kendra doesn’t hire anyone who doesn’t need a second chance. You met Billy.” Cole nodded. “He was a homeless drunk when Kendra hired him.”

Cole hadn’t smelled any alcohol on the man, but then again it looked like he’d just come from a shower.

“And you tasted Selma’s cooking last night, right?”

“Yes. The churros were excellent and the sandwich had a great mix of flavors. Why?” Hopefully, the cook hadn’t been up on murder charges…for poisoning.

“She’d just closed her brothel when Kendra hired her.”

Cole started to get the picture. So why would Kendra hire Lacey? She was perfect, even more so now. He looked at Wade and found the man staring at him.

“Lacey was hired because of her broken heart.”

Cole swallowed hard as his own heart constricted. He’d done the right thing back in high school, but it still hurt. He had always felt something for her. Hell, he’d felt a lot for her. Every girlfriend he’d had since had been compared to Lacey.

“That and the arson charge.” Wade returned to his chore.

Cole started. “The arson charge was dropped.” He’d still been in Orson when the county sheriff had ruled the fire accidental. But by then, Lacey had gone off to college.

Wade shrugged. “The fact she’d been accused and run out of town was enough for Kendra.”

“She wasn’t run out of town.”

Wade raised one eyebrow. “Maybe not literally, but by her account, she’d become a pariah.” The man’s face turned stern. “But she’s family here and we stick by our family.”

Cole got the message loud and clear. He was the outsider on Poker Flat so he better not cause any trouble. He didn’t plan on it. He did his duty by telling Sean about Lacey’s past and he hoped to sell a couple horses. “And why did Kendra hire you?”

Wade grinned. “She wouldn’t have if she’d had a choice, but she’d been desperate for a stable manager. She said I was too ‘perfect’. Luckily for me, she proved what an ass I could be, but gave me a second chance anyway.”

There was obviously a lot more to that story, but he wasn’t there to get involved in the past escapades of the Poker Flat staff. He was there to sell horses. “It sounds like my horses would fit in here. Do the guests really ride naked?”

Wade finished with Ace and moved to Sundancer. “Yeah, they do. We keep the horses at a walk and use special covers over the saddles. Even so, they always bring their own towels to sit on. The guests really enjoy it.” He paused. “There’s nothing like seeing the joy in a person’s eyes the first time they ride a horse. You know what I mean?”

“Yes, I do.” He’d never forget the day he’d first convinced Lacey to get up on a horse. Her parents owned a cattle ranch and despite the cowboys riding horses, no one had ever asked her if she’d like to ride. She’d actually been afraid of them.

He’d had to bribe her to just sit on his horse, Thunder. When he finally handed her up there, she looked petrified. He walked the horse around the corral and she slowly relaxed until she was absolutely beaming, her bright smile making her shine. When she’d finally come down and into his arms, she told him she loved him for the first time.

“Hey, cowboy, you still with me?” Wade’s voice snapped him from his memory.

“Sure.”

“I said, do you want to help me get Sage and Daisy hooked up to the wagon?”

He smiled. “I better. I promised Kendra I would and I have a feeling she’d be none too pleased if I reneged.”

Wade walked Ace out back and let him loose in the corral. “You’ve got that right.” Wade pointed to the last stall with a name placard. “That’s Daisy. You can bring her and I’ll get Sage as soon as I move Sundancer.”

Cole walked up to the stall and Daisy stepped up to meet him. She was a beautiful Belgian with good bone structure. As the horse pushed her head against his shoulder, he grinned. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small bag of jelly beans, poured a few into his hand and gave them to her. He’d forgotten to take them out of his jeans after giving Elsa her favorite treat this morning. “You have a good nose, sweetie.”

Wade walked by with Sundancer in tow. “Watch her. She does like t-shirts.”

“Thanks for the warning.” He ducked to the side as Daisy pulled back her lips to grasp his shirt in her teeth. “I don’t think so, girl. Come on.”

He walked her slowly toward the wagon, his eyes scanning the other half of the resort. Was Lacey still at the front desk? Is that what she did here? She’d always been good with numbers, even tutoring him in math.

He looked back to see Wade leading Sage. He’d try to nail the man down as far as a date to come out to the ranch. He hadn’t sold a horse in over four months and while his firefighter salary and small investments could keep the ranch going if he only had ten horses, he currently had thirteen and there were a couple pretty big vet bills coming in.

Movement in his peripheral vision had him turning his head. Sean was completely engrossed in his work, walking through the debris, taking pictures and scribbling notes. It might be a while before Cole could leave. He returned his gaze to the other half of the resort. It had to be lunchtime by now. He wouldn’t mind another one of Poker Flat’s sandwiches…or a chance to see Lacey again.

*

“You’re all set, Mrs. Landry. I have you down for two for the sunset trail ride. Be sure to be at the barn by five.”

Lacey closed the trail ride reservation screen as the day guest smiled happily up at her husband before the two walked hand in hand toward the lobby doors. Before they reached them, a man with clothes entered. That caught her attention as only staff wore clothes, unless it was a newbie nudist. Most nudists shucked their clothes the minute they parked their car in the garage on the other side of the ravine.

The man smiled warmly at her and it took her a moment to recognize him. “John?”

“You bet.” He leaned his elbow on the front counter, which showed his bulging forearm and biceps. He was dressed in a sleeveless t-shirt that read “Sturgis 2014” and a pair of black jeans and biker boots.

As a woman, she definitely appreciated the view of his arms. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “Well, the boss didn’t need me at the other site, so I have the day off and I thought it might be a great opportunity to have lunch with you. You do get to take a lunch, don’t you?”

Though she usually ate at the front counter, the concern he revealed that he might be wrong had her changing her plans. “Of course I do. Just let me get someone to cover for me. I’ll be right back.”

She hurried through the back hallway, touched that John had come all the way back to Poker Flat to have lunch with her. He seemed like a nice man and this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about him. At least he already knew she worked at a nudist resort. She’d only been on two dates since the resort opened. One man had been appalled she worked at Poker Flat, while the other practically salivated in his attempt to obtain a free day pass.

She poked her head into her boss’s office. “Kendra?”

Kendra didn’t look up from her paperwork. “Hmmm?”

“Could you cover the front desk so I can eat lunch in the dining room?”

“Why?” Kendra glanced up. She didn’t show her curiosity, but it was very much in her tone.

“John Lockhart came back to ask me to lunch.”

“Really?” A slow smirk grew on Kendra’s face. She was still getting used to showing her emotions and the knowing smile was a new one. “I’d be happy to. I can read this insurance policy anywhere. Go ahead, I’ll handle the front.”

“Thank you.” Lacey headed down the hall, but made a quick trip into the bathroom to redo her braid. When she entered the lobby, she gave John a smile. “All set.”

“Great.” He held out his bulky arm and she took it. She wasn’t used to this side of him. When she’d been the one to go to the construction site to bring iced tea and Selma’s latest snack, he was dressed in a grungy t-shirt, usually soaked through with perspiration and stubble lining his chin, but he was always quick to smile. His blond hair was a little long and by mid-afternoon pasted to his brow with sweat. His nose was a bit large for his face, but his blue eyes reminded her of Santa Claus. That and he did have a little bit of a belly.

As they walked into the dining room, she felt a certain pride that he cleaned up so well. Selma stopped mid-stride, her brown eyes widening, before she continued through the batwing doors to the kitchen, the bun in her black hair bouncing with her step. Rachel, a young woman who had been caught stealing from her last employer, showed them to a table. Since all expenses were paid upon checkout, there was little to tempt Rachel at Poker Flat. The pretty redheaded waitress wiggled her brows at Lacey behind John’s back.

They took their seats across from each other and ordered drinks. Her instinct told her John would have liked a beer, but he kept it to iced tea.

“I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to call Mr. Price before he and the crew came out this morning. There was just so much going on.”

John shook his head. “He’ll get over it, especially once we start working on the building again. Truth be told, it’s a godsend. It means a whole new contract and new money. I know he’s been struggling financially. Last month, he even took a small job out in Cave Creek.”

She raised her glass. “Here’s to the silver lining on unfortunate events. Mr. Price will have another job and I get to have lunch with you.”

As they clinked their glasses, he grinned. He really did have a great smile.

Someone walked by her then stopped next to John. “Hi, Lacey.”

She looked up and her breath caught in her throat even as her heart started to patter like a Gila woodpecker on a saguaro cactus. Cole Hatcher, in snug blue jeans, a t-shirt that looked like it’d been melted against him and his cowboy hat in hand, stood facing her. Staring up into his eyes, she couldn’t help but compare him to her lunch date. Both men were muscular but Cole was less bulky and more defined. He was definitely taller, and there was no denying his straight nose and strong chin caused her throat to go dry. She took a quick sip of tea. “Cole, what are you still doing here?”

“I haven’t been here all morning. I just hitched a ride back with Detective Anderson.”

She frowned. “Why? You want to make sure the right person is accused of setting the fire?”

He held his hands up in front of him. “Whoa. I’m just here to talk to Wade about buying a few horses.”

“Horses? I thought you were a firefighter now.”

“I am, but since I don’t breed horses, I need to support them somehow.”

What was he talking about? “Can’t your parents support them?”

“No.” He frowned and anger crept into his voice. “They don’t have a use for my horses. That’s why mine are at my grandparents’ ranch outside of Wickenburg.”

Oh sugar, she’d forgotten his grandparents owned a spread out there.

John stood and offered his hand. “Hi, I’m John Lockhart.”

“Cole Hatcher.” He shook hands with John but returned his gaze to her. “I don’t want to disturb your lunch.” He gave a quick nod. “Lacey.” He strode away, taking a seat at a table behind her. Good. That way she wouldn’t have to look at him while having lunch with John.

John watched Cole move off before returning his attention to her. “I take it he was one of the firefighters from last night. Guess you’ve known him a while.”

She tried to focus on what John was saying but her stupid heart wouldn’t slow down. “He’s my ex.”

“Ex-husband?” John stiffened.

“No, an ex-boyfriend from a long time ago.”

“Hmmm.” John took a sip of his iced tea and studied the menu.

Lacey couldn’t let the comment go. “Hmmm, what?”

He looked up at her. “I’d say, by the way he’s staring over here, he isn’t happy about being an ex.”

Really? “He dumped me back in high school and you can imagine how long ago that was, so I think if he’s staring over here he’s probably just wondering about what you could possibly see in me.” She forced a laugh.

Cole was staring at them? Maybe he was trying to figure out if they had started the fire together.

“I can’t believe anyone would dump you.” John reached across the table and put his hand on hers.

His touch was strange, but comforting. At least John liked her, though he really didn’t know her. “Thank you. Let’s forget about him. What are you going to have? You do know everything Selma makes is excellent, right?”

He grinned. “I can definitely vouch for her snacks. I can’t wait to try her lunch.”

As they ordered and waited for their meals, Lacey did well to focus on John, but when her meal arrived and she bit into the fish taco she’d ordered, it reminded her of the first time she and Cole tried fish tacos at a little cantina in the middle of nowhere when they were delivering one of his dad’s horses. She hadn’t thought about that in years.

They had actually dared each other to try one. A lot of betting ensued with her losing, though she’d won in the end as the loser had to be on the bottom. She flushed at the memory and quickly gulped down more iced tea.

“Lacey, are you okay?” John’s concern caused guilt to rise. She needed to focus on him.

She touched her chest with her free hand. “Don’t worry about me. Sometimes the spices Selma uses can be a little hot for me.”

He looked at his taco then straightened a little. “This tastes pretty mild to me. Guess you’re a lightweight.”

She nodded and took another bite, ashamed she’d been thinking of Cole while having lunch with John. “Do you do any cooking?”

John grimaced. “Not if I can help it. Sure I can make a pretty mean sandwich and I can grill burgers with the best of them, but I tend to eat out. There’s this great pizza place that has a happy hour with two-for-one beers and spicy wings. I’d like to take you there sometime. Of course, we can get you the mild wings.” He winked and she smiled at his consideration.

It could be fun. She didn’t leave the resort nearly enough. She opened her mouth to ask him how long he’d worked for Price Construction when his phone vibrated.

He pulled it from the clip on his belt. “I’m sorry. I have to take this, but I’ll be right back.”

She watched as he walked out of the dining room. From behind, he looked pretty good, until Cole stepped into her line of vision. She hated how her heart remembered him so fondly. Her body was no better, reacting to the new and improved physique, but her mind had the control. She scowled as he came to the table.

“You’re hanging out with bikers now?” The disapproval in his voice got her back up. It was just like the one date she had with the man who looked down on her working at a nudist resort, like she must be desperate or something.

“Not every biker is the same, you know. I thought all cowboys were polite gentleman who stood by their woman, but then you proved me wrong.”

To give him credit, he did lose the scowl and look away.

Yes, she was harsh, but he’d hurt her like no one else ever had. She hoped he felt like a loser.

His gaze returned to hers. “Point taken. So is he your latest boyfriend?” The way he said it made it sound like she was a dating fiend. The fact was, she hadn’t had a serious long-term relationship with anyone since him, but he didn’t need to know that.

“He could be, but we are still getting to know each other a little, so I can’t honestly say yet.”

His body relaxed at her statement. What did he care if she was seeing John? It was none of his business.

“You look great, Lacey.” His gaze swept over her face and her body heated.

Sugar, she hated that he could do that to her. “Thanks. You’ve changed a lot. Sorry I didn’t recognize you last night.”

He shrugged. “It’s been a long time, but I’d recognize you anywhere, even with the orange glow of the fire the only thing lighting your features.”

Her body preened at his words, but her brain took offense. “Have you figured out how the fire started?”

He stiffened at her abrupt tone. “I just put them out. Detective Anderson will make that determination.”

She tried to keep her curiosity at bay, but she couldn’t resist asking. “Why did you choose to be a firefighter?”

He stared hard at her for a moment. “Because of you.” He didn’t explain. In fact after that cryptic response, he turned on his heel and left the dining room.

She couldn’t help watching him as he left. Darn, the man looked as good from behind as from the front. She sighed. If only things had been different. If only that stupid fire in Orson had never occurred, he could still be hers.

John entered the dining room and she watched him approach. As usual his smile was wide. He pulled out his chair and sat. “Miss me?” He winked.

“Of course. No fun eating alone.”

“I’m sorry. It was the office. Mr. Price got a clean-up job for this afternoon and they asked if I could do it. I said yes. If I can help Mr. Price stay afloat, I will. It’s job security and I make extra money besides.” He looked apologetic, but he didn’t need to be.

“That’s great. If I meet any local guests who are in need of Mr. Price’s services, I would be happy to pass his name along. Does he have a brochure or something?”

John frowned. “I don’t know, but I can ask. Unfortunately, for me to get this job done by nightfall, I’m going to have to leave now.”

“That’s okay. I have a million things to do anyway.”

His smile was back as he stood. “I’ll make it up to you. How about dinner sometime?”

“Sounds lovely.” She smiled as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I look forward to it.”

“Then it’s a date.” He pointed to their plates. “I pay for this at the front desk, right?”

She nodded.

“Perfect. See you soon.” He left the dining area with a serious jaunt in his step.

She sighed. Too bad that despite his looks and build, she felt no jitters or butterflies like she did with Cole. Was she destined to never have those feelings again?

Finishing her last bite of taco, she took another sip of tea and headed for the kitchen with her empty glass. She refilled her iced tea, narrowly avoiding Rachel. The last thing she wanted was the staff gossiping about her and Cole. No, her and John. Sugar, she needed to push Cole Hatcher out of her head.

She strolled through the main room with the huge fireplace, pondering whether to do the state taxes or the bills next. As she turned the corner to the back hall, she walked straight into a clothed man. She grabbed her glass with both hands as strong hands on her shoulders kept her from falling. She didn’t need to look up to know it was Cole. His cedar scent and his bulk told her.

“Are you all right?” The concern in his voice mirrored that in his gaze as it roved over her face.

No, she wasn’t all right. She was a complete mess. “Yes, I’m fine.” Her breath came out as a whisper and she cleared her throat. Darn, but he had the most beautiful eyes. The bright green was streaked with tiny flecks of blue, making them hypnotizing.

“Lacey?” He lowered his head, bringing those breathtaking eyes even closer.

She could lose herself in his gaze, especially as it turned dark and his face tensed. She remembered that look. He was going to kiss her.

She tried to make her mouth form the word her heart craved, but her mind triggered a warning bell as loud as a fire alarm. As he lowered his strong chin with his firm lips toward her own, her throat finally opened.

“No.” The word came out more like a caress than a command, but he stilled, his lips only inches away from hers. She swallowed. “Please don’t.”

He pulled back as if she’d slapped him. “Am I so odious?”

She shook her head. “I can’t go there with you again, unless you can honestly tell me you believe I didn’t start the fire in Orson.” A glimmer of hope flamed to life in her heart as he hesitated.

Turning his hat in his hand, he met her gaze and sighed. “I can’t, Lacey.”

That stubborn flame of hope extinguished quickly in the pool of hurt in her chest. “Then please leave me alone.”

Indecision flashed in his eyes before he nodded. Without saying another word, he donned his hat and strode out of the building.

She watched him, her teary gaze blurring the fine lines of his body and the swagger of his step. Determinedly, she straightened her shoulders and continued down the hall to relieve Kendra from the front desk.

Cole Hatcher was gone. There was no reason to worry about running into him, literally, again. She should be relieved, but the fact he still thought she’d set the fire in Orson ripped her heart’s old wound wide open. At this rate, she’d be in her fifties before she was ready to trust that scarred mess to anyone again.

Chapter Four

‡

Cole woke, his cock as hard as a newly hewed fence post. “Shit!” Another dream about Lacey. He glanced at the clock on his dresser. 1:38 a.m. He needed to stop fantasizing about her.

He threw his legs over the bed and grabbed his shorts. He didn’t want to scare anyone with his nakedness since he didn’t live on a nudist resort. It would be just his luck he’d run into his grandmother. He had plans to build a big ranch house on another part of the two thousand acre property and slowly move his operations that way so his grandparents could enjoy their retirement, but his hard-earned savings was always being raided for unexpected vet bills. Maybe if he could budget worth a damn, he could stay in the black without hitting his house fund.

He quietly crept downstairs to the kitchen, avoiding the spots on the stairs that creaked. Working strange hours at the fire station had taught him how not to wake up his grandparents.

When he entered the kitchen, he stopped and took a deep breath. The scent of peach pie still permeated the air from his grandmother’s baking earlier in the day. Finally, he moved to the refrigerator and opened it. He scanned the contents, nothing really interested him since the pie was gone. Closing the door slowly, he opened the freezer.

Ah, orange popsicles. His favorite. Taking two out, he quickly stripped them of their paper and bit the tops off both. The cold, sharp taste satisfied his mouth. If he’d kept one wrapped, he could have stuck it between his legs against the damn dreams.

He should never have tried to kiss Lacey, but everything in him wanted to. At least she had stopped him. He took another bite of each popsicle, holding the cold citrus flavor in his mouth. What if Sean determined Lacey set the fire and Cole had been seen kissing her? That wouldn’t look good for his career. He could see the headline of the Wickenburg Sun, “Up and Coming Firefighter in Love with Arsonist.” Yeah sure, that certainly wouldn’t help his career. If he lost his job, he’d lose his horses. He couldn’t let that happen.

He grabbed a napkin and took two more bites of the icy treat before navigating the stairs again. That’s what he should concentrate on—selling his horses. If he could do that, he could take more in without bringing his checkbook down to the edge every month.

Dropping his shorts on the recliner in his room, he sat on the edge of the bed, sliding off the last bite from one of the popsicle sticks while holding the napkin under the other, which began to drip. He would need a new truckload of hay by month’s end. Maybe he could invite Wade up to visit later in the week. He’d finish his twenty-four-hour shift at eight Wednesday morning then his four days off would start, but he didn’t want to wait. He could schedule Wade for Wednesday afternoon.

Cole pulled the rest of the last orange popsicle into his mouth and threw away the sticks. He lay down, sucking hard on the ice. When would Sean know what caused the fire? What if it hadn’t been Lacey? If someone else set it, could he pursue her?

His cock jerked to attention. “Fuck.” There was no way she would let him near her even if that were the case. Unless he believed she had nothing to do with the fire in her parents’ carriage house, she would keep him at bay, but he knew it was her. His parents had been friends of the fire chief at the time and he put the blame squarely on Lacey’s shoulders. Unfortunately, now that she was so close, Cole wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her.

He had to stop. Closing his eyes, he thought about his horses, but even as he envisioned his barn and a new load of hay, his thoughts drifted to the past and making love to Lacey in his parents’ barn. Her petite body flushed with desire as the hay beneath the blanket cupped her. She’d smiled up at him, her pale-pink lace bra hiding little as he gazed at her deep-rose-colored areolas and nipples dying to be freed. He skimmed his hands down her waist past her small belly button to her pink lace thong that revealed the patch of golden-blonde curls beneath it.

He loved that she enjoyed sexy underthings. He never knew what she would wear. She often teased him by telling him what she had on when they were in places where he couldn’t do anything about it, like his parents’ dinner table or at her parents’ Christmas party.

He didn’t even try to unhook the pink lace bra. Instead, he leaned over her on his elbows and with his teeth, pulled the top of the bra down until it caught under one breast. He could hear her heartbeats increase even as he let go then switched to pull the other bra cup down. Resting his chin against her ribs, he glanced at her and found her eyes turning chocolate brown with desire.

Raising his head, he stared at each nipple straining toward him. He lapped quickly across both before watching them pucker, then blew across one at time, thrilled to see the hard nubs get harder.

“Please, Cole.”

He devoured her with his gaze.

She licked her lips and he couldn’t resist. Gently, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. Her arms came around his neck and he pushed his tongue into her mouth where her own met his. He slanted his head to better taste every inch of her, a slight strawberry flavor reminding him of their last hour picking the juicy fruit from his mother’s garden.

Lacey’s moan as she moved her hand through his hair tightened his balls with anticipation.

Releasing her mouth, he returned to her breasts. The need to taste her sweet spots was too harsh to deny. He brought his mouth to her right nipple and sucked gently. She grasped his hair as her body arched against him. The hard pearl tasted of nirvana and he nibbled it lightly before drawing it carefully into his mouth.

Lacey squeaked in pleasure, a sound all her own that had the ability to send need through him like a ricochet bullet. He couldn’t wait much longer. Pulling back, he kissed his way down her flat stomach, his hands gliding along the sides of her waist and over her hips until he pushed them against her thighs, spreading her legs and revealing the wet spot of her lacy panties.

He swallowed in anticipation. Hooking his finger beneath the waistband, he pulled downward. The panty split apart, the tiny sound of Velcro as it let go caught his attention. Surprised, he looked up at her, but her face had changed.

She wasn’t the innocent, young, loving Lacey he’d known. This was the more mature Lacey with refined features. This was the face of a woman who knew what she wanted and the smirk on her lips told him loud and clear, she wanted him. He let his gaze roam over her full breasts, held now by a bright, hot pink underwire bra with no cups at all, serving up her woman’s chest like a feast that couldn’t be ignored.

Unable to resist, he latched on to a nipple and sucked hard. Lacey’s hands fisted in his hair as she arched toward his mouth. He couldn’t let go, sucking and twirling his tongue across the hard nub. He used one hand to knead the other breast before twirling that nipple with his fingers, even as he nibbled the one inside his mouth.

“Cole.” His name coming from her lips was like a caress. It was time.

He released her breast to go back to the sweet spot he had unveiled. The hot-pink panty remained partially opened and he pulled back one side to view what he hadn’t seen in years. Her sweet pink pussy was moist with her readiness, but her folds were closed tight, revealing nothing.

He pushed his hands against her inner thighs, spreading her wider, parting her folds a tiny bit. He held her legs apart and brought his mouth to the slit that opened and from the bottom to the top, he tasted her need until he hit the hard ridge of her clit. Slowly, he licked, circling it and lapping upward.

Lacey’s hips rose from the hay, rocking against his mouth.

Leisurely, as if his cock weren’t as hard as ironwood and his balls tighter than a rattlesnake’s grip, he brought his tongue down between her folds and pushed his way into the opening of her sheath.

“Cole, I need you inside me, now.” Lacey’s hands gripped his hair, trying to pull him up. Willingly he gave into her, his cock jerking at the remembered tightness that was all her.

Covering her now full curvy body with his own, he hesitated. He was so much bigger now.

Her hands on his ass, fingers digging into his flesh, convinced him to give it a try for both their sakes.

He pushed the head of his cock between her slick folds and pressed himself an inch into the tight canal he remembered. “Shit, Lacey, you still feel so good.”

Her legs wrapped around his. “Don’t stop. Please, Cole.”

She pulled him in another inch, her sheath sucking him hard, causing him to take deep breaths to keep control. He let his head fall forward, lightly touching her forehead with his own. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Her body stiffened and her eyes opened. “You’ve already done that.”

A bucket of ice water spilled over his head and he sputtered, his whole body tensing as he sat up in bed. No water. No Lacey. Just another fucking dream. He looked at the clock and moaned. 2:47 a.m. Two more hours before he had to get up. He punched the pillow and lay back down, his hands behind his head. What the hell would it take to get just an hour of uninterrupted sleep?

*

Lacey coughed and kicked off the blanket. Sitting up, she grabbed the bottle of water on her nightstand and took a gulp. She pulled in deep breaths, counting to ten on the inhale, counting to ten on the exhale like she’d been taught. No smoke filled her lungs as it had in her dream. No fire licked up the wall next to the door to get out. No heat blasted her face, just the cooling flow of the air conditioner. She lifted the hem of her t-shirt and wiped her neck.

She was safe.

Cole had brought back her nightmares.

She took another swallow of water. It had taken her two months to stop them the first time. Reliving the nightmare of waking up in the burning carriage house every night was not conducive to coherent thought. She’d lose her job if she didn’t get a handle on them.

She shouldn’t be having nightmares at all. According to the therapist her parents insisted she see, the fact she had wrapped herself in a blanket and got herself out through the flaming door should have convinced her mind she was in control. But she’d never told the therapist about Cole, or that the need to see him again had motivated her to brave the fire to get out. Nor had she told the woman that he held her closely afterward only to push her out of his life the next day.

Lacey swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped her feet into the pink bunny slippers her mom had insisted on buying her. She pulled on her peach silk robe and padded into the kitchen. Turning on the light over the stove, she set the tea kettle to boil and prepared to make chamomile tea. Maybe the tea and looking over the monthly budget could calm her mind enough to sleep a couple more hours. It was only 3:05 a.m. and if she showed up to work any earlier than five thirty, she’d hear about it.

Luckily, her casita faced the main building, so she didn’t have a view of the burnt rubble. When her tea was ready, she walked outside onto her patio, her computer under her arm, but it was chillier than she’d expected. Maybe a warmer robe was in order. Fall was such a great time of year because the temperatures finally dropped at night.

As she set her computer and tea on the table, movement caught her eye. Someone crept around the back of the resort’s kitchen and he or she was clearly looking for a way in. No guest would attempt to obtain something to eat by climbing in a window.

Quietly, she moved back inside and picked up her phone, dialing Kendra, who she sincerely hoped wasn’t still in her office.

“Lacey, are you all right?” Kendra was definitely wide awake.

“Yes, I’m fine. Are you in your office?”

“No, I’m home. Why?”

“I just saw someone trying to get into the kitchen from the back of the main building.”

“Shit!” Kendra must have covered the phone because Lacey heard a muffled conversation. “Okay, Wade and I will check it out. You stay put and lock your doors and windows.”

Lock her doors and windows? Fear meandered up her spine. Maybe she should bring her laptop in first. That had too much confidential information to leave out on her patio with a prowler about. Hands sweating, she quietly opened the patio door and grabbed her computer. Jumping back into her home, she closed the door quickly and locked it.

Not sure if she’d locked the windows last time she used them, she checked each one, glad she did when she found the one over the kitchen sink unlocked. She’d locked the front door when she came home, but she double-checked anyway.

Leaving the light on in her living room, she moved into her dark bedroom and closed the door then stood next to her window where she could see both Kendra’s two-story home and the main building.

Wade strode down the path to the new building then broke into a run. He must have seen something. She watched him until he passed out of view. Now she wished Kendra had hired a security guard. It was easy to believe they were so far off the beaten path that no one would bother them, but most people in the area knew they existed and with police at least twenty minutes away, that left a long time for someone to escape if they wanted to steal something or do damage. Kendra had already had graffiti issues on the guest garage, and an attempt to destroy the bridge across the creek.

Lacey kept her eyes peeled for Wade, getting more nervous as each minute ticked by. Then the lights flicked on inside and outside the main building. Gosh, she hoped that was Wade.

The phone ringing in her living room startled her and she put her hand to her chest, even as she ran out to get it.

“Hello?”

“Lacey? Wade. Whoever was snooping about is gone but the side window to the generator room was busted. Not sure they had enough time to take anything, but could you come over and take a look? Make sure everything is the way you left it?”

“Of course. Let me get some clothes on.” She heard glass smashing in the background. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just walking on glass over here. You wait until Kendra comes by and picks you up. I don’t want anyone alone out here while it’s still dark.”

“Okay.” When Wade hung up, she returned to her bedroom and threw on a pale-yellow sundress. Where was her white shrug? She liked to have it with her at work because of the air-conditioning. Not finding it in her closet, she gave up and grabbed her lavender wrap instead. She probably left her shrug in the office. After brushing her teeth, she braided her hair and grabbed her straw cowboy hat. At least she didn’t have to worry about sleeping anymore.

The low hum of a golf cart caught her attention as she slipped on a pair of sandals. She donned her cowboy hat and made it to the door before Kendra could knock. In the light of her front door, she could see Adriana, the bartender, was already on the cart. Adriana gave a smirk. “Hope you weren’t looking forward to a full night’s sleep.”

Lacey shook her head as she jumped in the back seat of the cart. “I was planning to come into work early today anyway.”

Kendra started the cart moving toward the biggest building on the resort.

Adriana growled. “Not me. As soon as I check to see if anything is missing, I’m going back to bed. I don’t have to work until noon and there’s a good chance I might be late.”

Kendra frowned, but didn’t say anything. It was probable neither Adriana nor Kendra had gone to bed yet. Both usually didn’t start work until noon, but Kendra as the owner did whatever needed to be done, when it needed to be done.

Wade greeted them at the front doors then locked them after they entered. “Lacey, check the front desk, safe and computers. Adriana, check the bar and see if anything is missing.” He took Kendra’s hand. “I’ll show you the break-in.”

Adriana headed for the two bar areas and Lacey watched Kendra and Wade stride through the gathering room with the large stone fireplace. She sighed. A tiny bit of her was jealous of their relationship, but mostly she was glad they had moved past their different backgrounds and planned to make a life together.

She checked out the front desk to see if anything was disturbed from the outside first. Seeing nothing, she walked down the hall and entered the back room with the coffeemaker. Flipping the switch, she scanned the area but didn’t see anything amiss.

She checked the petty cash and computers at the front desk. Nothing was disturbed there either. Maybe the prowler didn’t have time to take anything. Comfortable that all was as she left it, she traveled farther down the hallway to Kendra’s office and crouched by the safe. Quickly moving the dial in the correct combination, she opened it and counted the money, twice. It was all there.

She closed the safe and spun the dial before standing. As she headed down the hallway back toward the front, she heard Adriana shout and curse.

Lacey broke into a run and met Kendra and Wade as they, too, ran to the bar. Adriana stood behind the bar scowling. Kendra hopped up onto the ironwood bar top. “What is it?”

“Those motherfuckers took at least a dozen top shelf bottles of booze. Excuse my language, Lacey.”

“No problem. I think it was warranted in this case.”

Kendra hopped over to the inside of the bar and reviewed the missing bottles. “I know liquor is expensive, but who would do this?”

Lacey sat on one of the barstools and peered over. “Probably poor college students stocking up for the coming weekend.”

Kendra’s eyes turned hard. “They have high-end taste for poor college students.”

“Of course.” She thought back to the college parties she’d attended. “Sapphire Blue Gin, Patron Silver Tequila and Jägermeister were the norm, but it’s been a few years so tastes may have changed. Besides, if you couldn’t afford liquor and had the chance to steal some, wouldn’t you steal the stuff you could never afford and buy the stuff you could?”

“She has a point.” Wade leaned against the bar, his stance reminding her of Cole’s.

Did they all go to cowboy school and learn that? She clasped her hands in front of her.

“Shit.” Adriana pushed her disheveled black hair away from her face. “All those you rattled off are missing and then some. I have back-up bottles in the storage room if they didn’t hit that, but we’ll have to order more.”

They all looked at each other then as one turned and headed for the storage room. When they arrived, Kendra opened the door and hit the light switch. They all stepped in. Lacey scanned the shelves and breathed a sigh of relief. “You can double-check with Selma, but I think everything is here.”

Adrianna stalked to the boxes of booze. “Yeah, none of these have been disturbed.”

Kendra threw her hands up. “I guess that’s that. I’ll call Detective Anderson and ask him to come out. Who knows? This could be related to the fire.” She looked at Lacey before brushing by. “Adriana, make a list of everything that was taken. But don’t touch anything until after Detective Anderson has had a look.”

They filed out, Adriana cursing as she closed the door.

Lacey followed. “Look at it this way, Adriana. After you make a list, you can go back to bed.”

The hot Hispanic bartender looked over her shoulder at her. “You mean go to bed in the first place.” She winked and sauntered off toward the bar.

Lacey chuckled. Adriana may not be working in a brothel anymore, but she enjoyed one-night stands even more now that sex was no longer business and all pleasure. She and Adriana were complete opposites, yet they truly enjoyed each other’s company. It was what made Poker Flat so unique. Kendra may have pulled together a family of misfits, but what a great family to be a part of.

She returned to the staff room behind the front desk and started a pot of coffee. She scanned the area again to be sure nothing was missing. She doubted very much the theft of the liquor and the fire the night before were related. Then again, they had dealt with vandals before. Still, it felt good that Kendra expected the fire’s cause to be anything but her.

Lacey’s heart hitched again at Cole’s betrayal. It had been years since she’d felt the hiccups of pain over his quick judgement. Why did he have to come back into her life? And more importantly, would he stay out of it?

“I smell coffee.” Kendra walked in and pulled a coffee mug out of the cabinet. “Looks like I’m destined to go without sleep for another day.” She sat at the small round table waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

“I’m sorry.” Lacey sat across from her. “I thought our troubles were over once the resort opened.”

Kendra shook her head. “I didn’t. People just can’t stand alternative lifestyles. They are so insecure in what they believe, they must make everyone conform in order to feel safe.”

Lacey pondered Kendra’s opinion. “I never thought of it that way. So basically, some people in this county feel having a hidden resort for nudists means that their own lifestyle may be threatened? How strange.”

Kendra shrugged. “I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind. It’s like politics and religion. A subject that will always have conflict. All I want is for others to leave my guests alone. I want a safe environment for them. This latest incident reinforces the need for me to hire a security guard, maybe two.”

“As long as neither is like Powell.” Lacey smirked. “I think we need someone with a little more backbone.”

“Believe me. This time the interviews will be more like interrogations.” The coffeemaker beeped and Kendra stood. “Why don’t you call Dale and ask him to closely vet a few candidates for me.” She poured coffee into her mug. “Unless I have you start the process, it’ll never happen.”

“Will do. I’ll call him today. I know I will feel safer.”

Her boss nodded and headed for the door but stopped and turned. “I would be lost without you, Lacey. Thank you for keeping this place so organized.”

“You’re welcome.” Warmth suffused her cheeks as Kendra disappeared. She rose and pulled a mug out of the cabinet for herself. Praise from her boss didn’t come often and it always took her by surprise. She was paid very well, had her own little casita to live in and loved her work. She couldn’t ask for anything else.

“I almost forgot.” Kendra stuck her head in. “Detective Anderson said he planned to come out today anyway to interview the staff about the fire. If you could spread the word, that would be helpful.”

She swallowed hard. “I will.” When Kendra disappeared, Lacey collapsed into the chair. Living through another fire investigation opened too many old wounds and frazzled her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she rose, poured herself a cup of coffee and took a much needed sip. Time to make a to-do list for today. She couldn’t call anyone yet as it was far too early. She glanced at the clock. 3:37 a.m. It would be a long day.

*

Lacey watched as Detective Anderson flipped the page of paper over the top of his pad. “I did find tracks past the barrier on the other side. It looks like whoever was here came down on an ATV. I took fingerprints from the bar. We should know whether there were one or two people even if the prints aren’t perfect.”

“I only saw one.” Lacey looked at Kendra. “Wish I had woken sooner.”

Detective Anderson’s steady gaze turned to her. “And why did you wake up then? Did you hear something?”

She shook her head. “No. I just had a bad dream and decided to have a cup of tea on my patio before going back to sleep.”

He looked at her oddly before scribbling on his pad.

If he had had the same kind of dream she had, he wouldn’t have wanted to go back to sleep right away either.

“Do you think there is a connection between the fire and this theft?” Kendra brought the detective’s gaze back to her.

“It’s too early to tell yet. I found an empty bottle of Tequila at the burn site, as well as a piece of clothing which looks to be a female’s.”

Kendra smirked. “Can’t say many of our female guests wear clothing, but some do bring something to cover their shoulders because of the air-conditioning, though I can’t imagine them hanging out at the construction site unless…”

“Unless what?” The detective’s gaze turned sharp.

“Unless the guest was flirting with one of the construction workers.” She looked over at Lacey and wiggled her brows.

Lacey felt heat rise to her cheeks. The detective studied her, so she explained. “What she is intimating is that sometimes I delivered Selma’s snacks to the construction crew and there is a gentleman there who I conversed with.”

“And had lunch with yesterday.” Kendra nodded approvingly.

She looked at her boss. “I don’t think the detective really cares about my love life.”

“I might.”

She snapped her gaze back to him and quickly checked his left hand. A well-worn gold band was evident on his ring finger. She met his steady gaze with her own. “Why?”

He ignored her question and spoke to Kendra. “I will need to talk to each staff member separately.”

“That’s not a problem.” Kendra laid her hand on Lacey’s shoulder. “Lacey can let you know where everyone is, depending on the time.”

“Good. And I will also need the contact information for the guests who were here the night of the fire.”

Kendra stiffened. “You think a guest could have set it?”

“I don’t know yet, but I need to cover all bases.”

“If you don’t have to contact my guests, I’d prefer you didn’t.” Kendra raised her hand as the detective opened his mouth. “I understand you may need to. All I’m saying is if the trail leads elsewhere, I prefer they not be bothered. Is there any chance the fire wasn’t started by human means?”

Detective Anderson shook his head. “No. It was definitely started by someone. This was no lightning strike or electrical arc.”

Kendra’s shoulders fell and Lacey laid her hand on her boss’s arm. “Don’t worry. None of your current staff would ever do anything to harm Poker Flat.”

“So there has been trouble with staff before?” Detective Anderson’s shrewd blue gaze zeroed in on her.

Darn. Her stupid loose tongue. “There was one person. He was let go. He may have bad feelings, but I believe he’s in jail at the moment.” She pinned Anderson with her own gaze until he backed down. So there. It would be tough to start a fire from jail.

The detective scribbled more in his pad before flipping to a new blank page. “I might as well start with you.” He looked directly at her before turning to Kendra. “I’ll talk to you next and then the bartender.”

Kendra took the hint that Anderson wanted her to leave and she stood. “I’ll check in with Adriana. She may still be asleep. It’s been a long two days for all of us.” She stared hard at the officer, but Lacey doubted he cared what she thought or how much sleep they’d had. He probably figured if they were tired they would slip up and give themselves away.

Her gut twisted as familiar pains roiled through her stomach. She’d hated being accused of something she hadn’t done back in Orson, but now this detective appeared to be accusing everyone on staff. She hoped in the end the fire was caused by anyone but a staff person, just to prove that working at a nudist resort didn’t mean they had no morals.

“Do you own a white shrug?”

She snapped her attention back to Anderson. “Yes, I do. I couldn’t find it this morning. Why?”

He didn’t even write that down on his pad. “Because I found it at the burn site.”

No. No. Not again!

Chapter Five

‡

Cole tamped down the need to shout like a teenager who just got the girl of his dreams to go to the prom with him. It looked like he’d be selling four good horses to the Poker Flat resort. He led Elsa out of her stall toward Wade, who was inspecting Romeo. “He’s a mellow horse and should work perfectly for new riders.”

“What was wrong with him? He looks as good as Sam.” Wade moved to the other side of Romeo.

“He suffered from malnutrition. Poor guy was only days from collapsing. The re-feeding was touch and go for a while especially in the first month. If my grandfather wasn’t here, this horse would have never made it because I work twenty-four-hour shifts at the fire station and Romeo needed a constant watch.”

Wade pet the quarter horse’s nose and the animal leaned his head toward him. “How long have you had him?”

Cole tied Elsa and stepped closer to give Romeo a pat. “He’s been with us ten months now. He’s been eating well for four months and his weight has remained constant. He’s ready to move on. If he stays here much longer, he’ll get fat from lack of activity.”

Wade looked up at that then shook his head. “I doubt that. You have a nice spread here. I’m sure Romeo could get plenty of exercise.”

“Possibly, but he likes to be ridden and I’m too busy to spend the time needed to be sure all these horses get the right amount of exercise. And my grandparents are getting up there in years. Though they both still ride, I can’t expect them to exercise all the horses.”

Wade stepped around Romeo. “I see your dilemma. But there will always be more abused and abandoned horses. How will you keep them healthy?”

Cole didn’t meet Wade’s gaze, instead focusing on Romeo. “I have a long-term plan, which includes staff. I’m still working out the kinks in between caring for the horses I have and my job.” What he really needed was a financial manager who could help him keep everything straight.

“I’ll definitely take him.” Wade walked over to Elsa. “Who do we have here?”

“That’s Elsa. She’s the only Arabian I have at the moment.”

Wade let the horse greet him and gently patted her side. “She has a lot of scars.”

Cole swallowed. Cases like Elsa’s were the toughest. “She’d been badly burned in a wildfire. The owners were going to put her down, but I offered to take her off their hands. They were happy to let me have her.”

Wade whistled low. “I’m surprised she made it. What made you take her?”

“It was her eyes. She was standing there with so much burned skin, shaking in fear, but she didn’t run. All she did was stand and look at me as if asking me to help her. I couldn’t ignore that.” He didn’t know how else to explain the feeling he had when he’d seen her.

“I understand.” Wade nodded.

In that moment Cole was absolutely sure that selling her to Wade would ensure her a caring home. That was important to him because she had a special place in his heart.

“Is she why you became a firefighter?” Wade’s question surprised him.

“No, I’ve only had her three years. No one wants a horse that looks so ragged even though she’s as healthy as can be and incredibly docile.”

“But it was a horse, wasn’t it, that caused you to become a firefighter?”

Cole leaned against the barn wall and crossed his arms. “Yeah, a horse was a big part of it. His name was King. He didn’t make it.” Cole swallowed, the pain of losing that horse after trying so hard to save it still knotted up his stomach. Wade didn’t interrupt, his empathy clear in his silence.

Eventually, Cole’s stomach loosened and he continued, leaving out Lacey and her fire’s influence on his decision. “When I told my parents I didn’t want to breed horses but save them, they hit the roof.”

“I bet they did.” Wade’s chuckle relaxed Cole a bit more.

He shrugged. “I wasn’t surprised.” Though he had been hurt at their refusal to help him at all. Instead they promised his younger brother their ranch. “But my grandparents had this cattle ranch and had sold off the last of their cattle to enjoy their retirement. They were even thinking of selling this place. When I told them what I wanted to do, they fell in love with the idea. Actually, I think they were getting a little bored and my venture gave them new purpose.”

Wade left Elsa and stood in front of him. “I think it’s time to talk price, and a beer if you have one.”

Cole dropped his arms. “You want Romeo and Elsa?”

“I want them and the two quarter horses you showed me first, Blaze and Bella. Once I get them settled in, I’m pretty sure I’ll be back for more.”

Cole grinned, unable to contain his joy. That his horses would be appreciated was always a thrill, but in Wade he saw someone who believed strongly in what he was doing here. He hadn’t seen that since the day his grandparents had offered him their ranch. “Then I think I can find a beer or two.”

As he led the way to the front porch, his mind raced with possible prices and what the cash flow could do for Last Chance Ranch. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll get the beer.”

After taking two bottles from the fridge, he grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of homemade salsa and strode back to the porch. “I brought a snack in case you had the munchies. It’s not half as good as Selma’s food, but I finished my grandmother’s pumpkin bread yesterday.”

“That’s fine. I’m not sure anything can live up to Selma’s cooking. She’s spoiled us. Kendra and I never go out to eat because we always compare the food to Selma’s.” Wade twisted the top from his beer and took a swallow.

Cole did the same. “Do you think you’ll be able to use Elsa for trail riding?”

“Of course. That’s what all these horses will be used for. They have the right temperament. Why? Is there something I should know about her?”

“No, it’s just that, she’s not the prettiest horse. I wasn’t sure if your guests would balk at riding her.”

Wade shook his head as a grin spread across his face. “You have it backward. I’ll bet she’ll be the most requested horse.”

Cole frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t imagine you do. I wouldn’t have either, but running a nudist resort opens your eyes to a lot of things.” Wade took another swallow and stared at the desert land. “Our guests, the nudists, are very accepting of the non-perfect. In fact they appear to embrace it. Even Kendra didn’t realize that before she opened, but the fact is, having a staff of less-than-perfect people has endeared them to the guests.”

Cole remained silent. He didn’t view Lacey as “non-perfect,” especially in looks. Then again his ex-girlfriend did have a reputation for starting fires. To be fair, one fire. The jury was still out on the latest, but what were the chances?

Wade returned his gaze to Cole. “Elsa will be in high demand because she isn’t perfect. She will be accepted as much as Sundancer or Romeo. That’s what’s so great about the nudist community. Looks don’t matter.”

“Then I’m glad she’s found a real home.” Cole raised his bottle. “To Poker Flat Nudist Resort.”

They clinked bottles and took a swallow.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to pick the horses up in a week or so, but don’t worry, I’ll pay you as soon as we agree on a price.”

Cole raised a brow. “Why do you want to wait so long? I thought you said you had a lot of guests coming in next week and needed the additional horses.”

“I did and do, but we had a break-in Monday night and I want to wait now until the security guards have been hired.”

“Break-in?” Was Lacey okay? “Is everyone all right?”

“Yeah. They broke into the main building when no one was there and stole some high-end booze.” Wade held up his bottle, which was anything but top shelf. “If Lacey hadn’t seen the intruder, they might have gotten away with a lot more.”

“Lacey?”

“Yeah. She woke around three and noticed someone skulking around the back of the building. The thieves heard me coming and ran out the front door. I chased them, but they had an ATV and took off. So I’d like to wait a week or two unless Detective Anderson makes an arrest beforehand.”

Cole felt sweat form on his brow. Just the thought of Lacey in trouble had him on edge. For eight years, he didn’t know where she was or what she did, but now that he’d seen her again, he couldn’t ignore the plain fact that he still loved her, no matter what she’d done. And this time, he didn’t have his parents reminding him every day how dangerous she was to both him and his family’s reputation.

*

“Hey, Sean, mind if I come in?” Cole leaned against the doorway of Detective Anderson’s office, trying to look casual when every muscle in his body was tense.

Sean looked up from his computer. “Sure. What can I do for you, Cole?”

He sat in the chair at the side of Sean’s desk. “I was just heading over to the nudist resort. They’re buying a few horses from me and I thought I’d stop by and see if you’d come up with anything regarding the fire.” He didn’t want Sean to know he’d already heard about the burglary.

“I can tell you this.” Sean leaned back in his chair and rested his ankle on his knee. “It was started by someone. I just don’t know who or if burning down the new building was intentional.”

“Any leads at all?”

“Too many. I have vandals who may be the same as those who broke in there the next night or completely different ones. I have a bottle of top shelf tequila that belonged to somebody, and I have Lacey Winters’ sweater, half burned at the site. The only thing I don’t have is a single suspect.”

Cole felt like someone slapped him upside the head at the mention of Lacey. He should have known, but a side of him wanted to believe her innocent. How was she dealing with it this time? Would she run away like she had before? He stood, the need to see her again too strong to ignore. “Well, if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”

He expected Sean to say he had this, but instead he just stared at him and then a gleam came into his eye. Oh shit. Why did Cole feel like he wasn’t going to like Sean’s response?

“You said you’re heading out there right now?”

“Yeah.”

Sean leaned back in his chair. “Do me a favor. See if you can have a casual discussion with some of the employees. I’d like to get your read on them. Nothing official, but another set of eyes couldn’t hurt.”

He should come clean and tell Sean he didn’t want Lacey found guilty, even if she was, but he couldn’t do it. Instead, he mumbled a quick “sure” and left before Sean could ask him anything else.

What the hell was he doing? He’d never withheld information before. Had he changed that much over the years or were his feelings for Lacey coloring his judgement? Shit, he had no idea.

Stalking out of the police station, he refused to acknowledge the protective instincts permeating his brain. He had to go to Poker Flat and see her, maybe even see if she still had any feelings for him.

He grimaced as he jumped in his Silverado 3500 pickup truck. There was a good chance the only feeling she had for him was hate, but even that was better than indifference. It’d been three days since she’d seen him. Maybe she’d mellowed a bit. It had been quite a shock for both of them.

His gut told him they needed another chance. He turned the truck onto the highway and sped toward Poker Flat. Maybe it was their last chance, but she’d been his perfect match back in high school. Maybe like Wade said, he needed to open his mind to her imperfection.

*

Lacey closed Kendra’s office door after showing the second candidate in for an interview. Wade’s friend Dale, who owned the temp agency Kendra used, had lined up six candidates for the two security guard positions.

Too bad hiring them wouldn’t help her sleep through the night. She was plagued with dreams of the fire, only they’d changed. Instead of waking up when she burst through the door, they continued with Cole calling her name as he fought the fire until the building collapsed on him. She should have never watched the construction site until the building collapsed. Now her mind combined the two fires, sending fear racing through her body every night.

She walked back to the front desk to find another candidate waiting for her. The black-haired man with bulging biceps stretching his black t-shirt gave himself away by the fact he was clothed, but he hadn’t exactly dressed for an interview. He hadn’t even taken off his black cowboy hat, which was strange. It was as if he didn’t really want the job.

“Hi, can I help you?”

He didn’t quite look at her. “Yeah. Hunter McKade. Dale Osborn sent me.”

She glanced down at her list and checked him off. At least he was on time, early in fact. “If you’d like to take a seat over there, I will call you when Ms. Lowe is ready for you.”

He nodded once then turned and walked toward the dining room, completely ignoring her instructions. As he walked away she could see he also wore black jeans and black cowboy boots that made no sound on the hard floor.

The man was definitely odd. She shook her head. If he forgot to come back, it would just make Kendra’s selection that much easier.

The lobby door opened again and Billy came in. “Afternoon, Lacey.”

She smiled. “Good afternoon, Billy.” The older man had a special place in her heart. He was so sweet. “Selma has your lunch all boxed up.”

“Yeehaw.” The man gave her a toothy grin as he strode a bit lopsidedly toward the dining room.

Uh-oh. He’d been drinking during work hours again. She’d have to talk to him before Kendra found out. Not that her boss wasn’t aware of Billy’s problem, but they had a deal. As long as he could function in his position, Kendra would keep him on. He did well for a week or so and then would forget he couldn’t drink during work. Lacey made it her responsibility to sit him down and remind him. She couldn’t see anyone else hiring him.

In no time, Billy had his lunch and was meandering back to his golf cart. She watched him disappear down the hill and reappear on the other side of the ravine. At least he wasn’t weaving.

Turning away from the counter, she sat at her computer and ordered the food Selma needed for next week. The woman was a marvelous cook, but she didn’t even know where the “on” switch was when it came to computers.

She finished all Selma’s requested items then added a few more Adriana would need. The bartender didn’t write anything down, just walked by once in a while and hollered out what she’d need next time Lacey ordered “stuff.”

She hovered the mouse over the “send” button then moved it away and added another item. Popsicles. For some reason she craved popsicles. She hadn’t had them in months. Finishing her order, she sent it off through cyberspace.

The sun’s reflection off a tan golf cart caught her attention through the lobby’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Billy pulled to a stop before the front doors and dropped off another clothed person, probably another security guard candidate. She looked around the lobby. The other applicant wasn’t back yet.

As the new arrival opened the door to the lobby, her heart picked up speed, even as her muscles stiffened.

Cole took his hat off, his cowboy stride causing her gaze to drop to his blue jeans. Her cheeks flushed as her mind conjured up what his legs must look like underneath the denim material now that he’d grown up.

She returned her gaze to her computer, determined to ignore him. Why was he here again?

“Lacey.”

Her name coming from his lips had always made her want to melt, especially when he said it with such yearning, like he did now. Unable to be rude, she turned her head to look at him. She could keep this completely professional. “Yes, Cole.”

The right side of his lips quirked up a tiny bit, as if he knew she was trying to ignore him and losing her battle.

“Can you come out here so we can talk?”

“What do we have to talk about? I’m a little busy.”

His lips lost their slight curve. “It won’t take long.”

“Very well.” She heaved an exaggerated sigh and took her time getting up to walk toward the back room. Once beyond his sight, she smoothed down her pale-pink skirt that fell to the tops of her white cowboy boots. Quickly, she looked in the small mirror inside the broom closet to make sure her braid was still presentable, its golden color blending with the yellow and pink flowers on her blouse. She needed to remember he’d given up on her without even hearing her side of the story.

She closed the closet door and put one hand over her heart. “Now behave.” Straightening her shoulders, she stepped out to meet Cole.

When she came around the corner to face him, it was as if she were being pulled forward by a stampede of wild horses. It took all her willpower to stop a couple feet in front of him and not walk directly into his arms. Remember, he still thinks you set the fire. He dumped you.

He examined her from head to toe as if looking for something. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” His look of concern was genuine. She’d give him that.

“I heard there was a theft and that you saw the perpetrators. They haven’t come back, have they? They don’t know you saw them, do they?”

It hadn’t occurred to her that the thieves would come back or might look for her. “I’m fine. No one saw me.” She tried to ignore his woodsy scent as the ceiling fans wafted it over her. It brought back so many memories.

He touched her cheek, startling her from her thoughts.

“But how are you holding up? I heard you are a suspect…”

Again. He didn’t say it, but she heard it in his voice. “So what? I’m used to that. Just remember, being a suspect and doing the deed are two very different things, Cole Hatcher.”

He pulled his hand away from her face at her tone and frowned. “Why was your sweater at the construction site?”

She tensed. “Why don’t you ask Detective Anderson? I already told him.”

“Because I want to hear it from you.”

Why? To judge if she was lying? Fine. “If you must know, I wore it that day against the chill of the air-conditioning in here as I had a sleeveless dress on. When I went out to visit John… You remember John Lockhart from lunch the other day? After talking to him for a while I grew hot, so I threw it on a pile of lumber stacked outside the building. When I returned to the front desk I forgot about it. That was the Friday before the fire.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “I had no reason to go back to the construction site since John wasn’t working the weekend. I didn’t realize it was missing until the day after the fire.” She shrugged nonchalantly, loving the way his mouth drew into a straight line at the mention of John. If Cole thought there was more between her and the construction worker, that was his fault.

He remained quiet like he expected her to start blabbing something else, but there was nothing else to tell.

“I believe you.”

Her eyes widened as her chest constricted, making her words come out in a whisper. “You do?”

Cole smiled sadly. “Is that really so hard to believe?”

That wasn’t exactly the answer she expected, but her heart completely overruled her head and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Every nerve ending in her body woke as if from a long sleep as Cole’s lips slanted over her own and his tongue met hers. Her world became whole again when his large arms pulled her against his hard chest. He was so familiar, his cedar scent, his deep kiss, the excitement that had her nipples paying attention, but he was new, different, and so big.

He pulled his tantalizing mouth away and gazed into her eyes. “Lacey, I want to help.”

Huh? He could help by bringing his strong lips back to hers.

“We need to discover who started the fire.”

In a split second her brain had control again and she tried to pull out of his arms, but he wasn’t letting go.

“Wait, Lacey. What’s wrong?”

“Let me go.” She couldn’t believe he was thinking about the fire while kissing her. Had he developed a one-track mind? She liked him better when he was younger and the track he was on was more to her liking.

“I believe the lady told you to let her go.” The deep voice behind her stopped her struggles and she looked over her shoulder.

“Oh, Mr. McKade.” She glanced back at Cole. He looked ready to tear the man apart. An exquisite and purely feminine thrill sped down her spine.

She turned back to Mr. McKade. He didn’t show any emotion at all, even more stoic than Kendra before Wade came into her life. This man was too calm and yet very alert. “It’s okay. Cole and I go way back.” She wrapped her arms as far around Cole as she could.

The man moved his gaze from her to Cole, who looked like he would happily pound Mr. McKade into the floor.

“Cole.” She had to use her hand to tap his cheek in order to catch his attention. “Cole. Mr. McKade’s presence reminds me that another candidate is due to come out of Kendra’s office at any moment and it’s not exactly appropriate for us to be, um, engaged with each other in the lobby.”

Her pretty little speech made no impression on him at all and as soon as she finished talking, he raised his gaze. “Where’d he go?” In that instant, he let her go and turned to look around the lobby.

Mr. McKade was gone. She shook her head. As if a disappearing job candidate weren’t bad enough, she couldn’t recapture Cole’s attention. She threw her hands up and walked to the back room, so she could man the front desk again.

“Lacey.” Cole’s cowboy boots clicked along the tile floor behind her, his stride long and confident.

There was way too much to like about Cole Hatcher, especially now that he believed her. She yearned to give into him, but could she trust him with her heart again? She shivered. That wasn’t something she wanted to contemplate.

Cole stepped into the back room.

She held up her hand. “You can’t come back here.”

He strode toward her. “Why not? We need to talk and you can see the front desk from here. Besides, I’m not leaving until I set Mr. Cash straight.”

“Mr. Cash?”

Cole motioned toward the lobby with his head. “The disappearing man in all black out there.”

“Oh, Mr. McKade. I probably should look for him. It’s almost time for his interview.” She stepped toward the door, but Cole wouldn’t let her pass.

“No. He can find his own way to the interview, if that’s really why he’s here. You and I need to figure out who set the fire at the new construction site.”

She stepped back. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want you accused again. Please, work with me on this. I know about your sweater—”

“Shrug.”

“Okay, shrug. That is the strangest name for a piece of clothing. I understand an empty bottle of tequila was found at the site as well. Did any of the construction workers drink on the sly?”

She frowned, taking a seat at the small table. “If you’re asking if John drinks, the answer is yes, but he prefers beer and no, he didn’t drink on the job.”

“I didn’t mean just him.” Cole squinted at nothing in particular. “What about the other workers? When you brought Selma’s snacks, did you notice anyone drinking?”

“Oh.” Had anyone left the group when she brought the food? “No, no one slipped away while I was there, but I didn’t stay long. Maybe twenty minutes.”

“That’s all the time you needed to flirt with John?”

She flushed, thrilled by his irritated voice. There was definitely jealousy behind it. “If it wasn’t one of the construction workers, it may have been the same people who stole booze the other night. I told Kendra I think it’s college-age people.”

Cole flipped the chair next to her around and straddled it to face her, his large forearm crossed over the top. “Can you think of anyone who would have an issue with the new building being built? What was it anyway?”

“It was one side of an Old West town.” She smiled, excited to explain the project she’d suggested to Kendra. “The idea is to have it look like a real western town from the 1800s but instead of a brothel, we have a massage station. Instead of a bank, we have a workout room. Instead of a saloon, we have Native American gifts.”

“So this would bring more staff to Poker Flat.”

She shook her head. “No. These would be rented out spaces. Kendra doesn’t want to have to oversee that as well.”

Cole sat back. “So if someone didn’t like the fact that Kendra was planning to rake in more money, they might burn it down.”

“I guess. But I’m not sure how many people know her. She’s stayed away from town officials since Wade became manager. She only deals with the contractors. She’s a hard negotiator. I even heard Mr. Price complaining about how tough she was.” Lacey grinned, her pride in her boss growing every day.

“Price didn’t like his contract?”

“I think he just liked to complain about it, though he said he would negotiate differently when it was time to rebuild. I’m glad we insured the new construction. At least we won’t lose money on rebuilding.”

“But Price will make more money. He’s a small construction company. Have you heard how stable he is?”

Lacey clasped her hands. It felt like she’d be betraying a confidence if she told Cole what John had said. “I know he has a clean-up business on the side. He complained more about the timeline than anything else. He seemed pretty stunned when I told him there’d been a fire.”

“I wish I could have seen that.”

“But even if he was tight on money, that doesn’t mean he caused the fire. Lots of small businesses struggle and never do something like that.” Mr. Price’s reaction to the news of the fire was too honest for her to think he had something to do with it.

Cole rose. “That’s true, but it could go toward motivation. I need to talk to Wade about the horses he ordered, but I was wondering if you were free tonight. I’d like to catch up on all that has happened to you since I last saw you.”

Part of her wanted to squeal, but the other part was too afraid to trust herself being with him. “I don’t know. Maybe after this fire investigation is over.”

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it. Instead, he walked to the door before turning to look at her. “Be careful. There are still too many unanswered questions about who did this. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I will.” She gave him a small smile, but her insides were somersaulting over his concern for her.

Chapter Six

‡

She held still until she heard the outside door close then jumped up. “He believes me!” She’d waited so many years to hear him say those words and he finally had. Her heart pounded now that she allowed herself to revel in his support. Cole Hatcher believed she had nothing to do with the fire. If he believed her about this one, then he would soon realize she hadn’t started the Orson fire.

She fairly skipped to the front desk as a guest approached. After sending a message to Rachel about the guest’s husband’s birthday, Lacey sat in front of her computer to approve the payroll. But she couldn’t concentrate. If Cole believed her, there may be hope for them yet.

The question was why? Why did he believe her on this fire but hadn’t when they were younger? What was different? She grinned. He was physically a hunk now, but beyond that he’d matured and so had she. The old Lacey would have jumped into his arms and told him to take her home with him.

A piece of her still wanted him to, but she was afraid. That’s why she’d put him off. If he really wanted to see if there was a future for them, he would return. If he didn’t, she’d be upset, but better that than being devastated…again. Now that her head was satisfied he supported her, her heart was afraid to trust him fully.

“Excuse me, I’m here for an interview.”

She snapped her head around at the sound of another man’s voice. How could she have been so engrossed in her thoughts not to hear him come in. “Hello. I’ll be there in a minute.”

She picked up the interview list then glanced at the clock. She must not have seen Mr. McKade leave while she was with Cole. “Are you Mr. Palmera?”

At the man’s nod, she smiled. “Have a seat and I’ll be right with you.”

As the man strode to a lobby chair, she relaxed that he’d done as she suggested. Quickly, she headed for Kendra’s office to let her know her next candidate was waiting. After knocking, and being bid to enter, she opened the door and hesitated. Mr. McKade stood behind the chair facing Kendra.

Kendra nodded toward the man. “Lacey, meet one of our new security guards. Hunter says he can start as early as tomorrow. Could you get him the necessary paperwork?”

“Of course.” She tried to smile but couldn’t. There was something about the man that bothered her, yet he’d been given Kendra’s approval. What second chance could he possibly need?

He offered his hand. “I look forward to working with you, Lacey.”

She looked past him at Kendra, who waved her hand in dismissal. He couldn’t be that bad if Kendra hired him. She mustered a kind smile. “I look forward to having you here. We definitely need someone who can protect this place. If you could come this way?”

He opened his arm to indicate that she precede him, so she did, looking back once to be sure he followed. The man moved too quietly. Then again that could be a good thing in his line of work.

Getting him settled in the back room, she left him to his forms. What would Cole think about the man working at Poker Flat? On the other hand, it shouldn’t even be a concern. Cole didn’t work here, she did.

She returned to her computer to focus on payroll. No one would understand if they weren’t paid because she was mooning over Cole. After getting the payroll approved, she printed out one more form to give to Hunter.

As she stepped into the staff room, he picked his hat up off the table and slammed it back on, but not before she noticed the scar that marred the back of his head, no hair growing from the healed skin.

Understanding for their new employee relaxed her. One reason Kendra hired the man had just become obvious. With a new appreciation for him, she settled in to making him feel welcome.

*

Cole couldn’t find Billy, so he caught a ride with one of the guests, who was picking up his wife after her trail ride was over. The naked man had a large belly and joked his wife only tried the ride to make googly eyes at the resort manager. He, on the other hand, didn’t plan to risk his balls for such a trivial pursuit.

Cole bit the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. The man had a point. After all, his wife had to be old enough to be Wade’s mother.

As they approached the barn, a very curvaceous woman with fake breasts and legs longer than an ostrich talked with Wade, her hand on his arm as she flirted, proving her husband right. When they came to a stop, the man stepped out of his cart and slapped the woman on her bare ass.

Her yelp was followed by her switching her attention to the older man and linking her arm with his.

Cole shook his head as the two entered the cart and drove back to the other side of the resort. He watched them go then looked at Wade, who wore a fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Cole laughed. “It’s safe now. You can stop smiling.”

Wade rubbed his hands down his face. “That was a very long half-hour ride.”

“You mean an hour-long thirty minutes?”

Wade smirked. “More like two hours. I know it’s all harmless, but every once in a while I want to drop the fact that Kendra owns a Smith and Wesson 9mm and knows how to use it into the conversation.”

Cole slapped him on the back. “I understand. I once had an elderly lady who called 9-1-1 once a week like clockwork because she ‘couldn’t breathe’. We finally figured out that she just wanted to ogle the firefighters, so we made a deal with her. We told her we would stop by once a week when we made a grocery run for the station if she promised not to call 9-1-1 unless it was a true emergency.”

Wade raised a brow. “Did she agree?”

“Yes, she did. She would tell her friends that her boyfriends were coming over and make them leave. We only stayed for about fifteen minutes, but it made her week.” Cole couldn’t help smiling as he remembered her joy at seeing them.

“How old is she?”

He shook his head. “She passed away the summer before last. Ironically, when she did have a heart attack, she didn’t realize it and never called 9-1-1. Every firefighter in our department insisted on going to her funeral. My chief told us we had to have a crew in gear with the truck there in case we got a call. She would have loved to have seen that.”

“I’ll have to remember that story next time my patience is at an end.” Wade patted Ace and moved him inside. “So what brings you back to Poker Flat?”

Cole shrugged and leaned against a stall. “I wanted to find out if you had any word about the break-in.”

Wade closed the stall door and stared at him. “You wanted to see Lacey again.”

Shit, was he that transparent? “Yeah, I wanted to make sure she was okay and that the thieves didn’t get a look at her.”

“It was dark and she was at her house. The thieves didn’t even know she was the one who saw them.”

Cole relaxed. “Do you think the theft and the fire are linked?”

“No idea.” Wade sat on a plastic chair and leaned it back on its legs until his shoulders hit the barn wall. “Not my job to figure that out.”

“Who called 9-1-1?”

“Kendra.” Wade folded his arms across his chest. “She usually works late, as in one or two in the morning. She used to be a professional poker player called The Night Owl, if you hadn’t heard. She’d just left her office when she heard an explosion. When she reached the end of the hall, she saw the flames and called.”

“Wow, that had to have been a shock.” Cole squinted at the wall, picturing the scene. “So what happened next?”

“She called me and I came over to get her. Meanwhile she called all the staff on the grounds. Selma immediately went to the kitchen and Kendra and I came over here to make sure the horses remained safe.”

“What about Lacey, Billy, your bartender and the waitress?”

Wade studied him. “Are you interrogating me?”

Shit, he’d gone too far. “No, no. Just curious. I rarely get to hear about what happened before I arrive to a fire.” He shrugged. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me. I imagine you’d rather forget the whole thing.”

Wade stood, looking just past him. “You probably don’t want to move.”

“What?” Cole turned around to see what the problem was only to stop at the sound of ripping material. “What the hell?” He looked into the innocent brown eyes of Daisy, his t-shirt firmly clenched between her teeth.

“I told you not to move.” Wade chuckled as he walked over. “Here. The best way to do this is to slip out of your shirt and I can usually get her to open with some celery.”

“Right.” Cole did as Wade suggested then stood back and watched the man try to coax the big horse into relinquishing his clothing. “Aren’t your guests bothered by her little habit?”

“No.” Wade grinned. “Why would they be? They don’t wear clothes.”

Cole covered his eyes with his hand. Of course. He watched as Wade attempted to reason with the horse, but Daisy didn’t care.

“You must smell pretty good because she really likes your shirt.”

“Did you know she had this habit before you bought her?” Cole meandered along the other stalls.

“Yup. That’s why I got her and Sage for such a great price.”

Cole looked back at Wade. “Why did you get a good price on Sage?”

“Because he wouldn’t budge without Daisy.”

Wow, the fact the resort was for nudists may be the most normal part about the place. The staff and animals even had strange backgrounds. He stopped in front of one of the empty stalls. “Uh Wade, I think you might have a problem.”

“You mean besides owing you a shirt?” Wade strode over and Cole pointed to the man lying on the concrete of the empty stall.

“Do you think he’s dead?”

Wade sighed. “No, but he might as well be. That’s Billy. He passed out.”

Cole studied the clothing of the man lying on his side, his face toward the back wall. “But he just gave me a ride down not two hours ago.”

Wade frowned. “He was probably half in the bag by then. We thought he was doing better, but he isn’t. I haven’t said anything to Kendra yet, but she may need to make a tough decision.”

“Why doesn’t he go to his casita when he’s drunk?”

“He says it makes him claustrophobic. But I think it only feels that way to him when he drinks. He used to pass out in the rub down station, but I made him find an empty stall so the guests wouldn’t see him.”

Cole put a few pieces of information together. “So that’s why he didn’t hear the sirens when we pulled up the night of the fire.”

Wade leaned on the half door of the stall. “No way he heard the commotion. He was so drunk that night he never made it to a stall. Kendra and I found him lying in the middle of the barn. She wasn’t happy, but she had other things to worry about. I moved him into my office in case the barn caught fire.”

“He’s one lucky man.”

Wade gave him a look he couldn’t quite decipher.

“Everyone who works for Kendra is lucky.”

Cole winked. “Some luckier than others.”

A slow smile grew on Wade’s face. “Got that right.”

The sound of a golf cart’s wheels crunching on the gravel outside had them both moving to the entrance of the barn. In the parking area, Lacey dropped off a couple nudists.

She spoke to Wade. “Mr. and Mrs. Irving would like to see the stagecoach.” Then her gaze found his for a moment before she dropped it, giving his naked chest a thorough inspection. She took a deep breath then snapped her head around and turned the cart.

Wade chuckled, before lowering his voice. “So are you trying your luck again with Lacey?”

Cole sighed. “I’d like to, but she doesn’t seem to be open to that right now.” And it made him want to push it more. He was on edge, as if they had lost too much time already. What if he’d disobeyed his parents back then? Would Lacey and he still be together?

The nudists walked away toward the burn site, an ugly black mound on the otherwise pristine resort. It reminded him of the black mark on his otherwise perfect relationship with Lacey.

“Before you go down that path, you better be absolutely sure you’re going to stay on it.” Wade’s grin disappeared. “Lacey isn’t the type to take you back into her life unless she’s fully committed. That girl puts her heart into everything she does and I know a lot of people around here who wouldn’t be happy with you if you broke it again.”

Cole shifted uncomfortably. Wade had a good point. If he planned to pursue her, this time he had to accept her for who she was, even that she had set the fire in Orson, but everything in him said she didn’t start this one. Could he live with that? He needed to be absolutely sure this was the right course of action for both—

The ringing of his cellphone cut off his thought. He walked away for privacy as he listened to his contact at the Humane Society. His friend there always called him first when they found a horse that needed rescuing.

“Yes, I’ll take her. Don’t let anyone near her unless they are a certified vet. I’m on my way.” He ended the call and walked toward the front of the barn where Wade put away tack.

“Bad news?”

“Yeah, I’ve got to go save a horse. Good thing you bought four. I’m going to need some of those funds to bring this one back.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, what are you saving it from?”

“Abuse. Purposeful, violent abuse.” He couldn’t help his hands forming fists. Abused horses always made him want to beat their owners to a pulp and this time it had been a fucking drunk who had done it. It would be his pleasure to testify at that trial.

“Hey.” Wade’s hand on his shoulder released him from his black thoughts for a moment. “As soon as the detective finds out how the fire started, I’ll bring those horses here, so you don’t need to care for them. Good luck with this new one.”

Cole forced his jaw to work. “Thanks.”

Wade nodded and let go. “What’s the horse’s name?”

“Angel.” Rage filled his blood at the irony and he stalked away.

*

Lacey woke with a start, her heart beating faster than a roadrunner could run. Glancing at her clock, she placed her hand on her chest. 3:48 a.m. At least her nightmares were occurring later every morning. That had to be a good sign. It had been five days since the first one. Maybe in another week she’d be able to sleep through the night.

They had changed again. Now Cole looked for her in the burning mass with no fire gear. Instead he wore his jeans, hat and no shirt like she’d seen him a couple days ago at the barn. She’d sensed he’d put on a lot of muscle, but the size of his pectoral muscles and the ripples of his abdomen had stayed with her all day, creating a readiness in her core that ached. Never would she have imagined he’d look so hard.

But watching Cole being buried in fiery rubble was taking its toll on her heart, not to mention her ability to concentrate during the day. Not seeing him yesterday didn’t help. For all she knew, he could have been trapped in a burning building somewhere.

Shaking off the fear that came with her dream, she rose and donned her robe. She wouldn’t even try to go back to sleep. She couldn’t arrive at work for another couple hours so she’d get a head start at home.

She padded into the kitchen, turned on the light and started the coffeemaker. She could take her laptop outside, but with the new security guard roaming the premises, she wasn’t willing to be seen in her jammies, even if they were Victoria’s Secret sleepwear. Besides, the low temperature was supposed to be in the high fifties and that was a bit too cold for her.

Now where had she placed her laptop last night when she’d woken? Not seeing it in her little living room, she moved back into her bedroom. The room was dark and she paused a moment to enjoy the view of the setting moon. The bright-orange slice looked as if it would cut into the main building.

Out of habit, albeit a new one, she scanned the grounds around the building. Nothing moved. It was a quiet night as it had been all week. Moving to where her lamp sat next to the bed, she paused. Was that Hunter? She stepped up to her south facing window. “Oh my gosh.”

There were three people huddled around a golf cart parked near the fork in the dirt road that entered the resort. They could very well be guests, but since Poker Flat now had a security guard, it couldn’t hurt to be safe. She picked up her phone, which she kept next to her bed.

“What is it?”

So much for pleasantries. “Hunter, this is Lacey. There are three people by a golf cart at the fork. They could be guests, but I thought I should tell you.”

“Got it. Don’t call me. I’ll let you know.”

The phone went silent. She stared at it, not sure if he’d relieved her worry or added to it. She moved her gaze back to the window and watched. The people were only silhouettes to her, but if she squinted it looked like they wore clothes. She closed her eyes and reopened them. She couldn’t be sure.

One sat in the golf cart like he would drive it away but the other two stood in front of it. If they were having an argument, that would keep them there until Hunter arrived. Lacey scanned the road toward the barn looking for him, but she couldn’t see anything yet. She could see more if she stepped out her front door, but she wasn’t that brave.

She looked back toward the cart. “Oh no.” They all climbed in and the cart headed down the road toward the bridge and the exit. She watched it until it disappeared. She couldn’t think of a single reason why three guests would be headed to the garage at this time of night. She looked toward the barn, but there was still no sign of the security guard. She had to let him know where they had gone.

She turned on the light and dialed. “Sugar.” She exited before she pressed the final number. He said not to call. Something about Hunter made her hesitant to ignore what he said. She turned the light off again and waited for her eyes to adjust. She scanned the road and couldn’t see a thing. What if Hunter was in trouble?

The buzz of her phone made her squeal. Breathless, she answered it. “Yes?”

“I’ve got the thieves. Call 9-1-1.” Again the phone went silent.

She didn’t hesitate. She called and let the dispatcher know what the emergency was. Once the woman had dispatched a deputy sheriff, Lacey exited the call. There was no way Hunter would be able to keep three men in line. Quickly, she dialed Wade’s number. It sent her straight to his voice mailbox. More nervous by the minute, she called Kendra’s phone. It also went to voice mail. Since when did those two both turn off their phones?

She wanted to call Cole, but that was crazy. She had no idea where he lived and he might even be working a fire. Just because he walked back into her life didn’t mean he would stay nor that she could depend on him. She looked out her window again. Wherever Hunter had the thieves, it wasn’t where she could see them. Then again, they couldn’t see her.

Dropping her pajama bottoms and robe, she pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and slipped on her flip-flops. Before she lost her courage, she grabbed up her phone and opened her front door. She stopped. The sliver of moon had half set behind the main building already. Taking her gaze from the pretty sight, she scanned the road again. Confident there was no one out there, she ran for Kendra’s two-story house.

She focused on the ground the entire way, avoiding cacti and hopefully the late-night critters like rattlesnakes. When she made it to the door, she banged hard and stopped. She listened for sounds inside then banged hard again.

The door flew open and she was yanked inside the dark house.

“What are you doing?” Wade’s voice made it clear he was angry even if she couldn’t quite make out his features.

“I called, but both your phones went to voice mail. It’s the thieves.” She still panted a little and tried to catch her breath.

He grabbed her shoulders.

“The thieves? Where?”

“Hunter has them. He has three. I called 9-1-1 but I don’t know where he is and it could take them a half hour to get here. What if they overpower him?”

“Shit. Okay. Do you know where he caught them?”

“It was somewhere between the fork and the road up the other side of the canyon.” Her heart slowed to a more normal rate. All these after-dark activities plus her nightmares had her overreacting, she was sure.

“Let me get dressed and I’ll drop you off at your casita on my way to find Hunter.” Wade let go of her and strode away in the dark.

It hadn’t even occurred to her he might sleep naked. Duh. At least it was too dark to see. The last thing she wanted to be looking at was her boss’s fiancé’s parts no matter how hot he was because Kendra would not be happy.

Within minutes Wade was back in a t-shirt, jeans and boots. “Let’s go.”

As he drove her to her home, she quickly relayed what little Hunter said. When they reached her door, Wade put his hand on her arm. “You did good, Lacey. Now go inside, lock your door, and don’t leave until you hear from me, okay?”

She nodded then jumped out and let herself in. Quickly, she turned and locked the door. She hadn’t even thought to lock it while she ran to Kendra’s. That wasn’t very smart. She scanned the main area of her home. Luckily, nothing was amiss and she breathed a relieved sigh. She dropped her phone on the table and strolled into her bedroom to switch her flip-flops for her bunny slippers.

Returning to the kitchen, she pulled a cup out of the cupboard to pour herself some coffee.

She stepped toward the coffeemaker and froze at the napkin sitting next to it. A message was written in blue ink, the pen, one of her own, lay next to it.

IT WAS YOU.

She dropped the cup and it shattered on the tile floor. Backing up, she clasped both hands over her heart. Oh gosh, oh gosh. She shivered even as her body began to sweat. The thieves knew she’d seen them! Did one get away? Was Hunter hurt?

She had to tell Wade, Kendra, the sheriff’s department, everyone right away. Darn.

Cole, I wish you were here.

Chapter Seven

‡

At the sound of his phone vibrating, Cole glanced at the clock. Shit, it was only five in the morning. It was his last day off before going back on shift and he’d been up half the night with Angel. He checked the number and quickly answered. “Yeah.”

“There’s been another break-in at the nudist resort and things are getting dicey.” Sean’s voice was loud against the quiet morning. “You want to meet me over there?”

His gut tensed as he sat up. “Sure.”

“Good. I’m heading over in about fifteen.”

“Got it.” Cole wished like hell he’d asked Lacey for her number. Was she okay? He could call the main number. She usually answered that, unless she was hurt. The thought had him jumping out of bed. What the fuck did “dicey” mean?

Anxious to see if Lacey was okay with his own eyes, he was dressed and in his truck in three minutes. He sped out of the driveway, hoping no police were on Carefree Highway and that his grandparents could figure out the note he left about Angel. He’d call as soon as he found out if Lacey was okay.

Ahead of him the sky was a pale pink, the sunrise still an hour away. Was Lacey even awake? Probably. She’d always been an early riser. He should have asked Sean what had happened, but he didn’t want to push him. He should tell the detective his real relationship with Lacey.

At the nondescript dirt road with no sign, he turned off Carefree Highway, gripping the wheel tighter. If someone had been hurt, Sean would have said something. He would have said there was an accident or a shooting or—“Fuck.”

Red and blue flashes of light peppered the desert landscape.

He pressed the gas pedal harder, sending up a cloud of dust to rival a haboob. He didn’t care. His gut twisted with worry and the only way to relieve it was to see Lacey. Finally reaching the sign for Poker Flat, he fishtailed as he took the left too fast.

At the three-walled garage, Cole turned in and parked. No other car was there, which meant Sean hadn’t arrived yet. Shit. Cole stepped out into the cool air and walked to the sheriff department car parked at the wooden boundary. No one was in it.

Looking across the ravine, he could see the lobby area was lit up. What had happened?

The sound of a vehicle coming down the road had him turning. Sean pulled into the garage in his unmarked car. Cole strode toward him, not willing to wait another minute.

As Sean exited his vehicle, Cole entered the covered area. “Is anyone hurt?”

Sean raised a brow. “Good morning to you too.”

Cole took a deep breath. “Sorry. You said it had become dicey. Is someone hurt?”

Sean shook his head. “Not yet.”

The momentary relief Cole experienced disappeared like a frightened gecko. “What do you mean?”

“Walk with me and I’ll explain. The owner is coming to pick us up. We might as well meet her at the barrier.”

He nodded, swallowing the curse he’d been about to utter.

As Sean explained what happened, Cole’s fear mingled with frustration until he couldn’t keep quiet. “Someone was in her home?”

“Yes. Not for long though. I’m hoping I can find out who it was from the other three when I interrogate them.”

Cole fisted his hands. “What about police protection? Will the sheriff’s office provide that?”

“I doubt it.” Sean pointed to a tan golf cart crossing the bridge over the stream. “Here she comes. The sheriff’s office doesn’t want to deal with this resort at all. Why do you think I was assigned to investigate the fire? They certainly aren’t going to see the note as a threat.”

“Not a threat?” His voice rose substantially and the detective looked at him shrewdly.

“I asked you to come as a professional courtesy and with the hope you might discover more from the staff. The firefighter is always the hero. But if you can’t keep your cool, you’re welcome to leave.”

Cole gritted his teeth and simply nodded. He wasn’t sure he could keep his voice down at the moment.

Luckily, Kendra Lowe pulled up. She gave him a questioning look then spoke to Sean. “The deputy sheriff is waiting for you. He said he has to get to court for a vehicle citation hearing.” That she wasn’t happy with the man’s excuse for leaving was clear.

Cole climbed on the back of the cart, his anxiety rising over Lacey’s safety. Shit, she had to be scared as hell. He ignored the passing beauty of the resort on the way down the canyon wall and instead focused on the woman he loved, had always loved.

Dumping her had to have been the dumbest thing he’d ever done, but he’d been young and his parents didn’t want a criminal associated with their ranch. He’d planned to track her down when the cause of the fire had been determined accidental, but his parents told him her family’s close relationship with the town manager had caused the charges to be dropped. There was no clear proof she was innocent.

So he’d moved on with his life, burying his love for her deep in his heart, never understanding why no other woman was the right one for him. Now that he’d found her again, the old feelings had taken over his every waking moment along with new, more mature emotions. There was no way he’d lose her again. Like she’d said the other day, he needed to stand by her no matter what, even if she had started the fire in Orson.

That he could lose her permanently scared the shit out of him. Somehow, he had to keep her safe.

The cart slowed as they approached the main building. Before the vehicle stopped, he jumped off and ran for the front doors of the resort. When he entered, he saw her at once. Ignoring the fact she was surrounded by staff and a deputy sheriff, he strode forward.

Lacey’s gaze swung to him and her tense features relaxed into relief.

It was all he needed to see. Stepping between everyone, he stopped in front of her. “Lacey?”

“Cole.” Fear and need ran across her features, before a tiny tear appeared at the corner of one eye.

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin on her head. The feel of her in his arms tilted his world upright again. Memories of holding her close sped through his mind as he inhaled her fresh scent. A basic instinct welled up from within his heart and permeated his brain. Forever.

A clearing of a throat reminded him where he was, but he didn’t care. He pulled back a bit and lifted Lacey’s chin to look into her watery brown eyes, the light-gold flecks sparkled against her tears. He kept his voice low and soft, for her ears only. “I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She smiled tentatively.

“Cole, is there something you want to tell me?” Sean’s voice held serious sarcasm.

He released Lacey partly, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist and addressed the detective. “Yes. You may want to research the financials of Price Construction.”

Sean raised an eyebrow before turning toward the deputy, who looked happy they’d arrived.

“Thank you for coming.” Lacey’s soft voice had him gazing at her again.

There was so much he wanted to tell her, but his fear of rejection cut off the words he really wanted to say. “I had to.” Tell her. What do you have to lose? “You—”

“Whoa and who is this hunk of a cowboy?” The strange woman’s voice interrupted him and irritation tensed his muscles. He looked up to tell her to get lost, but Lacey surprised him by stepping in front of him.

“His name is Cole Hatcher. He was the firefighter in charge the other night. I’ve known him for years.”

If he didn’t know better, he’d say his sweet Lacey was protecting him. He took a closer look at the woman. She had the smooth skin of a first generation Mexican American with an elegant face. Her long black hair and dark-brown eyes would cause her enough attention from the opposite sex, but coupled with a significant bustline, tiny waist and curvy hips that ended in long, gorgeous legs, she would be irresistible…if a man was into all that.

The siren’s eyes widened as she looked at Lacey. Then she nodded and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Adriana, the bartender here. We haven’t met yet, but I will tell you if you hurt this woman, I will personally shoot you.”

It took his brain a minute to register what she said as she said it with a sultry smile, as if she wanted to bed him, not kill him. He blinked then nodded seriously. “Warning filed.”

She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and moved toward the deputy, who appeared to be trying to cut short his conversation with Kendra. Bemused, Cole watched as the bartender sidled up to the man and offered to take him back to his car.

Lacey slapped his chest. “Cole Hatcher, what are you staring at?”

He moved his gaze to her. “The most beautiful and courageous woman I know.” He touched her cheek, unable to resist. Now that he’d touched her, held her, he didn’t want to stop.

As he hoped, she forgot about the bartender and focused on him. “I wasn’t very courageous. Shoot, I completely freaked out.”

He smiled as his heart warmed. She still wouldn’t swear, a trait that had always triggered his protective instincts and it did the same now…when she actually needed it. He took her in his arms again. “You had every right to be scared, but not anymore. I’m not leaving your side until they catch whoever is doing this.”

Her eyes widened. “But you can’t do that. You have a job and a ranch to run.”

“There is nothing more important than you.” His heart skipped as she looked away. Shit, had he really hurt her that much? He was an ass to make her so uncomfortable now. “I can always call my grandfather and tell him what to do with Angel.”

“Angel?”

He congratulated himself on distracting her. “Yes, Angel. She is a white Arabian. I just got her in.”

“Where did you buy her from?”

He loved that she stayed in the circle of his arms as they talked, despite all the commotion around them. “I didn’t buy her. I save abused, neglected and hurt horses that owners don’t want. Or at least I try to. Not all make it.”

Her face softened. “Oh Cole. That’s so amazing. What’s wrong with Angel?”

He tried not to tense around her, but his stomach tightened at the image of Angel as he’d last seen her. “She has been flayed brutally by a drunk bastard, but the vet says she has a sixty percent chance of making it and I’m betting on those odds.”

“How could someone do such a thing?”

He shook his head. The abuse cases were the worst because the damage was purposeful and nasty. “I don’t know. But I’ll do everything I can to save her. Who knows, someday she may end up here.”

“Here? Why here?”

“Didn’t Wade tell you? He bought four of my horses and plans to buy more.”

Lacey frowned. “I haven’t seen any paperwork. Why would he hide that from me?”

He squeezed her a little to gain her attention. “We haven’t done any yet. Wade wanted to wait until they caught whoever started the fire and who broke in.”

Lacey’s face paled. “I saw them and they know I did. There were four in all, but Hunter only caught three. He didn’t know there was a fourth until I called him.”

Cole looked over her head at the man in black leaning against one of the beams that held up the massive roof, his arms crossed over his chest, his black cowboy hat shading his eyes. “Mind if we go talk to him?”

She shrugged. “You’re welcome to try, but good luck. He doesn’t say much.”

As much as he would prefer to stay there all day with Lacey in his arms, his need to protect her was stronger. Removing one arm from around her, he walked her over to where Hunter stood, pretending not to watch the proceedings, but it was evident he did.

Cole held out his hand. “Hunter, I’m Cole Hatcher.”

The man grasped his hand and shook, but didn’t say a word.

“Lacey tells me you caught three of the four men who broke in. Do you think the fourth is still here hiding?”

Hunter shook his head. “Found tracks. He’s long gone.”

That pronouncement brought him some relief, but it didn’t mean the trespasser would stay away.

Lacey studied Hunter. “I’m so glad you weren’t hurt. I mean, there were three of them. I saw them.”

Hunter looked over her head. “Kids.”

“Kids?” Cole frowned. “You mean teenagers?”

Again, Hunter shook his head. “College.”

Hmm, Desert Rim University was nearby, or as nearby as anything could be. He couldn’t think of any other college close enough for students to make the trek out to Poker Flat. “Were they just trespassing or did they do damage?”

Hunter motioned with his head toward the front. “They were stealing a golf cart.”

Lacey looked up at Cole in puzzlement before her face flushed with excitement. “That means they had a big enough vehicle nearby to put the golf cart in. That’s how the fourth one got away.”

He smiled at her. If only she’d seen the fourth one in her house. Then she could tell a sketch artist what the guy looked like.

He forced himself to move his gaze to Hunter. “Thank you. Both of us are breathing easier now.” The man made the slightest movement with his shoulders as if to shrug. He was definitely different, but he’d caught three college boys and Cole didn’t doubt that hadn’t been easy.

Sean joined them. “I’m going to need to take statements from everyone who was involved last night before I interrogate the suspects. I’ll start with you, Mr. McKade.”

As Sean and Hunter moved down the hallway to Kendra’s office, Lacey sighed. “Here we go again.”

“Has Poker Flat always had so many issues?”

“It seems like it. Someone is always out to make trouble for us. I don’t understand why they can’t simply live and let live. Nudists are people like you and me, but lately it seems like they are even better. Oh no, I have to get to work. Kendra’s good friends are coming today.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. You’ve been through a harrowing night. Can’t you have the day off?”

She put her hand on his chest, which he didn’t mind at all.

“That would be nice, but no, we only have the staff we need to run the resort until Kendra is sure we can afford more. Besides, what am I supposed to do, sit at home thinking about what happened over and over again?”

“I can think of other things you could do.” He winked, anxious to judge her reaction.

At her full-blown blush, hope kindled inside him.

“Cole, behave yourself.”

“You say that to me at a nudist resort?” He feigned shock.

She smiled. “Now I have to get to work. The guests will be waking up soon and Buddy and Ginger will be arriving this morning. We need to get ready.”

“Then I’ll camp out in the lobby.”

She stared at him as if he’d just turned into a giant dust devil. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s daytime, the resort is full with guests and the staff are all here. I’ll be fine. You have a horse that needs you. I don’t.”

He scowled at her final comment, not liking the way that sounded at all.

Lacey slapped him on the arm. “Oh please. Go take care of Angel. If you want, we can have dinner tonight. Okay?”

He grinned. “Okay.” He wanted more than anything to give her a kiss, but a nude couple entered the lobby and he doubted Lacey would appreciate him doing that in front of them. Shit, he felt like he was walking over a nest of scorpions with her. One wrong step and he’d be struck. “I’ll tell Sean I’m leaving.” Even as he said the words, he could see Lacey pull herself into efficient receptionist mode though she wasn’t behind her counter yet.

She lowered her voice. “See you tonight.” After a quick smile to him, she moved off to greet the couple.

He watched for a moment, impressed with her professionalism despite preferring she kept her attention on him, but then he moved down the hallway toward Kendra’s office. He had his own responsibilities to take care of before he went on shift tomorrow morning.

Halfway down the hall Hunter passed him. The man gave the smallest of nods and walked by. Cole wanted to dislike him, but he’d done his job well and there was something about him that reminded Cole of his horses, which made no sense.

Finding the office door open, he stepped in and cleared his throat.

Sean looked up from the notes he’d been making. “You’re not going to believe this.”

Cole strode in and took a seat opposite Sean. “What? What did Hunter tell you?”

Sean ran his hand across his buzz cut. “These students are from a fraternity and they are pledging. And of all the asinine things, part of the pledge is to steal something from this resort. Can you believe that?”

“What? That’s nuts. What does this fraternity want? A house full of men with records?”

Sean shook his head.

“So what about Lacey?” He was crazy to ask but it was already obvious he had feelings for her and he was worried about what the frat boys might do to her.

“If you are so head over heels for her, why did you tell me she had been accused of starting the fire in Orson?”

He looked away. “I had to. It was information about someone on this resort that might be critical to the investigation. Is she a suspect?”

“Yes.”

Cole felt his heart freeze in his chest. He couldn’t believe it. There was a chance she’d simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time with the Orson fire, but Lacey wasn’t stupid. This time, he was with her a hundred percent. “Why?”

Sean studied him. “If I tell you, you can’t tell her. No, forget it.”

His arm shot out faster than he could think and he grabbed Sean’s shoulder. “Tell me. I promise to keep it to myself.”

Sean stared him in the face and finally nodded. “Okay, the fire was started by a small campfire made outside with scraps the construction workers had thrown from the building, paper, plywood pieces, coffee cups, even candy wrappers. It’s a wonder I didn’t find a graham cracker box and marshmallow bag.”

Guess he hadn’t been that far off when he’d wondered that night if the guests would make s’mores. “So what does a campfire have to do with Lacey? I can honestly tell you she was never into camping.”

“Someone had to build that little fire and then leave it burning unattended. It traveled through the construction debris outside and then into the building, following the path of combustibles. It took a while because it’s new construction and once the fire made it to the building it hit fresh wood. As the fire burned, it melted a total of four five-gallon gas containers that were scattered about the place for the generator. All I have for identification purposes is Lacey Winters’ sweater and a Tequila bottle, which I’m hoping has fingerprints.”

“But these kids from the college, another staff person or even a guest could have started that campfire and not left anything behind.” Cole didn’t like the panic rising in his throat and made sure his voice didn’t reveal it.

“True. Kendra and Wade have solid alibies, with each other, but since Kendra didn’t have an unreasonable insurance amount on the new construction, she had nothing to gain and a lot to lose. Fires are not good for business. I will be talking to Billy, Rachel, Selma, Adriana and Lacey again today. Then I’ll see what I can flesh out of those already taken into custody.”

He didn’t like the idea that Lacey would be interrogated again. He wanted to be here for her, but there was no way Sean would allow that and still give him information. “What about the construction company. If you’re talking dollars, they had the most to gain.”

“But a campfire? And none of them worked here on the weekend.”

“And what a great way to hide the purpose of the fire. What I get stuck on is that you said someone had to let the fire burn unattended for a long while.”

Sean nodded. “Yeah, I can see these college kids building one then leaving and not bothering to put it out. Still, I have to cover every possible avenue. At least we now know what the thefts have been about and can stop it.” A gleam came into Sean’s eyes and he relaxed back against his chair. “I’m thinking a major scare tactic is going to be needed to dissuade these frat boys.”

Cole grinned. Sean was one of the easiest going guys on the force, but he was hardnosed when it came to stupidity. “What did you have in mind and how can I help?”

Sean tapped the pen on his pad. “I’m thinking a safety inspection on their frat house with a number of ‘arrests’ and a night in jail could work.”

“Count me in.”

“Good. But how much can I count on you with this fire investigation?”

That was a good question. “You can count on me to be truthful.”

Sean stared at him a long time, before he nodded. “Good enough.”

“I’m going to head out now. I have a horse in poor condition.” Cole stood. “But I’m coming back this evening, so I’ll keep my ear to the ground.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. On your way out, send Kendra in.”

Cole gave Sean a quick nod and strode down the hall to the lobby. He told Kendra Sean wanted her then he looked for Lacey. She wasn’t behind the desk, so he forced himself to leave. There was a good chance she was in back with the cook, making sure everything was ready for the coming day. She’d always been able to organize.

Setting his hat on his head, he walked outside as Billy pulled up, his smile wide. “Hey, cowboy, need a lift?”

“Perfect timing.” He climbed in the golf cart.

Billy’s hair was still wet and he smelled of cologne. It was hard to believe he was the same man passed out in the horse stall a couple days ago.

“Did you hears about all the ruckus?” Billy set the cart in motion, taking them down the road to the bridge.

“I did.” He doubted Billy actually heard anything last night.

“Sure’s nice having security here again. Makes it easier to sleeps at night.”

Somehow, he doubted Billy had a hard time sleeping. “I think Detective Anderson will be putting a stop to any more vandalism by this particular crowd.”

They rumbled across the bridge as Billy shook his head. “College kids. Never did understands what good all that schoolin’ does ’em.”

Cole swallowed a laugh, not willing to insult the old man. He was harmless and just trying to do his job between his drinks. Kendra was a much more patient boss than he could ever be. “Do you always work so early in the morning?”

Billy smacked the steering wheel. “You betcha. These nudists loves the sun so they gets here early, but that’s okay, ’cause I gets off as soon as the sun goes down behind this ridge.”

The cart crested the ravine ledge and Billy drove around the barrier. As they approached the garage, Cole noticed a small black pile against the north wall.

“Okay, here’s you go. I gots to go gets Hunter now. He be movin’ his stuff into Wade’s old casita today.”

Cole was glad the security guard would be settling in. It made the place safer for Lacey. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytimes.”

He shook his head as he watched Billy drive around the barrier and back over the ravine’s edge. With characters like Billy and Adriana and even Kendra herself, Poker Flat had to be one of the strangest places in the whole country.

About to enter the garage, he changed his mind and walked to the north end of the steel structure where he’d noticed the black spot. Looking around the corner, he tensed. Not twenty feet away was what looked like a burned-out campfire. He walked to it and kicked the leftover debris. It was definitely a few days old. Fuck. It could have started a wildfire that would have traveled miles in this terrain.

Now this was something Sean should know about and it definitely had nothing to do with Lacey. Pulling out his phone, he strode to his truck.

“Hello, Sean? There’s something up here by the guest garage that you should see.”

Chapter Eight

‡

Lacey looked at the clock for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. Frustrated with how slow time was moving, she pushed her chair away from the computer and stood.

“Something wrong, honey?”

Not aware anyone had approached the front desk, it took her a minute to compose herself before walking forward to respond to Ginger, Kendra’s dear friend. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

The older woman with bright, naturally orange hair smiled widely. She and her husband had been the reason Kendra had built Poker Flat in the first place. The last thing Lacey wanted to do was keep her waiting.

“Don’t you worry none, sweetie. I imagine you were off daydreaming about that hunky cowboy in blue jeans I saw walking down the back hall yesterday.”

Her cheeks warmed. Ginger had hit the spot. “To be truthful, I was daydreaming a little.” She smiled wanly, not particularly happy about how anxious she was to have Cole coming for dinner. He was her weakness and despite eight years of separation, her heart was busy knocking down the hard-fought walls she’d constructed around it as it clamored to reach Cole.

“I don’t blame you one bit.” The woman chuckled. “I swear if he looked at me like he looked at you this morning, I’d have to think twice before turning back to Buddy.”

Lacey shook her head. “Now, Ginger, I know for a fact nothing could take you away from your husband. You two were made for each other.”

“And how do you know you two weren’t made for each other as well?” Ginger smirked.

If she and Cole had been made for each other, would he have been so quick to abandon her? “I don’t think so. We have a history and he’s the one who ended it. I don’t think I can trust him again.”

“Did the bastard sleep around on you?”

It took Lacey a minute to register the older woman’s words. “No! Cole would never be unfaithful.”

“Well, if he didn’t cheat on you, because I say once a cheater, always a cheater, then he deserves a second chance, right?”

She wanted to give him another chance. She really did, but she was so afraid of being hurt again and never being able to recover. She hadn’t dated more than six years after him. If they tried again and he betrayed her… Her stomach tightened painfully at the thought.

Ginger reached across the counter and grasped her hand. “Sweetie, I’m not telling you what to do. Just giving you an outsider’s perspective. It seems to me that Kendra built this place especially for second chances, but if you can’t offer that, you don’t have to. You do what’s right for you.”

She stared at the woman with teary eyes and nodded. “Thank you.” Maybe Ginger was right. Maybe Cole did deserve a second chance. It wasn’t like she was perfect either.

Ginger released her hand. “I’m happy to help.”

Lacey wiped her eyes and smiled. “Now what can I do for you? You probably didn’t come over here to advise me on my love life.”

“No, I didn’t know my expert advice would be needed.” Ginger winked. “I came over here because Buddy was wondering if you had a volleyball net for the pool. He noticed the poles and hooks, but didn’t know where to find it.”

“Of course. The last one broke, but a new one came in yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to unpack it yet. I’ll be happy to bring it out for you.”

“Lovely. Thank you, sweetie. I can see why Kendra depends so much on you. You are one efficient lady.”

Ginger sauntered out the lobby doors and Lacey mused. The freckles on the woman’s face and chest were all over her body and she could have cared less. That’s what she liked about Poker Flat, everyone was welcome…everyone but thieves and arsonists.

Detective Anderson had not only asked her about the fire at Poker Flat, but also the one in Orson. Cole must have told him about it. She wanted to resent him, but that was just who he was. He always did what he was supposed to do, tell the truth, admit guilt, obey his parents, wear a condom.

She heated as a memory came with her last thought. They had unexpectedly been left alone together on her eighteenth birthday. Her mom ran out because she forgot birthday candles and needed to pick up a friend. Cole had immediately taken advantage of the situation, but hadn’t brought a condom because he thought they’d be surrounded by twenty people all afternoon.

That was the first time he’d made her come with his tongue. She never forgot the excitement and titillating experience of sitting on the couch, her skirt up, her panties down and his tongue working her clit while his finger pumped into her with her mother and guests due to arrive within minutes.

Gosh, just the memory of that episode had her folds growing moist. They finished as her mother’s car pulled into the driveway and he’d tried to kiss her. She’d turned her head and quickly dressed. He called her a scaredy cat for that move, but she’d been so sure her mom would be able to tell she’d just had an amazing orgasm, she was as nervous as a rabbit in a rattler’s den.

If only Cole knew her like she had known him. If he did, he would have never believed she set the fire in Orson. But now he believed she hadn’t set the fire at Poker Flat. Something changed. Could it be he finally realized she’d been innocent all along? If so, it opened up so many possibilities for them, throwing her back to a time when he loved her so much, he couldn’t wait to have her to himself and unwrap her from her clothes. He’d loved her sexy lingerie and an image of his hard-on at seeing her in it had her body tingling.

Clasping her hands in front of her, she walked to the back room. She wasn’t hungry, but chocolate had a certain soothing effect on her libido and memories of Cole certainly revved that up. Unwrapping a candy bar, she took a bite and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

She threw the candy wrapper in the trash and spotted the box with the volleyball net. Oh sugar, she forgot about getting that out to Buddy. Quickly, she pulled a box cutter out of a drawer and sliced through the package. In no time, she had the net out and left the office. She collided with Adriana as she entered the lobby.

“Hey, try to focus on where you’re going, honey.” Adriana carried a six pack of specialty beer.

“Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

Adriana placed her hands on her hips, the six pack tipping dangerously. “Thinking about that cowboy I saw you with this morning?”

She shrugged. Better not to say anything.

“Look, that man is hotter than the inside of a car with black interior at midday on July fourth in Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean he’s right for you. Kendra told me he’s the one who broke your heart but then I see you in his arms. What’s with that?”

She looked away. It had been so easy to lean on Cole. “I was scared. He came to make sure I was safe.” She returned her gaze to Adriana. “I can’t just turn off the feelings I have for him.” Why did she keep trying to explain how she felt when she didn’t know herself?

“Listen, honey, here’s my advice. Your body misses him. Take him to your place, fuck his brains out and then cut him loose. If you can’t, then it’s time to make him toe the line and I’d be happy to help you.”

Lacey widened her eyes, caught speechless for a moment, then something about Adriana’s smirk had sirens sounding in her head. She squinted her eyes at the bartender. “Don’t you dare.”

Adriana raised her sculpted eyebrows and bare shoulders. “What? All I said was that I would help.”

She pointed her finger at her friend. “I know how you set up that strip poker game with Wade and Kendra. I don’t need your kind of help, thank you.”

“Oh, come on girl. I could tie him up in a chair in your pretty little casita and you could have your way with him. After all, I hear cowboys like rope.” She winked before turning toward the bar.

“What?”

Adriana sauntered away. “No worries, hon. I’ll be sure to strip him first.”

Lacey leaned back against the wall as the image of Cole tied naked to a chair appeared before her. The erotic vision had need coursing through her so hard her knees grew weak.

Anxiously, she fanned herself as she scowled at the large gathering room where Adriana disappeared. That woman needed to fall in love and see exactly how hard it could be. Even at the thought, Lacey relented. She hoped someday someone could make Adriana happy. There was a heart of gold beneath all that sex appeal, but it would take a tough hombre to run the gauntlet she’d put up around it.

Was that what she’d done? Made the path to her heart so complicated nothing Cole did would solve the maze she’d created? She wasn’t like Adriana who enjoyed her one-night sex adventures. Lacey wanted a home with a man who believed in her. Maybe, down the road, even some children. Cole would make a great father. His integrity was impeccable, even if she’d ended up on the other side of it.

She glanced at the clock in the main gathering area. Maybe he wouldn’t come.

Maybe Angel was worse off than he thought. An innocent horse being abused broke her heart. That Cole cared enough to make a place for such animals made the walls around her heart fall a little more. His parents had to have been furious. They were so proud of their horses’ lineage. She could see them refusing to help him. He’d stood up to them for his horses. Why couldn’t he have done the same for her?

Because he didn’t want a relationship with an arsonist. It all came down to that. But would Cole want to try again if he still believed she’d started the Orson fire? He must have had a change of heart. That had to be why he kept trying to start their relationship again. Hope rekindled in her chest, burning any remaining defenses she had.

She pushed away from the wall, a new excitement bubbling inside. She hurried through the gathering room, the indoor bar, and outside to the pool area. Scanning the nudists lounging about, she spotted Buddy. He always wore a baseball cap because he was balding and didn’t want to burn. The rest of him had a dark tan, like his wife.

Refusing to look toward the bar where she was sure Adriana would be smiling and winking at her, she brought the net over. “Here you go.”

Buddy looked up from his book. “Ah Lacey, I knew we could count on you. Do you want to join us?”

She waved her finger at him. “Now you know I can’t do that. I’m on the clock. All employees must be clothed while working.”

He glanced over at his wife, who wore a look of “I told you so.”

“I guess I lost that bet. Ginger said you wouldn’t because you follow the rules, always.”

She smiled at Ginger before nodding to Buddy. “That’s right, and don’t you forget it.”

Buddy laughed and she turned away to return to the front desk. She waved at a few of the guests and answered one person’s question, then entered the indoor bar. She stopped short.

Cole stood there, hat in hand, wearing a blue collared shirt, black hat, blue jeans and brown cowboy boots. The man in a t-shirt was a tease, but dressed up, he made her belly do somersaults.

“Hi, Lacey. Ready for dinner?”

She would prefer to go straight to dessert and simply have him, but that was out of the question. Adriana’s suggestion flitted across her mind before she shook her head. “Wow, you look nice.” She glanced down at her long beige skirt and yellow flowered top and felt downright dowdy. “I didn’t know we were dressing up.” She smirked. “Usually people don’t wear clothes to dinner here.”

He stepped closer, his woodsy scent flooding her with memories. “Where do you look?”

“What do you mean?” He glanced over her head and she turned. “You mean with the guests?”

“Yeah.”

She turned back, ready to give him a set down, but he appeared honestly curious. She calmed down her immediate defense. “I look them in the eyes like I do with everyone. At first it was strange, everyone walking around naked, but now…” She shrugged. “I don’t really notice anymore. It becomes the norm.”

“I admit if you walked around naked, your eyes wouldn’t be the only thing I’d look at.”

Her body heated as his gaze focused on her.

“Do you still wear sexy lingerie beneath your clothes?” He blatantly stared at her chest and her nipples responded.

“Cole Hatcher, stop that.”

His gaze moved to her eyes and he winked. “Are you hungry?”

The double entendre was not lost on her. The man was laying on the charm and she may be weakening, but she could set him back with the rest of them. “Yes, I am and I know for a fact Selma made her double cheese beef quesadillas today. They smell wonderful.”

Cole’s look of disappointment was perfect. She congratulated herself on keeping control of their conversation, and relationship, such as it was.

“Actually, I brought pizza.”

She looked around but didn’t see any. “You did?”

He motioned with his hat. “When you weren’t at the front desk, I went into the back room, but I left it there when I couldn’t find you. It’s sausage and extra cheese.”

“That’s my favorite.”

“I know.” His smile faded. “I thought we could take it back to your casita. That way you wouldn’t have to worry about the rest of the staff watching us have dinner.”

She grimaced. “Yes, my new family can be a bit nosy.”

“It would give us more privacy.”

“Good point. No need for anyone to listen to our conversation.”

Cole stepped closer. “Lacey, I want more than conversation with you.”

His warm green eyes threatened to drown her. She could always count on Cole to be straightforward. He never had a hidden agenda. He always came right out and said what he wanted and now he wanted her. She swallowed hard, not sure she could handle that no matter how much her body wanted her to.

He touched her cheek, gently. “You know I would never ask more of you than you are willing to give, right?”

His touch, so familiar, had her leaning toward him. She nodded. Cole was foremost a gentleman. There were many parts of him she could put her trust in. She just wasn’t sure about giving him her heart again. That he had a good heart wasn’t the question.

She stepped away, needing a little space. “How is Angel doing?”

“Better.” He looked away, his face serious. “She seems to know we are trying to help her, but she’s afraid of us too. If she had her way, she wouldn’t let us in the stall with her at all. When we have to touch her, she shivers.”

“Oh Cole. That’s heartbreaking.” If only Angel could understand how lucky she was to have Cole taking care of her.

One corner of his lips quirked up. “But I found her weakness.”

“What’s that?”

“Jellybeans. I have Elsa to thank for that. Wade will be bringing her here. I often keep jellybeans in my pocket for her and Angel sniffed them out. By the way, one of your Belgians, Daisy, likes them too.”

Lacey smiled. Cole’s love of horses hadn’t changed at all. It was another one of his qualities that pulled at her heart.

“Hmm. It seems all the ladies like jellybeans.” He gave her a calculating grin. “Do you?”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t. But I do like pizza that’s not cold, hint, hint.”

“Then let’s go get it.” Cole swept his hat to the side to allow her to lead then fell in step next to her.

His long stride, punctuated on the tile floor by his boots, was twice the length of hers. He used to tell her he liked that because she moved so quickly it was the only way he could keep up with her.

Everything about him reminded her of their past. All those pieces were good, perfect even, except the day he dumped her. Maybe she needed to forget about the old Cole and learn about the new one. That he believed in her was a huge difference between the two Coles. Obviously, something had changed.

With that plan in mind and a bit more confidence about having him over for dinner, she logged off her computer, let Kendra know she was done for the night, and brought Cole home.

*

Lacey popped the last bite of pizza into her mouth and sighed. “That was heaven. I haven’t had pizza in over a month. Living here where everything is provided doesn’t exactly induce me to leave much.” She lifted one shoulder then reached for a napkin.

Cole caught her hand before she could pick it up. “Allow me.” He brought her hand near his mouth and then proceeded to lick and suck each finger clean.

Her throat went dry and her limbs weakened, along with her resolve. She’d thought making him sit across from her would be safer, but it made looking at him over dinner that much easier.

More than his physical appearance had changed since she’d last seen him. His laughter was more relaxed now. He’d matured, become comfortable with himself, as if he didn’t care what others thought anymore, something that had been very important to him when they were in high school. She definitely liked this new Cole.

Not that she was discounting the strong physical aspect of the man who sat there holding her hand, his tongue sweeping down one finger before taking that digit into his mouth. He’d rolled up his sleeves and the muscle in his forearm moved as he held her wrist, turning it slightly to better access her fingers.

Then he stroked his tongue up her palm and a sizzle of desire ran straight to her core. She pulled her hand back. “Thank you.”

His gaze was warm. “My pleasure.”

Oh gosh. He was pouring on the charm again and her fortifications were crumbling. Adriana’s words flitted through her mind. Your body misses him. Take him to your place, fuck his brains out and then cut him loose. But that wasn’t who she was. The fact was, she still loved him deeply despite the hurt he’d caused. She wanted to give him another chance.

“Lacey, what’s wrong?” Cole’s face showed so much concern, she couldn’t hide her fears anymore.

“I’m afraid.”

He immediately rose and grabbed the chair next to her, moving it to face her before he took her hands in his. “I’m here. I won’t let anyone harm you, I promise.”

That wasn’t what she meant, but his sincerity blew away her final defense. “I believe you. I feel completely secure with you here. I know no one could hurt me…except you.”

Hurt flitted across his face so quickly, she could have imagined it.

“I can’t undo the past. I wish I could.” He hesitated, as if trying to find the right words. “Now that you’ve come into my life again, you’re all I think about. We had something special. I think we still can have that.”

She opened her mouth but he released one of her hands to put his finger against her lips.

“You probably have a million reasons why we shouldn’t try again, and I probably have a million to argue against you, but the bottom line is, I love you. And my gut tells me I’ll never love anyone like I love you.”

Hope, that illusive human frailty, took root in her heart and began to grow.

He squeezed her hand gently. “I don’t expect anything from you right now. All I ask is that you give us a second chance.”

A second chance, like she’d been given at Poker Flat. Her mind said it was only fair. Her heart clamored for her to agree. Her body yearned to feel him inside her again. She couldn’t deny it any longer. “I guess we could—”

Cole pulled her up into his arms, taking her breath away. He cupped the back of her head and lowered his lips to within an inch of hers. “You have the most beautiful heart.”

Her breath hitched and then his lips were upon hers, firm against her own, urging her to open to him. She gave him access and his tongue swept into her mouth, exploring like he’d never kissed her before.

She grasped his broad shoulders, feeling so tiny against the new Cole, his tongue making her toes curl in her cowboy boots. Tentatively, she pushed her tongue into his mouth and he throttled back, allowing her to explore, until he moaned.

The sound of his need made her more confident. The man was hot and she wanted him. She moved her hands to around his neck and pressed her breasts against his massive chest. He was so big, he enveloped her as if he could protect her from the world. She’d always loved that he was so much taller, but now, every feminine nerve ending focused on being loved by him.

Cole broke away, his breathing heavy. “Bedroom?”

She nodded toward her left.

He scooped her up and carried her with ease, something he hadn’t been capable of before. Just the thought of his hard chest and what she’d seen of it at the barn had her licking her lips.

Cole set her on the side of the bed and knelt at her feet. Like a prince checking to see if the glass slipper fit, he carefully pulled off her boots. Then he rolled down her knee socks and draped them on the boots.

He took one bare foot into his large hand and kissed the arch. A tingle of anticipation wove its way up her leg. This was definitely a new Cole. There had been times when they’d been so anxious to have sex that no clothes came off at all. They’d simply been pushed aside.

He held her foot with one hand, and ran his other up her calf, across her knee, and over her thigh. But he didn’t touch her where she wanted to be touched. Instead, he repeated the same actions with her other foot and leg. She held her breath as his hand moved up her other thigh, but he didn’t go any farther.

When he pulled his hand from beneath her skirt, he brought his palm to his nose. “Fresh Linen. I love that scent.”

He remembered. His words fed her heart even as his gaze fed her soul. Gosh, she’d missed him.

Still kneeling, he unbuttoned the first button of her shirt. When she moved her hands to help, he caught them in his own. “Let me.”

The green of his eyes was darker, the blue flecks more pronounced and she caught her breath before agreeing. Unhurriedly, he unbuttoned each button, pulling the blouse from beneath her waistband to tackle the last two. Then, as if opening a precious present, he spread her shirt apart and stilled.

He’d asked if she still wore racy lingerie. It was her one personal pleasure. His eyes riveted to the pure-white mesh bra that concealed nothing. Even as he stared, her nipples pushed against the fine fibers, teasing her more.

Cole swallowed hard. “Lacey, you don’t know what you do to me.”

“Then show me.” Her folds moistened just thinking about what his naked body would look like now.

His gaze snapped to hers and he grinned as he shook his head. “Not yet, Racy Lacey. I want to enjoy every second of your unveiling.”

She pouted and he traced his finger over her lip. Unable to resist, she stuck her tongue out and licked.

He shuddered and pulled his hand away.

He had to be hard and she desperately wanted to see. But Cole was too intent on her as he pushed her shirt over her shoulders and pulled it away, throwing it over her dressing table stool.

“Lean back and lift your hips.”

She grinned. “My pleasure.”

He coughed at her tease, but didn’t let it stop him from pulling the elastic waist of her skirt down past her hips and over her feet. This time he dropped the skirt as he stared at her thong panties. “Jesus, Lacey, you’d tempt a saint.”

“I don’t want a saint, Cole. I want you.”

He stared at her as if her invitation were too good to be true. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her gently, his mouth on hers so tender, she felt revered. When he leaned his forehead on hers and breathed deeply, she understood he was trying to stay in control. That he did this for her warmed her soul.

She touched his face. She could see the young man he had been beneath the mature person he was now and again wondered at his transformation. “I want to see you.”

He leaned back. “I’m right here.”

“No, I mean without your clothes.” She ruffled what hair he had, surprised by its softness.

“As you wish.” He unbuttoned his dress shirt and threw it on the stool, covering her shirt.

She moved her hands over his large shoulders, amazed at the strength in his body now. She felt along his biceps and then across to his chest where his defined pectoral muscles flexed beneath her touch. She marveled at the movement under her palms. “You’re so big.”

His whole torso tensed. “I promise, I won’t hurt you.”

Chapter Nine

‡

You’ve already done that. Cole jerked at the memory of his dream. He studied Lacey’s face, afraid her next words would end it all.

She frowned. “I’m not worried about that. I want to see the new Cole and every inch of muscle you’ve put on…everywhere.”

Her fingers had fluttered down over his abdominals and hooked themselves into the waistband of his jeans. Shit. He was hard as a rock as it was. “Are you sure you want to see everything? I don’t want to scare you.”

“Cole Hatcher, I’m not some prissy country miss. Now get those clothes off.”

He chuckled and stood. He’d forgotten about the bossy side of his woman. Despite her tiny size, she had a backbone of iron. If she wanted a show, a show she’d have…as long as he stayed focused on her face. Looking at her breasts in that see-through mesh would make him lose it, never mind the tiny piece of material covering the place he most wanted to sink his cock into.

He moved their clothing to the top of her dresser and sat on the stool. Then he held his foot straight out so it was positioned between her legs. “A little help?”

She grasped his boot in her hands and pulled as he maneuvered his foot out. “Next.”

He lifted the other foot and they removed the boot easily, working together like they used to. Losing no time, he pulled his socks off and draped them over his boots. Lacey’s gaze never left him. It made him feel powerful, like he could do anything he wanted and right now he wanted to make love to her, but he wanted her very wet and ready.

Slowly, he stood and unzipped his jeans. Pushing the pants from his legs, he added them to the pile of clothing, turning his back to her in his white underwear.

“Oh my gosh.”

He looked at her over his shoulder. “What?”

“Your back is huge.” She practically drooled.

He couldn’t resist and tensed his back muscles.

She made the tiny squeak she used to make when they made love and he spun around.

“How did it get like that?”

He shrugged. “We have weight equipment at the station so we can stay in shape for our annual physical tests. That and taking care of the horses will do it.”

She continued to stare, open-mouthed, so he finished undressing and added his underwear to the pile.

Her gaze riveted to his erection, which had to be harder than a branding iron and almost as hot.

He held his arms out to the sides. “As you wished.”

Lacey licked her lips. “You have changed so much. Heck, Cole, you’re a stud.”

He smiled and strode toward her. He was about to pull her against him when her hands closed around his cock. Her touch sent need straight to his balls and he froze. She moved her hands over every inch of it as if she’d never seen it before. He’d come in seconds if he let her continue that.

Gently, he released his cock from her hands and lifted her farther back on the bed. He settled himself over her, his knees between her legs, leaning on his hands. He finally allowed himself to gaze at her mesh-covered nipples. They were hard and straining against their prison. He lowered his head and licked across each nub.

Lacey’s hiss was the only sound in the room. A sound he loved hearing. He teased each nipple in turn, sucking at it through the thin material, the hard nub welcoming his mouth. Then he scraped his teeth across it. Lacey’s squeak had him looking up at her face.

“Please, Cole.”

He let the hardened nub go, loving that she was in a hurry.

She reached behind her and the bra loosened. “Please take them.”

He knelt up and pulled the bra away before cupping both breasts. They filled his hands perfectly. “You’re so beautiful.”

She gazed at his chest. “So are you.” Her hands came up to cover his pectorals and then moved over his stomach.

He’d missed her touch. Delicate fingers explored the contours of his abdominals and he couldn’t keep them from tensing, afraid she’d touch his erection, which would end his exploration of her, and he so wanted to explore. When instead her fingertips moved back up, slightly scraping at his skin, his balls tightened as memories of the scratches she’d caused in the past doubled his anticipation.

Pulling his attention back to her nipples, he circled one with his tongue, enjoying the sight of her areola puckering. The aroma of her perfume rose from her chest to mix with the scent of her readiness. That she was slippery between her legs had him stopping to take a deep breath to rope in his own need.

Lacey arched her back, pushing her breast closer, wanting more. He couldn’t deny her. He took her hard nub between his teeth and bit lightly. Her hands grasped his head and a tiny moan escaped her throat. The new sound from her made him want more. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, taking her areola with it, and he tongued it inside.

“Oh gosh, Cole.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it sent a shiver down his back and into his ass.

He grinned inside, pleased he could bring her pleasure again. It had been too long. Finally, letting her well-attended-to nipple go, he kissed his way down her smooth stomach, and pulled down the tiny piece of material covering her entrance, revealing the small patch of trimmed golden hair that guarded her clit. Her hands dropped to the sides, but her hips rose and he easily slid off her thong.

Spreading her legs wider, he licked across the patch of hair before flicking his tongue over her hard clit, eliciting another moan from her. Giving in to his own need, he lapped down to her opening, moaning at her familiar taste, one that had always made him lose control. But he was a man now, not a boy, and he forced himself to hold back as he pushed her folds aside with his tongue before thrusting it inside.

Lacey’s moan filled the room, that new sound he wanted to hear more of. He used his fingers to spread her, giving his tongue better access, and he licked upward to her clit before diving once more into her sweetness. Her sheath contracted around his tongue and he stilled. He was going to come.

He lifted his head away. Kneeling, he spread his knees apart and pulled her ass onto his thighs, her opening just touching his cock. Looking down at where they were about to join, he couldn’t quite believe he would fit inside her tiny body. He hesitated.

“Cole?”

“Hmm?” They had done this when they were younger, but would he hurt her now?

“Look at me.” Her raspy voice brought his gaze up to meet hers.

The need in her eyes fired his to the brink of his control. His love for this woman was deeper than the Grand Canyon. How could he have ever let her go?

“Now, Cole. I want you inside me now.” At her bossy tone, he grasped her hips, ready to plunge inside.

“Shit.” He pulled his pelvis back, too tempted to sink into her immediately.

“What?” Lacey’s voice was filled with impatience.

“I forgot protection.”

She looked up at the ceiling as if she counted to ten. When her gaze returned to his, it softened. “I’m on the Pill and I got tested this month, so I’m okay. How about you?”

He relaxed. Of course she was on the Pill. They’d only used condoms in high school because they were easy to obtain without their parents knowing. “I was tested last month. You are the first.”

“Thank the saints for small favors. Now can you please bury that handsome cock inside me before I explode?”

This time he grinned at her and raised his eyebrow. Something about her anxiousness gave him the tiny bit of control he needed. He corralled her pleasure and he would make sure it met all her expectations. Propping her ass back onto his thighs, he pulled her hips closer. “What’s the rush?”

“Cole Hatcher, if you don’t—”

He couldn’t hold back the hiss as he drove himself home, sinking into her wet heat. Grasping her hips against him, he savored the feel of her sheath clenching him. They fit together as they always had. He was home.

Her hand covered his. “I love the feel of you inside me.”

His heart leapt at her first words, but as she continued, he chastised himself. She couldn’t trust him with her heart yet, but she would. Now that he had her back in his life, he wouldn’t let anyone keep them apart, even her. “You don’t feel too bad either.” He winked, happy to see her cheeks flush.

Not giving her time to respond, he slowly pulled back his hips, but kept the head of his cock at her entrance. His butt tensed with the need to thrust back in. Instead, he let himself glide inside slowly. When he could go no farther, he let go of her hips and her heels dug into the mattress to keep them joined.

He moved his hands up her waist and took both nipples between his fingers, rolling them gently, his cock jerking as her hips undulated against him. He held her hard nubs as long as he could but the sucking of her sheath combined with the moans she emitted, finally broke his control. He grasped her hips and held them against him. He was meant to be inside her.

Her whimper echoed his own need and he pulled back and thrust forward. The rush of sensation made his balls tighten. Grasping her hips hard, he pulled out and pushed forward again, desperately hoping he could hang on until she hit her orgasm.

Lacey’s pants at his thrusts turned to high-pitched moans that sent need coursing straight to his groin. Unable to keep it slow, he pumped into her again. Faster, harder, pulling her to him as he pushed into her.

“Yes. Yes. Yes.” Lacey’s words egged him on, letting him know she was close.

Just a little longer. He had to hold back—

“Uhh.” Lacey’s sheath pulsed against him, her release triggering his own as familiar squeals filled the room. He pistoned inside her as he let go, bursts of pleasure flowing through his body and into her, satisfying, completing.

As he slowed his movements, he gazed at the woman he loved. Her face was flush, her body limp, her eyes closed, and she was radiant. Her eyes opened and a slow smile curved her lips. “Finally.”

Lacey felt the walls around her heart fall as Cole laughed. He was the missing piece in her life all these years. No matter how much she tried to move on, he’d kidnapped her heart and now he gave it back. Maybe they could have a future.

Cole gazed at her, the love in his eyes filling her soul. “I promise, next time I’ll be more prompt.”

The idea of making love again had her tightening her sheath.

“Whoa there. Give a stallion a chance to recover.”

She wrinkled her brow. “Stallion? Really? You don’t think much of yourself, do you?”

“Hey.” He shrugged. “I don’t hear you complaining.”

And he wouldn’t. Only he could make her feel completely whole. “No, no complaints.”

Cole leaned down and kissed her, his lips against hers, gentle and loving. She wrapped her arms around him, wishing they could stay like this forever.

He pulled away and rubbed the side of her hip. “I hope I didn’t hold too tight.”

Sugar, there was no way he could. “No. I’m glad you held on because I couldn’t. In fact, I don’t think I could stand right now if you promised me a closet full of lingerie.”

“Really?” Cole’s prideful smirk had her laughing inside.

“I think I could sleep for a week starting right now.”

“Oh no you don’t.” He scooped his arms under her back and lifted her up, so she sat on his thighs, his cock still inside her, her breasts pressed against his hard chest.

The rush of excitement the position caused had her sheath tightening again. She chuckled at his intake of breath. Served him right. “Hmm, I think I like this new position.”

“Racy Lacey, you are going to kill me for sure.” He paused. “Unless you happened to have a couple popsicles that might help me recover?”

She laughed. “Are you still eating orange popsicles?”

“Of course. They are one of the five main food groups.”

She hugged him tight. “Then we better go into the kitchen.”

He pulled back to look at her. “You have orange popsicles?”

“Oh, I’m not sure what flavors I have, but I definitely have popsicles.” She smiled widely, ridiculously pleased she could accommodate his request.

His open laugh shook them both and had her stomach doing summersaults. Both her heart and her sheath approved of his laughter.

Cole grasped her tight and moved one of his legs off the bed.

“What are you doing?”

He ignored her and stood on that one leg. While holding her tight, he moved his other off so he could stand. “We’re getting popsicles.”

Her heart raced as he strode toward her kitchen, keeping them together as if he couldn’t stand to be parted from her. Darn, the man was strong.

When he reached her small kitchen, he must have realized he couldn’t maneuver to open the freezer with her in his arms. She kept her lips closed, curious to see what he would do.

After a couple seconds, he turned around to face her kitchen table. The pale oak furniture was rarely used for eating. Half the time it was where she worked on her computer and the other half of the time it was bare, like now.

Cole plunked her down on the edge and carefully disengaged them. “Cole, what are you doing?”

“Just stay there while I check out what you have to offer.” His gaze roved over her body before he finally turned to the fridge.

Oh gosh, her nipples were hard just from that simple look. What was it about this man that turned her on so much? Cole’s back muscles rippled as his hand searched her freezer. She held her breath, waiting for him to spot the popsicles.

“Ah, here they are.” He bent over, showing her his tight ass and the ball sac that hung below.

Duh. It was pretty obvious why he had her libido revving. The man was built.

He turned around, the popsicle box in his hand, and set it on the table next to her. “Let’s see what we have.” After rummaging through it, he pulled out a red popsicle and handed it to her. “You can have this one.”

She grinned, tickled by his seriousness over the flavors, and quickly unwrapped her designated treat.

“I’ll take this one. It’s the only orange. You must have eaten the rest.” He frowned at her as if she’d committed a sacrilege.

She shrugged, barely holding back a smile, and instead popped the icy tip into her mouth.

Cole’s stare riveted to her mouth. She took advantage of his attention and slowly guided the popsicle deeper, as far as it would go before letting it slide out. Then she lapped up the sides, glancing at him to be sure he watched.

He watched, but then growled and his large hand closed over hers. “Stop.”

She released the popsicle from her mouth and fluttered her lashes innocently. “Why?”

He grasped her chin with his free hand and kissed her, his tongue mimicking the movement she’d done with the popsicle. His hand moved to the back of her head and he didn’t stop until she was breathless. “That’s why.”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she took in large gulps of air to cool down her hot body. She stuck the popsicle back in her mouth and kept it there, letting it cool her mouth.

Cole must have been as hot as she was because he ripped off the wrapper of his popsicle and proceeded to bite hunks off it. She wanted to laugh at how silly they were, but a quick glance at his cock confirmed silliness was the furthest thing from his mind.

She pulled the pop out of her mouth. “Do you like it?”

He looked at her in puzzlement. “It’s a popsicle, what’s not to like?”

“Yes, but it’s a sugar-free popsicle. With all Selma’s cooking, I try to snack light when I’m home.”

Cole shook his head. “I don’t care what size you are.” He bit off the last piece of his popsicle and threw the stick in the trash nearby. Then he foraged in the popsicle box for another.

“You say all the right things, Cole Hatcher.” She lay her hand on his chest, unable to resist touching him another minute.

“And so do you.” He pulled out another popsicle, a purple one.

She bit off the final piece of her own and let it cool her mouth as she handed the stick to him to throw away. “What did I say?”

He unwrapped the popsicle and looked at her, a devilish grin on his face. “Sugar-free.”

“Are you on a diet?”

He opened her legs and positioned himself between them, his hard cock teasing her. “I guess I am. A diet of you. Good to know I won’t be eating any calories.”

“Cole, I think—”

“Lie back.” His command surprised her.

“On the table?”

He nodded. Oh wow, she’d never had sex on a table before. Even as she lay back, her folds moistened.

Cole stared down at her, licking at the popsicle, something he never did. He always bit them. But he made no move to enter her. If he was going to eat that before doing anything, she might fall asleep by time he finished.

“Now put your hands behind your back so you’re lying on them.”

“Why?” Though she asked, she did as he wished, liking how it tilted her opening to a better angle.

He grinned. “Because I don’t want you to stop me.” He took the popsicle from his mouth and circled one of her nipples.

“Oh Cole.” Her nubs hardened on contact and her sheath contracted.

He leaned over and sucked off the purple liquid. Then he did the same with her other nipple. She couldn’t help it. She arched upward, loving the contrast of ice cold and warm mouth.

He ran the popsicle along her lips then licked them clean. Though she opened her mouth, he refused her silent invitation. Instead, he brought the icy dessert to just above her mons.

She swallowed hard. “You can’t.” Her words were barely a whisper and the complete opposite of her body’s wishes.

Once again, he grinned mischievously. “I can.” He lay the tip of the popsicle against her clit and she dropped her hips, trying to run from the cold, but Cole only chuckled. “Come on, Lacey. If you brave the cold, I can warm you up.”

Her heart beat faster, her throat went dry, and her nipples hardened more even as her sheath loosened, wanting intrusion. She nodded, unable to voice her assent.

Once again, Cole lowered the popsicle head to her clit and she forced herself to remain still, experiencing its chilling sensation on her sensitive nub. Within seconds it was removed and Cole’s mouth covered her. He sucked gently then licked all around it. Her body revved at his ministrations, wanting more.

It got more. The popsicle once again lay against her clit, tightening her sheath and bringing every nerve to the breaking point before Cole followed it with his mouth, laving away at the juices. She felt them dripping down to her opening and hoped he followed them there. He didn’t disappoint. His tongue licked all around her folds, readying her for his penetration.

Again the popsicle moved to her clit, her body expecting it and welcoming it this time. But then he drew it down her folds toward her opening and she held her breath. He wouldn’t.

As her entrance grew cold, Cole’s tongue licked at her clit. She moaned at the hot and cold sensation. It was so good. Every part of her was caught up in the maelstrom of sensation, bringing her to the edge of sanity.

Then the popsicle slid inside.

She squealed as her orgasm erupted, ice and fire rampaging through her, making her shiver even as her body heated with exquisite exhilaration. She pulled her hands out from beneath her and grabbed the table as the powerful pleasure hit her.

“Aw shit.” Cole’s voice penetrated her euphoria a moment before the cold popsicle disappeared and he replaced it with his warm, hard cock that forced her sheath to widen.

Her slowing orgasm sped back up as Cole thrust into her, rocking her body on the table, pushing into her until her world exploded again. “Cole!” She yelled his name and he pulled her up to hold against him as he finished his own release.

She grasped on to him, her body shuddering. He was her rock in a microburst of orgasm.

As his thrusts slowed to a stop, he wrapped his other arm around her and held her close. The pounding of his heart against her ear made her feel safe.

“Shit, Lacey, that was…”

She nodded against his chest. There were no words to describe what it was like to have so much pleasure with the person she loved. She wanted to tell him, but her throat closed, her stupid mind still refusing to yield up everything.

Cole leaned back and tipped her chin up. “I don’t know about you, but I’m wiped.”

She smiled sleepily. “Me too.”

He nodded. “Can you wrap your ankles around my waist?”

She did as he asked, switching her arms to link her hands around his neck. Then he strode back to the bedroom as if she weighed nothing. There were definite advantages to having a strong cowboy firefighter for a lover.

Cole sat on the bed. She unhooked her ankles and pulled herself off him, but her knees weren’t ready for her weight, and she stumbled.

He scooped her up and lay her down on the bed. Climbing in beside her, he pulled the light blanket over them.

She rested her head on his massive shoulder. Muscles were so much nicer than a pillow. Then she placed her palm on his chest, exhausted but content.

Cole kissed the top of her head. “I’ve missed you.”

She wanted to respond, even parted her lips, but sleep won and she happily drifted away.

*

The ear-splitting scream woke Cole faster than the fire alarm at the station, but it took a minute to figure out where he was. The thrashing in the bed finally penetrated and he pulled Lacey against him. “Lacey, wake up.”

Fear coursed through him at her screaming. “Lacey! Wake up!” He shook her and her eyes opened wide.

“Cole.” She grasped him about the neck and sobbed.

Holy shit. Her body shook within his arms and he felt her heart pounding. It had to be one hell of a nightmare. Fuck, his own adrenaline still coursed through him just from the terror in her scream.

Stroking her back with one hand, he held her tightly against him. “It’s okay. Everything’s all right. It was just a nightmare.” To call what she’d experienced a bad dream would be an insult. He’d only heard that kind of fear in a woman’s voice once before when a mother’s baby was trapped inside her burning home and one of his men held her back as Cole raced inside. Luckily, he’d been able to save the child before the ceiling collapsed.

“Shhh, it’s okay now. You’re safe.”

Her head came off his shoulder. “But you weren’t.”

He looked into her watery eyes filled with grief and his heart constricted. She dreamed of him? “Why wasn’t I?” He stroked her tangled tresses away from her face.

“You were trapped in a burning building and it collapsed on top of you.”

A shiver ran up his spine. He had to admit he bought into many of the superstitions his fellow firefighters had. A dream with a trapped firefighter was never a good thing. Then again, it wasn’t his dream.

Her hand came up and pulled his head toward her lips. Complying with her silent request, he kissed her. But it wasn’t his mouth she wanted. She kissed his lips, the stubble on his chin, his cheek and finally his nose.

He pulled away and looked at her. She feared his death. It meant her heart felt so much more than she admitted. A surge of relief washed through him. There was hope for them. “But I’m okay. In fact I rarely go into the buildings anymore and if I make captain, it will happen even less often.” He grinned. “I hope I was doing something heroic like saving someone.”

Her face froze.

“Lacey, what is it?” He stroked her back again, hoping to see color return to her face.

“You were. You were looking for me in the carriage house, but I was outside. I’ve been having these nightmares every night since the fire here.”

His mind raced at her admission. Were her nightmares a reflection of her involvement? He stared into her concerned face. Maybe the Orson fire had been an accident. Maybe she’d forgotten to blow out one of the candles she was so fond of using back then. He glanced around the bedroom. There wasn’t a single candle in it. “It could be your subconscious acting out your guilt from long ago. Hopefully, once Sean proves who started this fire, your dreams will go away.”

Her eyes turned hard. “Guilt? Guilt for what? I have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“That’s what I’m saying. They ruled the Orson fire an accident, but you feel guilty about it. Did they ever say what it was? Was it a candle you left burning?”

Her mouth opened then closed. In the next instant she pulled out of his arms, scrambled out of bed and stood. “Get out.”

“What? Lacey, what’s wrong?” He sat up. What just happened here?

She pointed her finger toward the bedroom door. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. You make love to me like I’m the most important woman on earth and yet you still think I started the Orson fire?”

“I made love to you because I love you. What has that got to do with the past?”

She swallowed hard, but her scowl tightened. “You said you believed me. How can you love me and still think I started that fire? That’s why you dumped me in the first place! I don’t want a man in my life who can’t believe in me no matter what. Now get out.”

Fuck. He rose from the bed and towered over her. “So you’re saying you had nothing at all to do with your parents’ carriage house burning to the ground.”

She shook her head. “Just go.”

He wanted her back in his arms in the worst way. Part of him told him to lie, tell her he believed her, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do it. Grabbing up his clothes, he strode into the living room. “If you want me out of your bed right now, fine. But I’m not leaving this house. There are some crazy-ass college students out there, and I’m not about to let them anywhere near you.”

Something akin to a growl issued from her tiny body and then the bedroom door slammed shut, a small click making it clear it was locked.

Shit, what the hell?

He put his clothes back on except for his jacket and boots and eyed the love seat with the cactus-flower patterned pillows. The clock said 3:52 a.m. Two more hours before sunrise and three before he had to leave for a twenty-four-hour shift.

He looked at Lacey’s door. Maybe in the morning she’d be more open to a discussion. He didn’t want to leave without them talking. She needed to know the fire in Orson didn’t matter anymore. He could see now, without his parents pressuring him, that there was no way she could have purposefully started that fire. It was his parents who made him dump Lacey in the first place. A hot mix of hurt from having to break off their relationship in the past and Lacey’s rejection of him now burned through his gut like a wildfire.

He wouldn’t lose her again, no matter what. They had to come to an understanding that would mean they stayed in each other’s lives. He would accept nothing less.

Glancing once more at the love seat, he swept up the pillows, pushed the coffee table aside and lay on the area rug. He probably wouldn’t sleep much, which was just as well. As soon as he heard Lacey come out, they would talk.

Chapter Ten

‡

Lacey tiptoed to her bedroom door and listened. Maybe Cole had left. She certainly hoped so. She’d been stupid to think he’d changed his mind about her guilt. Tears welled in her eyes as pain ripped through her wounded heart, but she brushed them away. She needed to focus on Cole and what an ass he was.

Quietly, she turned the knob and peeked out. Her breath caught at the sight of him stretched out across her living room in blue jeans and dress shirt. He lay on his back, one hand resting on his stomach, the other thrown to the side, his face toward her. In his sleep, he appeared so approachable, reasonable and too darn handsome.

She forced herself to look away and instead concentrated on slipping out of her room and toward the front door. She shook her head as the knob turned. They’d never even locked it last night. Not smart, but it made it easier to leave. Silently, she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. Yeah, she was a chicken not to wake him, but her throat was too raw from crying and she promised herself she would focus on how mad she was at him, not on how he’d hurt her…again.

She usually walked home, but because Cole was with her last night, she’d taken a golf cart, which would make her escape that much faster. Thankful the carts were so quiet, she stepped on the pedal and drove to the main building. It was only a bit past four thirty, but hopefully no one would be awake to notice when she arrived.

That hope died as she pulled around front and found Hunter standing outside the lobby doors. Great, just what she needed, another cowboy to interfere in her life. After exiting her cart, she walked toward him, but couldn’t quite muster a smile. “Good morning, Hunter.”

He pointedly scanned the eastern horizon before looking back at her and tipping his hat. “Not morning yet.”

She laughed nervously. “I guess not, but I have some billing I need to catch up on.”

He studied her. His gaze detached as if he were cataloging supplies instead of looking at a human being. She really needed to read his file. With that in mind, she reached for the door.

“You couldn’t sleep.”

She froze in mid-motion. “Why do you say that?”

“You have nightmares and they wake you up, but even once awake you can’t shake the feelings they cause.”

She stared at him in shock. He no longer looked at her, his eyes scanning the resort instead.

She gave an uncomfortable chuckle. “I better get to work.” She grasped the door handle, anxious to go inside.

“Might want to stop in the kitchen for some ice. It will help the swelling go down before anyone else comes in.” His gaze returned to her, his eyes hard. “Do you want me to take him down for you?”

“No! I mean, no. I mean I…” She chickened out for the second time in less than thirty minutes and simply walked into the lobby, too shaken to answer him.

Once in the backroom, she checked her face in the mirror. Sugar, her eyes were even more puffy than back at her place. She looked like she had two black eyes, only without the black. No wonder Hunter told her about the ice and offered to go after Cole. That was a fight she hoped never happened. Cole had a lot more muscle, at least it appeared that way, but Hunter was like a cross bow, pulled tight and held back by the smallest of mechanisms.

Torn between her curiosity about their new security guard and a need to make her face presentable, she chose the latter and headed for the kitchen. Grabbing a couple ice cubes and a towel, she placed it over her puffy eyes.

She didn’t understand it. How could Cole believe her about the Poker Flat fire yet not in regards to her parents’ carriage house? And then to make love to her still believing her guilty? It didn’t make any sense. More importantly, knowing he still felt that way, what was she to do? She felt as if her heart held on to a tiny mesquite branch while the flood of a monsoon pulled at it, threatening to rip it away. She had to find dry ground somewhere.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she was technically on dry ground at the moment and it needed sustenance. She lowered the ice, but didn’t move to find something to eat. She had quite a workout last night. He’d been so focused on her, making her feel sensations she hadn’t felt before, even when they were together in the past. They’d been so young back then and very inexperienced. Was she expecting too much from him?

The batwing doors to the kitchen swung open and Adriana sauntered in. Her hair, usually beautifully straight, was a mess and her blouse was held closed by only two buttons. “Honey, what are you doing here this late?”

“Late? It’s almost morning.”

Adriana brushed by her and opened the refrigerator. “Crap, I lost track of time.”

Lacey studied her coworker. Her skirt was on backward. “Was he good?”

“You mean were they good?” The woman turned around, the leftover Sopapilla Cheesecake in her hands.

“More than one?” Her face heated at the idea.

The smile that curved Adriana’s lips was sultry with a capital S. “Three. It was supposed to be four, but the fourth found action elsewhere.”

Lacey swallowed as she envisioned three Coles making love to her. There was no way the men Adriana had sex with could have been as good as Cole last night or the woman wouldn’t be able to walk.

“Do you want some?” Adriana had cut herself a large piece of the cheesy cinnamon dessert.

Lacey had planned on her usual bagel, but after the night she’d had, she deserved a little extra sugar. “Sure.”

The woman’s head snapped up. “Really?” She studied her then looked at the towel with ice on the counter. “What happened? And don’t tell me ‘nothing’.”

She squirmed. The problem with a small staff was they all knew one another’s business. “Why don’t you ask Hunter? He seems to have figured everything out.”

“Hunter? I haven’t seen him since the morning the deputy sheriff was here. I mean the last morning the deputy sheriff was here, yesterday I think it was. Besides, why would I ask him? I don’t know him, but I know you.”

She looked away, not sure where to start.

“Do you want me to shoot him for you?” Adriana’s free hand found her hip, a sure sign she was dead serious.

“No. Please don’t.”

“But he hurt you again.”

Lacey shrugged. “Yes and no. It’s the same old hurt. I thought he’d changed his mind, but I was wrong. Instead he rubbed salt in the wound.”

“You slept with him.”

She nodded, blinking back a new round of tears. She clasped her hands in front of her. She was so stupid.

“Was he good?”

She snapped her gaze to Adriana’s face in surprise. “What?”

The woman wiggled her brows. “Was he good in bed?”

Heat built in her cheeks as she looked away. He’d been amazing. His hands, his lips, his tongue, his….

“Ah, he was.” Adriana leaned her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands. “He made you hot and ready and brought you to the best orgasm you’ve ever had, right?”

Lacey sighed. “Yes.”

“He is a big man and you are so small.” Adriana smiled knowingly. “That’s one perfect combination.”

Lacey felt heat rise in her cheeks. “Weren’t you getting breakfast or something?”

The bartender laughed and straightened. “Yes, I was and here’s yours.” She handed over a plate with a large piece of cheesecake on it. “Honey, just remember sex and love are two different things. Sex I know,” she winked, “very well, but I haven’t a clue what love feels like, so if you need advice about sex, I’m your go-to person. But if your heart is involved, you better find someone else to talk to.”

She wasn’t sure there was anyone who could really help with the mess she’d made of her heart.

Adriana picked up her plate and sauntered toward the exit. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “By the way, if you dump your firefighter, I know a couple deputy sheriffs who would love to meet you.”

Lacey scowled and the woman let out another laugh before pushing through the batwing doors.

Picking up her cheesecake, she headed to her office to start the coffee. There was a good chance Cole Hatcher would stop by on his way out this morning and she had to decide what she would say to him besides goodbye.

As the clock on her desk ticked and the time for Cole to be at work had passed, she felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Relief because she still didn’t know what to do about him and disappointment for the same reason.

The thought of Cole gone from her life forever made her heart hitch, a sure sign she loved him. But that was a given. The question was, could she forgive him for not believing her? He believed her about the most recent fire. Was that enough? The adult in her said she’d be a fool not to forgive him, but the child in her stamped her feet and demanded Cole believe her out of love. She was probably being too idealistic.

The door to the resort opened and hope surged through her chest, but the clothed man who walked across the lobby wasn’t Cole. It was John.

She forced herself to smile and approached the counter. “Good morning. What a pleasant surprise. Are you coming to spend the day nude?” She doubted he was since he had his bike gear on, but she was hoping he’d come for any reason but her.

“No. Thanks anyway. I prefer to be naked in private or with a special someone.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Uh, that wasn’t going to happen. If she’d had any thoughts about dating John, her heart nixed them. He was not an option.

“I came to see if you’d like to go for a ride. I always ride on Sundays. Then I thought we could go to that pizza place I talked about. What do you think?”

“What a lovely invitation. Unfortunately, I’m working today.”

His disappoint was obvious as his smile disappeared. “Do you ever get a day off?”

She shook her head. “Not really.” Of course she’d never asked for one since she had no life. “The resort is so new, Kendra really needs me until it’s stable enough to hire more employees. You know how that is. You did say Price Construction was hanging on by a thread as well, right? So you must understand.”

John’s emotions played across his face. Anger, frustration and finally acceptance that he was beat. “Yeah, I do. We all have to make a living, right?” His smile was wan.

She nodded. “At least until I have a husband who will let me stay home while he works. Until then, I’m kind of stuck.”

John literally stepped back and she had to swallow her laugh.

“Right, well, I better get going. Meeting some of my buddies out at Lake Pleasant before we head north.”

“Of course. Have a great ride.”

He backed away. “I plan on it.” Then he swiftly turned and strode out of the lobby.

She chuckled at how quickly marriage could scare most men away. Would Cole feel the same way? She sobered and her belly flipped. Memories of writing Mrs. Lacey Hatcher in her notebooks at school flooded her. She’d always dreamed about them getting married.

How did she feel about it now?

*

After three hours of driving, Cole exited his truck and stretched his legs. He missed Lacey, but coming to Orson was the right thing to do.

When he’d woken on the floor of Lacey’s casita, he’d been shocked to find her gone. That and the fact he was in serious danger of being late for his shift. After catching a ride with Wade to the garage and speaking to him about keeping Lacey safe, he’d barely made it to work. They had one kitchen fire and two ambulance calls, but other than that he’d had all day to think.

By time he’d made it back to Last Chance Ranch, Angel required his undivided attention. He even slept in the barn, not an unknown occurrence for him, which is why he had a cot set up out there. Luckily, her fever broke in the early morning hours.

After calling the vet and getting his visit confirmed, Cole left for Orson. It was time to learn the facts. Lacey insisted she was innocent. The town thought she’d set the fire and his parents said the Town Manager had the charges dropped, but he’d never talked to the fire department directly.

He had a very specific reason for going in person. Sean had called and said all the frat boys they’d caught denied building any campfires even though they copped to the theft charge. Since there was more than one campfire, the chances it was Price Construction making it look like it was someone else was very slim. That left Lacey as a prime suspect.

Striding into the firehouse, he followed the directions to the chief’s office upstairs. He knocked on the door and entered when told to.

Cole slowed as he approached the desk. The man who rose from the chair didn’t have enough stripes for a chief.

“Hi, I’m Lieutenant Hatcher.”

“The chief is off today, I’m Deputy Chief Reynolds. I can see you’re far from your station district. Please, have a seat. How can I help you?”

He glanced down at his firehouse t-shirt, glad he’d worn it. It just might help him obtain the information he needed. “Yes, I have family in town, but thought I’d stop by and see if I could get a little information to help the detective working on a case in my district.”

The deputy chief leaned back in his chair. “He could have called. I would have been happy to tell him what we know, or sent him the file if it’s recent information. We just started computerizing our cases a couple years ago. Getting the older ones into the system isn’t a big priority.”

Cole was ready for that. “I wasn’t sure if my memory was even worth him making the call. I worked a fire about a week ago and there was a woman there who I remembered being accused of setting a fire here about eight years ago. I thought I’d see if my memory was correct before sending Detective Anderson in the wrong direction.”

The deputy stroked his mustache. “That was a while back. Which fire was it?”

“It was the old carriage house at the Winters’ place.”

“Oh I remember that one. I worked it.” The deputy nodded. “Yes, wasn’t the daughter accused of setting the fire?”

Cole studied the deputy, trying to place him at the fire, but that evening he’d been too focused on Lacey to notice much else. When he’d arrived, she and her dad had been wrapped in blankets by the emergency crew. He was told they both suffered from smoke inhalation after trying to put the fire out. “That’s what I remembered, but for some reason the charges were dropped.” It would be like Lacey to try to fight a fire she accidently set. It had to be an accident.

The deputy walked to a door to his left and opened it. A small room filled with a dozen or so file cabinets was visible. “Do you remember when that fire was?”

The day before he broke it off with the woman he loved? He’d never forget it, April 29th. “I know it was in April. It was after Easter but before prom.”

The deputy raised a brow. “Interesting what’s important when we’re young, huh?”

Cole nodded.

“That narrows it down though.”

Cole heard the drawer of a cabinet open and then the man came out, a file in his hand. It took all of Cole’s willpower not to jump up and snatch it from him. Instead, he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and forced himself to remain seated.

The deputy sat behind the desk and opened the file. “Hmmm, oh yes, I remember, we let the building burn to the ground. Had a couple explosions and the captain didn’t want to risk anyone. Luckily, the girl got out before we arrived.”

Cole’s heart froze. Lacey was inside? “Do you mean the woman accused of the fire was in the building when it started?”

The deputy nodded absently as he perused the paperwork. “It says here that the father and daughter were treated for smoke inhalation. Apparently, he saw the flames and knew she was inside. He couldn’t get to her, but told her to wrap herself in a blanket and brave the doorway. That’s not an easy feat for a civilian. The father was trying to soak the door from the outside with his garden hose and the smoke got to him.”

His chest tightened. He’d almost lost her that night and didn’t even know it. Why didn’t she say anything? The answer came as quickly as the question. He never let her. He just broke her heart, never even asking her if she started the fire. He was such an idiot. “If she was inside then why was she charged with arson?”

“Good question.” The deputy chief turned a couple pages in the file. “It looks like those charges were originally based upon a witness. The neighbor had been driving into town and said she saw the girl spreading gasoline around the outside of the building.” The deputy looked up and shook his head. “Charges wouldn’t be made based solely on a witness today. If I remember correctly, the nearest neighbor was at least a mile away. She would have had to be driving pretty slow to see a gasoline can specifically.”

Cole nodded agreement, but clasped his hands tight to keep from leaning across the desk and taking the file out of the deputy’s hands. “So if those charges were dropped, did they ever determine what caused the fire?”

“Yes, I saw it here a minute ago.” The deputy shuffled the paperwork around. “Ah here it is. It was ruled accidental. They determined the fire started from hot charcoal thrown on the ground too close to the building. Probably a group of teenagers having a little barbecue. Didn’t even realize what they’d done. That girl was lucky to get out alive.”

Cole felt the blood drain from his face and his stomach rumbled. He’d almost killed Lacey. He started the fire.

“Hey, Lieutenant, you okay?”

Cole forced the single word past his constricted throat. “Bathroom?”

The deputy pointed. “Right across the hall.”

Cole spun out of the chair and ran for the bathroom. Slamming the door behind him, he knelt at the toilet. His stomach roiled and bile crept up his throat. He took deep breaths, trying to relax his insides while his mind took off like a wild mustang. All these years he’d thought Lacey started the fire and it was him. Him.

Stupid teenager. One-track mind. He’d cooked her dinner on the hibachi, wanting to please her. She said she’d clean up while he took care of the coals and whoever finished first had to undress the other.

He ran outside and instead of digging a hole far away from the building, he threw the coals on the ground outside near the door, planning to cover them later. But by time he left, he’d forgotten all about them.

And she’d stayed.

His stomach stopped twisting and he stood. She could have died and it would have been all his fault. Shit, she’d been right to keep him at arm’s length. Some firefighter he was.

After splashing cold water on his face, he wiped it with a paper towel and looked at who he was today, seeing vestiges of that young, dumb kid he used to be. He didn’t deserve Lacey, but he still couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. Even if he had to spend that life making it up to her, he had to have her back. She was innocent. He was the guilty party.

Taking one more deep breath, he walked into the deputy’s office.

“You okay?”

Cole nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think the lunch I had at the truck stop on my way down here agreed with me.”

“I hear you.” The deputy grimaced. “I read the rest of this file and you won’t believe what prompted the arson charge. This little town was a regular Payton Place back then.”

“It isn’t anymore?”

“Good point.” The deputy grinned. “But listen to this. The neighbor’s daughter had a crush on the girl’s boyfriend, so the neighbor thought if she could break them up, her daughter could go to the prom with the boy. What some people won’t do.”

While the deputy shook his head, Cole tried to remember who the neighbor was. Hopefully, the name Hatcher was nowhere in the record. Actually, he’d bet his parents made sure that was how it was.

“So it looks like this girl being at your fire is no more than a coincidence.”

Cole nodded. “I guess so, but I had to check it out. It’s rare for the same person to be at two suspicious fires.”

The deputy snapped the file shut, and held it out. “If you want, you’re welcome to make copies of this. We have a machine down the hall.”

He stared at the damning file. His aversion to it was now as strong as his need to have it was just minutes earlier. “No, I’m good. Like you said, there’s no connection.” He stood, anxious to return to Poker Flat and Lacey. “Thank you for taking the time.”

The deputy stood as well. “No problem. It was a nice walk down memory lane. Now,” he pointed to a pile of paperwork on the right side of the desk, “it’s back to reality.”

Cole held out his hand. “I guess that’s what I have to look forward to if I get promoted too many times.”

The deputy grasped his hand and shook. “Captain is good. No politics until you move higher.”

“I’ll remember that.” Cole nodded and let himself out. He waved to the guys in the garage and strode to his truck. Turning the engine over, he set the air conditioner on full blast and leaned back.

Shit. He’d come to Orson to learn the truth, but the truth had changed his life on so many levels. It showed him what a stupid kid he’d been and how much time he’d wasted without Lacey in his life. But it also shone a light on his parents and their selfishness. If only he’d been a little smarter, a little more observant…like Lacey.

There was nothing he could do about the past, but there was a hell of a lot he could do about the future. Cole leaned forward and put the truck into gear. A three-hour drive back to Phoenix and another twenty-four-hour shift meant he had a long time to plan. One way or another, he would convince Lacey she was this cowboy’s match.

*

Cole parked his truck in the garage and looked for Billy. It was early yet, but still the older man should have been ready for guests.

Striding past the barrier, his boots kicked up dry Arizona dust. The firefighter in him grimaced at the fire potential, but the cowboy in him just wanted to see Lacey.

He walked to the ridge and scanned the resort. Billy was nowhere in sight. One golf cart pulled away from the main building and headed for the stables. It was probably Wade. Cole waved his arms, but the cart continued across the fork and behind the barn.

He had two choices, piss off Kendra and drive his large pick up down over the bridge or call the front desk and risk Lacey hanging up on him. Then again he did have Wade’s cellphone number, but that would appear desperate. He wasn’t there…yet.

Taking a deep breath, he called the front desk.

“Good morning, Poker Flat Nudist Resort, Lacey speaking.”

“Lacey, it’s Cole.” The silence on the other end didn’t bode well.

“What do you want? I thought you’d left.” The coldness in her voice didn’t bode well either.

He squinted at the horizon. “I did. I had to work, but I’m back and I need to talk to you.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about.” His stomach fell to his toes. Shit. This wasn’t going to be easy. But his grandfather always said, “The best things in life are the ones you work hardest for.”

“I think we do. Could you send Billy up to the garage with a golf cart?”

“Billy’s not there?”

“No, he’s not.”

The silence on the other end lasted too long. “Lacey? You still there?”

“Yes. I was looking out the lobby window at his casita to see if his cart was there but it isn’t.” Her worry for the older man was clear in her voice. “If Billy doesn’t show up for work, Kendra will fire him. That was one of his stipulations of employment.”

That was a little harsher than the typical employment policies, but he was also aware the staff Kendra had gathered together wasn’t exactly the typical. “If you can send someone up for me, I could go look for him and no one would be the wiser.”

“Okay.” The call ended on her end.

He watched the main building nervously, hoping Lacey wasn’t just getting him off the phone so she could look for Billy. After a couple minutes, Lacey herself came out.

Shit. She had said that to get him off the phone. It looked like he’d have to call Wade after all. His phone rang, but he didn’t recognize the number. It could be another horse call. “Hello?”

“Cole?” Lacey’s voice sounded anxious.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“I’m on my way. Could you check around the outside of the garage and see if Billy’s cart is parked there. He could be sleeping out of sight.”

“Will do.”

She ended the call again, but now he had her number. “Thank you, Lacey.”

He strode back toward the garage, heading east of it to check out the back side, but nothing was there, only what was left of the dead campfire he’d told Sean about on the north end. Walking all the way around, he checked the south side, but he was pretty sure he would have noticed a cart on his way in. Nothing.

As he came around the front, Lacey pulled up. She was dressed in a pretty lavender dress with short sleeves and lace all around the hem that hung to her knees. Her white cowboy boots and hat made her pretty enough to eat.

She jumped from her golf cart. “Anything?”

He shook his head. It was all he could do not to grab her up and hug her tight. But she was all business.

“Help me check between the cars. He may have fallen asleep sitting against one.”

He tipped his hat. “You mean he may have passed out?”

She frowned. “Yes, that’s what I mean.”

He took one end of the garage and she took the other and they met in the middle. Still no Billy. “Does he do this often?”

She clasped her hands in front of her. “No. He’s never done it before. That’s partly why I’m so worried.”

He put his hands on her shoulders, ignoring how stiff she became. “Listen, we’ll find him. Let’s check the barn next. He’s been known to pass out in there on occasion.”

A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes. “How do you know that?”

“Wade gave Billy his own stall so he wouldn’t piss off Kendra by being visible to guests.”

“I hope he’s there.”

He placed one hand over both of hers. “Come, I’ll drive.”

She nodded, but as he moved forward she pulled her hands away. He sighed inwardly, but wouldn’t give up.

At the barn, he and Lacey checked all the empty stalls. No Billy. Now even he was growing concerned. Wade’s cart was at his office building. Maybe they should ask him if he’d seen Billy, but then he’d be obligated to tell Kendra. They returned to the cart. “Where to next?”

“I don’t know.” Lacey’s voice had risen with hopelessness. “What if he’s hurt? What if he got bit by a rattlesnake or tarantula or scorpion?”

To do that, Billy would have to be in the desert. “What about the horse trails? Are there any wide enough for a golf cart?”

Her eyes brightened. “Yes. The main trail is wide enough for a quarter mile and then only one trail that branches off is wide for another quarter mile.”

“Which way?”

Lacey pointed, and Cole drove. By the split in the trail he could sense her losing hope again.

He placed his hand over her clasped ones. “He has to be somewhere here on the resort. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” She didn’t respond, but she didn’t pull her hands away either.

The horse trail was meant for horses, so he was forced to use both hands to maneuver the golf cart around cacti and boulders. They had gone a quarter mile when he negotiated the cart around a protruding rock and another golf cart came into view.

“Oh, he has to be around here somewhere.” Before he could stop, Lacey jumped from the vehicle and disappeared around a mound of desert rock. “Billy! Oh no, Cole he’s here.”

He exited the cart and strode past the rocks and around a mesquite tree to where Lacey stood. On the ground lay Billy, an empty bottle of tequila still in his outstretched hand and a smoldering campfire not a foot away.

Chapter Eleven

‡

Anger surged through Cole like a dust storm. Shit! It was Billy who started the fire. That the man was so irresponsible as to risk the lives of horses, people and the entire desert ecosystem had Cole fisting his hands to stop from throttling the old drunk.

Lacey crouched next to Billy. “Cole, can you help me get him into the golf cart? I need to sober him up before Kendra finds out.”

The last thing he wanted to do was save this man’s job, but it would be a moot point once Sean learned of this and Cole would make sure he knew. “Lacey, Billy’s the one who caused the fire at the new construction site.”

“What?” She stood and faced him, an angry blush in her cheeks. “How can you say that?”

“I can’t tell you right now because I made a promise to Sean, but I will tell you soon. I need you to bring Billy back to the staff room and keep him there.”

“Are you sure?” Her eyes narrowed. “You thought I started the Orson fire and you were wrong, what makes you think you’re right about this one?”

“Because I am.” He tamped down his frustration. He wasn’t about to have an important conversation with her with a drunk lying between them. “Listen, I’ll explain everything, even Orson, but right now we need to get him out of the desert before he dehydrates and I need to minimize the wildfire danger.”

She looked ready to argue, but finally appeared to accept that now he meant business. “Fine.”

Having her agreement, he stooped, picked up Billy and propped him in the cart. Except for a short moan, the man didn’t wake. “Will you be able to get him to the lobby by yourself?”

“Of course. Aren’t you coming?”

“No, I have to call Sean. Have someone go up to the garage to meet him.”

Lacey hesitated. “Are you absolutely sure it was Billy?” Her tone had softened.

He hated to disappoint her, but Billy had to be stopped. If they hadn’t found him, there very well could have been a wildfire and who knew what devastation it could have done, how many homes lost, how many horses burned, or how many good firefighters hurt. “Yes, I’m afraid I am. Now go.”

Lacey’s shoulders slumped before she turned the golf cart around and headed back the way they’d come.

He kicked away any possible fire potential and cleared the area from around the smoldering fire. Then he took out his phone.

No cell service. Shit, he should have known. They were deep in the ravine. He hated to disturb evidence, but seeing no alternative, he covered the campfire coals with dirt before heading straight up the side of the canyon. He stopped every few yards and checked again. Finally, he caught a signal and dialed.

“Sean, I know who started the fire at Poker Flat and I have him in custody.”

*

Lacey forced a smile as she explained what paperwork she needed filled out to the newly hired second security guard. The woman was as reserved as Hunter. They should work well together.

Kendra popped her head around the doorframe. “Lacey, I want to see you in my office.”

She nodded and quickly set all the paperwork down. “If you have any questions, I’ll be back to check on you.” She didn’t wait for an answer as Kendra’s tone was more stern than usual.

Quickly following her boss, she walked toward the chair in front of Kendra’s desk.

“Close the door.”

Lacey’s heart sank. This couldn’t be good. When she turned back, Kendra still stood behind her desk.

“Take a seat.”

She did as instructed and clasped her hands in front of her tightly to keep from fidgeting.

“While you were helping Selma with the lunch service, I took a call at the front desk that disturbed me. It was from Saguaro Rehabilitation Center.”

Oh no. Her stomach somersaulted at the implication. She hadn’t wanted her boss to know yet.

Kendra leaned on one hip. “You were going to pay for Billy to dry out. You do know an alcoholic has to want to give up the booze, right?”

She nodded. She was pretty sure she could convince him if she dangled the carrot of coming back to work.

“You also know even if Billy successfully completes the process, I won’t hire him back.”

“But he could—”

“No. There are no exceptions to the rules. I give people a second chance by inviting them to work here. If they mess up while here, that’s it. I don’t give third chances. The odds are, there will be a fourth and a fifth and a sixth. If people don’t learn from their mistakes the first time, then they won’t down the road. As much as I love Billy, I can’t risk the rest of my staff and guests.”

Lacey sighed. Kendra was right. “What will happen to Billy?”

Her boss pulled out her chair and sat. “I’m going to pay for his rehabilitation. He’s not your responsibility. I’m the one who brought him up here from Key West. He was somewhat happy being drunk and homeless down there, but I had to offer him a second chance. After the program, if he makes it through, I’ll send him wherever he wants to go. If it’s back to the Keys, then fine. If it’s somewhere here in Arizona, that’s fine too, but I will not hire him back here.”

Her heart ached for Billy, but she understood. Kendra had been nothing but kind to all of them, but she had to draw the line somewhere. “Thank you for taking care of him. I couldn’t stand the thought of him drunk and homeless on the streets of Phoenix.”

Kendra nodded. “I hate to think of him that way too. I should have thought of the rehabilitation first.” She looked at Lacey shrewdly. “Then again, he may not go. I’m going to leave it up to you to convince him.”

“I will.” She wasn’t sure how now that Poker Flat was off the table, but she would figure it out. She stood. “Was there anything else?”

“Yes, there is.” Kendra’s poker face returned, which was never a good sign. It was impossible to tell what she was feeling when she hid behind it.

Lacey sat back down.

“While I was at the front desk I also took a call from Cole Hatcher.”

Heat rose in her cheeks. After Sean had taken Billy in for questioning, she’d been so upset, she’d told Cole to leave her alone. He’d reluctantly left, threatening to return, but that was Thursday. He hadn’t returned or called on Friday and by this morning she’d given up that he would. If they lost their second chance, it could be laid at her feet. She’d been so upset by Billy’s arrest, she couldn’t think straight and she’d taken it out on Cole.

“Do you want to know what he said?”

Her heart leaped at getting a message from him. She couldn’t resist and nodded.

“He asked to speak to Adriana.”

“What? Why? Are you sure?” Lacey jumped from her seat, unable to remain in her chair at Cole’s betrayal.

“Yes, I’m sure. I don’t know why. I just forwarded his call to the bar.”

Why would Cole want to speak to Adriana? Duh, because she’s hot, why else? “I better get back to work.”

Kendra looked at her with that enigmatic face that revealed nothing and finally nodded. “Go.”

Lacey stomped out of her boss’s office. It took all her willpower not to slam the door back against the wall. She didn’t even look in to see if the new hire needed any help. Instead, she marched across the lobby, through the main gathering room, past the indoor bar and outside where Adriana was restocking for happy hour.

“Why did Cole call you?”

The bartender turned around and raised an eyebrow. “Good afternoon to you too, Lacey.”

She kept her fisted hands at her sides. She’d never felt like strangling someone so much as she did her coworker right now. “I’m not in the mood to be polite. Why did Cole call you?”

Adriana laughed. “Honey, he wanted advice.”

“About what?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” She turned, continuing to add beer to a cooler as if nothing were wrong.

“Because I’m asking you and he’s not here.”

“Yes, I am.”

Lacey whirled at the sound of Cole’s voice. At the sight of him, she pressed her hand to her chest as if she could slow the pounding of her heart. He stood there stark naked except for his boots. Her body reacted immediately to all that muscle, warming her from the inside out.

He gazed at her warmly, his green eyes filled with humor. “I was kind of hoping you would be as happy to see me as I am to see you.”

Her gaze immediately riveted to his hard cock, sticking straight out as if tempting her to touch it. A whistle from Adriana reminded Lacey of where they were and she stepped in front of him to shield him from the guests at to pool. “What are you doing?”

“I’m enjoying the facilities. I tried to check in at the desk, but no one was there.”

She stared up into his eyes. “You’re a nudist?”

He grinned as he shook his head. “No, but I was willing to try anything to get you to talk to me.” His smile disappeared. “And we need to talk, Lacey.”

Joy and excitement competed with anger and distrust as she contemplated what she should do.

“Honey, if you two want to talk, you better do it somewhere else because there are three ladies making a beeline over here.” Adriana, pointed toward the pool with the beer bottle in her hand.

Lacey looked over her shoulder to see Ginger and a couple much younger women heading straight for the bar. As much as she liked the older woman, she wasn’t ready for a decision made by committee. “Come on.”

She grabbed Cole’s hand and headed for the staff room. It wasn’t until they were in the lobby that she remembered the new employee. She didn’t want her to see Cole. With no options left, she pulled him outside and around the corner to a semiprivate and shady side of the building.

She let go of his hand. “So—”

In one swift movement, Cole wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. As his tongue swept into her mouth, her body tingled. Her arms were trapped by her sides, but she still leaned into his kiss, his hard cock pressing into her stomach.

When he finally released her, she stumbled and he grasped her shoulders to steady her. “I wanted to do that since the last time I saw you.”

How was a girl supposed to think when he pulled a stunt like that and stood there in the shadows naked, far too enticing to walk away from? “Where are your clothes?”

He shrugged. “I left them in my truck. That was what Adriana said nudists do here.”

She should have known Adriana was behind this whole naked thing. She would—“That’s why you called and asked to speak to Adriana. She put you up to this, didn’t she?”

Cole shook his head. “I just asked her advice on the best way to get you to talk to me.”

“Well, you got my attention, so talk.” She folded her arms over her chest and kept her gaze focused on his face, slightly shadowed by his hat, which he’d donned once outside. To look anywhere else would make her melt.

Cole’s focus was strictly on her. “I went to Orson.”

She stiffened. “And?”

“I spoke to the deputy chief there. You wanted me to believe you back then, but I was still young and still believed everything my parents said, including that the town manager pulled in a favor and had the arson charge dropped because he was such a good friend of your family.”

What? She opened her mouth to deny it, but Cole shook his head and held up his hand.

“I know. I didn’t realize exactly how selfish my parents could be in regards to their reputation. That came later. But when you told me you didn’t start the fire here and I found that so easy to believe, I started asking myself why I could believe in you now and not then. That’s when the pieces came together for me.”

No wonder he was so sure she’d been guilty of the Orson fire, but she hadn’t expected to hear he’d gone to the station. “Why did you go?”

“I had to know who or what had started the fire. You wanted me to believe you about the Orson fire and the other night I came so close to lying to you, just to make you happy, but I couldn’t do it.” Cole broke eye contact and squinted at the desert. “I don’t want to ever lie to you, even if it makes you feel better. It’s not who I am.” He brought his gaze back to her. “Can you understand that?”

She nodded. That she did accept. That was just who he was. And he had known who she was, which is why it had hurt so much that he’d believed the arson charge. “What did the deputy say?”

“That’s the hardest part, and I’m hoping you can forgive me.”

She didn’t say anything, too afraid he was going to say that they found she had somehow caused the fire.

“Lacey, the fire was an accident, but you didn’t cause it.”

She dropped her arms as her body relaxed. Relief like she’d never known powered through her so fast, she leaned against the wall of the building for support. She should have called the station a long time ago, but a tiny piece of her was afraid of what she’d hear. Now it was truly in the past. “So who caused the fire?”

“I did.”

“What? No. There’s no way you would have started that fire, even back then.”

Cole’s eyes grew misty. She wanted to reach out to him, but his body language kept her at bay.

“It was an accident, but one I caused. Remember that night when you suggested whoever cleaned up fastest would undress the other?”

She nodded, puzzled.

“I wanted to undress you, so I threw the charcoals from the hibachi right outside the door, but they were still far too hot. We made love while they smoldered.” He looked away briefly. “I was a little quick on the draw back then. But after I left, they continued to smolder, eventually setting the wall on fire.” His face turned anguished. “With you inside.”

“You wore me out and I fell asleep. My father called me, which is what woke me. I went to get out, but the door was on fire. My dad yelled at me to grab a blanket and cover myself. I did as he said and ran through.”

Cole knelt at her feet and grasped her hips. “Lacey, I almost killed you. I could never have forgiven myself had that happened. You were my world and you still are. There will never be anyone else for me. Can you forgive me for wasting eight years that we could have been together?”

Even on one knee, he wasn’t much shorter than her standing. She cupped his head in her palms and gazed into his bright-green eyes. “Cole, it was an accident. You had no way of knowing back then that that would happen. You weren’t a firefighter, just a fledgling cowboy.”

“And a clueless one at that.”

She shrugged. “We all make mistakes, especially at that age, and to be fair I may have expected too much from you. But to lose eight years…” She shook her head. “I guess you’ll just have to make it up to me for the rest of our lives.”

Cole eyebrows rose. “Are you proposing to me, Lacey Winters?”

She leaned forward and gently kissed him. “I guess I am.”

Giving a shout, he scooped her up into his arms and twirled her around. “Now that’s my kind of proposal.”

“Cole Hatcher, put me down this instant.”

“My pleasure.” He dropped her knees, but held her tight against him. “Lacey, I love you. Always have. Always will. My answer is yes, I want to be your husband.”

“I love you, Cole.” She’d planned to say more, but his lips caught hers in a clothes-dropping kiss and she let him sweep her away.

*

Cole woke. It was still pitch dark and Lacey lay by his side, sound asleep. At least it wasn’t another one of her nightmares that woke him.

A thump, like a tennis ball hitting the outside of her casita caught his attention. That must have been what he heard. He glanced at the clock and groaned silently. It was barely after two. They hadn’t fallen asleep until almost one. Carefully, he rose from the bed so as not to wake Lacey. After the celebratory dinner they had with the staff and their lovemaking, she was exhausted.

Thwap. Thwap. Thwap.

The sound was definitely something hitting the outside of the adobe structure. Quietly, he made his way to the living room and the sliding glass doors on the back side of the casita.

Thwap. Thwap. Thwap. Thwap.

Silently, he opened the slider far enough to squeeze through. Once outside, he could hear a muffled splat right after the thump on the front of the house. As he crept along the side wall, the crunching of tiny rocks beneath someone’s feet sounded loud in the quiet night.

Thwap. Thwap.

He peered around the corner then pulled back and grinned. The teenager in him could appreciate the fun the college kid was having. Cole waited, knowing the perpetrator would be riveted to his handy work once he shot again.

Thwap. Thwap. Thwap. Thwap.

Cole stepped out. “I’m thinking the more you shoot, the longer it will take for you to clean this up.”

The young man jumped at least a foot at his voice. It took all Cole’s control to keep a stern look.

The college kid turned the paintball gun on him, his eyes wide with fear.

He walked a little closer. “That may hurt, but it’s not going to stop me, so I’d think twice about shooting.”

Indecision flashed over the kid’s face while Cole contemplated the number of steps he’d need to tackle the young man to the ground.

The front door opened and they both looked at Lacey wrapped in a silky pink robe. “Cole, what’s going on?”

Shit. So much for stealth. Cole ran for the kid.

The young man panicked and Cole almost tripped as hard balls hit his chest and stomach and burst across his naked body. He closed his eyes against the onslaught as one hit the side of his head before wiping the florescent green paint away and running straight out.

Ignoring Lacey’s gasp, he leapt, bringing down the fast little son of a bitch.

“Let me go.” The young man squirmed, making it difficult to keep a grip on him with the wet paint smeared over them both.

“I can take it from here.” Cole looked up to see Hunter emerge out of the darkness.

“Great. Hope you don’t mind getting dirty.” Cole pulled the kid up with an arm around his waist, thwarting any chance of escape. Green paint was everywhere.

Hunter pulled a zip tie out from his back pocket. Who carried zip ties with them? Then again, it made sense.

“I’ll hold him while you do the honors.”

Hunter nodded and quickly had the kid under control.

Lacey ran over. “How could you?”

The kid looked at her and shrugged. “I knew it was you. I saw you. You ratted out my friends, so you deserved it. Wait, I need a picture to show them.”

Cole shook his head. “You can take a picture tomorrow after you’re done washing all this off and you better hope it comes off or you’ll be painting the entire house.”

The kid pouted. “You can’t make me do that. My father will—”

“What makes you think I’m going to tell your father? No, I think we will have you take care of this under the watchful eye of Detective Anderson before he actually brings you in and books you for trespassing and criminal mischief.”

“And for attempted robbery.” Hunter nodded to Cole then pulled the kid toward the main building.

Finally free to focus on his fiancée, he turned toward her and pulled her against his body.

“Cole! You’re getting my robe green.” She squirmed as hard as the kid had.

“Then take it off.”

“What?”

In a second, he’d pulled the knot from the belt that held the ruined robe closed and slipped it from her shoulders. Her reaction was to plaster her body against him. He chuckled.

“Someone might see,” she whispered to his chest.

“Lacey, we’re on a nudist resort.”

She just hugged him tighter.

“What do you say we go inside and wash this stuff off?” He grinned. “I don’t think we’ve made love in your shower yet.”

Her head came up at that and a small smile graced her dainty lips. “I’d like that.”

He warmed at the thought of washing her. Growling, he scooped her up and strode to the front door.

Her squeal of delight was cut short when she groaned. “I hope he can get my casita clean.”

Cole kicked the open door wide and shrugged. “Not to worry, you won’t be living here long.”

Her eyes widened before she slapped him with a cock-hardening kiss. By the time he reached her bathroom, he couldn’t wait to thrust inside her. He stepped into the large, tiled shower and let her feet down then turned on the water.

Thanks to the cold night, it actually flowed chilly at first and Lacey glued her body against him.

“Are you cold?” He grinned, loving how she needed him for so many things.

She pulled back a little as the water warmed up and pressed her pointed finger into his chest. “Listen, Cole Hatcher, not everyone is hot like you.”

He grasped her finger with his hand and brought it to his lips, watching her mouth as it opened in anticipation. “I’m only hot because you make me that way, Racy Lacey.”

She smirked. “Well, if I’m a cowboy’s match, you better get to work putting the fire out, Mr. Firefighter.”

He moved her hand behind her and lowered his face until it was only inches from hers. “No, I don’t think so. I want to see exactly how big this fire can get first.”

She sucked in her breath before his lips claimed hers and she was lost to the flames only he could stoke.

Epilogue

‡

Wiping her hands off on her skirt as she strolled back to the house at Last Chance Ranch, Lacey halted at the sight of Cole riding in on Sampson, a strong black quarter horse who wouldn’t let anyone near him but Cole. She waited for him to bring the “Beast” as she’d nicknamed him, to a stop.

Cole jumped from the saddle, looped the reins over the fence and pulled her in for a searing kiss that had her forgetting everything but him.

When he finally lifted his head, he winked. “Missed you.”

She looked at the sky then back at him. “You were only gone two hours. Did you find the spot?”

His grin widened. “I did. Do you want to see it?”

Her stomach turned somersaults in anticipation. “Yes, but I want to show you something first.”

“Sounds good to me.” He swept her up in his arms and headed for the ranch house.

“No, no. Cole Hatcher put me down.” Really. The man had a one-track mind. It was amazing she could still walk.

His frown had her laughing as he released her.

“Tell you what. Why don’t we pack a cold dinner and while we’re out, we can make the most of our private time.”

“I’ll be holding you to that, Racy Lacey.”

“Shh, Cole, your grandparents are around.”

He stroked his finger over her cheek. “You’re blushing again.”

She swatted his hand aside and took his other one. “Come on.” She couldn’t wait to show him the progress she’d made with Angel. The dainty Arabian was finally starting to trust her. It would be hard leaving her to go back to Poker Flat for work tomorrow morning, but she loved her job too, so she’d just have to spend extra time with the horse when she came home.

She stopped outside Angel’s stall. “Okay, I want you to stand right there. Don’t move a muscle.”

Cole tipped his hat at her. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m not a ma’am…yet.” But she would be soon. She looked at the modest diamond engagement ring on her left hand. Cole had wanted to buy her something expensive, but she’d chosen something more moderate to save money for the horses.

She approached the stall, then looked back to make sure Cole stayed where she put him. Assured he would behave, she called Angel by name.

The white horse raised her head and looked at her.

Stifling the urge to click her tongue, something the atrocious former owner must have done often, she instead kept her voice high. “Come show Cole what you like to do now, sweetie. Can you give me some lovin’?” She patted her own cheek.

The horse turned around, its brown eyes focused on her.

“Come on, Angel. You know I love you, sweetheart.”

Trying to keep her heartbeat steady, Lacey focused on keeping her own excitement down and her breathing even.

The horse moved toward her and she patted her cheek again.

Angel brought the right side of her face, the side that hadn’t been marred, to Lacey’s right cheek and rubbed. Gently, Lacey moved her hand to stroke the horse up her nose and around her ears. “That’s a good girl.”

After a few minutes she turned away and looked at Cole. Pride was shining clearly in his eyes. “I’m glad you two are learning to get along. The minute I saw her I knew she was the perfect horse for you.”

She raised her hand to her chest as her heart raced. “You mean she’s mine.”

“Only if you want her.” Cole’s look turned guarded and her heart ached for him. How many people had turned away his imperfect horses?

“That’s the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

His whole body relaxed as he grinned. “I knew you’d like her.” He looked over her shoulder. “And it looks like she likes you, or at least your hair.”

Lacey tried to turn around, but Angel had her braid between her teeth.

“Here let me.” Cole walked over slowly, talking to Angel the whole time, finally coaxing her to let go. “There you go. I’m so proud of you.”

She linked her arm around his waist. “I’m proud of you too. What you do here is amazing.” She glanced up at him. “Are you going to miss the horses when Wade picks them up tomorrow?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but I know they are going to a good home and it’s one I plan to visit often.”

“Not as a guest I hope.” She squeezed him harder as they walked toward the house.

He chuckled, the vibration sending happiness through her.

“No, not as a guest. I don’t think my wife will ever let me vacation there.”

“You’ve got that right, mister.” She laughed as he pretended to be scared. “You didn’t tell me how it went yesterday with you and Sean. Did you manage to scare that fraternity house into toeing the line?”

Cole’s grin was wide. “Yes, we did. You should have seen the look on their faces when the SWAT team showed up.”

“Sean got the SWAT team to help too?”

“Oh yeah. When I say Sean has no tolerance for stupidity, I mean it. That man had every one of those boys shaking in their boots. Then as a bonus, he arrested four for possession, three for having stolen property, and one for underage drinking. Then he told them he would send an undercover cop to the school to keep an eye on them.”

Lacey stopped and Cole looked down. “What?”

“He’s really sending an undercover in?”

“No.” Cole shook his head. “But they don’t know that. They’ll be trying to figure out who it is for at least the rest of the year.”

“Wow, remind me not to do anything stupid around that man.”

He grinned. “You could never do anything stupid. You are way too smart for that. You’re even too smart for me.”

“I am not.” She watched as his gaze moved over her to where his grandfather worked with a horse. She could tell Cole wanted to talk with him. “Why don’t you go help your grandfather while I pack us up our dinner?”

He stopped and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Thanks. Meet me by Sampson?”

She nodded and watched as he strode away, his ass stretching the material of his jeans nicely. If she had her way, those jeans wouldn’t be on him long.

Anxious for them to be on their way, she ran up the steps to the porch, throwing the screen door wide, causing it to bang against the house. “Oops.” She glanced out to see if it had spooked the horse, but it appeared intent on the two men.

She ran upstairs to Cole’s room and grabbed a blanket from his closet. She hadn’t fully moved in yet. She wanted their house to at least be started before she gave up her casita at Poker Flat. Right now, it was the only place they had complete privacy. She adored his grandparents, but she and Cole needed their own home.

Besides, the plan was once Billy made it through rehab, he would live in the guest room. It had been the carrot she’d needed to persuade him to get help, and Cole’s willingness to give the man a second chance had proved to her exactly how special he was. Though he said it was Billy’s “last chance”, much like the name of the spread. She’d laughed when Cole’s grandparents had explained the name for the ranch. They figured it was their “last chance” to follow their dream of raising cattle because they were so “old,” but they were barely thirty-one at the time.

Back downstairs, she packed up a cloth bag with roast beef sandwiches and threw in a couple ice packs to keep the cans of lemonade cold. Then she walked back outside to find Cole waiting for her.

“You ready?” He took the items from her, securing the blanket to the saddle and pushing the food into a saddle bag. Then he cupped his hand and gave her a boost onto Sampson’s back. As usual, the large horse pranced at having her up there, but Cole quickly mounted behind her.

In no time, they were riding across the ranch, the setting sun reflecting off the mountains, making them appear on fire with their orange glow. They hadn’t ridden more than twenty minutes before Cole turned Sampson toward a hill in front of the long rise of a mountain. When they reached the top, she found them on a much larger piece of land than she’d expected. From this vantage point, she’d bet they could see the entire ranch, even his grandfather’s house in the distance.

He pulled Sampson to a halt and dismounted. After helping her down, he pointed to a small creek that ran down the mountainside, though it was dried up this time of year. “This is Last Chance mountain, or at least that’s what my grandfather calls it. And this area here my brother and I named Fire Hill because at sunset you can stand here and see the whole valley turn orange. What do you think about this for our new home? It’s still close enough to the old house in case we’re needed, but far enough away that we can have some privacy.”

She looked around the little hill dotted with mesquite trees. “I think it’s perfect.”

He pulled her into his arms. “You’re not just saying that to make me happy, are you?”

“No. I’m saying that because it is such a lovely spot. Of course, we’ll have to get the road laid in first or the expense of bringing in construction materials will be twice as much. But I’m betting this is a good spot for a well, since it is at the base of a mountain. They’ll probably still have to dig deep. This is Maricopa County after all.”

“Whoa, we haven’t even decided on the house plans yet and you’re scheduling the infrastructure? You have to understand, Lacey, the money I had saved for this project has been raided a few times for vet bills so it may be awhile.”

She frowned. “How long are you thinking?”

He looked over her head, a sure sign he wasn’t comfortable with the conversation. But she had to know. Their finances would be tied together once they married.

“Maybe three or four years.”

She shook her head. “Nope, I’m thinking a year tops.”

“Lacey, you know I’d love to, but if I did that I’d have to turn away any—”

She pulled out of his arms. “Cole Hatcher, are we getting married or not?”

“Well, yes, but what does that have to do with our house?”

She sighed. “Everything. I know you’re a cowboy and think you have to handle everything, but I’m an accountant. I’m not only good with numbers, I’m good with money.”

“What are you saying?” His whole body tensed as if he expected her to knock him down.

“What I’m saying is that as Lacey Hatcher, my money will be added to your money and we will have enough to start building as soon as we decide on a design.”

He stood rock still and her stomach tightened. Would he pull some macho bull poop over using her money? When he finally met her gaze, his grin was sheepish. “Do you think as my wife you could also work for no pay and take care of the books for Last Chance Ranch? I never was too good at math.”

“Really?” She’d been itching to get her hands on them, sure she could help him make more money than he had been.

He took two steps to bring him directly in front of her. “I know you now. I know what you can do. I don’t just trust you with my heart but with everything I own. I’ve always needed you. You fill in all my weak spots and hopefully, I fill in all yours. I want our marriage to be like our lovemaking, equal on all counts, completing each other.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Satisfying.”

He ran his hands along her waist, across the sides of her breasts and up her arms. “Hot.”

She stepped back. “Flaming hot.” Slowly, she undid her button-down shirt and threw it over a mesquite branch. The pretty lavender bra she wore supported her breasts, but had a large hole in each cup where her areola and nipple were visible.

The air whistled out from between his teeth as he stared at her. “Shit, Lacey, that’s beyond hot.”

At his words her nipples hardened, making them stand out ahead of her pretty lingerie. “I want to see you too.”

Faster than a scorpion could strike, Cole had whipped off his t-shirt, his muscles tensing as his gaze riveted to her. Her hands itched to feel the hard planes of his chest again. The man’s torso had more crevices and outcroppings than the mountain next to them.

Her folds moistened in anticipation of his gaze when she revealed what she wore below. Hooking her fingers in the waistband of her skirt, she pushed it down, stepping out of it and hanging it on another branch.

When she turned back, he was staring at her lavender panties. These too had a strategic hole. It revealed her small patch of blonde curls.

Cole growled as he unzipped his jeans and let out his hard cock.

In the next instant, he pulled her against him.

“Wrap your hands around my neck.” It wasn’t a request.

She did as told and shivered as her bare nipples pressed against his chest. Then he bent his knees and the tip of his erection found the lacy slit of her panties.

“I can’t wait.” His voice was strained. “I promise we’ll go slow next time.”

His words sent a thrill racing down her spine a second before he speared into her and raised her as he stood.

She gasped as her body lighted with fire and she wrapped her legs around him.

“Look at me.” His words were gruff.

She raised her face to him, expecting a kiss.

Instead he gazed into her eyes. “I promise, I’ll always believe you, always love you. You’re my perfect match.”

She quirked her mouth. “As long as I light your fire, I’ll be happy.”

His lips came down on hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. Then he moved his hips, fanning her fire, burning her up, like only he could.

The End

Pleasures of Christmas Past

A Christmas Carol: Book 1

Coming November 2015

Though Jessica Thomas is thrilled to land the job of novice Spirit Guide, she’s been assigned a hot, arrogant Scottish mentor who confuses her heart. But what should concern her more is, will he protect her soul?

Available for order here

Cowboy’s Best Shot

Poker Flat Series: Book 3

Coming April 2016

A cowboy who has lost so much. A woman who never had it to begin with.

Is this their best shot for happiness?

For updates, sneak peeks, and special prizes, sign up to receive the latest news from Lexi at http://eepurl.com/D3MqT

Also by Lexi Post

Masque

Passion’s Poison

Passion of Sleepy Hollow

Cruise into Eden (The Eden Series: Book 1)

Unexpected Eden (The Eden Series: Book 2)

Cowboys Never Fold (Poker Flat Series: Book 1)

Read on for a preview of Pleasures of Christmas Past.

Pleasures of Christmas Past

A Christmas Carol: Book 1

Chapter One

Jessica Thomas floated near the ceiling of the small Christmas ornament shop, anxiously waiting to find out who would be her mentor on this, her first case as a spirit guide. She had no idea what it would entail, which irritated her a little. When she was alive, she’d been an excellent social worker because she read the case file before meeting the client. The spirit guide position was very difficult to obtain, but her past expertise had helped her land the job and she was anxious to prove she deserved it. Having the file would assist her with that.

She scanned the shop, liking the feel of the place. It was cozy, with ornaments everywhere in every conceivable shape and size. With just three days until Christmas, the shop was full of people, all with lovely Scottish accents. She’d never been to Scotland while alive, though she’d always wanted to go. She’d just been too busy to take a vacation for any length of time.

As far as time went, her mentor was late, or at least it seemed like it. There was no time in the afterlife, a fact that had thrown her completely off balance at first, but she was learning to cope…somewhat. Maybe her mentor was still in class answering questions. One of the many instructors from the intensive training she’d gone through would be her mentor on this first assignment. She really liked old Archibald. He was an American from the 1880s. Mrs. Ferrisletter, from 1662 London, was very sweet and would be a lovely mentor. Jessica crossed her fingers. As long as she didn’t get Dr. Marley, she’d be happy. That man could put a saint into a depression.

“So are you ready for your first case?” The lilt of a heavy Scottish accent behind her caused her to turn.

Duncan Montgomerie floated there, not close enough to be touching, but near enough she caught the whiff of pine that was so much a part of him.

Oh no, not him. The man was the hottest instructor she’d had and even now she couldn’t remember a word he’d said. She’d been too busy having her libido stroked by his voice while her eyes feasted on his rugged looks and ripped body. He’d never told them what timeframe he was from, but his accent gave him away as Scottish and some of his vocabulary made her think it might be centuries back, even though he dressed in modern-day clothes.

Nervousness tamped down her excitement. There was no way she’d be able to concentrate on this assignment with him around. She was bound to screw something up.

“Jessica?” His blue eyes sparkled with an unearthly light as one brow rose. “Are you with me, lass?”

“Yes, of course.” She tried not to focus on his wavy brown hair that fell to his strong jawline or on his scruffy chin that led the eye to his quirking lips.

His arm stretched out past her as he pointed below them, revealing his forearm muscle which flexed as he moved his finger. “That’s our case. Mrs. Douglas.”

Despite the butterflies tickling her stomach as Duncan’s breath passed by her left ear, Jessica snapped her focus to the people below. There were many women in the shop. Mrs. Douglas could be any of them. She leaned away and looked her mentor in the eyes. “What’s her first name?”

“Huh?”

Jessica pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “What’s Mrs. Douglas’ first name? To get a client to trust you, you must show an interest in them and knowing the person’s first name is the very tip of the iceberg.”

Duncan frowned. “I dinna teach you that.”

She took a deep breath. “No, you didn’t. It’s part of the experience I bring to the job. Do you know her first name?”

He shook his head, clearly perplexed by her request.

“How long have you been a spirit guide?” It was really none of her business, but she wanted to be sure her mentor was, in fact, more experienced than she was.

He shrugged his broad shoulders, drawing her focus back to his build.

“Since we have no time in the afterlife, I can’t tell you how long I’ve done this, but I can assure you it is no’ my first case.” He pulled the neck of his t-shirt away from his skin, as if it were too tight.

As far as she was concerned, the entire shirt was too tight with the way it molded to his chest muscles, showing a significant valley down the middle. Hell, if he just wanted to take the whole thing off, she certainly wouldn’t complain.

“Holly.” Duncan grinned and her insides turned to melting ice cream.

So why did he point out Holly? It was Christmas. There was holly everywhere…and mistletoe. Oh, maybe she could find some mistletoe and Mr. Distraction here could catch the hint and kiss her.

“Holly is her first name.” Duncan nodded to confirm his statement. “It’s also what that older woman down there just called her.”

Her? Oh right, the case. Jessica forced her gaze from Duncan and looked below. “Which one is she?”

“She’s the owner of the shop. The one with the shoulder-length brown hair and red Christmas hat on.”

Jessica forced herself to focus on the woman. Her straight hair was a very deep brown, like dark chocolate, and she had a round face with an adorable smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was a quiet sorrow about the friendly shop owner. She looked perhaps thirty years old, max. What could have caused such a poignant hurt in one so young? “She definitely has the Christmas spirit. Why does she need us?”

Duncan chuckled, a warm sound that sent pleasure from her heart to her fingertips and everywhere in between. “No’ every case is about some old Scrooge character. Each person we’re assigned needs something different, but it has to be very important for them. Cameron, he’ll be our supervisor on this assignment, received special permission for us to tackle this.”

“Cameron?” She couldn’t resist looking at him again and was surprised to see him frown, an unusual occurrence for him.

“Cameron Douglas is, excuse me, was her husband. There is a strict rule about handling personal cases, but I guess Cameron made a good argument with the boss.”

Even frowning, Duncan was gorgeous. His cheekbones were strong, but his nose did have a slight bump that kept him from being entirely perfect. Genetics? Or was that from an injury? She could see him modeling for a highland wool sweater catalog, looking scrumptious in a white turtleneck and tartan kilt. Oh. Just the idea of seeing this man in a kilt had her body flushing. What did they say about what a man wore under—

“Jessica? Are you listening?”

“What?” Oh no. She was afraid of this. “Sorry, my mind drifted. What were you saying?”

He studied her for a moment before explaining. “I said, we, or rather you officially, are one of three ghosts that will visit Mrs. Douglas. Your goal is to remind her of the happy times before she lost her husband. Cameron’s wife is no’ truly living, just going through the motions.”

Jessica’s heart melted for the woman. She’d had cases like this, but never tackled them with the ability she had now. The possibilities excited her, causing her adrenaline to kick in. “So we literally take her to wonderful moments in her past. This is going to be fun. I can already imagine her smiling and laughing.” She couldn’t help her grin at the thought of bringing a client such joy.

Duncan raised his hand. “Hold on, it is no’ that simple. Remember what I said in training?”

“Uh, you said a lot. What part?” Not that she remembered any of it.

“Don’t get too attached. You need to keep some distance. We only have one night to work our magic, so to speak.” He grinned.

“Do you really believe that?” How could he be a trainer of spirit guides if he thought they could do any good staying detached?

His grin faded. “I wouldn’t teach it if I dinna believe it. Trust me, lass, you don’t want to get too involved in someone else’s troubles. If you do, your spirit will become entangled with your case.”

She stared, open-mouthed. Had she really missed how shallow he was in the training? Or maybe he was talking from experience. She studied him closer. Was there something substantial behind those good looks?

His grin returned. “But don’t worry. I’ll be there to help.” His comment was said with such arrogance that for the first time she found herself not liking him at all.

She wasn’t exactly a novice at this. It may be her first case as a spirit guide, but she did have years of experience as a social worker. Maybe she needed to focus on the client and not on Mr. Distraction. “Where’s the file?”

“Don’t worry about that. I can give you all the basics.” Again he smiled, but this time she noticed it was the kind a person gives to a child when humoring them.

He had little faith she could accomplish this case. Well, he was in for a surprise. She had a mission of her own and that was to prove Duncan Montgomerie was no more than a redundancy on this assignment. Pasting on a fake smile, she took charge of her case. “I appreciate that, but I’d like to read through the file anyway. Sometimes, as a woman, I can catch a clue or two when trying to better understand a female client.”

He shrugged his huge shoulders once again and she forced herself to focus on his face.

“I left it on your desk. When you’re done looking for clues, let me know and we can get started.” He was clearly laughing at her.

She gritted her teeth. This wouldn’t work. She would have to request another mentor because it was obvious the two of them had radically different ideas about helping people. She forced her jaw to loosen. “Fine.” Without another word, she floated through the ceiling and back to her office to plan her attack and have a talk with her new supervisor.

Duncan watched Jessica drift away and chuckled. That lass was wound too tight, as he’d heard Cameron say. Even her look was too professional. Blonde hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, wire-rimmed glasses hiding very bonny green eyes and a buttoned-to-the-neck Oxford shirt that made her look more like a librarian than a counselor. Her navy-blue pantsuit was boxy. It hid her entire body, and reminded him of a Christmas candle, rectangle bottom with a bright round flame at the top.

There was no chance she would get through her first case without messing up. Luckily for her, he was her mentor. He couldn’t see any of the other instructors handling her. He dinna doubt her heart was in the right place, but helping the living while dead was very different from helping them while a person was alive.

He had a hard time remembering what it was like no’ having the ability to move through space and time at will. It had been so long since he died. He looked upward. What year was that? Not receiving an answer, he shrugged. It had to be over a century…or two. He’d trained too many recruits for it to be less. No’ that it mattered. Time meant nothing now.

He grinned. Training new spirit guides was a fun adventure and he was perfectly happy where he was. It would be entertaining to watch the lass tackle her first assignment. And when she stumbled, because she definitely would, he’d be there to catch her. The idea of what she might feel like under all those clothes had his smile widening. First, she needed to lose the glasses and the ponytail. Then he’d be happy to help her slip into something more comfortable. Something he would do as soon as this assignment was over. The clothing in his time period was so much more comfortable, but dressing according to the year of the client helped keep the person from running away in pure terror when he showed himself.

Activity below caught his attention and his smile faded. He watched their client as she helped a teenager choose a unique ornament for his girlfriend. Cameron and Holly had had one of those rare love stories that deserved a happily forever after, no’ just a happily for thirteen months. Duncan had no idea what that was like, but he respected it. To see two people so in love suddenly separated by death even touched his hardened bachelor’s soul.

Though he’d only known Cameron for a short while, probably almost a year, it was clear the man was a brilliant supervisor, but like his wife, sadness emanated from his spirit. Holly deserved a wee bit of happiness herself and Cameron could benefit from a little peace. If Duncan could do this small service for them, he would.

And there was no blasted way he would let Miss Jessica Thomas bumble their assignment, bonny eyes or no’.

Pleasures of Christmas Past

A Christmas Carol: Book 1

Coming November 2015

Available for order here

About Lexi Post

Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of erotic romance inspired by the classics. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she’s read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi’s first love is romance novels. In an effort to marry her two first loves, she started writing erotic romance inspired by the classics and found she loved it. Lexi believes there’s no end to the romantic inspiration she can find in great literature. Her books are known for being “erotic romance with a whole lot of story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her cat in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and is never seen without a hat.

Hellfire, Texas

Hellfire Series Book #1

Elle James

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Author’s Note

Read other stories by Elle James:

Billionaire Online Dating Series

The Billionaire Husband Test (#1)

The Billionaire Cinderella Test (#2)

Take No Prisoners Series

SEAL’s Honor (#1)

SEAL’s Desire (#2)

SEAL’s Embrace (#3)

SEAL’s Obsession (#4)

SEAL’s Proposal (#5)

SEAL’s Seduction (#6)

SEAL’s Defiance (#7)

Visit ellejames.com for more titles and release dates

Also visit her alter-ego Myla Jackson at mylajackson.com
and join Elle James and Myla Jackson’s Newsletter at Newsletter

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all of the dedicated first responders who risk their lives daily to help people and animals when all hell breaks loose! Thank you to the firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement personnel for being there when we need you most.

Escape with…

Elle James
aka Myla Jackson

Chapter One

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The hot July sun beat down on the asphalt road. Shimmering heat waves rose like mirages as Becket Grayson drove the twenty miles home to Coyote Creek Ranch outside of Hellfire, Texas. Wearing only a sweat-damp T-shirt and the fire retardant pants and boots of a firefighter, he couldn’t wait to get home, strip, and dive into the pool. Although he’d have to hose down before he clouded the water with the thick layer of soot covering his body from head to toe.

The Hellfire Volunteer Firefighter Association met the first Saturday of every month for training in firefighting, rescues, and first responder care. Today had been particularly grueling in the late summer swelter. Old Lady Mersen graciously donated her dilapidated barn for structural fire training and rescue.

All thirty volunteers had been on hand to participate. Though hot, the training couldn’t have gone better. Each volunteer got a real taste of how fast an old barn would go up in flames, and just how much time they had to rescue any humans or animals inside. Some had the opportunity to exercise the use of SCBA, self-contained breathing apparatus, the masks and oxygen tanks that allowed them to enter smoke-filled buildings, limiting exposure and damage to their lungs. Other volunteers manned the fire engine and tanker truck, shuttling water from a nearby pond to the portable tank deployed on the ground. They unloaded a total of five tanks onto the barn fire before it was completely extinguished. With only one tanker truck, the shuttle operation slowed their ability to put out the fire, as the blaze rebuilt each time they ran out of water in the holding pool. They needed at least two tanker trucks in operation to keep the water flowing. As small as the Hellfire community was, the first engine and tanker truck would never have happened without generous donations from everyone in the district and a government grant. But, they had an engine that could carry a thousand, and a tanker capable of thirty-five hundred gallons. Forty-five hundred gallons was better than nothing.

Hot, tired, and satisfied with what he’d learned about combating fire without the advantages of a city fire hydrant and unlimited water supply, Becket had learned one thing that day. Firefighting involved a lot more than he’d ever imagined. As the Fire Chief said, all fires were different, just like people were different. Experience taught you the similarities, but you had to expect the unexpected.

Two miles from his turnoff, Becket could almost taste the ice-cold beer waiting in the fridge and feel the cool water of the ranch swimming pool on his skin.

A puff of dark smoke drifted up from a stalled vehicle on the shoulder of the road ahead. The puff grew into a billowing cloud, rising into the air.

Becket slowed as he neared the disabled vehicle.

A black-haired woman stood in the V of the open driver’s door, attempting to push the vehicle off the road. She didn’t need to worry about getting it off the road so much as getting herself away from the smoke and fire before the gas tank ignited and blew the car to pieces.

A hundred yards away from the potential disaster, Becket slammed on his brakes, shifted into park, and jumped out of his truck. “Get away from the car!” he yelled, running toward the idiot woman. “Get away before it explodes!”

The woman shot a brief glance back at him before continuing on her mission to get the car completely off the road and into the bone-dry grass.

Becket ran up behind her, grabbed her around the middle, and hauled her away from the now-burning vehicle.

“Let go of me!” she screamed, tearing at his hands. “I have to get it off the road.”

“Damn it, lady, it’s not safe.” Not knowing when the tank would ignite, he didn’t have time to argue. Becket spun her around, threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, and jogged away from the burning vehicle.

“I have to get it off the road,” she said, her voice breaking with each jolt to her gut.

“Leave it where it is. I’ll call in the fire department, they’ll have the fire out before you know it. In the meantime, that vehicle is dangerous.” He didn’t stop or put her down until he was back behind his truck.

He set her on her feet, but she darted away from him, running back toward the vehicle, her long, jet-black hair flying out behind her.

Becket lunged, grabbed her arm, and jerked her back. “Are you crazy?”

“I can’t leave it in the road,” she sobbed. “Don’t you see? He’ll find it. He’ll find me!” She tried prying his fingers free of her arm.

He wasn’t letting go.

“The fire will ignite the gas tank. Unless you want to be fried like last year’s turkey, you need to stand clear.” He held her back to his chest, forcing her to view the fire and the inherent danger.

She sagged against him, her body shaking with the force of her sobs. “I have to hide it.”

“Can I trust you to stay put?”

She nodded, her hair falling into her face.

“I’m making a call to the Hellfire Volunteer Firefighters Association.”

Before he finished talking, she was shaking her head. “No. You can’t. No one can know I’m here.”

“Why?” He settled his hands on her shoulders and was about to turn her to face him when an explosion rocked the ground.

Becket grabbed the woman around the waist.

She yelped and whimpered as Becket ducked behind the tailgate of his pickup, and waited for the debris to settle. Then he slowly rose.

Smoke and fire shot into the air. Where the car had been now was a raging inferno. Black smoke curled into the sky.

“Sweetheart, I won’t have to call 911. In the next fifteen minutes, this place will be surrounded by firefighters.”

Her head twisted left and right as she attempted to pry his hands away from her waist. “You’re hurting me.”

He released her immediately. “The sheriff will want a statement from you.”

“No. I can’t.” Again, she darted away from him. “I have to get as far away from here as possible.”

Becket snagged her arm again and whipped her around. “You can’t just leave the scene of a fire. There will be an investigation.” He stared down at her, finally getting a look at her. “Do I know you?”

“I don’t…” The young woman glanced up, eyes narrowing. She reached up a hand and rubbed some of the soot off his face. Recognition dawned and her eyes grew round. “Becket? Becket Grayson?”

He nodded. “And I know I should know you, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Her widened eyes filled with tears, and she flung her arms around his neck. “Oh, dear God. Becket!”

He held her, struggling to remember who she was.

Her body trembled, her arms like clamps around his neck.

“Hey.” Surprised by her outburst, Becket patted her back. “It’s going to be okay.”

“No, it’s not,” she cried into his sweat-dampened shirt, further soaking it with her tears. “No, it’s not.”

His heart contracted, feeling some of the pain in her voice. “Yes, it is. But you have to start by telling me who you are.” He hugged her again, then loosened the arms around his neck and pushed her to arms’ length. “Well?”

The cheek she’d rested against his chest was black with soot, her hair wild and tangled. Familiar green eyes, red-rimmed and awash with tears, looked up at him. “You don’t remember me.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Sorry. You look awfully familiar, but I’m just not making the connection.” He smiled gently. “Enlighten me.”

“I’m Kinsey Phillips. We used to be neighbors.”

His confusion cleared, and he grinned. “Little Kinsey Phillips? The girl who used to hang out with Nash and follow us around the ranch, getting into trouble?”

Sniffling, she nodded.

Becket shook his head and ran his gaze over her from head to toe. “Look at you, all grown up.” He chuckled. “Although, you didn’t get much taller.”

She straightened to her full height. “No. Sadly, I stopped growing taller when I was thirteen.”

“Well, Little Kinsey…” He pulled her into the curve of his arm and faced the burning mess that had been her car. “What brings you back to Hellfire? Please tell me you didn’t come to have your car worked on by my brother, Rider. I’m afraid there’s no hope for it.”

She bit her lip, and the tremors of a few moments before returned. “I didn’t know where else to go. But I think I’ve made a huge mistake.”

Her low, intense tone made Becket’s fists clench, ready to take on whatever had her so scared. “Why do you say that?”

“He’ll find me and make me pay.”

“Who will find you?” Becket demanded, turning her to face him again.

She looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling. “My ex-boyfriend.”

Kinsey’s shuddered, her entire body quaking with the magnitude of what she’d done. She’d made a bid for freedom. If she didn’t distance herself from the condemning evidence, all of her efforts to escape the hell she’d lived in for the past year, would be for nothing.

Sirens sounded in the distance, shaking her out of her stupor and spurring her to action. “You can’t let them question me.” She turned toward the still-burning vehicle. “It’s bad enough this is the first place he’ll look for me.”

“Who is your boyfriend?”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Kinsey corrected. “Dillon Massey.”

“Name’s familiar. Is he from around here?”

Kinsey shook her head, scanning the immediate area. “No, he’s from Waco. He played football for Baylor a couple years ago, and he’s playing for the Cowboys now.”

“Massey, the quarterback?”

“Yes.” She nodded, and then grabbed Becket’s hands. “Please, you can’t let anyone know I’m here. Dillon will make them think I’m crazy, and that I need him to look out for me.” Kinsey pulled herself up straight. “I’m not. I’ve never been more lucid in my life. I had to get away.”

Becket frowned. “Why?”

She raised her blouse, exposing the bruises on her ribs. “And there are more. Everywhere most people won’t see.”

His brows dipping lower, Becket’s nostrils flared. “Bastard.”

“You have no idea.” Kinsey glanced toward the sound of the sirens. “Please. Let me hide. I can’t face anyone.”

“Who does the car belong to?”

Her jaw tightened. “Me. I’m surprised it got me this far. The thing has barely been driven in over a year.”

“Why not?”

“He parked it in his shed and hid the keys. I found them early this morning, while he was passed out drunk.”

“When they conduct the investigation, they’ll trace the license plates.”

She tilted her chin. “I removed them.”

“Did you leave a purse with your identification inside the vehicle?”

“No. I didn’t bring anything. I knew I’d have to start over with a new name.”

“If there’s anything left of the Vehicle Identification Number, they can track it through the system.”

Glancing at the empty road, the sirens sounding closer, Kinsey touched Becket’s arm. “It will take time for them to find the details. By then, I could be halfway across the country. But right now, I can’t talk to the sheriff or the firemen. If anyone knows I’m here, that knowledge could find its way into some police database and will allow Dillon to locate me. He has connections with the state police, the district courts, and who knows what other organizations.” She shook her head. “I won’t go back to him.”

“Okay, okay.” Becket rounded to the passenger side and opened the door. “Get in.”

She scrambled in, hands shaking, her heart beating so fast she was sure it would explode like the car. Kinsey glanced out the back window of the truck. The road was still clear. A curve hid them from view for a little longer. “Hurry.”

“On it.” Dillon fired up the engine and pulled onto the blacktop, flooring the accelerator. They reached the next curve before the rescue vehicles appeared.

Kinsey collapsed against the seat back, her nerves shot and her stomach roiling. “That was close.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t know just how close. If emergency vehicles hadn’t been coming, I would not have left. As dry as it’s been, a fire like that could spread too easily, consuming thousands of acres if left unchecked.”

“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have asked you to leave the scene, but I know Dillon. The last time I tried to leave, I was caught because he called the state police and had me hauled home.”

“Couldn’t you have gone to a hospital and asked for a social worker to verify your injuries?” Becket glanced her way, his brows furrowed in a deep V. “Women’s shelters are located all over Dallas.”

“I tried.” She turned toward the window, her heart hurting, reliving the pain of the beating he’d given her when he’d brought her home. He’d convinced the hospital she’d fallen down the stairs. No one wanted to believe the quarterback of an NFL team would terrorize his girlfriend into submission, beating her whenever he felt like it. “Look, you don’t need to be involved in this. If you could take me to the nearest truck stop, I’ll hitch a ride.”

“Where would you go?”

“Wherever the trucker is going.”

He shook his head. “Hitchhiking is dangerous.”

Kinsey snorted. “It’d be a cakewalk compared to what I’ve been through.”

Becket sat silent, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Nash is part of the sheriff’s department in Hellfire now. Let me call him.”

“No!” She shook her head, violently. “You can’t report me to the sheriff’s department. I told you. Dillon has friends everywhere, even in the state police and Texas Rangers. He’d have them looking for me. If a report popped up anywhere in the state, they’d notify him immediately.”

“When was the last time he saw you?”

“Last night. After he downed a fifth of whiskey, Dillon gave me the bruises you saw. I’m sure he slept it off by eight this morning. He’ll be looking for me. By now, he’s got the state police on the lookout for my car. He probably reported it as stolen. I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts out a missing person report, claiming I’ve been kidnapped.” Kinsey sighed. “Take me to the truck stop. I won’t have you arrested for helping me.”

“I’m not taking you to the truck stop.”

Kinsey slid the window down a crack and listened. She couldn’t hear the sirens anymore. Her pulse slowed and she allowed herself to relax against the back of the seat.

Becket slowed and turned at the gate to the Coyote Creek Ranch.

The entrance was just as she remembered. Rock columns supported the huge arched sign with the name of the ranch burned into the wood. She’d grown up on the much-smaller ranch next door. The only child of older parents, she’d ride her horse to visit the Graysons. She loved Nash and Rider like the brothers she’d never had. Chance had been a wild card, away more than he was there, and Becket…

As a young teen, Kinsey had the biggest crush on Becket, the oldest of the Graysons. She’d loved his longish blond hair and those startling blue eyes. Even now, covered in soot, his eyes were a bright spot of color on an otherwise-blackened face.

“I can’t stay here,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “Your wife and children don’t need me dragging them through whatever Dillon has in store for me. I guarantee, repercussions will be bad.”

“Don’t worry about the Graysons. Mom and Dad are in Hawaii, celebrating their 40th anniversary. None of us brothers are married, and Lily’s too stubborn to find a man to put up with her.”

“What?” Kinsey glanced his way. “Not married? Are the women in this area blind? I practically worshipped you as a child.”

Becket chuckled. “I remember you following me around when Nash and Rider were busy. Seems you were always there when I brought a girl out to the ranch.”

Her cheeks heated. She’d done her darnedest to be in the way of Becket and his girlfriends. She didn’t like it when he kissed and hugged on them. In her dreams, she’d been the one he’d fallen in love with and wanted to marry. But that hadn’t happened. He’d dated the prom queen and married her soon after graduation.

“I thought you had married.”

“Didn’t last.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a long story.”

“If I remember, it’s a long driveway up to the ranch house.”

Becket paused. For a moment, Kinsey thought he was done talking about his life and failed marriage. Then he spoke again. “After college, Briana wanted me to stay and work for one of the big architecture firms in Dallas. I was okay with the job for a while, but I missed the ranch.”

“You always loved being outdoors. I can’t imagine you stuck in an office.”

He nodded. “Dad had a heart attack four years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I assume he survived, since they’re in Hawaii.”

Becket smiled. “He did, but he can’t work as hard as he used to.”

“So, you came home to run the ranch?”

“Yeah.” Becket’s gaze remained on the curving drive ahead. “Briana didn’t want to leave the social scene. We tried the long-distance thing, but she didn’t like it. Or rather, the marriage didn’t work for her when she found a wealthy replacement for me.”

“Wow. That’s harsh.”

“Eh. It all worked out for the best. We didn’t have children, because she wanted to wait. I like it here. I have satellite internet. I telecommute in the evenings on projects for my old firm, so I stay fresh on what’s going on in the industry. During the day, I’m a rancher.”

“Sounds like you know what you want out of life.” Kinsey sighed and rested her head against the window. “I just want to be free of Dillon.”

“What about you? You went to Baylor. Did you graduate?”

“I did. With a nursing degree. I worked in pediatric nursing.”

“Did you?”

“For a while. Dillon was still at Baylor when I graduated. When he signed on with the Cowboys, he changed. He said I didn’t need to work and badgered me into quitting.” Kinsey remembered how much she hated staying at home, and how useless she felt. “I loved my job. The kids were great.”

Becket stared at the road ahead. “We leave high school with a lot of dreams and expectations.”

“I figured I’d be happily married by now with one or two kids.” Kinsey snorted.

“Same here.” Becket’s lips twisted. “We play the hands we’re dealt. How long have you put up with the abuse?”

“Too long.” Kinsey stared out the window. “The beatings started when he signed on with the NFL. He’d take me to parties. When his teammates paid too much attention to me, he’d get jealous, drink too much, and hit me when we got back to our place.”

“Why didn’t you leave him then?”

“In the morning, he’d apologize and promise not to do it again.” Her lip pulled back in a sneer. “But, he did. Eventually, he stopped taking me to the parties.” Her life would have been so different had she left him the first time he hit her. She’d been a fool to believe he would stop.

“Couldn’t you have gone to your family?”

“Each time I mentioned leaving, Dillon flew into a rage and threatened to kill me. Then he took away my car. He said it was for my own good. The car was too old, and needed too much work to drive.” At first, Kinsey had thought his action was out of concern for her safety. But her checkbook and credit cards disappeared, and he blamed her for being careless, forcing her to live off whatever pittance of cash he gave her. Without a job, she had no income and became a prisoner in Dillon’s home. “He told me I was a terrible driver and shouldn’t be on the road. That I’d probably end up crashing into someone.”

“The man’s a dick.”

“Tell me about it.” Kinsey bit her lip to keep it from trembling. “I think part of the reason he stopped me from driving was that I’d go to visit my parents. Like he was jealous of how much I loved them, and liked spending time at home. By taking away my car, he left me with no way of getting there. Mom and Dad came up to visit me in Dallas when they could, but after they left, Dillon would stomp around the house, sullen and angry. He’d accuse me of being a mama’s girl. If I defended myself, he hit me.”

“Your parents were good people,” Becket said. “I was sorry to hear of the accident.”

Tears slipped from Kinsey’s eyes. “They were on their way to visit me, since I couldn’t go to them. I think they knew I was in trouble.”

“Why didn’t you tell them what was going on?”

“I was embarrassed, ashamed, and scared. By then, Dillon was my world. I didn’t think I had any other alternatives. And he swore he loved me.”

“He had a lousy way of showing it,” Becket said through tight lips.

She agreed. Along with the physical abuse, Dillon heaped enough mental and verbal abuse on Kinsey, she’d started to believe him.

You’re not smart enough to be a nurse. You’ll kill a kid with your carelessness, he’d say.

When her parents died, she’d stumbled around in a fog of grief. Dillon coerced her into signing a power of attorney, allowing him to settle their estate. Before she knew what he’d done, he’d sold her parents’ property, lock, stock and barrel, without letting her go through any of their things. He’d put the money in his own account, telling her it was a joint account. She never saw any of the money—never had access to the bank.

Several times over the past few months, she had considered leaving him. But with her parents gone, no money to start over, and no one to turn to, she’d hesitated.

Then, a month ago, he’d beaten her so badly she’d been knocked unconscious. When she came to, she knew she had to get out before he killed her. She stole change out of Dillon’s drawer, only a little at a time so he wouldn’t notice. After a couple weeks, she had enough for a tank of gas.

Dillon settled into a pattern of drinking, beating her, and passing out. She used the hours he was unconscious to scour the house in search of her keys. She’d begun to despair, thinking he’d thrown them away. Until last night. He’d gone out drinking with his teammates. When he’d arrived home, he’d gone straight to the refrigerator for another beer. He’d forgotten he’d finished off the last bottle the night before and blamed her for drinking the beer. With no beer left in the house, he reached for the whiskey.

With a sickening sense of the inevitable, Kinsey braced herself, but she was never prepared when he started hitting. This time, when he passed out, she’d raided his pockets and the keychain he guarded carefully. On it was the key to her car.

Grabbing the handful of change she’d hoarded, she didn’t bother packing clothes, afraid if she took too long, he’d wake before she got her car started and out of the shed.

Heart in her throat, she’d pried open the shed door and climbed into her dusty old vehicle. She’d stuck the key in the ignition, praying it would start. Dillon had charged the battery and started the car the week before, saying it was time to sell it. Hopefully, the battery had retained its charge.

On her second attempt, she pumped the gas pedal and held her breath. The engine groaned, and by some miracle it caught, coughed, and sputtered to life.

Before she could chicken out, before Dillon could stagger through the door and drag her out of the vehicle, she’d shoved the gear shift into reverse and backed out of the shed, scraping her car along the side of Dillon’s pristine four-wheel drive pickup, and bounced over the curb onto the street.

She’d made it out, and she wasn’t going back.

Chapter Two

‡

Becket drove around behind the house and parked close to the back porch. He wasn’t sure who would be at the ranch house.

“I really think this is a bad idea,” Kinsey said. “You have a big family. The more people who know where I am, the more likely the information will get leaked.”

“You can trust my family. If I tell them to keep mum about you being here, I guarantee they will.”

“What are Rider, Chance, and Nash doing these days?”

Becket dropped down from his pickup and rounded to her side, opening the door before answering. “As I mentioned, Rider’s into cars. He bought an auto repair shop in Hellfire. He works long hours, so he rarely comes out to the ranch, preferring to stay at his apartment over the shop. When he doesn’t have his head under a hood, he’s pretty handy at day trading. But if you ask him, he’ll tell you he prefers working with his hands, restoring vintage cars and motorcycles.”

“He always did like tinkering with the equipment.” Kinsey grinned. “Your father would get so mad when he’d come looking for his chainsaw, tractor, or riding lawn mower. Rider usually had them torn into pieces. He always managed to put them back together, though.”

“And they ran better.” Becket grabbed her around the waist and swung her to the ground.

Kinsey’s face blanched and she swayed, bracing a hand on his chest.

Becket slipped an arm around her and held Kinsey against him. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah.” She gave him a wan smile. “Just a little dizzy. What is Chance up to?”

“He’s one of the few full-time firefighters and EMTs at the Hellfire Fire Department.”

She glanced up at him. “They have a full-time staff now? Wasn’t it all volunteer?”

“The town’s population has grown. People are moving out of the cities, wanting a simpler life away from the rat race.”

“Yeah, but that much?”

“You’d be surprised. In the last year, we’ve added a new grocery store, a small shopping center, a florist, and two new restaurants.” He chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “We even have a massage parlor.”

“Hellfire’s really moving up in the world to afford a full-time fire department.”

“We couldn’t afford a huge full-time staff, so we make do with volunteers, especially when fighting grass fires and structural fires in out of the way places.”

“Like the Coyote Creek Ranch.”

“Exactly.”

“And you’re a volunteer? Or are you full-time, along with full-time ranching and part-time architecture?”

He shook his head. “A volunteer. I have my hands full enough with the ranch and my firm.”

“Then why volunteer?”

“Partly for the training, but mostly to help others. If a fire spreads out of control, the destruction could make it to the ranch. Rather help nip the blaze in the bud before it gets too big to contain.”

Her gaze swept over him, lingering on his chest. “I take it you were training today.”

“What was your first clue?”

“Hmmm.” She held up her hands, smudged black from touching him. “I’d say the fine layer of soot was a dead giveaway.”

“You got it right.” He took her hand and led her toward the house. “We were practicing barn fires.”

Her hand squeezed his. “Sounds hot. And dangerous.”

“It was.”

“What about your sister, Lily? Does she still live at home?”

“She does. She’s a kindergarten teacher in Hellfire. During the summer, she hires out as an au pair and travels around the world with rich families, watching their kids.”

“Where’d she go this summer?”

“She hasn’t gone yet. Lily is in Dallas today, purchasing clothes and supplies for her trip to Guatemala to babysit for a rich Spanish banana farmer, who wants her to teach his children English while he and his wife visit relatives in Madrid.”

“Which leaves Senor Sanchez and his wife, Margarita.” Kinsey climbed the steps to the porch. “Margarita made the best tamales.”

“She’s still here, and she still makes great tamales.” Becket opened the back door and held it for Kinsey. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be served sopapillas when they return from San Antonio. Margarita always had a soft spot for you.”

Kinsey’s eyes clouded with tears as she stepped across the threshold into the huge kitchen. “I remember spending so many hours in here, eating lunch and helping her make cookies. I’m sure your parents got tired of feeding me.”

“My parents love kids. Hell, they had five of us. What was one more? They probably thought you were one of us.”

“I miss my folks.”

The sadness in her eyes cut straight through Becket’s heart. “I’m sorry for your loss. The good news is that when my father heard their land went up for sale, he bought it. But, they haven’t had time to do anything with the house or its contents. The place probably looks the same as the last time you visited. With an inch of fine Texas dust.”

“I didn’t know that. That entire time right after their accident was a blur. Dillon never visited my family with me, but he did take me to the funeral and insisted on me giving him power of attorney to handle their estate. He told me the money from the sale of my parent’s place went into paying off the mortgage, and other debts they’d incurred. There wasn’t much left. He said he put the remainder in a joint checking account, but he never gave me access.” Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she brushed them away. “I never had a chance to go through my parents’ things.”

Becket touched her arm. “We can go see the house while you’re here, if you like.”

Squaring her shoulders, Kinsey nodded. “I’d like that.” She glanced around the kitchen, drawing in a deep breath. “Smells like chocolate chip cookies.” Again, her eyes filled.

“I’m sure Margarita left some in the cookie jar. You’re welcome to them.”

She gave him a watery smile. “Thank you for taking me in. I don’t know what else I would have done.”

Becket pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry. Dillon won’t find you here. And if he does, he’ll have to go through me, my brothers, my sister, Pedro, and Margarita to get to you.”

Kinsey laughed, her voice shaky. “And if you and your brothers aren’t scary enough, I saw Lily really mad when she was only ten years old. She scared me back then.”

The smile on Kinsey’s face was the one Becket remembered from when she’d been a leggy fifteen-year-old: happy, carefree, and full of hopes and dreams for the future. It killed him that Kinsey’s boyfriend had physically and mentally abused her into this insecure, frightened woman with bruises and scratches all over her body. “Lily doesn’t put up with crap,” Becket said. “I have a feeling she’d call bullshit on Dillon for what he did. I’ll bet we have to hold her back from going after the bastard.” Like Becket wanted to do. But to do that, he’d have to act against her wishes and reveal where Kinsey was hiding.

Becket couldn’t let the bastard get away with what he’d done. “I’m calling Nash.”

Kinsey touched his arm. “Please, don’t. If he’s still living here, he’ll be home soon enough. We can talk to him then.”

“I want him to keep an eye out for Dillon. If he shows up in town, I want to know immediately.”

“Dillon won’t be here that soon. My parents have been dead for a while. Hopefully, he won’t think I have anything to come back here for.”

“Why did you come back?” Becket held up a hand. “Not that I want you to leave already, but you don’t have blood relatives here.”

“I don’t know.” She lifted a shoulder. “I just kind-of headed out of Dallas. I had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t even sure what I’d do next. I ended up here.” She twisted the hem of her T-shirt. “I don’t have any money. I would have run out of gas soon, anyway, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m glad the car burned. A fire might be the best way of hiding it, short of pushing the wreck into a ravine.”

Not hardly. “Unfortunately, someone is bound to put together the make and model with the one Dillon will report stolen.”

Kinsey inhaled deeply and let it out. “I’ll be gone by then.”

He tensed. “How? You just said you have no money. Hell, if your clothes were in that car, they’re gone, too.”

She laughed, the sound cold, flat, and without mirth. “I got away with only the clothes on my back. I didn’t dare take the time to pack anything. I brought the only thing I cared about.” Kinsey removed a wrinkled photo from the back pocket of her jeans and held it out.

Becket took the tattered, faded photograph. “A photo of your parents. I would think you would have inherited all of their photos.”

“Dillon claimed the will said everything was to be sold. I don’t remember much from the weeks following the funeral. I think he was glad when they died. Then I was all alone in the world. He didn’t have to be nice anymore. I didn’t have anyone who gave a damn about me, and he knew it.”

Becket didn’t have anything to say that could take away the hurt and pain in Kinsey’s eyes. Instead, he opened his arms.

Kinsey leaned into him, burying her face against his dirty, soot-stained, smelly shirt.

She didn’t seem to mind. Her arms slipped around his waist and she hugged him, clinging to him as though she might be torn away if she loosened her hold. After a while, even Becket couldn’t stand his own smoky smell. “Look, let’s get cleaned up and make a plan of attack for when the others get home. We have to be ready to field their questions, because I know they’ll have some. I’ll call Rider and have him come to the ranch for dinner tonight, as well. Since he lives in town, he might have a better vantage point, should Dillon show up.”

“I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Too late for that.” He kissed her forehead, the touch making his lips tingle. This was the teen who had followed him around like a loyal puppy. Only, she wasn’t a teen anymore. She was a beautiful young woman with all the right curves and long, silky hair a man liked to sink his hands into and tug until she tilted her chin to accept a real kiss.

A groan started up Becket’s throat, and he swallowed hard to keep it from being voiced.

“Is something wrong?” Kinsey blinked up at him.

“No. I’m just thinking. Lily is a lot taller, but she might have some clothes you could borrow.”

“I can wait until she returns from Dallas to ask her.”

“She might decide to stay in Dallas. I’m sure she won’t mind.” He took her hand, strode through the kitchen, and into the front foyer of the century-old two-story ranch house. “Come on, you can have Rider’s room since he’s not using it.”

Becket led her up the stairs and across the upper landing, stopping to open a door. “Make yourself at home. I’ll bring you some clothes.” The room was large, with mahogany furniture and a tasteful navy, cream, and brown comforter spread across the queen-size bed.

He moved down the hallway to another door. “I’m in the room next to you, if you need anything, and the bathroom is across the hallway from me.” He pushed open the door to a modest bathroom with two vanity sinks and a separate room for the shower and toilet. “Towels, shampoo, and soap are in the cabinet.”

“You should go first.”

“There’s a shower in the master suite I can use. I’ll lay Lily’s clothes on the vanity in here. Give me a few minutes’ head start. I don’t want to touch anything until I scrub off the black.” He grinned, white teeth standing out in his soot-covered face.

Kinsey ducked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving it unlocked. She loaded her arms with a towel, washcloth, shampoo, and soap and entered the inner bathroom to find a tub-shower combination. Since she guessed Becket would take longer to wash the soot off his body, Kinsey filled the tub and dropped a fragrant bath oil bead she’d found in the cabinet into the water. Locking the inner door, she slipped out of her smoky dirty jeans, shirt, bra, and panties. A lump formed in her throat. The pathetic pile of clothes was all the worldly goods she possessed.

How would she start over if she didn’t have money, clothes to interview in, or a vehicle to get her to and from a job? She couldn’t rely on the Graysons forever. Her stay at the Coyote Creek Ranch could only be temporary.

Maybe she could go to San Antonio or Houston, and find a women’s shelter willing to take her in. Of course, first she’d have to get to there. Hitchhiking was dangerous, but her only choice with no money for food or transportation.

All the possibilities tumbled through her thoughts, making her body tense and her belly knot with the magnitude of what she’d done. No matter what, she vowed not to go back to Dillon. Her body and mind couldn’t take any more of his abuse.

Forcing the trauma of the last twenty-four hours out of her system, she settled into the warmth of the tub, allowing the water and the heavenly scent to soothe her ravaged soul. She leaned back and relaxed, letting the warm water loosen her muscles.

Her mind drifted to Becket. He was every bit as handsome as he’d been when she was a kid. Even more so. His shoulders had broadened, and his face had weathered with the sun and age. Those blue eyes were the same, and his crisp blond hair had grown longer.

His wife had been a fool, leaving him for another man.

Kinsey had to admit, she still carried a spark of her teenage crush inside. But having just left a really bad relationship, she was in no shape to start a new one.

A wash of dread threatened to spoil her soak in the tub.

Dillon wouldn’t let her go easily. He’d find a way to make her look unhinged, claim that she cried wolf about abuse. He had the money and the connections to make discredit her. Kinsey’s hand sluiced through the water, landing on her bruised rib. She winced, her resolve strengthening.

She refused to go back. Dillon might love her in his twisted, sick way, but she wasn’t strong enough to fend off his blows. One day, he might swing a little too hard and kill her. Whatever love she’d had for him had died over the past year. She was glad she hadn’t married the man, or had children with him. Her heart pinched. Kinsey couldn’t imagine a child brought up in such an abusive environment. Now that she was away from him, she could see all the damage he’d done. It would be a long time before she trusted another man claiming to love her.

When the water began to cool, she pulled the plug and stood in the tub, turned on the shower, and washed her thick black hair. She’d have it cut soon. Short. Dillon hated short hair on women. Kinsey had kept her hair shoulder-length through high school and grew it out in college, more because she didn’t have time to find a good stylist.

Dillon had loved running his hands through its length. Then, when the beatings began, he used her hair to control her, grabbing it and yanking her around, slamming her into the walls and furniture.

If she couldn’t get it cut soon, she’d hack it off herself. Kinsey would never let a man use it against her again.

She dried off, wrapped the towel around her body, and opened the door.

Becket stood in the room with the sink, placing a handful of clothes on the vanity. He wore only a pair of jeans. Scrubbed free of the layer of black, he looked more like the old Becket she remembered. Darkly tanned skin from hours working shirtless in the sun, his blond hair slicked back, curling on the ends around his broad shoulders, he was the kind of handsome that took a girl’s breath away.

At this moment, Kinsey struggled to breathe.

Becket smiled. “I hope some of this will fit.”

Her pulse fluttered, and her core tightened at the way his presence filled a room. Sure, Dillon was an NFL quarterback. Although his body was rock solid and muscular, she’d quit thinking of him as attractive. He’d used his strength to inflict harm on her.

Becket’s warm smile and blue eyes didn’t scare her like Dillon’s dark eyes and intimidating glare. “Thank you.”

His smile fading, Becket stepped closer.

Kinsey backed away, clutching the towel tighter.

His jaw tight, Becket stopped. “I’m sorry. I just noticed the bruises on your shoulders. He really did a number on you, didn’t he?”

She nodded, pain fading in a surprising flare of desire. Naked beneath the towel, she only had to open it toward him. But who would want a woman with ugly red marks and deep purple bruises all over her body?

Becket’s head moved back and forth slowly. “We need to get you to the clinic in Hellfire and have them record the bruises. You’ll need that kind of documentation when you file for a restraining order.”

Her grip on the towel tightened. “I told you, I don’t want him to know I’m here.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t run forever. Dillon doesn’t own everyone in the state. I know a good attorney in town. She can help you, and she’ll keep your case confidential.”

Kinsey’s first instinct was to stay beneath the radar. Dillon couldn’t find her. But Becket was right. She had to make sure Dillon never got his hands on her again. “Okay. But only the lawyer.”

He winced. “She might want you to visit the clinic in town.”

Her stomach roiled. Having only just escaped, she didn’t want to be dragged back into Dillon’s control. “I don’t know.”

Becket gave her a brief smile. “Let’s take it one step at a time. Get dressed. We’ll go see Natalie.”

“Natalie?”

“Natalie Rhoades. The attorney.” Becket backed out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed as he retreated. “Can you be ready in ten minutes?”

“I can be ready in five.”

Becket’s smile broadened. “That’s the Kinsey I remember. Always ready to go on her next adventure.” He winked and left her in the bathroom.

Kinsey snorted. She would be ready in five minutes because she didn’t have a blow dryer or makeup. Not that she normally did much with her hair. Besides, it took too long to dry it.

She dressed quickly in the clothing Becket provided. Apparently, Lily had grown quite a bit from the ten-year-old Kinsey remembered. The jeans were four inches too long and loose around her waist and hips. Thankfully, the belt Becket brought helped keep them from falling off. Rolling the hem of the legs kept her from tripping over them. The shirt was long, but tight across her breasts. Though petite, Kinsey had an ample bosom, one of the things that had attracted Dillon in the first place. If she could change them, she would. He’d pinched, bit, and squeezed them until she’d wished she were flat-chested, like in her early teens.

After she tied the tails of the blouse at her waist and rolled up the sleeves to her wrists, she gathered her dirty clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.

Becket stood in the hallway, a telephone receiver against his ear. He nodded to acknowledge her, but continued his conversation. “We’ll be there in twenty minutes. Thanks for seeing us on short notice.” When he hung up, he swept his gaze over her from head to toe.

Kinsey’s body warmed.

“We definitely have to find clothes that fit you better. Lily’s a lot taller.”

“I’m just grateful I have clothes. Is it possible to put mine in the washer before we leave?”

“Absolutely.” He showed her to the laundry room off the other end of the kitchen.

Kinsey settled her jeans and T-shirt in the tub, added detergent from a box on a shelf, and switched on the washer. She turned to leave and stopped short.

Becket was leaning against the doorframe, his gaze on her. “We’ll pick up some items in town.”

“I don’t have any money,” Kinsey said. “And I won’t accept charity. The clothes I’m wearing now are a loan.”

“You have to have something that fits. Let me loan you some money until you’re on your feet.”

Kinsey frowned. She didn’t like being beholden to anyone, but she didn’t have a choice. “Is there anything I can do around the ranch? I’ll earn my keep.”

“I really can afford to spare a few dollars, but if it makes you feel better, you can help me with some of the ranch chores.”

“Thanks.” She nodded, tension easing from her body. “I don’t want to be a problem, or mooch off you and your family.”

“Darlin’, you’re not a problem. Seems your ex-boyfriend is the issue here.”

“Yeah, but by coming here, he becomes your problem, as well as mine.”

Becket raised his hand. “Don’t. I’ll take my chances.”

“What about the rest of your family?”

“Ask them tonight, when they come home.”

Kinsey chewed on her bottom lip. Becket had a lot of siblings. That meant a lot of people would know her secret. Having grown up with them, she knew they could be trusted. “Fair enough.”

“Now, let’s go see Natalie.”

She followed Becket to the back door.

Before opening it, he reached for his cowboy hat on the rack nailed to the wall. He settled it onto his head before reaching for another. “This one is my mother’s, and she won’t mind if you use it. It’ll hide part of your features when we’re going through town.”

She wound her hair up on top of her head and settled the hat over it. With the different clothes and the hat, Kinsey relaxed a little. Hopefully, Dillon wouldn’t recognize her if he’d managed to follow her to Hellfire.

Chapter Three

‡

Twenty minutes later, Kinsey stood in Natalie Rhoades’ office. Becket waited outside while she showed Natalie the bruises Dillon had inflicted.

Natalie’s brows dipped into a low V over the bridge of her nose as she snapped pictures with a camera. “The man should be shot. I’ll have my contacts in Dallas file the paperwork for a restraining order before the close of business today. They will have them served today or tomorrow.”

“Can he trace the documents back to Hellfire?”

“There is a possibility. You need to go to the clinic and have a doctor examine you, preferably with a female police officer there to record the evidence.” When Kinsey started to shake her head, Natalie held up a staying hand. “You have to file charges eventually. Otherwise, his attack will never go on his record. If you don’t take action for you, you should do it for any other woman he decides to beat up. The man is a monster.”

“What if it was just me who brought out the worst in him?” Kinsey asked. “He didn’t start beating me until well after we’d been living together for a year.”

“When did you move in with him?” Natalie asked.

“Two years ago.” And, to think, she’d been happy to have the love and attention of a handsome NFL football player.

“When did he start hitting you?”

“Things got tense after a party with his teammates. But they didn’t get really bad until right after my parents were killed in a car accident, a year ago.”

“Do you have any other family?” the lawyer asked.

Kinsey shook her head. “I was an only child of parents who were only children. Their deaths left me alone. Things were getting tense during the football season. I think the pressure of the games got to him. And coming home to me made him even more stressed.”

Natalie reached for one of Kinsey’s hands. “No amount of stress excuses anyone from beating another human. You did the right thing by leaving. Now, let me help you by filing that restraining order.”

“I can’t pay you.” Kinsey held out her hands, palms up. “I have nothing.”

“The filing’s on me. Gratis.” Natalie smiled. “Say the word, and I could sue him for damages. You’d have a good case.”

Kinsey shook her head. “I don’t want anything from Dillon.”

“At the very least, you need enough to get started.”

Kinsey chewed on her bottom lip. “I just want to be done with Dillon, once and for all.” She didn’t think suing for damages would be as simple as filing a restraining order. Dillon held on tight to what he believed was his property. She sighed. “I don’t want to be a burden to the Graysons.”

Natalie laughed. “They have so many siblings, they won’t notice another person among them. Besides, Becket’s looking out for you. He’s all heart, the big softy.” The lawyer leaned closer. “But don’t tell him I said so. He’d deny that label to his grave.” She led Kinsey to the door and opened it.

Becket paced the carpet in front of the receptionist’s desk. When he turned and spotted them, he strode across the floor and stopped in front of Kinsey. “Well?”

“She’s got a good case against Mr. Massey,” Natalie said. “We need to get her to the clinic for a thorough evaluation and make sure no other injuries we can’t see exist. Plus, they’ll do a better job of medically documenting than I can. She’ll need a female law officer to assist.”

Becket’s lips quirked. “I’m glad you had more luck convincing her than I did.”

“I’ll go,” Kinsey said. “If, by revealing what happened to me, I can save another woman from Dillon’s abuse, I have to do this.” She trembled and crossed her arms over her middle. “Like you said, I can’t run forever.”

“And you’re surrounded by people who know and love you, here in Hellfire,” Natalie added with a brief touch to her arm.

Kinsey wasn’t so sure about the love part, but many of the people in Hellfire knew her from when she grew up there. Stuffing her hair into her hat, she pulled the brim down low on her forehead. Even though she’d agreed to go to the clinic, the longer Dillon took to find her, the better. The restraining order would take time to make it through the channels and be served to Dillon. Until then, she wasn’t advertising the fact she was back in Hellfire.

An hour later, after the humiliation of showing her body to members of the Hellfire Clinic staff and having pictures taken of parts she hadn’t exposed in public since she was an infant, Kinsey was both physically and emotionally drained. Dressed in the oversized clothes again with her hair hidden in the cowboy hat, she left the clinic with Becket. “Could we go back to the ranch?” she asked, pulling the hat brim low as they drove through town.

“After one more stop to get you some clothes.”

“Only if we go to a resale shop. I don’t know when I can pay you back, and I don’t want to start a new life in debt.”

“Okay.” Becket doubled back and turned off Main Street onto one of the side streets, stopping in front of a building. The sign read WOMEN’S SHELTER THRIFT SHOP. “I’d rather take you to one of the other shops on Main Street.”

“This is perfect.”

Becket circled the truck and opened her door.

She hesitated, needing to be clear about this purchase. “I’ll pay back every dollar, as soon as I get a job. I promise.”

“You don’t have to.” Becket held out his hand.

Kinsey laid her hand in his. “Maybe not, but I will.” His blue-eyed gaze captured hers as she stepped down from the truck. She missed the running board and fell into Becket’s arms.

He caught her and held her against his chest until she could get her feet under her. “Are you okay?”

A dull ache shot through her middle. Her heart beat so hard against her ribs, she couldn’t catch her breath. Kinsey rested her hands against Becket’s chest, her cheeks heating. “I’m sorry, I’m so clumsy.”

“No, you’re fine. Falling happens to everyone.” His voice was soft, low, and rumbled in his chest, warming her where her breasts pressed against him.

Falling is a very bad idea. She reminded herself she was just getting out of a relationship. Becket was a good-looking man. If she got involved with him—which she wouldn’t—he’d be a rebound relationship. Not something that would last. Realizing they were far too close to each other, she pushed against him. “I’ll hurry.”

“Take your time and get all you need.”

Kinsey selected two pairs of jeans, a couple pairs of shorts, several blouses and T-shirts and headed for a dressing room in the back corner. The items fit a lot better than those borrowed from Lily’s closet. When she’d finished trying them on, she opened the door to the dressing room.

Becket was there with two dresses and a pair of red cowboy boots.

“What are those for?” she asked, frowning. “I have all I need.”

“If you want to interview for jobs, you’ll need something a little dressier than jeans.” He handed her a hunter green dress. “This one matches your eyes.” He also gave her a soft gray business suit jacket and skirt. “I guessed on the sizes.”

Touched by his thoughtfulness, Kinsey handed him the jeans and shirts and stepped back into the dressing room with the dress and suit. She would need dressy clothes for interviewing. The sooner she found a job, the sooner she’d have money to pay back Becket.

The dress and suit fit perfectly. For guessing, Becket was right on. Back in her oversized clothes, she emerged from the dressing room, selected a nightgown to add to the pile and joined Becket at the checkout counter, where he paid for her purchases. Thankfully, the total wasn’t horrible. Glad she’d insisted on the thrift shop, she took the bag of gently used items and left, feeling a little more hopeful about starting over. “Thank you, Becket. I’ll keep a total of what I owe you, and I’ll pay you back as soon as possible.”

“Take your time. You’ve been through a lot.” He took the bag from her and settled it on the back seat. “I’m just happy you came to us.”

Kinsey climbed into the truck and waited for Becket to slip into the driver’s seat. “About that…”

“About what?”

“That thrift shop supports a women’s shelter. I didn’t know Hellfire had one.”

“Along with the growth in population, there was an increase in battered women. The Ladies Aide Society set one up for the county.”

Though she didn’t relish the idea, she had to offer it to Becket. “Rather than inconveniencing you and your family, I should go to the shelter.”

“No.”

The one word was spoken with such finality, Kinsey was hesitant to continue. But she did, determined not to be a burden on the Graysons. “It would make more sense than sponging off you.”

“You’re not inconveniencing or sponging off us. You are part of the family.” He reached across the seat and gripped her hand. “If Dillon comes looking, who will protect you?”

“Surely, the shelter has security measures in place.”

“I don’t trust they would be good enough. Tell you what, let the rest of the family weigh in. If they want you to stay, this topic won’t be brought up again. Okay?”

Kinsey stared at where their hands connected. Electric currents like she hadn’t felt in so long coursed through her arm, into her chest, and lower. Staying with Becket Grayson was a terrible idea. That crush she’d had on him so many years ago hadn’t gone away completely. In fact, the feelings were getting stronger the more she was with him.

The thought of Dillon finding her raised gooseflesh on her skin. She would feel better protected with the Graysons than on her own with strangers at the shelter.

“Okay.” She aimed a hard glance his way. “But if they want me to go, I’m going. No argument.”

He let go of her hand and turned the key in the ignition. “No argument.” Becket’s lips quirked upward on the sides. “I’ve even invited Rider to the house to have a say. He’s also in a position to keep an eye and ear open for strangers in town. His shop is just off Main Street, but the diner is right next door. He sees just about everyone who comes in and out.”

Back at the ranch, Becket left Kinsey in the laundry room and retreated to the barn where he mucked the soiled shavings from the stalls, and then fed and watered the horses, cattle, and chickens. He’d needed the space. After spending the morning with Kinsey, he was feeling things he shouldn’t. Every time he touched her, he couldn’t deny the jolt of fire that raced through his system, igniting desire he’d long thought buried with his divorce.

Kinsey had grown into a beautiful young woman. Though he could still see the same girl inside her, she was mature now, all the curves filled in and stunning. Why did she have to grow up? Perhaps he should have taken her to the women’s shelter. At least there, she would have a place to stay and get back on her feet. He wouldn’t be tempted by the woman who’d been like a kid sister.

No. Becket would have been on edge the entire time, wondering if Dillon would find her there and take her back to Dallas and her life of hell.

He had to control his increasing desire and be the big brother, even if what he felt was anything but brotherly. Add the fact she was just getting out of an abusive relationship, and he would be in way over his head. Kinsey needed time to recover.

He was filling a trough with water in one of the pastures that led off the corner of the barn when Kinsey joined him, wearing Lily’s jeans tucked into the bright red cowboy boots. Because of her petite body, she looked like a little girl in big-girl clothes. Vulnerable and beautiful. The sexy full lips and the swell of her breasts made Becket reevaluate the little-girl image. He found himself wanting to touch his mouth to hers to ascertain whether her lips were as soft and responsive as they appeared.

She stuck her hands in her back pockets and rocked on her heels. “Could I help you with something?”

Her movement strained the fabric over her breasts.

Becket groaned. You could go away and let my life return to normal.

“Everything’s covered,” he said. “All I had left was filling the trough.”

“What time does your family come home?”

“It varies. They should all be here after seven.”

“If you don’t mind, I can cook dinner.”

“You don’t have to cook. I can have Chance pick up something at the diner in town.”

“I don’t mind. I’m quite good at it.” She laughed. “I had to be, to please Dillon.”

“Well, you don’t have to cook for us. We’re pretty good at fending for ourselves.”

“I noticed some chicken in the freezer. I could thaw it out and make a big pot of chicken and dumplings.”

Becket’s mouth watered. “Margarita usually does the cooking, but with her and Pedro visiting family in San Antonio, and Mom and Dad in Hawaii, we’ve been eating out or making pancakes for dinner.”

Kinsey grinned. “Then let me do the cooking tonight.”

“You don’t have to twist my arm.” He winked. “When do you have to start?”

“Soon.”

“I’ll help.” He turned off the hose and wiped his wet hands on his jeans.

Kinsey’s brows puckered. “I’m not making pancakes.”

“I know.” He closed the barn door and waved his hand toward the house. “After you.”

As they walked, Becket admitted, “I’ve helped Margarita in the kitchen a time or two. Lately, I’ve been too busy, and she shoos me out. Since I took the day off of mending fences and mowing fields to fight fires, I can help out.”

“Okay. But maybe after you shower again.” Kinsey laughed, waving a hand in front of her nose. “You smell.”

Becket laughed, too. “I could always trust you to call it as it is.” Not only was she beautiful, she was the same Kinsey he remembered inside—honest, funny, and caring.

If he ever ran into Dillon, he’d wring the man’s neck. Anyone who’d hurt this woman was one sick bastard.

Kinsey got the chicken boiling with the onions, carrots, celery, and broth, and Becket pulled out the other ingredients and supplies needed to roll out the dough for dumplings.

For such a large kitchen, the space seemed to shrink with Becket in it. Every time she turned around, Kinsey bumped into him. She rinsed a knife in the sink and dried it off. Then she turned, and Becket was right there, reaching over her head for something in the cabinet behind her.

“Sorry,” he said, his breath warm in her hair. “I thought we could use something to drink. It’s getting kind of…” he paused with the glass in his hand, “…hot in here.”

Kinsey’s heated cheeks and body were proof of that. But the air conditioning did nothing to quench the fire inside. “Umm, do you know how to make the dumplings?”

“I believe I have everything you want on the counter.”

Everything I want? Kinsey could think of other things besides flour and rolling pins. “Okay, I can roll out the dough.”

“Show me what to do, and I’ll do it.” Becket stood where he was without moving, blocking her escape.

Her pulse humming through her body, Kinsey was tempted to lean into him. But having escaped one man, she didn’t think she was ready to start anything with another—no matter how tempting Becket was. “You could start by letting me get past you.”

He tilted his head, a smile playing across his lips. “You’re not like I remembered.”

Neither are you. “Not the skinny kid following you and your brothers all over the ranch?”

“No.” His gaze seared a path down her length. “Not the gangly teen. You’ve filled out in all the right places.”

Her body tingled everywhere his glance lingered, and Kinsey hiked her brows. “Sounds like a line.”

“No line. Just the truth.” He stepped back and waved to the counter with the ingredients for dumplings. “Show me.”

Hands trembling, she measured flour and shortening into a bowl and cut it together, then added water. Once she had it all mixed into a big, doughy ball, she turned to Becket. “If you want to help, you can sprinkle flour on the pastry sheet.”

He grabbed a handful of flour and dusted the sheet. “Like this?” When he finished, he tossed some at her.

It hit her square in the face, spreading white powder all over her nose and cheeks. She blinked for several seconds, then nodded calmly and set the round ball of dough on the pastry sheet. Without remarking on the flour in the face, she dipped her fingers into the flour canister. “When you roll out the dough, you have to dust your rolling pin to keep it from sticking.” She sprinkled the flour on the rolling pin, and then tossed some at Becket’s face. Her shot missed and landed in his hair, sliding down the side of his head into his ear. He looked so ludicrous, the sight made Kinsey giggle.

He nodded. Straight-faced. “I see. Perhaps we should roll out the dough.” Becket stepped closer, took the pin from her, and rolled it across the big ball, barely making a dent.

“You have to be firm with it.” Kinsey laid her hands over his, pressed the pin into the pastry, and rolled it flatter. He smelled good, like soap, aftershave, and male. The white flour in his hair made him more approachable, fun-loving, and somehow younger than the oldest Grayson brother. He’d changed—grown older, matured, and become the responsible, potential head of the family in the intervening years—and she liked him even more than she had as that young teen. If only she hadn’t just come from the disaster of Dillon.

Flour hit her smack in the face again. Kinsey wiped at the white stuff and sneezed. “Hey. We were even up to that point. Now it’s game on.” She grabbed a handful and threw. This time her aim was true, and the bulk of the flour hit him in the face.

Kinsey clapped her hands and giggled. “Ha! Gotcha that time.”

“You realize that no good aim goes unpunished.” Another puff of flour exploded on her forehead.

“You’re making a mess of the kitchen,” she warned, opening a cabinet door to block his next assault. “Someone has to clean this up.” Kinsey let down her guard for a second. More flour exploded on her shoulder. “That’s it. Gloves come off. It’s time for some payback.”

This time, when she saw him scoop a handful of flour, Kinsey ran.

Laughing, Becket gave chase.

Kinsey dodged him, running around the kitchen island.

Becket ran after her, and then switched directions, ending up in front of her.

In her attempt to stop, Kinsey skidded, her feet slipping on the flour coating the floor. “Whoa.” She teetered, and then fell forward.

Fortunately, Becket was there to catch her, pulling her into his arms before she hit the floor.

With Becket’s arms around her, she froze, her breath catching in her lungs. Her breasts pressed against his chest. She’d never felt more excited and confused as at that moment in Becket’s arms. With all her heart, she wished she could stay right where she was, with his strong arms wrapped tightly around her. Safe, secure, and cared for. This was how love was supposed to be. Not controlling, demanding, and painful.

Becket’s gaze burned into hers.

The look made her want things she hadn’t wanted in so long. His mouth was only a couple inches away. Her attention shifted to his full, sexy lips.

“You should laugh more,” he said, his head tipping toward her.

“I needed a reason to laugh.” She stared at his face dotted with flour, her lips curling. “Do you know how ridiculous you look?” She reached up and brushed white powder from his brow, her fingers sliding across his cheek and down to his lips, her gaze following.

“Do you know how sexy you are?” he asked, his voice low and gravely.

Kinsey laughed, feeling surprisingly lighthearted. “Covered in flour?”

“Yeah. Your eyes sparkle, and your mouth makes the prettiest shape when you smile.” He bent closer.

Breath catching in her throat, Kinsey leaned closer, her lips tingling in anticipation of contact with his.

“Are we interrupting something? Or did the pantry explode?” a female voice said.

The moment shattered. And Kinsey sucked in a steadying breath.

Becket straightened, holding onto Kinsey until she was steady on her feet.

Her knees wobbled, but she could stand alone. She pushed away from his arms and turned toward the door.

Lily, Rider, Chance, and Nash stepped into the kitchen.

“So, where’s the fire?” Chance asked.

“Yeah, why the family meeting?” Nash crossed his arms over his chest, his brows dipping.

“And…” Rider waved a hand in her direction. “Who’s the girl?”

Kinsey gulped. Covered in flour, caught in Becket’s arms…

This wasn’t how she pictured her reunion with the Grayson clan.

Chapter Four

‡

Becket ran a hand through his hair, and a puff of white dust flew out in a cloud around him. “No fire, but an issue you should all be aware of.”

“We’re listening,” Nash said.

Turning to Kinsey, Becket took her arm and drew her forward. “You remember Kinsey Philips?”

“Sure, we remember Kinsey.” Nash glanced at Becket, his brows wrinkling. “She was in my high school graduating class.”

“Yeah, she used to ride horses with us.” Rider’s eyes narrowed. “Is that you, Kinsey?”

Kinsey scrubbed the flour from her face, her checks red beneath. “Yeah. It’s me. I was just…um…making chicken and dumplings.”

“Did you have a fight with the chicken?” Chance chuckled. “I think the chicken won.”

Lily stepped past Becket and Kinsey, sniffing. “Is that what smells so good?”

“We were making the dumplings and got a little carried away.” Becket brushed at the front of his shirt.

“I’d say.” Nash glanced around at the flour all over the kitchen. “Mom would have a fit.”

“We’ll clean it up,” Kinsey said.

“The point is…” Becket rested a hand on Kinsey’s shoulder. “Kinsey is staying here for a while.”

“That’s great.” Lily grinned. “It’ll be nice not being the only female in the house.”

“So, why did you call me in?” Rider frowned. “I don’t care if she uses my old room.”

Kinsey nudged Becket. “Tell them.”

Becket nodded. “Kinsey left her ex-boyfriend and expects he might come after her.”

Nash’s brows dipped. “Left your ex-boyfriend?”

“Yeah. The man abused her.” Becket’s lips thinned into a straight line. “She thinks he’ll try to take her back to Dallas.”

Rider braced both hands on his hips. “Like hell he will.”

“Over my dead body,” Lily agreed.

“He’ll have to go through us to get to her,” Chance added.

Becket relaxed a little. “That’s what I thought. I don’t know what the man is capable of, but he’s made a habit of using Kinsey as a punching bag.”

“Have you notified the police?” Nash asked.

Becket filled them in on their trip to the attorney, and the clinic. “Kinsey wanted to disappear, but we’ve convinced her to press charges. A female police officer met with her and the doctor at the clinic. She’ll file the complaint.”

“I want it on Dillon’s record. Maybe by doing so, I’m helping to keep him from hurting another woman.”

Nash shook his head. “Once a wife beater…Damn, Kinsey. I’m sorry this happened to you.”

“Yeah,” Rider agreed. “We all are.”

Lily slipped an arm around Kinsey. “And we’ll do whatever necessary to keep you safe from that bastard.”

“Thanks.” Tears filled Kinsey’s eyes. “I didn’t want to cause you trouble. I just didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“You’re no trouble.” Nash hugged her. “You’re family.”

“That’s right.” Rider walked over to the stove, stirred the pot, and lifted a wooden spoon to his nose. “And I might have to come out to the ranch more often if you’re cooking.”

Relieved by his family’s reaction to Kinsey’s dilemma, Becket waved his hands, herding them toward the door. “Let Kinsey and me clean the mess and finish making the dumplings. We’ll call you for dinner when it’s ready. We can all discuss what to be on the lookout for.”

Lily’s mouth quirked on the corners. “As long as you’re not fighting chickens. We might have to referee.”

Tossing her a glare, Becket pointed to the door. “Get out.”

His siblings chuckled as they left the kitchen.

When Becket turned to Kinsey, he found her chewing on her bottom lip. “What? I told you they’d be on board with looking out for you.”

Kinsey’s eyes filled again. “I don’t want any of them hurt in the process. Dillon’s a big guy, and he’s mean.”

“And we’re not?” Becket puffed out his chest, and then winked. “Come on. Let’s clean and cook. We can discuss our plan later.”

Over a delicious dinner, the Graysons talked about what they could do to keep Kinsey safe. They all agreed to watch for Dillon if he came to town searching, and to let the authorities know. The restraining order would help legally, but from what Kinsey had told them about Dillon, they figured the man would likely ignore the legal document.

After dishes were cleared, Rider left for his apartment in town, Lily and Chance offered to do the dishes, and Nash made one last pass to check on the livestock. Kinsey excused herself to shower off the flour still clinging to her hair and skin.

Becket wandered outside and stood on the porch, staring at the moon without really seeing it. What had he gotten himself into? No matter what, he’d have taken Kinsey in. No one should have to endure what she’d been through. She deserved a better life.

At the same time, he wished for somewhere else she could go. The flour fight in the kitchen had nearly ended in an action he couldn’t have taken back. Her face all covered in flour, her green eyes sparkling, and her lips…so damned kissable.

Despite what she’d suffered at Dillon’s hand, Kinsey was still recovering from a bad situation. She needed time to recuperate, to get over all the trauma of having a man hitting her.

He dropped into one of the matching rocking chairs he and his siblings had given to his parents for their thirty-fifth anniversary. For a man who made decisions and acted on them immediately, he disliked waiting. And the fact he had no control over the situation was doubly frustrating. The legal system had to run its course. Hopefully by the next day, Dillon would be served the restraining order.

Becket also knew a legal document didn’t stop some men. If Massey would break the law by assaulting Kinsey, he’d have no compunction about violating a restraining order. The Graysons had to keep Kinsey safe.

The door opened, and a petite figure stepped out on the porch, barefoot, wearing an oversized T-shirt and not much else. Kinsey. She sat on the steps and leaned her back against the column, legs stretched out in front of her, the moonlight glancing off them.

Becket’s pulse jumped and his groin tightened. He could imagine those legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust—

Holy hell, where was he going with that thought? Not anywhere he should be. For a long time, Becket sat still, drinking in Kinsey’s silhouette, studying the curve of her ankles, her knees, the way her hair fell down her back in soft waves.

Kinsey drew her legs close, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knees. Her shoulders shook.

If Becket wasn’t mistaken, he heard a sniffle. His chest clenched, and he listened harder.

Her sniffle was followed by another.

Kinsey reached up and wiped her hand across her cheek.

Becket rose from the rocker and crossed to where she sat.

Kinsey gasped and twisted around. “Oh, Becket. I didn’t see you.” She started to rise. “I’ll go back inside.”

“No.” He touched a hand to her shoulder. “Please stay.” He dropped down beside her.

She laughed, the sound catching on a sob. “I’m sorry. I just can’t stop. I haven’t cried this much since my parents died.”

“Maybe it’s time you did.” He slipped an arm around her.

Kinsey leaned into him. “I refused to cry when Dillon hit me. Showing weakness seemed to give him more power over me.”

Becket’s arm tightened around her back. “He’s a bastard and a coward. Any man who hits a woman is lower than snake spit.”

Her body stiffened against him. Then her shoulders trembled and shook.

At first, Becket thought she was sobbing again. Then he heard her chuckle.

“Snake spit?” The laughter bubbled up and caught on a hiccup. “Is there such a thing?” She looked up at him, moonlight glinting off her watery eyes.

He couldn’t get past the eyes and lips to form a functional thought or sentence. “What?”

Kinsey slid her tongue across her bottom lip, her gaze dropping to Becket’s mouth. “What?”

Becket swallowed a groan and fought to keep from closing the few short inches between them to steal a kiss.

Just one kiss.

Kinsey’s fingers curled into his shirt, and then flattened on his chest. With a jerk, she pushed to her feet. “I’m sorry. I’m taking advantage of your kindness. I’ve already been a burden and stolen way too much of your time.”

Becket rose and grabbed her hand. “You’re no burden, and you can’t steal what I give freely.” He pulled her back into his arms. “I wish this wasn’t happening to you, but I’m glad you came here.”

She touched his chest, but didn’t look up into his eyes. “Thank you.”

The sound of a telephone ringing disturbed the quiet of the night.

“I’d better go to bed, if I plan on helping with the morning chores.” She turned and entered the house.

Chance stood in the hallway, the cordless phone pressed to his ear.

Kinsey passed him and climbed the stairs.

Becket started to follow, but Chance snagged his arm. “Wait. There’s a fire at the Double Diamond Ranch.”

Becket’s attention switched to his brother and the conversation on the phone.

When Chance hung up, he sighed. “I just got off duty, but they’re calling for all volunteers to head that way.”

“What kind of fire?”

“Barn fire.”

“Damn. The Double Diamond has at least thirty thoroughbreds. I hope they got them out.”

“It’s a big barn,” Chance said, with a shake of his head. “With conditions as dry as they are, the house and other outbuildings are at risk.”

“Are you going?” Becket asked.

“Yeah. If I’m not needed, I’ll come home. Better to throw too many people at it than not enough. The pump truck and engine have been dispatched and should be there in the next ten minutes.”

“On it.” Becket took the stairs two at a time.

Kinsey stood at the top of the landing, a frown marring her brow. “What’s wrong?”

Becket didn’t slow, calling out as he passed, “Fire at the Double Diamond.”

“Is there anything I can do?” She followed him to the door of his room.

He yanked off his good shirt, and then pulled an old T-shirt over his head. “We can always use someone to staff the relief station and hand out drinking water.” He paused and raised his brows. “Unless you want to see me in my underwear, I suggest you go put on some clothes. You can ride along.”

Kinsey spun and darted out of his doorway.

By the time Becket had changed into old jeans and pulled on his cowboy boots, he spotted Kinsey waiting in the hallway, wearing a pair of jeans from the thrift store.

Though in a hurry, Becket couldn’t help but notice how much better they hugged her curves.

She was hopping on one foot, pulling on a red cowboy boot. When she straightened, she tucked the big T-shirt into the waistband of her jeans. “Ready.”

Becket ran down the stairs, Kinsey behind him.

Nash and Chance were on the back porch, gathering personal protective equipment from hooks on the wall—fire resistant jackets, pants, boots, and helmets. They headed for Nash’s truck, climbed in, and sped away.

Becket grabbed his gear and tossed Kinsey the helmet with a wink. “Make yourself useful.”

She caught the helmet and ran to keep up with him. “Yes, sir.”

“Hey, wait for me.” Lily ran out the back door, wearing old jeans and a faded shirt. She grabbed the last set of gear and hurried to climb in the back seat of Becket’s truck.

“How long have you all been volunteer firefighters?”

“I joined the club after I finished college.” Becket tipped his head to the rear. “Lily joined last year. She’s still a rookie.”

“Hey. I’ve been on several fires now.”

Becket winked. “She’s still a rookie.”

Lily whacked the back of his head with her palm. “And you’re a pain in the ass.”

The rest of the ride to the Double Diamond was completed in relative silence. Until Becket saw the fire, he didn’t know what to expect. It might already be out by the time he got there.

As he pulled through the gates of the Double Diamond, he got his answer. The bright orange flame rising into the indigo night was the first clue the fire wasn’t out, and it might take a little longer to get the blaze under control.

Becket wondered if he’d brought Kinsey into a danger she was ill prepared to handle.

Kinsey sat silent in the seat beside Becket, one hand clutching the door handle. As they neared the ranch house and barn, she tipped her head, following the flames into the night sky where embers spewed like so many fireworks.

Her heart beat faster as the truck pulled to a halt beside others. Dark figures moved close to the fire, stretching a hose from a fire engine to a huge box-like pool being unfolded and filled with the water from a tanker truck.

Becket turned to Kinsey. “Stay back with the other support staff. Don’t get near the firemen, or the fire. You don’t want to get run over or burned.” He reached behind the seat and unearthed a baseball cap. “Cover your hair, you don’t want an ember to set it on fire.”

“Will do.” She stuffed her hair into the cap.

Becket dropped out of the truck, pulled on his protective gear and helmet, and then loped toward the others.

Kinsey eased to the ground and walked toward a group of women standing back from the fire. A table had been set up, and folding chairs were lined up around it. A huge insulated jug sat on the table with disposable cups. Glancing back at the action, Kinsey lost track of which man was Becket. They all looked similar, dressed in the heavy, fire-retardant trousers and jackets.

When the box-shaped pool was full, the tanker drove out of the barnyard and back down the road leading off the ranch. The man who’d unrolled the hose dropped it into the water, waved and shouted to the others manning the fire engine.

Other firefighters held onto a hose leading from the engine to the barn. As soon as the man at the engine turned on the pump, the hose inflated, and water spewed out onto the fire.

“Are you with one of the Graysons?” an older woman asked. She wore a cowboy hat, jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt.

“I am.” Kinsey held out a hand. “Kinsey Phillips.”

The older woman shook the proffered hand. “Brenda Welsh.” Mouth pinched in a tight line, she nodded toward the burning building. “That’s our barn.”

“I’m so sorry.” Kinsey glanced around at everything visible in the light from the raging fire. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You can help with the drinks. When the men get too hot, they switch out. It’ll be a while before they come our way. In the meantime, if you see an ember burning on the ground, stomp it out, or soak one of these burlap sacks in water from this trough and beat it out.” She handed Kinsey a burlap sack and gave her a twisted smile. “Nothing like disaster to bring a community together, right?”

Kinsey grabbed one of the burlap sacks and soaked it in the water from a horse trough. Then the wind shifted toward them. Burning embers fell from the sky, landing on the dry grass and starting spot fires. Kinsey raced around the yard, batting at the mini-fires with the wet burlap sack or stomping them out with her boots. The wind shifted again, and Kinsey walked back to the table with the water jug, sweating, but satisfied she’d helped for the moment.

“Phillips.” Brenda glanced toward the sky, her brow puckering. “I knew some Phillips.”

Kinsey waited.

“Linda and Randy Phillips. They owned a little place near the Graysons. Good people.” She looked at Kinsey. “They had one child. A daughter. That you?”

Kinsey’s heart warmed. In Dallas, no one knew anyone unless they met at work or in church. The big city was impersonal and cold. In rural areas, the neighbors might be a mile apart, but they knew each other. She nodded. “Linda and Randy were my parents.”

“It was a sad day when they died. I wondered what happened to their daughter.” She smiled at Kinsey. “Look at you, all grown up. I don’t recall seeing you since you were in high school.” The woman hugged her.

The warm gesture was so surprising that tears sprung to Kinsey’s eyes.

Within minutes, Brenda introduced Kinsey to four other women, there as support to the men, or gearing up to pitch in and fight the fire.

So much for keeping her existence a secret in Hellfire. But Kinsey didn’t care. These people were friendly and caring, making her feel part of the community.

A loud crack sounded, and the fire leaped higher. Sparks and burning embers shot out from the top of the barn.

“Stand back!” Someone shouted. “The roof’s going!”

The men closest to the building scrambled backward, dragging the huge hose with them.

One man tripped and went down at the same time as the roof caved in, pushing the flame-engulfed walls sideways. Burning lumber crashed down on top of the firefighter, trapping him beneath.

Men shouted and ran toward the flames.

On reflex, Kinsey took several steps in that direction when a hand reached out and snagged her arm.

“Kinsey, don’t.” Brenda stood beside her. “They have the training and know what they’re doing. You’d only be in the way and possibly cause more injuries.”

Brenda was right. But standing back and watching was almost more than Kinsey could bear. What if the man beneath the rubble was Becket? Or if he was one of the firefighters racing into the blaze to save the trapped man. They could be burned severely, or suffer from smoke inhalation. Or die.

The men holding the hose trained the water on the wall of boards covering the downed man, extinguishing the flames. Men nearest raced in and lifted the still-smoldering boards while others dragged the injured firefighter from beneath.

Kinsey let go of the breath she’d been holding. But the danger wasn’t over. The fire still raged in the barn, and the man who’d been trapped wasn’t moving.

Paramedics took over. They removed the man’s helmet, checked for a pulse, slipped an oxygen mask over his face, and rolled him onto a backboard. Once secured, they lifted him into the waiting ambulance and drove out of the barnyard.

“Who was it?” Kinsey whispered, her knuckles pressed against her mouth.

“Here come some of the crew,” Brenda said. “They’ll let us know.”

A tall, broad-shouldered man tromped toward them, his face and suit covered in soot. Kinsey could tell it was Becket by the way he swaggered. She ran forward and threw her arms around him. “Becket. Oh, thank God.”

He caught her in his arms. “Hey, hey,” he chuckled. “I’m okay, but I could use a drink.”

Kinsey spun and filled one of the cups. “Who was injured?”

Becket accepted the water and swallowed it quickly. “John LaRue.”

Her heart pinched. “Little Johnny? The boy who chased me around the playground when I was in grade school?”

Handing her the cup, Becket winked. “He’s twenty-four, and a damned good firefighter now. I have to get back.” He cupped her cheek and stared into her eyes.

For a moment, Kinsey thought he might kiss her. She leaned toward him, but she caught herself before her mouth met his. Shock made her take a step backward. “Be careful.”

Becket turned and walked back to the inferno, his form silhouetted against the orange and yellow flames.

Kinsey pressed her fingers to her lips. Hell, she’d caused him enough trouble already, she didn’t have to add starry-eyed groupie to the list. She had no business kissing or flirting with any of the Grayson men. They’d all been good enough to give her a place to stay. The very least she could do was to stay out of Becket’s way and, for her own sake, refrain from kissing him.

Chapter Five

‡

Two hours later, nothing much was left of the barn but a pile of ashes and smoldering timbers. Due to the firefighters’ persistence, the house remained unscathed, and the Welsh family still had a home to sleep in, for what was left of the night.

Tired and thankful no one else was hurt, Becket stripped out of his protective gear and tossed it into the back of his truck. He still reeked of smoke, but he felt a thousand pounds lighter.

Chance, Rider, Nash, and Lily looked all done in, their shoulders drooping.

Lily waved to Becket. “I’ll ride back with Chance.”

Which left Becket alone with Kinsey in his truck. He was finding that alone with Kinsey was not a good thing. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to hold her, touch her, and kiss her pretty pink lips.

He found himself hoping she was well and truly over Massey, so Becket could have a chance with her. How long did women take to get over a bad relationship? He wasn’t sure he could put off kissing her for much longer.

Kinsey joined him at the truck after helping Mrs. Welsh and the other ladies put away the jug of water, cups, and the folding table. Knowing she was there had filled him with a bigger sense of purpose and comfort. Whenever he looked back at the ladies gathered around the table, he knew she was safe. If he’d left her behind at the ranch house, he’d have worried, thus taking his attention away from a dangerous situation.

Becket wasn’t certain how soon Dillon would be served with the restraining order. From Kinsey’s accounting of her past experiences, the man wouldn’t let her go easily. “Sorry, I smell pretty bad. Maybe you should drive while I ride in the back.”

She laughed. “I think we all smell smoky. It’s nothing a shower and laundry won’t cure.” Kinsey climbed into the truck.

Becket slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove off the Double Diamond Ranch.

“How did you join the volunteer firefighting group?” Kinsey asked.

“I told them I wanted in.” Becket shot her a glance. “Why?”

“If I stay in this area, I want in.” She smiled in his direction. “Nothing was more frustrating than to stand back and do nothing.”

“Yeah, but you’re so…small.”

She straightened her shoulders. “I might be small, but I’m stronger than you think.”

The thought of Kinsey carrying a heavy hose or charging into a burning building made Becket’s stomach clench. “It’s not easy. The PPE, personal protective equipment, we wear is heavy, even without the oxygen tanks. On top of that, the pressure from a water hose is enough to knock men as big as I am flat on my ass.”

“Lily is a volunteer, isn’t she?” Kinsey pointed out.

“Yes.”

“Surely, there’s something I could do. And I’d like to be included in the training. Every man and woman who lives in a rural community needs to know how to defend their lives, loved ones, and property from fires, don’t they?”

He nodded, a smile curling his lips. “You’re right. I shouldn’t judge the small size of the package. My father always says: where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“I have the will.” Her head jerked in a quick nod.

He liked her spunk. And to think, her ex wanted to beat it out of her. Becket’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. What he wouldn’t give to pound the bastard into the ground.

At the house, he climbed down and came around to help Kinsey out of the truck, exhaustion making his steps slower. He set her on the ground and, before he could think about what he was doing, he brushed a light kiss across her forehead. “Thank you for helping. You didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you did.”

“I couldn’t have stayed behind, wondering what was happening,” she said, her face turned up to his. She touched her hand to his chest. “I almost had kittens when I saw that wall fall on John LaRue. For a minute, I thought you were the one trapped.”

Becket took her hand and touched his lips to her fingertips. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

She stared up into his eyes, heart thumping against her ribs. Then she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss may have been a soft brush of her mouth against his, but it was the spark that ignited the flame.

Becket’s arms circled Kinsey’s waist and he crushed her to him, his lips coming down on hers, claiming her mouth. She gasped, her mouth opening enough for his tongue to slide inside, to twist with hers, caressing the length. He tasted smoke and a hint of minty toothpaste.

She sighed and laced her fingers around the back of his neck, dragging him closer.

What started as a simple thank you, exploded into something hotter, more combustible and all-consuming. The sound of a squeaky door hinge made Becket back away. He dropped his arms to his sides and stared down at her, his chest heaving.

Kinsey raised her fingers to her lips, her eyes round, her erratic breathing making her chest rise and fall rapidly.

“Becket? You out there?” Lily called from the back porch.

Thankfully, the truck blocked her view of him doing something he should never have done. “I’m here,” he responded, stepping into view. “What do you need?”

“Could you make sure the chickens are locked in the coop? I thought I saw something moving around when we came in. If it’s a coyote, I don’t want it to get to the laying hens.”

He lifted a hand in a casual wave. “Will do.”

“Thanks.” Lily reentered the house and closed the door.

“Do you need help checking on the chickens?” Kinsey asked.

Her voice was low, gravelly, and so sexy, Becket’s groin tightened. “No,” he said, firming his resolve. “You should go inside.”

Before I kiss you again.

She started to turn away, paused, and touched his arm. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

“Hell, yeah. But I’m not sorry it did.” He brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “I can’t take it back.”

“Nor can I.” Her chest rose and fell on a sigh. “But I can’t let it happen again.”

“Okay.” Though he wanted to pull her back into his embrace, he restrained himself. “You’d better take a number for the shower. I’ll be in shortly.”

He spun on his heels and headed for the barn and chicken house. Resistance wasn’t working for him. Which meant the farther away from Kinsey, the better.

Grabbing a flashlight they kept hung on the inside of the barn, Becket made a perfunctory inspection of the chicken house and yard. No sign of coyotes. He shined a beam at the ground. The only prints in the dust were human. No animal tracks. As Becket made a turn around the exterior of the barn, he had the odd feeling of being watched. Shining the flashlight beam outward, he panned the surrounding corral, pasture, and outbuildings. Nothing moved, yet the shadows took on a more sinister feel.

Becket shrugged, writing it off as exhaustion.

Tomorrow, he hoped to hear news from Natalie about the restraining order. He almost hoped Dillon would make a play for Kinsey. Becket would love a chance to show the man what being battered and thrown around like a rag doll felt like. He’d give the son of a bitch a taste of what he’d done to Kinsey.

Kinsey tossed and turned through the night, waking with a headache and tightness in her chest. She suspected the headache was from lack of adequate sleep and inhaling too much smoke the night before. The source of the tightness in her chest had to be what kept her from sleeping. Her girlhood crush on Becket had exploded into a full-blown ache that couldn’t be satisfied with a single kiss. Though the kiss had been hot. Really hot.

Leaving her bed just after dawn, Kinsey dressed in the freshly laundered clothes she’d picked out at the thrift shop, brushed her teeth and hair, and headed for the kitchen. At the very least, she could make herself useful. By the time the Graysons entered the kitchen, she had coffee brewing, bacon, toast, and scrambled eggs cooked.

A yawning Lily made a beeline for the coffee. “Smells good enough to drink.”

“What are you talking about?” Chance entered behind her, crossed to the stove, and snagged a piece of bacon. “It smells good enough to eat.” He took a bite and moaned. “Heaven. Pure heaven.”

“We need to keep Kinsey around.” Nash filled a plate with fluffy yellow scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast and sat at the table.

Kinsey’s insides warmed. After living in a house where she’d been made to feel like the inferior being, she liked being surrounded by people who appreciated her efforts.

Lily and Chance filled their plates, claimed seats around the table, and dug into the food.

Then Becket stepped into the kitchen, and Kinsey’s pulse quickened and heat rose into her cheeks. She turned away and filled a plate for him.

“Aren’t you eating breakfast?” Lily asked.

With Becket’s plate in her hand, Kinsey turned from the stove.

The cowboy stood at the back door. “Nah. I’m not hungry. I’ve got animals to feed and a fence needing mending in the south pasture.”

“If you can wait, I can help when I get off work this afternoon,” Chance offered.

“I don’t go on duty until five o’clock this afternoon, I can give you a hand this morning,” Nash said. “Just let me finish my breakfast.”

Becket shook his head. “No need, it’s a one-man job.”

“I’m working in town today,” Lily announced. “Some of the elementary school staff are conducting a Learning is Fun Day at the library. We’re expecting at least two-dozen kids. Otherwise, I’d help. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Don’t wait dinner on me.”

Without responding, Becket left the house.

Somewhat deflated, Kinsey set the plate of food in the middle of the table. “Y’all eat up.”

“Aren’t you eating?” Lily asked, a frown wrinkling her brow.

“I already did,” Kinsey lied. Her appetite had gone out the door with Becket. She cleaned the pan she’d used, wiped the counters, and left the rest of the Graysons in the kitchen.

Kinsey hurried up the stairs to Rider’s old room and pulled on her cowboy boots, disappointed with the complete brush-off Becket had given her. She’d already decided keeping her distance was the best course of action, but did he have to be so cold and withdrawn? He’d barely glanced her way. At first she was angry, but as she descended the stairs, she had to admit, he was right. Beyond a doubt, her previous relationship was over, but she wasn’t ready for a new one.

By the time Kinsey reentered the kitchen, she saw the other Graysons had dispersed. From the quiet in the house, they’d either left or gone outside. That gave her the privacy she needed to call Natalie and check the status of the restraining order.

Natalie answered on the third ring.

“Hi, Natalie, it’s Kinsey Phillips.”

“Hi, Kinsey. I’m glad you called. I have good news and bad news.”

Kinsey sucked in a deep breath and dropped into the nearest chair. “Go ahead.” A lump of fear lodged in her throat.

“My contacts in Dallas convinced a judge to sign off on the restraining order yesterday. The sheriff attempted to serve Mr. Massey.”

“Attempted?” Kinsey’s stomach sank to her knees.

“That’s the bad news. Mr. Massey wasn’t home. When the sheriff went to the Cowboys’ practice field, he verified everyone was there but Dillon.”

Her heart kicked up the pace, and she felt lightheaded. “Not there?”

“No one has seen him since the day before yesterday.” Natalie paused. “I’m worried about you, Kinsey.”

“I’m okay.”

“Yeah, until Massey finds you. Be sure you’re with one of the Graysons at all times. Hopefully, Massey won’t try anything with others around.”

With her pulse pounding so loud she barely heard Natalie, she thanked her and hung up.

Needing the reassuring presence of a friendly face, Kinsey left the house and went in search of Becket. She found him working on a water trough in one of the pastures. She climbed over the wooden rail fence and dropped to the ground. “Need help?”

“No. I’m almost done here, and then I’m headed out to mend the fence I mentioned.” He straightened and wiped his hands on his jeans. Water poured into the trough. “That should do it.”

“What was wrong with it?”

“The horses must have bumped the float. It was reading full all the time, so the valve wouldn’t release to refill the tank.” He turned and studied her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she answered, too quickly. He must have seen the strain in her face, because he pulled her into his arms.

“You talk to Natalie?”

A lump formed in her throat. “Yeah.”

“And?”

“They couldn’t serve Dillon with the restraining order, because they can’t find him. He hasn’t been to practice in two days.” She curled her fingers into Becket’s shirt. “He’ll find me.”

“He might find you, but he won’t hurt you, if I have a say in it.” Becket’s arms tightened around her reassuringly.

She let his warmth seep into her. Just for another moment. She wanted to soak in the security his presence provided.

He held her for a long time, then tilted her chin up and stared into her eyes. “You’ll be okay.”

She nodded. “If you say so.”

“You need to believe that. Until you do, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder.”

“Wouldn’t you? I’m not a big guy, like you.” She stepped back. “Dillon weighs twice as much as I do. He could snap me in two like that.” Kinsey snapped her fingers.

“Then stay with me. Between the two of us, we’ll keep you safe.” He kissed her forehead. “Okay?”

Better than okay.

She wanted to tip up her head to capture his lips. But she’d been the one to tell him not to kiss her again. With her life as messed up as it was, she had no business kissing Becket. He deserved better. Stepping back, she forced a smile. “What can I help with?”

“I have the four-wheeler loaded up with supplies. If you’ll go get it from the barn, then we can head out to fix that fence.”

She popped a mock salute, performed an about face, and hurried off to the barn, praying she still knew how to drive an ATV. Kinsey found it parked a few feet inside the open door of the barn. As she slung her leg over the seat, she glanced around. A prickling feeling crawled over the back of her neck. Nothing stirred in the barn. The stalls were empty, the horses turned out to graze in the pasture. Not even a barn cat came out to greet her. Still, Kinsey felt as if someone was watching her.

Shaking it off as an overactive imagination, she turned the key and pressed the starter switch. The ATV roared to life. Kinsey released the brake, pressed her thumb on the throttle lever, and the four-wheeler leaped forward. Tools rattled in the large metal box attached to the back.

By the time she reached Becket, she had the vehicle figured out. She pulled to a stop beside him, letting the engine idle, and started to climb off.

“Stay.” Becket waved at her. “I’ll ride behind you.”

Her belly clenched and her core heated. “Is there another one of these in the barn?”

“The other one isn’t working right now. Either we take this and ride double, or we drive the truck.” He glanced at the sunny sky. “Personally, I was looking forward to the wind in my hair. You can drive.”

She couldn’t argue with that, and gave up pretending to want to ride separately. As Becket mounted behind her and his long, muscular legs wrapped around hers, Kinsey could barely put together a functional thought. “Which way?” Her voice came out in a strained squeak.

He pointed. “South.”

She gunned the throttle, and the little four-wheeler shot off across the pasture.

The wind blew through her hair, giving her a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt since she’d left Hellfire to go to college. The incredibly sexy man on the vehicle behind her only fueled her excitement, making it burn like a wildfire. By the time they reached the damaged portion of the fence, she was laughing out loud and smiling so wide, she was sure to catch a bug in her teeth. But she didn’t care.

She approached the fence a little faster than she should have and whipped the handlebar to the right, skidding sideways to a halt. “Wow!” Kinsey switched off the motor, her hands still vibrating to the rhythm of the small engine. “I’d forgotten how much fun these are.”

Becket dismounted, brushed the dust off his jeans, and resettled his cowboy hat on his head. “I believe I saw my life pass before my eyes.”

Kinsey backhanded him in the belly. “Oh, don’t be a baby. You used to drive that fast when you were a teen. I remember. Nash and I never could keep up with you.”

He captured her hand and pulled her against his chest. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not teens anymore.”

Adrenaline powering through her veins already meant being that close to Becket only made her heart pump faster. “N-no, we’re not.” She looked up into his eyes.

The intensity of his blue gaze made her shiver with desire in the hot Texas sun.

Becket swallowed hard, his grip tightening on hers. “Let’s fix a fence.” He released her and stepped away.

Kinsey willed herself to relax. Nothing would happen between the two of them. She wasn’t ready mentally, even if her body was screaming for action.

Moments later, Becket had a strand of new barbed wire nailed to a post. Holding the roll of wire on a stick, he walked fifty feet down the fence-line and settled it on the ground.

Kinsey followed on the four-wheeler, jostling over the uneven ground. Already, her injuries didn’t hurt as badly as they had the day before.

Becket tied the barbed wire to the back of the four-wheeler. “You’re driving. But this time, ease forward slowly.”

She knew the drill. Stretching fence wire involved a fine line between tightening the wire gently, and pulling too hard and breaking it. With her hand on the brake, she barely touched her other hand on the throttle lever. The ATV rolled forward.

“More,” Becket called out over the roar of the engine.

She eased forward a few more inches.

“Stop.”

Kinsey pressed the brake and held it.

Using solid strokes, Becket nailed the wire into the fence post. “Okay, back it up a little to ease the tension.”

Kinsey did as instructed.

Becket cut the wire, bent it over, and nailed it again. With the wire in place, the fence was as good as new.

A sense of pride washed over Kinsey. She hadn’t worked on a ranch since she’d lived next door. She missed the outdoors and the sense of accomplishment in doing something physical. Switching off the ATV, she climbed down and admired Becket’s handiwork. “You’re pretty good at that.”

He shrugged and loaded his tools into the toolbox on the back of the ATV. “I’ve mended a few fences.”

She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “What do you suppose broke this one?”

“That bull.” He pointed out in the pasture. “He’s huge, he’s ornery, and he’s a staunch believer in ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’.”

Kinsey turned to see a huge black bull running toward them. “Uh, should we be concerned? Will he stop?” She backed up, bumping into Becket.

His arms came around her. “Sometimes he does. Doesn’t look like he’s going to, this time.”

“Becket?” Kinsey turned and buried her face in his shirt. “Let’s get out of here.”

His arms tightened. “I think it’s too late.”

The thunder of heavy hooves against hard-packed earth filled Kinsey’s ears. She glanced back at the bull, then grabbed Becket’s hand, and tugged hard. “He’s going to kill us. Move!”

Becket stood still. “Get behind me.”

“What good will that do? If he hits you, he’ll take out both of us.” Kinsey’s heart hammered against her ribs. “We need to climb over the fence. Now!”

The more frantic she became, the calmer Becket appeared. He stuck his hand into his jeans pocket as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

The bull charged forward.

Becket pushed her behind him, where she clung to his back, trying desperately to pull him aside. A bull weighing close to two tons could kill a man.

“Please, Becket. Don’t let him hurt you,” she whispered, her heart leaping to her throat.

The bull was almost upon them when it skidded to a halt, a cloud of dust rising at his feet.

Then, as pretty as you please, Becket held out three lumps of sugar in his palm.

With a sniff, the bull reached out with his fat bovine lips and gobbled up the sugar cubes. Then he nuzzled Becket’s jeans, looking for more.

“Go on, you big mooch.” Becket shoved at the bull’s head.

With no more sugar to be had, the bull wandered off.

Kinsey rounded on Becket, glaring. “You could have told me you had a pet bull, instead of letting me believe we were going to die.”

“And miss the drama?” He chuckled. “You should have seen your face.”

“What? The look of stark terror?”

“Well, yeah.” His chuckle returned. “You have to agree, it’s funny now. Boris is nothing but a big teddy bear with a love of sugar.” He pulled her into his embrace. “Besides, saving you from Boris gave me a chance to prove I can protect you against man or beast.”

“I’m beginning to believe you’re the beast.” She smacked his chest softly. “I really thought that bull would kill us.” Her lips twitched, and laughter bubbled up her throat. “Then he stopped and ate the sugar…” She shook her head and laughed. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that. And you, the hero, ready to stop the freight train by putting out your hand.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re no hero, Becket Grayson.”

Something big leaned into her, shoving her forward into Becket’s arms.

He pulled her close and turned to the bull, which nuzzled his hand for more sugar. “No more. Go on.” Becket slapped the bull’s hindquarters, and he lumbered off, headed across a big field toward a crowd of cows watching him with interest.

“Are you okay?” Becket asked. He didn’t release her.

“Uh, you can let go of me now.”

“Do you want me to?” Becket’s hands smoothed down her back, applying little pressure.

If she really wanted to get away from him, she could. She shook her head, not willing to put into words what her body was feeling.

He tipped her chin. “I’m sorry Boris scared you.”

She wanted to stay mad at him, but the image of the big bull licking a sugar cube out of Becket’s palm made her want to laugh. Kinsey shook her head, a smile pulling at her lips. “I owe you one.”

“No, I owe you an apology.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

“Really? That’s the best you can do?” she whispered, her arms slipping up around his neck. “You made me think we were going to die.”

“You’re right. I’m really…” He pressed a kiss to her eyelid, “…really,” another kiss to her cheek, “…really,” now to the tip of her nose.

Blood pounding in her veins, Kinsey caught his face between her palms. “You’re getting warmer, but you’re taking too long.” She leaned up on her toes, pulling him down at the same time. “Just do it.”

Chapter Six

‡

If she’d told him to let go, he would have. In a heartbeat. But she didn’t. When his lips touched hers, there was no going back. He claimed her mouth, tracing the seam with his tongue until she opened to him and met him halfway. Becket slid his hands down her back, cupped her ass, and lifted her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

In the middle of a Texas field, the hot sun beating down on him, Becket had never felt heat as intense as what was inside him.

Kinsey was incredible. Her body fit perfectly against his, her curves soft and sexy. He carried her to the four-wheeler and set her on her feet, releasing his hold.

Mouth open, she stared at him, her chest rapidly rising and falling.

Becket slid his hand around her waist and up beneath her shirt, loving the feel of her skin against his fingertips, but careful not to press on the bruises her ex-boyfriend had given her.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

He hesitated.

Then her hands rose to cup his, guiding them upward to the swells of her breasts.

His groin tightened, his jeans suddenly too snug.

Once she had him where she wanted him, she released his hand and lowered hers to the hem of her shirt. Slowly, she raised it up her torso and over her head, revealing full breasts encased in a white lacy bra.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “You’ve been through a lot.”

Her brows dipped. “Do you have protection?”

He slipped one hand into his back pocket and handed her his wallet.

She flipped it open and found a foil packet. A slow smile spread across her lips. “I remember. You were a Boy Scout.”

He pocketed his wallet. “Always prepared.”

Holding his gaze, she tucked the packet into his front pocket, shifted her fingers to the button on his jeans, and flicked it open.

Becket sucked in a sharp breath when she pulled his T-shirt out of his waistband, her knuckles brushing against his taut abs.

His cock hardened instantly, pushing against the zipper holding him back.

Not for long.

Kinsey slid down the tab slowly, carefully, until his shaft sprang out into her palm. She closed her hand around him, and her tongue slipped out to moisten her pink lips.

Holy hell, she was lighting him on fire.

Becket snagged the front of her jeans, flipped the button through the hole, and yanked down the zipper. Lace panties matching the bra peeked out of the opening. He groaned, slid his hand into the denim, and cupped her sex. “Say the word, and I’ll stop.” God only knows how. But if she wanted to stop, he would.

“Don’t you dare,” she whispered, toeing off her boots to stand barefoot in the dry Texas soil. Then she shimmied out of her jeans and kicked them to the side. She stood before him in nothing but her bra and panties, her ivory skin a stark contrast to raven hair falling down around her shoulders in large, loose curls and the purple bruises scattered across her torso.

“Kinsey, you’re beautiful.”

She cupped his cock in her palm and slid her fingers down to the base. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Becket hooked his finger in the elastic of her panties and dragged them down. She stepped out of the silky scrap of material, and he wadded and stuffed them into his pocket. Before he straightened, he pressed a kiss to the tuft of hair over her mons.

“How…” she whispered, her word catching on a gasp.

“Like this.” Becket straddled the ATV, his cock sticking out of his jeans, straight and proud. Once he was seated, he scooted back and held out his hand. “Come here.”

She took his hand and swung her leg over his, settling in his lap, facing him. “I’ve never done it in the open.” Kinsey laughed nervously. “Are you sure no one will come up on us?”

“No. But that’s what makes doing this more exciting. Almost dangerous.”

Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared.

Becket wanted her to be ready when he took her. She’d gone through so much. Even though they were out on the prairie, he could make the loving as good for her as it was for him. He slid his hand between her legs and dipped a finger into her channel. Sweet Jesus, she was so warm and wet.

He nearly came, he was so hot for her. Holding onto his control by a thread, he dipped into her again and dragged his finger up between her folds to that narrow nubbin of flesh. He stroked once.

Kinsey arched her back, her breath caught, and her fingers dug into his shoulders. “Oh, Becket!” she said, her voice ragged and sexy.

He stroked her again, watching the excited expression on her face.

She squeezed her eyes shut and threw back her head. “Oh, my. Oh, my.” Kinsey reached behind her and unclipped her bra, letting it slide off her shoulders. Then she cupped the back of his head and guided him to one of her breasts.

He sucked her into his mouth, greedy to taste her, his tongue swirling around the taut bud, flicking and nibbling. All the while, he strummed her clit until she rocked against him, her body tensing, her fingernails sinking into his shirt. When she went rigid, he knew he had her where he wanted her. He let her ride the wave of her release for several long moments, and then he took the condom from his pocket and rolled it over his cock.

Kinsey pressed her hands against his shoulders and rose.

He gripped her hips and positioned her over him.

“Now,” she said, and eased down, taking him inside.

He pulled her hips down, thrusting upward, filling her.

Her channel tightened around him, encasing him like a hot, sweet, wet glove. He could get lost in her. Completely and utterly lost.

Then he was raising and lowering her faster and faster, rocking the little ATV, stirring up dust around them. Within what felt like only moments, sensations inside him built to a powerful crescendo, and he exploded over the top. He thrust one last time, burying himself deep inside her. His arms wrapped around Kinsey, holding her close until they both drifted back to earth.

When he could think and see clearly again, he captured her face in his hands and kissed her, his tongue taking hers in a lingering twist.

A cow mooed in the distance, breaking into their cocoon of silence.

Kinsey leaned back and chuckled softly. “That was my first on a four-wheeler.”

“Mine too.” He pressed a kiss to one of her nipples and sucked it into his mouth, letting it slide out with a final flick of his tongue. “But I highly recommend it.” He became aware of the sun beating down on their bodies. On Kinsey in particular, who was completely naked.

Sweet Jesus, she had a beautiful body. Now that he could see all of it, the bruises on her breasts, ribs, hips and shoulders stood out against her ivory skin, painful reminders of what her ex had done.

Guilt gnawed at Becket’s gut. “I shouldn’t have done that. You’re not even fully recovered from what that bastard did. Hell, now you probably think all men are animals.” He lifted her off him and set her on the ground beside the ATV. He rose, peeled off the condom and zipped his jeans.

Kinsey gathered her clothes, slipping her shirt over her shoulders first, and then dragging her jeans up over her hips. When he saw her nearly topple over pulling on her boots, Becket lifted her onto the ATV and helped her. As soon as they were fully dressed, he captured her face in his hands. “Please don’t regret what just happened between us. I don’t.”

She stared into his eyes, her green gaze suspiciously moist. “I don’t. Though, I probably should.” With a strangled laugh, she cupped the back of his head and leaned forward to kiss him hard on the mouth. “You can drive back. I don’t want to think. I just want to feel the wind in my hair.”

Becket drove the four-wheeler back to the ranch house, images of Kinsey’s beautiful, bruise-covered body rolling through his mind like a movie track repeating itself again and again. He couldn’t let Massey get his hands…or fists…on her ever again. He’d kill the bastard first.

On the return trip, Kinsey rode on the back of the vehicle, her arms wrapped around Becket, her cheek pressed against his back, wondering if she’d just had the best experience of her life, or her worst mistake. After the months of physical and mental abuse, she could fall in love with anyone who was being nice to her after such a horrible situation.

But this was Becket. She’d been in love with him since she could remember. When he’d married while she was in college, she had been heartbroken and turned to Dillon. If anything, he’d been her rebound love. And Dillon had been the biggest mistake of her life.

His jealousy had tainted their relationship almost from the start. Kinsey had been too blind to see it until he’d started hitting.

Becket would never hit a woman. His father had taught him to love and respect women by the example he set with his mother.

As they neared the house, Kinsey almost wanted to tell Becket to turn around and take her away. Maybe they could find a cabin in the woods and live there forever, away from everyone.

Away from Dillon.

Kinsey’s gaze scanned the barnyard and the area around the house. By now, Dillon could be in the county. Hell, he could have learned from the ladies who had been at the Double Diamond Ranch that she was staying at the Graysons.

Her heart beat faster, and she shook all over.

Becket pulled the four-wheeler to a stop outside the barn, and she climbed off first. Her knees wobbled beneath her, but she didn’t want to show her fear to Becket. She was tired of being a weakling, being afraid of a man who hurt her. She had to stand up for herself. She couldn’t let Dillon win. “I’m going to the house for a shower. Do you want me to fix lunch for you?”

“I’ll be up there soon. I want to put things away. We can make lunch together.” He smiled and winked. “How do dumplings sound?”

His wink made Kinsey smile. Having Becket around made her feel safe and happy for the first time since her parents died. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “I’ll wait to start lunch until you come inside.” Then she turned and walked up to the house, aware of Becket’s gaze on her backside. Or at least, she hoped he was watching. To make it more interesting, she exaggerated the sway of her hips. As she mounted the steps to the back porch, she glanced over her shoulder.

Becket stood beside the ATV, his gaze on her.

She smiled and waved, that happy glow following her inside. Yes. She’d always loved Becket, but she knew she needed to take their new relationship slowly. With emotional scars, she wasn’t sure how much of it would carry over. Kinsey didn’t want Becket to have to deal with any long-term issues she might have. Still, she wasn’t letting anything spoil her good mood.

In the kitchen, she found a note on the table.

Since Kinsey is with you, Lily made a run to town for groceries. Chance went to the diner for lunch, and Nash went to work. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t. We’ll be back later.

Kinsey grinned, glad they didn’t know what she and Becket had done out in the south pasture. That act was their secret, one she’d hold dear to her heart. Her core still tingled from the best sex she’d had in a long time.

She climbed the stairs to the second floor, gathered clean clothing, and crossed to the shower, wondering if Becket would hurry back to the house and join her in the shower.

Alas, he might not be aware the ranch was deserted except for the two of them. If he knew, he might be tempted.

She stripped out of the dusty clothes and stared at herself in the mirror. Her body was a colorful mass of bruises. Some purple, others that ugly shade of greenish-yellow. How could a man be attracted to a woman who looked like her?

Another thought made her frown. What if he really was having regrets and was procrastinating out in the barn to avoid facing her?

Kinsey shook herself. Dillon had made her feel unworthy of love. She was free of him, and should free herself of the negative thoughts he’d made her believe.

With purpose in her steps, she entered the shower and turned on the water. Afterward, she’d join Becket in the kitchen. If something happened between them, their relationship was meant to be. If not, perhaps she just needed to be patient. Her life was headed in the right direction. She wasn’t going back to the hell she’d lived in before.

After Kinsey disappeared into the house with a sexy smile on her face, Becket revved the ATV engine. The rumble of the machine beneath him seemed to be a metaphor for how he felt at that moment. His divorce three years ago had put him emotionally on hold. No woman was worth the trouble of dating if the relationship would only end up in disappointment, or her leaving him for a richer man.

Until Kinsey. He was attracted to her for who she had been, and who she’d become. However, telling himself over and over to take it slow with her would be futile. He’d never look at his ATV the same. The rumbling engine reminded Becket of Kinsey riding him, with nothing but air covering her skin and blue sky as a backdrop.

She was hot and she was beautiful, her laughing green eyes shining right into his heart. He could fall in love with her, if he let himself. Becket shifted into gear and pressed the throttle.

Take it slowly.

His new mantra repeating in his head, he drove the ATV into the barn and parked it next to the other that needed repair.

Though his body was in the barn, he let his thoughts drift to Kinsey showering in the bathroom across the hall from his bedroom. If he hurried, he could catch her, dripping wet, and in need of someone to dry off her skin. They could move to his bedroom and make love again. This time on the comfortable mattress, taking their time and not risking sunburn on her naked body.

Sweet Jesus. Had he really made love to Kinsey on the seat of the four-wheeler?

Take it slow.

Becket inhaled and let out his breath in a long, slow stream. Kinsey needed to recover before she threw herself into anything. Especially into sex with another man. She had been more than willing, initiating the encounter, but was it the right thing to do? Had he taken advantage of her at a weak moment?

He would give her time. Let her shower as planned, and then meet him in the kitchen to make a sandwich. Not steal a kiss, or take her on the kitchen table. His groin tightened as he struggled to quench his desire.

Feed the horses. Hell, he’d already done that. Stack some hay. It was all perfectly stacked, ready to use in the winter. Maybe he could reorganize the tack room. That could kill an hour, if he took his time.

Making his way to the room filled with saddles, bridles, and other equipment, he glanced inside. Well, damn. He’d completely reorganized it a month ago. The equipment was still clean and orderly.

He might as well go to the house and see if Kinsey was done in the shower. Maybe he’d climb the stairs and knock on the door, just to see if she needed anything—fresh towels, toilet paper, someone to pat the moisture off her skin. He groaned and started to turn away from the tack room.

A scuffling sound and a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Before he could react, something hard hit him in the back of the head.

Pain shot through his skull. Becket staggered into the tack room, his knees buckling.

Fight it. Don’t go down.

Another blow to the back of the head sent him crashing to the hardwood floor, and the lights blinked out.

Chapter Seven

‡

Kinsey finished a long shower, disappointed Becket hadn’t joined her. She’d taken her time drying off, hoping to hear a knock on the bathroom door. In her mind, she already had a plan. She’d drop the towel, plant a hand on his chest, and back him into his bedroom across the hallway.

No knock came to her door. With a sigh, she dressed, dragging her clothing over her sensitized skin, wishing Becket’s hands were covering her instead of clothes. She laughed at her imaginings. Kinsey realized having a relationship with someone she trusted was so much better than what she’d had with Dillon.

The house was silent except for the sound of her footsteps as she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. Becket had obviously stayed to perform needed chores in the barn. Or maybe he regretted making love to her in the pasture.

Deflated and a little sad, Kinsey searched the refrigerator for sandwich ingredients. Deli meat, mustard, mayonnaise, and cheese—everything she needed to make a lunch.

The door creaked open behind her.

“Just in time. I was about to make sandwiches. You can help.” She turned with a smile.

“Hello, Kinsey.”

All the items slipped from her arms and crashed to the floor as Kinsey faced the man who’d become her living nightmare. “Dillon,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, her insides quaking.

Dillon advanced a step. “Imagine how worried I was when I woke up to find you gone.”

Kinsey inched backward, her gaze darting around, searching for a way out. All escape routes required passing her ex-boyfriend. Where was Becket? “I’m sorry. I sh-should have left a note.”

He took another step, closing the distance. “You stole my keys out of my pocket.”

Stay calm. Her heart slammed against her ribs, pumping so fast her head swam. “I only took the key to my car and put the others back.”

“You stole them out of my pocket.” Another step and he could almost reach her.

Kinsey stepped back and to the side, placing the kitchen island between them. If she remembered correctly, knives were kept in one of the drawers. Which one? She’d only have a single chance to find it.

Dillon’s eyes narrowed, and he held out his hand. “You’ve had your fun, Kinsey. Time to come home.”

Kinsey’s back stiffened, and her eyes narrowed. “I’m not going back.”

“You belong to me.”

To me. Not with me. Dillon considered her his property, not his partner. Anger stiffened her muscles. “I don’t belong to anyone. Especially not you.” Her voice hardened, though her knees shook. She shot a glance toward the open door behind Dillon. Where was Becket?

“Grayson isn’t coming to save you.” Dillon’s lips curled into a sneer. “He’s not coming to save anyone ever again.”

Her heart stopped, and she clutched the edge of the island. “What do you mean?” Then she smelled smoke coming through the open door, and her pulse leapt. “Dillon, what have you done?”

Dillon’s lips peeled back over his teeth in a feral snarl. “Taken away temptation. You’re coming home, and you’re not ever returning to Hellfire. Now, quit wasting my time. Let’s go.”

Rage filled her, bubbling over like a boiling cauldron. “Dillon, you’re a sick bastard. There is no way in hell I’m going anywhere with you.” She yanked open the drawer, grabbed the biggest, sharpest butcher knife she could find, and held it in front of her. “You’re never laying a hand on me again.”

Dillon gave her his ‘public’ charming smile and raised his hands as if in surrender.

Something he’d never do. “Baby, I promise. I won’t hurt you.”

“You forget, I’ve been with you long enough to know you break all your promises.” She circled the island, the knife firmly in her grip. She had no question in her mind that she’d use it if he came at her. Her goal was to get the hell out of the house and find Becket. Her chest tightened as she imagined all the horrible things Dillon could have done to him. And why was smoke drifting through the kitchen door?

“Quit stalling, Kinsey. We’re leaving now.”

“Then leave. I’m not going with you. Ever. Again.”

Dillon lunged for her.

Kinsey jabbed the knife at the hands reaching for her, cutting into his forearm.

He cradled his arm. “You fucking bitch.”

Kinsey turned and ran for the door.

Footsteps pounded behind her.

Before she made it through, strong hands grabbed her around the waist and yank her back against him. She slammed the knife into his thigh.

“Bitch, you’ll pay for that.” With one arm around her middle, Dillon knocked the knife out of her hand with a heavy blow to her wrist.

Pain shot up her arm, but she couldn’t give up. Not now. She’d come this far, she couldn’t go back. Wouldn’t. She jabbed her elbow into his gut and stomped on his instep.

Dillon grunted and wrapped her in a bear hug, trapping her arms to her sides and lifting her off the ground.

Kinsey kicked and twisted, but the more she fought, the tighter he squeezed, until she could barely draw a breath. “Put me down, Dillon. You’re breaking the law. I swore out a restraining order against you.”

“Yeah, I got the texts from my teammates. How’s that working for you?”

Not any better than she’d predicted. The man was insane, and hope began to leach out of her. He was so much bigger, and as strong as an ox. How could a woman of five feet one inch, weighing less than half what he did, fight a man that big?

Use your brain.

Warm, wet blood dripped down her leg. She’d injured him. Based on the strength of his grip, the damage wasn’t enough to weaken him. But, the amount of blood on the floor would make it slippery. She let her body go limp, pretending to pass out.

“ ’bout damn time,” Dillon grumbled, loosening his arms slightly.

Kinsey sucked in a deep breath, clearing her head.

Dillon started through the door, but Kinsey jerked her legs up, planted them on the frame, and pushed hard.

He staggered backward, slipping in his own blood. Then, he crashed to the floor, taking Kinsey down.

As soon as he hit the ground, he released her and groaned.

Kinsey was ready. After rolling to the side, she leaped to her feet and scrambled for the exit. The hot Texas sunshine beckoned her, and the fresh air screamed freedom. All she had to do was get there.

Two steps. That’s as far as she made it before Dillon swept out his leg. He caught her at the ankles, knocking her feet sideways.

She fell, watching the floor as if it rose up to greet her. Her forehead hit, pain ripped through her, and blackness descended.

Becket coughed, dragged in a breath of hot, acrid smoke, and coughed again. He forced open his eyes and they stung, making them tear. As he fought his way through the fog to consciousness, he took a moment to realize the fog was smoke, and he was awake. Pain throbbed at the back of his head. He pushed to his knees to get a bearing on his location. Stirrups hung in front of his face from saddles perched on saddletrees. Tack room.

His first thought was of the horses. Then he remembered turning them out to pasture earlier.

Becket staggered to his feet, pulled his T-shirt up over his nose, coughing. His eyes burned and smoke filled the air, making seeing in the small room hard. He touched his fingertips to the door and doorknob. They were hot. Which meant the fire was on the other side.

Grabbing a saddle blanket, he wrapped it around the doorknob and twisted. The door didn’t budge. He held the knob and threw his shoulder against the wood panel. Still, the door wouldn’t open. Something blocked it. He hit the door again with his shoulder. Again, to no avail. If he didn’t escape soon, he would be overcome by smoke, or the fire would find its way through the walls, and consume him and everything else in the tack room.

Hunkering low, he felt his way through the cloud of smoke until he found the outside wall. He cleared an old wooden trunk and several saddletrees out of the way, and then kicked at the boards. His first blow did little to budge the nails driven into the beams over fifty years ago when the barn had been built.

Bracing his back against the boards, he cocked his leg and threw everything he had into hitting one board, low to the floor. It moved, the nails sliding out. Kicking again and again, he loosened one board, and then the adjacent one. The smoke thickened, and he couldn’t get a clean breath of air. He hacked and coughed, but he didn’t give up.

He suspected Dillon Massey had been the man who hit him. The thought of what Dillon might do to Kinsey made Becket kick harder until one board shot free of the brace boards, and Becket could see blue sky. Fresh air seeped in but the smoke prevailed. He worked at another board until it broke. The hole he’d created was barely big enough.

Becket laid flat on the floor of the tack room and squeezed his big body through, sucking in air once his head cleared the barn. With renewed strength, he wiggled, scooted, and crawled inch by inch until he was free of the barn. Coughing, practically hacking up a lung, he staggered to his feet and ran for the house. He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious.

Dillon could be halfway across the county with Kinsey by now.

As Becket reached the house, he saw Lily’s red truck pull into the barnyard.

She dropped to the ground, staring at the barn. “Holy hell, Becket. What happened?” She didn’t wait for his response, but ran for the water hose.

“I’ll explain in a minute,” he called out, barreling through the kitchen door. He slipped on something dark and wet and nearly fell. He straightened, and his heart sank to his knees. The liquid was blood, and a butcher knife lay against the baseboard with more blood streaked across the blade.

Becket ran straight for the phone in the hallway. He knew he wouldn’t find Kinsey in the house. Dillon had her. Sweet Jesus, he prayed she was still alive as he placed a call to 9-1-1. “There’s been an attack at the Coyote Creek Ranch. Kinsey Phillips has been abducted. Send the sheriff, the National Guard, hell, call out anyone and everyone you can. Dillon Massey has her. He’s insane and will kill her if we don’t find her quickly. He’ll probably head out of the county. And send the fire department to the Coyote Creek Ranch. The barn is on fire.” He slammed the phone onto the cradle and ran back out the door.

Lily had the water hose aimed at the roof of the house, sweeping her arm right and left. The barn was too far gone to save. The best they could hope for was to prevent the other buildings from catching fire. But at that moment, Becket didn’t give a damn about the barn or even the house.

“Where’s Kinsey?” Lily asked.

His jaw tight, mind going in a million directions, Becket answered, “Massey has her.”

“Damn.” Lily redirected the hose to a burning ember that landed on a patch of dried grass. “Where would he take her?”

That’s the question that nagged him, and he had no good answers. “He’d be a fool to take her back to his house. That’s the first place the police will look.”

Another truck raced into the barnyard and came to a skidding, dusty stop. Chance leaped out. “Let me guess. Massey made his move. The bastard has to die.” Chance pulled his personal protective gear from the back of his truck and pulled them on. “What are you waiting for?” He jabbed at finger in Becket’s direction. “Find him. We’ll take care of this.”

“Nash will do his best to have road blocks set up to stop Massey,” Lily assured Becket. “They’ll find her.”

“But will they find her in time? There’s blood all over the kitchen.” He swallowed over a dry throat. “I’m afraid he’ll kill her.”

“If he wasn’t taking her back to his place, where would he go?”

Becket stood with his hands on his hips, trying to think like Massey. “The better question is: where would he go if he wanted to kill her?”

“Anywhere,” Lily answered.

“He’s mean enough to make her want to suffer,” Becket said, forcing his mind to think like Massey. “The man was jealous about everything she loved. He took those things away to keep her tied to him.”

“Kinsey came back to Hellfire,” Lily said.

Becket’s eyes widened. “Because it was the only home she’d ever known.”

“But her parents are dead,” Lily pointed out.

“He can’t take away her memories—memories tied to the place she grew up. The place where her parents lived.” Becket’s heart pounded.

“You think he’d take her to the old Phillips’ place?” Chance asked.

“Unless he’s found on the road, it’s the only other location he might have taken her.” Becket’s fists knotted. “He burned down this barn, he might try to destroy her house, as well.”

Moving a few feet to her right, Lily nodded. “And she’d have nowhere to call home.”

“Go,” Chance said. “We’re right behind you as soon as the fire trucks arrive.”

Becket ran for his truck.

“It’s faster by horse!” Lily cried out.

She was right. By road, the drive would take fifteen minutes. But with all the tack burning in the barn, Becket would have to ride bareback, without a bridle.

His black gelding, Soot, pranced along the fence, whinnying, his eyes wild as the smoke blew his way.

Veering away from his truck, Becket vaulted the fence, snagged Soot by his halter, and swung up over his back. Then, leaning over the horse’s neck, he twisted his hand in his mane and sank his heels into the animal’s flanks.

Thankfully, the horse responded and leaped into a gallop, headed across the open pasture toward the old Phillips’ place.

Becket prayed he’d get there in time. Already, he’d broken a promise to Kinsey. He’d said Dillon would never get his hands on her. When Becket caught up to the man, he would never do it again.

Chapter Eight

‡

When Kinsey woke, she lifted her head and stared around at her mother’s piano and the sofa her parents had recovered for their twenty-fifth anniversary. For a moment she didn’t understand why she was seeing these things, but then memories washed over her, and tears sprang to her eyes. She was in her parents’ house. Sunshine streamed through dirty windows and dust motes spun in the air, but this was her home. The place she’d grown up. Pain throbbed in her forehead, and she tried to raise her hands to touch the spot, but they wouldn’t move.

She sat in a dining room chair in the middle of the living room. Her wrists were secured to the arms of the chair with duct tape. A flash of movement drew her attention to the window overlooking the front yard.

Dillon stood outside, shaking a big red fuel can, slinging liquid across the front porch.

Then she smelled a pungent acrid scent, and her blood ran cold.

Kinsey strained and tugged at the bindings on her wrist. The tape held firm.

Dillon entered the house, reeking of gasoline and carrying the jug with him, splashing it across the floor.

“Dillon. Don’t do this.” She fought to keep a quaver from her voice. “I’ll come home with you.”

He snorted and slung more gasoline across the couch, some of it landing on his trouser legs. “I’ve tried to be reasonable.”

Kinsey bit hard on her tongue. Now wasn’t the time to tell him he was crazy and mean. “Take the tape off my wrists, Dillon. I’ll go with you.”

“I couldn’t keep you away from this damn place, even after your parents died.” He pulled a box of wooden matches from his pocket. “You had to come back, didn’t you?”

“I only came to visit. I’m ready to go home now,” she said, as calmly as she could, though her insides shook. With as much gasoline as he’d poured all over the room, it wouldn’t take long to burn. She had to stop him before he lit a match. “Please, Dillon. Take me home. I promise not to leave you again.”

“I could have forgiven you for leaving, but when I saw you kissing Grayson…” Dillon pulled a match from the box and stared at the red tip. “You always were a tease. I never trusted you around my teammates. I should have known you had something going on back here. Were you fucking the neighbor cowhand every time you came home to visit your parents?” He slid the match against the box and it ignited into a bright red-and-orange flame.

A gasp escaped. “Never, Dillon. I came home to see my parents. Only my parents.”

“Shut up!” he yelled. “You’re nothing but a lying bitch.” Scowling, he flung the match.

Kinsey’s breath caught as the match flew through the air and landed on the couch pushed up against the wall. The flame smoldered for a moment, then caught the gasoline and spread across the cushions.

Dillon’s gaze followed the spread of the flame, his mouth curling into a smile. “You love this place so much…you can stay and burn with it.”

“Don’t do this, Dillon. If you let me die in this house, you will have committed murder. Your football career will be over. You’ll go to jail.”

“And you will still be dead, and this house will be gone.” He headed for the door. “My career is over, anyway. Coach wasn’t playing me in the next game. Says I’m too much of a loose cannon.” He kicked an end table, sending it flying across the room. “What the fuck does he know, anyway? Fuck him! Fuck you. And fuck this place. I’m done with it all.”

Kinsey was so focused on the fire flaring in her old house, she almost didn’t hear the hooves thundering against the ground until a horse slid to a stop outside, and a rider dropped to the ground.

“Kinsey!” A voice called out.

“Great.” Dillon laughed. “I can take care of your lover at the same time.” He grabbed another chair and slammed it against the dining table, breaking it into pieces. With one of the legs in his hand, he squared off opposite Becket as he charged through the door.

“Becket! Watch out!” Kinsey cried.

Dillon swung the sharp piece of wood.

Becket ducked, and the chair leg cracked against the doorframe. He hit Dillon with a hard punch to the gut.

Dillon doubled over, but came at Becket with a powerhouse swing, catching him across the chin.

Grunting, Becket jerked backward and fell out the door onto the porch.

Dillon followed, kicking at the man sprawled on the wooden deck.

In a flash, Becket caught Dillon’s foot and twisted, sending him crashing against a wall, out of Kinsey’s line of view.

She had other problems. Everywhere Dillon had spread the gasoline was in full flame and burning through the couch, the carpet, and into the wooden floors beneath. She bit back a coughing fit. If she didn’t get out soon, she’d be engulfed by the flames.

Kinsey tried pounding the chair against the floor to break it, but the old chair held solid and refused to split. Flames spread across the floor, following the trail of gasoline to the door, blocking that exit. Now, the only direction clear of flames was toward the front picture window.

Outside the door, the men fought fiercely, grunting and banging against the outside walls. The front door slammed shut. Even if she made it through the flames, she couldn’t reach the knob.

Kinsey braced her feet on the floor, leaned forward, and lifted the chair legs. Smoke stung her eyes, making them tear, and burned her lungs with each breath, but she wasn’t ready to die.

She turned, aimed the legs of the chair at the window, and walked backward, picking up speed. If she didn’t hit it hard enough, she wouldn’t break the old glass. As she neared the window, she threw her entire body into the seat of the chair. The legs hit the window. Glass exploded outward, and she fell through, tucking her head to avoid the jagged edges.

The low windowsill caught the back of her legs, and she flipped over it, landing hard on the porch. The wooden chair back, taking the brunt of the landing, split into pieces.

Kinsey rolled across the shattered glass, the sharp edges cutting into her skin. She didn’t care. Cuts and bruises would heal—she had proof of that fact. If she didn’t get completely away from the house, her dive through the window wouldn’t have helped. Still attached to the arms and back of the chair, but with the legs broken off, she struggled to get her feet beneath her.

On the other end of the porch, Dillon had pinned down Becket and pummeled his face.

“Leave him alone!” Kinsey screamed.

Dillon’s head shot up, and he glared at her. He stopped hitting Becket and staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his nose and where she’d stabbed him in the arm and thigh. One eye was swelling, and a jagged wound cut across his eyebrow. “No fucking way!” Dillon shouted. “You can’t leave.”

The fire had spread inside the house, catching on the curtains around the broken window. A flaming ember wafted out onto the porch, igniting the gasoline Dillon had sluiced over the weathered boards.

A breeze fanned the flame, making it shoot up as Dillon plowed through. His trousers caught on fire, the flames rising up his leg.

Kinsey managed to get to her feet and braced herself for the pending impact.

Before Dillon reached Kinsey, Becket grabbed him from behind, his hands hard on the football player’s shoulders.

Dillon roared and fought to free his arms from Becket’s hold, the fire creeping up the front of his pants.

Unable to contain the bigger man for long, Becket shoved him sideways, away from Kinsey.

Dillon fell through the broken window into the burning house.

Flames spread across the porch toward Kinsey.

Becket ran for her, scooped her into his arms, chair parts and all, and leaped off the porch. When he landed, his legs buckled beneath him, and they rolled across the ground, away from the flaming house.

Becket pushed to a sitting position and helped her up to one as well. “Are you all right?” He rested his hands on her shoulders and searched her face, his brows pulled into a frown.

Cut, bruised, and bleeding, she found the energy to smile. “I’m alive.”

He captured her face in his hands and gave her a quick, hard kiss on the lips, then unwound the duct tape from one of her wrists and what was left of the arms and back of the chair. When the tape reached her bare skin, he eased the adhesive loose. Once one wrist was free, he kissed her red skin. “Can you manage the rest?”

Blood pounding in her ears, she nodded.

“I’m going after Dillon.” He got up and helped her to her feet.

Kinsey touched his arm. “Be careful.” If the fire didn’t hurt Becket, Dillon might still have enough energy to knock him out.

Without protective clothing, Becket risked his own life going into the burning house.

Heart lodged in her throat, she worked the tape loose with her fingers while tracking Becket’s progress.

She prayed he’d come out of it alive. Now that she’d found him again, she wanted him to stick around long enough to make him fall in love with her. She was well on her way to being head over heels for him.

As Kinsey shook free of the old chair, she saw Becket kick open the front door and run inside.

With his shirt pulled up over his nostrils, Becket entered the house, running through the line of fire, dodging the hot spots. Massey had used an accelerant, gasoline from the smell of it, to ignite the building. Though he’d gone through the window, landing inside the living room, the man was nowhere to be seen.

“Massey!” he yelled, and then coughed, smoke burning the lining of his lungs and the heat making breathing equally hard.

Besides the roar of the fire, no other sound came to him. Throwing an arm over his head and ducking low, he ran through the burning house into the kitchen. The door leading out the back of the house stood wide open.

Damn. He’d gone out the back. Which meant he could have rounded to the front by now.

Kinsey.

Becket spun, intending to take the shortest route through the house, but the fire had intensified in the living room, having spread to the ceiling. Timbers crashed down, shooting sparks into the air.

Going back the way he’d come was no longer an option. He had to get to Kinsey. Fast.

Bolting for the back door, he leaped off the porch. The sound of sirens rang out across the countryside as Becket ran around the side of the burning structure. When he reached the front yard, he ground to a halt and his heart stopped.

Massey had Kinsey from behind, his arm looped around her neck in a chokehold.

Her face was blue, turning bluer by the moment.

“Let her go, Massey.” Pulse pounding against his eardrums, Becket inched toward them. “It’s over.”

Kinsey scratched at Massey’s arms, fighting for breath. Fighting for her life.

“Back off, or I’ll kill her.”

“Yeah. You’ve already proved you’d kill her anyway.” Becket considered his options. He could charge the two. He’d hit Kinsey first, but if he could knock them both over, Massey might loosen his chokehold. If he did nothing, Massey would kill her anyway.

Bunching his muscles, Becket raced toward Kinsey. At the same time, he saw her hand rise to Massey’s face.

She jammed her thumb into his eye.

Massey screamed and loosened his hold.

Kinsey jammed her elbow into his gut.

Dillon let go, she dropped to the ground and rolled to the side as Becket plowed into Massey, slamming him up against a tree.

The man’s head hit with a loud crack, and he slumped to the ground.

A fire truck rolled down the driveway as Becket helped Kinsey to her feet and held her in the curve of his arms. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” she asked, her voice gravelly. “If you hadn’t come around when you did, Dillon would have killed me.”

“If I had stayed put, I could have kept him from getting to you.”

“You’re a good man, Becket. You wouldn’t leave your worst enemy in that fire.” She faced him, lacing her hands in the hair at the nape of his neck. “That’s what I love about you.”

His arms circled her waist, and he pulled her to him. “There are a lot of things I love about you. But all those scratches and bruises need to be tended to first.”

Firefighters converged on the house, and paramedics surrounded Kinsey, Becket, and Massey.

Massey was loaded into an ambulance and taken away.

The paramedics treated Kinsey’s wounds and checked both her and Becket for signs of a concussion.

A second ambulance pulled up. The paramedic opened the door and started to pull out the gurney.

“We can walk,” Kinsey insisted.

“Though I didn’t seen signs of concussion, you both should be checked over by a doctor, just to be safe,” the paramedic said.

Kinsey looked to Becket. “I won’t go unless he comes with me in the ambulance.”

“You’re not going anywhere near Massey without me.” Becket stood with hands on his hips.

She lifted a shoulder and smiled. “Then I guess we’re both going to the hospital.”

Inside the ambulance, Kinsey and Becket sat beside each other on the gurney. The paramedic insisted they both wear oxygen masks during the drive, which precluded talking.

Kinsey slipped her hand in his and rode all the way to the trauma center in Hellfire.

The doctor checked them out and cleared them to go home.

“What about Dillon?” Kinsey asked.

The doctor’s brows dipped. “Are you a relative?”

Kinsey shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I can’t share that information.”

On the way out of the examination room, Becket could see into the next room. Nurses and a doctor worked over Massey.

Nash, dressed in his sheriff’s deputy uniform, met them in the reception area. “Are you two going to live?”

Becket hugged Kinsey to him, careful not to touch her bandages and bruises. “We will. As long as Massey isn’t let loose on the street.”

“We have so many charges compiled against him, he’s not going anywhere but the state penitentiary.”

Kinsey pressed into Becket’s side. “Good.”

“I’ll see you two back at the house. Chance and Rider are finishing up at the old Phillips’ place. There won’t be anything to salvage.” He touched Kinsey’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

Becket ran his hand up and down her arm, knowing what she must be feeling.

She nodded, her eyes awash with tears.

Nash turned to Becket. “Lily’s waiting outside.”

“What about the barn at our ranch?” Becket queried, although he wasn’t holding out much hope.

Nash shook his head. “Gone. Thankfully, all other buildings are intact. Even though the barn burned to the ground, keep in mind, buildings can be replaced. People can’t. I’m glad you and Kinsey are okay.”

Becket hugged his brother. “Me, too.”

Nash turned to Kinsey and hugged her.

“Thanks.” Kinsey hugged him back. “You’re right. I’d rather lose the house and barn than you, Becket, or any of your siblings.”

Nash nodded and stepped past them to speak with the doctor.

“Come on.” Becket turned with her in the circle of his arm and walked toward the exit. “Let’s go home.”

She snuggled against him, her arm around his middle. “I promise to get a place of my own as soon as I can get a job and save up the necessary deposits.”

“You have a place to live for as long as you like,” Becket said, his voice gruffer than he’d intended. “Forever, if things work out.”

She slowed to a stop and faced him. “How’s that?”

Maybe he was pushing things too fast, but he’d almost lost her that day. “None of us know how long we have on this earth.”

Her brows twisted. “I’m not following.”

“I’m just saying, I don’t want to waste time.” He held both of her hands and squeezed. “After you have a chance to recover, you and I are going out on a date. A real date.”

“I’d like that.”

“We could take it slow,” he continued, running a thumb over her knuckles. “Just dinner. Maybe a movie, and end it with a kiss, if you want.”

She eased from his grip, and a hand settled on his chest. “What if I don’t?”

His heart stuttered, and he captured her hand in his. God, if she walked away from him now, he didn’t know what he’d do. This woman had the potential to be the one to restore his faith in women. To remind him what love was all about, and the sacrifices he’d willingly make to keep her safe and happy.

Becket raised her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss into her palm. “Kinsey, you’re free to choose who you want to be with. I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I know.” She cupped his cheek. “What I meant is: what if I don’t want just a kiss?” Leaning up on her toes, she brushed her lips across his, and then whispered in his ear, “What if I want more? What if I want to ride out in a pasture on a four-wheeler with you?”

His heart exploded with joy, and he wrapped her in his arms, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “Sweetheart, if you asked me to ride you to the moon and back, I’d be happy to take you. You name it. I’m there.”

“Take me home, cowboy. I think doing it in a bed this time would be nice.”

“Are you sure?” He stared down at her, his gaze taking in the myriad bandages covering her arms and legs. “You’re a mess.”

“I’ve never been more certain in my entire life. And you’re pretty beat up yourself.” She touched her fingertip to the black eye he’d earned in his fight with Massey. “I’m sorry you had to get involved in my screwed-up life.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Becket grinned. “A few bumps and bruises, I can live with. So, if you’re sure…I’m sure.”

She laughed and swept an arm toward the exit. “Home, it is.”

As they left the trauma clinic, Becket swept Kinsey off her feet and carried her toward Lily’s waiting truck.

She laughed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and nuzzled his ear. “I think I could fall in love with you.”

He stopped and smiled down into her happy face. “Sweetheart, I’m well on my way there, myself.” Then he kissed her soundly, ignoring the stares of his sister and the people who had to step around him to enter the building.

Love didn’t take a week, a month, or a year to develop. Sometimes love took a minute, an hour, a day, or a look. He’d give her the space she needed to recover. But the fire in his heart would burn eternal for this woman and, if she let him, he would spend a lifetime proving it.

The End

About the Author

ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of books including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty works in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Elloras’ Cave, Kensington, Cleis Press, and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories. Learn more about Elle James at ellejames.com.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter

Or visit her alter-ego Myla Jackson at mylajackson.com.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter

Other Titles by Elle James

Billionaire Online Dating Series

The Billionaire Husband Test (#1)

The Billionaire Cinderella Test (#2)

Take No Prisoners Series

SEAL’s Honor (#1)

SEAL’s Desire (#2)

SEAL’s Embrace (#3)

SEAL’s Obsession (#4)

SEAL’s Proposal (#5)

SEAL’s Seduction (#6)

SEAL’s Defiance (#7)

Covert Cowboys Inc Series

Triggered (#1)

Taking Aim (#2)

Bodyguard Under Fire (#3)

Cowboy Resurrected (#4)

Navy SEAL Justice (#5)

Navy SEAL Newlywed (#6)

Lords of the Underworld

Witch’s Initiation (#1)

Witch’s Seduction (#2)

The Witch’s Desire (#3)

Possessing the Witch (#4)

Rekindled

Dallas Fire & Rescue

Paige Tyler

‡

Copyright © 2015 by Paige Tyler

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the author.

Cover Design by Kim Killion Designs

Dedication

With special thanks to my extremely patient and understanding husband, without whose help and support I couldn’t have pursued my dream job of becoming a writer. You’re my sounding board, my idea man, my critique partner, and the absolute best research assistant any girl could ask for!

Thank you.

Things are about to get hot in here…

When firefighter Jax Malloy gets called out to battle a blaze at a hotel in the middle of the night, he doesn’t expect to find the sister of his best friend and fellow firefighter in need of rescuing. He didn’t even know she was back in Dallas.

Skye Chandler has always had a crush on Jax and is ready to be more than friends. All they have to do is survive an overprotective brother who just doesn’t get it, and a psychotic ex-boyfriend who’d rather see her dead than with another man.

Chapter One

‡

Jax Malloy braced himself with a hand on the door as Tory Wilcox whipped Station 58’s big fire engine around the last ninety degree turn before heading down Jacobs Street toward the burning hotel just ahead of them. It was twelve o’clock in the morning and he was still a little groggy from the catnap he’d been taking, but one look at the inferno raging through the building woke him right up. The place was a nightmare come to life.

“Stations 34 and 15 are still five minutes out with their engines and ladder trucks. We’ll set our lines on the west side of the building to try to keep this from spreading until they get here,” Lieutenant Nathan Boone said, glancing over his shoulder at Jax from the front passenger seat. “Malloy, you and Wilcox are on rescue until backup arrives.”

“Roger that,” Jax said, already buckling up his turn-out gear and running through a mental checklist of all the equipment he and Tory would need before heading in.

The moment the engine lurched to a stop near the west corner of the hotel, he was out of the vehicle and running for the compartments on the side of the engine. He had his self-contained breathing apparatus on by the time Tory ran around the back side of the truck. Almost as tall as Jax, he had dark blond hair and the lean, wiry build. Jax helped Tory get his pack on, then they quickly took turns checking each other’s turn-out gear and equipment to make sure both were good to go.

Jax just turned to head for the hotel when a uniformed officer ran up, breathing hard and sweating like crazy. His clothes were smudged with gray and black ash.

“There are at least three more people on the upper floors, maybe more,” the cop gasped. “I tried to get to them, but the smoke was too thick. The whole western stairwell is burning above the third floor.”

Jax nodded. “Thanks. We got it from here.” He jerked his chin at the hotel guests who had already gotten out. “Move those people across the street farther down the block. It the roof collapses, it’s gonna be bad.”

The officer nodded and took off. Jax grabbed his fire axe and slipped it into the holder on his belt, then jogged toward the building, Tory beside him. The engines and ladder trucks from 15 and 34 rolled up just as they pulled on their masks. Jax turned on his bottle and entered the building.

“Lieutenant, this is Malloy,” Jax shouted into his radio. “Tory and I are going up the east side stairwell. We have a report of people trapped on the upper floors.”

“Roger that. Watch yourselves up there.”

Running up steps while wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus, helmet, and fire-resistant turn-out suit that weighed an extra sixty pounds wasn’t exactly fun, but as a firefighter, Jax was used to it. He automatically controlled his breathing so he could conserve as much air in his self-contained breathing apparatus as possible, and kept humping up the smoke-filled stairwell. The SCBA gave him a full thirty minutes in ideal conditions, but conditions in a burning building were about as far from ideal as you could get. The fire was already eating through the walls above him, and the ceiling didn’t look like it was far behind. The hotel had ten minutes tops before it was completely devoured by flames.

He and Tory almost tripped over an older man down on his knees on the third-floor landing. His equally older wife was at his side, urging him to get to his feet. The woman’s shoulders sagged with relief at the sight of them.

Jax was all set to help her while Tory assisted her husband, but the woman waved away his hand.

“There’s a young woman up on the fifth floor. She helped us down, then went back up looking for other people,” she said, her voice hoarse from the smoke. “I can walk down. You go find her.”

Jax glanced at Tory to see him pressing the mask of his air pack against the old man’s face. Splitting up once you went inside a burning building wasn’t smart, but sometimes it had to be done.

“You good?” he asked.

His fellow firefighter nodded. “Go. I’ll get these two down by relay if I have to.”

Giving Tory a nod, Jax sprinted up the stairs. A moment later, he heard Tory’s voice on the radio, announcing he was coming down with two, while Jax was heading up for another.

By the time Jax reached the fifth floor, he knew the chances of finding anyone alive up there were slim. All public places like this were supposed to have sprinklers and water deluge systems, but if the hotel had them, they weren’t working. He could feel the heat from the flames even with all his gear on, and knew the air was getting hot enough to sear lung tissue. He kept going, though. He’d seen miracles too many times to give up on anyone.

Ten steps later, he almost stumbled over a woman lying on the floor. She had a wet bath towel over her shoulders, and another draped over her head. Smart girl, he thought as he crouched down beside her. He was half afraid he was too late, but then the woman coughed. Wrapping one arm around her, Jax gently pulled her up into a sitting position, then took off his mask to place it over her nose and mouth, pushing the button on the regulator to dump extra air into it.

He would have preferred to wait to see if the woman was able to breathe, but he couldn’t risk it. The building could give way any minute. So instead, he got the mask on the girl’s head as well as he could with her long hair, then scooped her into his arms and headed for the stairwell.

The smoke burned his throat like acid as he carried her down the five flights of stairs, but he ignored it. Another crew of firefighters were heading up as he came down, and he gave them a nod as he maneuvered around them, then through what was left of the lobby and out the front door. Damn, fresh air never tasted so good.

“Malloy. Out of the building with one rescue,” he called over his radio as he hurried over to the collection of Dallas Rescue vehicles and regular ambulances set up on the far side of Jacobs street. There were at least a dozen other patients already there, sitting on gurneys or on the ground. Most had oxygen masks on, getting good air into their lungs. Jax saw the older couple he’d left with Tory in the stairwell, but there was no sign of the other firefighter. He’d probably already gone back inside.

Alec McIntyre, one of the paramedics from Jax’s station immediately ran over, a green oxygen tank with a mask kit already attached in his hand. Jax gently placed the woman on the ground, then turned off the valve on the top of his tank and took the big firefighter’s face mask away. Alec quickly replaced it with the smaller medical mask. The woman was aware enough to get her hands around it and press it firmly to her face, breathing deep.

“I’ve got her,” Alec said, already checking the woman for burns and other injuries.

Jax was about to turn around and head back to the burning hotel when the woman flipped her long, brunette hair aside to fit the oxygen mask more closely to her face. Jax stared, stunned.

“Skye, is that you?” he asked.

He was sure he was wrong even as he said the words. No way could the slim, curvy girl sitting on the curb be the little sister of his best friend and fellow firefighter, Dane Chandler. Three years younger than them, Skye had spent most of their childhood running around behind them wanting to be included in everything they did. He hadn’t seen her in years, not since he’d graduated high school and moved away. Skye had only been a freshman in high school then, all skinny arms, long legs, knobby knees and sharp elbows.

The woman blinked up at him, her big, blue eyes going wide as they filled with recognition. Damn, it was her. Little Skye had grown up, and even through all the dirt and grime he couldn’t miss the fact that she’d become one hell of a beautiful woman.

She pulled the oxygen mask away, giving him a glimpse at full lips and the cute, upturned nose he remembered her having. “Jax?”

Skye probably would have said more, but the paramedic knelt down and put the mask on her face again. Over the radio in Jax’s ear, the lieutenant was ordering everyone to the west side of the structure—they were about to lose containment.

All Jax could do was give her a nod before turning to race for the west side of the hotel. The flames along the roof were threatening to jump over to the next building, and two ladder trucks were using their elevated hoses to douse the upper floor. Jax quickly moved over to help two other firefighters working a two-and-a-half inch attack hose as they tried to get water on the second and third floors.

Working a hose together like this took a lot of focus at the best of times. The volume of water coming through it could throw a team to the ground if they weren’t careful. But as he synched his movements with the other two men, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell Skye was doing staying in a hotel and not with her brother. Hell, Dane hadn’t even mentioned his sister was back in Dallas.

Jax told himself to put thoughts of Skye and her sudden appearance in town on the back burner. They had a fire to fight.

Chapter Two

‡

It took more than an hour before they were able to get the worse of the blaze under control, and by the time Jax had a chance to check on Skye, she’d already been taken to the local hospital along with everyone else who had sucked in too much smoke.

“Shit,” he muttered.

He’d wanted to see how she was doing before they took her to get checked out. Dane had traded shifts with another firefighter so he could ride in a rodeo fundraiser for the Dallas Fire Fighters Association, and he knew his friend would freak out when he discovered his little sister had been in a fire.

“Something wrong?”

Jax turned to see Lieutenant Boone behind him, a concerned expression on his weathered face.

“The woman I pulled off the fifth floor is Dane’s sister,” he said.

The lieutenant’s hazel eyes widened. “Damn. How bad is she hurt?”

Jax shook his head. “She seemed okay, but I don’t know for sure. She was almost unconscious by the time I got to her and she definitely sucked in a lot of smoke.”

Nate frowned. “Dump your gear on the truck, then get over to the hospital and find out how bad it is. Don’t say a word to anyone else until you talk to Dane. Let me know what’s going on as soon as you can.”

Jax nodded and jogged over to the fire engine to drop off his turn-out gear. He just finished stowing everything in one of the equipment lockers on the side of the truck when he spotted Kole Brandt, one of the other firefighters from his station.

“Hey Brandt. I need to run to the hospital to check on one of the people I got out of the building. Can you clean my gear?”

Kole didn’t gripe about the extra gear to clean, or the fact that the rest of the engine crew would be one man short dealing with the clean-up effort, but simply nodded. Every firefighter knew what it was like to worry about someone who’d been hauled out of a burning building.

“Hope whoever you’re checking on is okay,” Kole called as Jax jogged over to where the uniformed officers we still working crowd control.

Jax planned on asking the first cop he ran into for a ride to the station when he recognized the officer who’d pointed him and Tory toward the east stairwell earlier. The nametag on his chest read Perry.

“Think you can give me a lift back to the firehouse?” he asked the cop. “I need to get to the hospital to check on someone I pulled from the building.”

“Sure, no problem.”

Thanks to the flashing lights, Perry got him back to Station 58 in less than ten minutes. Jax wished he could grab a quick shower to get the smell of smoke off, but he didn’t want to take the time. So instead, he jumped in his pickup, then sped out of the parking lot and headed for the hospital.

He called Dane on the way, but it went to voicemail. No shock there. It was the frigging middle of the AM. Any rational human would be sleeping like a log. Not wanting to freak Dane out any more than he had to, he kept the message short and optimistic.

“Hey Dane. It’s Jax,” he said. “We just rolled on a hotel fire on Jacobs. Your sister was there and sucked down some smoke, but she’s going to be okay. I’m heading over to see her now at Parkland Emergency. Call me as soon as you get this.”

Luckily, the roads were deserted, so it didn’t take long for Jax to get to the hospital. He found a parking space, then hauled ass for the entrance. As he ran inside, he prayed he was right about Skye being okay. Smoke inhalation was dangerous as hell, and while Skye had seemed fine when he’d carried her out of the fire, that didn’t mean she was fine now.

Jax was all prepared to sweet-talk his way past the nurse on duty to get in to see Skye, but fortunately Emily Cartwright, the gray-haired woman behind the desk, knew him. She was used to seeing him bringing in patients, and seemed surprised he was alone.

“A woman the paramedics brought in a little while ago from that hotel fire on Jacobs is the sister of one of the firefighters I work with. I just wanted to check on her,” he explained. “Her name is Skye Chandler.”

Emily nodded. “I remember them bringing her in. Hang on a minute and I’ll take a look at her chart.”

Picking up the reading glasses dangling from a chain around her neck, she perched them on the bridge of her thin nose and moved closer to her computer. Jax had to force himself not to lean over the counter so he could see the monitor. Instead, he waited impatiently while she tapped at the keys.

“Oh yes, here she is,” Emily said. “She inhaled a lot of smoke and she’s been on oxygen since she came in, but she’s going to be fine. In fact, the doctor will be releasing her in a little while.”

Jax breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God.

“Can I see her?” he asked.

Emily gave him a smile that was all too knowing. “Down the hall. She’s in the fourth bay on the right.”

He thanked her, then made his way past the first three bays. He stopped outside the fourth and peeked around the curtain. Skye was half lying, half sitting back on the exam table, her eyes closed and an oxygen tube under her nose. She was still wearing the soot-smudged jeans and T-shirt she had on when he found her. Her breathing was so slow and steady that for a moment Jax thought she was asleep. He was wondering if he should wait outside when she opened her eyes.

“Jax!”

Skye jumped up and ran over to him, completely forgetting the oxygen line attached to her. She almost choked herself with the tubing as she got stopped short a few feet from him, and he quickly stepped forward to help her get untangled.

She laughed and gave him an embarrassed look, her face coloring. He laughed, too. Her voice was a little scratchy from inhaling all that smoke, but other than that, she really did seem fine.

The moment she was free from the oxygen lines, Skye threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He hugged her right back. What else was a guy supposed to do when a girl he’d known since she was five years old threw herself into your arms?

But being this close to her reminded him again that his best friend’s little sister wasn’t so little anymore. Even though he was six-four, Skye came up to his chin now. She had a lot more curves than he remembered her having, too. And some of those very nice curves were pressed up against his chest, letting him know that Skye hadn’t taken the time to put on a bra before bolting out of her room during the fire. He had to admit her soft breasts felt damn nice through her thin T-shirt.

And if those thoughts weren’t distracting enough, Skye smelled amazing under all the smoke still clinging to her. Like peaches and cream. How the hell was that even possible?

Realizing his cock was starting to harden, he reluctantly took a step back. As happy as he was to see Skye, he had no desire to pitch a boner in front of his best friend’s little sister—even if she wasn’t so little anymore.

*

Skye gave him a small smile as she pushed her hair behind her ear. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to tackle you like that. I just can’t believe you got me out of that hotel. I thought…”

She couldn’t say it out loud. Knowing how close she’d come to dying in that fire made her feel lightheaded and she almost grabbed onto Jax for support. Not that she’d mind putting her hands all over him again. But she didn’t want him—or the doctor—thinking she needed to spend the night at the hospital.

Jax returned her smile with one that almost made her knees go weak again, for a completely different reason this time.

“Only doing my job,” he said. “Good thing I ran into that older couple you helped downstairs. They said you’d gone back up to look for other people.”

“I don’t even remember falling to the floor up there.” Skye resolutely pushed the image out of her mind, preferring to focus on how amazing it had felt to look up when she’d been sitting on the curb and seen Jax standing there. “But then you came swooping in like a superhero and saved me.”

Another smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’m not sure about the superhero part. More like just a regular ol’ firefighter.”

She arched a brow. “Strong, heroic, and humble—sounds like superhero material to me.”

Jax chuckled, and Skye decided he had the sexiest laugh she’d ever heard. That made sense since the rest of Jax Malloy was equally sexy.

Skye had never told anyone—well, maybe some of her girlfriends at the time—but she’d had a huge crush on Jax since she was a teenager. Of course, the almost four years in age that separated them meant Jax had never seen her as anything other than his best friend’s kid sister. But she’d thought he was the most perfect guy ever.

And he hadn’t changed one bit. Same whiskey colored eyes; same thick, dark hair; same square jaw with just a trace of stubble that she longed to run her fingers over. Same lean muscles.

She wondered if he still rode broncos and bulls at the local rodeo like he’d done back in high school.

Skye stifled a moan at the memory. Just her luck that when she’d finally gotten old enough for things to get interesting, Jax graduated from high school and left Dallas to work on an oil rig in some other part of the state. He never got a chance to see her mature into a woman she’d like to think would have attracted his attention long enough for him to see her as something more than a friend.

Not that it would have mattered because it wasn’t long after that when her life had taken a hundred-and-eighty-degree-turn in the other direction. A few years later, she was living in New York City working twelve hour days, and Jax was off doing whatever it was that he’d done. She hadn’t even known he was a firefighter until he rescued her tonight. Especially since he and her brother probably worked together.

Then again she and Dane hadn’t talked very much since she’d left.

Yet here she and Jax were nearly ten years later. She was still thinking how her life might have been different if they’d been more than friends back then when she realized he was talking to her.

She reached for the oxygen tube to hide her embarrassment. “What?”

His hands were gentle as he helped her get it repositioned. “I asked why the heck you went back up to the fifth floor looking for people.”

Skye hesitated, pretending to focus on fitting the ends of the tube under nose. The truth was she’d been terrified half to death the moment she woke up and realized the hotel was on fire. She hated fire. So much so that she couldn’t even stand to have candles on her birthday cake. When she’d heard the alarm and smelled the smoke, she barely remembered to get dressed and grab her purse before she ran down the stairs and outside.

When she’d gotten to safety, she was afraid to even look back at the building and the flames engulfing it. That was when she heard the cries for help from the hotel, and something inside her had torn open.

Her parents had died in a fire when she was in high school because they couldn’t get out of the house after it had filled with smoke. The thought that other people were about to die the same way made her realize she couldn’t just leave them in there to burn to death. So she’d somehow swallowed her fear and charged back into the hotel over and over again. She still wasn’t sure how she’d done it, or why she’d gone up to the fifth floor when she knew there was no way anyone left up there could still be alive.

“I know I shouldn’t have gone back up there that last time,” she admitted to Jax with a shrug. “But I couldn’t give up until I checked one more time. I didn’t want to leave anyone behind.”

“That was very brave, and I have no doubt you saved a lot of people’s lives.” He regarded her in silence, his dark eyes thoughtful. “What you were doing in the hotel in the first place? Why not stay at Dane’s place? I know for a fact that he has an extra bedroom. I’ve crashed there myself a time or two.”

Skye stiffened. Running into that burning hotel had been terrifying, but this question scared the hell out of her.

She slowly sank down on the bed. “It’s…well, it’s complicated. But I couldn’t stay with my brother. Actually, he doesn’t even know I’m in town. And I rather keep it that way for now.”

Jax winced. “That might be a bit tough. I just called and left a message telling him what happened. He’s going to know you’re here as soon as he listens to it. Sorry.”

She gave him a small smile. “It’s not your fault. He was bound to find out that I’m back in Dallas sooner or later. I was just hoping to be a bit more settled before I got into everything with him.”

Jax frowned. “Skye, are you in some kind of trouble?”

She shook her head. “No, nothing like that, but it’s kind of a long story. One I’d rather not get into while sitting in a hospital emergency room.”

His mouth tightened, but he didn’t press the issue. “Okay. You’re obviously working through something, and after the night you just had, you don’t need me prying into your business. The nurse said the doctor was ready to release you, so I’ll check on that. Where are you going then?”

Skye chewed on her lower lip. “I don’t know. Another hotel, I guess. Do you mind giving me a ride?”

“You don’t have to stay at another hotel.”

“I’m not staying with Dane, if that’s what you’re going to suggest,” she said.

“I wasn’t,” Jax said. “I was going to say you could stay with me.”

Skye hoped her mouth wasn’t hanging open. It was just that she had never in a million years expected him to invite her to stay at his place.

“With you?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I have an extra bedroom. And unlike Dane, you can stay with me no questions asked.”

His invitation was like a godsend. Besides the fact that she was suddenly extremely interested to see what kind of place he lived in, staying with him meant she wouldn’t have to spend more money on a hotel. It wasn’t like she was destitute, but she didn’t want to spend money she didn’t have to, just in case her new plans didn’t go as smoothly as she hoped.

Okay, no way was she about to look this very attractive gift horse in the mouth. But she also didn’t want to cause trouble for Jax, either.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind? I don’t want to get you into hot water with Dane.”

“I wouldn’t have made the offer if I wasn’t sure,” Jax said. “You can stay as long as you like. Let me worry about Dane.”

For some stupid reason, Skye felt like crying. She’d been living on adrenaline and prayers for about the past two weeks. Things had been tough, to say the least. And that was before the fire in the hotel. But for the first time in a while, it seemed like things were finally looking up. Like maybe fate had decided to throw Jax into her path right when she needed a friend.

Not wanting Jax to see her tears—guys always got so freaked out when a woman cried—she jumped to her feet and hugged him again. But as his big, strong arms came around her and pulled her close to all that muscle, she had to remind himself that he was her brother’s best friend. Because right now, the idea of staying at his place had her thinking things she definitely shouldn’t be thinking.

Chapter Three

‡

The nurse had told Skye she’d be free to go after she signed all the paperwork. That had been fifteen minutes ago.

She didn’t mean to complain. The medical staff was just doing their job, and on the upside, Jax was sitting beside her while she filled out the forms. But she was getting a bit antsy about Dane showing up and causing a scene. She loved her brother like crazy, but he could be a pain in the ass when it came to trying to tell her what to do all the time. And she was pretty much going to lose his mind when he realized what she’d done. That was why she hadn’t called to let him know she was back in Dallas.

Since Jax had left a message on her brother’s phone, she knew she was going to have to deal with Dane sooner or later. But after the night she had, she would take later rather than sooner.

Which was why she practically dragged Jax down the hallway to the hospital’s big automatic doors after she’d signed the last form. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough. Her brother was coming in as they were walking out, and he looked pissed.

“What the hell were you doing in a hotel on Jacobs Street, Skye?”

An inch or two shorter than Jax, her brother had the same stocky build he’d had when he played football in high school, but with even more muscle. Apparently, being a firefighter agreed with him. She only wished he was better at being an older brother. Ever since their parents had died, Dane had taken it upon himself to tell her how to run her life. But those days were over.

“I’m fine, Dane,” she said, ignoring his question. “Thank you for asking.”

No surprise that her brother hadn’t bothered to ask how she was. The way he probably saw it, if she was leaving the hospital, she must be okay. At least he had the good grace to look chagrined.

“I’m sorry.” He let out a sigh. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Thanks to Jax, yes.”

Dane’s blue eyes darted to Jax, and something unspoken passed between them before her brother turned back to her.

“What are you doing in Dallas?” he demanded. “And why didn’t you call me when you got in?”

Skye didn’t want to get into this with Dane now, especially not here in front of Jax and anyone else who might be passing by. But her brother was going to keep badgering her until she answered his questions. And if the only way to get him to stop running her life was to have a knock-down-drag-out right here, then she was damn well going to do it.

“I quit my job in New York to move back here and start my own business,” she snapped. “And I didn’t call you because you’re a jerk.”

If Dane was insulted by the jab, he didn’t let it show. “What the hell do you mean, you quit? What kind of business could you can open up here in Dallas that’ll be better than the job you had in New York?”

She folded her arms. “That’s not your concern.”

She probably sounded like a five-year-old, but she didn’t care. Dane didn’t get a free pass to run her life because they had the same parents.

The muscle in Dane’s jaw flexed. “None of my concern? Dammit Skye, I didn’t waste all my money to send you to college so you could open a business that’s sure to fail.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Skye clenched her hands into fists, ignoring the way her nails dug into her palms. God, her brother could irritate the crap out of her. “And as for wasting your money, I already paid you back every penny you ever put into my college education. So you don’t get to hold that over my head anymore.”

Not waiting to see if Jax followed, or even having any idea where he was parked, she pushed past her brother and walked toward the lot. Jax was at her side in two long strides.

“Where the hell are you going?” Dane called.

She should have kept walking, but instead, she turned to face him. He was regarding her with a bewildered expression.

“It’s late and I’m tired,” she told him. “I’m going to bed.”

“My truck is the other way,” Dane said.

“I’m not going home with you,” she said. “I’m staying with Jax.”

If she thought her brother looked pissed before, that was nothing compared to the anger on his face now. “The hell you are.”

Muttering something under his breath, Dane started toward them. Skye stood her ground. For all his bluster, Dane would never put a hand on her. He loved her too much for that—even if he did have a funny way of showing it.

Jax, on the other hand, must not have been as sure. He stepped in front of her, blocking Dane’s path. Her brother stopped short.

“You need to calm the hell down and take a step back,” Jax ordered sharply. “Skye almost died tonight and she doesn’t need to deal with your crap right now. Especially not in front of all these people.”

Skye felt her face flame. She hadn’t even noticed the handful of people in the emergency room who were staring raptly out the window at them like they were watching a freaking episode of Jerry Springer. They might not be able to hear what she and Dane had been saying, but it wasn’t hard to figure what was going on between her and her brother. God, this was so embarrassing.

Dane must have been as surprised as she was because he didn’t even try to stop them as Jax put his hand on the small of her back, then gently turned her around and pointed her in the direction of a silver four-door pickup. He didn’t look back at Dane as he opened the passenger door to let her in, but Skye did. Her brother was standing there with a hard to read expression on his face. Underneath the obvious embarrassment, there was still a lot of anger.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Turning away, Skye climbed in the truck, then watched Jax walk around the front and get in beside her. Neither of them said anything as he put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. They’d gone about half a mile when Jax spoke.

“Do you need to stop and get anything from the store?” he asked, his voice soft in the darkness. “Not many places are open at this time of night, but I could probably find something if we drive around.”

She glanced at the clock on the dash board. It was after three o’clock in the morning already. She was way too tired to go shopping anyway.

“Any chance you have an extra toothbrush?” Hell, at this point she’d use her finger if that was all she could get. But thankfully, Jax nodded. “That’s good enough for tonight. I’ll get the other stuff I need tomorrow.”

They drove for another thirty minutes, turning down consecutively smaller and smaller roads until they’d left the big buildings and city lights of Dallas far behind. Skye was just about to ask how much farther they had to go when Jax turned into a neatly edged gravel driveway with white paddock fencing on either side. Even though she was tired, she couldn’t help sitting up straighter. She’d expected an apartment, or maybe even a townhouse, but it appeared that Jax lived on a real honest-to-goodness ranch.

She turned to look at him. She could just make out his profile in the soft lighting coming from the console. “You live here?”

She shouldn’t have been so surprised. Jax had been riding horses and working on ranches since he was kid, so it made sense he’d figured out a way to be around both.

“My grandparents left me the place a few years ago,” he said. “It’s not much, just a dozen horses and a couple hundred head of cattle. I have a few guys that help me run things when I’m at the station, so most of my money goes to paying them, covering the taxes, and keeping the place maintained. But it’s been in the family for generations, so I keep it going.”

When Jax stopped his truck in front of the two-story clapboard house with a big wraparound porch, Skye climbed out before he could come around to open the door. In addition to the house, there were two barns and a hay storage building. Even in the dappled moonlight, she could tell that the place was well maintained.

Since the house had been his grandparents, Skye expected the inside to look like something out of Little House on the Prairie, but she was surprised to see an open floor plan complete with an updated kitchen that boasted stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and recessed lighting. The living room was equally modern, complete with a stone fireplace, comfy looking sectional couch, and a big, flat-screen television. If it wasn’t for the cowboy, rodeo, and firefighter stuff tastefully sprinkled throughout, she’d think she was in a loft in New York City.

Jax dropped his keys on the table in the entryway just as a black Labrador mix came trotting out from the back of the house to greet him with a wagging tail. Skye smiled as Jax dropped down to a knee and affectionately scratched the dog behind the ears.

“This is Rodeo,” he said when he stood up. “Rodeo, meet Skye. She’s going to be staying with us.”

Rodeo walked over, tail wagging, eager to let her pet him. Skye gladly gave him what he wanted, laughing as he licked her hand.

Jax gave him a pat on the rump. “Okay, Skye’s had a long night. Let’s give her some space.”

Rodeo wagged his tail and obediently trotted into the living room and hopped on the couch. He was absolutely adorable.

“I know you’re exhausted, so I’ll show you the important stuff and save the nickel tour for later.” Jax led her down the main hallway and showed her to a bedroom down the hall from his. “There are three more bedrooms upstairs, but this is the only one I have set up for guests. Bathroom is across the hall. There are toothbrushes, soap, and towels in the linen closet beside the sink. I have some T-shirts in my dresser you can sleep in if you want.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Is it okay if I raid your fridge before I go to bed?”

She really wasn’t hungry. She was just so wrung out from the argument with Dane that she wasn’t sure she could sleep.

“I can make you something to eat while you shower if you want?” he suggested.

She opened her mouth to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but then closed it again. Something told her that Jax didn’t make offers on a whim. If he was offering, she’d take him up on it.

“Thanks,” she said “I won’t be long.”

He flashed her a smile. “Take your time. I’m going to shower off first anyway. And if one of my T-shirts doesn’t work, feel free to look in my closet.”

Skye slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. When Jax said there was soap in the linen closet, she’d figured he meant a bar of Ivory, but she was pleased to discover a bottle of body wash. They were the kind marketed specifically for men, but it was still better than a bar of soap. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo, then dumped her smelly clothes on the floor and climbed into the shower.

At first, she simply stood there under the warm spray, more interested in letting it wash away the tension than the dirt. After a few minutes, her shoulders and back relaxed, the water rinsing the stress right down the drain.

Finally feeling up to the task, she went to town with the body wash and shampoo, scrubbing away the smoky stench and black soot that seemed to be everywhere. She ended up washing her hair three times before she felt it was clean enough. As she rinsed out the shampoo, she thought again about how lucky she’d been that night. Not just surviving the fire—though she definitely counted herself blessed there. It was meeting up with Jax. He was probably the only person in the world who could get her strong-willed and determined brother to back off and give her some space. He was also one of the few people she knew who would offer his guest room to a woman he hadn’t seen in nearly ten years. There weren’t many guys like that in the world.

Deciding she was as clean as she was going to get, she shut off the water and climbed out of the shower. It was as she was drying off that she realized she probably should have grabbed some of Jax’s clothes before she showered. Because while Jax had nice soft bath towels, they were barely big enough to wrap all the way around her and have some left over for tucking in.

Well, it was a little late now, so she’d have to make do.

Hoping Jax wouldn’t mind if she used his brush, she ran it through her long hair, then readjusted the towel, snuggling it more rightly around her. Holding onto the end she’d tucked in with one hand, she opened the door with the other and poked out her head to make sure Jax was occupied in the kitchen. Then she made a bare-assed naked dash for his bedroom, deciding speed was more important than coverage. Her damp feet made a slapping sound on the hardwood floor, and she prayed she wouldn’t slip and bust her butt as she raced for the carpeted room. That was all she needed, to have Jax come running to see what all the noise was about and find her sprawled out naked in his hallway.

But she survived the race to his bedroom, slowing enough to make it inside without falling. She leaned back against the door and looked around the bedroom. There were a lot of dark wood tones to go with the masculine decor, and with the thick drapes meant to block out the light coming through the windows, no one would ever mistake this bedroom for anything than what it was—a man’s retreat. But even with all the testosterone-influenced décor, the bedroom still felt cozy. His sleigh bed in particular looked seriously comfortable.

Then again, maybe she was just imagining how comfortable the bed would be if she was in it with Jax.

The thought made her face heat. Jax was a friend, nothing more. No matter how much she was still crushing on him.

She pushed away from the door and wandered over to the chest of drawers against one wall. Jax said she could poke around as much as she wanted so she took him at his word, digging through the dresser until she found those long T-shirts he’d mentioned. She dropped the towel and pulled one on, reveling in how soft it felt against her skin. It smelled good, too—like Jax. But while the T-shirt would definitely work as a sleepshirt, she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to run around in front of Jax out in the kitchen. It easily reached to mid-thigh, but floated up every time she lifted her arms or spun around. And if she bent over for something, Jax would definitely be getting one heck of a show.

Was that why Jax had suggested she wear it, so he could get a show?

Nah. He wasn’t like that. Besides, he still saw her as Dane’s little sister.

Skye kept the T-shirt on as she wandered into the walk-in closet in case she couldn’t find anything better to wear. The closet was perfectly straight and organized, the racks and cubbies full of work and dress uniforms, suits, slacks, jeans, button-downs, dress shirts, and all the shoes and boots a man might want.

She lingered in front of the button-downs for a moment, then moved on to the selection of dress shirts. She was immediately drawn to a crisp white one that seemed extra-long. Inspired, she yanked the T-shirt over her head and tossed it on the bench seat in the middle of the walk-in closet, then slipped into the dress shirt. The moment the fabric settled on her shoulders, she knew she had a winner. She moved over to stand in front of the long mirror as she buttoned it up, turning this way and that just to make sure she wouldn’t give Jax an impromptu show-and-tell session. Even though the shirt only hung down a few inches further than the T-shirt, it didn’t show off her assets when she bent over.

Yeah, this would definitely work.

Dropping the towel in the hamper in the bathroom, and the T-shirt off in the guest bedroom for later, she walked into the kitchen. Rodeo was parked beside the island while Jax was standing barefoot at the stove wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts that showed off his sexy muscles as he cooked scrambled eggs. She was still appreciating his well-sculpted biceps when she realized he’d made small breakfast steaks and toast to go with the aforementioned eggs.

Skye was about to point out that it was four o’clock in the morning and that he didn’t have to go to all that trouble. She would have been fine with a handful of chips or cookies, or even a sandwich. But then Jax turned to look at her, and she forgot what she was going to say.

He took in the dress shirt she wore, his gaze lingering on her bare legs. Something that looked like hunger flared in his dark eyes, but he turned back to the stove before she could be sure.

“Have a seat,” he said over his shoulder. “The eggs are almost done.”

She turned to the table to find it set with silverware and tall glasses of orange juice. No coffee, though. Which was probably a good thing if either of them planned on getting any sleep tonight. She sat down and reached for her glass just as Jax came over with two plates of food.

“You didn’t have to go to the trouble of all this,” she said as he sat down across from her. “I would have been happy with a snack.”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t any trouble. I usually make something to eat when I get home from my shift anyway.”

Somehow, she doubted he bothered grilling steak and making scrambled eggs every day. “Well, thank you.”

Picking up her knife, Skye spread butter on her toast, then added a generous amount of orange marmalade before taking a bite. Mmm. She never remembered a simple piece of buttered toast tasting this good. The steak and eggs were even better. She must be hungrier than she realized. Or it could simply be that Jax was such a good cook. Then again, he was a firefighter. Knowing how to cook was part of the job description.

“How have you been?” Jax glanced at her as he pushed eggs onto his fork with the edge of his toast, then softly added, “Since your parents passed away, I mean. I know the fire at hotel must have brought up bad memories for you.”

The toast she’d been chewing suddenly went dry in her mouth and Skye took a sip of juice to wash it down. After ten years, the memory should have dimmed. But it hadn’t. And after tonight, it was even more vivid.

She’d been halfway through her sophomore year in high school when their house caught fire. She’d been at a movie with friends and gotten back just in time to watch her childhood home go up in flames. Dane had tried to save their mom and dad, but hadn’t been able to get them out. He’d barely made it out alive himself. She didn’t even want to think how close she’d almost come to losing her brother that night, too.

“I’m okay,” she said quietly. “It was a long time ago. At least I can talk about it without breaking down and crying anymore.”

“There’s no shame in crying.” He regarded her with sad eyes, then cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you and Dane. By the time I got back into town, you’d already graduated from high school and headed off to college.”

She used what was left of her toast to chase a piece of egg onto her fork and chewed slowly. “I hated leaving Dane, but he insisted it was what Mom and Dad would have wanted, so I went.”

Her brother had planned to go to college, too, but he’d put that on hold to pay for her schooling. By the time she’d finished and paid him back, he seemed to have lost interest. He’d never admitted it, but sometimes she wondered if he blamed her for making him give it up. It would certainly explain why he hadn’t ever wanted her to come home on vacation.

“You went to college for economics, right?” Jax asked.

She nodded. “I originally planned to go to school for something creative, like graphic art or interior design. But Dad was an economics teacher, and always wanted me to go into math or finances. So I ended up majoring in economics with minors in finance, accounting, and business statistics.”

Across from her, Jax’s eyes looked like they were about to glaze over. “Wow. That sounds…”

“Boring as hell?” she finished.

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

She laughed. “Yes you were and you know it. And you’re right. It was boring. I might be good at math, but I don’t love it the way my dad did. Taking all those classes didn’t give me much time to think about anything else, though, and back then, that was a good thing. And as an added bonus, I landed an amazing job when I graduated.”

Jax studied her, his dark eyes thoughtful. “If it was such an amazing job, why did you quit?”

She shrugged and looked down at her nearly empty plate. “I took a look at my life and realized I’d been living it for other people for so long that I’d stopped living it for me.”

“By ‘other people,’ you mean your parents?”

“Mostly them yeah, but Dane, too.” She chewed on her lower lip. “There was also my ex-boyfriend, Jordan. We’d been dating for a while and it occurred to me that he was making all these plans for me without even asking if any of it was what I wanted. He was setting a wedding date before we even talked about getting married. He had a five-year plan that included everything from when we would have kids and how many we would have, to what social circles I needed to be part of so he could become a partner in his law firm.”

Jax snorted. “He sounds like a jackass.”

“He is,” she agreed. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to see it. I’d probably still be back in New York clueless if it wasn’t for Jordan’s best friend, Aiden. He convinced me I need to figure out what I want to do with my life, then get out there and do it.”

“Let’s hear it for Aiden then,” Jax said.

“Definitely.” She smiled. The only thing she’d miss about New York was not getting to hang out with Aiden anymore. “The next day I broke up with Jordan, quit my job and cashed out my investment portfolio, then booked the first flight to Dallas.”

“Wow.” Jax lifted a brow. “Okay, some people might say that’s a bit abrupt. But instead I’ll just applaud you for your decisive decision-making skills. So, what kind of business are you going to start?”

Skye finished the last of her eggs and set her knife and fork on the empty plate. “A bakery called Comfort Cakes. I plan on focusing on the internet market and special events, like weddings, conferences, and conventions to start with. Then after I get established, I can get a storefront and grow into a full-service dessert catering business.”

She finished in a rush, waiting for Jax to say she was crazy for giving up a six-figure job to open a bakery, but he just nodded and polished off the rest of his toast.

“Why a bakery?” he asked when he finished chewing.

She shrugged. “I used to spend a lot of time helping mom bake when I was little. She loved being in the kitchen and showing her affection for people through her food. After my parents passed away, I made cupcakes and gave them to people for all the kind words, cards, and stuff they did for Dane and me. I didn’t realize it until much later that I was also doing it because it made me feel better.”

Across from her, Jax swigged his orange juice, but didn’t say anything.

“I continued baking in college, then as a form of stress relief after I moved to New York,” she continued. “Before I knew it, I was staying up late every night making dozens of cupcakes and selling them to people at work and in my apartment building. Even a few wedding planners. It was hard work and didn’t pay nearly as well as my day job, but I loved doing it. Baking brought back all the warm, wonderful memories I had of my mom, memories I’d buried away and forgotten. So when Aiden asked me what I wanted to be doing five years from now, I knew I’d rather stay home and bake than go to work on Wall Street.”

It felt so good to finally be able to open up and talk about this to someone. And Jax was a damn good listener. He sat across from her, nodding and asking her serious questions as she told him her dream business and her business plan. It was like he really got it. He even told her that she could stay at his place as long as she needed so she could save money. Even if she didn’t hold him to that promise—he was a friend and living here rent free would start wearing on that friendship soon enough—she still appreciated the offer. There weren’t many guys like Jax Malloy out there.

It wasn’t until they were cleaning up the kitchen and the conversation started to slow that Skye realized they’d been talking for almost three hours.

“I should probably try to grab a few hours of sleep before I go back into work,” Jax said as he closed the dishwasher and turned it on.

Skye was having so much fun, she would gladly have stayed up all night, but the sun would be coming up soon and she didn’t want Jax going to work exhausted. “Yeah, me too.”

She waited while Jax made sure the door was locked and turned out the lights, then together they walked down the hallway to the bedrooms, Rodeo leading the way. When they reached hers, she turned to look at him.

“I really do appreciate you letting me stay here,” she said. “I know you don’t think it’s a big deal, but to me, it is. So, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He gave her a small smile. “I know you feel like you’re alone right now, but you’re not. Promise me that if you need anything, you’ll let me know. Okay?”

Tears clogged her throat. She continued to be blown away by how amazing this guy in front of her really was. Giving in to an irresistible urge, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. She’d meant the gesture to be innocent and platonic, but she couldn’t miss how broad his chest was and how good it felt to press her breasts against all that solid muscle. She almost moaned when her nipples began to stiffen into firm, sensitive peaks.

Maybe it was just a reaction to her near-death experience, or maybe she was responding this way because she had a crush on Jax for so long. Either way, the smart thing would have been to pull back before he felt the hard pebbles of her nipples through both of their shirts and realize she was getting excited. But her head didn’t seem interested in doing the smart thing. If anything, it was urging her to press up against him even more tightly.

Fortunately she got it together before she embarrassed herself. But right before she dropped her arms and stepped back, she could have sworn she felt something hard and interesting poking her in the tummy. She supposed it could have been his belt—if he’d been wearing one. Clearly, she hadn’t been the only one getting a little turned on from a little hug. And for some silly reason, that made her extremely happy.

Jax didn’t say anything, but his dark, smoldering eyes practically undressed her where she stood. Skye wet her lips, wondering if he’d kiss her. Or maybe she was the one who’d do the kissing. Because right then, she wouldn’t have been surprised if either of those things happened.

But after a long, heart-stopping moment, Jax stepped back. “Good night, Skye,” he murmured. “Sleep well. And feel free to make yourself at home while you’re here.”

Giving her a smile, he turned and walked down the hall, Rodeo at his heels. She waited until he disappeared inside his bedroom before going into her own. She leaned against the door until her pulse returned to something close to normal, then walked over to the bed. She unbuttoned her shirt as she went, her breath hitching as the material grazed her hypersensitive nipples. Draping the dress shirt over the end of the bed, she picked up the long T-shirt she’d left there earlier and pulled it over her head, luxuriating in its softness as she turned out the light and climbed under the covers.

But instead of falling asleep, she lay there in the dark. Between her aroused nipples and the thought of Jax just down the hallway with a hard-on in his shorts—if he even wore shorts when he slept—she was pretty sure sleep was going to be a long time coming.

Sighing, she rolled over on her back and relived the day she’d had. Not the bad parts, but the good stuff. Like running into Jax after all these years and having him offer her a place to stay, not to mention finally having a sounding board she could talk about following her dreams.

While Aiden Dunn was a good friend, he wasn’t Jax. Maybe it was because she’d known Jax since they were kids, but he made her really believe she could start a whole new business from scratch with little more than a hope, a dream, a Kitchen-Aid, and a cupcake pan. It wouldn’t be easy, and she was going to have to deal with Dane’s disapproval, but with Jax in her corner—symbolically at least—there was nothing she couldn’t do.

Chapter Four

‡

Jax yawned as he walked through the station’s big roll-up doors. He’d only gotten a couple hours sleep before coming in, but his normal twenty-four hour shift ran until noon, and he felt bad leaving his guys one man short even for as long as he had. He made his way around the side of the sparkling clean fire engine, intending to go to the captain’s office when he ran into Dane just rounding the back of the truck.

Dane pulled up with a look of surprise—an expression that lasted all of half a second. Eyes narrowing, he glanced behind Jax, then pinned him with a glare.

“Where’s my sister?” he demanded.

Shit. Dane might be his best friend, but the guy had one hell of a short fuse, and he’d always been prickly when it came to his sister. Jax certainly understood why. Skye was the only family he had left. But man, right then, his friend was way out of line.

“She’s at my place, sleeping in the guest room. She was so exhausted after last night, I wouldn’t be surprised if she sleeps the whole day.”

Dane looked concerned for another half second, then he squared his shoulders. “Did she seriously quit her job in New York to come back here? What the hell kind of business is she talking about starting anyway?”

It would have been easier to tell Dane everything, but he couldn’t do that. Skye had told him what she had in confidence, believing he wouldn’t go running off to tell Dane.

“Skye asked me to not say anything about it to anyone,” he said.

“I’m not anyone,” Dane ground out. “I’m her brother.”

Jax swore silently. Dane was her brother, but he could also be a jackass sometimes—like now. “She’ll tell you when she’s ready, okay? You just have to be patient.”

The muscle in Dane’s jaw flexed. Shit. Maybe telling him to be patient had been a bad idea. Dane wasn’t known for that trait.

“What the hell does that mean?” His friend took a step closer, his fists clenched at his side. “You haven’t seen my sister in a decade and all of a sudden you decided you know more about what she needs than I do?”

Now it was Jax’s turn to get pissed. “Maybe I do. I haven’t seen her in nearly a decade, but how many times have you?”

He knew it was a dirty shot. Dane had told him more than once it bothered him that he and Skye hadn’t seen each other more than a couple times since she had left for college. But that didn’t keep Jax from taking advantage of Dane’s stunned silence.

“Look, your sister is fine,” Jax said as calmly as he could. “But she needs you to give her some space.”

“You don’t need to tell me how to handle my sister,” Dane shot back. “I raised her just fine after our parents died.”

“Raised her?” Jax snorted. “She’s your sister, Dane, not a farm animal! You didn’t raise her. She raised herself.”

Dane charged him, his fist swinging at the same time. Jax loved Dane like a brother, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let him punch him. He ducked to one side, allowing Dane’s fist to slip past him before lunging forward and wrapping his arms around his friend, slamming him sideways into the fire engine.

Dane twisted in Jax’s arms, swinging his elbows in an effort to take off his head, cussing the whole time. Jax cussed right back. He was gonna have to deck his friend to end this, and preferably before Dane decked him.

“What the hell is going on out here?” A sharp voice demanded from the back of the station. “You two get paid to fight fires, not each other!”

Jax and Dane immediately broke apart to see their captain coming toward them. Earl Stewart, the senior man in the station, was hard, whipcord lean, and not someone to mince words. He’d run this station for over ten years and didn’t put up with things not being done his way. And he sure as hell didn’t put up with his people taking shots at each other.

Stewart gave Jax a hard look before turning his gaze on Dane. “I thought you were supposed to be inspecting the SCBA bottles for the next shift, Chandler.”

Dane shot Jax a glare that could melt paint off a fire engine, then gave Stewart a nod. “I’m on it now, Captain.”

Jax watched him go. Something told him this wasn’t going to be the last time he and Dane argued.

He turned back to the station boss, prepared to apologize for the scuffle, but Stewart cut him off. “In my office. Now.”

Jax clenched his jaw as he followed the older man, but didn’t say anything. He’d already been MIA for a good part of his shift, and that brawl with Dane wasn’t going to win him any points.

“I know I missed eight hours of my shift, Captain,” he said once the door to the office was closed and they’d both taken a seat—the captain behind his big, dark maple desk. “I’ll work today’s shift—all twenty-four hours—to make up for the time I took last night.”

Stewart scowled. “I don’t give a shit about that. You work more hours off the books than anyone in here. I want to know why Dane was trying to smash your face in. I thought you two were friends. Is this about you pulling his sister out of that hotel fire?”

Jax leaned back in his chair with a sigh, not surprised Lieutenant Boone had told the captain about that. Unlike in the movies, firefighters didn’t pull people they knew personally out of burning buildings that often.

“It’s not so much that I pulled her out of the hotel fire,” Jax said. “It’s that she was in the hotel in the first place, that she didn’t call him when she got into town, and that she decided she’d rather stay with me than her brother.”

Stewart lifted a brow. “Ouch. I take it there’s some kind of argument going between Dane and Skye, and that neither one of them intend to back down. How did you get yourself in the middle of it?”

Jax frowned. “You know Skye?”

Captain Stewart knew all his people and their immediate families, but Skye had lived up in New York for the past ten years and as far as Jax knew, she’d never stepped foot in the station.

Stewart nodded. “I knew her parents. Went to school with her dad, in fact. They were good people. I was on the truck that rolled to their house the night of the fire, and seeing Dane and Skye like that afterward… Well, it was tough. I knew I couldn’t ever take their pain away, but I did what I could. Got Dane into the department. Helped him pick out a college for Skye.” He blinked, and for a moment, Jax was sure he caught sight of tears misting the older man’s eyes. But they were gone before he could be sure. “So, did Skye and Dane have a fight?”

Jax hadn’t known Stewart was friends with the Chandlers. How could he know? Dane never talked about his mom and dad. Ever.

“Yeah,” Jax said. “She quit her job in New York to move back here to start a business of her own—one she doesn’t think Dane will approve of.”

“She’s probably right about that,” Stewart said. “Dane’s a good man, but he has a blind spot when it comes to that sister of his.”

Jax couldn’t argue. “That’s why she was staying at a hotel. She wanted to get her business up and running before Dane knew she was back.”

Stewart scowled. “And he got pissed because you offered to let her stay with you?”

“That’s part of it,” Jax said. “But mostly he got pissed when I wouldn’t tell him why Skye quit her job or what kind of business she’s starting.”

The captain eyed him appraisingly. “You plan on helping Skye, even if it gets you into hot water with Dane?”

Jax shrugged. “Skye could use a friend right now, and since I wasn’t around right after her parents died, I figure I owe her. Dane’s a big boy. He’s just going to have to deal with it.”

Stewart was silent for a moment. “Don’t worry about finishing the rest of your shift. I’ll cover for you. And stay on your normal forty-eight-hour off routine. If you need any more time off to help Skye get her feet under her, let me know. Normally I’d expect Dane to take care of this, but right now he’s too wrapped up in his own issues to see what his sister really needs.”

Jax breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been secretly hoping this was what the captain would say. Now he had more than two days off to focus completely on helping Skye. He couldn’t ask for more than that. He thanked his boss and got up to leave, but then stopped.

“I forgot to ask. Did they get everyone out of the hotel okay?”

Stewart nodded. “Looks that way, though it was damn close. Tory did one hell of a job. Probably going to get a commendation out of it.”

Jax nodded. He was glad Tory and the others had gotten everyone out. And even more glad Tory was being recognized for it. The guy was a damn fine firefighter, one of the best.

Jax started for the door again, but this time it was the captain who stopped him.

“I thought you’d want to know,” he said. “The department is officially calling the fire in the hotel suspicious pending a formal arson investigation. The clean-up crew from Station 15 found evidence of accelerant in a first floor storage space. Probably just some moron leaving a can of gas on the shelf, but you and I both know you can’t be too careful.”

Jax swore under his breath. That’s all the city of Dallas needed, some kind of psycho out there trying to burn down hotels.

*

Jax expected to find Skye all snuggled up and sleeping in the guest room when he got home, but instead she was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop in front of her, wearing a pair of his workout pants, a T-shirt, and the flip-flops he wore when he was feeling too lazy to put on real shoes. Everything was about a dozen sizes too big for her—especially the flip-flops—but damn, did she make it look good.

Rodeo was sleeping on the floor at her feet, but while he lifted his head from his paws, he didn’t get up. Skye, on the other hand, didn’t notice him standing there at all because she was busy scribbling notes on a pad of paper. He leaned one shoulder against the square pillar between the open-concept kitchen/living room combo and watched her work. The sun coming through the window was like a halo around her, making her look like an angel and taking his breath away.

When she finally looked up and saw him, the smile she gave him almost made his knees weak. If he wasn’t leaning against something, he probably would have fallen over.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” she said.

He pushed himself away from the pillar, praying his legs would support him. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”

She gestured with her pen. “I was just writing down some ideas. Hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your clothes. I tried to wash mine, but after three times through the machine, they still smelled like smoke. Hope you’re okay with me using your laptop, too.”

He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. “Of course. I told you to make yourself at home, and I meant it. I’m surprised you got into my computer without the password, though.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You do know that having the word Password as your password is a really bad idea, right?”

He shrugged. “Anything more complicated and I’d have to put it on a piece of paper and pin it to my fridge. And that wouldn’t be any better.”

She laughed. “Probably not.”

He leaned closer. “So, what are you looking at? Pinterest or something?”

He’d never actually been on Pinterest himself, but had ex-girlfriend who was addicted to it.

Skye shook her head as she turned her attention back to the screen. “No. I love me some Pinterest, but I can’t let myself get distracted right now. I have a meeting with a loan officer from the bank in a couple days and want to make sure my business plan is ready to go.”

“Business plan?” He frowned. “I thought you lost your laptop and everything else in the fire.”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “I did, but I keep all my important stuff backed up on the Cloud for just that reason. You do that too, right?”

“Afraid not.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “Not just because I don’t have anything important enough to back up, but because I don’t have a clue what the Cloud is and how to put anything there.”

She laughed, and it was a completely beautiful sound. That fact that she could still laugh after the fire and the fight with her brother was amazing.

“So, what’s a business plan?” he asked.

Skye scooted her chair closer to his, turning the laptop so he could see the screen, too. “A business plan lays out everything an investor might want to know about my business—my product line, who my customers are going to be, my pricing list, earning versus profit, equipment expenses, rental costs, promotion, and overhead. It shows the investor—in this case, the bank—that I know what I’m doing and have a good chance of being successful.”

Jax studied the mountains of information. It definitely seemed like Skye knew what she was talking about. Her plan even showed that she had enough money of her own to spend the first two years growing her client list. He didn’t have much money in the bank, but if she’d let him, he’d invest in her.

“You seem to have a pretty good amount of cash set aside,” he pointed out. “Why do you even need a loan from the bank?”

“I could go out on my own right now, but that would cut into my long-term reserves, putting my plan at risk,” she explained. “My biggest initial cost is getting access to a place to do all my baking. I obviously can’t afford my own shop right now, which means sharing space at night in an established baking business. If I can get the bank to give me a loan, I can sign a lease with a place, which will give me priority access at a reduced rent. Plus, I want to show the loan officer my long-term plan for purchasing my own space and see what they think of the idea.” She scrolled down the screen. “This part of the plan is where I show them how my expenses would go down once I move to a permanent location.”

She scrolled again, showing him what kind of promotion she intended to do, how many baking assistants she’d need, and the costs associated with storefront locations. Damn, she had this well thought out.

“This is really impressive,” he said. “When do you meet with the loan officer?”

“I have an appointment Friday at two.”

He eyed the laptop screen. “I probably can’t ask all the thorny questions they will, but would you like to go through your proposal with me? Sort of a dry run?”

She beamed at him, her blue eyes sparkling. “That’s a great idea. Though, could you do me a favor and envision me in a power outfit instead of these sweats?”

He chuckled. “I can do that.”

And the image that came to mind was sexy as hell, right down to the sky-high heels he pictured her wearing. Although he had to admit, any intelligent person would be mesmerized by Skye, even if she was wearing baggy sweats.

*

After the second time through her proposal, during which she kicked off the leather flip-flops she’d borrowed from Jax’s closet, Skye decided it was probably time to get out of his place and buy some clothes. She loved wearing his stuff, but she needed to replace her wardrobe if she ever hoped to be ready for her meeting at the bank. Since she didn’t know many men who liked shopping, she was surprised when Jax offered to take her to the mall. She fully expected him to hand her the keys to his truck and tell her to have fun.

“I just need to check on the horses before we go,” he said.

Skye waited in the kitchen while Jax changed out his work uniform and into a button-down shirt, a pair of jeans, and cowboy boots. He looked even better in them than she imagined—and she had a pretty vivid imagination.

“What’s in there?” she asked, pointing at the smaller structure that stood halfway between the horse barn and the partially open-sided hay storage unit as they walked across the clearing.

“The tractor and lawn mower, as well as tools and all the other stuff I need to keep this place up and running.”

The moment Jax led her into the big barn, she picked up the rich scent of horses, hay, and manure. It had been a long time since she’d been around the pleasant smells of a ranch and they immediately took her back to her days as a teenager when hanging out with her friends and having a good time was all that mattered to her. It seemed so long ago, she barely remembered that time in her life.

Skye shook off the bad memories and fell into step beside Jax. The inside of the barn was mostly taken up with the horse stalls, but beyond those, there were two store rooms at the far end for riding tact, feed, and other supplies. A set of double doors covered the back wall. All the stalls were empty except for four of them, two on either side of the wide, central corridor.

“Where are all the other horses?” she asked.

“Out in the pasture. My ranch hands come in early and let them out. But these two,” he gestured first to one horse on the left, then one on the right, “have some health issues that I’ve been keeping an eye on, so they have to stay in for a while. The other two are their best friends, so I let them stay in here with them.”

Skye couldn’t help smiling at the thought of horses having best friends. How cute was that? She stepped closer to the first pair of horses he’d mentioned to get a better look. She didn’t see anything wrong with them. Then again, she really didn’t know what she was looking for. While she loved horses, her experience to them was limited to going riding on a friend’s ranch when she was sixteen.

“They’re so beautiful,” she murmured. “Are they going to be okay?”

“Yeah, they’ll be fine. Nothing serious.” Jax unlatched the door on the first stall and walked in, attaching a lead line to the big black stallion’s halter and leading him out. “This is Big Joe,” he said, patting the horse affectionately on the shoulder. “He tends to get a little frisky with the mares. Don’t you, boy?” When the horse snorted in answer Jax gave Skye a wry smile. “Big Joe got himself kicked in the leg the other day by a mare who thought he was getting a little too fresh.”

As Jax brought Big Joe out into the main corridor and attached him to an eye hook in the wall, Skye saw the big horseshoe-shaped wound on the upper part of the stallion’s right rear leg. It was scarring over, but still looked painful to her.

Jax filled a plastic bucket with water and added some kind of green goo to it, then gently began to wash Big Joe’s wound.

“This would have healed up two weeks ago, but Joe also likes to roll around in the mud,” he said as he dipped the sponge in the water again. “He just about got the wound infected, too, which is why he’s grounded in his stall now. Another two weeks and he should be fine.”

Skye ran her hand down the horse’s strong neck, feeling a little tug on her heart as she watched Jax carefully tend to Big Joe. It was clear to anyone that he adored these horses, and since she was a huge animal lover herself, that made Jax even more attractive in her opinion.

As he worked, they talked about the time and commitment it took to keep a ranch like his up and running. In addition to taking care of the horses and the small herd of cows he had, he also had to maintain the barns and outbuildings. But even though it seemed like another full-time job in addition to the one he had at the fire department, she could tell from the way he talked about the place that he loved it.

“I think I spent more time here as a kid than I did at home.” He tossed the sponge in the bucket and grabbed a towel from the shelf, then tenderly wiped down Big Joe’s thigh. “I have so many happy memories associated with this place that I knew I could never sell it when my grandparents passed away and left it to me, no matter how much hard work it took to keep it going.”

Jax finished up with Big Joe and led him back into his stall, then moved to the next one. The chestnut mare inside regarded Big Joe for a moment before coming over to greet Jax. “This is Star,” he said as he ran his hand down the horse’s rich, brown coat. “She and Big Joe have this love/hate relationship going on. He loves her, but she hates that he loves all the other mares, too. She’s the one who thumped him in the leg. I think she was probably aiming for his ass.”

Skye laughed as she caressed the mare.

“Here.”

Jax handed her a nugget-shaped treat for her to give Star, then offered one to Big Joe before walked over to the stalls across from her. Skye’s hand stilled on the mare’s neck, her eyes going wide as he opened the gate and led out a dappled gray mare. The horse’s belly was absolutely huge.

“Don’t tell me this is one of Big Joe’s conquests!” she said.

Jax chuckled as he snapped the horse into the same eyehook Big Joe had been attached to. “No. Lulu’s heart belongs to Ghost.” He motioned toward the regal looking white stallion in the stall beside the pregnant mare. “But she’s getting close to giving birth, so I’ve been keeping her inside.”

Skye slowly moved closer, not wanting to spook Lulu as Jax examined the horse. She smiled as he murmured soft words of assurance to the mare.

“You were absolutely born to do this, weren’t you?” she said.

Jax’s mouth edged up. “Probably.”

“If you love ranching so much, why become a firefighter? It has to be difficult to do both jobs,” she observed.

He caressed Lulu’s nose with a shrug. “I’d just run the ranch if I could, but I need a steady paycheck to help me cover the cost of this place. I enjoy being a firefighter, too, so it works out well.”

Skye took one of the grooming brushes off the shelf and gently ran it down Lulu’s back. Even though she hadn’t been around horses in over a decade, the move came naturally, reminding her again how much she’d missed home.

She glanced at Jax. “How did you go from working on oil rigs to becoming a firefighter anyway?”

“I came back to Dallas when my grandparents passed away to find out that they’d left me the ranch. I think it was their way of getting me to come back home and settle down,” he said, glancing at her over Lulu’s back. “It worked, too, much to my mom and dad’s delight. I didn’t have the heart to go back to working on oil rigs and let someone else run the place. That said, I also knew I could never afford to keep it without a steady job. That’s when Dane mentioned the fire department was looking for people. I gave it a shot and never looked back.” He shrugged. “Like I said—I enjoy the work, I’m good at it, and it gives me a chance to work with Dane, who, when he’s not being a butthead, is my best friend.”

Taking Lulu’s lead line, he walked her back over to her stall, then gave her some extra hay to munch before securing the latch on the door.

Skye wandered over to Ghost’s stall to give him a pat on the neck. Up close, he was even more magnificent. “It’s been so long since I’ve been around horses that I forgot how amazing they are.”

Jax came to stand beside her. “You want to go for a ride before we hit the mall?”

Skye’s first instinct was to say yes, but she quickly caught herself. She hadn’t ridden on a horse in a long time and wasn’t sure she was confident enough to jump on one just like that.

“That’s no problem,” Jax said when she told him as much. “We can ride together.”

As in her sitting in front of him with his arms around her? What woman could pass up an offer like that?

She smiled. “Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

But Jax was already leading Ghost out of his stall and saddling him up with smooth, experienced hands. When he was done, he turned and held out his hand.

“Ladies first.”

Pulse skipping a little, Skye kicked off her flip-flops and took his hand, letting him help her up into the saddle. Jax swung up effortlessly behind her, then took the reins and gently nudged the big horse in the ribs. A moment later, they were trotting out of the bar and into the pasture.

She hadn’t ever ridden with a guy like this, but she had to admit that sharing a saddle with him was very sexy. She loved leaning back against the solid wall of muscle that was his chest and the way his strong arms wrapped around her so he could hold the reins, but she loved the way her ass snuggled up against his blue-jean-covered hard-on even more. And there was no mistaking that he was at least semi-erect. She bounced up and down against his shaft with every trot. Between his cock rubbing against her butt and the saddle horn pressing against her pussy, she had to catch her lip between her teeth to stifle a moan.

Then there was the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra, and while she wasn’t well-endowed compared to a supermodel, there was some serious jiggling going on which made her breasts practically bounce against his biceps. Her nipples tingled so much, it was all she could do not to give them a squeeze.

Luckily, Jax kept up a nonstop commentary as they rode, pointing out different projects he was working on and naming the other horses in the pasture that lifted their heads to watch them pass by. It didn’t stop her from getting excited, especially when he leaned forward and put his mouth close to her ear when he talked or flexed his muscled thighs against hers as he guided Ghost where he wanted him to go, but at least she had something to focus on other than how wet her panties were getting. She was definitely going to have to wash his workout pants before she gave them back to him.

By the time he guided Ghost back into the barn and helped her out of the saddle, her knees were so weak from being aroused, she had to hold on to a stall door as Jax fed and brushed down the stallion. If their ride had lasted any longer, she probably would have orgasmed right there in Jax’s lap. And likely would have fallen off, too. As if coming from a horseback ride wouldn’t have been embarrassing enough.

Star and Lulu gave her knowing looks. Like they were saying, “A good ride will do that every time.”

Jax closed the door on Ghost’s stall, then turned to look at her. “You ready to go?”

More like ready to come, Skye thought. But she probably shouldn’t say that out loud. So instead, she smiled and nodded, falling into step beside him as they left the barn.

Thank God Jax didn’t realize how turned on she was. That would have been beyond mortifying. She seriously needed to get a grip on herself, and fast. Jax was her brother’s friend—and hers. Plus, he was helping her out of a bad situation. She didn’t need to complicate things by fantasizing about him like she was some kind of sex crazed nymphomaniac—even if the sight of him did make her melt.

Chapter Five

‡

Skye hoped shopping would get her mind off Jax and her body’s insane sexual attraction to him. It didn’t.

The moment they got to the mall, she had to go straight to the Victoria’s Secret store because she couldn’t get any other clothes until she had a bra and a fresh pair of panties. She was stripping off the workout pants and T-shirt when it struck her that she was separated from Jax by nothing more than a few feet of distance and a half-door he could easily peek over. Not that he ever would, she was sure. But it was still a turn-on to be standing there naked so close to him.

Her clit tingled as she wiggled into the first pair of panties she’d picked out—hipsters with a cute lacy border. She wasn’t as in love with the color now that she was wearing them, but she couldn’t put them back. They would be a wet mess. She left them on, telling herself she’d grab a few more in other colors. Ignoring the urge to caress her clit, she slipped into the bra and gasped as the silky material came into contact with her nipples. They were so sensitive they hurt.

“You okay in there?” Jax asked from just outside the door, making her jump. “You didn’t stick yourself with a needle of anything did you?”

“No, I’m good,” she called back. “Just about done.”

Fortunately, the bra fit fine, so she didn’t have to try on a bunch of different ones. She took off the tags from both the bra and the panties so she could give them to cashier, then did the same with the pair of Victoria Secret’s signature Pink boyfriend lounge pants and tee before pulling those on, too. Shoving her feet into the new flip-flops she’d grabbed, she picked up Jax’s clothes and the recent additions to her wardrobe and slipped out of the dressing room.

Jax turned to face her, his eyes caressing her in that same way they had last night when she’d walked into his kitchen in nothing but his dress shirt. She stared back, clutching her new undies in one arm and his borrowed clothes in the other, heat pooling between her thighs.

Jax was the first to recover, stepping forward to relieve her of his clothes. “Let me get those. You ready?”

“I just need a few more things,” she said.

As he followed her through the store, Skye resisted the urge to look over her shoulder to see if Jax was checking out her ass, which was currently sporting the word PINK across it in bright blue letters. She picked out two more bras and half a dozen panties, then headed up to the counter to pay.

Skye thought the cashier would take issue with her wearing half the clothes she was buying, but producing the price tags was good enough for the woman behind the counter. That didn’t keep the woman from eyeing them curiously as she rang up Skye’s purchases. No doubt trying to figure out what the heck the story was between Skye and the hot cowboy firefighter at her side.

The remainder of the shopping trip wasn’t quite so eventful. Skye shopped as quickly as she could, but it still took a few hours to get everything she needed, including a conservative skirt suit set and matching pumps for her meeting at the bank. Jax didn’t say anything as he added yet another shopping bag to the bunch in his hand when they walked out of the last store, but she could tell he wasn’t a fan of marathon shopping.

Skye spent a good portion of the drive back to Jax’s ranch trying to understand why she was so hot for Jax. Having a teenage crush on him might have been part of it. That and the fact that he’d grown into one of the hunkiest guys she’d ever met. It was possible it was also because he was being so nice to her just when she needed it. But seriously, getting wet in the dressing room just because he was on the other side of the door? That was crazy. Even now, sitting in his truck with him, she had to resist the urge to squirm in the seat to ease the throbbing between her legs. She was going to need a cold shower—or two—before having dinner with him tonight or she might jump him before they even finished eating.

But when they pulled up in front of his house, Skye found the perfect thing to crush any arousing thoughts she might be having—Dane. Her brother was leaning back against his truck with a pissed off look on his face.

Jax cut the engine and reached for the door handle. “I’ll handle this.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I appreciate it, I really do, but I have to deal with him at some point. It might as well be now.”

Grabbing as many bags as she could carry from the seat beside her, Skye climbed out of the truck and stomped around the front to face her brother. Behind her, she heard Jax’s door slam shut.

“Your boyfriend called me,” Dane said without preamble, not even bothering to look at Jax. “He said you gave him my phone number for emergencies, and since your number is out of service, he called me. He thinks you’ve had a nervous breakdown or something—quitting your job and dumping him so you could move back to Dallas to make cupcakes.” He swore. “Cupcakes, Skye. Are you fucking serious?”

She tightened her grip on the bags, fighting the urge to smack her brother with them. God, she was so tired of his crap. “Yes, I’m very serious about making cupcakes. And Jordan isn’t my boyfriend anymore. The only reason he’s upset about me dumping him and moving back here is that he’ll finally have to pay someone to manage his investment portfolio instead of having me do it.”

Dane snorted. “I wouldn’t bet on that. He seemed pretty upset when I told him you were staying with a friend at his ranch. He asked me if you two were an item before you went to New York. He was worried that’s why you left him. I told him that was crazy, that there was nothing going on between you and Jax, but after I got off the phone with him, I started thinking maybe he was on to something.”

Skye gaped at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? You know Jax and I were never together before I moved to New York.”

He shrugged. “Do I? You were crushing on Jax like crazy back when we were in high school. Maybe you two hung out together without me knowing about it. Maybe you came back in between semesters in college to see him. Hell, maybe you two have been sleeping together on and off for the past ten years.”

Her face flamed scarlet. She couldn’t believe Dane would say something like that in front of Jax. “You’re a complete ass, Dane, you know that? I never slept with Jax, not that it’s any of your business.”

Unable to even look at him anymore, she turned and stomped toward the house, her flip-flops slapping loudly against her feet.

“You are not staying here tonight, Skye!” Dane shouted.

She whirled around to tell him to go to hell, but Jax beat her to it.

“That’s enough, Dane,” he said. “Skye wanted me to stay out of this, but I’m not going to stand here and let you treat her like this. Skye can stay wherever the hell she wants. And if she wants to stay here, she’s more than welcome.”

Skye bit her lip. Dammit. She appreciated that Jax was standing up for her, but she hated coming between them. They’d been friends since they were kids.

“Dane, please—” she began, but her brother cut her off.

“Get the hell out of my way, Jax!” Dane ordered. “This is between my sister and me. It’s time she grew up and dealt with life instead of running away from it like she did when she left Dallas. And if I find out I was right about you sleeping with her, I’ll kill you!”

Skye might have gasped, but she wasn’t sure. Because before the sound left her lips, Dane drew back his fist and threw a punch at Jax. It clipped Jax on the jaw, but he shook it off and gave as good as he got, his fist snapping out in a jab and catching Dane right on the chin, stunning him and sending him stumbling backward. But her brother was almost as big as Jax, and didn’t go down. Instead, Dane snarled in rage and slammed into Jax, driving him to the ground. Jax immediately flipped him, sending Dane rolling across the gravel.

Skye thought that would be the end of it, but Jax and Dane were both on their feet in a flash, looking like they wanted to tear each other to pieces. Crap, they weren’t going to stop until somebody got hurt. Skye dropped her shopping bags and ran over to them, shoving herself between Jax and her brother, even though that was a damn dangerous place to be at the moment.

“Stop it right now!” she shouted, putting a hand on each of their chests. “Both of you!”

Giving Jax a little shove, she turned to face her brother. Dane looked mad enough to bite through a horseshoe, but that didn’t stop her from glaring at him.

“I never ran away from anything, Dane,” she said before he could open his mouth. “And I left Dallas because you wanted me to. When Mom and Dad died, you couldn’t get me bundled up and out of your hair fast enough. It was like you couldn’t stand to look at me.”

Dane reeled back as if she’d smacked him, but now that the words were finally coming out, Skye couldn’t stop them. “All I wanted to do was stay home and be with the only family I had left. But you decided you knew what was best for me, without ever considering what I might want.” She thumped him in the chest, not even trying to hold back the tears or the anger. “I dumped Jordan the moment I realized he was just like you—deciding what kind of life was right for me, telling me where I should go and who to associate with. Well, I wasn’t going to put up with that crap from him, and I sure as hell am not going to put up with it from you anymore, either. I’m staying with Jax because he’s never once tried to tell me what to do. He supports me and wants what’s best for me, as any good friend would, something I never got from you, my own frigging brother!”

Tear running down her face, she turned and marched back to where she’d dropped the shopping bags. It took some doing to get all of them situated on her fingers, but when she did, she turned to glower at her brother.

“And let’s get something else straight. When Jax and I sleep together, it sure as hell won’t be any of your damn business!”

Tightening her grip on the bags, she dragged them up the steps and into the house, slamming the door behind her as hard as she could. She wanted her brother to know she was done—with the argument and with him. And if that meant she was closing the door on him forever, then so be it.

*

“I think it’s time for you to leave, Dane,” Jax said softly.

He’d managed to avoid another run-in with Dane on his way out of the fire station that afternoon, but he should have known his friend would show up sooner or later. His jaw was smarting a little from the glancing blow Dane landed, but he knew Dane had to be hurting worse. And not just from that solid jab to the chin Jax had given him, either. The pain in his friend’s blue eyes had nothing to do with Jax’s punch and everything to do with what Skye had said.

Dane cleared his throat. “Maybe I should try and…”

Jax shook his head. “Not now, Dane. It’s too soon. You both need to let some time pass. You can’t just talk this out.”

Dane hesitated, his gaze going to the house. After a moment, he nodded. “I never wanted to do anything but help Skye. She took Mom and Dad’s death really hard. I thought getting her into a good college was the right thing to do.”

“I know,” Jax said. “And I probably would have done the same thing if I’d been in your place. But Skye wasn’t the only one who took your parents’ death hard. You did, too. You dealt with it by burying yourself in work spending every minute of the day trying to make enough money so Skye could go to college.” He put a hand on Dane’s shoulder, giving him a rough shake. “But burying yourself in work is the way guys deal with things, not women. The way Skye saw it, shipping her off to college was the same as flat out ignoring her.”

Dane’s shoulders sagged. “That’s not what I intended.”

“I know, but it’s not anything you can fix with a simple apology, at least not right now. It’s going to take some time. Look, just go home, okay? I’ll call you in a couple days.”

Dane looked like Jax had kicked him in the balls instead of punching him in the face. But he nodded and walked back over to his truck. After another quick glance toward the house, he got in and drove away.

Jax watched him go, wondering if the rift between Skye and Dane could ever be fixed. For both their sakes, he hoped so.

Chapter Six

‡

Jax heard Skye crying before he even reached the door to her bedroom. He cringed. God, he hated when women cried. It made him feel completely powerless. And knowing that Skye was the one doing the crying made it even worse. She was more important to him than any woman he’d ever been with. Knowing she was hurting cut him down deep in his soul.

He lifted his hand and knocked softly on the door. “Dane left.”

Skye didn’t answer.

“He’s sorry for all those shitty things he said. He didn’t mean any of it.”

Still no answer.

Jax knew he should give her some time alone, but he couldn’t get his feet to move. He hadn’t been there when Skye needed him ten years ago. He wasn’t going to do that to her again. So instead, he leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. Then he rested his head back against the wall and his forearms on his knees and listened to her cry.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before Skye’s tears slowed, then eventually stopped altogether. A moment later, she made a little sniffling that sounded so damn cute he couldn’t help but smile. He was about to rap on the door again when he heard the bed creak as she got up. She didn’t open the door right away, though. Maybe she was checking her make-up, or doing whatever strange ritual women did after crying.

A few minutes later, the door opened and she came out. She was still wearing the snug fitting black pants with the flared bottoms and the tee she’d gotten at Victoria’s Secret, but had ditched the flip-flops. Her nose was a little rosy and her eyes were red rimmed and a tiny bit puffy, but neither detracted from her natural beauty.

Skye slid down the wall to sit next to him, but didn’t say anything.

“So, you had a crush on me in high school, huh?” The words were out before he even knew what he was saying. He cringed inside. But it was better talking about that than bringing up the shitty stuff Dane had said, wasn’t it? “Why didn’t you ever let me know you were interested?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a wry look. “Why didn’t I let you know? Because you’re almost four years older than I am and if we dated when you were a senior and I was a freshman, it probably would have sent you to jail.”

He thought about that, then grinned. “Good point. Thank you for keeping me out of jail.”

They sat there in silence for a while, her left knee touching his right one.

“Thanks for sticking up for me with Dane,” she said softly. “I’m sorry it got you punched in the face. Does it hurt much?”

“Nah.” He reached up and rubbed the side of his jaw to prove his point. It wasn’t that bad. God knew, he’d certainly had worse. “Dane hits like a wuss. It won’t even leave a bruise.”

She frowned, her brows puckering as she studied his face. “I hate that I’m putting you in the middle of this whole thing.”

“You didn’t put me in the middle of anything, Skye. I chose to be there,” Jax said firmly. “Dane knows he’s been acting like a jackass. He’ll get his head screwed on straight at some point and come back with his hat in his hand.”

Skye didn’t look like she believed him, but she didn’t call him on it. “I’m sorry about the stuff I said out there. About sleeping with you.”

Jax had been wondering about the comment she’d thrown out just before storming into the house. He couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t been thinking about sleeping with Skye, too. It had been the number one thought on his mind since seeing her walk into his kitchen wearing nothing but his dress shirt. And that horse ride they’d taken together earlier had left him as hard as a fence rail. But without knowing how she really felt about him, he sure as hell wouldn’t make a move on her.

“Did you mean it?” he asked softly. “Or did you just say that to make your brother mad?”

He was asking not only because he needed to know, but because he wanted to give her a way out if she had simply said it to piss off her brother. He didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until she turned those big, blue eyes on him.

“No, I didn’t just say it because I was trying to make him mad. I said it because I’ve been thinking about it ever since you walked into the hospital last night.” She wet her lips, then caught the lower one between her teeth. The sight made his cock stiffen. “Being away for ten years hasn’t changed anything. I’m more attracted to you now than I ever was.” She gave him a sheepish look. “I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

The only part of him that was fast becoming uncomfortable was his shaft, and that was because it was straining against the front of his jeans. “Not as long as you don’t mind me admitting that I’ve been having some decidedly more-than-friendly thoughts about you since you’ve gotten back in town.”

Her lips curved into a naughty smile. “I don’t mind at all.”

They sat there gazing at each other, neither of them saying anything, instead letting their eyes do all the talking. And hers were saying a hell of a lot. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Jax leaned forward to kiss her. Skye didn’t wait for him to get there, but met him halfway.

Their lips came together in a slow, tender kiss. She tasted like a juicy peach on a hot summer day, and Jax had to force himself not to go too fast. He wanted Skye to make one-hundred percent sure this was really where she wanted their friendship to go. But based on the way she was kissing him back, she wasn’t questioning this decision at all.

Jax buried one hand into her long, silky hair, pulling her closer and slipping his tongue into her mouth with a groan. Skye tangled her tongue with his, sliding a hand behind his head and yanking him in tighter. Her other hand eagerly started undoing the buttons of his shirt, and he briefly wondered if they might end up making love right there in the hallway.

But he decided against it. Not that making love to Skye on the floor wouldn’t be amazing, but because doing it in bed—at least the first time—would be even better.

He pulled his mouth away and stood up. Taking her hand, he tugged her to her feet and swung her up in his arms. Then he carried her down the hall and into his room.

*

Skye expected Jax to set her down on her feet, but instead he gently tossed her on the bed. She started to laugh, but it came out sounding more like a moan as he stripped off his shirt. She had to work hard to control herself as she stared at his six-pack. Those abs were enough to make her want to crawl across the bed and worship him. Then he kicked off his boots, unbuckled his belt and dropped his jeans to the floor, and she just about swooned like a heroine out of a romance book. She’d known he had a great body underneath those clothes, but daaaaammmn.

His long, erect cock jutted straight out from between his muscular legs, pulsing slightly in time with his heartbeat and already throbbing with need. It had been one thing to feel his hard-on pressing up against her ass as they went horseback riding that morning, but this was something so much different.

She rolled over on her stomach and wiggled forward, drawn toward Jax—and his cock—like she was hypnotized. She felt strangely turned on by the fact that she was still completely clothed while Jax was bare-ass naked. Maybe she could have him walk around the house like this all the time.

When she reached the edge of the bed, he moved closer, bringing his beautiful shaft right into alignment with her mouth. What kind of girl could pass up an offer like that?

Not her, that was for sure.

Skye reached out and wrapped her hand around the thick base of his cock tugging him closer. Then she extended her tongue and swiped it across the bead of pre-cum waiting for her at the very tip. It was sweet and just the tiniest bit musky.

“Mmm,” she moaned, and Jax mimicked the sound. How was it possible for a man to taste so good?

She wiggled forward a little more, closing her eyes and swirling her tongue around and around the head of his cock like it was a lollipop. Only better. In between, she took him deeper, letting the very tip touch the back of her throat before pulling back to focus on the head again.

Jax’s hand came up to cradle the back of her head, his finger slipping into her hair. He didn’t try to take charge, though. If anything, he seemed more interested in slowing her down. She would have laughed—if that was possible with her mouth so full. Not that she would have complied anyway. She intended to keep doing what she was doing until Jax exploded. And from the way his hips began to flex and thrust in time with her licking, it would be soon.

But Jax had other plans, Just when she was sure he was about to come, he tightened his fingers in her hair and slid out of her mouth.

“Hey!” she protested, tilting her head to the side to look up at him. “I had something special in mind for him.”

Jax chuckled. “I bet you did. But I have some plans of my own—and they don’t involve letting you make me come in the first ten minutes, or you keeping your clothes on.”

Skye gave him a pout, but didn’t complain. She wanted this to last just as long as he did. And as for her clothes, she was ready for some skin-on-skin contact herself. So when he spun her around on the bed and eagerly stripped off her pants, she lifted her butt off the bed to help. Her tee and bra quickly followed. That left her lying on his bed wearing nothing but her new panties, which had only gotten wet all over again while she’d been licking him.

She quickly reached down to take them off, hoping to keep Jax from seeing what a complete mess she’d made down there, but he wasn’t having any of it.

He caught her hand and shook his head. “That’s my job, and I take my job very seriously.”

The smolder in his dark eyes told her he wasn’t teasing about that. Her heart raced as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and began to slide them down inch by agonizing inch. She blushed as the soaking wet material clung to her pussy for a moment before he pulled it away to leave a trail of clear, gooey liquid along her inner thighs.

He paused with her panties banded around her knees, gliding his fingers up her legs to trace them around her wet pussy, but not touching it. She bit her lip.

“How long have you been aroused?” he asked softly.

She caught her breath at the hunger in his eyes. “Since going riding with you this morning.”

He teased his fingers closer to her clit, his sensuous lips curving into a sexy smile. “I guess you just like riding horses, huh?”

Skye opened her mouth to answer, but all she could do was moan as he slid a single finger up and down her folds. With her panties still around her knees, she couldn’t open her legs as wide as she’d like to, but she could definitely roll her hips. She was so desperate to feel that finger on her clit, she was almost dizzy.

“It wasn’t the ride,” she gasped as his fingertip lightly grazed her clit. “It was feeling your hard-on pressing against my ass.”

He grinned, placing his fingers in the folds on either side of her pussy and rubbing them up and down. All he’d have to do was slide down a little more and he’d be plunging those fingers inside her.

“So you like the feel of my cock against that beautiful ass of yours, huh?” he said huskily. “That’s something I’m going to have to remember.”

She closed her eyes, imagining what Jax meant by those naughty words as she let herself enjoy what he was doing with his fingers. She was so caught up in the blissful sensations she didn’t realize he’d slipped her panties all the way off until she felt him spread her legs wide and dip his fingers deep inside.

Her eyes shot open, but it was too late to do much more than inhale sharply as Jax brought his thumb up and pressed it rhythmically around in little circles right on her clit at the same time two of his fingers slipped in and out of her pussy.

She writhed on the bed, rotating her hips in a circular motion in time with his movements. She clutched the sheets in one hand and a handful of his hair in the other, holding on for dear life as her body spasmed over and over. Then she let out a little scream as she arched up off the bed and came long and hard.

Skye was just floating back down to earth from the first orgasm she had in months—at least one she hadn’t given herself—when she felt Jax’s weight on the bed. She opened her eyes to see him leaning over her, his body perfectly positioned between her legs. She glanced down and realized he’d slipped a condom over his cock while she’d been recovering from the epic orgasm he’d given her.

She spread her legs wider, wrapping them around his hips and welcoming him in. Jax didn’t tease her, but instead placed the thick head of his shaft against her wet opening and slid all the way in with one long thrust.

She caught her breath as he filled her completely. They couldn’t have fit together any better if they’d been made for each other. Or maybe it was because they really had been made for each other.

She anchored her heels against his strong, muscular ass and pulled him in even more, making him touch her in places that brought sparkles to her vision.

“You are one amazing, beautiful woman,” he whispered in her ear as he slowly began to move inside her. “Do you know that, Skye?”

How was a woman supposed to answer that?

Since she couldn’t think of anything witty—not with his cock buried in her like it was—she simply pulled his face around and kissed him long and hard.

She dug her nails into his back and locked her legs around him tighter, doing everything she could think of to urge him to thrust harder. He obeyed her silent command, pounding into her hard enough to take her breath away and make her so lightheaded she thought she might pass out.

But she didn’t lose consciousness. Instead, she climbed the slope to another orgasm, one she knew would be better than anything she had ever experienced in her life, when Jax suddenly rolled over, smoothly bringing her around on top of him. The move was so unexpected that all she could do was gasp as she sat there straddling his hips. Then she realized how good it felt to have him inside this way, and she placed her hands on his chest and began riding up and down on his shaft.

Jax cupped her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples between his fingers until she was sure she would scream. She gyrated on his cock, pressing her clit against him, and moaning and groaning as her climax approached.

The wave arrived in a rush, catching her by surprise. One second it was building higher and higher, the next she was collapsing forward onto his chest and screaming in his ear.

Jax slid his hands down to grab her ass, pulling her onto his hard cock over and over as she closed her eyes and let go of everything holding her down to the ground.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Skye realized Jax was coming with her, but it was impossible to focus on anything right then. She was coming too hard. All she could do was ride out the pleasure.

Afterward, she could only lie there gasping for air against his strong chest, berating herself for not coming back home to Dallas sooner so she and Jax could have been together like this long before now. But as he wrapped his warm, muscular arms around her, she quickly pushed those thoughts away. She was with him now, and that was all that mattered.

*

“You sure you don’t want me to saddle up another horse for you?” Jax asked Skye the next morning. “I have some that are calm enough for you not to have to worry about them trying to buck you off.”

Skye shook her head as he helped her up into the saddle in front of him. “No thanks. I prefer to ride with you if you don’t mind.”

He settled her beautiful ass tightly against his crotch, already feeling his cock harden. “I certainly don’t mind, as long as you don’t have a problem with something poking you in the bottom.”

She flashed him a sexy smile over her shoulder as he trotted Ghost out of the barn and pointed him toward the open pasture. “Why do you think I wanted to ride this way?”

He laughed, a sound quickly cut off by a groan as her butt began to bounce against him, making him even harder. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Skye was deliberately pressing back against him in such a way so that her ass was rubbing directly on his cock. Then again, maybe she was doing it on purpose.

After spending his days off with Skye, it was going to be tough going back to work tomorrow. He couldn’t remember simply hanging out with a woman for so long and enjoying himself so much. Like last night. They’d spent half of it talking about cupcakes and teenage crushes, not to mention making love several more times. And even though it had only been a couple hours since they’d fallen into an exhausted slumber, she seemed like she was ready for more.

Not that he was complaining. Skye was freaking amazing. No woman had ever mesmerized or aroused him like she did, and he counted his lucky stars she’d gotten tired of New York and the high-paying job she’d had and decided to move back to Dallas. If he had his way, Skye was never going to get out of his bed again.

“Do you think it’s going to cause problems at work when Dane realizes we’re having a relationship?” she asked, leaning back against his chest.

Jax wrapped an arm around her and discovered she’d decided to leave her bra behind in his bedroom. He could tell because her breasts were bouncing sweetly against his forearm as he held her. His cock throbbed a little more in his jeans.

“Dane won’t be happy about us being involved, and on a friendship level, it will probably take him a while to get over it,” Jax told her. “But from a professional point of view, we’ll be fine. He would never let anything affect the way he does the job. He’s a good firefighter.”

Skye nodded, but didn’t say anything. She might be relieved to hear it wouldn’t affect their working relationship, but Jax got the feeling she was still worried about what it would do to his friendship with Dane in the long run. Jax would try to repair whatever damage had been done, but he wasn’t going to stop seeing Skye simply because her brother didn’t like it.

They went for a longer ride today and at a more leisurely pace since they didn’t have to go shopping. Jax was extremely grateful for that, especially since he was horny as hell and hard as a rock by the time they got back to the barn.

He dismounted and helped Skye down, but didn’t take his hands off her waist right away. The look on her face told him she’d gotten just as turned on from the ride as he had. If he didn’t have to unsaddle Ghost and give him a rubdown, he would have swung Skye up in his arms and carried her into the house all the way to his bedroom. But he did have to take care of Ghost.

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “I have to give Ghost a rubdown. You can go back to the house if you want. I won’t be long.”

She smiled. “I’d rather wait here.”

While Jax stripped the saddle and tack from Ghost, Skye wandered over to visit with Big Joe, Lulu, and Star. He smiled as he listened to her have an entire conversation with the pregnant mare about whether Lulu had considered baby names yet. He had an ex-girlfriend who’d caught him talking to his horses once and actually laughed, saying she thought the idea of having a conversation with any animal was the most stupid thing she’d ever heard. They hadn’t dated very long after that.

Jax rubbed Ghost down as quickly as he could, then gave the stallion some fresh hay before latching the stall door. He turned to ask Skye if she was ready to head into the house, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him before he could. He buried his hand in her hair and kissed her back. He’d never been one to complain about a woman letting him know what she wanted.

Only he didn’t know exactly what Skye wanted until she took his hand and led him over to an empty stall. Giving him a naughty smile, she unlatched the door and backed inside, taking him with her. Apparently she couldn’t wait until they got to the house. Fine with him.

“Your ranch hands aren’t coming today, are they?” she asked.

“They only work when I’m at my day job,” he said.

Her smile broadened. “Good.”

She undid the buttons on his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders even as he yanked her tank top over her head, exposing her exquisite breasts. He would have pulled her into his arms, but she stopped him, reaching down to undo the buckle on his belt, then the buttons on his 501s. She shoved his jeans down to his thighs before deciding he could handle the rest. While he was taking care of that, she unbuttoned hers and shimmied out of them with more wiggle than any man could ever resist.

He helped her with her panties, sliding them slowly down her thighs, groaning when he saw how wet they were. If she got this excited going horseback riding with him, he’d damn well take her on a ride every morning for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t until he stood up and saw her standing completely and gloriously naked before him that he remembered what exactly had gotten her so excited during the ride—his cock rubbing against her ass.

Reaching out, Jax tugged her close for a long, hard kiss, then spun her around and bent her over. Skye took the hint, placing her hands on a bale of hay and stuck her ass out. And God, what an ass it was. Tight, curvy, and so tasty looking it took everything he had not to drop to his knees and start nibbling. Not that he didn’t want to nibble, but right then, he had something else in mind. Something he was sure Skye would enjoy.

Placing one hand on her lower back, he lightly trailed his fingers curves of her beautiful, heart-shaped bottom. Goose bumps immediately followed wherever he went, and she let out a long, soft moan. He didn’t think he’d ever heard a sexier sound.

He trailed his fingers from one cheek to the other, then slightly down into the cleft between them before repeating the move. “Your ass is really sensitive, isn’t it?”

She wiggled her ass, trying to keep up with his finger. “I never knew it was, but now that you’re touching me, I guess it is.”

Jax chuckled softly. He could have some serious fun with an ass as perfect as hers.

But right now wasn’t the time for leisurely fun. They were both too excited for that. So he stopped teasing her and cupped one of her ass cheeks in his hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

Skye moaned louder, arching her back and pressing her ass against his hand, silently begging for more. Not wanting to disappoint her, he slipped his other hand between her legs and down to her pussy while he kept massaging her bottom.

She was so wet that his fingers slipped right in, making her jerk and cry out. He thrust with his fingers at the same time he squeezed her bottom, moving in and out with a slow, rhythmic motion. The combination must have really done it for her because she screamed and exploded in orgasm. Damn, she really liked having her ass played with. He’d have to definitely remember that.

He scooped up his jeans from where they lay in the hay, digging through the pockets until he found the condom he slipped in there before they’d come out for a ride. He hadn’t been sure they’d have sex anywhere but in the house, but like the former Boy Scout he was, he liked to be prepared.

Skye was still leaning against the wall of the stall, her legs quivering as she gasped for breath. Jax rolled on the condom and stepped up behind her. She reared up with a gasp as he grabbed her hips and plunged all the way in with a single hard thrust.

“God yes,” she breathed. “Just like that.”

He placed his hand on the middle of her back, applying a little pressure and encouraging her to lean over again. She got the message, sticking out her ass and getting a good grip on the bale of hay as he began to pump into her. She was so hot and wet! It was like heaven on earth.

Jax gripped her hips again and thrust faster, his thighs smacking into her ass over and over with a delicious sound. Skye whimpered, shoving her ass back toward him. He lifted his hand and smacked her right cheek.

Skye craned her neck to look at him over her shoulder. “Spank me again.”

He complied, bringing his hand down on her left cheek this time. Her ass turned a pretty shade of rose as he spanked her, and the sight of it nearly brought him to his knees.

She arched her back, crying out so loudly that it echoed around the barn. Her pussy tightened and spasmed around his shaft, sending him over the edge. He stopped spanking and gripped her red-hot ass, burying himself all the way inside her and coming so hard his legs practically gave out. The feeling of them both orgasming together, and so perfectly in synch, was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

When the last of his climax tapered off and he was steady enough to stand, he slid out of Skye’s warmth, albeit reluctantly, and pulled her in for a long and lingering kiss. Damn, this was one woman he could really get used to being with.

Chapter Seven

‡

Jax pulled his motorcycle into the parking lot of the station house, working hard to wipe what he knew was a silly ass grin off his face. But damn, it was tough. He couldn’t remember being this happy in a long time. He only wished there was some way he could have taken today off and spent it with Skye, but he couldn’t. The station work schedule had been screwed up enough the last few days.

After that practically transcendent experience in the horse barn followed by a quickie in the shower, he and Skye had gone into the city for her meeting with the loan officer at the bank. While he swigged coffee at the Starbucks next door sweating bullets worrying about whether she’d get the loan, she’d walked in cool as a cucumber and knocked them dead. The bank had been very receptive to her business plan and was working up a contract for her to look at later in the week.

Afterward, he’d taken her out to dinner to celebrate, then they’d gone back to the ranch to hang out. When Skye had changed out of her suit and into a skimpy pair of shorts and a tank top, he’d been all set to strip them off her, but she’d talked him into helping her make cupcakes instead. Jax wasn’t an expert when it came to baking, but he’d helped out as much as he could. He’d made more of a mess than anything else, but Skye didn’t seem to mind, especially when he covered her nipples in frosting and licked it off.

He stifled a groan as he parked his bike and cut the engine. Now that image would have him hard all day.

Jax did his best to act like it was just like any other day at work, except for the part where he avoided Dane as much as he could. He was surprisingly successful, mostly since it seemed Dane was trying to do the same thing. They rolled on two traffic accidents and a Dumpster fire, all without saying a word to each other. They even handled the post-response equipment clean-up without any trouble, then dinner later in the day.

But the station was too small to tiptoe around each other forever and after they’d finished eating, Dane cornered him upstairs in the sleeping area, asking him what the hell was going on between Jax and his sister.

Jax clenched his jaw as he stared at the wall above the bed. He thought about lying for a moment, then said screw it. This needed to come out, and now was as good a time as any.

He turned and faced his friend, looking him squarely in the eye. “If you’re asking if we’re romantically involved, then yeah, we’re seeing each other.”

Dane’s fist clenched at his side, and Jax tensed, ready if his friend started throwing haymakers. But after a long time, Dane just shook his head.

“Dammit Jax, she’s my sister.”

“I’m well aware of that fact, believe me,” Jax said. “But she’s also a grown woman who can made decisions for herself.”

Dane swore under his breath. “If you hurt her—”

“That’s not going to happen,” Jax cut him off. “I care about Skye too damn much to ever do something that would hurt her. And you should know that. Shit Dane, we’ve been friends since we were five years old.”

“I know! It’s just that…”

Just what? But Dane didn’t finish. He didn’t try to take a swing at Jax, though, so that was progress at least.

Shaking his head, Dane turned and stomped down the stairs. While their discussion hadn’t turned into a fight, Jax didn’t feel like lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. And he was too keyed up to read.

He headed back downstairs, but skipped going into the TV room with the rest of the guys, figuring that was where Dane would be. Instead, he slipped outside and called Skye. They’d only slept together two nights and he was already missing her.

“Hey girl,” he said as soon as she picked up. “What are you up to?”

“Jax! Hey!” she said, and all the tension from dealing with Dane’s crap disappeared at the sound. “Nothing. I just had something to eat, then went for a walk with Rodeo, and now I’m getting ready for bed.”

He wanted to ask if she was wearing one of his dress shirts again, but didn’t. He wasn’t sure his cock could handle it. He leaned back against the brick wall and steered the conversation toward more work-safe territory. “So, what’d you do today?”

“I spent most of it on the phone, looking for baking shops that would be willing to enter into a long-term lease for use of their equipment. I found two that sound really promising, so I’m going over in the morning to take a look.”

At the restaurant last night, they’d talked about what kind of facilities she was looking for, and what she thought it might cost to lease them. But when she told him the kind of money the bakeries were asking, Jax was shocked at how much it cost to rent someone else’s mixers, ovens, and bowls.

“Can you still make a profit paying those kind of overhead costs?” he asked.

“It’s going to be hard, but I don’t really have much of a choice,” she admitted. “It’s not like I can make hundreds of cupcakes in your kitchen. It’s just not big enough.”

“I could install a second oven if it’d help,” he offered.

“I appreciate that.” He could almost hear her smiling over the phone. “But I don’t want to completely take over your life with my baking business. How was your day? Dane wasn’t being too much of a pain in the butt, was he?”

“Nah. We actually had a civil conversation a little while ago.” He heard a noise in the background that sounded suspiciously like the mattress dipping. “Did you just climb into bed?”

“Yeah. You wore me out last night. I figured I’d go to bed early and catch up on some sleep.” Her voice lowered to a throaty purr. “I’d sleep better if you were here, though. It sucks that you have to work twenty-four hour shifts.”

“I’m not too thrilled about it either, babe, but you’re going to have to get used to it. This is the life of a firefighter—twenty-four hours on, forty-eight off.”

“I know, I know.” She sighed. “But lying here in bed naked isn’t the same without you in it with me.”

His cock stirred inside his uniform pants. “You’re naked?”

“Yeah.” She let out a sexy laugh. “You didn’t expect me to put something on just because you’re not here, did you?”

Actually, he hadn’t thought about it. But now that he was thinking about it, he was rapidly getting hard. “I’m going to have a very difficult time falling asleep tonight, you know that, right?”

She giggled. “Don’t you mean you’ll have a hard time falling asleep?”

Jax groaned and reached down to reposition his hard-on before he hurt himself. “That’s exactly what I mean. Good night, Skye.”

He stood there waiting for his erection to ease long after she whispered good night in that soft, husky voice of hers and hung up. He seriously doubted he’d be able to fall asleep now, not with thoughts of Skye naked in his bed back at the ranch, but he should at least try. He didn’t want to be exhausted when he got off work tomorrow. He had plans for Skye that didn’t include sleeping.

Jax headed back inside and was halfway up the steps to the sleeping quarters when the fire bell rang. He turned and ran for the main bay at full speed. Apparently, he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep after all.

*

Jax had just finished eating breakfast the next morning when Captain Stewart called him and the other firefighters into the conference room. He topped off his coffee, then followed Dane and the others in. The captain stood in the front of the room, a grim expression on his face as he waited for them to take their seats.

“I just heard back from the arson division,” he said without preamble. “They’ve confirmed what I thought—that the fire at the hotel on Jacobs Street was deliberate. Investigators found plastic residues from a container of gas in the store room along with cloth fibers from an improvised wick.”

Shit. Jax glanced at Dane and saw that his friend was almost certainly thinking the same thing he was. People typically started fires in old buildings or foreclosed properties because they wanted to get out from under them. But if someone started a fire in a hotel full of people, the reason was likely much more sinister.

“Are we looking at a serial pyromaniac here?” a curly-haired firefighter named Glen Bosch asked from the other side of the room.

“That’s anyone’s guess right now,” Stewart said. “This could just be a one-time thing, like some guy looking for revenge against the hotel chain or a disgruntled employee. Or we could be dealing with some kind of psycho who gets off on starting fires. If that’s the case, we need to be ready in case he tries to do it again.”

His boss probably would have said more, but he was interrupted by the clang of the fire bell. As they raced for the trucks, Jax heard the dispatcher call going out to multiple stations. The fire was at a nearby apartment complex about twenty minutes away. Jax glanced at Dane as they yanked on their turn-out gear. Once again, his friend was wondering the same thing. Was this just a random fire, or another arson attempt?

Jax supposed it didn’t really matter. No matter how the fire started, a firefighter had the same job—put it out.

*

When they arrived on the scene, any thought that the fire was anything other than the work of an arsonist disappeared. The big apartment complex was burning in at least three different places, and that didn’t happen on its own. As Jax grabbed his SCBA tank, he overheard Lieutenant Boone talking on the phone with the other responding engines, figuring out who was going to handle which parts of the fire.

Jax quickly headed into the building with Dane and Troy to start getting people out of the two-story building while the rest of the firefighters got the supply lines attached to the local hydrants and the attack hoses in place to fight the fire.

People were gesturing madly toward the second floor the moment they got inside, shouting that there were several older people who lived up there. Jax and Dane immediately peeled off for the stairs as Tory searched the apartments on the first floor.

The upper floor was a zoo. While some people were running for their lives from the fast growing flames, others seemed more interested in trying to save their TVs and computers. Jax kicked in the first door he found closed and rushed into the apartment to see if anyone was in there.

The fire was eating through the ceiling and covering the walls at a rapid pace, but when he did a quick search, he didn’t find anyone. He turned to leave, jerking in surprise as a reflection in the glass of his SCBA facemask caught his attention. He had just a fraction of a second to see a man in a big, heavy coat and motorcycle helmet swinging something at him. Whatever it was smashed against his fire helmet like a ton of bricks.

Jax went down hard, his vision swimming in a sea of black, gray, and red. He knew even before he hit the floor that he was about to lose consciousness. If he passed out in this fire, he was never going to wake up.

The thought of what Skye would go through when she heard that she’d lost someone else in her life to a fire made him almost as sick as the dizziness overwhelming him.

His hand moved of its own accord to the radio on his belt. There was no way he could call for help, but if he could hit the orange emergency button, it might be even better.

As the unforgiving blackness swooped in and surrounded him, Jax prayed his finger had found that damn little button.

*

Jax came to as someone pulled him to his feet. A moment later that same someone draped his arm over their shoulder and slowly dragged him along the hallway and over to the stairs. Halfway down the steps, the darkness shrouding his vision finally began to recede. He determinedly got his feet under him and helped whoever was half dragging, half-carrying him by supporting his own weight.

Tory immediately ran over as they came out of the building. Jax waved him off.

“I’m fine,” he said.

But Tory ignored him, putting his arm around Jax to support him from the other side. Jax swore and yanked his mask away, shaking them off. “I said I’m fine, dammit! There was someone in that apartment with me. Fucking asshole knocked me out.”

Tory stared at him.

“What?” a familiar voice asked from the other side of Jax. He turned to see Dane looking at him like he was crazy.

Jax reached up and pulled off his helmet, turning it around to show Dane and the Tory the big dent along one side of it. That would have been his freaking head if he’d been without a helmet. “Some asshole in a heavy coat and motorcycle helmet came up behind me and used my head for batting practice. He tried to frigging kill me.”

Dane looked at Tory. “Tell the on-scene commander and the cops that someone assaulted a firefighter. Get them looking for this guy.” He turned back to Jax. “Come on. Let’s get you over to the paramedics.”

“I don’t need a paramedic,” Jax told him. “I’m fine.”

“Maybe, but you’re getting checked out anyway,” Dane said firmly.

Shit, Dane could be stubborn. But unless Jax wanted to go twelve rounds with him right in the middle of the parking lot, it was easier to simply let a paramedic take a look at him. The faster he did, the faster he could get back in that building and look for whoever had clocked him.

Unfortunately, a dark-haired female paramedic by the name of Fletcher took one look at his helmet and shoved it into Dane’s hands, along with his air bottle and turn-out coat. Then she ordered Jax to sit on the back of an ambulance and shined a penlight in his eyes.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” she announced.

*

Skye was bummed to see that the vehicle bay was empty when she pulled into the parking lot of the fire station where Jax worked. After a moment of inspiration involving waffles and bacon, she’d whipped up a batch of cupcakes and brought them in for Jax and the rest of the firefighters to try. It looked like she was going to have to wait until they got back.

She walked into the station and found Captain Stewart and a young female firefighter leaning over the big radio set-up, concern on both their faces. Skye felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach, and immediately tamped it down. Just because they looked worried didn’t mean it had anything to do with Jax or her brother.

Her curiosity on the other hand couldn’t be so easily ignored. She was just about to ask what was going on, when a burst of chatter came over the station radio. Something about one of the firefighters getting hurt. The flutter in her stomach was back, along with a healthy dose of real fear. Stewart must have heard her gasp, because he turned and looked in her direction.

“Skye,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“What happened?” she demanded, ignoring his question. “Who got hurt?”

The older firefighter shook his head. “We’re not sure yet. I’m waiting for an official situation report. You can stay, but I need you to be calm. Can you do that?”

Did that mean he’d lied to her about not knowing the identity of the injured firefighter? Was it Jax or Dane?

She wanted to demand that the captain tell her who it was, but was afraid he’d make her leave. So she nodded and stood there numbly as more details began to filter through. They didn’t make a lot of sense, though. No one had gotten burned or injured in a fire. Instead, one of them had been attacked inside a burning apartment building. That couldn’t be right. Who would attack a firefighter?

Then she heard the name of the firefighter who’d been attacked.

Jax Malloy.

Skye gripped the edge of the table, afraid her knees were going to give out. Oh, God. The rest of what they said over the radio fell on deaf ears as she started hyperventilating.

Captain Stewart put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s all right, Skye. Jax is going to be fine.”

Hearing that should have calmed her down, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from freaking out. All she could think about was losing Jax. After everything else in her life fire had taken from her, the thought of losing Jax too was just too much to bear.

Captain Stewart said something to the female firefighter, then guided Skye into the vehicle bay.

He led her over to a chair near the wall and gently pushed her down into it, then instructed her to lean over and put her head down. She obeyed, not really sure how it would help. But it did. After a few moments, she didn’t feel dizzy anymore. The fear, however, was another matter entirely. It had latched onto her with a viselike grip and refused to let go.

Skye looked at Captain Stewart, searching his lined face. “Is Jax really okay?”

The older man smiled. “He’s fine.”

She sagged in her chair. “Who would attack a firefighter in a burning building?”

“I don’t know. But I sure as hell intend to find out.”

Captain Stewart sat with Skye while they waited for the trucks to come back. A rescue vehicle pulled into the station parking lot a little while later followed by two police cruisers. The moment Jax stepped out of the patrol car, she jumped up and ran over to him.

Skye threw her arms around him, smelly fire suit and all. She was so relieved to see him in one piece that she barely paid attention as he explained to the captain about the psycho who’d come at him with a baseball bat in the apartment building. Until he got to the part about Dane coming in to save him. She hadn’t even realized her brother had been in the other police car until she finally caught sight of him standing a few feet away.

She let Jax go long enough to rush over to hug Dane. “Thank you for saving Jax.”

Dane hugged her back, something he hadn’t done in a long time. “Of course I saved him,” he said softly into her hair. “Jax might be a jerk, but he’s still my friend.”

Skye smiled. Maybe Jax and her brother would be able to salvage their relationship after all.

“What happened out there?” Captain Stewart asked.

Skye shuddered as Jax explained how he’d been assaulted and left to burn to death. If her brother hadn’t gone looking for him…

“The fire was under control before Jax and I left,” Dane added. “The on-scene commander is already calling it arson. With four separate ignition points, there’s no way that was an accident.”

Captain’s Stewart’s mouth tightened. “Question is, did the guy assault Jax because he didn’t want the fire put out, or did he set the fire so he could lure the fire department there to kill a firefighter?”

Skye felt sick to her stomach at the possibility of either situation. Needing some fresh air, she walked out to the parking lot and over to Jax’s truck so she wouldn’t have to hear any more.

Jax came out ten minutes later. He took her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her hair.

She closed her eyes and hugged him tightly for a long minute, then pulled back to look up at him. “Are you sure you’re really okay?”

He gently ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “I’m fine. The paramedic who checked me out said I didn’t even have a concussion. And if she was wrong, I know what signs to look for.” His mouth quirked. “Besides, my head is too hard for anything to hurt it.”

Skye didn’t laugh. She didn’t think it was funny at all. Jax must have figured that out because he changed the subject.

“You brought cupcakes?”

“What?” She followed his gaze to the Tupperware container in the back seat of his pickup’s king cab. “Oh, yeah. I tried a new recipe and thought you and the other firefighters might like them. Waffle flavored cupcakes with maple-bacon frosting.”

She opened the door to grab them when one of his fellow firefighters poked his head out of the station telling Jax that the chief was on the line looking for a detailed report on what happened at the apartment building.

“I’ll be right in,” Jax called over his shoulder. He took the container she offered, holding it in one hand and cupping her face in the other. “I have to go. But I really am fine, okay? I’ll be home in a few hours. We can talk as much as you want then.”

She nodded. At least he was willing to talk to her about it. A lot of guys wouldn’t do that.

He kissed her, then opened the driver’s side door. “Drive safe, okay? I’ll be home soon.”

“I will.”

Skye waited while he walked back into the station, waving at him when he lifted a hand in her direction before going back inside. She sighed as she put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot, praying Jax didn’t have to go out on another fire before his shift ended. She didn’t think he would after getting hurt, but Jax was the type who’d go anyway because he thought it was the right thing to do.

When she got back to the ranch, she played fetch with Rodeo for a while, then puttered around in the kitchen. In theory, she was working on a new cupcake recipe, but mostly she was wasting time until Jax came home. She wasn’t sure how they were going to taste since she spent more time worrying about Jax than baking, but she had them out of the oven and just finished frosting them by the time he walked in.

She sagged with relief and dropped the spatula in the empty bowl. She knew she shouldn’t still be freaked out, but she couldn’t help it. Jax could have been killed today.

That’s when it hit her. She was falling hard and fast for Jax.

The realization would have alarmed her if it had been any other guy. But Jax wasn’t some guy she’d just met. She’d known him since they were kids. And it wasn’t very surprising that her teenage crush had turned into something more now that she’d had a chance to spend some real time with him. The thought of losing him was what scared her.

Rodeo trotted over to greet Jax, wagging his tail happily. Jax bent to give him a pet and a, “Hey boy,” then walked into the kitchen. Rodeo followed at his heels.

“Those smell good,” Jax said, glancing at the cupcakes.

She tried to give him a small smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. He must have realized she was a mess because he took her hand, then led her to the table and gently pushed her into a chair. Pulling out the one beside her, he sat down and took her hands in his.

“What’s going on in your head right now?” he asked. “And don’t say nothing because I can see you’re upset.”

Skye didn’t answer right away. She knew she was being unfair. She’d known Jax was a firefighter when she decided to sleep with him. It wasn’t his fault that she had a phobia about everything fire related.

“Even though you rescued me from that burning hotel, I let myself forget what you do for a living,” she said softly. “Today reminded me in a big, fat way.”

“Today was an isolated incident, Skye. I can count on one finger the number of times a guy who set fire to a building hung around and tried to take out a firefighter. I was in more danger when I worked on oil rigs and rode broncs on the rodeo circuit. Hell, I’m in more danger driving to the station.”

If he was hoping that would make her feel better, he failed. When she didn’t say anything, he let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say it. After what happened with your parents, I know how hard it would be for you to be with a guy who goes into burning buildings for a living.”

Tears suddenly clogged her throat, and she swallowed hard. He thought she was breaking up with him.

“Jax…”

He brushed her hair back from her face, his dark eyes sad. “Shh. I get it, and it’s okay.”

But it wasn’t okay.

Skye grabbed his hands and held on tightly. “I’m not breaking up with you, Jax. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. We have something special, and I’m not going to throw it away just because what you do is dangerous. But I’m not going to ever be cavalier about the risks inherent in your job, either. I don’t like fire, and I never will. I’m going to worry about you every time you go to work and there’s no getting around that. But I care about you too much to walk away.”

Jax sat there for a long time, not saying anything. Then leaning close, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her long and hard on the lips.

“Thank you,” he whispered when he finally pulled away.

She kissed him again, then tugged him to his feet. She didn’t want to talk about fires and burning buildings anymore. “Come on. I tried out a new cupcake recipe and want to know what you think.”

Skye waited impatiently while he washed his hands, then peeled off the wrapper and bit into the cupcake. He chewed once, then twice before swallowing and making a face.

“Um, what kind of cupcake is this supposed to be?”

“Pumpkin with cranberry cream cheese frosting.” She leaned close and took a bite of the cupcake he was still holding. This time, it was her turn to make a face. She knew she hadn’t been paying attention to what she was doing while she was making them, but she’d screwed up the recipe even worse than she thought. “Ewww. I think I added way too much nutmeg to the cake and forgot the sugar in the frosting.”

Skye took the cupcake from his hand and tossed it in the trash, then dumped the rest of the tray, much to Rodeo’s dismay. Giving him a Milk Bone instead, she looked at Jax.

“Want to help me make another batch?” she asked.

His mouth twitched. “Only if I get to lick the frosting off your nipples again.”

“Deal.” She went up on tiptoe to kiss him. “But only if I get to do the same to you.”

*

She and Jax had just finished frosting the cupcakes when Dane’s truck pulled up in front of the ranch house. Luckily, they’d already cleaned up and gotten dressed. Skye groaned as she heard his footsteps on the porch. She really wasn’t ready for another argument with her brother.

“If we ignore him, maybe he’ll go away,” she muttered.

Jax snorted as he walked over to open the door. “You obviously don’t know your brother.”

Dane strode in, jaw tight. Skye automatically braced herself.

Her brother glanced from her to Jax. “I just got off the phone with the police in New York City. They got my number from a list of emergency numbers your ex-boyfriend has in his apartment.”

Skye walked around the island to stand beside Jax. “What were the police doing in Jordan’s apartment?”

She was almost afraid to ask. Jordan could be an arrogant jackass sometimes, but he never did anything that would involve the cops.

“One of his neighbors called the police to report a loud argument a few days ago,” Dane said. “The police responded and found the place trashed. They’re thinking he had a fight with a friend of his named Aiden Dunn.”

Skye frowned. “Is he okay?”

Dane shrugged. “Nobody knows. Jordan and Aiden are both missing, but the cops found blood on the floor of your ex’s apartment, so they’re fearing the worst.”

Skye covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh, God.”

Jax came over and put his arm around her. “Just because they found blood doesn’t mean Aiden’s dead.”

She nodded. She knew he was right, but she wasn’t going to stop worrying until she knew Aiden was safe. If Jordan hurt him—or worse—she’d never forgive her ex.

Dane pulled out his cell phone. “The detective working the case wants you to call and see if you can tell them anything that might help figure out where Aiden and Jordan are.”

He scrolled through the numbers in his contact list, then hit one and put the phone on speaker.

“Ansel.”

“Detective? This is Dane Chandler. I have my sister Skye with me if you want to talk to her.”

“Have you found Aiden and Jordan yet, Detective?” she asked before the cop could say anything.

“Unfortunately no. We’re still looking,” Ansel said. “Your brother said you broke up with Jordan McAvoy about a week ago. May I ask why?”

“I finally figured out how manipulating and controlling he was,” she said.

“How did he take the break-up?”

“He wasn’t happy.” Understatement there. “At first, Jordan genuinely seemed hurt when I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. He begged me to stay, and when that didn’t work, he got pissed off and told me I’d be sorry I ever left him.”

“Did he ever get violent with you?” Ansel asked.

Both Jax and Dane narrowed their eyes at that.

“No. He got angry, but he never got violent,” Skye said quickly, answering Ansel’s question while reassuring her brother and Jax at the same time. “Do you really think Jordan might have hurt Aiden, Detective?”

Jordan and Aiden had been friends since college. The two of them were so close they should have been pictured next to the word “bromance” in the dictionary. In a way, they’d always reminded her of Jax and Dane. She’d obviously been wrong about that.

“We’re not sure, but we’re not ruling anything out,” was his answer.

Skye was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that her ex-boyfriend may have killed his best friend when Dane spoke.

“Detective Ansel, should we be worried Jordan might come after Skye?”

Skye blinked. “Me?”

Dane slanted her a look. “Jordan obviously has a screw loose. It’s not far-fetched to think he might come looking for you.”

“Your brother’s right, Ms. Chandler,” Ansel said. “We don’t know what’s going on in McAvoy’s head. We’re checking the airlines, bus stations, and rental car agencies to see if he left the city, but until we know for sure, it’s better to keep your eyes open for anything suspicious.”

Beside her, Jax frowned. “Detective, this is Jax Malloy. I’m a friend of Skye’s. If we’re talking about suspicious, we should probably mention someone deliberately set fire to the hotel where she was staying when she first came back to Dallas.”

The possibility that her ex-boyfriend might have done such an evil thing was chilling. “You think that was Jordan?”

Jax shrugged. “I don’t know. But like Detective Ansel said, we shouldn’t rule anything out.”

“Which means Jordan might also be the one who assaulted you at that apartment building this morning,” Dane added.

Skye swallowed hard. It was bad enough when she thought Jordan might have hurt one of her best friends, but knowing he might have attacked Jax made her feel ill.

“Okay, you lost me,” Ansel said over the speaker phone. “Start at the beginning.”

Jax explained he was a firefighter along with Dane, then told him about the recent fires and how someone had assaulted him with a baseball bat that morning. If Jax was right about Jordan, that meant he was in as much danger as she was. Had Jordan killed Aiden because his friend had found out what he was planning? It sounded crazy. And terrifying as hell.

“As soon as I get off the phone with you, I’m going to call down to the Dallas PD with everything we have on McAvoy,” Ansel said. “But until they get involved, all of you need to be careful.”

“We will,” Jax promised.

Dane blew out a breath as he hung up. “Holy crap, Skye. Are we honestly thinking your ex-boyfriend is this arsonist?”

“It fits,” Jax said before she could answer. “Skye already said he’s controlling and has a temper. It’s not too much of a stretch to think he snapped and came down here looking to get back at her.”

“And decided to take you out in the process,” Dane added.

Skye couldn’t believe Jax and her brother were calmly discussing her ex-boyfriend trying to kill her and Jax. And while she didn’t want to believe she’d spent the past few years with a man who might be a murderer, even she finally had to agree with their logic. While he hadn’t gotten violent with her, Jordan had been furious when she broke things off with him, angrier than she’d ever seen him in fact. What if he’d just snapped? And since her dumbass brother had accidently let slip that she might be sleeping with another man, she had no doubt Jordan would come after Jax, too.

“So what do we do?” she asked.

“Well, for one thing, we call Captain Stewart and let him know what’s going on,” Jax said. “He can get the DPD involved from this end. If Jordan is the arsonist, hopefully they’ll be able to catch him before he sets fire to another building.”

Crap, she just thought of something. “Since he set the one this morning to draw you out, I don’t think you should be going on any more calls until the cops find him.”

Jax cupped her face, his mouth curving. “I can’t stay back at the station while everyone else rolls out, Skye. Now that I know there’s some guy out there looking to kill me, I’ll be ready for him.”

Skye opened her mouth to argue, but Dane cut her off.

“The captain will make sure another firefighter is with Jax every time he goes in to put out a fire,” her brother promised. “And until they catch Jordan, I’m going to be staying here with you guys.”

Jax frowned. “I can protect Skye myself, Dane.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t. I’ll talk to the captain about us alternating duty days too, so that one of us is always with her.”

Skye didn’t mind the idea of having one of them around 24/7, but she wasn’t crazy about Dane staying at the house when Jax was home. She could tell from the look on Jax’s face that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea, either, but he didn’t say anything.

“Do you have a picture of Jordan?” Dane asked Skye as Jax grabbed his cell from the counter and went into the living room to call the captain.

She nodded and opened Jax’s laptop, pulling up the photo folder she had on the Cloud. While Dane leaned over her shoulder, she flipped through the pictures until she found one of her, Jordan, and Aiden together at a Yankee game. She was sitting between the two of them, and all three of them were smiling. Her lips curved as she remembered that day. Looking at her handsome blond-haired ex-boyfriend, it was hard to picture him hurting anyone, much less the boyish Aiden.

“Email it to me and I’ll send it to the captain,” Dane said. “If we’re lucky, maybe one of the other firefighters saw him hanging around the hotel or apartment building.”

Skye sent it to Dane’s phone, then stared at the picture of the two men who had played such a big role in her life the past few years. It was hard to believe that one of them might be dead and the other was trying to kill her.

*

Dinner with Dane was interesting. At least that was the best word Jax could come up with to describe it. Tense, uncomfortable, and painful were words that also fit.

As they ate the amazing meal Skye had made—proof she could cook as well as bake—it was obvious Dane had to work hard to hold his tongue. Jax had to admit he was impressed. His friend wasn’t usually very good at keeping his mouth shut.

While Dane didn’t come right out and say it, he clearly still didn’t like Jax dating his little sister. Skye tried to ignore the scowls her brother sent in their direction whenever they touched or kissed, but even she couldn’t pretend when Dane asked for a pillow and blanket so he could sleep on the couch.

“Why don’t you just sleep in the guest bedroom?” Skye asked, glancing over her shoulder at him as she closed the dishwasher and turned it on.

“If I sleep there, where are you going to sleep?” Dane demanded.

She gave him a look that said, Duh. “In Jax’s bed, you dope. Where’d you think?” Before Dane could reply, she went up on her toes to kiss Jax on the lips. “You coming?”

Jax nodded. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Skye hesitated, as if she was worried he and Dane might get into another fight. After a moment, she gave him a smile and told her brother to have a good night, then walked down the hallway and into the bedroom, Rodeo at her heels.

“This thing between you and my sister—you really care for her, don’t you?” Dane asked.

Jax nodded. “Yeah, I do. Is that going to be a problem?”

Dane considered the question for a moment. “I don’t know yet.”

With that, he turned and strode down the hallway, disappearing into the guest room and quietly closing the door.

Jax swore under his breath, then went to make sure the doors were locked. Okay, so maybe he had violated the guy code when he decided to sleep with his best friend’s sister, but pissing off Dane was a small price to pay for being with Skye. He’d been with his share of women both on the rodeo circuit and after joining the fire department—for some reason, the opposite sex seemed to have a thing for cowboys and firefighters—but none of them could hold a candle to Skye. She was the first woman he could picture spending the rest of his life with, and if Dane didn’t like it, that was too damn bad.

Turning off the lights, Jax headed for the bedroom. Skye was already in bed, Rodeo stretched out along the bottom with his head on his paws.

“Since I didn’t hear any furniture breaking, I guess it’s safe to assume you and Dane didn’t get into another fight,” she said.

Jax felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as he yanked his T-shirt over his head. “He might not be ready to give us his blessing yet, but he’s coming around.”

Skye didn’t say anything, but instead watched silently while he finished undressing. He ducked into the bathroom to brush his teeth, then slipped into bed beside her. She scooted eagerly into his arms, curling up beside him and resting her cheek against his chest.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” she said softly. “If Jordan was the one who attacked you this morning, he might try again. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, Jax.”

He tightened his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her silky hair. “Nothing is going to happen to me, Skye. I promise.”

Nothing was going to happen to her, either. If Jordan got within ten feet of Skye, that asshole was going to have deal with him, and Jax would do anything to protect her.

Chapter Eight

‡

Jax pulled his motorcycle into Station 58’s lot and parked, then shoved down the kickstand and killed the engine. Captain Stewart had called an hour ago and told him the arson investigators and cops wanted to talk to him about the guy who had assaulted him and whether it could be Skye’s ex-boyfriend. Jax wasn’t thrilled about being separated from Skye, but at least Dane was there to keep an eye on her. Skye had wanted to come with him, saying she might be able to help the investigation, but there was no way in hell he was letting her leave the ranch any more than necessary while Jordan was out there. The nut job had resorted to using fire in his first two attacks, but there was nothing to say the guy wouldn’t use a gun next time.

Jax found the captain in the training room with a few people from the fire investigation division, some uniformed police officers, and a detective.

After introductions were made, the detective—Collins—put the photo of Jordan that Skye had given them up on the training room’s projector screen. Then he went through everything the NYPD had sent down.

“I’m going to bottom line this,” Collins said. “The NYPD still can’t find Jordan McAvoy or Aiden Dunn. Based on evidence at McAvoy’s apartment, they think he killed Dunn and got rid of the body. They assume McAvoy then left New York to come to Dallas to get back at Skye Chandler for leaving him by setting fire to the hotel where she was staying. Unfortunately, they have no evidence McAvoy ever boarded a plane in New York or at any of the other nearby airports, either. They also can’t find evidence of him leaving on a train or bus or rental car.”

Jax swore silently. “Why the hell do we care how he got out of New York? We know he’s here. We need to find him before he finds Skye.”

“That’s the problem—we don’t know. We think he’s here. Just like we think he’s after Skye, and now you.” Collins shook his head. “But no one has seen McAvoy for sure and we have nothing to convince anyone that the arson cases are even linked to each other, much less to Skye and you.”

Stewart frowned. “So what hell are you saying?”

“I’m saying that the police department can’t dedicate much in the way of manpower to this case or assign any kind of protective detail to Skye Chandler.”

Jax snorted. “You’d rather wait until she ends up dead, I guess.”

Collins let out an expletive. “That’s not what we want and you know it.” He sighed. “I’ll have patrol do extra drive-byes of your ranch. For now, that’s all we can do.”

Jax would have argued, but just then Tory walked in to tell the captain that the chief was on the phone looking for an update on the situation.

As Stewart left the room, Tory walked over to study the picture of Skye, Jordan, and Aiden that was still up on the screen. “So this is the guy who started those fires and tried to kill you and Dane’s sister, huh? And he looks so normal.”

Jax scowled at the picture of Jordan. “I don’t know. Underneath that blond hair and spray-on tan, he looks like some kind of serial killer to me.”

Tory frowned. “Blond hair? Which guy are you looking at?”

Jax pointed to Jordan. “Him. He’s the psycho ex-boyfriend trying to kill Skye.”

“If he’s the ex-boyfriend, who the hell is that?” Tory asked, motioning to Aiden.

“That’s Skye’s best friend, Aiden.”

Tory looked at Jax like he was crazy. “Huh. Well, if that guy is the psycho ex-boyfriend, what was the other one doing in the hotel the night of the fire?”

Jax hadn’t realized anyone else had been listening to their conversation until the entire room suddenly went quiet.

“Aiden was there?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Tory looked at the photo again. “I found him up on the fifth floor a little while after you came down with Skye. He’d collapsed from smoke inhalation.”

Collins shared a look with his fellow DPD officers before moving closer to the screen and jabbing a finger at Aiden. “You’re positive this is the man?”

Tory nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it’s not as dramatic as getting to save a beautiful woman, but I did lug the guy down five flights of stairs and across a parking lot. It kind of makes a man’s face easy to remember.”

Collins muttered something under his breath. “No wonder the NYPD couldn’t find any evidence of McAvoy leaving New York—he never did.”

“Shit,” Jax muttered. “That means Aiden is probably the one trying to kill Skye.”

The detective pulled out his cell phone. “I’m going to call this in. Get a BOLO out on Dunn.”

“I thought you said Aiden was Skye’s friend?” Tory said to Jax. “Why would he try to kill her?”

Jax pulled out his own phone and slid his thumb across the screen to unlock it. “Who the fuck cares? I need to call Dane and let him know what’s going on.”

But when he called Dane’s cell, it immediately went to voice mail. Jax swore and called him again, but it did the same thing. “Dane, it’s me. Aiden is the guy after Skye, not Jordan.”

He texted the same message for good measure before calling his home landline. He swore when he got the answering machine.

“Shit!” he hissed. “Dane’s not answering his cell and I got the answering machine when I called my home phone. That can’t be a coincidence. I need to get over there.”

As he raced out of the room, Jax heard the detective telling the uniformed cops to go with him even as Collins called in for the closest patrol unit to get to the ranch. Jax didn’t even slow down. He might not be a cop, but that wasn’t going to stop him from protecting Skye and Dane.

*

Skye was in the kitchen, trying out the new cupcake recipe she’d picked up last night on the internet—chocolate with a bacon and marshmallow cream filling—when Dane came in. He’d avoided her since Jax left, so she fully expected him to walk right past her and grab something from the fridge, then walk out straight back out without saying a word. But after getting a soda, he walked over to the island where she was working.

“Mind if I try one?” he asked, motioning to the last batch of cupcakes she’d just taken out of the oven.

“Sure, go ahead. Careful though, they’re still a little hot.”

He nodded and unpeeled the wrapper, taking an insanely large bite and chewing it as if the filling was room temperature. Then he raised an eyebrow. “Hey, this is actually pretty good.”

She knew she shouldn’t let it, but for whatever reason, his surprised tone pissed her off so bad she almost threw a marshmallow covered spoon at him.

“You don’t have to act so shocked,” she said. “I realize you think I’m an idiot for quitting my job to bake cupcakes, but I do know what I’m doing.”

Her brother looked like he was about to argue, then had the decency looked contrite. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

She tossed the mixing spoon back in the bowl so hard that some of the filling slopped over the side. She ignored it. “Then how did you mean it, Dane? Because I’d really like to know.”

She expected him to get defensive. It’s what he’d done any time she called him out about anything since they were kids. But he didn’t. Instead, he gazed at her with a sadness in his eyes she’d never seen before, not even when their parents had died.

“I just meant that I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I know I haven’t been the kind of brother you needed since Mom and Dad died, but I really tried.”

Skye stared at him, dumbfounded for a moment. Then she ran around the cupcake covered island and threw her arms around her brother, squeezing him tightly.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded. “You’re the best brother a girl could ever have.”

Dane laughed as he hugged her back. “Yeah, right.”

“You are,” she insisted.

He pulled away to look at her. “I know I said some really shitty stuff when you came back to Dallas. I’m sorry about that, too. But I’m even sorrier about shipping you away to college right after Mom and Dad died without ever asking if it was what you wanted.”

She felt tears burn her eyes, and quickly blinked them back. The day Dane had put her on a plane for college had almost been as bad as the day they’d lost their parents. Hearing he’d been hurting just as much made her feel like a bitch for thinking all the terrible things she had about him.

“Let’s just forget about that, okay? It’s in the past.” She gave him a small smile. “Besides, I understand why you did it. You thought it would be best to get me away from home and all the bad memories. I get it.”

Dane shook his head. “I wish I could look you in the eye and tell you that’s why I sent you off to college, but I’d be lying to you, and to myself.”

“What do you mean?”

He picked up another cupcake, but instead of eating it, he stared at it pensively. He was silent for so long, she didn’t think he was ever going to answer. But finally, he took a deep breath and looked at her.

“I didn’t ship you off the college for your benefit, Skye. I did it for mine. Because every time I looked at you and saw how unhappy you were, it was a reminder that Mom and Dad were dead because of me.”

Skye reeled back as if her brother had slapped her. Dane was home when the fire had started, but that didn’t mean he was responsible—even indirectly. She refused to believe that.

“Don’t say that,” she pleaded. “The fire was an accident. It was nobody’s fault they died. It was just a stupid, horrible accident.”

“The fire was an accident. Faulty wiring.” Dane’s mouth tightened. “But what happened afterward was all on me.”

Her brother looked so torn and broken right then that her heart broke for him. It was obvious he’d been carrying this pain around for a long time. She only wished she understood why.

“Dane, what are you saying?”

He turned his attention back to the cupcake again and carefully peeled off the wrapper. Like he didn’t want to waste any of the cake by letting it get stuck to the paper.

“I was in the basement playing video games when I smelled the smoke,” he said softly, not looking at her. “I thought mom had burned something in the oven, so I didn’t pay any attention. Then I heard the flames. I didn’t even know flames had a sound until that night, but they do. When I ran upstairs, the whole first floor was on fire. I still don’t know why the smoke alarms never went off—nobody ever figured out that part. I shouted for Mom and Dad, yelling for them to get outside.”

He stopped to wipe tears from his eyes with the heel of his hand. “I was sure they heard me, so I ran outside. I didn’t see them right away, so I ran around the whole house. That was when I realized they hadn’t come out, that they were still in there. I ran back inside and tried to get up the steps, but it was too late. The fire had run up the walls and collapsed the whole landing, crushing the stairs.”

The tears he couldn’t seem to shed ran freely down Skye’s face. She put her arm around her brother’s broad shoulders. “None of that was your fault, Dane. You did all you could. No one could have made it up those stairs, even in full firefighter’s gear.”

He shook his head. “I could have gotten up those stairs and gotten to them in time if I hadn’t panicked and run out of the house first.”

“You were barely out of high school, Dane. You did what any eighteen-year-old would have done. You shouted for Mom and Dad to get out of the house, then you got out yourself. I never held you accountable for their deaths. Nobody did.”

“Maybe not, but I held myself accountable,” he said. “After becoming a firefighter and talking to some people, I realized how stupid that was. But back then, every time I saw you staring off in the distance with tears in your eyes, or heard you crying in your bed at night, all I could think was that it was my fault. So, when people told me that Mom and Dad would have wanted you to go to college, I figured that would probably be best for both of us if you left Dallas, but especially me. That way I wouldn’t have to look at you and remember what I did.”

Skye wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingers. “Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this?”

He looked at her, his eyes still wet. “Probably the same reason you never mentioned you’d rather make cupcakes than work on Wall Street—because we were both so caught up in our own issues that we didn’t bother seeing things from the other’s perspective.”

She gave him a wry smile. “We’re some screwed up siblings, aren’t we?”

He laughed and gave her a hug. “Yeah. But I think we’re getting better. And your cupcakes really are good. Mom would be proud.”

Skye liked to think so.

Dane leaned back against the island, watching as she frosted the rest of the cupcakes. For the first time in almost forever, they simply talked—about college, why she’d left her job on Wall Street, and how the events with their parents’ death had made Dane want to become a firefighter. It was an amazing few hours. Skye felt like she was meeting her brother for the very first time.

After his fourth cupcake, Dane announced he was going to check outside to make sure everything was quiet. Skye thought that was an unnecessary risk, but knew she’d never talk her brother out of it. They might be in a good place after their heartfelt conversation, but Dane still wasn’t going to take that kind of advice from his little sister.

“Be careful,” she warned. “And take your cell phone.”

“I will.” He grabbed his cell from the counter. “Keep the door locked.”

Skye finished cleaning the mixing bowl and set it in the dish rack to dry, then opened Jax’s laptop so she could do some detailed break-even analyses of her newest cupcake. While it tasted great, she needed to figure out how much it would cost to make based on the ingredients, as well as how much money she could expect to make by selling them. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as baking, but it was just as important to her new business as how good a cupcake tasted.

She was so wrapped up in the numbers she didn’t hear her brother come back until he knocked on the door. Beside her, Rodeo was immediately on his feet, his ears lifted and his eyes trained on the door.

“It’s okay, boy,” she told him as she slid off the stool. “Dane just forgot to take the key with him.”

Rodeo must have wanted to see for himself because he walked to the door with her. Grinning, she undid the lock and opened it, a smart-aleck remark on her lips, only to jump when she saw that it wasn’t Dane.

“Aiden! Oh my God, I thought you were dead!”

Opening the door wide, she threw herself into his arms. Tears filled her eyes. She was so relieved to see him alive and okay. Blinking, she took a step back, then grabbed his hand and tugged him inside as she closed the door. Beside her, Rodeo growled.

“Rodeo, this is Aiden,” she said, reaching down to pat the dog on his head. “He’s a friend.”

Rodeo growled again, this time baring his teeth. Aiden tensed.

She gave Aiden an embarrassed look. “Sorry. He’s never like this. I’ll go put him in the bedroom.”

Skye hooked her fingers in Rodeo’s collar and gently but firmly led him away from Aiden. Rodeo resisted, barking the whole way to the bedroom and refusing to take his eyes off Aiden. When she finally got him inside, she ordered him to sit and told him to behave, then closed the door.

Aiden was standing where she’d left him, still looking a little nervous.

“Sorry about that. Rodeo is usually so good with people.” She studied his face. He looked pale and his eyes had dark circles under them, like he hadn’t slept in days. “Aiden, what happened between you and Jordan? The cops in New York told me that you were missing. Someone called them to say you and Jordan had gotten into a fight at his apartment. The police thought he killed you.”

“He tried.” Aiden ran his hand through his curly, dark hair. “Jordan’s out of his mind, Skye. After you left, he went crazy, saying he was going to come down here and kill you. That if he couldn’t have you, no one could.”

She shuddered. Jax and Dane had been right. From what Aiden said, it sounded like Jordan was more far gone than any of them had thought. She was just grateful Aiden hadn’t been hurt.

“I need to call the police and tell them that Jordan is definitely in Dallas.”

She turned to go into the kitchen, but Aiden caught her arm.

“We don’t have time. Jordan’s already on his way here.”

“How…?”

Aiden shook his head. “I don’t know he found you. He must have followed your new boyfriend from the fire station. Maybe even your brother. Who knows? Right now, it doesn’t matter. We need to get you out of here before he shows up.”

He tightened his hold on her hand and pulled her toward the door.

“Aiden, wait! I can’t just leave. My brother’s here.”

Aiden glanced over his shoulder at her, but didn’t stop. “Your brother’s fine. I talked to him when I first got here. He’s waiting for us outside.”

Skye let him lead her out the door and down the steps to a dark blue minivan. If her head wasn’t spinning, she would have laughed at the idea of Aiden driving a minivan, even if it was a rental.

They were halfway there when she realized Dane was nowhere in sight. She slowed her steps as worry began to overwhelm her. What if Jordan was already here? What if he’d hurt her brother?

She looked around, her eyes lingering on her brother’s truck before turning to Aiden. “Where’s Dane?”

Aiden practically dragged her the rest of the way to the minivan. “He must have gone in the barn to get something. I’ll find him. Let’s get you in the van first. I don’t like you out in the open like this.”

He hit a button on his key fob and opened the sliding door on the passenger side, then shoved her in the second row of seats and leaned in to buckle her seatbelt for her. What the hell? She wasn’t a five-year-old.

“I need to borrow your phone,” she said. “I have to let my boyfriend know what’s going on.”

Aiden’s clicked her seat belt into place, his hands stilling on the metal as he lifted his head to look at her. “You mean Jax? We can call him as soon as I get you someplace safe.”

Skye was about to say okay when something struck her. “How do you know Jax’s name?”

Aiden stared at her for a moment, then looked away. “You mentioned him to me a few times back in New York.”

Ducking out of the minivan, he slammed the door closed, then ran around the front of the vehicle. Instead of going into the barn to look for her brother, though, he opened the driver’s door and got in. Suddenly, everything that had felt so right a mere sixty seconds ago now felt completely wrong.

She’d never told Aiden or anyone else in New York about Jax. Not even her girlfriends. While she’d always harbored a serious crush on him, his name had absolutely never come up in conversation once. Why would it? It’s not like Aiden would have been interested in hearing about a hunky cowboy from Dallas with six-pack abs and irresistible dimples.

A wave of suspicion crawled up her back. She slowly reached down, unbuckling her seat belt as quietly as she could. “Aren’t you going to get my brother, Aiden?”

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror as he put the keys in the ignition. “He can meet up to us later. I need to get you out of here.”

The suspicion gripping her was edged with fear now. She locked eyes with Aiden in the mirror. “How did you know I was at the ranch?”

He tore his gaze away from hers, but not before she saw his dark eyes harden. “Jordan told me before he left New York. He called your brother. Dane said you were staying with some guy you knew back in high school. I think that’s what really set Jordan off and made him come after you, knowing you were sleeping with another man.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach. Dane said Jordan had called the day after the fire at the hotel. If her ex-boyfriend had started the fire, he would already have been in Dallas, which meant Aiden was lying his ass off.

It also meant Aiden was the one who’d tried to kill her and Jax. No wonder Rodeo didn’t like him.

Aiden must have realized she was onto him because he reached for the door lock button at the same moment she grabbed the handle of the sliding door. If she hadn’t already unbuckled her seat belt, she wouldn’t have had a snowball’s chance in hell of making it.

Skye hit the ground outside the van and was running for the barn before Aiden even got out.

“Skye, stop!” he shouted. “Don’t go in there!”

She ignored him and kept running until she got to the barn where Jax kept the farm equipment. She looked around wildly for her brother, but all she saw was a gigantic tractor, lawn mowers, and every kind of power tool imaginable. The place smelled to high heaven with gasoline and grease, and she had to fight back a cough.

“Dane, are you in here?” she shouted.

When he didn’t answer, she called his name again. Still nothing.

She ran toward the back of the barn, becoming more convinced with every step that her brother had never come in here, when she rounded the side of the big John Deere tractor and tripped over Dane’s body.

Skye screamed as she hit the floor, not in pain but out of terror that her brother was dead. She pushed herself up from the dirt and scrambled over to Dane. She knew from the first-aid class she’d taken in college that she shouldn’t move him because she could hurt him even more, but she gently rolled him over onto his back anyway. She had to know if he was alive. Tears spilled onto her cheeks when she saw the blood flowing from a gash along the left side of his head. But then she saw his chest slowly rise and fall, and her heart almost exploded with joy.

She pressed her hand to the wound, hoping to stop the blood, when Aiden came around the tractor. She lifted her head to glare at him.

“Why did you do this?” she demanded. “I thought you were my friend, damn you!”

“I was your fucking friend,” he ground out. “But I wanted to be more than that!”

Skye was still reeling from that when Aiden took a coil of rope from a hook on the wall and advanced on her. She tried to defend herself with one hand while keeping the other pressed to the wound on Dane’s head, but Aiden grabbed her arm and dragged her away from her brother.

She fought like crazy, trying to punch him with both fists, but as mad as she was, she wasn’t nearly strong enough to do any damage. Aiden caught her flailing arms and tied her hands in front of her, then shoved her back against the wall of the barn so hard she fell. She hit the ground hard, the breath exploding from her lungs.

She lay there gasping for air, trying to twist her wrists free as Aiden yanked her arms above her head and tied the end of the rope to a hook on the wall. Then he stood there glaring down at her.

“Do you really think I spent all that time convincing you to dump that jackass Jordan just so you could come back here and jump into the bed with that walking cliché you’re sleeping with?”

He took a step toward her and she couldn’t help but flinch. He immediately stopped and held up his hands in what he probably thought was a placating gesture. But it was hard to think of him as calm and reasonable when he’d just tied her up and hit her brother on the head.

“When you told me you wanted to quit working in investments and start a bakery, I thought you’d do it in New York,” he said. “I was ready to help you, figuring we would do it together. I’d been waiting for years for you to see that Jordan was just using you, and when you finally did, you just up and left.”

She was tempted to point out that he had encouraged her to chase her dreams, then decided that wasn’t a very good idea. “You killed Jordan, didn’t you?”

The sudden change of subject seemed to catch Aiden off guard for a moment. But then he shrugged. “He didn’t really leave me much choice. I stopped by to talk to him and the bastard said he was getting ready to fly down to Dallas to beg you to take him back. I had to kill him to protect you from falling for his crap and getting sucked back into his life. I stuffed him in the trash chute in his apartment building. They’ll be lucky if they ever find the body.”

The really scary part—beyond the fact that he’d killed the man who was supposed to be his best friend—was that Aiden clearly believed what he was saying. That he thought he’d somehow saved her by murdering Jordan.

“And the fire in the hotel?” she asked softly. “Was that to protect me, too?”

At least he had the sanity left to look a little chagrined at that. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just wanted to start a little fire so I could rescue you and show you what kind of man I could be for you. But the fire got out of control. I still tried to save you, but that oversized pile of muscles got there before me.”

There were just some many things wrong with that entire line of thinking that it was impossible to point out all of them. Not that she would anyway. She didn’t want to piss him off anymore.

“How did you find me at that hotel anyway?” she asked.

If she could keep Aiden talking, there was a chance Dane would wake up. She hoped.

“I put a GPS tracking app on your phone.” His mouth edged up in a wry smile. “I’m in IT remember?”

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected him to say, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. But before she could tell him what a complete dirtbag he was, he walked behind her to the far end of the barn and started doing something that made a lot of noise. She craned her neck to see what he was doing, but it was no use.

“Unfortunately, your phone got destroyed in the hotel fire,” he said conversationally. “So I was forced to call your dim-witted brother and pretend I was Jordan to get him to tell me where you were staying. I have to admit, I was fucking pissed off when I realized you’d hooked up with some muscle-bound cowboy who likes to play with fire. I thought you were better than that. Guess I had you all wrong.”

Aiden came back into her line of vision, a tin gas can in his hand. It sloshed loudly as he walked toward her. Skye’s heart began to pound. What the hell was he going to do with that?

He dropped to one knee on the ground and pulled off the top of the small spout, then tore a piece of cloth from the dirty white rag in his hand and stuffed it into the opening. Even from where she sat against the wall a few feet away, Skye could smell the gas fumes coming from the can.

He glanced at her as he tossed the rest of the rag on the floor. “What? You didn’t think I was just going to let you go, did you? I mean, I tried to get you to come with me, but you wanted to stay with your brother.”

He glanced at Dane, still passed out cold on the ground. That’s when Skye realized Aiden had never been the friend she’d thought he was. He had played her just as much, if not more, than Jordan ever had.

“You have to admit there’s a certain irony to burning you to death,” he added. “Since you’re sleeping with a fireman and all.”

“You’re not going to get away with this.” She sounded like a B-grade movie, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t let Aiden set fire to the barn. “They’ll figure out it was you.”

“I doubt that.” Aiden stood up and took a lighter from his pocket. “Like you said, everyone thinks Jordan killed me. I’ll just show up in New York in a few days with a nasty head wound and say I don’t remember anything. I’ll make sure I cry at your funeral, though.”

He was just about to flick the wheel on the lighter when the sounds of approaching sirens filtered through the barn.

Skye’s heart leaped. She opened her and screamed as loudly as she could, praying someone would hear her.

Cursing, Aiden shoved the lighter back in his pocket. He reached down and picked up a length of rag he’d tossed on the floor earlier, then walked over to her.

She kicked out with her legs, but Aiden simply brushed them aside and reached out to slam her head back against the wall. It hurt like hell and knocked her so dizzy that she couldn’t do anything but sit there helplessly as he stuffed the rag in her mouth and wrapped the ends around her head to tie it in place.

“I’m sorry it had to end this way,” He said as he walked back to the gas can and lit the scrap of fabric hanging out of it. “If you’d just stayed in New York with me, everything would have been different.”

Skye watched through blurred vision as he tossed the can toward the far corner of the barn. There was a thud and a whoosh, then the roar of fire reached her ears. In the back of her mind, she remembered Dane telling her that flames made noise, and willed him to hear them now. But her brother didn’t move. She pulled at the ropes, but that only tightened them around her wrists even more. Hot tears burned her eyes as she realized how useless it was to struggle. She and Dane were going to die just like their parents had. And all she could do was sit there while Aiden turned and walked out, leaving them to burn.

Chapter Nine

‡

The two police cruisers jerked in front of Jax the moment he stopped in front of his house. He was off his bike in a flash, but the cops were right behind him, telling him to stay outside as they ran up the front porch and kicked in the door. The urge to follow behind them was overwhelming, but he held back, knowing all he would do was get in the way.

Besides, if he’d gone into the house, he wouldn’t have seen the smoke coming from of the equipment barn.

Shit. There were enough fuel and petroleum products to blow the whole barn off its foundation.

Jordan—Aiden—whoever—had used fire to try to kill Skye once before. It couldn’t be a coincidence that one of his barns was burning now.

Jax raced toward the building, ignoring the flames rushing up the far wall as he ran inside. Another few minutes and the place would be burnt to the ground. The thought of Skye dying in there made his gut clench. She was alive. She had to be.

“Skye!”

He couldn’t hear much over the roar of the fire, which was consuming the back of the barn at a rapid pace already. But he wasn’t leaving until he checked everywhere. He ran around the tractor, almost stumbling when he caught sight of Skye bound and gagged and tied to a hook on the wall. Her eyes were wet with tears and she looked terrified as hell, but she was okay.

Thank God.

He slid to his knees in front of her, yanking the nasty rag up and over her head. He started to untie her wrists, but she shook her head, her eyes going wide.

Jax turned just in time see the barn doors slam shut.

Fuck.

He ran over to the doors and shoved, but they wouldn’t budge.

What the hell?

He peeked through the cracks of the doors to figure out what was blocking them and saw a silver minivan parked up against them. He and Skye were trapped.

Ignoring the smoke threatening to choke him, Jax sprinted over to Skye, kneeling down to untie the rope from her wrists. She’d yanked so hard trying to get free that the rough hemp had chafed them bloody.

“Dane is hurt,” she shouted over the roar of the flames. “By the tractor.”

Jax glanced over and saw Dane’s lying on the ground, dried blood covering the side of his head. Oh, damn.

Grabbing Skye’s hand, he tugged her to her feet. Coughing, she kneeled beside Dane while Jax check for a pulse. It was still beating steadily, but a pulse wouldn’t help much if they didn’t get out of here soon. If the flames got to the barn’s fuel tanks, they were all dead.

Jax spun around, looking for a way out as his eyes watered from the smoke. Why the hell had he only put one door in this place when he built it? Because he’d been worried about someone coming in stealing the equipment, especially the tractor.

Shit, that was it!

He slid his arms underneath Dane’s. “Help me get him on the tractor,” he shouted at Skye.

She gave him a confused look, but hurriedly did as he asked. “How are we going to get out with the door blocked?”

“We make a new door.”

The John Deere wasn’t exactly made for passengers, but he’d never taken the big rotary mowing attachment off the back from when he’d mowed last, and it had plenty of space for Skye and Dane.

Skye waited for him to get Dane positioned, then climbed on beside her brother.

“Hold onto him,” Jax said. “This might get rough.”

The barn was so full of smoke by now he could barely see the key to start the tractor. But the moment he turned it, the engine rumbled to life. He shoved the tractor into gear and popped the clutch, aiming the John Deere toward the door, just to the left of where the minivan was parked.

The heavy front end of the tractor slammed into the left vertical support beam of the door. It might move slowly, but the tractor was damn heavy, not to mention powerful. It smashed through the support beam and the heavy boards attached to it, hitting the corner of the minivan and pushing it aside as he kept going. A few pieces of burning wood showered down on him, but luckily nothing hit him, or Skye and Dane. He kept the big wheels churning, picking up speed and moving away from the fire engulfed barn, not stopping until he got far enough away for them to be safe.

He was just turning to check on Skye and Dane when a flash of movement in the middle of the horse pasture caught his attention. It was Aiden. And he was running for the main road. Apparently he’d figured out his scheme to kill them had failed. He was probably rethinking the wisdom of using his only means of transportation to block the doors of the barn because he wasn’t a very fast runner.

Jax considered going after him with the tractor, then changed his mind. Not only would that mean driving through the pasture fence, but it would also mean bouncing Skye and Dane around on the mower like a couple beans in a coffee can.

“Where are you going?” Skye yelled as he jumped off the tractor and over the rail fencing around the pasture.

Jax pretended he didn’t hear her. Skye would be pissed at him for chasing after a psychopath like this, but there was no way in hell he was going to let that asshole get away.

Putting two fingers in his mouth, Jax cut loose with the same loud whistle he used when he put oats out in the evening. Six horses lifted their heads, then came running. He wrapped his fingers in the mane of the first horse that got there—a big stallion named Thor—then he jumped up and threw his leg over the horse’s back. Thor bucked a few times, clearly not thrilled with the idea of being ridden bareback. But after a moment, he finally settled down and took off in the direction Jax urged him.

Thor was big, and he was fast. Aiden didn’t stand a chance in the big, open field. Jax caught up and ran him down in twenty seconds. At least Thor didn’t stomp on the asshole as he ran him over.

Jax let the big horse keep going for another hundred feet or so, then got him slowed down and turned around. He walked the horse back to where Aiden was lying on the ground, twisting and rolling in pain. Jax slipped down from Thor’s back and patted him on the rump to send him back to join the rest of the herd where they stood watching the whole scene play out with interest. By the time Thor rejoined them, they’d gone back to grazing.

Jax was hoping Aiden would give him some trouble because he really wanted to punch the hell out of the guy for all the shit he’d put Skye through. But one of Thor’s hooves had clipped the back of Aiden’s head and the man didn’t have a clue what the hell was going on, much less his own name at the moment. Dreading the walk back, but knowing he had to do it, Jax bent down and picked Aiden up, then threw him over his shoulder and headed for the fence.

Skye, Dane, and the cops were all waiting there for him. Jax was happy to see his best friend standing, though he didn’t look too steady.

The police officers took Aiden off his hands, cuffing him and leading him to their cruiser. As soon as they were gone, Skye threw herself into Jax’s arms.

“Don’t you ever do anything that crazy again!” she said.

Dane snorted. “What crazy part are you talking about exactly? Driving a tractor through the door of a burning barn with his girl and best friend riding on the mower attachment? Or riding a horse bareback to chase down a murderer?”

“Both,” Skye said.

Going up on tiptoe, she planted a big kiss on Jax. He knew he shouldn’t do it with her brother right there, but Jax said the hell with Dane and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back. God, he loved her so much. And as soon as they were alone, he was going to damn well tell her.

“I guess I’m going to have to get used to this, huh?” Dane asked drily.

Skye pulled back, but didn’t leave the circle of Jax’s arms as she gave her brother a smile. “Yes, you most definitely are.”

*

Jax sat back against the fence, his arm around Skye and her head on his shoulder as they watched the equipment barn burn. The fire department had arrived, but the building was a goner and so was all the equipment in it.

“Can you afford to replace both the barn and all the equipment?” Dane asked from the other side of Skye.

A paramedic had looked at Dane’s head and was adamant he was going to need some stitches and maybe even a night in the hospital to run a concussion protocol. Dane had promised he’d go as soon as the fire was out. Jax intended to make sure he did.

“Yeah,” he said in answer to his friend’s question. “Thankfully I carry full insurance on the place. There were a couple things I was thinking about changing anyway.”

Skye lifted her head from his shoulder to regard him thoughtfully. “How much change did you have in mind?”

Chapter Ten

‡

Skye lay stretched out on top of Jax, his hard cock still buried deep inside her as she tried to catch her breath from another one of those amazing orgasms he seemed to be able to bring out of her at will. Her cheek rested on his muscled chest, making it easy for her ear to pick up the rapid-fire heartbeat that confirmed he’d come just as hard as she had. She was never going to get tired of having sex with him.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He ran his fingers down her back, making her shiver. “I love you, too.”

She sighed, wishing they could stay in bed all day. But then she glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Her eyes went wide. “Dang it, Jax! You kept me in bed late again. I was supposed to be packing the truck for today’s deliveries already.”

She quickly pushed herself up into a sitting position, which only served to drive his cock deeper into her pussy, ripping long groans from both of them. As she tried to build up the energy to slide off him, his strong hands settled on her hips.

“Oh no you don’t,” she said, smacking his hands away and carefully climbing off him. It was tough to do, but she knew from experience that if she let him get his hands on her and he started guiding her up and down on him, they wouldn’t be getting out of this bed for another hour.

Jax chuckled, but let her go as she hopped out of the bed and ran for the en suite bathroom, sidestepping Rodeo where he lazed on the floor. “It’s not my fault I can’t get enough of you. I admit it. I’m obsessed with my fiancée.”

Skye couldn’t help but smile as she ran her brush through her hair. She and Jax had been engaged for a month now and he took great care in reminding her of that fact frequently.

He’d proposed to her two months to the day after she officially moved in with him, which had been the day after Aiden had tried to kill them. Of course, she’d said yes. That meant she now had to add planning a wedding to her already crazy busy to-do list. Not that she was complaining. She was so in love with Jax that the idea of being married to him still made her giddy with excitement every time she thought about it. After what they’d gone through to be together, planning a wedding while getting her new business up and running would be a snap.

She brushed her teeth as fast as she could, then quickly put on her make-up. When she came out of the bathroom, Jax was pulling on his uniform. She would never be comfortable knowing his job involved running into burning buildings, but she trusted his abilities and knew the people he worked with—including her brother—watched out for each other like family.

Still, as they headed for the door after breakfast, she said the same thing to him she said every morning. “You’re going to be careful on this shift, right?”

He pulled her into his arms just like he did every morning. “I promise to be careful. I have the most beautiful woman in the world I love more than anything waiting for me at home.”

She kissed him, then together they walked outside. He headed for his pickup truck while she walked across the newly paved-in parking area toward her shop and the Comfort Cakes delivery van parked in front of it.

The equipment barn that had burned to the ground had been replaced with a new bakery barn, and while the back part still had some storage for tools, the entire front side was a full-service kitchen. Jax had taken the money from the insurance pay-off, added in a good chuck of his own cash and invested in her new company. She’d been a little worried about letting him put his personal money into the business, but he’d been adamant. She had to admit, having her shop fifty feet from the house was a heck of a lot more convenient than using some rented space on the far side of Dallas.

She unlocked the door to her shop and was immediately hit with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked goodies. The shop had only been up and running for about six weeks, but Jax, Dane, and the other firefighters at Station 58 had gotten the word out about her new business, and she was already starting to have a hard time keeping up with all the orders coming in. The wedding and catering jobs were the backbone of her current workload—just like her business model had suggested—but she’d also recently signed contracts to provide cupcakes, bagels, and other baked goods to several conference centers in town. Their steady demand was only going to grow as word spread. She’d probably need to hire a delivery person and a baking assistant just to keep up. That was a good problem to have, though.

She was just about to grab the first stack of boxes and head out to the van with them when the door of the shop opened and Jax came sweeping in.

“Did you forget something?” she asked as she picked up a big box of coconut frosted cupcakes.

He took the box out of her hands and set it on the counter. “As a matter of fact, I did.”

Then he pulled her close and kissed her long and lingeringly on the lips. Skye slid her hands up the hard wall of his chest and kissed him right back. She was wondering if maybe they had time for a quickie on the counter when he pulled away with a sexy groan.

“What was that all about?” she asked breathlessly.

Jax grinned as he headed for the door. “Nothing special. Just wanted to make sure you knew how much I love you.”

Skye smiled. Oh, she knew. But she wouldn’t mind him showing her on a regular basis.

The End

If you enjoyed this book, I’d love if you’d post a positive review or rating on the site where you purchased it. Thank you!

And don’t forget to look for Dane Chandler’s story, Book 2 in the Dallas Fire & Rescue Series!

Looking for more action-packed romantic suspense? Then check out my X-OPS and SWAT Series from Sourcebooks!

X-OPS Series

Her Perfect Mate

Her Lone Wolf (RT Award Nominee for Best Paranormal Romantic Suspense)

Her Secret Agent (a FREE Novella)

Her Wild Hero

“Nonstop action and hair-raising storytelling done well. This series gets better and better.”

—4.5 Stars from RT
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SWAT (Special Wolf Alpha Team) Series

Hungry Like the Wolf

Wolf Trouble

In the Company of Wolves (Coming Dec 1, 2015)

To Love a Wolf (Coming 2016)

“Yet another demonstration of the immense talent of Paige Tyler.”

—Fresh Fiction
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About the Author

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kickbutt heroines who fall in love with them.

She is represented by Bob Mecoy.

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Texas Wildfire

Sable Hunter

‡

‘I Am My Brother’s Keeper’ are the words engraved on the plaque awarded to volunteer firefighter/rancher Titan Sloan. Daily he risks his life to save and protect friends and neighbors. When he finds out the person he loves the most is the one he’s failed to protect, Titan is fit to be tied. Titan Sloan is a hero, but he’s no angel. For years he’s secretly been in love with his Captain’s wife. When he finds out their marriage is a sham and Makenna is being abused, all hell breaks loose. A Texas Wildfire is the backdrop for a story so hot and a love so intense, no one will come through it unscathed.

Chapter One: Prologue

‡

“Whoo-hoo! Show us some skin, guys! Yea!”

Makenna blushed as her best friend unselfconsciously danced to the music, shouting catcalls at the half-naked firefighters who were posing for a calendar shoot. “Allie, calm down,” Makenna whispered in her ear. “You’re going to have a stroke.”

Her vivacious BFF did a fist pump. “I can’t help it, girl. These men are seriously hot. Whoop!” Allie winked at the handsome blond flexing his muscles as he swung a fire axe over his head. “Who is that Greek god?”

A crowd had gathered in the bayside of the fire station. Rain had been falling for days, but everyone wanted to see the Hays County heroes strut their stuff. “His name is Ronan, he’s a good guy.” She playfully fanned the girl who knew all of her deepest darkest secrets—except for the one that mattered most. That secret she couldn’t share.

Allie licked her lips. “Oh, I bet he is good. Girl, if I’d had any idea you lived in beefcake heaven, I would’ve moved here long ago.” The photographer shouted directions while music played and three other well-built men came forward to flex and pose.

“I think I told you there were eligible bachelors in the department.” She couldn’t help but smile as Hotshot mimicked a male stripper, teasing the women by lowering his fireman’s jacket over one well-muscled shoulder. “And I’m glad you’re here. I needed you.”

Allie hugged her. “I’ll always be your friend, you know that. After all, we have much in common.” Returning her attention to the front, she leered at Hotshot. “He’s got the cutest dimples and that long dark hair…hmmm.” Allie sighed. “Wow. What’s the guy’s name with the military cut?”

“Oh, that’s Montana. He’s a former marine, but don’t use the word ‘former’ when you speak to him. He says once a marine always a marine.” Makenna’s voice trailed off as she saw who was coming forward next. Her mouth went dry and her heart rate sped up significantly. Glory be—what a man.

Allie seemed to agree. “Oh. My. God. I didn’t know they came that big. Or that perfect. Grr-rrr-wow! Sheesh.”

“His name is Titan. And yes, he lives up to his name.” Makenna bit her lip, determined not to drool or show any emotion that would betray how she was feeling. She allowed her eyes to rove over his smoking hot body—wide, wide shoulders, massive biceps, strong arms and sculpted chest. Oh how often she dreamed of being held against him, to know what it was like to feel safe and cherished. She had to press her lips together to keep from smiling. He didn’t look comfortable. While the others danced and flexed, flirting with the crowd, he just stood there. But when you looked like Titan, standing there was all you needed to do.

Makenna trembled. There was no other man on earth like him. She watched the photographer’s assistant spray water on him for the shoot and she wanted to lick the droplets from his skin. Did that make her a bad person?

“Look at them, just look at them,” Allie murmured as the camera clicked again and again. The men paraded around, muscles rippling. Every one of them epitomized pure male power, yet each had a hero’s heart. As Titan strolled past her, their eyes met and every cell in her body screamed for him.

“You’re so lucky to be married to one of these hunks,” Allie whispered. “Where is Damien, by the way?”

Makenna swallowed. She didn’t feel lucky. “He’s in the back. They took his photo yesterday.” Probably flirting with the photographer’s assistant. Her husband could definitely put on a show. He was friendly, engaging, always had a kind word for everyone.

But her.

Titan moved back across the stage. This time she got a good look at his strong back, narrow waist and a firm ass any woman would give a thousand bucks just to nip. Yea, she wasn’t dead—not yet anyway. Maybe she shouldn’t notice these things. After all, she was a married woman. But her husband didn’t deserve the loyalty she showed him. The man she married was a monster.

As if it were the sound track of a horror movie, at the exact moment she defined Damien Wade for what he was, the alarm bell sounded. Several people jumped. Titan reached his pager first, he listened, then announced in a loud voice.

“Listen up! The river’s cresting. We’re needed out there!”

*

“Hold on, honey, I’ll save you!” Titan Sloan shouted as he swung from the end of a cable attached to a hovering helicopter. Below him the Blanco River was a raging torrent. Out of its banks, the roiling rush uprooted cypress trees that had grown at the edge of the river for decades. “I’d rather fight a fire any day,” he muttered as he maneuvered to grab the young woman who was hanging out the window of her white crossover. “Angle to the right, Hotshot. There’s debris ahead!”

If he didn’t work fast, the vehicle the victim was in would be rammed into a concrete pillar. The river bridge was crumbled and wrecked, destroyed by crashing trees wrenched from their roots and whole houses that had been swept from their foundations by the cruel power of the angry waters. Titan had never seen anything like it. After weeks of rain, the usually placid hill country streams had become rivers, rising forty feet in a matter of hours. Bridges were out, houses were in ruins and dozens of people were reported missing, washed away like this woman who was at the mercy of nature gone mad.

Unless he saved her.

“Lean out the window, miss.” Titan motioned, as he reached for her. “Not too far,” he cautioned, trying to be heard over the roar of the whirling blades overhead. “Give me strength,” he prayed as he glanced ahead, realizing he only had seconds. What was left of the bridge was looming and not only the car was in danger of being lost, he would be slammed into the structure. “Hold steady!” he called to his buddy. One wrong move and it was over.

“Gotcha!” Titan lifted the victim from the car, pulling her up into the safety of his arms. “Let’s go, Hotshot!” With only feet to spare, they were carried away, the hydraulic crank grinding to raise them to safety just in time.

“A little too close for comfort, Sloan,” Jericho Carson, otherwise known as Hotshot, spoke over his shoulder as Titan handed the gasping girl a bottle of water and a blanket. He also made sure she was secured with the safety belt before resuming his place next to Jericho.

“You can say that again.” Titan adjusted his headset, tuning into headquarters. “Captain, warn the authorities. The people downriver need to know that a wall of water is coming and it’s going to destroy everything in its path.”

Chapter Two

‡

“I love touching you.” Titan’s hungry hands soothed her beautiful body, caressing her soft naked flesh, stroking and petting her all over. “You don’t know how often I’ve dreamed of doing this.” He claimed her mouth, kissing her with tender desperation. She tasted as wonderful as he’d imagined, and so he made himself happy, lifting his mouth to nuzzle her neck and kiss her shoulders before coming back to her lips over and over again. He wouldn’t ever get enough. At last he had the privilege of holding her, loving her to his heart’s content.

The most amazing thing to Titan was the way she responded, melting into him. She arched against him, digging her fingers into his back and opening her mouth to his demands. He tangled his hands into her hair as his tongue teased hers, leaving not one iota of her mouth unexplored.

“I want you so much it hurts,” he moaned against her lips.

“Take me,” she whispered, her breath fanning his cheek.

Take, yes, he wanted to take—but more than that, he wanted to give. He ached to show her how much he adored her. Kissing his way down her luscious body, he spread her legs. “You are so beautiful,” he praised her as he knelt to worship between her thighs. With reverence, he ran his eager tongue between her pink glistening folds, licking leisurely. Now that he had her where he wanted her, Titan had all the time in the world.

Beneath him, she writhed as he flicked the tip of his tongue over her clit. “Like that?” He teased, licking her out, closer and closer to the well of her desire.

“Oh, yes. Please, Titan!” She rolled her hips, trying to force his tongue deeper. Wanting to make it last, he held her hips on the bed and kept feasting, alternating between sucking her clit and spearing his tongue where she seemed to need it most. He wanted to drive her insane from wanting him…maybe then…maybe then she’d be his forever.

Over and over again, he pleasured her—licking and sucking, cradling her hips, bringing her to the edge then stopping to trace her slit, giving her time to breathe before he renewed the sensual assault designed specifically to make her addicted to – him.

“You, Titan, I need you,” she begged and his chest swelled. He ached to be what she needed. With one last lick to her throbbing clit, he moved up her body, leaving a trail of kisses from her mound to her breasts. And as he suckled at a tender pink nipple, he drove his desperate shaft into her and the relief was so overwhelming he… Came. Hard.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Rolling over, Titan hit the black plastic alarm clock so hard, he heard it crunch. At least the annoying sound was gone. “Lord have mercy,” he groaned, aware of the mess he’d made on his sheets. He’d had another wet dream. Hell, he hadn’t done that since he was a gawky teen—until he fell in love with a woman he couldn’t have. Now, it seemed to be a regular occurrence. Burying his head in the pillow, he tried to recapture her scent. With a lonely hand, he soothed the sheet beside him on the empty half of the bed.

He was alone, as usual.

With an ache in his heart, he acknowledged the truth.

Love hurts.

Why couldn’t he let this dead-end infatuation go? He sat up on the side of the bed and held his head in his hands. At least he’d see her tonight at the awards ceremony. If he was lucky.

*

Fighting the urge to glance over his shoulder to see if she’d arrived, Titan acknowledged his weakness. As the old song said, he’d never laid a hand on her, all he could do was adore the woman of his heart from a polite distance. She was so close, yet so fuckin’ far.

Titan could remember the day he’d first met her… She’d been in front of the Artisan Farmer’s Market on Highway 32, herding baby ducks across the road. Makenna had flagged him down by placing herself in between his truck and the small parade. He’d braked to a stop, took one look at her and fell like a ton of bricks. She was absolutely gorgeous and he’d been entranced watching her try to get the waddling little balls of fluff across the road. When other cars approached, he’d gotten out to help. She’d been grateful. “Oh, thank you. I couldn’t stand the thought of these little mites getting flattened.”

“No problem, my pleasure.” They’d laughed together, and Titan had felt this amazing immediate connection with her. He’d been about to ask her out when she insisted on buying him a cup of coffee as a thank-you.

“I appreciate you helping me. Not many men would’ve taken the time to be so kind.”

“I’m a softie when it comes to animals,” Titan admitted, holding out his hand, needing to touch her. “And beautiful women. I’m Titan Sloan.”

“Makenna Wade.”

She’d placed her small soft hand in his and Titan felt like a missing piece of his soul had finally slipped into place. “Pleased to meet you, Makenna.”

“We just moved here…” The pivotal word ‘we’ wasn’t lost on him and like a domino effect of unfortunate events, Titan noticed her wedding ring at the same time a gruff voice interrupted her explanation.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, Makenna?”

Titan whirled around to see a tall man with brown hair come lumbering up. His voice was harsh and accusatory. Titan was immediately on alert, even as his emotions went into a tailspin. She was married!

“I was just thanking this nice man for helping me…”

Her voice trailed off into nothingness so Titan filled the gap. “Hello, I’m Titan Sloan.” Titan always felt it was better to know the name of whomever you were tempted to knock flat on their face.

“Damien Wade,” the man said sharply and succinctly. Not waiting on Titan to respond, he’d turned on Makenna. “Did you get lost?” She didn’t answer his question, just lowered her gaze. Facing Titan, he continued his tirade. “I’m sorry if she bothered you. I have to keep an eye on my wife. She has a tendency to get distracted from what she’s supposed to be doing.”

“She was fine, performing a public service.” Hearing the man refer to Makenna as his wife made Titan feel like someone just hit him hard in the solar plexus. “What did you say your name was?” he asked.

“Damien, Damien Wade.”

Damn, Titan remembered. “You’re the one I’ve heard so much about. Our new Fire Chief.” The guys on the Hays County VFD had been able to talk about nothing else. In fact, the whole town was buzzing about the local hero who had decided to return home.

“That’s me. Are you with the unit?”

“I am,” Titan answered. As Wade stood up straight and proud, he couldn’t help but notice that his wife kept her head down. Two things hit Titan right between the eyes. First, this was someone he was going to have to work with and learn to trust. Second, he was attracted to another man’s wife.

Since that day, Titan fought how he felt. He’d grown to respect Damien Wade. The Captain was a good leader, harsh at times, but he got things done. As far as he wife was concerned, the man seemed possessive, which was probably a good thing. She was a beautiful woman. Rarely was she seen apart from her husband unless she was performing some type of community service. Titan even had to admire how supportive she was of the Captain and his work with the Fire Department. She pitched right in, serving as their secretary, taking care of filing the reports with the county and filling out grant paperwork for new equipment purchases.

Yet every time Titan saw her, he found himself drawn deeper and deeper into a hopeless situation. She was everything he yearned for in a woman. More than aware of her, he gathered memories like photos pressed in an album, things he wanted to remember—her kneeling to tie a toddler’s shoe, taking clothes and food to families who lost their homes to a fire, and visiting people in the hospital or the nursing home. She was one of the most giving people he knew. After their initial meeting, Makenna had never sought him out. She treated him with the same respect she showed all of the men in the unit.

He wished he could say he was half as honorable. Oh, he’d not acted on his feelings. Titan hadn’t said a word or made a move to give anyone reason to believe he thought of Makenna Wade as anything more than a friend and the wife of his Captain. But he was no angel. He was as far from perfect as a man could be. For he might not show his emotions outwardly, but what he felt in his heart was a different story.

Ironically, tonight he was being recognized as a hero. Titan shifted in his chair, wishing he was anywhere else but here. He didn’t deserve this recognition. Hell, he’d just been doing his job. Titan fought the urge to glance at her over his shoulder. Fuck! He knew she was here, he was as aware of her as any man could be of the woman he loved.

Leaning forward, he stared at the green tiled floor. The members of his unit sat around him, occupying the complete second row at the community convention center. When the overhead lights dimmed, he groaned. He’d be so glad when this ordeal was over.

“Ladies and Gentleman, please join me in welcoming Mr. Kyle Chancellor, the esteemed Governor of the great state of Texas.”

To a rousing round of applause, the young dignitary made his way to the podium, acknowledging the introduction made by the Master of Ceremonies. He held up his hands, quieting the crowd. “Thank you very much. I appreciate you coming out tonight. The communities in Hays County have come through a trying time in the last few months. They have risen on the wings of hope from the pits of sorrow and devastation. We mourn those we have lost and rejoice over those who were saved. Many people stepped forward to come to the aid of their fellow man. If it were not for those who placed their lives on the line, who went beyond the call of duty, we wouldn’t have as much to be thankful for today as we do. The Memorial Day floods will not be soon forgotten, nor will the heroes who went the extra mile to help those in need.

“Today we honor one of those heroes. Yes, saving people is his job. But this man worked tirelessly. He placed the welfare of others above his own, time and time again. It is my pleasure to present this award to an individual who lives in such a manner as to be an example to us all. The words engraved on this plaque epitomize an attitude of servitude.” Governor Chancellor bade the man of the hour to step forward. “It is with great pleasure that I present this humanitarian award to Firefighter Titan Sloan.” As one, the audience began to cheer and clap. Once more Kyle Chancellor asked for attention. “I’d like to read you the inscription.” He cleared his throat. “I Am My Brother’s Keeper. To real-life hero, Titan Sloan, who chooses every day to stand in the gap between danger and those who need to be saved.”

With a deep breath, Titan rose from his seat and ascended the steps to the stage like he was heading to the guillotine. Accepting the plaque, he smiled and shook the governor’s hand. “Thank you, sir.” He could feel himself blushing. Putting himself in harm’s way was a picnic over facing a room full of strangers and a gaggle of reporters. It was a wonder his family wasn’t here. If they hadn’t been on a trip to Europe with his sister, the whole Sloan entourage would’ve been in the front row.

The guys smirked at him while his Captain shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. He didn’t act pleased, for some reason. Well, Titan wasn’t really pleased himself. Someone else should be receiving this award, like Damien. The Captain was as much of a hero as Titan, probably more. And he knew many of the community thought he should be standing up here on this podium in Titan’s place. And Titan would’ve been fine with that. He didn’t like the attention, and he wasn’t much for giving a speech. Titan did the best he could with the three sentences he’d memorized. “I’m privileged to be able to help people and I don’t do it alone. We’re a team and we train for this every day. I only wish we had been able to do more.” Whew! He hurriedly stepped back from the microphone and held the wooden and brass plaque over his head. As always, he searched the crowd.

Looking for her.

For just a heartbeat, their eyes met before she glanced away quickly. Titan couldn’t breathe. His heart hammered in his chest.

Down in the audience…Makenna watched Titan Sloan with pride. He was one very special man. During the time she’d known him, he worked tirelessly, giving a hundred and ten percent. His ‘save’ ratio was one of the highest in Texas. That was why she’d nominated him for this award. As secretary of the VFD, it was her prerogative. He deserved it. She just hoped Damien never found out what she’d done or that would be another sin she’d have to pay for.

When the audience rose to give him a standing ovation, she joined them, clapping for a man whose very nature defined the term hero. Makenna couldn’t help but notice the admiring glances he received from many women. Even now they were devouring him with their eyes. She tried to quell the wave of jealousy mounting within her, an emotion she had no right to entertain.

Fighting the desire to reveal how she felt, Makenna forced herself to look away. Instead, her gaze landed on her husband. Thanks to him she couldn’t lean back in the theater style seat. Instead, she sat on the edge and leaned forward. He’d whipped her with his belt last night. Her back was striped like a Christmas candy cane. All because he hadn’t been pleased over what she’d prepared for their supper, which was his fault since he refused to give her enough money except to buy the cheapest cuts of meat. So, her roast hadn’t been melt-in-your-mouth tender. He’d upended his plate on the floor and when she’d tried to clean it up, Damien had jerked her to her feet and dragged her to their bedroom. Oh, she hadn’t gone willingly. Makenna struggled and fought with every ounce of strength she possessed. Her husband hadn’t carried her to their bed because he wanted sex. No, he’d torn her shirt from her body, held her down and beat her till his arm was tired and she was barely conscious from the pain.

During the early days of their marriage, his behavior had shocked her so much that she’d taken whatever he dished out. In her naiveté, she thought she loved Damien and doing as he said, being the dutiful wife and pleasing him would somehow make him love her back. Only that hadn’t happened. If anything, his behavior had grown worse—more unreasonable, his temper so short that any little thing could set him off in a cloud of rage.

How she wished her life was different. While the governor had been singing Titan’s praises, she’d pretended that she belonged to him. If he only knew how she dreamed of running to him, throwing herself in his arms and begging him to help her.

But she couldn’t.

No, she had to bide her time until she had a plan, one that would put no one else in jeopardy. The only problem was, she had no idea what that plan would be. Keeping her eyes downcast, she scribbled on the program, over and over—MTF, MTF. Her husband, who was sitting beside her, glanced down, then looked away. Once he’d asked her why she kept writing her initials again and again. Makenna Tess Flynn was her maiden name. She’d told him with head held high that she wished she was single again. He’d just sneered, never questioning her words. What she’d said hadn’t been a lie. She did wish she’d never married. But that wasn’t what she was thinking when she wrote the initials. To Makenna, the letters MTF stood for Makenna and Titan Forever, a silly childish game she played with herself, but it made her feel better. As she sat there and doodled, she was ultra-aware when Titan left the stage and returned to his place.

Finding his seat next to Jericho, Titan got through the rest of the ceremony. Even though it was uncomfortable, he was in the same room with Makenna and that meant this was a time to be cherished. Afterward, they would all go out for drinks and he would sit across from her and pretend he was just a friend.

That was all he’d ever been.

Makenna Wade was a lady. She’d no more betray her marriage than she would rob a bank. So, Titan’s love went unrequited. He watched from the sidelines while the woman of his dreams made a life with another man.

Before he knew it, the ceremony was over and he was up with the crowd, moving out of the packed community center into the night. “How does it feel to be a hero?” a reporter asked, pushing a live mic in his face, a bright light from the television camera blinding him.

“I was just doing my job, ma’am.” Titan blinked, trying to see an avenue of escape.

“Leave the man alone,” Damien said, coming to his rescue. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Together the members of the Hays County Volunteer Fire Department headed to their cars and drove out of town toward a nearby tavern. They served an area of Texas known as the Devil’s Backbone. The Backbone was a rugged portion of the Texas Hill Country known for its rolling hills and sweeping valleys dotted with oak, juniper and cactus, where the Balcones Fault reared up dramatically separating the Blanco and Guadalupe river basins. As Titan drove his black Dodge Ram across the serpentine edge of the Backbone, he couldn’t help but note his surroundings. The caravan passed several vineyards, one owned by a friend of his. They also passed his ranch.

He fought the urge to put on his blinker and bow out of the festivities, leaving the group of his fellow firefighters to go indulge without him. There was always work to be done at home. He had several knives forged to finish in his blacksmith shop and when he got time, he had some horses to shoe. But not tonight, tonight he’d go out with his friends. There was a chance he’d get to share a few words with Makenna and that would make it all worthwhile.

When they pulled into the rugged tavern, he knew the place would be full of regulars throwing back beers and telling lies. Bikers. Ranchers. Working men. They were all his friends. As soon as he opened the door, he could hear the live music of a local band. Todd Snider used to play the Backbone Tavern, but he hadn’t been there but a few times since he’d made it big.

Once inside, he was greeted by Miss Velma, a spry octogenarian who worked the bar. “What you drinking, Titan? Whatever it is, it’s on the house.”

“Thanks, ma’am. Everybody else drinks on me tonight,” was his response as the waitress set up a table for them all. The Devil’s Backbone Tavern didn’t carry his drink of choice. Titan was a wine connoisseur, information he didn’t openly share with his beer-drinking friends. “I think there’s a dozen of us at least, maybe more.” Titan gestured to his buddies as they filed in. Ronan, the youngest member of their group, was with a petite blonde from Marble Falls by the name of Chastity. Titan smiled, thinking she was with the wrong guy if chastity was a virtue she valued. Dallas was with his regular lady, and Maverick living up to his name was alone. Blaze entered with a war whoop. He had a temper as hot as the fires he fought. He’d just broken up with his fiancée, so tonight he was palling around with Montana, the guy who drove their big rig. Both men surveyed the room, they were on the prowl. Hotshot came in next with his arm around a curvy little ginger from San Marcos. Titan hadn’t learned her name yet. And lastly came their fierce leader with his arm around…someone else other than Makenna. He was whispering in the brunette’s ear, who turned to smile at him broadly. Titan’s blood pressure spiked. What the fuck? The slinky vixen winked at Damien and headed toward the restrooms. Behind them, still in the doorway stood Makenna, looking a bit lost. Damien didn’t turn back for her, he just raised his hand in greeting to several at another table and let her make her way in alone.

That would never do. Titan threw caution to the wind and moved to go to her rescue. “Come on in, Makenna, what’s your pleasure?” Titan held her chair. If she belonged to him, he would carry her around on a feather pillow if she so desired.

“A coke will be fine. Thank you, Titan.” She smiled hesitantly. When he looked at her questioningly, she further explained. “Alcohol makes me drowsy.”

“That’s right, Makenna needs to stay away from drinking. Mixing alcohol with medication is never wise.” This came from Damien as he came back to the table to drain his own glass. She didn’t argue, she just looked embarrassed.

“Okay,” he assured her, “one cola coming up.” Now, he was worried. Was she sick? What kind of medication was she taking? He’d ask if he got a chance. As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t anything wrong with Makenna that a divorce wouldn’t remedy. As he made his way to the bar, he realized he was playing waiter just for her. Well, dammit, he didn’t care. He also imagined what it would be like having her nestle up next to him after a margarita, all warm and cuddly. “Give me a coke, Velma.”

She poured one and presented it to Titan with a wink. “I’ll be over to get the other drink orders in a jiffy.”

Titan nodded. “Thanks, none of us will be having more than one. We’re on call.” With that, he took off, hoping no one else would see through his actions, especially Makenna. When he set the drink in front of her, she’d taken off her wrap and he noted she was wearing the pretty black dress she usually wore. No one else probably noticed. It wasn’t his way to normally be cognizant of fashion, but he paid attention to every detail about this woman. Even that she seemed to have only one outfit she wore out on the town. He thought about the week before, when he’d seen her shopping at Goodwill. Maybe Damien had debts no one knew about. Oh well, caring for her wasn’t his privilege—no matter how much he wished it could be.

“Thank you, Titan.” She gave him a quick smile, wishing she could tell him not to be disturbed by Damien’s behavior. Anytime his attention was off of her and on someone else was a mini-vacation. She wasn’t jealous at all. In fact, she prayed her husband would fall in love with someone else and decide to move on. Unfortunately, she served a different purpose than his bimbos.

“I appreciate you,” she told Titan. Makenna wanted to say more, and it seemed so did he because he stood there, their gazes locked. Her mouth was going dry. If he stayed much longer, Damien would notice and they’d both suffer. She was just about to excuse herself to go to the restroom when one of his buddies called his name.

“Sloan! Come sit down with me and quit waiting on tables. You’re supposed to be the guest of honor.”

Maverick pulled out a seat next to him and Titan moved into it, grateful his friend nudged him out of the trance he’d been in. “Thanks. How are you?”

“I’m fine. How much weight are you up to on squats?”

“Seven-hundred-fifty,” Titan said casually, keeping one eye on Makenna, who was now speaking to one of the other young women.

“No shit.” Maverick whistled. Several of the couples were getting up to dance and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Damien was on the floor—with the brunette. He couldn’t help but look back at Makenna and when he did, their eyes clashed and she blushed. Titan had to hold on to the edge of the table to keep from rising to go and ask her to dance. He ought to go challenge the Captain about his actions, but that probably wouldn’t go along well with his efforts to hide the feelings he had for Makenna. Thank God, Blaze beat him to the punch. He walked up her, held out his hand and made a slight bow. To Titan’s surprise, she shook her head no, thanking his buddy.

“Hey!” Maverick snapped his fingers in Titan’s face. “Where’d you go?”

Titan blinked, refocusing on his friend, accepting the beer he pushed toward him. “Nowhere, it’s just been a rough couple of weeks.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, causing it to spike up. “I’ve got a fence to mend at home, my pond needs to be cleaned out. The spring has debris in it.” When he saw his friend’s eyes glaze over, he knew he’d complained enough. “Never mind, let’s drink up.”

For the next couple of hours, he was the recipient of toasts and a couple of challenges at the pool table. He’d switched to root beer after the first drink, but even the absence of alcohol didn’t do much to lessen the level of fun everyone seemed to be having. Several times he glanced over toward Makenna and the last time he did, it was to see Damien sitting next to her, their heads close together. A pang of jealousy hit him between the eyes. If he hadn’t been feeling so low, Tammie Woods would never have got him to agree to take her out. She’d come along in all of her bleached blonde glory and draped herself over his arm like a cat in heat. He wasn’t a saint, and he wasn’t celibate, but flirting with someone else in front of the woman he loved didn’t feel right. No matter how off limits she was. Still, he found himself going along with Tammie’s plans.

“You won’t be sorry, I promise.” She gave him a big wink, wetting her lips, which were painted bright red. Titan watched Tammie walk away, putting as much of a twist in her hips as she could manage. She was his next door neighbor on the south side. They shared a fence line. Titan knew she’d like to merge more than their ranches and their herds.

When he finally returned to the table, it was to find Makenna gone. Damien was still here, which didn’t sit well with Titan. But what the hell was he supposed to do? Maybe she drove herself. She was a strong independent woman. She often came alone to their meetings, mostly because Damien was usually already at the station. Nevertheless, he couldn’t keep from walking out front, just to make sure she wasn’t standing outside alone. He wondered if anyone had even walked her to her car. There was no sign of her, so he presumed she’d headed home.

It was summer, the night was hot. Not even the Hill Country could cool down when a Texas August came calling. Stepping out far enough into the lot, he scanned the cars. Out here, the sounds from inside the tavern were muffled. The lows of a few cattle sounded through the night and in the distance he could hear hoof beats of horses. The noise reminded him of the old ghost tale about the phantom horses that supposedly haunted the Backbone. Many had supposedly heard their hoof beats drawing close, but when they would look—nothing was there. Old-timers spoke in a hush about confederate soldiers, a Comanche raiding party, even pioneers who still roamed these hills and hollows long after they were dead and gone. Titan had never seen anything himself, but he knew people who swore they had.

Out of nowhere, his pager went off. He’d no more than started toward his truck before the rest of the unit all came running. “There’s a four alarm over at the ale brewery. Let’s go before the whole thing blows!”

*

She was such a coward. “Damn!” she yelled, grabbing a blue sofa pillow and hurling it across the room. How did her life get to be such a mess? Sneaking home because she couldn’t bear to be in the same room with him. Even as she processed the thought, Makenna realized she didn’t know for sure which man she was referring to—the husband she despised or the man she pined for. Both of them made her uncomfortable in different ways.

What was she going to do? She’d been so close to telling Allie everything about Damien and their situation on the phone this morning. It had been on the tip of her tongue to spill it all—the beatings, the way he held her head underwater, how he deprived her of food, made her sleep on the floor or stand in one spot for hours. Makenna’s life was hell, yet she kept it all inside.

Her friend had called and invited her to go shopping. And Makenna had refused—again. A few times when Damien was busy on sales calls that took him out of town or if there was a fire Makenna would sneak away to be with Allie, but not often. Damien’s work as a representative for a RV manufacturer didn’t take him away on overnight trips, so her freedom was limited. Allie had pressed her earlier, telling Makenna that she knew something wasn’t right. She’d had to bite her tongue, but Makenna kept her own secrets. She couldn’t afford not to.

Keeping up appearances was tough. Her strategy for staying alive was to keep out of his way and do nothing to set her husband off. Anyone would wonder why she remained, why didn’t she just slip out the door and disappear? Well, there was a very good reason.

Retaliation.

He’d warned Makenna often enough, but she’d learned he was serious the hard way. The only time she’d tried to leave, Damien had come after her and when he’d hauled her home, he not only beat Makenna and broke her arm, he killed their black lab right in front of her. And it had been his dog. Damien did it because he knew Makenna loved the animal and to give her a visual, lingering reminder that he meant exactly what he said. He told her coldly that the dog wouldn’t be the only one to pay the price. He clearly promised her that if she ever told anyone the truth, he’d make her and the one she trusted pay dearly. Makenna had no reason to doubt him. He’d been very liberal with his demonstrations.

She had the scars to prove it.

His threat still rang in her ears. “Don’t test me, Makenna. You’ll be sorry. I know how to deal with idiots and I won’t tolerate anyone interfering in our lives. It won’t pay you to get attached to anyone. If you step out of line, anyone you care about is in jeopardy.”

Makenna knew Damien was dangerous, as dangerous as a coiled cornered Texas rattler. But no one in this town would ever believe her, even if she did escape his revenge. This was his home town and he was loved. When Damien was younger, before he’d taken the job with the fire department in Fort Worth and met her, he’d become a hero in Hays County. Almost singlehandedly he’d rescued a Sunday morning congregation in the Baptist church after a fire had started in the empty baptistery. All they could figure out was that someone had knocked some candles over, but no one remembered lighting them. The story was told how he’d been passing by, noticed the smoke coming through the roof and rushed in to guide everyone to safety, returning to fight the fire before the structure was a total loss. And that wasn’t his only claim to fame. During his previous service in the Hays County VFD, Damien had performed more than one of these happenstance heroics. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Johnny-on-the-spot to dash in and save the day. When they’d abruptly left the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Wades had been welcomed home with open arms and he’d been instantly placed in the leadership position in their all-volunteer department.

If only she had the strength to do something about it. Several times she’d considered going to Titan, telling him the truth about Damien…about everything. But she didn’t have the courage. How could she open up to a man she didn’t really know? Oh, she’d built up a fantasy world around him, one where he would be her knight-in-shining armor, fight her own personal dragons for her. They’d shared some heated looks, but her experience with men was so limited, Makenna was afraid she might be misinterpreting that look for interest when it was actually indigestion.

Her husband didn’t allow her much interaction outside the home. He insisted on approving everywhere she went and everyone she came into contact with. It was a wonder he put up with her volunteer work at the nursing home. Perhaps it was because he didn’t feel threatened by the elderly residents. Little did he know that she had found friends there. They might all be in their twilight years but that didn’t hinder them caring for her. Makenna smiled thinking of Miss Rosa and Miss Ethel, two little ladies who taught her to play chicken-foot, a hilarious domino game. She would sit with them and help them do their nails. And then there was the old gentleman, Mr. Winfred, a WWII veteran who had more stories than he could find people to listen to them. He’d noticed her bruises, the times she’d had her arm in a sling and he’d guessed. It killed Makenna to lie to him, but she did so just in case he might mention it to someone else. Damien was dangerous and she had to take precautions to protect herself and others, especially her friends.

A few years ago, right after they’d moved to Hays County, she’d once gotten in his face after he’d slapped her around. Everything within her told her to fight. She’d never been a violent person, but the injustice of it all just ate her alive. Makenna threatened to go to the police, and he’d informed her with a smirk that she’d get no help there. He had friends, he said. Friends who would make sure no one believed a damn word that came out of her mouth. To show her he meant what he said, Damien had methodically begun to plant seeds. He told folks to help him ‘watch out for her’, that she sometimes got confused and that she’d undergone psychiatric care. Yes, it was true about the therapy, but she didn’t need monitoring and there was no time when she wasn’t painfully lucid. Damien knew good and well that her time seeing a psychiatrist was due to a trauma, not to any mental problems on her part.

Recently, he’d acquired a concealed handgun license and he’d flashed it around in front of her, telling her how easy it would be to pick someone off, like a sniper. He’d made her blood run cold. Honestly, she wouldn’t put anything past the man. He was crazy. So she feared to talk to anyone. All she could do was escape into her own mind until she formulated a way to leave without endangering anyone else.

When reality became more than she could handle, Makenna resorted to day-dreaming. Fantasizing. Walking to the window, she stared out into the night, imagining a different end to the evening. Condensation had built up on the glass, so she took her finger and drew MTF several times. If she were with Titan instead of Damien, he would be here with her now. She could almost feel his warmth, his strength at her back. He would place his hands on her shoulders and she’d lean into him…his palms would slide across her chest to cup her breasts.

Makenna turned in his arms, seeking his lips. He didn’t make her wait, capturing her mouth and claiming her lips as if he couldn’t survive a moment longer without her kiss. She wanted him so much. Clinging to his broad shoulders, she rubbed herself against him, showing him without a shadow of a doubt how much she needed him. She could take pleasure in him, and she would…but right now she wanted to give.

Guiding him to the bed, she bade him undress until he was gloriously nude, his big body a playground for her amusement. He wanted her, she could tell. His cock was strutted with desire, bobbing in front of her eager mouth. Yes, he wanted her. Titan wanted more from her than cries of pain or promises made to escape a beating. He wanted her—just her. “I need to love you,” she whispered as she wrapped a hand around his cock and brought him to her waiting lips. The very act of taking him into her mouth was a sacred one—she did it because she wanted to, not because she was forced.

With trembling anticipation, she gently sucked at the tip, teasing the sensitive spot beneath the flared head with her teeth. Titan’s groan was her reward. He fisted the sheet at his side with one big hand while cupping the back of her head with the other. With greedy relish, Makenna sucked and licked until he lost control.

Shifting his hips he pressed forward, bucking inside her welcoming mouth. Makenna smiled, using her hand to stroke him as she slid her lips up and down his shaft, taking him deeper down her throat each time. Oh, how she loved this. Mindlessly she sucked, giving him as much pleasure as she could, reaching down to play with his sac, rubbing his balls between her fingers.

How long had she been denied such pleasure? Being with a man who only wanted to please her—not hurt her. She kept sucking his cock until his grip tightened on her hair and he shouted, bowing his back. And all the while she licked, sucked, swallowing him without mercy until he was gasping for air. “Makenna, my Makenna.” Leaning her head against the cool glass of the window, she massaged herself between the legs until she jerked, giving herself a modicum of release.

As she straightened her clothes, Makenna heard the sirens. As always, a tingle of apprehension slid down her spine. She was always afraid one of the firemen would be injured or there would be a fatality. Firefighting was a dangerous occupation. Even with her hatred of Damien, her need to be free of him, she wouldn’t wish a fiery death upon him or anyone. But he wasn’t the main one on her mind. Oh, she worried about them all—Hotshot, Blaze, Maverick, Dallas and the rest—but Titan was the one she prayed for. So pray she did, asking for his safety, his care. She turned up the volume so she could hear the dispatcher’s voice while she got ready for bed.

As she stood nude in front of the bathroom mirror, Makenna studied her reflection. Oh she paid no attention to her looks, what little she had, or to her too generous figure. What caught her eye was what she had to hide. The fresh bruises on her breasts, the older yellow and purple ones on her ribcage, and the black finger marks on her shoulder where he’d grabbed her and flung her against the wall the night before.

If only she could have a normal life with a man who loved her.

After a quick shower, she returned to the living room, sitting next to the scanner. At least this way she could keep up with the unit, make sure they were all okay by listening to their radio transmissions. Plus, she’d know when Damien was on his way home.

Over at the brewery, things weren’t going as planned. Titan thought they’d be in and out quickly. The initial report had been that a welder was working to replace an old fire escape when a spark ignited some beams in the wall. Two ladder trucks had begun spraying the outside structure while he and two others had headed inside. They’d got everyone to safety and were on their way out when a spark fell into one of the vats. That was all it took. With the flammability of alcohol, the explosion was instantaneous. The whole building shook and Titan was thrown about twenty feet. As he tried to rise, he hung his jacket on an exposed jagged pipe, tearing the thick material. A flame of fire licked right up his side. Due to his battered gear, Titan was burned. The next thing he knew, the whole ceiling was coming down.

“Man down! Man down!”

Through a haze of pain, he heard Ronan radioing for help. The last thing on his mind was…Makenna.

Back at the Wade house, she heard the ominous announcement. “Man down! Man down!” Jumping up, Makenna ran to the scanner, standing over it with her heart in her throat. The channel was designated for firemen and first responders only, and since this was a rural community, there were few formalities.

“Who is it and what’s going on?”

She knew this was one of the EMTs, most probably Owen, the senior member of the team. Straining to hear, Makenna went down on her knees.

“Ceiling collapsed, one of the ale vats exploded. The firefighter is unconscious with some burns to his back. He’s out of the building and we’re working on him now. Hurry, it’s Titan Sloan.”

Unbidden, a cry broke from her throat and she didn’t even think. Running to her room, she scrambled to get back into her clothes. With little forethought and no plan, she grabbed her keys. Makenna was out the door and headed for the hospital before she could talk herself out of it.

Chapter Three

‡

“Hurts like a bitch!” Titan groaned.

“Hold still, son,” the doctor ordered. “If you’re able to make so much noise, I think you’re going to be fine.”

Titan should’ve been relieved at the announcement. Instead, he cursed himself for his idiocy in not anticipating what was about to happen. “Was anyone else hurt?”

“No, not to my knowledge,” Doc Proctor muttered as he applied ointment to the second degree burns on Titan’s back.

“At least I didn’t need blood. With my rare blood type I would’ve probably died.” Titan closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain. Burns were the worst.

“I remember, you’re AB positive. No problem now, you had an anonymous donor give blood in your name. You have your own private stash.”

“You’re kidding.” Titan was curious. “Who would do something like that for me?”

“You may never know, that’s why they call it anonymous.” Owen laughed, standing to one side. “By the way, I just heard from the scene on the scanner. The department is still fighting the fire. That last explosion took the building. They’re trying to keep it from spreading to nearby businesses. Don’t worry, Damien will take care of everything.”

“Keep me informed,” Titan hissed. “I need to know what happens.”

“Will do. In the meantime, there’s someone here to see you.”

Titan turned his head, trying to see past the physician and the nurse. “Who?”

“Hold on, we’ll be out of your way in a second.” The nurse continued to apply gauze to the wound.

Whoever it was stepped back, probably one of the guys. “Tell them not to leave.”

“She won’t.” Owen assured him. “I’m sure Damien sent her to check on you. It’s Ms. Wade.”

Makenna.

Whatever he’d been feeling, any pain or discomfort, went right out of his head. “I want to see her,” he began forcefully, then remembered what he was doing. “To ask her about the others,” he added quickly.

“Hold your horses,” the doctor said as he applied the last bit of tape to the bandage. “There.”

As soon as the health professionals left the room, he waited…impatiently. Finally, she stepped into view. Titan’s heart lurched in his chest. She was so beautiful. Makenna had the sweetest face and a mouth he’d give ten years of his life to kiss. Her hair was long and full of body, hanging down her back in fat sausage curls. Once when he’d been watching Grey’s Anatomy, it had hit him that she looked a little like Jo Wilson. The actress’ name was Camilla…something. It didn’t really matter, because the actress wasn’t the object of his desire, the real person standing in front of him was. “Hey. You came.”

Makenna’s whole body was vibrating. She shouldn’t be here, but her heart hadn’t given her any choice. “Of course I came. How are you?”

“I’ll live.” He tried to smile, raising himself up on his forearms. They’d told him he needed to stay off his back for a few days. And by the way it felt, he figured that might be a good idea. “I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

She wanted to comfort him, to put her arms around Titan and hold him tight. But she couldn’t do that, he didn’t belong to her and she was as much a prisoner as if she dragged a ball and chain behind her with every step. Titan had never given an indication he was drawn to her in any capacity other than a friend. All of the intimate connections between them existed only in her head. When she’d arrive at the fire hall with a heavy dish and Damien strolled ahead of her, not even holding the door—it would be Titan who raced to take it from her. He was always first to see when she needed anything. But he was like that with all the women. Titan Sloan was a gentleman and she’d read entirely too much into his gallant gestures. Licking her lips, heat blooming on her cheeks, she stammered over her words. “I…I was worried about you.”

Hope heated his chest like a flare gun going off. If this woman gave him even one hint, one hope she wasn’t satisfied in her marriage, that she longed for him as much as he did for her—he’d move heaven and earth to make her his. “No need. I’m fine.”

“I was listening to the scanner. I heard there was a firefighter down,” she said lowly. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

“You were afraid it was Damien,” he ventured. “No, it was just me.”

Makenna cleared her throat. “I didn’t want it to be you.”

Titan gripped the sheet. It was a wonder he didn’t tear a hole in the cheap cotton. The meds running through his system weren’t doing a helluva lot of good, except maybe to loosen his tongue. Before he could call back the words, he just spat them out. “Makenna, you know this isn’t working.”

“What isn’t working?” Makenna tensed. A sinking feeling rose in her middle. He didn’t have to say anything more. She understood. He’d seen through her concern and knew she felt more for him than mere friendship. And he didn’t want it…or her…

Titan sought words, words to explain how he felt. But they wouldn’t come.

“Makenna, what the hell are you doing here? You know you shouldn’t be out alone at this time of night!”

Titan couldn’t argue with that—he didn’t like Makenna out alone either.

A pain shot through her where Damien pinched her arm in a cruel grip. To anyone looking on, it would seem he was just holding her. They couldn’t tell he was digging his thumb in with great force. She winced, then tried to control it. What happened later would depend on how she acted now. “I was just checking on Titan.” Next, a lie slipped from her lips, implying she thought the injured firefighter could be Damien. “I heard there was a firefighter down. I was worried.”

The pressure of his fingers didn’t lessen. Instead, he applied more and moved her backward in the room. “Go home and wait for me,” he growled in a whisper.

Makenna didn’t wait to hear more. She left, hurrying back the way she came. The impulse to go to Titan was one she should have ignored. All of the attraction, all of the longing was one-sided, on her part only. He was a man of honor, there was no way he would ever be interested… She bit back a small keen of despair. And now, now she’d pay for her foolhardy decision. Part of her wanted to keep driving and never look back. But the knowledge that Damien would punish an innocent person in her stead made the impulse impossible. Makenna couldn’t risk that, she couldn’t let someone else bear the burden of her transgressions.

When she arrived at home, she sat down and waited.

There was no use trying to hide.

Back at the hospital, Damien stood over Titan. “Accidents happen. You were lucky.”

“Just glad no one else was hurt.” He didn’t really know what else to say. His mind was still whirling over what he’d blurted out to Makenna.

“I’d like to apologize for my wife,” Damien said out of the blue and Titan jerked his head up to meet his Captain’s gaze.

“For what? She just came to check on me…or whoever was hurt. She heard the information on the scanner.”

“Well, Makenna doesn’t always use the best judgment. I tell her to mind her actions, but she doesn’t always listen. Believe me, I’ll straighten her out.”

His odd words and odder attitude puzzled Titan. It bothered him. He was about to ask Wade to clarify what he meant when several of his buddies came storming through the emergency room door.

“How the hell are you, big man?” Hotshot asked with concern.

“We can’t turn our back on you for a minute,” Maverick muttered.

By the time he’d reassured his friends, the Captain was gone and Titan had a bad feeling he didn’t really understand.

*

For the next week, Titan took it easy, puttering around his ranch and allowing his back to heal. Tammie called to check on him, reminding him about their date in a few days. “I remember. I’ll be by to pick you up at seven. I’m on call, though, so don’t forget I might have to leave at any time.” If she discerned the lack of enthusiasm in his response, Tammie said nothing.

Being a volunteer member of the fire department as well as the search and rescue team was different than being a full-time employee in the field. In rural communities like theirs, neighbors had to band together and do whatever needed to be done. So he lived his life, taking care of his land and cattle until the fire alarm sounded and if it was where he could go, Titan sprang into action. It was the same with all the volunteers. They each had careers, held down jobs—be it ranchers, business owners, construction workers or whatever. Most of them could respond easier at night but there were those, like Titan, who usually could turn loose of what he was doing during the day to help someone in need.

While he was injured, it was a different story. Right now fighting fires was out of the question, as was dangling from the end of a helicopter cable. He couldn’t risk people’s lives and livelihoods by being less than a hundred percent. Thank goodness there were things he could do around the ranch, chores he could manage until the burns healed enough that he didn’t have to go into town once a day to have the dressings changed at the clinic. It was times like this when he missed having a wife or at least a steady girlfriend to keep him company. All wasn’t lost. He might not be able to do any blacksmithing until he healed, but he could ride his horse and drive his tractor, move hay with the fork lift and check on his livestock.

Right now he was sitting atop Valiant, his big red Quarter Horse, traversing Lookout Ridge. His stock was grazing below on grass he’d planted in the winter. Despite the heavy rains they’d had in May, they were right back in drought conditions in August. The rocky soil just didn’t retain enough water. That’s why he always planted Bahia grass. It seemed to thrive when nothing else would. “Easy, boy,” he spoke low to his horse, who’d stepped on a loose rock and set off a mini-avalanche of fist size pieces of limestone skittering down the steep hill. Several of the Angus glanced toward him, as if to ascertain whether or not they should stampede or go back to chewing their cud. Seeing Titan appear to be unaffected by the sudden noise, they returned to their business. This made Titan smile. People seriously underestimated the intelligence of cattle. He’d seen them open gates, come to the aid of calves stuck in the mud and even play a game with an old ball one had found in the pasture. That was why he raised breeding stock. He enjoyed a good steak as much as the next fellow, but he drew the line at eating someone he ‘knew’. Titan chuckled at his own thoughts.

Oh well, most would think him to be a bit sensitive…until they got a good look at him. Titan was a former body builder, his biceps measured nineteen inches around and he had a nine-pack of abs that could sub as a rubboard if necessary. Competing, and winning, had been the way he’d put himself through college. He had made it on his own since high school. His parents would have given him the money, they were successful people. Being independent and on his own was important to him. As for as the body building was concerned, Titan didn’t practice the lifestyle any longer, the regiment was just too strict. Nowadays he kept his muscles intact with just a good workout, honest labor and hard work.

“Let’s go, Val.” He nudged the stallion with his knee and they headed down the hill. He picked his way between the juniper trees, whistling a low tune to keep himself company. Titan loved his ranch. He’d acquired it six years ago from his uncle, his father’s brother. His folks lived in Austin, but he’d spent many happy childhood days on this ranch. When his uncle Brad decided to sell, Titan had been ready to commit.

The sign over the gate read ‘Skyview’, and he thought the name fit. The sky was big here. A limestone ridge stretched twenty miles through the Backbone. At 1270 feet above sea level, his ranch was surrounded by canyons and valleys. Looking out over the vast landscape, it was easy to believe just about anything was possible. And he wasn’t referring to ghosts—he was thinking about Makenna and the future.

He hadn’t seen her since the night he’d been in the hospital. One day last week, Blaze had brought by some cookies for him that she’d sent to the station. He said she’d whispered to him that if he’d bring them by Titan’s ranch, she’d appreciate it. Her making cookies for the men was nothing unusual. She was always doing things for people, and she was always low-key, giving the unit the credit instead of taking any for herself. He liked to think the cookies might mean she felt something for him. But as wife of their Captain, he knew this was all too normal for Makenna.

From the moment they’d met, Titan knew he was playing a dangerous game with himself. He could’ve walked away and let someone else take his place, found some other way he could serve the community. Remove himself from temptation. Instead, he’d chosen to stay, knowing he was helplessly attracted to a woman he could never have. A woman he couldn’t even hint he had feelings for.

Titan pushed his summer Stetson back on his head, wiping the dampness from his hairline. His memory from the other night after the fire was a bit hazy, but he thought he might’ve said something he shouldn’t have—or at least started to say it. Now he was worrying. Damien had acted strange, but it wasn’t jealousy. He just couldn’t pinpoint what the man had been getting at when he said he’d have to ‘straighten’ Makenna out.

Lost in thought, when Titan finally noticed his surroundings, he discovered Valiant had carried him home. He loved his house. It wasn’t huge, a split-level ranch style made from local stone and cedar. Titan had built it with his own hands. Heading his mount into the red two-story barn, he made sure the stallion was settled with fresh oats and water. Trying to figure out what he was going to fix himself for supper, he finally decided to grab takeout when he went into town to have Meg check his dressing. The doctor had wanted him to stay another day or two in the hospital to avoid infection, but since he refused to go along with that, he’d finally compromised with the check-ups.

Stomping his boots on the porch steps, Titan knocked as much dust off of his feet as he could. He winced, ignoring the pain as the tight flesh on his back pulled with the exertion. When he opened the screen door it creaked. The sound was loud, crashing through the silence. Stepping over the threshold, he flipped on the light attached to the ceiling fan.

Damn, he needed to pick up a little. Housekeeping was never his strong suit. To appease his conscience, Titan gathered up a couple of Austin-Statesman newspapers and three empty coffee mugs. Carrying them to the kitchen, he threw the papers in the trash and put the cups in the dishwasher. Pausing to drink some water right from the sink, he stared out the window, snorting when he saw his two little goats butting heads and bouncing around. He kept a whole menagerie of animals at Skyview. If he’d had all of these critters when he was a kid, Titan would’ve thought he was in hog heaven. As he gazed out into the distance, he imagined seeing a little boy running through the grass wearing cowboy boots and a plaid shirt or a little girl with dark pigtails tied with pink ribbon…

“Get a grip, Sloan,” he whispered, turning to go upstairs. He washed off as best he could in the vanity sink, promising himself a full blown hot shower as soon as he got cleared. When he was dressed, Titan headed to town.

Their community was lucky to have a medical clinic folks could come to for non-life-threatening issues. Even though they were no more than sixty miles from Austin, an hour was a helluva long time when every minute counted. He hadn’t taken three steps through the door of the red brick facility before he saw Makenna. She was coming out of one of the side rooms, walking slowly.

“Makenna?” She stared at him for a second, then dropped her head. She was still beautiful, of course, but there seemed to be a gray pallor to her skin. “Are you sick?”

“Ah, no,” Doc Proctor said, putting his arm around Makenna’s shoulders. “Ms. Wade just bruised some ribs. She’ll be fine.” He looked down at her. “Is Damien picking you up?”

“Yes,” she answered quietly.

“How did you hurt yourself?” Titan asked, concerned. “Were you in an accident?”

Blushing, she shook her head. “No, I mean, yes.”

The doctor chuckled. “I don’t know how well you know this little lady, but she’s notorious for taking falls and slipping down. She runs into things all the time. Why I bet she’s had a half dozen broken bones in the last few years, haven’t you? How did you do this? Jump out of an airplane?”

“I…uh…I…”

Titan didn’t smile. He tried to remember if the doctor was right. He’d known she’d had a few mishaps over the last few years, but there was always a good explanation for them. And she never complained. The doctor was smiling and Titan realized he was making a joke. This didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t like people finding humor at Makenna’s expense. She looked to be in pain. “I’m so sorry. Did you fall?”

“She slipped on the stairs.” Out of nowhere Damien walked up, answering for Makenna.

Titan didn’t know what to say. Whatever had happened, he wanted to take her in his arms so bad he could taste it. “I hope you’re okay,” was all he managed to say before his Captain headed his wife toward the door. “Go on out and get in the truck. I want to talk to Titan.” All three sets of eyes followed her out the automatic doors. “So, how’s the burns?”

Titan turned to his Captain, a man he’d stood beside as they fought hellish blazes. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he smiled and offered his hand. “I’m on the mend. Should be back on call in a few days.”

“Good. We need you.” As if he wasn’t thinking, Damien took his hand, but with his other, he slapped Titan on his back, high up on his shoulder blades—right over the blistered raw wound.

The contact was agonizing…but Titan never flinched, never let on. “Looking forward to it.” After exchanging a few pleasantries with the doctor, Damien Wade left and Titan went on it to get his appointment over with. “How are we, Mr. Sloan?” The middle-aged nurse patted him on the arm.

“You tell me.” He gave her a friendly smile.

Slowly, she removed the gauze and tape, giving him a quick examination. “Well, you’re healing nicely. I think one more day and you’ll be able to forego the bandages. Sometimes letting a burn breathe helps.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He certainly wasn’t going to argue. But all the time he was sitting there, letting the nurse clean his burn and change his dressing, he was remembering Makenna’s face and feeling like he was missing something important.

Once he was through, Titan signed the paperwork so they could file with his insurance company, then he started toward the door to hunt a meal. His stomach was growling. A pizza sounded good.

“Sloan, Mr. Sloan,” a voice called from behind him.

“Yes?” He stopped and turned, finding the receptionist hurrying toward him with a phone in her hand. “Ms. Wade left her cell. We tried calling her. No one answered. I know you work with her husband. Could you see that she gets it?”

Titan smiled. “Sure thing.” Great. This gave him just the excuse he needed to stop by and check on her. “I’ll be glad to.”

*

Hunger wouldn’t let him forego food, but as soon as he was through eating, Titan drove the five miles or so to what used to be the Kendrick place. When Damien and Makenna had moved here several years before, they’d bought the two story home that sat on about twelve acres across the north pasture from Skyview. Going around the road, it was a mile and a half from his house to hers, but if you cut across the pasture only about a quarter mile separated them. But that quarter mile was across rough country.

The Captain used to be a full time firefighter. He’d changed careers, and the big city’s loss was Hays County’s gain because he’d brought a lot of knowledge to their group of volunteers. Pulling up into their driveway, Titan picked Makenna’s phone off the seat. A momentary weakness made him take note of Makenna’s number and enter it into his own phone. When he’d finished, he exited the truck and walked up to the door. Despite the heat of the evening, it stood open and Titan could hear voices. He started to announce himself, but what he heard gave him pause.

“You are nobody!” Damien was yelling. “Do you hear me? Nobody wants you, you are nothing!”

What the hell? Who was the Captain yelling at? Did they have an intruder? Titan was about to rush in to help when he heard a response—a response he wouldn’t have expected in a billion years.

“Damien, please don’t. Please don’t talk to me this way.” Titan recognized Makenna’s voice. She was pleading with her husband. What the fuck? Rage billowed up in him like a wildfire. He tugged on the screen door but it was locked.

“Makenna!”

“Say it!” There was a scuffling noise. “You heard me, say it!”

“I am nobody. No man wants me.” More scuffling. “I am nothing.” Her voice ended on a note which had Titan about ready to tear the door down.

“Makenna!”

“Say it again, bitch!” Damien’s voice was slurring, yet he sounded like a madman. “I won’t tell you again, say it!” Titan couldn’t wait any longer. He took hold of the door handle and gave it one mighty tug, tearing the door completely off its hinges.

“I’m nobody.” He could hear Makenna begin to cry. “I’m nothing.”

As he came into the foyer, he could see Makenna standing at the top of the stairs. Her face was pale and she was backing up toward the wall. “Makenna, what the hell is going on?” he yelled up at her.

With a start, she whirled toward him, her face morphing from a mask of fear to one of shame. Before he got three steps in the door, she came hurrying down the stairs, holding her side with a panicked look on her face. “Titan? What are you doing here?”

“What’s going on? Are you all right?” He repeated, searching her face. “Do you need help?”

Glancing back up the stairs, she whispered, “You must leave, hurry! He’s unsteady on his feet, but if he comes to the top of the stairs he’ll see you.” Her eyes pled with him. “Nothing’s going on, everything’s fine. You have to leave. Now. Please!” She took his arm, pushing, beseeching him to go. “He’s been drinking, that’s all. We’re just having an argument. I can handle it. This is nothing.”

“What was all that stupid nonsense I heard? It sounded like more than an argument to me.”

Makenna placed her hands on his chest. She felt like her soul was being torn in two. She was so tempted to just lean into him, tell him the truth and beg him to defend her. But she had no right to drag him into this. “He gets angry and mouths off when he’s been drinking. I’m used to it.”

Titan wondered if she thought her explanation would make him feel better. “No woman should have to get used to something like this. Are you sure?” He’d been in their house before. Now he looked around, trying to figure out what was amiss. The Wades had no children. They didn’t even have a dog since their black lab had gone missing a while back. He knew Damien drank a bit, but every instinct Titan possessed told him not to listen to Makenna’s insistence that nothing was wrong. “I think it would be better if you came with me, give him time to cool off.” He had to jam his hands in his pockets to keep from pulling her into his arms. “He has to be out of his mind. Any man who thinks you’re nothing has got a screw loose.”

Makenna wanted to cry. “Please, you need to go. If he sees you here, it’ll just make it worse.”

“Makenna!” Damien’s voice bellowed from upstairs. “Where are you?”

“Go!” she whispered desperately, pushing him toward the door. “I can handle this. And please, please don’t tell anyone what you saw.”

It was her begging him not to tell anyone that convinced Titan to leave. If she truly needed his help, shame and embarrassment wouldn’t be her first priority. Would it? “All right. Here’s your phone.” He handed it to her. “You left it at the clinic.”

“Thank you.” When she saw how the screen door was destroyed, a ripple of terror flowed through her. She’d be paying for that—and not with money. Her only hope was getting Titan out before Damien could realize what was happening. “Now go, please!”

Makenna all but pushed him out the door, then she shut the solid wooden one behind her, putting a barrier between them. Titan lingered for a few moments, listening to her footsteps as she climbed the stairs to the second floor. And then he heard shouting again, but Titan turned to walk away. Intervening against her wishes wasn’t his place.

Reluctantly, he climbed in his truck to leave. This affair was none of his business.

Too bad his heart didn’t agree.

*

Over the next few days, Titan had a hard time getting the sound of Damien’s voice out of his mind. You’re nobody. No man would ever want you. You are nothing! What kind of husband said things like that to the woman he loves? If she were his, he’d treat her like she was made of spun glass. The what-ifs were driving him insane.

In the interim, there’d been another fire, a small one. Since Montana had been out of town on business, Titan found himself driving the fire engine to a brush fire set by two boys who’d been trying to camp out, ignoring Forest Service guidelines. The Captain had acted like nothing was wrong at home, laughing and joking. When he wanted to be, Damien was the most pleasant guy in the world to be around. But the way he’d screamed at Makenna, insulting her, humiliating her. Titan couldn’t begin to fathom it.

And now here he was at the county auction barn, sitting about midway up on the old wooden bleachers, waiting for the last of his Angus to go through. The sounds and smells of the cattle sale were familiar and comforting. He watched the auctioneer raise his hand, his brittle clipped fast-paced speech almost gibberish to the unschooled. Single and in pairs, cows, calves and bulls were guided through the arena to be bid upon by area ranchers and feed lots. Cattle prices weren’t the best in the world, but Skyview was flourishing. Titan had brought twenty head and he’d leave with enough to pay his monthly bills, catch up on some repair work and have quite a bit left to go in the bank.

He sat until the end, then signed the paperwork and collected his check. Once he was in his truck, Titan backed the gooseneck toward the road carefully. People were parked any which way, so maneuvering out of the lot was like threading a needle. As he left, he saw Dallas approaching in his Jeep, a fishing pole sticking out the back. Titan waved, laughing at the goofy expression on his friend’s face as he responded with an uplifted thumb. Making a left turn, he started back through town. Dallas looked to be headed toward Canyon Lake, so Titan would be behind him most of the way. Flipping on his radio, Titan settled back, propping his arm on the open window and listened to the strains of a song called Crazy recorded by Willie Nelson in the ’60s. The tune was old, but the sentiment applied to him. He was crazy for wanting Makenna.

As the fiddle whined and Willie’s voice crooned, Titan let the breeze blow in his face. He wondered how Makenna was doing. What if he were to call to see about her? He knew Damien was at the station, his truck had been there when he’d passed going to the auction barn. Today was one of the scheduled days for the water tanks on the pumper trucks to be filled. Trying to muster up some guilt, he failed to do so. Resolved to check on her, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number.

“Hello?” He heard her tentative voice.

“Makenna, how are you feeling? This is Titan.”

She removed the phone from her ear and stared at the display. It did say Titan Sloan in big letters. Putting the receiver back to her ear, she asked, “Titan, what’s wrong?” Hearing from him was so unexpected, she had no idea what to think.

Titan had to smile, she sounded so shocked. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m calling to make sure you’re okay.”

Makenna’s heart started to pound. “Thank you. I’m…fine.”

“Are you sure?” The timbre of his voice lowered to almost a growl. “You’d tell me the truth, wouldn’t you?” He didn’t wait for her to say more. “If you ever need anything, if you ever need me, all you have to do is ask. Just say the word and I’ll be there. Do you hear me?” He waited a long minute for her to respond.

“Yes, all right. I will.”

Did he hear her voice hitch? “Okay, well…” He didn’t know what else to say. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too,” she whispered. “Goodbye.” After he’d hung up the phone, she cradled the phone to her breast and cried.

Titan wasn’t satisfied, but he didn’t know what else to do. Turning on the ranch road, he got a whiff of smoke. Slowing down, he tried to figure out what he was sensing. There were farms and houses scattered along both sides of the road. The smoke could be coming from anything—be it a burn barrel or a grass fire. But since there was a burn ban in effect, he needed to make sure.

And then he saw it. Two people were standing outside of Allie Langston’s place, frantically beating on the door while smoke and flames could be seen shooting out of several windows on the north side of the house. Titan remembered Allie. She was new in town, one of Makenna’s friends. He’d met her at the calendar shoot. Whipping over so fast that he was afraid for a moment he’d overturn his trailer, Titan jammed on his brakes and jumped out. Apparently watching in his rear-view mirror, Dallas whipped around and pulled in behind him. Together they ran for the door.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, bounding up the steps to the porch.

Two neighbors, both elderly, were frantically trying to find a way in the house. “We think Allie’s inside and every door seems to be locked. We weren’t able to crawl through any of the windows,” they said apologetically.

“We’ll handle it,” Titan assured them. “Check the back,” he told Dallas, then he began trying to push open the door. “Stand back.” Titan rammed the piece of wood with his big body, shoulder first. It never really had a chance, cracking and splintering under the immense pressure. “I’m in!” he yelled at Dallas. “Did you call in the fire?” he asked anyone who was listening as he walked through the smoke filled room.

“Yes,” the couple yelled from outside the door. “But no one’s come yet.”

“My pager didn’t go off. Did yours?” Titan asked Dallas.

“No,” his friend answered, following along behind him. “You take the upstairs and I’ll look around down here. There might not be anybody home.”

“Okay.” Titan had a funny feeling. Something wasn’t right. But there was no time to check the details. Right now he had to make sure there was no one in danger. The smoke was thick and acrid. He grabbed a handkerchief from his back pocket to hold over his nose. When he arrived at the top of the stairs, he could feel the heat and hear the sizzle and pop of the fire. Quickly, he began checking rooms, finding them all empty until he came to the one on the end. Once he’d fought his way through the suffocating fog, he found the young woman lying motionlessly on the floor near the door. The curtains on the far side of the room were on fire. “Miss?” he asked, receiving no answer. Wasting no time, he picked her up and started out, noting that the heat was more intense overhead. The fire was also in the attic. Just as he started through the door back out into the hall, the ceiling collapsed, a beam narrowly missing him and the woman he carried. “Dallas!” he yelled. “I have one!”

Dallas met him at the foot of the stairs. “There’s no one else in the house. Let’s get out of here. An ambulance is on the way and I hear sirens. Someone’s responding to our call.”

Outside, Titan settled Allie Langston to the ground while her neighbors gathered around. “Is she all right?”

Titan checked her breathing—she wasn’t. Immediately he began administering CPR and he did so till she arched, coughing and gasping for breath. About that time Owen and his partner came around with a stretcher and the fire truck pulled up. Hotshot and Damien were out and unwinding the hose within seconds. “Is she alive?” the Captain yelled, looking over his shoulder.

“Yes, she is. She’s breathing,” he assured him, heading to the truck to find his gear. Once he was suited up, Titan headed back into the fray and fought till the fire was extinguished. As blazes went, it had been fairly contained. Faulty wiring, probably, was his thinking but the investigators and the Fire Marshal would make that final determination. He’d done his job. No one would die today.

Chapter Four

‡

After he’d finished filling out the paperwork, Titan returned to Skyview to put up his trailer and tack up a few strands of barb wire on the fence next to the highway. After a crazy day like today, all Titan wanted to do was relax in front of the TV or prop his feet up on the front porch and cool off with a nice glass of wine. But that wasn’t meant to be—no, the night had arrived for his date with Tammie and he wasn’t looking forward to it at all. As he brushed down Valiant, he could admit he’d rather binge-watch Breaking Bad or catch a little porn. He needed to jackoff in the worst way. He couldn’t help but smile. He was hopeless. He’d rather watch a porn and let the woman’s face morph into Makenna’s than go out with someone else.

“Titan?”

As if he’d conjured her voice from thin air, Titan heard Makenna calling his name. Dropping the curry comb, he closed the stall gate and ran out into the night, finding her coming toward him, a small pale figure barely visible in the moonlight. “Makenna?” He could hear her sobbing. “Baby, what is it?” He went to meet her, the endearment slipping out as naturally as rain fell from the sky.

“I came to tell you…help.” As soon as he reached her, grabbing for her, she collapsed in his arms.

“Oh, sweet God,” he prayed. “What happened?” Titan swept her up close to him and hurried toward the house. “Are you hurt?” When she winced as he held her close, he cursed. “Fuck! You are hurt.” He took the steps up to the porch two by two. “Did Damien do this?” He steadied her on his thigh as he opened the door. “Let me get you in here and look at you.” It never dawned on him he wasn’t giving her a chance to answer his questions. A few short days ago, this scenario would’ve seemed impossible to him, but after what he’d seen and heard at their home a few days ago, he would believe anything.

Makenna clung to him. She was at the end of her rope. And so tired, so very tired. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” she whispered as he placed her on the sofa and turned on the overhead light. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I had to come.”

Going to his knees next to her, Titan assured her. “You came right where you were supposed to.” He was speaking, but his attention was solely on her face. Her poor battered little face. There was a darkening fist print on her cheek and her lip was bloody. “Did Damien do this?” he asked again.

Instead of answering, she merely nodded ‘yes’.

“I’m going to kill the bastard for this.” She was so tiny, so vulnerable. How had she survived living with the sadistic psycho? He felt sick to his stomach.

“No, no.” She grabbed his hand and Titan’s gut clenched. Was she going to defend him?

“He’ll hurt you.” Makenna’s violet eyes were bright with tears. “You don’t know him. He’s vicious.”

His protective instincts welled up inside of him like a font. Cupping her cheek tenderly, he growled, “I’d like to see him try.” Standing, he felt in his pocket. “Yea, I’ve got my keys. I’m going to take you to the doctor,” he said as he bent to pick her up again.

“No, please, I don’t need to go.” She held up her hand. “Nothing’s broken.”

“How do you know?” Adrenaline was rushing through his body so fast that it felt like his veins were on fire.

A look of shame crossed her face. “Because I’m familiar with the feeling.”

“Fuck!” Titan wheeled and left the room.

“Where are you going?” Makenna called. “Don’t leave. I need to explain.” God, she sounded pitiful.

“Just getting something to clean you up with.” Titan went to the bathroom, took the first aid kit from under the vanity and warmed a washcloth in hot water. “The doctor wasn’t kidding the other day, was he? You’ve had broken bones.” Agony pierced his heart as the reality of the situation seeped into his brain. Now so many things made sense—Damien’s neglect, his ignoring of Makenna, Wade’s halfway snide comments.

There was silence for a few heartbeats before she finally answered, “Yes.”

A knot formed in Titan’s throat. His hands shook as he squatted by her. “Why?” The simple question was all he could manage to mutter as he began to gently wipe her face. How many times had he imagined touching her this way? But he never dreamed it would be under these circumstances.

“Why did he do it or why did I allow him to get away with it?” Both were legitimate questions. Makenna closed her eyes. Titan was too close, too overpowering, too amazing for her to be able to concentrate on an answer and look at him at the same time.

“Yea, why?” Titan murmured as he wiped the blood from her lip with a tender touch. God, he wanted to kiss her so much. But he couldn’t, not until he figured out what the hell was going on and why she had chosen to run to him.

As he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear so he could see her more clearly, she instinctively turned her face so she could nestle against his palm like a kitten wanting to be petted. “Damien is a bully. He hits to make himself feel good, feel powerful.” She hissed when he put ointment on her lip.

“How long has he been abusing you?” Titan just came right out and said what he was thinking, no use beating around the bush now.

“From the beginning,” she whispered. “I hate him.”

Fuck! Titan bowed his head, every muscle in his body tightening. “Then why are you still there? Why didn’t you tell me about this a long time ago? You must’ve…” He stopped mid-sentence, needing to calm down.

Makenna searched his face, trying to determine what she could say. “He threatened to hurt me and other people if I left or if I told. He killed our dog in front of me to prove it to me.” She licked her lip where it burned. Taking a deep breath, she added, “When he started hitting me this time, I didn’t think he was going to stop.”

Titan froze. He thought he was prepared to hear what she had to say. To think she was abused was horrible, almost unbearable. This had been happening under his nose to someone he had deep feelings for. He was sworn to protect, to save—and he’d failed to protect the one person he cherished the most. This was something he could barely process. “Where is he?”

Makenna wiped tears from her eyes. “I don’t know. He left. He told me to clean myself up before he got back.”

Standing, he gave her one more look. “I’m going to lock the door, you stay here. You’re safe.” Bending, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back.”

“Titan, what are you doing?” Makenna tried to sit up.

“Doing something I should’ve done a long time ago.”

“No! I need to explain.” Makenna pleaded with him. He stopped in his tracks, the sheer agony in her voice taking him by surprise. “He’s much more dangerous than you think he is. Damien set fire to Allie’s house, I know he did. When I went to the hospital to check on her, after I heard the commotion on the scanner, he showed up right after I got there. He knew I’d go. I was able to see her, but he stood by us the entire time so we were never alone. She told us what she could remember. She’d been downstairs when she smelled smoke and when she went upstairs to check, she found just her curtains in flames.” Makenna looked Titan straight in the eye. “The curtains on all three separate windows were on fire. Allie said she tried to put them out, but she couldn’t. The smoke got to be too much. As she was talking to me, Damien was staring at me with this evil smirk on his face. He did it. He warned me he would punish those I cared about if I didn’t obey him explicitly.”

Titan stared at her in pure shock. “You think Wade started the fire?”

“Yes, I do.”

“What did you do that deserved punishment?” He was frowning, trying to comprehend.

Makenna covered her face with her hands, she was so ashamed. “He warned me if I told anyone about the abuse, or anything about him that he’d punish me and anyone who tried to help me. He threatened people I care about. Damien figured out it was you who came to the house the other night, when you broke down the door. The hospital called to make sure you delivered my phone. He’ll be after you next.”

“I’d like to see the asshole try!”

Makenna knew he probably thought she was crazy. She dashed tears from her eyes, then sat up. “I just wanted to let you know, to warn you so you’ll be on the look-out. I need to get back over there before he realizes I’m gone.”

“There’s no fuckin’ way in hell you’re going back over there.” Rage filled him. “You just wait here. I’ll lock the door behind me.”

“Titan!”

He could hear her calling his name as he left the house, but Titan couldn’t put this off a moment longer. Yanking his truck door open, he jumped in, cranked the engine and gunned it out of the yard. He hadn’t gotten to the end of the driveway near the barn before he saw Wade stalking through the field, coming out of the shadows like some menacing beast. He’d followed the same path across the pasture as Makenna.

Slamming on his breaks, Titan got out to meet him. “Looking for somebody, asshole?” Every muscle in his body was tensed. He was ready to attack.

“Yea, I’m looking for my wife.” Wade kept coming toward him like a charging bull. “Is she here, you nosy bastard?” When Titan didn’t answer, he kept yelling. “My wife is nothing to you!”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I won’t insult her by call her your wife, but Makenna is everything to me.” Titan lunged at him. The idiot didn’t even know what hit him. Wade wasn’t a small man, but he was no match for Titan Sloan. Grabbing him by his collar, he picked the Captain up and slammed him into the side of the barn. “How does it feel, motherfucker? To have someone bigger shake you like a ragdoll? You’re just a wife-beating piece of trash.”

“Get off me!” Damien tried to fight back. “None of this was any of your business. I’ll make you regret the day you interfered!”

Titan held him about a foot off the ground with one hand, collaring him around the throat. He drew back his fist, but before he hit Wade’s ugly face, he wanted him to know exactly why. “I’m here to fight for a beautiful woman who can’t fight for herself. If you want to beat up on someone, you bastard, beat up on me.” He let his fist fly. “If you can…”

During the next few moments, Titan fought Damien Wade. The man was furious, his adrenaline was running high. If he could have, Titan knew Wade would’ve killed him. To think this freak’s strength had been pitted against Makenna’s small body infuriated Titan. To put it succinctly, before he was through, Titan beat the shit out of Captain Wade.

When he was finished, he pulled out his cell and called the cops. “I need to report a crime.”

*

Makenna was worried about Titan. She stood at the window and stared out into the dark night. Titan had gone to confront Damien. She knew that with every ounce of her being. And she was scared to death. Damien would be no match for Titan, of course. The only problem was that Damien didn’t fight fair. If the demonic bastard she was married to hurt Titan, she would never forgive herself. She felt in the pockets of her jeans, but she didn’t have her phone with her. Looking around, she searched for a landline to call Titan when she heard the roar of an engine. Returning to the window, she was relieved to see him striding up to the door. His shirt was ripped. Throwing the door open, she couldn’t hold back the question, “Titan, did he hurt you?”

“Not a chance.” Titan gathered her close. “I ran into him coming up the drive here. You’re right, the man is seriously deranged.” Glancing down at her bare feet, he said, “Put your shoes on, you’re going to go down to the Sheriff’s office and give a statement. They just picked Damien up and hauled him off to jail.”

“What?” Her heart leapt into her throat.

“You’re pressing charges.” He wasn’t asking. “It’s time this idiot paid for his crimes.”

“Oh, God.” Makenna swayed on her feet and Titan caught her by the arms, steadying her. “He’ll kill me for this.”

“No, he won’t.” Titan seemed very sure of what he was saying. “To get to you, he’s going to have to go through me. And that will never happen. I promise.”

Makenna put on her shoes, then let him lead her out. “Will they believe me?”

“There’ll have to be an investigation, but the way he treated you…” Titan set her in the passenger seat of his truck, buckling her safely inside. “A man who would hurt a woman, especially one like you, would do anything.”

Makenna found herself shaking. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She was thinking out loud. For so long she’d been dependent on Damien for everything.

Like he had the right, Titan trailed his fingers lightly down her arm. He was touching her, even if it was in the most innocent way possible. “Don’t worry about anything. Okay? I’ll take care of you. Keeping you safe is the most important thing.”

Makenna looked up into his face. This might not be the time, but she needed to know. “What did you mean at the hospital when you said ‘this wasn’t going to work’? Did I offend you by coming to check on you?”

“God no,” Titan blurted out. “Not at all. I was trying to tell you that being around you and…not being able to touch you or tell you how I feel is…impossible.” She was gazing up at him with such expectation that he couldn’t resist. “Maybe I shouldn’t…if you don’t want me to do this, stop me now.” All the while he was speaking, his eyes were darting between her gaze to her full vulnerable mouth. When she did nothing to deter him, he uttered a slightly muffled curse, lowering his head until his mouth grazed hers—soft, not demanding.

Makenna’s sole experience with the opposite sex was Damien. So, her whole body went rigid as Titan’s lips touched hers. Her body didn’t know what to expect. She’d wanted this man for so long. But Titan was big and powerful, and she’d never known gentleness from a man. Part of her wanted to flee and part of her wanted to cling to him. With every bit of strength she had, Makenna forced herself to wait, to give herself a chance to experience what she’d been missing with the one man she wanted it from the most.

Titan nuzzled and kissed her ripe generous mouth. Mindful of Makenna’s injury, he took his time, moving his strong hands to cup her face tenderly, finally giving himself free rein to do something he’d been dreaming of doing for years. When she shifted in his arms, he thought she was about to move away. Instead, she demanded more, placing a hand around his neck, melting against him with a sigh as her own mouth explored his.

Makenna’s spirit soared. She craved this man so much she ached with the wanting. Taking the risk, she’d opened herself to him and been rewarded with the ardent attention of someone who wanted to give her pleasure not pain. When she moaned into his mouth, he deepened the kiss and she felt like she was being consumed. It had been so long since she’d been kissed, but this was well worth waiting for.

Too soon it was over. Titan pulled back, breathing hard and Makenna let him go. He looked…confused. She felt self-conscious. “I guess we should go.”

As if coming out of a trance, he shook his head. “Yea, but I want to resume this…conversation when we’re finished.” Titan went around to his side of the truck and got in. Once he’d shut the door, he cranked the engine. “Don’t worry. This thing with Damien ends here. Tonight.”

Makenna placed her trust in him. So long she’d lived fearing the next time she’d piss Damien off. The idea that his reign of terror over her might come to an end was heady. “I’m ready.” If Titan was with her, nothing was impossible.

*

Chaos was the best term for what the rest of the evening held. Titan escorted Makenna down to the Sheriff’s office and stayed with her while she told her story. Sheriff Deric Connor was a newcomer, so he listened patiently unlike some members of his department who looked at her with suspicion, apparently doubting that Damien could do such a thing.

Makenna was taken to a private room where a female deputy took her statement. “Were you raped?” she asked gently.

“No.” Not this time, she wanted to add. Makenna looked to the side, knowing this was necessary but hating every minute of it. The woman took photograph after photograph, especially of her cheek. When one of the images was enlarged, there was even a clear outline of Damien’s college ring. “Is all of this necessary?” she asked, anxious to leave.

“Yes, ma’am,” the deputy answered. “We also need to extract anything that’s underneath your fingernails. All of this will go a long way to making sure this man pays for his crimes and doesn’t get out to do it again anytime soon.”

Being led from room to room, letting them gather their evidence and ask additional questions took more time than she would have imagined. Makenna couldn’t help but wonder if Titan was still around or if he’d given up and gone home. Her concern was for naught, for when she was finally led to the waiting area, he was right there waiting for her. When he saw her, Titan jumped to his feet. “Are you all right?”

“I’m okay.” She moved toward him. Her body was sore from the beating and nerves. “I’m ready to leave.”

Titan looked toward the Sheriff. “Can I take her home now? She needs to rest.”

Deric Conner placed a hand on his hip and let out a long breath. “Wade’s being processed and interrogated. He wanted to press charges against you.” He motioned to Titan. “But I think I talked him out of that situation, considering everything.”

“I appreciate that.” Titan put his arm around Makenna.

“The accusations about the fires have been logged. We’ll question him on that matter but until some form of evidence has been found, they’re just allegations.” Conner looked pensive. “Until then, we’ll deal with the assault and battery charge.”

“I understand.” Makenna nodded. She hadn’t expected them to just take her word for the arson accusations.

As they walked out into the parking lot, he held her tight, supporting her every step of the way. “Do you need anything to eat or drink?”

“Maybe when I get home.” She looked at him hopefully, drawing strength from his presence.

“You got it,” he promised. Truthfully, Titan’s head was spinning. He felt like he was watching his life through some type of funhouse mirror. One reflection showed his dreams coming true while another was full of distorted images, what he’d thought was real now seemed shattered and warped.

Feeling weak and lightheaded, Makenna leaned into him. “What have I done?”

“You did what you had to do.” And so did Titan. He kissed her on the temple. “He had to be stopped. He would’ve eventually killed you or someone else.” Titan shuddered at the thought.

When she was in his truck, Makenna felt a growing sense of panic. “I don’t want to go back to that house. Maybe you could take me to a motel?”

“Makenna…” Titan started to just blurt out how he felt. The kiss they’d shared had to mean something, right? His common sense warred with his growing desire for her. Finally, his sense of propriety won out. He’d hold his piece for now. But that didn’t mean he was letting her be alone tonight. “Makenna,” he began again, “I tell you what, let’s go by your house and get whatever you need and you come spend the night with me.” At her wide-eyed look, he clarified. “In my spare room. I’ll feel better if you’re with me.”

Makenna let out a long heartfelt sigh. “Thank you.” For the first time in a long time she felt safe.

*

Driving up to Titan’s home, Makenna let herself enjoy the view. Many times she’d passed by the gate leading to his ranch and wished she had a reason to enter. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be wanting to move in and stake a claim on this man with whom she’d shared only one kiss.

As he parked, she studied the home where she’d been invited to spend the night. The structure was sturdy and well-built like its owner, able to weather any wind or storm that might arise. And the man who came around to help her out was looking at her with an expression she’d seen so few times that Makenna almost wasn’t able to define it. Tenderness. Gentleness. Concern. She shivered, chill bumps dancing over her entire body.

When he came around to help her out, he opened the door and held out his arms and she slowly slid into them. “Thank you. I appreciate all you’re doing for me.”

“Shhhh, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Titan guided her up on the porch and held the door open. “Head to the kitchen and I’ll fix you a sandwich. I know you have to be worn out. I also want to put a little more medicine on that cut before you go to bed.”

Hearing Titan use the word ‘bed’ set off a whole new round of shaking. “I don’t know if I can eat anything.”

“Sure you can, I don’t want to eat alone and I’m starving.” He settled her down at the round oak table flanked by ladder back chairs. The kitchen was clean and modern with granite counter tops and oak cabinets. She felt at home. “Ham and cheese okay?” he asked as he began to cut the meat into thin slices.

Makenna jerked her head up at his words. She’d been mesmerized watching his hands and strong forearms flex as he worked. The man was too sexy for words. “Yes, sounds good.”

Titan cleared his throat. Hell, one would think he was a wet-behind-the-ears teenager on his first date. Once he’d prepared their quick meal, adding chips and a cold drink, he set a plate in front of her and sat down across the table. As he watched her take a bite, she winced. The bruise on her cheek was darkening. “Do you want something for the pain?”

“No, I’m good.” She felt shy, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, she sighed. “I bet you think I’m pretty stupid.”

Titan’s fingers froze halfway to his mouth. “No.” He was emphatic. “I think you’re amazing. You survived something few women could. You strived for a normal life despite impossible odds and you tried to protect others by putting up with danger yourself.”

Makenna ate a chip and took a drink of cola. “You make me sound brave, which wasn’t true. I was a coward.” Needing to get some things off her chest, she took a deep breath and began to talk. “I met him when I was in college at Texas Christian. He was a firefighter in a neighboring town. I was young and…foolish. I let him sweep me off my feet and ignored all the signs.”

“What signs?” Titan asked, wanting to understand.

“He blamed others for everything. The women he dated before me were bitchy and didn’t understand him. Everyone else was to blame for his negative attitude and bad luck. He had a way of complimenting me even as he blamed someone else. I fell for it,” she admitted sadly. “What I didn’t realize is that the law of blame goes to the closest person, and soon that was me.”

“I’ve noticed that a little bit at the station. He’s never at fault no matter what goes wrong.”

“True and he resents anyone or anything that doesn’t put him first. I’ve heard him complain about things not being fair more times than I can count. He was concerned about his rights, but never about mine. He felt like he was entitled and superior. In the beginning I saw that as manliness when it was really childishness. Damien was petty, sarcastic and deceitful.” Makenna stared at her folded hands. “I rue the day I ever agreed to go out with him.”

Titan covered her hand with his. “I hate you’ve been hurt. The only silver lining I can see is that he brought you here.” Every inclination he possessed urged him to pick her up and take her to bed. But that would be a mistake. She’d been hurt and the last thing she needed was a man rushing her into anything. When he saw her hide a yawn, he stood. “Let’s get you settled.”

Almost choking on her last sip of drink, Makenna rose to follow. “I am tired.” Even though she knew he was escorting her to the spare room, she couldn’t ignore how momentous it was to be here with him. The idea of having sex with any man ought to give her pause. Perhaps it was all in her mind, but she just knew Titan would be different. He’d never hurt her. She believed this with every fiber of her being.

Placing an arm around her shoulders, he guided her to the room next to his, found a T-shirt for her to wear to bed and left her alone to freshen up in the bathroom. Once she was out, he helped her ready the bed. Titan tried not to notice how sexy she was with the hem of his UT football jersey hitting her below the knees, her prominent nipples poking through the soft material, making his mouth water. Once she was under the covers, he was tempted to give her a goodnight kiss.

“Will you stay in here, just for a little while?” She pointed to the chair next to the bed. “Will you sit with me?”

“Oh, sure.” For a minute he’d almost thought she was inviting him into her bed. Wishful thinking.

Makenna curled up in the bed, pulling the sheet up to her chin. She had to keep her hands covered or she would’ve reached for him. Could he tell she was trembling for him? Just knowing she was this close, within touching distance had every nerve tingling and her nipples swollen to throbbing points, aching for him to take them in his mouth and suck on them. That was one of her dearest fantasies. “Whew!” She sighed, fanning the covers.

Titan laughed. “You’re too young to be having a hot flash. Let me turn the air down.”

He got up to see about the temperature and she fanned the covers some more. He just didn’t realize her hot flash was caused by arousal and not the reading on the thermostat. What kind of woman was she? She’d been abused by one man today and here she was, lusting after another. Of course, Makenna knew her body’s bravado was due in part to the fact she was safe. No matter how much she fantasized about Titan touching her, he wouldn’t lay a finger on her unless she invited him to. That knowledge gave her mind free rein to wander in erotic directions she’d probably never be brave enough to explore. “If you don’t want to stay in here with me, you don’t have to.” There, she was giving him an out. “I’ll probably lie here awake for hours.”

Titan sat down beside her, crossing one booted foot over his knee. “I’ll sit right here till you go to sleep.”

“Okay, suit yourself.” Makenna nestled down in the covers, turning on her side to face him. She closed her eyes—mostly—peeking at him through her lashes. This was so unreal. Last night and every other night before she’d been scared to sleep, afraid Damien would drag her out of bed to punish her for some infraction or the other. And tonight…tonight she had a real honest-to-God flesh and blood hero guarding her while she slept. Letting out a long breath, she sent up a prayer of thankfulness.

Titan couldn’t take his eyes off of her. How amazing to have the object of his desire under his roof. He longed to crawl under the covers, put his arms around her and make her his—and that would come. Tonight, though, he would give her what she needed and that was a good night’s rest in a place where she knew no fear.

Apparently she was more tired than she thought, because in a few minutes her eyes closed and her breathing evened out. Titan sat there for another hour, just enjoying watching her sleep.

Also, it seemed like he was forgetting something. A lost thought kept pulling at his brain. What could it be?

Hours later, Titan woke with a crick in his neck. He’d slept in the chair next to Makenna. His pager was set on vibrate and the rhythmic movement against his thigh caused him to open his eyes to an unbelievable sight. During the night, Makenna must’ve grown warm again, for she’d kicked the covers clean off. To make matters even more enticing, the jersey she wore had ridden up almost to her waist and he could see a passel of sweet curves and smooth skin. The panties she wore did little to conceal the treasure they covered and her legs were spread enough that he could’ve slipped his hand right where it longed to be. Damn! His cock was as hard as steel!

For just a moment, he stood over her, wishing he had the right to claim her. The only thing that bothered him were the bruises he saw and they were still prominently visible. He vowed at that moment to protect her. Damien Wade would never lay a hand on her again. He didn’t tug down her shirt, but he did pull the sheet up and over her. And to satisfy himself, he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

Only then did he look at his pager. “Hell!” he whispered. There was a wreck out on FM 32 and they needed the ‘jaws of life’ to extract some of the victims. He only took time to use the bathroom, a shower would have to wait. At least he was still dressed. Grabbing his keys, he headed out the door.

*

An hour and a half later, Makenna awoke to the ringing of a telephone—an insistent ringing of a telephone. Startled, she called out for Titan, but there was no answer. Thinking it could be an emergency, she got up and padded out of the room till she found a landline phone in a place that appeared to be his study. There was a neat desk and a bookshelf filled with journals of some sort. “Hello, Sloan residence.”

“Who the hell is this?” a shrill female voice screamed in her ear.

The caller’s attitude didn’t exactly encourage Makenna to be forthcoming with information. “Who is this?” she asked right back.

“This is Tammie Woods. You tell that fickle son-of-a-bitch Titan Sloan that he stood me up for our date last night. I don’t put up with crap like that. If he wants to see me again, he’ll have to learn some manners. I don’t know who you are, but I hope you were worth it—because he sure as hell missed out on a hot time with me!”

“I’ll let him know,” Makenna spoke calmly. Before she hung up, a little streak of rebellion took over. “And I was worth it, by the way.”

“Who is this?”

“Makenna Wade.” Makenna didn’t know why she was being so open, but she didn’t like this woman’s attitude at all.

“Listen here, you little bitch.” Tammie’s voice dripped with venom. “Titan Sloan is mine. Our lands join. It’s a logical, foregone conclusion that we’ll get married. And you, you little slut—you have a husband! Damien Wade is my friend. We went to school together. I can’t believe you’re cheating on him!”

Makenna disconnected the call. She held the receiver in her hand, staring at it as if it was a snake. She didn’t know what upset her more—the fact the woman called her names and defended Wade or the fact Titan had missed a date the night before.

The date won out.

Titan was seeing someone! He wasn’t free. A sense of hurt and panic flooded her system and she felt weak. “I’ve got to get out of here.” Jealousy rose in her heart so thick and fast that Makenna felt like she would choke from it.

As she dashed back to the room where she’d slept, Makenna looked and listened for Titan. Hearing nothing, she surmised he wasn’t at home and realized that was probably a good thing. She was so angry and confused. Frankly, she didn’t know what she would say to him when she did see him.

Wanting to leave as soon as possible, Makenna didn’t bother to shower. She decided to do that back at her own house. Dressing quickly, she remembered she didn’t have her car. No matter, she wanted to leave badly enough to walk home. Cutting through the pasture again, she dodged cattle and jumped over piles of underbrush. When she recalled Titan saying Damien had come this way the night before, she couldn’t help but hug herself, blocking chills of apprehension.

Once she arrived home, Makenna felt odd going into the place where Damien had hurt her, knowing he was sitting in a jail for what he’d done. She tried to rustle up a hint of remorse, but she couldn’t. Her husband deserved whatever punishment would be meted out to him.

After she showered, Makenna slipped on a pair of jeans and a camisole. Her heart still felt sore. She was being foolish. What had she expected? Titan was a handsome single man with a full life. He hadn’t been sitting around pining for her. She owed him a huge debt of gratitude and he owed her…nothing. Determined to get herself together, she went downstairs and found a granola bar to stave off her hunger. Today was the day she took her life back. She needed to contact a lawyer and get divorce proceedings started. The only problem was—she kept looking over her shoulder. There was no way she was going to be able to stay in this house, not for a while. There were just too many memories and none of them good.

Her mind turned to Allie. She needed to check on her. Before Damien had hauled her out of the hospital, the doctor had said they weren’t keeping her. Makenna had been ashamed she couldn’t invite Allie into their home. She could see the expectation in her friend’s face as she’d waited for the invitation that didn’t come. Hopefully, she’d found someone to stay with. Makenna knew she had cousins who lived close by. Now, however, since the cat was out of the bag, she could explain and ask for forgiveness. To see her best friend come so near death had scared Makenna witless. And to suspect it was her own husband who’d done the deed was horrifying. How would Allie react when she learned the truth? Maybe they could find someplace to stay together for a while. Yes, that’s what she would do. Feeling better about at least having a plan, Makenna found her car keys and her phone. After pressing a few buttons, she waited for Allie to answer.

*

Meanwhile…Titan sat on the tailgate of his truck, staring down at the ground. If he wasn’t a grown-ass man, he’d break down and cry. Stoic, he let the horror wash over him. The wreck he’d just worked involved children. Children who weren’t wearing their seatbelts. Why in the world a parent would ever place their babies in a vehicle unprotected was a mystery to him. Saving people was the grandest thing in the world, but pulling little lifeless bodies from twisted metal sucked.

“Big Man, you gonna be all right?”

Maverick came over to him, handing Titan a bottle of water. Yea, he had a reputation of taking things to heart. Titan didn’t care. When one couldn’t feel pain for someone else, they might as well be dead. That was one of the reasons Makenna’s situation tore him up, that and the fact he was head over heels in love with her. “Yea, I’m just resting. I’ve got to head home. There’s nothing else we can do here.” The EMTs were loading up and a wrecker was coming for the crumpled car. A mother and one of the children had survived. Three other of the little ones weren’t so lucky.

He sat for a few minutes longer with his friend, not saying much. What was there to say at a time like this? In a while, he headed home. At least there was someone there waiting for him today. That thought brought a smile to his face.

But when he got there, Makenna was gone.

Worried, he didn’t even hesitate. Titan crawled back in his truck and headed to the Wade place. When he arrived, he could see Makenna was walking to her car with a suitcase in hand. Okay. Maybe she just wanted to get some clothes and she was on her way back to Skyview. One thing for certain, he didn’t want her to be alone.

Pulling up beside her, Titan rolled down his window. “What’s up, beautiful? Did you come to get more clothes?” She looked perfect in a pretty pink top and curve-hugging jeans.

Makenna set down her case and came over to the driver’s side of his truck, staring at him through the open glass. “I want to thank you for what you did, Titan. I owe you. But I don’t think staying with you is such a good idea.”

Disappointment hit him like a tidal wave. “Why?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she held his gaze. She was so cute, Titan was tempted to grab his phone and take a picture, just so he could look at it later. Instead of coming right out and answering him, she asked him a question. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?”

For a second or two, Titan thought about what she was saying. He came up blank. “Who? What are—”

She didn’t give him a chance to continue. “Never mind. Allie’s having a trailer moved in next to her house and I think I’ll spend a few days with her, help her sort things out.”

Titan still didn’t like it. “Okay. But you have to at least let me know you’re all right.” Hell, he sounded lame. He felt helpless, feeling her slipping through his fingers. Makenna looked devastated and he didn’t know what to do or say. “I’m sorry about your friend and her house,” he said slowly. “We tried to save as much of it as we could.”

Her face softened. “She said her neighbors told her you saved her life.”

“It’s my job.” His voice was low, uncertain. Bottom line, he wanted her to go home with him where she belonged.

“Why didn’t you tell me about her?” She repeated the question.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Titan apologized. “After you were hurt, I didn’t think about checking on Miss Langston.”

“No.” Makenna waved her hand in the air in exasperation. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a date with Tammie Woods?”

Zing! Bam! That was what he’d forgotten.

Makenna wasn’t through. “You’re seeing someone and there I was in your bed, spending the night in your home and you—”

Titan wanted to smile. The little minx was jealous. Now, this he knew how to handle. While she was still fussing, he opened his truck door and stepped out beside her. “Hold on, honey.” She was so tiny, he just wanted to put her in his pocket and keep her close. “You need to understand something.”

“What’s that?” Makenna stopped to catch her breath.

“The reason I didn’t tell you about Tammie or details about Allie was…” He lifted her chin with one finger. “Compared to you, they didn’t seem important. I was too worried, too busy taking care of you to think about the house fire or to worry about some date that I never wanted to go on in the first place.”

“Well.” Makenna chewed on her lower lip. Talk about having the right answer. She didn’t even know what to say. “Okay. But I think I still need to go stay with Allie. I have a lot to do. I need to file for a divorce and I don’t think—”

“It wouldn’t look right if you were staying with me, I understand.” Titan pushed a lock of hair out of her face. “I tell you what. Let’s make a deal. You go now and you call me if you need the least little thing.” She started to speak and he put a big finger over her lips, wanting to finish. “I think we could have something special, but I’ll give you time.” Tenderly, he kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll wait for you.”

Makenna couldn’t answer. He’d just stolen her ability to breathe.

Chapter Five

‡

Three days passed in a whirlwind of activity. An attorney in Wimberley started her divorce proceedings. He’d assured her they would be expedited. In cases like this, they made exceptions for extenuating circumstances—like abuse. She’d feel better about everything once she was a free woman.

To say Allie had been flabbergasted when Makenna told her the truth about everything was an understatement. Her friend had held her as she cried about her sham of a marriage and the abuse she’d endured. When Makenna confessed she suspected her husband started the fire, Allie hadn’t batted an eye. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. The most important thing is that you’re safe now. Houses can be replaced.” They’d already begun cleaning things up and making repairs. In the evenings, the girls went to Makenna’s house and cleaned out Damien’s things, taking them to Goodwill. He wouldn’t be needing his clothes. Hopefully he’d be wearing an orange jumpsuit for a long time.

No matter what else was going on, the main thing on Makenna’s mind was Titan. He’d said he was waiting on her. The ball was in her court. In her mind, she envisioned their next meeting a dozen different ways. Everything from, ‘Well, here I am. I’ve come to jump your bones,’ to, ‘Titan, I haven’t been able to get you off my mind.’

For the short time they were together, it seemed he wanted more than just sex. He said he thought they could have something special. Maybe she was reading more into this than there was, but her imagination was going crazy. She envisioned walking down the aisle to him wearing a wedding dress and white cowboy boots. The very idea made her smile. Damien envisioned himself to be too sophisticated for western wear, and Makenna agreed he could never pull it off. Titan, however, was a western wet-dream. You never saw him without his jeans, hat and boots. So, when she’d day-dreamed about marrying him, her ensemble always included white cowboy boots.

“What am I going to do?” she whispered under her breath as they stood in line to buy paint at the hardware store.

“What did you say?” Allie leaned over. Her arms were full of paint rollers and tape.

“Nothing, just worrying out loud.” She was just going to have to put on her big girl panties and track him down. He might not be proposing marriage, but Makenna felt she owed herself the opportunity to see where this led. Titan wanted to see her, he wanted to be with her. What sane woman would turn him down?

“Look, it’s her.”

Makenna heard the whisper, but she didn’t think anything about it.

“That’s Makenna Wade, Damien’s wife. She said he beat her up. Doesn’t look like there’s anything wrong with her to me.”

The two older women’s voices were carrying. Makenna stared at her shoes, trying to ignore them.

“I heard she’s not quite right, you know…mentally. I bet she did something to herself and is just blaming him. We know he’s a good man. We’ve known Damien all of his life. Why, I heard she’s been in a psychiatric facility and now he’s in jail because of her!”

By the time the woman had said the last two words, Makenna’s face was flaming and Allie was just about to go confront them when Jericho walked up to them. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Those women over there are talking trash about Makenna,” Allie said, loud enough for the ladies to hear.

For all the years Makenna had lived here in this quaint little town on the banks of the Blanco River, folks had always been friendly. They made a lot of their money off the tourist dollar, and the town square and surrounding streets were full of specialty shops—everything from homemade quilts to gemstone jewelry. You could buy wine-a-ritas at one place and breakfast tacos at another. This was a haven for artists, people who loved the outdoors and those who wanted to be in the country, yet close enough to go into the city for dinner if they wanted. She thought, despite Damien, she’d found a place to call home. To have this happen just devastated her. “Allie, it’s okay, they’re just repeating what Damien told them.” The town’s golden boy had a sterling reputation and she was the outsider.

“Don’t pay any attention, Makenna.” Jericho put his arm around her. “Titan told us what happened.”

“Thank you.” Makenna was mortified. Damien enjoyed painting a picture of her that made people question her good sense, her judgment. But she hadn’t known people would listen or would care. Pity no one ever asked her what the therapy and treatments had been for—they might’ve been surprised.

“Some friends and I are hosting a party tonight over on Canyon Lake. Why don’t you two come?”

Makenna was about to make an excuse when Allie piped up. “Great, we’ll need a break by then. What can we bring?” Allie gave the snoopy women who had finished checking out a saccharine sweet smile.

“Just bring yourselves and a couple of wild bikinis.” He winked at them, writing down the address to his friend’s house on a slip of paper. “We’ll start up about eight or so.”

“Sounds good,” Makenna answered with mixed feelings. It had been years since she’d been to a party other than the ones with Damien where he wouldn’t let her dance or speak to anyone unless he was within earshot. He’d always been afraid she’d reveal his true character.

Before Jericho left, he put his arm around Makenna. “I’m so sorry about what happened. If I’d had any idea, I would’ve put a stop to that crap.” She nodded and he continued. “I don’t know if you remember, but tonight is our scheduled fire department meeting. Are you coming?”

“What about your party?” She was stalling. She’d known the meeting was today. Would they even want her there?

“The meeting won’t last long, it never does. We might be a minute or two late for the party, but that won’t make any difference. You are coming, aren’t you? We need you, you know.”

Makenna thought for a minute. “Do you think everyone will still want me to be secretary?”

“I most certainly do,” he assured her. “We’re planning on asking Titan to be our new chief. We need the community to know we’re still in business and working to make sure they’re safe.”

She blushed, knowing it was her idiot of a husband who had caused all of these problems. “Titan will be a great Fire Chief.”

“So you’ll come? To both?”

“I’ll be there,” she promised.

As he moved off, Allie sighed. “I think I’m in love. He’s so hot!”

“That’s why they call him Hotshot.” She wrapped her arm around her friend’s neck as they giggled, feeling more light-hearted than she had in a long time. Yea, a few people thought she was crazy—but that was fine. Maybe she was.

The rest of the day passed quickly, perhaps because she was so anxious to go to the VFD meeting. Anxious to see Titan was closer to the truth. Makenna glanced at the clock. She didn’t want to be late and she didn’t want to be early. Would she be brave enough to tell him how she felt? And what would she wear? Having nothing in her wardrobe she thought would do, Allie loaned her a tight pair of dress blue jeans and a baby blue camisole with a lace Western-cut shirt to wear over it.

There’d never been anything even remotely formal about the meetings. Most of the men came straight from work, some with grease on their clothes and some needing a bath and a change of clothes. None of that mattered, for all knew the reason they were there. As a poster hung on the wall said, We Walk Where the Devil Dances, while another declared, Not Because I Can But Because of Who I Am. Their purpose was greater than any hardship they faced.

“Hey, how’s this for the party?” When Allie handed her a white swimsuit, Makenna blushed.

“There’s not enough material here to sneeze on.” Damien would have died if she wore anything so revealing.

Allie winked. “Exactly.”

Makenna hadn’t confessed her feelings for Titan to her friend. She didn’t exactly know how to do that. Allie had no idea the VFD meeting was far more important to her than the actual party. Titan wouldn’t be at the party.

*

Over at the fire station, Titan unlocked the door, jerking at one of the vines where it had grown down over the facing. No one had the heart to kill the old purple wisteria, they just kept it trimmed back. He’d come early to put on a pot of coffee. The men had negated the idea of getting one of those contraptions that used K-cups, they thought they were too manly for that. What they wanted was an actual container so it could sit too long on the heating coil while the liquid inside grew stiff enough to pass for battery acid. While he waited for the pot to brew, Titan walked around, looking and remembering. A lot of people had worked hard to make this place possible. The department had little to no county or city support. Most of the funds they used to pay for their equipment and gas was money they raised together.

Their prime asset was the old building itself. Having withstood the test of time, it dated back to the early 1900s. The floor was concrete and the walls were brick. Half of the building held their trucks and gear. The other half contained a small kitchen, a meeting table and their files. There was also room for community meetings. In the past they’d held Halloween parties for kids or rented the space out for family reunions.

“Hey, Sloan, how’s it hanging?”

Titan had been studying the photos on the wall. Someone had hung his ‘I Am My Brother’s Keeper’ plaque and a picture of him receiving it. Since he’d stuffed it in the back of the file cabinet, he knew that someone must have been Makenna. Only she would worry about something so sentimental. Each member of the department had their own key to the front door, including her. Would she come tonight? God, he hoped so.

“I’m great.” He shook Montana’s hand. The big guy owned a heavy equipment rental place and hired out extra to dig ponds or other earth moving work for ranchers or anyone else who needed it. Right now he had on a black T-shirt that declared, Find ’em Hot and Leave ’em Wet. “You know anything?”

“I know it’s been hot as a firecracker. All we need is a few grass or forest fires to break out. You know the sap in these junipers is about as potent as turpentine.” Montana poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down across from where Titan had scattered his paperwork.

“Yea, I agree. We need to go over our schedules tonight and make sure who’s going to be here and who’s going on vacation so we know we’ve got a full crew available every weekend.” While Titan was speaking, a few more of the guys came in—Blaze, Dallas, Ronan and Hotshot, followed closely by Makenna.

As soon as she entered, the conversation in the room turned into a dull roar for Titan. He was only aware of her. All of the men were glad to see her and that didn’t surprise him. Since the truth had come out about her marriage, most could look back and see tell-tale indications that all hadn’t been as it should be. Like Titan, they wished they could turn back the clock and rescue Makenna from a nightmare she never deserved.

Titan tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help himself. She was so damn beautiful. All he could do was remember how good she’d looked in his bed. His only consolation was that she seemed to be having an equally hard time keeping her own eyes off of him. Well, good. Maybe they could put an end to this nonsense and pick up where they’d left off with that kiss.

As Assistant Chief, he welcomed everyone, including her, and soon it was time to get down to business. Titan didn’t know how it was in big fire departments, he’d only had experience in this one. But in Hays County, they sat around the table, listening to the reading of the minutes of the last meeting in Makenna’s husky little voice. Next, Dallas told them how much was in the bank account. Not enough, there was never enough. Titan was about to talk about their schedules when Montana raised his hand. He’d come in late, but apparently he had something to say. Titan nodded at him.

“In view of what’s happened, I’d like to nominate Titan Sloan as our new fire chief.”

“I second the motion,” Blaze spoke up quickly, while Titan sat there with mouth slightly open in disbelief.

“All in favor?” Hotshot asked. There was a chorus of ‘ayes’ and all raised their hand.

“Will you accept?” Dallas asked him.

“Why me?” Titan shook his head, trying to wrap his head around this new development.

“Simple,” Ronan chimed in. “I might be the youngest, but even I can answer this. You’re qualified, you’re committed and you’ve got a heart as big as Texas.”

All of them clapped and Titan bowed his head. “I’m honored and I’ll do my best.”

Makenna smiled at him. “You’ll be wonderful. Now, can I say something?”

“Of course.” Titan gave her the floor.

“I want to apologize to everyone about how my personal life and the actions of my husband tarnished the reputation of this department. I would like to stay on as secretary and continue working with you, but if you don’t think I should, I’ll absolutely understand.”

“We want you to stay.” “Stay.” “Of course you’ll stay.” All of their answers ran together. She looked relieved and Titan was so happy he couldn’t see straight. After that, he went on with the meeting, sharing information on a few training classes they had opportunities to sign up for. Finally, he opened the floor for fund raising discussions.

“I think we could do a ‘bake-less’ bake sale,” Makenna suggested, shyly.

“A what?” Ronan asked. “I don’t get it.”

Sitting a little higher in her chair, Makenna explained. “People are busy. Instead of asking the townspeople to donate cupcakes and cookies and then turn around and ask those same folks to buy what they baked, I would just send out a letter with a cute graphic and ask them to donate whatever money they would have spent on baking or gas or buying the goodies straight to the fundraiser.”

“Hey, I like that idea.” Blaze nodded. “Let’s do it.”

“There’s other things we can do. One fundraiser won’t be enough, of course.” Makenna smiled, glad her idea was being accepted. “We can have some food booths at area festivals, they’re usually successful.” She looked straight at Titan. “Anything we can do to make ourselves…available, I think we should.”

Titan’s eyes widened. Was she sending him a message? In public? He was amazed at the change in Makenna. She’d always been helpful, but now her smile was big and she seemed so relaxed. “All of those things will be great.” He gave his approval. Later he’d find out if there was more to that little speech than met the eye. She’d been doodling something on a piece of paper. He snuck a peek but it was only the letters MTF written several times, sometimes with a heart around them. What did that mean?

“I was hoping we could do another one of those beefcake calendars,” Hotshot said blandly, then smirked when the other guys looked shocked. “What? I was a great Mr. September.”

Titan laughed. “One of those a year is all we can manage.” Jericho was right, though, the calendar had paid for a lot of new equipment they’d needed desperately.

After that, the meeting went along at a fast clip. Titan was pleased. They accomplished what they needed to do. A couple of the guys stood up to leave when there was a tap on the door. Titan looked up to see Fire Marshal Kirkland Armstrong standing there with a serious expression on his face. “Could I have a minute?”

“Of course.” Titan motioned him in. “What did you find?”

Kirk shook hands with all the men and nodded to Makenna. He knew everyone. Before taking the job as Marshal, he’d been a volunteer firefighter himself. “I’m sorry to say that I didn’t find much. The origin of the fire, like you said, Titan, was in the bedroom. There was no evidence of arson that I could find. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when I can’t determine exactly how the fire started.”

Makenna noticed that Kirk seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her. She squirmed in her seat, feeling uncomfortable. More than likely many people felt her accusation stemmed from the trouble she and her husband were having rather than any guilt on his part. Feeling self-conscious, she passed her hand over the fading bruise on her face.

Titan was disappointed. “I understand. Sometimes it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of a fire.”

Kirkland stood up, finally directing his attention toward Makenna. “Ms. Wade, I hope everything works out for you.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. He, like others, probably thought she was either lying or off her rocker. While Titan was walking the Fire Marshal to his car and the others were shooting the bull around the coffeepot, Makenna made her getaway.

When Titan returned, the meeting room was empty. Hearing voices, he walked to the equipment room where Ronan and Hotshot were checking out some air tanks and the others were climbing on the trucks, doing equipment checks. “Where’s Makenna?”

“I guess she left, Chief,” Blaze remarked.

Well, hell. He’d had every intention of talking to her.

A mile or two away, Makenna was headed back to Allie’s. She passed the home she’d shared with Damien. After hearing the Fire Marshal’s edict, she wondered if she’d been wrong. He hadn’t come straight out and admitted to the fire. But when she’d accused him of it, he hadn’t denied it either. At least he was still behind bars for the abuse. As far as the arson allegations were concerned, Kirkland Armstrong’s news had made her look foolish in the men’s eyes. She felt embarrassed that Titan had gone out on a limb for her. It made her look vindictive. If people believed she was lying, it would reflect badly on Titan and the VFD.

Tonight hadn’t gone exactly as planned. Now she felt like the wind had gone out of her sails. Perhaps Titan wasn’t for her. After all, he was a mega-hot cowboy with shoulders as wide as a John Deere tractor and she was nothing special. What she needed was an instructional booklet on ‘How to Come On to a Man’. Despite her sadness, the thought made her smile. Maybe Hotshot’s party was the perfect way to get her mind off of her trouble.

*

“Hand me that wrench.” Titan held out his hand.

Hotshot placed it in his chief’s open palm. “I hate to bail on you, but I gotta go. Which reminds me, you’re invited to a party tonight on the lake if you’re not busy. Nothing fancy, hotdogs, beer and as many girls as I could find to invite.”

“Thanks,” Titan murmured. “But I need to go check on someone.” He was concerned about Makenna. She’d looked upset after hearing Kirk say there was no evidence of arson.

“Well, okay.”

Hotshot sounded disappointed. Titan was about to explain further when his phone buzzed. Sitting back on his heels, he answered, “Sloan,” without checking the display.

“Titan, this is Sheriff Conner.”

“Yes?” He immediately had Titan’s attention.

“I thought you’d want to know, Damien Wade is out on bail. Looks like he’ll be fined, no additional jail time.”

“Fuck!” Titan stood, locking gazes with Hotshot. “How the hell did that happen?” After hearing the Fire Marshal’s investigation results, maybe he should’ve expected this, but he hadn’t.

Conner let out a harsh breath. “Wade’s got friends. I think the judge may be one of them.”

“Did you call Makenna? Does she know?” Titan felt his protective instincts rise. An uneasy feeling crept over him.

“We’ve called, there’s no answer and she doesn’t have a mail-box set up on her phone.”

“Damn!” Titan grabbed his hat off his head, tossed it down and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll let her know. Where’s the justice in all of this?”

“That’s out of my hands,” Conner said with an even tone. “Tell her to keep her eyes open and go to the courthouse and start the paperwork for a restraining order.”

“I’ll take care of her,” Titan promised. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he turned to Hotshot. “I have to find Makenna, Wade’s out of jail.”

“Shit.” His friend stood up and started for the door. “I think I know where to find her. I invited her and her friend to the pool party. Come on.”

Titan was right behind him. “I’ve got to find her before he does.”

*

The party was in full-swing by the time they drove up. Titan had turned on his First Responders siren to forestall any slow drivers from hogging the road. What the hell use was there in being Fire Chief if he couldn’t use his position to protect those he cared about? He’d been torn about stopping at the Wade house on the way over, just to make sure she wasn’t there. Without a restraining order in place, there was nothing keeping Damien from just going home and wanting to pick up where he left off. Scenarios of him finding or cornering Makenna haunted Titan. He wouldn’t rest until he saw her with his own two eyes.

When they reached Canyon Lake, cars and trucks were lined up on both sides of the narrow street. Titan had the devil of a time finding a spot. Once they were parked, both men hurried toward the waterfront home. Laughter and the sound of splashing water could be heard wafting over the fence. This wasn’t the type of outing Titan usually enjoyed. He preferred doing his courting one-on-one.

Like he’d told Hotshot, he’d already made up his mind to pay Makenna a visit before Conner had called. After what she’d been through, asking her to make the first move was just shooting himself in the foot. So, he wanted to do this right. Titan wanted to court Makenna. If his mother were here, she’d tell him to wait a decent amount of time before calling on her. But this wasn’t a normal situation. In view of Wade’s release, he was about to put his plan in fast-forward. Everything had changed.

“Are you sure she’s here?” he asked impatiently. Conner had been right about one thing—she wasn’t answering her phone, which scared the crap out of him. Could Wade have found her already?

“She should be here, both of the girls said they were coming.”

Titan had no more than stepped into the backyard before a bevy of women surrounded them. A hasty perusal of the guests told him the count of females to males was five to one. Hell, it wasn’t even safe for a single man to be here.

“I’ll help you look,” Hotshot said, taking off toward the beach.

“Excuse me, excuse me.” Titan tried to work his way through the crowd. Where was she?

And then he saw her…

Holy Fucking Shit.

No wonder the women were swarming around. They were destitute, because half the men in attendance were standing around one woman—flirting to beat the band.

Makenna.

He could also see why she didn’t have her phone on her. Her outfit afforded no extra room. The term ‘dressed to kill’ came to mind. She was dressed to kill him, that was for sure. Even as his eyes moved up and down her body, his Justin boots were moving in her direction. God, at the curves…and he wanted to hug those curves like a racecar on the Indy 500. His palms started itching, there was no way he could keep his hands to himself after seeing her like this. What in the hell did she have on? A low cut swimsuit strained to contain a pair of magnificent breasts. The cut of the material emphasized her beautiful legs and cupped an ass so luscious he could barely think straight. Hell, he’d never seen her look like this. Titan didn’t know if he wanted to turn her over his knee and spank her or wrap his shirt around that sweet backside to hide it from anyone’s eyes but his.

As he neared, he could see a big-nosed man lay his hand on Makenna’s ass and give it a squeeze. She jumped at the forward move, forcing Titan to walk faster. He’d never seen the man before, but he would have no problem putting him in his place. “If you want to keep that hand, mister, I’d suggest you remove it from her body right this second.”

Makenna turned around so fast, she teetered on the four inch stilettos she was wearing—which Titan had to admit made her sexy legs look a mile long. “Titan! What are you doing here?”

Her friend Allie joined her, handing Makenna a drink.

“I think the best question would be what are you doing here?” Titan pushed in between Makenna and the stranger, his bulk effectively barricading him from touching her. The man had no choice but to step aside, a mountain was on the move. He hadn’t intended to sound so brusque, but Titan was royally pissed at the liberties the other man had been taking with whom his heart considered to be his woman.

It was a most inopportune time, but Allie began to giggle. “I wonder if his…” She whispered the word ‘cock’ into Makenna’s ear, referring to Titan, “is as big as the rest of him?”

Unfortunately she stage-whispered and Makenna wanted to die. “I don’t know, I’ve never got the chance to find out,” she huffed, then turned to Titan, who met her glare with a smirk.

“I could arrange for a private viewing,” he drawled.

Makenna stared at him, trying to figure out if he meant her or Allie. The margaritas she’d inhaled made her brain fuzzy. “As for the reason I’m here…” She dramatically swept her hair off her shoulder and behind her back. “I’m on the make. I just woke up from a nightmare and I’m ready to spread my wings and fly.”

To hear Makenna announce she was ‘on the make’ heated his blood to boiling. And not from anger. “So, you want a man. Is that it?”

Makenna threw back her shoulders and pushed her breasts forward. “I think I deserve one, don’t you?”

“Damn straight I do.” Titan observed dryly. Looking at Allie, he tipped his hat. “Excuse me, ma’am. Do you have a way home?” When she looked confused, he called to Hotshot. “Could you see that Allie Langston gets somewhere safe? I don’t think she should be alone tonight, under the circumstances.” At his friend’s nod, he swept Makenna up in his arms, settling her over his shoulder in a classic fireman’s haul—in other words, her rear end was pointing skyward.

After hearing Hotshot’s explanation about the evening’s events, Allie held up a filmy piece of material and Makenna grabbed it as she passed. “Here’s your cover-up and don’t worry about me. I’ll go to my cousin’s house. He and his wife have been asking me to visit.”

“I don’t understand,” she mumbled. Apparently she’d missed something. After Titan walked out of the gate, Makenna realized they were really leaving. “Hey! I wasn’t ready to go.” Makenna snorted, then groaned. “Whoa…all the blood’s rushing to my head.” She hung there a few more seconds. “God, you’ve got a great ass.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Titan chuckled, popped her on the rear and said, “How much did you have to drink?”

“Not enough.” Makenna wanted to talk to him. She put her hands on the upper curve of his hips and pushed up, which didn’t succeed in doing anything but making her butt wiggle.

Titan smiled at everyone as he passed them. He guessed word would get out that the Captain’s soon-to-be ex-wife had been carried from the party by the new Fire Chief. Which was fine by him. “Sounds like you need some coffee.” This was probably the wrong way to go about keeping her safe, but right now it was all he had. So, to hell with it. Titan was getting what he wanted in the bargain. He was getting his cake, and later if fate was kind, he was going to eat it—every sweet bite.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere so we can be alone.” He paused. “We need to talk.”

His words brightened her world like she’d just stepped into a bright ray of sunshine. He’d come after her! Then as seconds passed, doubts set in. Makenna was sobering up quickly. Knowing her luck, Titan was probably trying to be a good friend or a big brother figure. “Put me down, Titan. I need to see your face.”

“Not till we get to my truck,” he answered in short order.

Makenna hung there, willing her stomach not to misbehave. “Well, don’t walk so hard. I’m woozy.”

Her small words from behind his back touched his heart. “Oh, come here, baby.” He gently pulled her forward and into his arms until she was nestled against his chest like a bride. “Better?”

“I think so.” She studied his face. “What’s going on, Sloan?”

Seeing they were being watched by a half dozen interested townspeople, Titan answered, “We’ll talk about it once we’re alone.”

Once they were alone. “Okay.” She liked that. Makenna nestled her head on his chest and let out a big sigh.

When they arrived at his truck a few seconds later, he sat her down in the seat facing him. Bracketing her with his arms, he caged her close. “I have to tell you something.”

Makenna’s heart thumped. This was it. He was going to tell her he couldn’t wait another moment to have her in his arms…and then he was going to kiss her. She leaned toward him. “I think I know what you’re going to say, but I want to hear you say it.”

Titan paused a second. “So, you heard? Conner got ahold of you?”

“Conner?” Doubt dampened her joy. “What do you mean?”

“Damien’s out on bail. You’re not safe.”

His words were like a bucket of cold water. “Oh.” Her face flamed. She didn’t know what upset her more—the fact Damien was free to hurt her again or that Titan had only come to warn her, not claim her. She began to try and climb down out of the truck, which was difficult with Titan’s bulk in the way. But she gave it her best shot, wiggling and stretching her legs out, trying to touch the ground while she pushed on his chest.

“What exactly are you aiming to do?” Titan chuckled. The only thing she was succeeding at was turning him on.

“I’m trying to go back to the party. I need to find Allie and…and…” She wrapped the oversize scarf around her waist and tied it in a knot over her hip.

Titan mourned the addition of the extra material.

“Now let me go.” She pressed her hands against his chest. Her body was wedged against his and she was getting exactly nowhere. “Would you move?”

“No.” Titan was confused. She was acting like he’d hurt her feelings. “What did you think I was going to say?” Reinforcing his point, he repeated himself. “A while ago when you said you wanted to hear me say it, what did you mean?”

“Just let me go.” Makenna was so embarrassed, she wanted to get away. “I need to find someplace safe.”

Titan put his arms around her. “Lean on me, I’m sturdy. Don’t I make you feel safe?”

“Yes, but…” Exasperated, she leaned her head against his wide chest. “I thought you’d come here to…” Her voice trailed off into nothing. “Instead you just came to give me bad news. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“What’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on.” Titan held her shoulders so he could look into her face. “Yes, I came to tell you about Damien. Do you think I want him to get his hands on you again?” He cupped the side of her face. “Makenna, I’ve held myself back. I’ve done what I thought was the right thing, only to find out your marriage was a sham. I should’ve acted on my instincts a long time ago.” As he spoke, he could tell she was shocked—her eyes widened and he didn’t know if that was good or bad. “What I’m trying to say is—if you want a man in your life, you’ve got one. Me.”

The moon was out, the stars were bright and Makenna tried to decide if she was asleep and dreaming or if this was real. She blinked, wet her lips, then raised her hand to touch him, making sure he wouldn’t fade away as he had so many other times in her dreams. “You want me,” she said with wonder.

Titan stared at her as if she had just asked him if the Dallas Cowboys were a hockey team. “You have to ask? I thought I’d already made my case.”

Makenna glared at him. “Yes, I have to ask. In the hospital, after you were burned, you said ‘this isn’t working’. What did you mean?”

Bowing his head to hers, he kissed her on the neck, right where it met her shoulder. “The pain killers loosened my tongue. I was trying to tell you that seeing you all the time and not having you was killing me. So, yes I want you. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you herding little ducks across the road.”

Makenna tensed, hesitated, then flung herself into his arms. “I used to imagine I belonged to you rather than him. I tried to hide it, I really did.”

Tightening his arms around her, Titan held her close. “You hid it well enough. I didn’t know. I could only hope.” Kissing her on the side of the face, he turned her and helped her fasten the seatbelt. “Let’s get out of here. I want to be alone with you.”

Chapter Six

‡

First they drove by Allie’s to pick up her bag. Titan took the key, asking what room her things were in. “First bedroom on the right down the hall,” she answered. He clicked the lock button behind him, leaving her in the darkened truck. She peered out into the night, half expecting Damien to come rushing out of the shadows. When Titan returned, they resumed the trip.

Even though the drive to Skyview took only minutes, Makenna’s head was so full of thoughts it was spinning. She was ultra-aware of being alone with Titan, of his strong body so close to hers. He was so calm, so sure of himself. It was hard to comprehend that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Damien had made her question everything, even who she was and her value as a person. She wanted to ask Titan if her staying with him was temporary or…more, but she didn’t. What would people say when they heard she’d moved out of the house with her husband and into Titan’s? She decided the smart thing to do was take it one day at a time—heck, one hour at a time. Makenna was just going to be grateful she was out of danger and with someone who seemed to care about her. After all, she used to have someone who cared for her.

Makenna had grown up in Oklahoma City, the spoiled only daughter of Cedric and Darcy Neil. Her childhood had been perfectly normal until that fateful day in April of 1995 when her world had exploded. The aftermath had left her shaken, questioning everything. Had it changed her? Of course it did. The remaining years of her childhood had been spent rebuilding herself, trying to make sense of why she was alive when so many others were dead. The psychiatrist had called it ‘survivor’s guilt’. In many ways, Makenna carried that guilt with her even today.

When she’d met and married Damien, the attention he’d given her seemed heaven-sent. Above all she longed for normalcy, she just wanted to be like everyone else and not special just because she’d narrowly escaped death. Makenna wanted to live.

But she had no idea living could become so painful. Being with Damien was nothing like she’d hoped for. He stole what confidence she had left. What was different about her? Did she deserve the way he treated her? Had she done something wrong? And tonight she was with another man. Makenna was placing her faith and trust into the hands of Titan Sloan.

Titan knew this road like the back of his hand. Driving safely on the curvy road, he had no intention of endangering the precious cargo he carried. The illumination from the dashboard lights allowed him to see the pale shape of her bare legs. He longed to run his hand down their smooth length, spread them apart and make himself a place between them. More than that, he wanted to make a place for himself in her life. Seeing her hand resting on her thigh, he took it, weaving his fingers with hers. It was so small and it trembled within his grasp. “Don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen that you don’t want. I only want to make you feel safe and happy.”

“I keep expecting to wake up back in my own bed and find I’ve dreamed all of this,” Makenna confessed, placing her other hand over the top of their joined ones as if attempting to anchor herself to him.

Titan used his thumb to caress her palm. “I know it’s been horrible for you.”

“How did he get out on bail? He admitted to beating me up.”

Wishing he had an answer, he just held her hand tighter. “I don’t know. I suppose he has friends in high places.”

“I’m sorry you’re in the middle of all of this,” Makenna apologized.

“Shhhh,” Titan protested. “You’ll never know how often I’ve longed for you to be right where you are.” Titan tightened the hand he was driving with over the steering wheel, making the knuckles go white. He hated the fact that he’d allowed Damien to continue his abuse of Makenna for so long. Titan blamed himself for not comprehending what was happening, for explaining away the suspicious things in his mind instead of acting on them—for allowing Makenna’s terror to exist right under his nose for as long as it had gone on. Damien Wade was not the fine upstanding citizen and community leader the community presumed him to be, yet even now people were doubting his guilt. They hadn’t seen Makenna’s battered body or held her as she cried.

With a great sense of homecoming, he pulled under the Skyview sign, parked near his front entrance and turned off the ignition. Makenna started to get out, and Titan raised the hand he still held and kissed it. “Stay put. Allow me. I don’t want you to turn your ankle in those heels.”

Even that simple gentlemanly act was alien to Makenna. Trembling, she opened up her door and waited for him. Effortlessly Titan lifted her, carrying her across the yard to the house. He seemed to have no trouble, shifting her weight so he could open the door, then flipping the switch to turn on the light. Everything looked much the same as when she’d been here last, comfortable and lived in. A book lay open on the arm of the recliner, a few sports trophies were lined up on the bookshelf and a valet kit lay open where he’d been shining his boots. The place looked like Titan. “I’m glad to be here.” She hugged him gratefully.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. She shook her head no, biting her lower lip with her small white teeth. “I’m thirsty.”

“Coffee, tea?”

Before he could say ‘me’, she asked for “Milk?”

“You got it.” She tagged along behind him as he went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. “Warm, cold or chocolate?”

“Chocolate.” She said the word with a smile in her voice.

“A girl after my own heart.” He poured two big glasses, placed one in front of her where she sat at the bar, and took a tin of cookies from atop the refrigerator. “Nutter Butters.”

Makenna’s stomach growled. “This is nice.” Taking a sip of milk, she reached for a cookie.

Titan felt his heart lurch in his chest, realizing she probably hadn’t enjoyed moments like this with Wade. Even though he hurt for Makenna, part of him was glad he could be the one to share them with her. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all of this.”

Makenna finished chewing her mouthful of cookie, wiping a crumb from the corner of her lip. “I’m ashamed,” she confessed. “I would still be there if he hadn’t threatened you. I was convinced he’d set the fire at Allie’s and just knew he would do something to you next.”

“You should have told me long ago,” Titan said gently, dipping one of his cookies in the milk. “I would have helped you, no questions asked.”

“Like you’re doing now.” She smiled sadly. “He’s free. This isn’t over.” Makenna cleared her throat. “If the law isn’t on my side, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Titan laid his half-eaten cookie down. “That’s easy. You’re staying with me.” He held her gaze, staring deep into her eyes. “At least until we know you’re safe.” Titan wanted to offer more, but knowing what she’d been through, he knew it was probably best to take it slow.

“I’ll disrupt your life.”

Smiling, he drained his glass of milk. “I can’t think of a better disruption.”

Makenna didn’t miss the heated look he gave her. Even though she was right where she’d longed to be, Makenna feared she was setting them both up for disappointment. “I need to tell you something and it’s embarrassing.”

“You can tell me anything.” Seeing she was nervous, Titan picked up the glasses, rinsed them and set them in the sink. “Come with me to the couch and let’s get comfortable.”

Makenna went with him. His living room was large, a big fireplace to the right, picture windows to the left. A large brown fabric couch faced a flat screen TV. Like she had in the truck, she found herself glancing out the window, imagining her husband would come crashing through the glass at any moment. The events of the day and the knowledge that Damien was out of jail caught up with her. “Could we go in a room that doesn’t have such big windows?”

“Damn, baby, I’m sorry.” Titan immediately pulled the curtains. “Sure, let’s go to my bedroom, I have a sitting area in there too.”

His room. Her feet almost wouldn’t cooperate. She had spent the night here just a few days before, but this time it felt completely different. When he opened the door to his suite, she saw he did indeed have only one window and it was covered by heavy drapes. A loveseat and a recliner sat to the left of a bed so big, it looked special made. Titan would require such a bed. Shivers of awareness sent chill bumps over her skin. Needing some distance, she chose the recliner.

Her choice of a place to sit didn’t go unnoticed by Titan. “I told you that you have nothing to worry about. You’re safe with me.” He sat across from her. “You’re even safe from me.”

“I don’t know how to say this.” She felt foolish. “In my mind, I thought if I could just get to you, everything would be all right.”

“And you were exactly right.” Titan sought to assure her of this fact. “I’ll protect you with my life.”

Waving her hand at the bed, she just blurted out her concern. “I thought about you all the time. I would touch myself thinking about you.” Makenna felt herself blushing, but she forced out the words. “But I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

The statement that she’d touched herself thinking of him almost stalled his brain. “I thought of you too, often. Do you want to leave?” Titan didn’t know if he wanted to hear her answer.

“No.” Makenna blushed. “I’m just not sure I’m ready to have sex. And after the kiss and everything I’ve said, it seems silly.”

Titan breathed a sigh of relief. “Honey, it isn’t silly at all.” He gave her a big smile. “I’m willing to wait as long as it takes.” Going to kneel in front of her, he clasped her hands. “I’ve seen and heard enough to realize the hell he put you through. I’m just grateful you’re here with me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you feel safe and cherished.”

Needing to unburden, Makenna spilled out her heart to him. “There were times when things were fairly normal, but I would never know what might set him off. He was a control freak. If I did what he said and obeyed the rules, sometimes we could go for several days without an episode.”

Titan clenched his hands into fists. Makenna’s referring to what she’d endured with such an innocuous word as ‘episode’ only seemed to make it worse. “What set him off this last time?” She bowed her head, appearing to not want to answer. “Tell me, baby. Was it the door I ripped off the hinges?” He’d worried about that.

“No.” She shook her head. “Not really. I was able to replace the nails and get the hinges back in place after he’d passed out.” Makenna gave him a small smile. “I’m fairly handy with tools.”

“What was it then?”

Again, she delayed. Seeing his adamancy, she finally relented. “He checked my phone.”

Remorse dug into Titan’s chest like a knife. “I called to check on you.”

Not wanting him to blame himself, she enclosed one of his hands in both of hers. “Your kindness and concern wasn’t the problem. Damien is crazy. He’s sadistic. He lashes out, he hits, he punishes for the least little infraction.”

Her words did little to alleviate his pain. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

Feeling her face flame scarlet, Makenna dampened her lips before adding, “I didn’t want him.” She laughed harshly. “How could I? I hated him.”

Makenna began to cry and Titan couldn’t stand it. Rising, he asked. “Can I hold you? If that’s all you’re comfortable with, that’s all we’ll do. But if I don’t get you in my arms soon, I’ll go crazy.”

His passion thrilled her. It also made it hard to stand still. He was so intense and she was so…damaged. “In the bed?” She looked over at the wide expanse again.

“If you want, we’ll do whatever makes you happy.” He stood. “Let me go downstairs and get your suitcase.”

While he was gone, she paid a visit to the bathroom, washing her face with cool water. Slipping off the high heels and the cover up, she waited until Titan returned. When he left the case outside the door, Makenna took it and removed a sleep shirt. It was about as appealing as a feed sack, but she hadn’t borrowed anything from Allie and sexy lingerie hadn’t been something Damien demanded or allowed. Pulling the much-washed garment over her head, she fled the bathroom before she could chicken out.

It’s said that good things come to those who wait. Titan agreed. When Makenna came through the door, he felt his pulse rate skyrocket. “If you want, I can sleep on top of the covers and you can be underneath.” He’d turned down the navy spread, fluffed the pillows and made the bed as inviting as he could.

“No, I’d rather be closer to you…unless that’s what—”

“No, hell, no!” he exclaimed as she climbed into the bed, curling on her side the way she had the other night when he’d watched her sleep.

Before her, he began to undress, removing his alligator boots and the ever-present Stetson. She couldn’t look away, she didn’t want to. He was a giant of a man, making most other men pale in size and comparison. Stocky, his body was thick with muscles—ripped and chiseled with perfect definition. At six-five, he was more than a full foot taller than Makenna. Licking her upper lip, she shamelessly stared at his hot banging body. At thirty-three, he was in the prime of life with honey-brown hair and topaz eyes. Wide cheekbones and a ready smile complimented a strong jaw and a determined chin. Stripping down to his underwear, he proudly stood before her. There was a huge ridge in his briefs, but she allowed herself only a glance at it.

“Your eyes are making promises I hope you’ll want to fulfill one day.”

“Sorry.” She dove under the covers. “I’m a mess, I know I am.”

Titan chuckled. “As long as you’re my sweet mess, that’s all that matters.”

His light-hearted comment relaxed her. The bed sank beneath his weight as he stretched out. “I can’t believe we’re here like this, together,” she spoke low as if telling him a secret.

“You look right at home to me. I’ve pictured you in my bed a thousand times.” Her beautiful dark hair was spread out on his pillow. He wanted to take her in his arms so bad he ached, but they were going to take it slow even if it killed him. Rolling over to face her, they lay near but not touching. “God, you’re pretty.” He hoped his voice didn’t betray how desperate he was for her. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Makenna.

Titan held his breath as she eased closer, her body shifting until she was close enough to kiss. “Before coming here, I’d forgotten they made men like you.”

Her gaze held so much trust it broke him apart and remade him new. “I’m just a man who recognizes how wonderful you are.” Reaching between them, he took her hand. At the moment, that was the only part of them that was touching. He held it in his own. It was small, dainty and feminine. Her fingers weren’t long, but slender and tapered, and the pads were infinitely smooth and petal soft. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes.” She let out a small gasp as he brought his mouth to hers. She felt his breath feather across her lips and then a gentle joining. Needing to connect, she let the fingers of her other hand brush his face—caressing, loving the texture of his close trimmed scruff.

He loved her kiss. Her lips were tender and giving. Breathing deep, Titan sought to capture the essence of her deep within him. Her tongue teased the seam of his mouth and he gladly allowed her inside. Over and over, he moved his lips over hers, consuming her mouth, sucking gently at her tongue.

Finally, she pulled back, kissing the side of his face as she did so. “Titan, I’m nervous. I’m so afraid I’ll do something wrong.” Her pink mouth trembled and her violet eyes glimmered with unshed tears as the words of her confession came bubbling forth.

Titan cursed softly. His chest was so tight it felt like a band of steel was wrapped around his middle. “Do something wrong?” He stroked her face with the back of his fingers. “Oh, baby, that will never happen. To me you are simply perfect. All I’ve ever wanted is you, just the way you are. My whole body aches from wanting you.”

During the kiss, she’d drawn closer until her body was pressing against his. He had one big arm wrapped around her middle, as if daring anything to harm or threaten her. “I don’t see how that’s possible,” she muttered.

“If words won’t convince you, maybe this will.” He cupped the side of her neck, dragging his thumb over the soft spot where her pulse raced. “Put your hand over my heart.” She hesitated. “Do it.”

Drawn by his magnetic warmth, she placed her open palm against the smooth skin, sculpted with muscle. Beneath her hand, his heart pounded. Strong.

“What do you feel?”

“Your heart, it’s beating hard and fast.” She studied his face. Makenna had never met another man like him, powerful yet gentle. He exuded confidence, carried himself with utmost assurance, a man who knew exactly what he wanted and knew he was capable of getting it—and taking care of it after it was his.

“That’s what you do to me. No other woman has ever made me feel the way you do.”

She started to question that miracle when Titan sealed his lips to hers. A jolt of electric joy sizzled through her body. He cupped her nape, holding Makenna in place with his fingers tangled in her hair. Sensuously, his mouth moved over hers, a gentle demand that made her weak. There was no doubt he was claiming her, no doubt she was important to him.

When he drew back for breath, she rubbed her face on his chest. He tightened his arm around her and when he did, her lower body came into contact with his. His erection was huge, and she instinctively moved against him. When he moaned, she quickly moved back and apologized. “Sorry.”

“Don’t you ever apologize for making me hard.” He began to kiss the side of her face and her neck. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yea, I’m fine.” Understatement. She was tingling from head to foot.

“Good, ‘cause we’re gonna make up for lost time. I still plan on taking you out on dates, courting you. But right now, we’re gonna neck…for hours.”

Makenna’s heart flipped over in her chest.

Titan Sloan was a man of his word. They kissed until both trembled from need. But that’s all that happened. When it became too much, he clasped her to him and they held one another tight. Sometime during the night, she fell asleep in his arms and he held her until he drifted off, more content than he could ever remember being.

But during the early hours of morning…something woke him. A keening sound brought his eyes wide open. He sat up, the events of the night before swamping him.

Makenna.

He was alone. Where was she?

Another small noise drew his attention to the floor on the opposite side of the bed. He went up on one knee to look and found Makenna on the floor. “Baby?” Without hesitation, he gathered her up. “Did you fall off the bed?”

To his combined joy and concern, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck. “I forgot where I was. When I realized there was someone in the bed with me, I went to the floor. I wasn’t allowed to sleep on the bed if he was there.”

Disbelief robbed Titan of speech for a time. Swallowing, he spoke, “What do you mean?”

“It’s not as bad as it sounded.” She didn’t want him feeling sorry for her.

“Bad?” He bristled. “I would give everything I owned to have you in my bed and that ape forced you to sleep on the floor!” He had to know. “On an air mattress, with a quilt?”

She shook her head. “No, just me and the hardwood floor.” She shivered in his arms. “But it became an odd source of comfort, really. I felt safer there than in the bed.”

It was obvious she was trying to make him feel better, when all he felt was sick. “From now on you’ll only sleep on the softest of beds.”

Feeling an incredible need to make him smile, she pushed on his chest until he lay supine. Then she draped herself over him, placing her head on his shoulder and running her hand down his chest to come very close to his manhood. “I don’t know, sometimes I prefer a firmer place to rest.”

Titan shut his eyes and held her close. “Whatever you need, that’s what you’ll have.”

*

Titan opened his eyes. The sun was coming up and beginning to filter its morning light into the bedroom. At first, familiar thoughts and feelings filled his mind. He thought of the day of the week, his normal routine, his hope for the future…and then he heard it…a soft feminine sigh. He turned his head so hard and fast that he hurt his neck. He’d thought it had all been a dream.

“Makenna,” he whispered. She was here. Slowly and quietly, he rolled over to face her. The reality of her being this close, within easy reach, brought a prayer of thanksgiving to his lips. He let his eyes caress each feature, linger on the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Everything she’d been through, the dangers she still faced bore heavily on his mind. All of that Titan would deal with, Damien Wade’s power and hold over this woman was broken.

She made a small noise, using the back of her hand to rub her face and scratch her nose. Titan smiled so big he hurt his face. Makenna was here, she was safe and he was alone no longer.

It was going to be a good day.

He was in no hurry to get out of bed. She wiggled a little, scooting closer to him, a satisfied hum slipping from her lips. Her nipples were poking tiny tents in the material of her sleep shirt. So tempting. And soon he’d know what they looked like, what they tasted like. But he was firmly committed to taking his time, showing her what love should be like between a man and a woman.

With that firm resolve in mind, he crawled from the bed, apologizing to his cock, which had been hard so long without relief, it thought he’d joined a monastery. Giving her one last longing look, Titan went to shower and ready himself for the day. Letting her sleep in, Titan was preparing French toast when he heard her padding into the kitchen in bare feet. He glanced over his shoulder and what he saw made him smile. She was clearly not a morning person. Her hair was adorable, sticking up all over the place and her eyes were still sleepy. She was cuddliness personified. “You make me want to take you back to bed and snuggle.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” She yawned and stretched, the action bringing his attention to her full round breasts. “The least I can do is feed you for taking care of me.”

“I like taking care of you.” He pulled out a chair and held it while she sat down.” Once they were eating, reality came knocking for Titan. “Listen, I’ve been thinking and I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself for a while.” Taking a sip of coffee, he explained. “There’s no reason you can’t stay close to me until we know more about what to expect from your ex.”

“He’s not my ex, yet,” Makenna mused, licking a speck of syrup from her lip.

“No, but he soon will be.” Titan gave in to the impulse and leaned in to kiss away another spot of sugary sweetness from the corner of her mouth.

This made Makenna laugh. “Are you asking me to move in with you for a while, Mr. Sloan?” A day or two ago she wouldn’t have even considered teasing a man about something so personal. She owed Titan for several acts of kindness and one of those things was giving her a measure of confidence.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am,” Titan agreed. “But what I’m saying is that I want you to stick close, which means you’re going to have to go out with me to do the ranch work. How are you with a posthole digger?”

She stared at him, then laughed. “I’m not sure, but I’ll try. I want to make sure and pull my weight.”

Titan made a show of looking her up and down. “You’re going to have to do better than that, you don’t weigh enough to anchor down a good size balloon.” When she pooched her lips out, he snorted and pulled her into his arms. “I just want you safe. And the only way I can ensure that is to keep you close enough to touch.” He kissed her on the lips. “Which is not a hardship, believe me.”

Makenna relaxed against him. “I can’t believe they let him go with just a slap on the wrist.”

“Small-town politics,” he mused. “The first thing we need to do is go down to see Sheriff Conner and find out about getting a restraining order.” A shiver of apprehension coursing through her body caused Titan to hold her closer. “Don’t worry, it won’t be a big deal, just filling out some paperwork.”

She took him at his word and over the next few hours, even if he didn’t know it, Titan began to show her what a relationship was supposed to be like. Up till now she’d had to guess what normal was supposed to be. Her only examples were the early memories of her parents’ marriage and examples in television and movies. Titan was caring, considerate, teasing—he kept her laughing more often than not. The contrast of Titan with Damien was the same as comparing light with dark. She’d learned to exist in a world where she walked a fine line, speaking only when spoken to, striving to be invisible, knowing that no matter how much she tried to please, she was never good enough.

Before leaving for town, he escorted her to the barn and introduced her to two young brown and white spotted goats. “This is Houdini and I call this little girl Cola.”

Makenna knelt down to pet them. “What odd names. How did you come up with them?” She giggled as they nuzzled her palm. “Are they hungry?”

“Here,” he handed her some nuggets, “they’re always hungry.” He squatted down beside her, his big form providing shadow from the harsh rays of the morning sun. “Houdini got his name because I couldn’t keep him in any pen I made. He could even open the lock on the gate. And I caught this girl latching on to the end of my soda bottle. She turned it up and drank it down like she’d been doing it for years.”

Makenna laughed. “They’re adorable. I saw this video the other day where these two little goats were wearing pajamas.”

“What?” Titan snorted. He picked up Cola with one hand and tugged on Houdini’s short horns with the other. “If you two want pajamas, you’re going to have to talk your mama into making them for you.” When Cola bleated loudly, Titan looked toward Makenna. “What do you say? Would you make these two each a pair of onesies?”

“I could certainly try. I used to be able to sew.” Makenna felt joy explode in her chest. Not over mothering a baby goat, although the idea certainly held appeal—it was because Titan was making a place for her.

A little later when they arrived at the Sheriff’s office, he escorted her in, a hand at the small of her back. She stepped through the utilitarian green doors, memories of her last visit haunting her. How Damien had beat her, not for the first time, but with an intensity and a savagery that sent her running to Titan. “How does this work?” she asked.

“I’m not sure, but don’t worry, I’m with you every step of the way.” His assurance meant more to Makenna than she could say.

After telling a red-headed female deputy what they needed, she directed them to the courthouse. “Go to the family law department and ask them for an application for a domestic violence order, fill it out and within forty-eight hours, the court will issue a temporary restraining order. You’ll get notice when your hearing is scheduled for a permanent order. And good luck.”

When she added the personal well-wishes, Makenna recognized the woman as the one who’d processed her the night she’d filed charges on Damien. “Thank you so much.”

As Titan escorted her across the road, he questioned the clinical instructions. “Did she say you had to get an application for a domestic violence order?”

She tried to make light of the situation. “Yea, it sounds like I’m asking for additional abuse.”

Titan didn’t find her joke amusing. “No one is going to hurt you again, Makenna. You have a champion now.”

As she walked beside the big cowboy, Makenna found the courage to stand up for herself. In a few minutes, she’d filled out the forms and they were on their way out. She was feeling good about everything when she heard a voice from behind.

“Look at her, hooking up with another man so soon. What kind of a woman does that? Accusing a good man like Damien Wade of being a wife abuser. Why, I bet she faked her injuries like they do in the movies with make-up. I hear she’s crazy. She’s been in a psychiatric ward.”

Makenna froze. Her feet wouldn’t move. There was no way Titan had missed the mortifying exchange. The woman had made no attempt to lower her voice. She felt him move away from her. Who could blame him? Closing her eyes, she willed herself to disappear.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” Makenna heard Titan address the older lady. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. As a woman, you should support other women who are victims of physical violence. What if you couldn’t trust the person who was supposed to love you the most?”

Hearing him defend her was wonderful, but it didn’t keep her from being embarrassed to death.

“Come on.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here. You don’t have to listen to such nonsense.”

Makenna followed him out to his truck, but once they were inside, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Not all of it was nonsense.” At his confused expression, she tried to explain. “I was under psychiatric care for a time.”

Titan asked no questions. He sat calmly by her, knowing she needed to talk.

“It’s not what you would think,” Makenna began, clenching her hands into fists. “Although I guess anytime one requires therapy, it’s a sign that all isn’t right.” Taking a deep breath, she let it all out. “I was young, nearly six when it happened.”

Titan felt his stomach roll. He dreaded what he was about to hear. “Go on, honey, I’m listening.”

Makenna sighed. She didn’t know any other way but to just say it. Years after it had happened, it was still hard to talk about. “I was one of the few children in the daycare at the Murrah Federal building to survive the Oklahoma City bombing. My mother died in the terrorist attack and my father grieved himself to death a few years later.”

“Oh, my God.” Titan reached for her, unbuckling her seatbelt and pulling her into his lap. “I’m so sorry. What you must have gone through.”

She laid her head on his shoulder, flashes of that day bombarding her mind. The deafening explosion, the white-hot blast, the crashing of her world as it came tumbling around her. “Back then, I didn’t even know what a terrorist was. I had very little idea what death meant. The blast killed a hundred and sixty-eight people, including nineteen children. I was one of the lucky ones. Allie’s mother worked there too, but Allie was sick that day so she and her mother weren’t in the building. We met at a survivor’s conference when we were teenagers.” She looked up to meet his eyes. “Something like that scars your soul.”

“Yet you survived, just like you did the hell Damien put you through.” He stroked her hair. “Makes you a hero in my book.”

“He loved to tell people about the time I spent in psychiatric care. I guess it was his way of setting me up so nothing I could ever say would be believed. He just neglected to explain the circumstances.”

Titan bristled. “Wade’s an idiot, we’ve already established that.”

Makenna laughed, hugging him hard. “You make me feel so much better. How do you do that?”

“Just loving you, baby,” he whispered. “Easy as pie.”

On the way home, Titan’s radio went off. After listening, he announced. “We’ve got another grass fire.”

Knowing he was in a hurry, she quickly told him, “Head on to the fire station, I’ll get a ride home.”

“Nope, you’re coming with me. Remember? You can sit in the fire truck.” He smiled. “You’ll be our mascot.” He flipped a switch and turned on his truck’s siren and flashing light. “Hold on.”

“While I’m sewing the goat’s pajamas, I guess I should make me a spotted Dalmatian suit.” Makenna teased him, holding on to the dash, excited to be going with him.

“You’ll look good, you’re sexy in anything you wear,” he said conversationally as he sped up.

“Where’s the fire?” she asked, helping him watch the road. It always scared her when the men had to drive fast, knowing people could disregard the warning and pull out in front of them.

“Out near Canyon Lake, that’s all I know at this point.”

When they arrived at the station, she stayed out of the way and marveled at how the guys each did their part, gathering their gear and preparing the truck. Everyone had a job, working together like a well-oiled machine. Soon they’d donned their bunker gear and were ready to load up. “Come on, baby,” Titan called, holding out his hand. She blushed, seeing the surprised yet happy faces of her friends as it dawned on them that she and Titan were together.

Soon they were on their way, the red trucks speeding toward the fire, sirens wailing. Makenna felt exhilarated. She hoped no one was in danger, but knowing these men were on their way gave her assurance all would be well.

Soon they could see the black smoke billowing up from the treetops. “I wonder what caused it?” Makenna asked no one in particular. She was sitting in the back seat of the fire engine. Titan was driving, with Dallas in the front while she was in the back with Blaze. Hotshot was bringing up the rear, pulling a trailer with a dozer onboard. The rest of the men were on the tanker truck, which led the way.

Blaze watched out the window, mesmerized by the sight of all the smoke and the flames that could be seen shooting up from the tops of the trees. The fire appeared to be spreading fast. “Could be several things, someone burning brush, lightning—although there hasn’t been a storm—could be carelessness, even arson.”

There was no more time for conversation. The trucks turned down a small dirt road and stopped where there was a gate in the fence. Dallas hopped out and opened the gate, holding it while all three trucks made their way close enough to the fire to do their job.

Makenna could see the charred undergrowth. How could they fight such a big fire? On the way, she’d heard Titan put out the call for area help and as soon as they were parked, she could hear more sirens in the distance. The sound made her feel better, she wanted every precaution taken. Putting out the fire was important, but the safety of the firefighters was paramount also.

“You stay here, well out of the way,” Titan warned her, unrolling the hose. She gave him a smile, fully intending to follow his edict. There was a difference between orders given out of love and those given out of a need for control.

Climbing on the truck so she could see, Makenna watched their progress. The men used a combination of water and foam to fight the fire. Maverick climbed aboard the dozer and used the plow attachment to dig a ditch around the perimeter so the flames couldn’t advance. Even from the distance she stood, Makenna could feel the heat and her heart clenched knowing those men were right on top of it. She always worried about them, but being here and watching made her realize she’d never really understood what they went through to battle fires. When the mutual aid trucks arrived from neighboring communities, Makenna breathed a sigh of relief.

To help, she kept water ready, running to carry it to any man who neared. Keeping them hydrated was necessary and the least she could do. Whenever possible her eye was on Titan. The fire was fueled by rising winds and drought dried grass. Part of her wondered why they just didn’t plow the barrier and let it burn itself out, but she’d heard them discuss things like this at the meetings. People’s homes and properties were endangered, wildlife and nature were at risk. Controlled burns were one thing, but this was not that—this grass fire was dangerous and out of control.

At one point, things were looking up…until a call was received. There was another fire, a similar one about five miles south. Now, their resources had to be split.

Feeling helpless, Makenna watched the brave men fight, then go on to fight some more. She watched Titan like a hawk, nervous that fatigue would jeopardize his safety. After hours of heat, smoke and back-breaking labor, he was going to be dead on his feet. And all she could do was watch and worry.

When it was all over, the sun was down and the moon had risen. Fire had eaten up the day and several dozen acres. The Fire Marshal was on the scene with Titan, trying to determine the cause of the fires. They located the origin of the blaze but any evidence of how it was ignited had been destroyed. One thing was certain, however. The fires weren’t natural—someone or something had started them.

Arson.

Makenna was glad she was with Titan. He was big and he was strong, but even he had limits. To think he might have had to go home alone, if she hadn’t been there with him was almost unthinkable. Once they were back at Skyview, Makenna pampered him. She fed him and after he showered, she tended minor burns and scrapes. And then she took him to bed. He was exhausted, but at least he was safe. So, she held him tight until morning broke.

Chapter Seven

‡

Titan was restless. Tossing and turning, he seemed to fight the flames even in his sleep. Makenna watched over him. For most of the night, she kept her hand on him, wanting the connection as much for herself as for him. She felt no need to abandon the bed for the floor, rather she served as his guardian angel while he slept. Before dawn she dropped off, only to awaken with her head resting on his outstretched arm.

Studying his face, Makenna felt an overwhelming tenderness. He was such a good man. He groaned, bending one leg and shifting his body. When he did, she saw that he was erect. Awareness tingled through her pussy. He was big…bigger than…

Makenna refused to finish the thought.

Titan would never hurt her.

Yes, she was nervous. Sex for her had always been something to dread, just an act not a celebration. She never expected pleasure and usually received pain, for there had been no arousal and no affection. But this…this was something else entirely. Just lying next to Titan had her breasts throbbing. Her nipples were pebbled so tight they ached. Makenna wanted him to the depth and breadth of her soul. She’d survived life with Damien by escaping in her mind to be with this man.

And here she was in bed with him, wasting time by being afraid.

How silly was that?

Edging over next to him, she lightly placed her hand on his chest and waited. He didn’t move, he was still sound asleep. “Cowgirl up, Makenna, you can do this. You’ve rehearsed it a million times in your dreams,” she whispered to herself. Strategizing her moves, she eased over and touched her lips to his broad chest, sprinkling butterfly kisses all over his skin. Her hand slid gently south, tracing his abs. Encountering the sheet, she slipped her fingers beneath it and tentatively continued her downward approach. Radiant waves of arousal surged through her body, making her clit swell and her body flush with heat.

Would he welcome her? Every indication he’d given her told her he would.

Soft touch. Tender lips. His cock straining to greet the caresses that were coming so close to where he craved them to be. At first Titan thought this was another of his dreams about her. But when he opened his eyes, it was to find her kissing him, touching him—Makenna was making love to him.

Maybe if she hadn’t been so into what she was doing, his swift intake of breath and the tensing of his muscles might have clued Makenna into the fact that Titan was wide-awake and fully engaged. But she was busy with open-mouthed kisses on one flat male nipple and her fingertips brushing the very tip of his hungry cock.

“Morning, beautiful.”

Whoa! Her head jerked up, her hand jerked back and a surprised look came over her face like a little girl caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Oh, hi.”

Titan was thrilled. He wanted her so much, he’d been afraid he would let his desire override his restraint. Erring on the side of caution was preferable over making her uncomfortable. But now…now she was about to…take matters into her own hands. “Please don’t stop.”

The almost desperate expression on his face obliterated any hesitancy she might have had. Sharing a bed with someone she didn’t fear was fun. “You have morning wood.”

Her slightly naughty comment took him by surprise. “I’m in bed with the sexiest woman in the world. Of course I’m hard.” He ran his fingers through her hair, loving the freedom to touch her. “What should we do about it?”

“I was taught waste not, want not.” With a mischievous grin, she answered matter-of-factly, her questing fingers inching a few millimeters lower.

Jerking back the sheet and shucking his shorts, Titan invited her to do what she willed. “Far be it from me to contribute to an erection shortage.”

Makenna gasped. “Oh, there’s nothing short about your erection.” Quickly, her eyes darted back to his, needing to remember who she was with.

Seeing her apprehension, Titan came over her, sheltering her body with his own. “You know I’d never hurt you. Never.” Cupping her face, he caressed her cheek with his thumb. “You don’t ever have to fear me. What you can expect from me is not pain, but pleasure.”

“I know.” She could feel the length of him pressing against her hip.

“You’re made for me. Never doubt it. You’ll fit me like a glove.” Makenna was holding him tightly, her palm flat on his pec, her fingers flexing and kneading like a little cat. Titan dropped his mouth to hers and claimed the kiss he’d been dying for.

“Titan, I want…” She gave herself over to him, allowing him to slip his tongue inside and taste her sweetness.

He was wound so tight, he had to fight to keep from revving the kiss up, but he knew she needed and deserved his patience. So for now, Makenna was in charge. Whatever she wanted, she’d get. They’d only go as far or as fast as she wanted to go. “What do you want, baby? Soon I’m going to take you in every way imaginable and you’re going to love every one of them. But for now, I just long to make you happy.”

“I want to touch you.”

Her breathy request almost made his heart stop. “Please do—however, wherever…”

When she pushed on his chest to get him to lay back, he followed her every direction. “Lie down and let me make you feel good.”

“I’m a ladies’ first kind of guy,” Titan protested.

“This is easier for me,” she whispered. “Let me do this for you.” Lying beside him with her head on his shoulder, her left leg hooked over his. The delicate weight of her body felt like heaven. She took him in hand, all nine inches and began to stroke up and down, and all he could do was close his eyes and enjoy.

At first, she kissed his neck and his chest while she fisted his manhood. Titan wasn’t still. Every muscle was reacting to the hand-job she so willingly gave him. His breathing quickened, his heart hammered, and within the grasp of her palm, his cock swelled. Soon she had to watch, needing to see how he looked as she jacked him off.

It was an incredible sight. He was so thick, she couldn’t reach all the way around. And he was hard as steel, yet the skin stretched over all of that rock-hard flesh was as soft as velvet. Makenna was amazed at the life she held in her grasp. He was so powerful, so commanding—yet here she held all of that primal maleness in the palm of her hand. Titan was totally at her mercy, open, unguarded and she wanted to be worthy of that trust. Between her legs, her sex throbbed and she could no more keep from pushing her hot core against his leg than she could stop breathing.

“Makenna, baby,” Titan moaned, feeling his hips buck helplessly.

He sought her lips and she kissed him, then decided it was time she kissed him somewhere else. With one last sweet layering of her mouth over his, she rose, and with the seductive look of Eve on her face, she went down on him.

Taking it slow, she licked her way down to his groin. Titan held his breath as she brushed her lips just above the base of his dick. Every cell in his body was begging for her, Titan was insane with need and anticipation. The moment Makenna’s lips circled the tip of his cock, his whole body tightened with ecstasy. Her eyes darted to his, seeming to seek approval. Titan gave it to her. “So good, your mouth is so sweet.” If he lived to be a hundred, he’d never take this for granted. Mesmerized, he ran his fingers through her hair as she took him deeper in a warm wet slide. The suction of her sexy lips was so much better than he’d dreamed. Reality was always better, he guessed. Dreams were only necessary when you couldn’t have the real thing.

And the real thing in this case was fuckin’ unbelievable.

Each time she bobbed her head, his hips lifted unwilling to give up paradise. She was kneeling between his legs, her fingers clutching his thighs as she drew him in, the tip nudging the back of her throat. Even at that, she couldn’t take him all. But that didn’t keep her from trying.

“So sweet, suck me, baby.” Makenna’s eyes closed as she breathed through her nose, swallowing. Titan hissed when he felt her throat muscles kissing his shaft. This was the most exquisite pleasure he’d ever known. She let her lips glide back up again, licking every inch. “Makenna, my Makenna.” He had to touch her, his hands sought to connect, rubbing her neck and shoulders.

With every bit of strength he had, Titan held still, letting her give to him. This was her gift. There was little doubt how difficult it must’ve been for Makenna to initiate this. And that fact made it all the sweeter for him. He savored the knowledge, letting his body bask in the pleasure. As she sucked and licked, he ached to have her. Titan touched every bit of her he could reach, from the side of her neck to the delicate line of her collarbone. Beneath the soft material of the T-shirt, he could see her breasts sway and he lusted for them, wanting to mold and suck his fill. “Makenna, I need you.”

She heard him, for she acknowledged his words with a locking of their eyes. But she didn’t know he meant that he needed to hold her, fill her, please her. Instead, she tried to give more—sucking, licking, moving her hands to grasp his shaft and rub his balls. Titan could feel his orgasm building as she slid her mouth up and down his cock, her tongue teasing the underside. “Fuck, baby, fuck,” he groaned as his climax boiled up, exploding in her mouth. He should’ve warned her, should’ve pulled out—but God, it felt so good.

He arched his back, pushing his head into the pillow and still she didn’t stop, swallowing, sucking, worshiping every inch. Nothing and no one had ever come close to this and to Titan, that was no surprise at all. “I knew,” he whispered. “I knew it would be like this.”

Gently, she let him go and sat up, staring at him with a look of wonder on her face. “Did I please you?”

She already knew the answer, but he gave it anyway, knowing that her life had been a series of tests, most rigged so she would fail. “More than you’ll ever know.” He held his arms out for her and she came to him, giving him a contented smile. “Can I have you?” he asked, wanting to bestow upon her the same ecstasy she’d given him.

Makenna sank into his arms, commanding her body to calm down. Yes, she wanted him, she ached for him. But she was still afraid of doing something that would mess things up. So, she’d better stop while she was ahead. “Can this be enough for now?”

Titan held her, cradling her to him. “Yes, for now.” He kissed her face, her eyelids, before tenderly taking her mouth. “Know this, though.” He framed her face, making sure she heard every word. “I want you and I intend to show you how good it will be. You’re mine, Makenna.” With that announcement, he rose from the bed and walked across the room naked and her hungry eyes followed his every move.

*

A few hours later, Makenna sat atop a horse that Titan swore to her was as gentle as a lamb. “Are you sure I won’t be in the way?”

“Nope. I meant it when I said I want you with me.” He put a small cowboy hat on her head, then grinned at how cute she looked in it. “We’ve got to find where the fence is down. Two of my bulls were found wandering on the highway right-a-way. A neighbor got them back in, but I can’t afford not to find the gap and repair it.”

“Okay, head me in the right direction and I’ll help you scout for downed fence.” Makenna squeezed her knees together the way Titan had shown her and was rewarded when the horse began to move in the right direction. “Yay!” she said. “If I make it today, I want some boots to go with this hat.”

Titan smiled indulgently, enjoying the sight of her ass as she sat in the saddle. Her jeans were just tight enough to distract him. “What color boots would you like to have?”

As if the idea required pondering, she considered it. “White, I think.”

“White?” Titan asked, giving Valiant the lead so he could guide Makenna’s mount toward the right path. “Doesn’t sound very practical.”

“Maybe not.” Not wanting to scare him, Makenna didn’t tell him about the wedding fantasy. “I saw an ad in a magazine at your house this morning. This girl was wearing white cowboy boots. She looked happy.”

Hearing the wistfulness in her voice, Titan vowed to check out the ad. “Which magazine?”

Makenna cast him a sideways glance. “One with a very politically incorrect title.”

“Ah, I know what you’re talking about. That’s my sister’s magazine, Cowboys and Indians.”

Forgetting all about the boots, Makenna honed in on the sister part. They had left the barn, ridden through the paddock and were now heading up a small incline behind the house. “You have a sister?” The idea brightened her day. “Will I get to meet her?” Damien had limited her contact with other people so severely, she had no friends until Allie moved close and he limited Makenna’s contact with her. He’d always insisted on being present and that made a girl’s night out fairly awkward.

“Sure.” Titan watched her face. “I’m sure you two would get along great. The woman loves to shop.” When she didn’t respond to his comment, he broached an uncomfortable topic. “Wade didn’t give you money for clothes, did he?”

His statement made Makenna jerk in the saddle and her horse reacted, dancing sideways. She panicked, gasping as her horse took off down the hill at a fast clip. Her riding skills weren’t up for this. The angle was steep, her foot slipped from the stirrup and Makenna found herself tumbling headfirst off the horse Titan called Luna.

“Makenna!” Titan was off his horse and running toward her in a heartbeat. “Are you all right?”

With no breath to answer, she just lay there. The sun was so bright it hurt her eyes. And then it disappeared to be replaced by the silhouette of broad shoulders and a cowboy hat. Gentle hands began to rove over her body, which was good until he felt down her ribs and she started to giggle. “I’m okay, I just knocked myself silly.”

Titan’s breathing was as erratic as hers. “When I saw you fall, I almost died.” With ultimate ease, he stood, lifting her up. “From now on, you’re riding with me. Valiant can handle us easily.”

“Maybe I should walk,” she said, but quickly changed her mind when he placed her in the saddle. Once he joined her, his big body fitting close behind her, the only place she’d felt safer had been her mother’s arms.

“I like you here, should’ve done this to start with.” Titan kissed her on the top of the head. When his chest rumbled against her back, she knew he was laughing. “I can’t believe you just fell off like a sack of potatoes.”

Instead of being offended, she joined his merriment. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very graceful.” Not waiting for him to protest, she covered both of his hands with hers. He was holding the reins just below her waist, so she pressed their weight into her middle. “The answer to your previous question is ‘no’, he didn’t give me money for clothes. I remember seeing you pass by when I was coming out of the Goodwill store, so I know you realize that’s where I shopped, which is embarrassing. The people there thought I was picking up bargains for fire victims, which I did sometimes. But that’s where my wardrobe came from. The only money Damien gave me was for groceries and I had to account for every penny. If I did a good job bargain hunting and had a few dollars left over, I could spend them on myself.”

Titan cursed under his breath. “Fuckin’ son-of-a-bitch.” He swore to remedy that situation ASAP. Thinking about what they’d done this morning and her putting him off, he decided to broach the subject gently. “Makenna, did he ever hurt you during sex?”

Makenna wanted to cry. Instead, she swallowed hard and answered, “Yes. But I don’t want to talk about that.” She gripped his hands hard. “Ever. What he and I did doesn’t exist in the same universe as what you and I do.”

“Okay. Agreed.” He pulled back on the reins and Valiant came to a stop.

Makenna tried to glance behind them, but he was too tall. “Is Luna okay?”

“She’s following along behind us. Look.” He disengaged their hands so he could point. “There’s my herd.”

Sitting up straighter in the saddle, Makenna gazed out at the grazing cattle. “They’re beautiful. What kind are they?”

“Black Angus and red Hereford.” He knew there was a hint of pride in his voice. Titan had worked hard for what he had. “I run about three hundred head. That bull over there, he’s purebred. He makes the best calves, they’re not too big but they gain weight fast.”

“Can we get closer?”

“Sure.” He gave Valiant his head and they made their way down the hill, the horse picking his way between the cactus and the tree roots. When they reached the bottom, she could see the terrain changed to lush grazing grass. “This ranch used to belong to my uncle. I’ve made a lot of improvements on it, built that windmill over there for one thing.”

Makenna let her eyes survey the view before her, from horizon to horizon. Two ponds and a good-size lake were nestled between small hills and everywhere she looked, the landscape was dotted by shiny fat cattle. “You must be very proud.”

“Yea, I guess I am.” Nudging his horse with his knee, they moved closer to the fence. “Now we ride the perimeter and watch for downed wire or a post out of place.”

As she rode, Makenna noticed a few horses. “Cattle, horses, goats, what else do you raise on Skyview?”

He snuggled her up, loving the feel of her in his arms. “I have a few rescue animals. A couple of donkeys and an emu or two.”

“An emu, like a big bird?”

“Yea, and in the barn is a mama cat and four kittens.”

Makenna turned her face to kiss him, their mouths fusing for a few seconds. “You’re a sweetheart. I love that you are so strong, yet so gentle.”

Titan didn’t know what to say to that, so he just kissed her again for good measure.

“I guess I need to start making plans,” Makenna announced out of nowhere. Seeing Titan’s spread and all he owned made her uncomfortably aware of how little she possessed. Nothing but a few clothes and those had come from a bargain bin.

“What kind of plans?” Curiosity killed the cat. He hoped it didn’t do him in.

Makenna grew serious, her mind going back to what Damien had made her say. I am nothing. No one wants me. “When you were asking me about where I shopped, it dawned on me—I don’t have anything, no savings, nothing to sell. I need to get a job.”

Titan was taken aback. He wanted to take care of her. Didn’t she understand that? Were they on different wavelengths? Carefully, he asked, “What kind of job were you thinking about?”

“I don’t guess you have any openings for a ranch hand.” She tried to make her voice sound teasing. Instead, it came out sad.

“Well, actually, I do have an opening.”

She whirled around, conking him in the nose with the brim of her hat. “Really? Is it something I could do, like shovel poop or run behind cows?”

“Easy, honey.” Titan held on to her tightly. “Holding on to you is like wrangling a bar of slippery soap in the shower.” When she’d quieted, he spoke into her ear, “I’m sure you’ll be a great asset on the ranch someday, but right now I know you’re more than qualified for this job.”

“What is it?” She pressed, excited.

“My girlfriend.”

Whoa! For a second or two she was speechless. “Oh, Titan.”

Her shoulders slumped and Titan thought she was going to turn him down. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Yes, I do,” he said simply. “I have thought of little else.”

“Even if you ignore the problems with Damien, there’s the sad fact that I don’t have anything.” She spread her hands. “I can’t bring anything to this relationship but…me!”

Titan took her hat completely off, hanging it onto Luna’s saddle horn. “I have everything I want…but you.” Setting Valiant on a path across the grazing pasture, he handed Makenna the reins, then picked up her hair and moved it to one side. “You are the missing piece in my life.” Scattering kisses down her neck, he began to undo the front buttons of her shirt. “You’re all I want.”

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

“Loving on my girlfriend. Is that okay?”

Makenna shivered, lying back against his hard chest. “Yes, I think so.” She blushed furiously as he spread open her shirt, baring her lace-covered breasts.

Titan adjusted his seat in the saddle. “Glory be, woman, just look at you.” The luscious mounds of her breasts caused him to stare, desire rising in him like a flood. “I have to touch you, Makenna, please.”

Feeling a little lightheaded, Makenna reached behind her back and unlatched the clasp, letting the bra fall into her lap. Then, she just rested back against him, waiting to see what he would do. At first she thought he’d changed his mind, but then she heard his breathing become hard. “You are so beautiful,” he growled.

And then he touched her. The sight of his big hands sliding up to cup her breasts sent frissons of excitement skittering across her skin. Gently he raised them, his fingers caressing the underside. As she watched, he plumped them, letting his hands come up and over, caressing. Makenna couldn’t hold back a whimper. If he would just touch her…there…

“What is it, love? What do you want?”

Makenna pressed harder back against him, arching her back, pushing her breasts up and out. Wordlessly she was trying to coax his fingers to go where she needed them.

Round and round he caressed, teasing. Finally, she coaxed, “Please, Titan, touch me.”

He chuckled, the vibrations of his chest sending tingles through her body. “I know what you want.” With thumbs and forefingers, he clasped both nipples and she stiffened, going completely still. Her breath hissed out and Titan understood that she’d been hurt in this way in the past. “Oh, baby, I won’t hurt you. I swear.” Delicately, he caressed her. Softly. Flattening his hands over her breasts, he rubbed his palms over her nipples till they were diamond hard. “See? I only want to bring you pleasure.”

“I trust you.” She stilled his hands. “Touch me like you were going to do before.”

Her confidence was his reward. With reverence, he brought his fingers to her nipples and gently plucked. He wanted to show her the difference between erotic play and hurtful abuse. “Kiss me.” While he ate at her lips, he tugged at her nipples, milking them until she gasped and moved her hips back and forth on the saddle. “Oh, you like that, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh,” she answered, twining her arms over her head and around his neck.

Titan loved what he was doing. Cupping and kneading her tits brought him as much pleasure as it did her. “Wait till I get my mouth on you.”

“You’re hard,” Makenna whispered. She could feel the thickness of his cock pressing against her hips.

“Yea, I am.” He slowed his movements, finally just holding the weight of the globes in his hands. “But the next one in this relationship who’s going to have an orgasm is you.”

“Oh.” She bit her lower lip and smiled while he buttoned up her shirt and picked up the reins. “I look forward to that.”

“You should and it’s going to happen sooner than you might think.” With that promise he headed the horse on down the fence line. They rode, but found nothing. “Let’s head over to that ridge.” Titan pointed. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Okay!” She loved surprises. Letting out a long breath, Makenna smiled, feeling content. “This is so peaceful. On days like today, it’s hard to realize what floods and fires can do.”

“True.” Titan leaned his cheek on the top of her head. “I won’t compare it to what happened on the Blanco, but the creek flooded on my land. When I finished working rescue with the unit, I had to come home and herd thirty head of cattle out of the creek. They were up to their neck and one had already been washed over the fence. Valiant and I were riding through four foot deep water. I didn’t lose any, but it was a wonder.”

Lifting her hand, she rested her palm on his cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

“Now you know how I feel about you.” Titan closed his eyes, thinking life couldn’t be much more perfect.

They rode over the rise and Makenna saw a small house ahead, nestled in a small grove of scrub oaks with a couple of outbuildings nearby. “Does someone live here?”

“No, it’s mine. The cabin belonged to my uncle. It was his man cave in a way, a place he came to when he had to get out of the house and couldn’t afford to leave his land.”

She could see they were headed toward it. “Are we going to stop?”

“Yes.”

Makenna was curious. “What do you use this place for?”

“Up till now, I’ve just used it as a rest stop when I’m working.” He chuckled, aiming Valiant toward a structure she now could see was a small barn with a corral attached. “It beats the heck out of using the bathroom in the brush.”

Makenna laughed too, not just at his comment but because she was happy. “Are we going to have a picnic?” She knew he had packed some things in the saddle bags, but she wasn’t sure what. When he’d been busy doing that, she’d been reading the restraining order that had come in the mail. The legal language had been cumbersome, but she’d understood enough to know Damien couldn’t come within two hundred yards of her. If he did, she could call the cops and have him arrested. That knowledge gave her comfort, but not more comfort than the strong arms wrapped around her did.

“If it’s all right with you, I thought we’d spend the night here. I brought provisions. We can make this our base, ride out to check fence and when we’re through for the day we can come back here. There’s a spring nearby that I want to show you. It will be like we’re camping out. Sound good?” He dismounted, held up his arms and she slid into them.

“Yes, it sounds fun.” Her eyes darted around, taking it all in. Luna was right with them and Makenna felt bad she hadn’t been able to ride her. “You’ll have to give me another chance on Luna.”

“Sure, a few laps around the corral with me walking beside you and you’ll get the hang of it. Until then, you ride with me.” She didn’t argue, riding double with him was no chore. Following him into the barn, Titan unsaddled the mare and gave her some food and water. He gave Valiant some also. “Let’s get something to drink, you can freshen up if you’d like and we’ll continue on. I’d really like to find that fence break before the day is finished.”

“Good.” She did need to use the restroom. As he unpacked the saddlebags, she stepped up to help him. “What have you got there?” She’d known he brought food, but there was more.

“I brought a few things for you, including that hot French-cut bathing suit. You’ll need it later.”

“Did you bring your swimming trunks?”

“I plan on skinny dipping.” He winked at her.

“How about the other saddlebag?” She could see it was still full.

“That has my hammer and fence mending gear in it.” With that explanation, he led her out into the sunlight, walking toward the cabin.

When they’d gone a few steps, Makenna noticed a large cow had wandered near. “Titan, we have a visitor.” She’d seen the other cattle from the safety of Titan’s big horse, now she was on the ground with it, up close and personal. And then there were more. Several other cows were walking up with what she fancied to be an expectant look on their faces. “What do they want?”

“Don’t worry, that’s Freight Train.” He pointed at the largest cow. “She has a crush on me.”

At his comment, Makenna giggled. “Very understandable. I’ve got one on you myself.”

Titan smirked. “I’m a babe magnet.” Coming to the porch, he set down the armful of supplies and turned to his four-legged admirer. “I raised her from a calf. She had to be bottle-fed. Her mother didn’t survive her birth.”

“So, basically, she thinks you’re her mother.” Makenna teased, admiring the gentle way he had with the animals.

“Yea,” Titan agreed. “They all want a hand-out.” He dug in his pocket and took out a few nuggets. “I’ve spoiled them.” In a few moments, two others had come forward for a snack. “What’s good about this is that Freight Train is the lead cow. When she comes, they all follow and I can get a good head-count and make sure no one is missing.”

Sure enough, Makenna looked up to see a line of cattle coming over the ridge. “I think you’re going to need more nuggets.”

Titan laughed, unlocking the cabin door. “If you’ll go on in and put up the food that needs refrigerating, I’ll scatter out a bag of nuggets and put out a little hay.”

Makenna liked the idea. Getting used to the animals would be easy, she supposed. It would just take a little time. Gathering up the items he’d placed on the porch, she opened the door and went in. Immediately, she was entranced. “Oh, Allie, wait till you see this,” she muttered. The inside of the cabin looked to be a photo straight from a magazine featuring romantic lodge getaways. There was a huge fireplace with a fluffy rug in front of it. A big leather couch sat nearby and a massive four-poster bed filled another corner. She dashed around and found a clawfoot tub and on the other side, a tiny kitchen with all the amenities. “This would be perfect for a honeymoon!”

“I agree,” Titan spoke behind her, causing her to jump.

“Oh, you startled me!” She held a hand over her heart, her cheeks flaming because he’d heard what she’d said.

“Sorry.” He drew her close, his eyes going from warm to hot. Sweeping his thumb over her cheek, Titan covered her lips with his. The kiss started slow and sweet, but his hand tightened at the back of her head and he moaned, kissing her as if this were their last moment on earth and he wanted to make the most of it.

Long, sweet, deep and wet.

Titan let his lips slide from hers, placing a few tender smooches on her neck. When he raised his head, she looked at him like she’d just experienced a fuckin’ miracle and he felt like all the pieces of his world were falling into place. “Let’s go before I make love to you.”

Makenna panted, every part of her was tingling. “Would that be a bad thing?”

“No, but I have plans for later,” Titan promised. “I want our first time to be special.”

“I wish it was my first time,” she said quietly.

Titan held her close. “Don’t worry. I’ll make you forget. We’ll replace all of those bad memories with good ones.” When she smiled, he captured her hand. “Come on.” He led Makenna out and helped her back up on the horse. This time she easily fitted herself to his body, loving the teasing touches and kisses Titan gave her as they made their way through the grazing cattle.

“Did you count the herd? Is there any missing?”

“Two, a cow and a calf.”

He didn’t sound too worried, so Makenna relaxed as they began their circuitous journey around his property. “I like that you still do this on horseback. So many ranchers have started using four-wheelers, haven’t they?”

“They have, but the topography out here on Devil’s Backbone is very rough and uneven. I’ve seen people flip those ATVs. It’s an easy way to get yourself killed. I responded to one call where a girl had half her face torn off after she was thrown off and slid on rock. She had plastic surgery, she’s fine now, but horses are much safer in my mind.”

“I’ll take your word for it, since I took a dive off of Luna earlier.”

He squeezed her tight. “I know, I wasn’t taking good care of my baby. I’ll do better. Promise.”

He was making light of it, but his sentiment warmed her. His attitude toward her was as different from Damien’s as night from day. But she’d known it would be. That was one of the reasons she’d be drawn to him.

Soon they arrived at the fence and began making their way beside it, as close as possible. At one point, she could see her own house. “Damien’s home.” Makenna pointed. “I wonder what he’s going to do. I wish he’d move away.”

“I checked. He didn’t lose his job, which is a crock of shit.” Titan couldn’t have kept the bitterness from his voice if he tried. At that moment, the ringtone on his phone sounded.

“I didn’t know you could get reception out here.”

“Yea, there’s a tower not far from here,” he said as he answered. “Sloan.”

Makenna could only hear part of the conversation, but it was enough to know the person was calling in connection to the latest fires.

“How did we miss that?” Titan asked, then he listened before responding. “Let me know what you find out.” Once he’d hung up, he cleared his throat, moving Makenna’s hair from off her shoulder. “That was the Fire Marshall. They think they’ve identified the source of the grass fires.”

“What was it?”

“Liquid paraffin, highly flammable.”

“I don’t really know what that is,” Makenna admitted.

“There are several uses, everything from lamp oil to an ingredient in make-up, but it burns with absolutely no smoke and no odor. The only way the forensic guys found it was noticing an odd residue on a rock at the origin of the fire.”

“That’s nothing like you expected, is it?” Makenna could tell Titan was disconcerted.

“No, and what’s really strange is that the same substance was found on the floor at Allie Langston’s. The reason the Fire Marshal didn’t note it before was because she had candles and one of those electric lamps that heated fragrance oils.”

“Yes, I gave her one when she moved into her house and the oils I bought for her were vanilla and jasmine scented.”

Titan nodded. “Since there were other things like that in the room, the significance of the paraffin didn’t hit Kirkland—until they found more at the grassfires.”

“So, the same person set all three fires,” Makenna said lowly.

“Yes, and we’ll find out who, I promise. When we get back tomorrow, I’m going to help him do some investigating. The sheriff is going to find out if any of the local stores sell anything like this.”

“I guess they can match the chemical compounds.”

“I’m sure they can, I’m not as up on this stuff as I should be. When you’re a volunteer, you just don’t get the in-depth training that firefighters have in the bigger places.”

“I hope you find whoever set them.” Makenna didn’t voice her suspicions about Damien again, but they were on her mind. “And I hope there are no more.”

“I know what you’re thinking and I believe you,” Titan whispered. “We won’t stop looking into this until we know the truth.”

Chapter Eight

‡

They rode on, but Makenna’s eyes kept cutting toward the house she’d lived in with Damien. She knew how evil he could be and she put nothing past him.

“Look, there’s the gap,” Titan exclaimed, pointing. Dismounting, he walked through the brush to get to the fence. “This was no accident, the wire was cut.”

Makenna knew she might be paranoid, but she even suspected Damien of doing this. “Can you fix it?”

“Yea, whoever did it was an amateur. They cut it next to the post. I can pull the strand tight again. I just have to put a few fence staples in.” He returned to the saddle to get his hammer, the wire stretcher and the staples.

While he was turned to face the fence, Makenna decided to join him, which wasn’t as easy as she first thought. The tennis shoes she wore didn’t give her any grip on the stirrup and the top of Valiant’s back was a long, long way from the ground. Still…if she could just hold on to the saddle horn and swing her leg over… “Oh, crap…” she murmured as her foot slipped and down she went.

But this time she didn’t hit the ground. Strong arms caught her in mid-air. “I can see now that catching you when you fall is going to be a fulltime job.”

Makenna didn’t argue, she was just glad he was willing to take on the task. “Can I help?

“Sure.” He showed her how to hold the wire. “Watch your fingers, those barbs are sharp.” Before they were through, they found two more places where the wire had been cut. At the last one, Makenna saw the errant cow and calf wandering about fifty yards down a hill near a small stream. “There they are!”

Together they herded them back through the gap. It didn’t take Titan long to fix the fence, but it did take a couple more hours for them to ride about half the distance around. “I’m getting hungry, how about you?” he asked.

“I could eat a horse.” Makenna sighed, her stomach rumbling.

“Shhhh, you’ll make Valiant nervous.” He teased. “I propose we head back to the cabin. I still want to check the rest of the fence, but I’m ninety percent certain those are the only gaps. Most of the other borders the road and I drove around that part a couple of days ago.”

“I’m not tired, so don’t worry about me,” she assured him.

“Well, there’s still the matter of the surprise,” he reminded her.

“Okay. You convinced me.” She sighed happily.

As Valiant picked his way back down the trail toward the cabin, Titan talked to her about his life and asked questions about her own. Even though they’d known one another for some time, this was their first chance to really share. “What are some things you like to do for fun?”

Makenna thought about her answer. “It’s been a long time since I was able to do a lot of the things I used to enjoy.” As she spoke, she held his big hand in her own, rubbing the veins on the back, rubbing his strong fingers, tracing the lifeline in his palm. “Years ago, I used to run, I enjoyed getting out in the fresh morning air. I also played guitar.”

“I want you to play for me.”

Titan’s immediate request made her laugh. “Oh, I’m pitifully out of practice. How about you? What do you do when you’re not riding the range or heroically saving lives?”

“Well…” Titan’s hesitation had Makenna looking over her shoulder. “You’re blushing! What do you do?” she asked with a giggle.

“Well, I have two things I like to do. One goes along with my macho image and one doesn’t.”

“Tell me.” She smiled. “I want to know the non-macho first.”

“Okay, okay, it’s not that bad. I study and collect wine. The local vineyards in this part of Texas inspired me to learn as much as I could.” Titan gave her a sheepish smile. “I’d like to think I’ve become an expert of sorts.”

Makenna was impressed. “I think that’s great. You’re a connoisseur. I’d love to know more about wine. Will you teach me?”

Feeling inspired, Titan had an idea. “I’ll take you out to one of the vineyards soon, introduce you to my friend and we’ll have dinner at his restaurant.”

A thrill shot through Makenna. This is what life and love should be like. “I can’t wait. So, what’s the macho hobby?”

“I’m a blacksmith.”

He didn’t have to say more. “Of course you are, I can see it.” Now she knew where he got all of those muscles. “I can just see you swinging a big hammer, hitting an anvil, sparks flying.”

He couldn’t help teasing her. “Do you have any interest in seeing what I can do with my big hammer?”

More than he realized. Makenna blushed. “I’m sure you’re very talented.” If she just wasn’t so nervous. “I’m getting hungry.” Like a coward she changed topics.

“So am I, baby, so am I.”

Makenna was almost certain he wasn’t referring to food. But she didn’t ask.

When they returned to the cabin, Titan threw a couple of steaks on the outside grill while Makenna prepared a salad with the ingredients he’d packed. Wine wasn’t the only thing he knew, she was impressed with the food choices he’d made. There were cherry tomatoes, arugula, even those tiny ears of corn she loved. He’d also packed potato salad and cheesecake. They had an amazing meal. And as soon as it was done, he took her by the hand. “Now for the surprise.”

“Oh, you mean the meal wasn’t it?” She was only halfway teasing, the meal would’ve been plenty. What she was interested in was more of what he’d shown her on horseback. It was as if Titan had flipped a switch, opened a floodgate of emotions and needs that only he could fill.

“No, go slip on your swimsuit. We’re going swimming.”

She remembered the spring he’d mentioned. Makenna had no idea what it would be like. She kept picturing a stream of water shooting up out of a few rocks like a water sprinkler. As much as she was anticipating the scenery, the prospect of seeing Titan skinny-dip was a bigger draw. Digging in the bag of clothing he’d brought along, she was dismayed to find out he’d left off the scarf-like cover-up Allie had loaned her. The bathing suit wasn’t the most revealing she’d ever seen, but there would be an awful lot more of Makenna showing than she was used to. “You can do it,” she encouraged herself. “This isn’t Damien, this is Titan.”

Changing clothes in the comfortable bathroom, she recalled his hands on her breasts. He’d said he couldn’t wait to get his mouth on her. She shivered in anticipation. When he smiled, her world lit up and the way he looked at her made her feel so special, which unfortunately reminded her of all the ways she wasn’t. When he’d asked about the intimate relationship she’d shared with Damien, Makenna had told him she couldn’t speak of it. Damien’s sexual pleasure had been tied directly to her pain. What he’d done, the methods of his satisfaction, Makenna pushed to the far reaches of her mind. She wanted to forget, she wanted to begin anew with Titan. She wanted to know what it was like to be with him.

Once she was dressed, Makenna stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself. Damien would say she looked fat, even though he often deprived her of food. Her husband enjoyed criticizing her. She knew she wasn’t model skinny, but Titan seemed to like the way she looked.

“You can’t get any more beautiful than you are, Makenna,” Titan called from the other side of the door.

She smiled. That man always seemed to say the right thing. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the biggest towel she could find, wrapped it around herself and went to meet Titan.

When he saw her coming, he hid a smile. If she thought that terry-cloth towel was going to deter him, she was barking up the wrong tree.

“I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost,” he muttered, eyeing her appreciatively.

“That would be hard in a two room house, Cowboy.” She held on to the ends of the towels like they were a life preserver and she was being tossed in a stormy sea. “I was just having second thoughts about this swimsuit.”

“I’ve been having second thoughts about it too…and thirds…and fourths.” He pushed his hat back on his head and crossed his big arms over that chest she thought should be a national monument.

“I know you’ve seen me in it before, but I’d had several margaritas at the time. I was basking in a false sense of fashion security.” Even as she grumbled, she was moving closer to him. “Just don’t look at me too close. This belongs to Allie and it’s about two sizes too small.”

“Well, if it’s bothering you, when we get to the spring, you can take it off.”

Titan’s matter-of-fact solution made Makenna laugh. “I can’t win with you, can I?”

Putting an arm around her waist, he guided her toward the door. “Au contraire, my dear. You’ll win with me every damn time.”

For some reason, she was beginning to believe him.

A ten minute walk took them from the front porch of the cabin to the very edge of one of the foothills. “These limestone hills are riddled with caves and springs,” Titan remarked as they came upon the first outcroppings of rocks.

“Yea, I’ve seen some of them,” Makenna answered. “There’s a small one near the house where a stream of water flows from a crack in the rocks about nine months out of twelve. I call it the ‘squirrel shower’. I’ve always envisioned walking up one day and seeing a squirrel standing on his back legs, washing under his arms with a little loofah.”

Titan threw back his head and laughed. “I love being with you.” He held her hand as they traversed some rough ground. “Careful. Not too much farther.”

Makenna didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but this wasn’t it. This was no pond in the pasture. Titan led her into the mouth of a small cave. Her eyes widened as she saw the opening was much smaller than the cavern they entered. “It’s breathtaking,” she whispered.

“This is my own private paradise.” He beamed. “Only a handful of people know about this place. My uncle kept the location of this spring pretty much to himself and I’ve followed suit.”

Her eyes mapped the magical place. Enough light shone through the opening so she could see a deep pool of crystal clear water. Bubbles decorated the top as water flowed into the cave from an underground aquifer. “I love it,” she breathed reverently. “It makes me think of those tropical grottos I’ve seen in movies.”

“This pool feeds the Blanco River through an underground stream. Cave divers have tried to follow the path, but it’s too narrow.”

Makenna was listening, but mostly she was watching. As he’d promised, Titan hadn’t brought clothes to change into. Instead, he began to strip. “Is the water warm?” she asked, trying not to stare. She found a large flat rock to sit on. No way was she getting in the water first.

“It’s not a hot spring by any means, but the water is comfortable.” His signature white cowboy shirt went first, revealing a chest which rose powerfully from lean hips. She let her gaze slide over massive shoulders, then down over the bulge of his biceps. If she didn’t know how gentle he could be, Titan’s size would’ve made her nervous. Damien had always used his strength against her, but Titan would use his to defend her.

The boots, socks and jeans went next until he was down to a pair of gray boxer briefs. The light in the cave was dimmer, but she could clearly see the outline of his cock. He was aroused. When he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his underwear and began to push down, Makenna’s breath hitched in her throat. Her gaze darted up to his eyes and she saw he was watching her closely. “Do you want me to leave them on? I can.”

“No, it’s okay.” She was acting silly. Just this morning she’d held him in her hand. In her mouth. “I want to…” Enunciating what she wanted to do was impossible. “Sorry, the cat’s got my tongue, I guess.”

“Lucky cat.” The material bulged as his hands worked beneath the soft cotton, revealing the solid length of his manhood little by little. Each time she thought there would be an end to it, an additional inch was revealed until the broad head lay throbbing against his thigh.

Makenna couldn’t help but stare, realizing he was too heavy to stand upright. She gulped, her insides clenching. Allie had wondered if the size of his cock matched the rest of him. Now she could tell her for sure it did. The sight of him caused her body to respond. She felt her nipples tighten and her pussy soften.

“Ready?” He held out his hand and she took it, rising.

“I think so.” Makenna knew he was speaking of more than just a dip in the spring. He stepped in first, never letting go of her.

“There’s a gentle slope. It starts out about three feet and the deepest part is a little over my head. Can you swim?”

“Yes.” She hissed a little as the silky waters lapped at her legs. “Feels good.” Makenna smiled and followed him into the depths, dog paddling to stay afloat. Because of the differences in their height, what was shoulder level to him was over her head.

“Come here, let me support you.” He pulled her into his arms, seeing her momentary surprise. “I need to kiss you, Makenna. Will you let me?” When she clutched his shoulders and he felt the brush of his legs with hers, he knew she was willing. Propping his thumb under her chin, he held her, ready for the descent of his mouth. Titan gently fitted his lips to hers, using his tongue to tease the soft seam of her lips. When she parted them, he accepted her invitation, delving inside with his tongue, glorying in the sweet taste of her. She went limp against him and he gathered her close, the weight of her breasts an erotic temptation. “Can we take off your clothes? I want to feel you naked against me.”

“Okay, just know I’m going to go on a diet.” She reached behind her back.

“You don’t need to go on a damn diet.” Titan collared her throat with his palms, kissed her hard, then let his hands smooth down to push the straps from her shoulders. “Lord, girl, your breasts are magnificent,” he breathed the words out like a prayer. “Today, when you let me touch them, I almost came in my pants.”

“I want you to touch me and kiss them.” The words almost stuck in her mouth, she wasn’t used to making sexual suggestions. But Titan didn’t seem to mind. His focus was one hundred percent on the mounds of female flesh he held in his hands. She watched him lick his lips as he caressed them, pushing them together, flicking the nipples with his fingers.

“God, baby, I want you so much.” Before she knew what was happening, he’d lifted her to sit on the side of the natural pool, stepping in between her outspread legs. Her breasts swung in his face, Makenna wanted to cross her arms over them but the look of adoration in his eyes changed her mind. When he drew closer, her nipple brushed his mouth. She moaned when he caught it between his lips, her breath leaving her body in a rush. His hands came up to hold her around the waist as he began to suck at her nipple. “Titan,” she whispered as her mind processed the pleasure she was feeling. There was no pain, she had no fear he would bite down. Even when his teeth scraped the sensitive flesh, Makenna understood he would never hurt her. Giving herself over to his control, she learned the ecstasy that could be found from a man’s mouth at her breast.

Titan’s hands slid up to frame her tits. He rubbed them, molded them, letting his fingers memorize their womanly shape. How often he’d dreamed of doing this, gorging himself on her beauty, satisfying his hunger for her. When her hands came to hold his head, he opened his mouth wider, forcing more of her breast into his mouth. Suckling her hard, he lashed the sweet nipple as it swelled on his tongue.

As he nibbled the succulent flesh with his lips, he felt her tense, so he gentled her by working her other nipple with his fingers, milking it until she was moving restlessly. “Turned on, baby?” Soft pants and surprised squeaks of pleasure were his answer. If her response was any gauge, Makenna loved it when he used his lips to gently grind and nip on the tender tips. She groaned when he suckled her, drawing hard on the sensitive nub. And she seemed to enjoy when he worked her tits in time with his fingers while he tugged on her nipples with his mouth.

“Titan, I need something…”

Titan knew exactly what she needed. “Lie back, honey. Let me get rid of these.” He pulled the suit down her legs and off, laying it to one side. “Now, move forward. Are you comfortable?”

“Yes, I just ache,” she whimpered.

Makenna was reclining on solid rock, but it was smooth as silk from years of running water. A lone shaft of sunlight illuminated the place where she lay, making her seem like a pagan goddess he was here to worship. When he parted her thighs and looked at her for the first time, he growled in absolute awe. “You’ve got the prettiest pussy.” It was lush like the rest of her, the delicate inner lips just beginning to unfurl like a petal with her arousal. A couple of glistening drops of cream clung to the soft brown down that shadowed her mound in a sweet landing strip. Unable to resist, Titan scooped one tiny drop onto his finger, watching it shimmer against his darker skin. Holding her gaze, he brought the finger to his mouth, curling his tongue around the pearly drop, groaning as her unique flavor spread over his tongue. “I knew you’d be sweet, love.”

Her eyes sparkled and the pink on her cheeks flushed scarlet. “Titan, what…?”

“Shhh, let me.” Sliding his hands under her hips, he tugged her closer until he could brush her pussy with his lips. To his shock, he saw momentary fear flare in her violet eyes. He felt her draw up. “What is it, Makenna?” He saw her small white teeth grasp her lower lip, but she said nothing, just fisted her hands next to her sides and braced herself. “Talk to me, baby. I just want to make you feel good. What’s wrong?” Titan feathered kisses on the inside of her thigh, soothing his lips across the silky skin.

“You won’t bite me there, will you?”

Titan froze, rage swelling in his heart. “God help me, I’ll put the bastard in his grave for this.” She didn’t answer, nor did she move. Makenna held his gaze, placing her trust in him. Titan vowed she would never be sorry. “No, baby, I won’t bite you. I just want to make you feel good, kiss you a little.” Slowly and reverently, he tongued her folds, petting her with lips and hands. Teasing Makenna with his tongue, he lapped at her slit with light flicks, pressing deeper until he could spear the moist inner core of her womanhood. “That’s it, baby, just let it happen.”

Titan was rewarded by her whimpers. Her gasps were coming in a constant cadence. The delicate flesh beneath his tongue was swelling and her pussy was getting wetter, teasing him with the knowledge he was pleasing his woman.

Wanting more, Titan pulled her closer, pushing his tongue deeper, licking faster and faster. Now she was moving her hips, seeking more, pressing against him. He felt his cock jerk in response. It pulsed with the same rhythm action as his mouth. Nuzzling his face deeper into her pussy, he found her clit and lapped at it gently, slowly upping the speed and pressure until she was arching against him. “Titan!” The sensitive little bundle of nerves swelled against his tongue and she spurted, a fresh flow of cream rewarding his efforts. “Baby, I just want to eat you up.”

Titan’s heart felt full. He longed for everything she had to give, and he needed her to offer it to him freely. Slipping a finger into her channel, he began to work it in and out. “Oh, you’re so tight.” Her inner muscles clamped down on him, making him welcome. Taking her clit between his lips, he sucked it with tenderness while still finger-fucking her little hole.

“Ti, Ti, Ti,” she chanted an abbreviated version of his name. Her breathing was faster, her whimpers almost too silent to hear. “I need you so. Please. Please.”

Wanting to bring her ecstasy, he quickened the pace, increasing the pressure. Adding a second finger, Titan made love to her with his mouth. Her passion was building, he could feel it. When her hips began to buck, he held her still, sucking with his lips, lashing with his tongue. Even when she cried out, he held her to him, eating her out as she jerked and spasmed. When she tried to pull away, he wouldn’t allow it, knowing he could make her feel even better. “I want another,” he growled, laving and loving her until another stronger climax hit. Her sweet pussy contracted, milking his finger while her sweet juices coated his tongue.

Makenna went limp. She lay there panting while this giant of a man paid homage to her. Titan made her feel desired and that was the greatest gift of all. Holding her arms out, she welcomed him close. Rubbing against him, she lifted her face for his kiss. He wanted her, there was no denying it. She could feel his desire for her thrumming under his skin. Makenna didn’t understand how someone like him could really want someone like her, but she would count her blessings. Whatever he needed, she vowed to try and give it to him.

Lifting her to a seated position, Titan sought her mouth. Anchoring her against him, his kiss grew hotter and bolder. “I want you so much.”

She twined her arms around his neck. His mouth was wild and hungry. She could taste herself on his tongue and the realization made her feel even more cherished. Makenna moaned when his teeth grazed her neck as he sucked at the tender pulse point. “Show me, Titan.”

“Finally,” he whispered as he wrapped her in the towel. They laughed as he struggled into his jeans. Once they were decent, he picked her up and carried her back to the cabin, kissing her every step of the way. “Let’s go inside to a bed so I can do this right.”

She smiled against his chest. “Honestly, I can’t imagine you doing it any other way.”

*

“This doesn’t seem quite real, does it?”

Titan sat her gently down on the big rustic bed. “This is real, it has to be.” He needed this culmination after years of waiting, years of wanting. “Don’t tell me it’s a dream, I couldn’t handle it.” For years he’d walked on the periphery of her life. Always near, but never close enough. And now, he was staking his claim.

“I’m here,” she whispered. There was no mistaking his intentions. Titan wanted her. Lying back on the bed, she held out her hand. “I want you. Like you promised, make me forget everything else.”

The towel had fallen off somewhere along the way, so all he had to do was remove his clothing, never taking his eyes off of her. His heart thundered in his chest just watching the rise and fall of her breasts. Going down on one knee, the mattress sank beneath his weight. “How long till your divorce is final?”

“Not long, a few weeks, it’s being expedited.” She licked her lips nervously.

“Can’t happen soon enough for me.” Titan’s eyes flared. “You are so fuckin’ beautiful, Makenna. I have dreamed of this moment.”

He bent and placed an open-mouthed kiss on the top of her mound, then one on her midriff, then another in the valley between her breasts. By the time his lips found hers again, she was wrapping her arms around him, her body vibrating with white hot electric need. A rush of heated desire coiled in her body. The sensitive nub of nerves between her legs pulsed with the need to be touched. Makenna shifted, rubbing her legs together, endeavoring to give herself some relief. “I hurt,” she whispered.

“Where?” He froze with concern.

His attitude swept away any vestiges of fear she might have had. This man would harm himself before he harmed her. She trusted Titan—his touch, his power, his intent. Seeking to reassure him, she pulled him closer and whispered in his ear, “I hurt because I want you so much. I’ve never felt this way before.”

Titan buried his face in her neck and she sprinkled kisses all over his shoulder and face, straining her lower body up against his, asking for something she’d never experienced before. Passion.

“Easy, treasure, you’re too much of a temptation. I want to make this good for you.”

Aligning himself close to her, his mouth came down on hers, his tongue pushing past her lips—wild and hungry. Makenna moaned into his mouth as his fingers danced down her body, feathering along her side, stroking over the dip in her waist and the swell of her hip. His attention caused her to melt—soften—spreading her legs in invitation. He moaned at her response, setting her blood on fire as he nipped at her tongue, trailing a light touch up her thigh.

The more they kissed, the more ravenous he became, eating at her lips, assaulting them with deep drugging kisses. But his touch. God, his touch was gentle. Reverent. He seduced her, placing his mouth on her breast just as she’d dreamed, drawing her nipple between his lips and sucking until she was shaking, coursing with a need so great she thought she’d faint. “Titan,” she moaned as he cupped her sex, sliding between the tender lips until she could feel her own wetness coating his finger.

“Feel good? Want more?” he grated out the words, his own hunger apparent in the desperate tone.

“Please,” she begged, raising her hips, gasping when he answered her plea by pushing a finger up inside her pussy, her sheathe tightening in response.

“Fuck, you’re so sweet,” he murmured as he plunged repeatedly into her creamy heat. She was gripping his shoulder, her nails digging deep, her mouth buried into his chest. “You’ll never know how much I’ve wanted this, wanted you.” Sliding a second finger in with the first, he used his thumb to swirl around her clitoris. “Lie back, baby.” When she did, he bent his head to her breast and tongued her nipple while he pleasured her between the legs.

“Titan!” she cried, no longer able to contain what she was feeling. Nothing had prepared her for this. Tonight was a night of firsts. She’d had no idea her body could react this way. It was him—only him. She was responding to this man and the love he showed her.

“You feel so perfect, I want you so much,” he whispered to her as he continued the erotic strokes in and out of her body. With a gasp, she arched her back, an orgasm racing through her. He held her while she came, his own desire mounting within him. “I can’t wait, Makenna, I need to be inside you.” Taking her hand, he moved it down his body until she encountered his cock.

“Titan…” She dipped her head, her cheeks becoming heated and red.

“You’ve touched me, you’ve held me in your mouth and in your hand. Don’t be afraid of me, please, that would kill me.”

His hair was dark like hers, but clipped so short that it stuck up in adorable spikes. She ached to run her fingers through it. In fact, there was no part of his body she didn’t want to touch, from the shadow of a beard that darkened his jaw to the tight ass she’d admired so often when it was lovingly molded by tight blue jeans. How could she make him understand? “I’m not afraid of you. I know you’d never hurt me. What I fear is failing.”

“This isn’t a test, Makenna. There’s no way you can fail. Just trust me.”

Holding him, she could feel his urgency. His body trembled in her arms. Makenna realized how much restraint he was showing. Her fingers grasped the thick shaft of his cock, wrapping around the smooth, hard stalk as far as she could reach, squeezing, watching him react with controlled desperation. “I’m ready.” She gave him her assent, knowing she’d give him her heart if only he’d ask.

Titan took a few deep breaths, fighting for clarity. He wanted her so damn much. He’d wanted her for so long that the idea of having her now was almost more than he could bear. Slow. It had to be slow. She deserved every consideration. But what he wanted to do was drive into her and pound until he could find relief. Positioning himself, he took his cock in hand and stroked the head through her wetness. Makenna trembled as he nudged her clit.

“Please. Now,” she urged, canting her hips up in supplication. When he placed the head to her opening and pushed, she shut her eyes and keened at the pleasure. Titan pushed farther, his cock popping past her entry. She could feel her muscles tingle and ache as they sought to make room for him. “Don’t stop,” she begged, “I can do it.”

The ecstasy of her warmth parting around him, the snugness of her clenching muscles was so intense he had to force himself to stop. Makenna was so much tighter than he expected, she’d only taken half his length. He wasn’t about to ask, but it was apparent she hadn’t had sex in a long time. Frankly, if it wasn’t with him, he didn’t want to think about her having sex at all. A wave of tenderness swept over him as he pulled out and gently pumped back in, working in and out, rewarding her with kisses until he had his full length buried deep in her softness. “Being inside of you is fuckin’ perfect.”

As he adjusted to the bliss, he slowly thrust in and out, his balls making contact with her perfect ass. He was about three seconds from losing his mind as her tight little pussy accommodated his cock. Wanting to make it last, he stopped to breathe, holding her face with a palm to each cheek. She was the center of his world. He’d known he wanted her…but having her? Having her proved that she was his obsession and he was never going to be able to let her go.

“I…am so happy,” she whispered, tightening around him. Titan didn’t know if she did it on purpose or if it was just her body learning his, but his cock was happy either way. He threw his head back, bellowing out her name.

When she raised up, placing her arms around his neck and kissed him at the base of his throat, he shuddered in her arms. “That felt so good, do it again.” Makenna smiled and did as he asked, clamping down tight while he moved in and out of her. He raised up, pulling her legs up so he could go deeper, looking in her face all the while. His eyes studied every inch of her beautiful body. Her breasts were two perfect handfuls, and he had big hands. The nipples were luscious, puffy and pink. Her stomach was tight and he could span her waist, there was no part of her he didn’t find perfect. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

“Promise?” She milked his cock again and he almost lost it.

“Promise.” Taking charge, he pinned her hands over her head and drove in again, hammering into her body until the friction was sublime. As he fucked her, she lifted her hips to meet every thrust. She didn’t have to announce her release, Titan felt it. She spasmed around him as he pushed deep inside of her over and over. He knew he’d never forget her expression or the sweet sounds she made as long as he lived. Her body quivered, frissons of excitement a visible testament to the pleasure he gave her. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

Excitement. Ecstasy. Happiness. Contentment—it all culminated together and Titan fell apart. One final deep push into her heat and he exploded, his whole body going rigid as he jetted his seed into her body. “Oh, baby, baby,” he chanted. “Thank you.” Titan sank down on top of her, bearing his weight on his forearms, unable to break the connection they shared—not yet. He’d waited too long to be where he was to let it go so quickly.

Makenna understood how he felt. “Thank you for showing me how much more is possible.” She held him tight, hoping this was just the beginning.

*

Good sex makes for good sleep. Makenna gazed through the cream colored burlap curtain, staring at the silvery crescent moon. She’d fallen asleep in his arms, more satisfied than she could ever remember being. Now something had awakened her, but she wasn’t sure what it was. And then she heard it…thundering hoof beats. The familiar ghost story of Devil’s Backbone came to mind. Was that what she was hearing? “Titan. Titan.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.

He was instantly awake. “What is it, love?”

“Listen. Do you hear it?”

He tilted his head, then he jumped up, dressing as quickly as he could. “You stay here.”

“What is it?” She was up and dressing too, jeans and a T-shirt from the bag of clothes he’d brought.

“Stampede. Something spooked my cattle.”

Makenna was right behind him as he went out the door. “Oh, my God,” she murmured, frozen as she saw huge shadows of running cattle, all charging through the darkness, running right in front of the cabin. “Titan, be careful!”

“Stay there!” he commanded, running to the corral after his horse. This had never happened before. Titan didn’t stop to saddle or even bridle Valiant. He mounted him and slapped his hindquarters, sending him in a high jump over the fence. As he raced alongside his herd, his mind went to all of the movies he’d seen, things he’d read about stampedes. If his horse tripped and he was thrown in front of the pounding hooves, he’d be trampled. He remembered hearing of cattle running off cliffs, whole herds of buffalos running into a speeding train and knocking it completely off its tracks.

The Backbone was steep with drop-offs, if the herd kept on their current track, they’d come to a steep hill, covered in fist size rocks. He was afraid calves would be killed, thrown down and trampled by hundreds of others running over the top of them.

Leaning low over Valiant’s back, he urged him to go faster. He needed to get in front, to turn them to the right. If he didn’t, he could lose everything he had.

No, that wasn’t right. Even in his panicked state, he could reason this was not all he had. As of the last few days, he had something far more valuable.

He had Makenna.

Through a cloud of dust, he could see the heaving sides of the frantic beasts. Valiant was gaining on them, but he had no clue if one man could stop so many frightened animals. And then he had an idea…maybe a foolish idea, but it was all he had. “Freight Train!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Freight Train!”

Back at the cabin, Makenna stood and watched the last of the cattle run past. Staring out into the night, she strained to see the hulking shapes. Instead she saw…a man, a familiar silhouette. She gasped and stepped back into the house, slamming the door and locking it, terror swamping her like a rogue wave. Was it her imagination? Could it have been Damien?

She pressed against the wood, trying to hear any noises from outside, afraid to move. As she stood there, shaking like a leaf, the heavy pounding of a fist sounded to the left of the door. Makenna covered her mouth to stifle a scream. “Titan, Titan, I need you,” she whispered.

BOOM! Another blow a few feet down. And then another. Whoever was beating on the sides of the house was moving around it—to the back door! Adrenaline spiked in her blood, causing her feet to move. She ran across the room, trying to reach the other entrance before whoever was outside did. Sobs spilled from her lips as she cried, scrambling to find the lock with shaking fingers.

BOOM!

“Oh, God!” She felt nauseated. “What do you want?” she screamed.

BOOM! Was her answer. And she knew what he wanted.

Damien wanted her to die.

Makenna stepped back into the room as the door knob began to shake. “No, no!” she cried. “Go away!”

She listened, but no human voice accompanied the shaking or the scratching noises on the wooden surface. Had he caused the stampede just to make sure she was alone, that Titan wasn’t with her? Had Damien been watching them all this time?

BOOM!

“Titan!” Makenna screamed at the top of her lungs.

Chapter Nine

‡

Titan was walking Valiant back to the barn. His horse was winded. A cloud of dust obscured everything. His cattle were safe, at least the majority were. When the sun rose, he’d check to see if any had been injured or killed. His lead cow had come through. She’d heeded his call and turned the herd, breaking out and following the sound of his voice. Titan owed her an extra handful of nuggets. But what caused the stampede? He had no idea. When he was a few hundred yards from the house, he heard Makenna’s terrified voice.

“Titan!”

He broke into a run, dropping Valiant’s reins, heading toward the cabin at a dead-run. “Makenna!” He jumped up on the porch and pulled on the door handle only to find it locked. “Makenna! Baby, it’s me.” He dug in his pocket for the key, but the moment he inserted the key, she threw open the door and launched herself into his arms.

“What’s wrong?” He pulled her into his arms. She was quaking, trembling and crying.

“Someone was here. Beating on the walls.” With frantic fingers, she clutched at his shirt.

Titan hugged her tight, then tried to put her from him. “Who? Let me look around.” He started to walk away, but she grabbed him again. “It was Damien. When I was watching the stampede, I saw a figure. I could tell by his walk, by his shape. It was him!”

For the first time, Titan wished he had a gun. “What did he do?”

“He just walked around the cabin, beating on the walls.”

Titan felt helpless. “Here, lock yourself back in. I just need to put up Valiant.” Part of him wanted to head back to the house, but it was too early and too dark. Tomorrow he vowed to get to the bottom of this.

Makenna went back in, did as he said and waited for him. She didn’t even step very far into the cabin. In her imagination, Damien was lurking just on the other side of the wall, listening for her footsteps. When Titan came back, he said her name as he was letting himself in. “Makenna, honey, I’m here.”

As soon as he was in reach, she latched onto him. “I’m sorry, I may be going nuts.”

“Something sent my herd running madly over rocks and ridges.” He rubbed his face against hers. “Come lie down with me, I need to hold you.”

“What happened with the cattle?” She felt ashamed. “I should have asked first instead of freaking out and rushing into your arms the moment you walked through the door.”

“No, that’s what I’m here for,” he told her. “I want you to run to me. Always.”

As they undressed, Makenna asked him again. “What happened with the cattle? Are they okay?”

“Come sit with me while I wash up. I’m sweaty.” He went to turn on the shower, stripping off and grabbing a towel. “I was able to stop the cattle. I rode Valiant alongside them, trying to turn them. It wasn’t until I thought to call Freight Train and get her attention that I was able to slow them down. I won’t know the full extent of the damage till the sun comes up.”

She sat outside the shower while he washed off, thinking how wonderfully normal and domestic they would appear to an outside eye.

*

Despite the chaos of the night, Makenna woke up happy. She had slept safely nestled close to Titan’s rock-hard body. Kissing him on the side of the cheek, she rose to see if she could find coffee. Pulling a T-shirt over her head, she passed by the window. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of someone riding by.

Who would be on Titan’s land? Remembering all that had transpired, she was drawn to look out and make sure nothing else was going wrong or Damien wasn’t planning an ambush.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked toward him. He was coming toward her, stretching, a sleepy contented look on his face. “Come look.” She pointed out the window. “What in the world is that?”

“What do you see?” Titan joined her, not knowing what to expect. But what they saw made them rethink everything—for when they looked out the window it was to see a rag-tag band of Confederate soldiers riding by. Holding one another, they stared…until one by one, they became transparent and faded away.

In about an hour, they were on their way home. Trying to explain what they’d both seen was beyond their comprehension. “Were they ghosts?” Makenna asked, rubbing her arms, which were tingling with chill bumps.

Titan tied Luna’s lead rope to Valiant’s saddle horn. After checking on the herd and riding the ridge where the stampede had taken place, he was glad to find there were no casualties. He’d also investigated outside the cabin and found footprints in the soft earth beneath the roof overhang. Whether or not they belonged to Damien, he had no way of knowing. But like Makenna, he suspected his ex-Captain.

“Ghosts?” Titan mounted, then held out his hand to bring Makenna up in front of him. “I don’t know about that, but I do think it was remnant, a memory. I’ve read how a place can be stained by events when the emotions involved are powerful.”

“But one of them looked right at me,” Makenna said, remembering the sad gray eyes of the young soldier.

Titan snorted. “Well, I don’t know. Did you think he was cute or something?”

Despite the tension they’d been under, Makenna giggled. “Are you jealous of a ghost, Titan Sloan?”

Cupping the side of her face, he turned her head so he could kiss her. “I’m jealous of the sun’s rays when they caress your skin.”

Makenna couldn’t speak for a moment, then she felt tears come to her eyes. “Titan, that was the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

Titan opened his mouth to see if he could say something else to make her smile when his pager sounded loudly.

“Oh no, is there a fire?” Makenna took the reins while he listened to the message. They weren’t too far from Titan’s place now.

“Yea, we need to hurry.” He urged Valiant to strike up a trot. “The alarm came from the nursing home.”

“Titan! No! How will they ever get everyone out?” She thought of all her friends, the elderly ladies and gentlemen who looked forward to her visits. Miss Rosa, Miss Ethel and Mr. Winfred. Some of them didn’t have family or their family never bothered to come around.

“The trucks are probably already on their way, we’ll get there as soon as we can,” he assured her.

She could tell he was anxious. “I’m slowing you down. Why don’t you let me ride Luna in and you go—”

“No, I’m not leaving you, not after last night.”

They hurried, barely taking time to get the horses in the barn before running for his truck and speeding to the fire. When they arrived, the central building was engulfed and fire was coming out of the windows of the west wing. The Hill Country Rest Facility was built in a standard pattern of four wings, one pointing each cardinal direction. “This is bad,” she whispered as Titan donned his gear stored on the main fire engine.

“I guess I don’t have to tell you to stay out here,” Titan warned as he ran to take his position.

“I’ll be safe,” she promised, but the truth was she was scared to death. In horror, she watched as the men worked the fire. She could see the nurses frantically bringing the residents out of the north wing, so she ran to them to see what she could do to help. Even in her haste, she tried to see if her friends had been rescued. She was relieved to see Miss Ethel, but not Miss Rosa. She knew how stubborn the little old lady could be. She never wanted to be a bother. There had been times she’d called Makenna at home to tell her she needed to be changed because she knew the nurses were too overworked to check on her often enough.

“Makenna!” A voice called to her and she turned. It was Mr. Winfred. “She’s still in there, Makenna. Rosa is still inside. They think they’ve evacuated everyone, but she’d rolled her wheelchair into the chapel. I’m afraid they didn’t check there.”

Looking around, she saw no one to ask for help. Titan was in the building, trying to bring out everyone he could. Every man was at their station, and more units from other communities were arriving. Even so, there was no time to waste. Not wasting another moment in debate, Makenna ran into the smoke filled hallway. She knew the facility backward and forward, so she knew which doorway to take that led to the chapel. The farther she ran, the harder it became to breathe. Soon she was coughing every breath. Still, she pressed on.

CRASH!

Part of the ceiling fell, exposing air conditioning pipes and water pipes. Makenna dodged, hanging her shirt on one and ripping the material. “Oh!” she cried as a sharp edge cut into her skin. “Miss Rosa!” she cried. “Can you hear me?” Holding her shoulder, blood ran down her arm. “Miss Rosa!”

“Here, I’m in here.”

Makenna heard her weak cry. Placing a hand over her mouth to keep as much of the fumes from her lungs as she could, she ran to the chapel. Sitting in her wheelchair, the old lady was prevented from moving because one of her wheels was hung on a rug “Miss Rosa! Are you all right?”

“I’m about to be roasted like a marshmallow,” she muttered, sputtering.

Though their circumstances were dire, Makenna laughed. “I think it’s time we got you out of here.” Taking the chair by the handles, she began to push her out into the hall. They didn’t go far before the hall was blocked by the fallen debris. Having no other choice, Makenna helped her up and they began making slow progress toward the door. “We’ll make it, I promise.”

On one side, flames were licking up the wall and the wound on her shoulder was bleeding profusely now. Makenna prayed as they made their way to safety.

“Makenna! Where’s Makenna?” Titan had stopped briefly for a water break, expecting to find her waiting on him. But she was nowhere to be found. “Makenna!” he yelled, trying to make himself heard over the pandemonium.

“She went inside.”

Titan whirled to see an older gentleman speaking to him. “What did you say?” he asked with disbelief.

“She went inside after Rosa.”

“God, no.” Titan turned, about to head in when he saw her making her way out. Running to her, he caught the old lady just before she fell. “What are you trying to do, kill me?” he yelled.

Makenna could see he was worried. It just made her love him more. “I had to help,” was all she managed to say before she fainted.

*

“Will she need blood?” Titan asked Doc Procter as he stitched up the cut in Makenna’s shoulder.

“I don’t think so.” The doctor finished the last stitch. “Her heart rate is good. Her lungs aren’t damaged. I think she just got too hot.” He stood and looked at Titan. “Of course, if she ever does and you’re with her, make sure the attendants know she has a rare blood type, the same as yours.”

Titan looked shocked. “I didn’t know. At least there’s a supply kept in storage here for me. I want you to make sure she’s added to the list to use it.”

The doctor smiled. “She knows. Who do you think donated it for you?”

“Makenna,” Titan whispered. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Kiss me,” she murmured.

Hearing her speak, Titan jumped to her side. “I ought to paddle your butt. Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” He kissed her. “Do you hear me?” He kissed her again.

“Hold me tight.” She wrapped her arms around him and he lifted her close, following her directions to a T.

As soon as he could take her home he did, placing her in his truck like she would break at the least little jolt. “How do you feel?”

“With my fingers,” she said, dryly.

He rolled his eyes. “Smart ass.”

“You like my ass.”

“Yes, I do,” he agreed. “I think your pain meds have kicked in, suddenly you’re a comedian.”

“No,” she sighed, “I’m just happy we’re both alive.”

“Me too.” He went around and climbed in the driver’s side, shutting the door and starting the truck. “Do you want to get a hamburger on the way home?”

“Could we get it to go?” she asked. “I just want to go home and cuddle with you on the couch.”

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed.

As they drove toward the burger joint, Makenna began to feel sick. “Damien knew how I felt about the nursing home, Titan. I think you all need to take that into consideration.” No one had died, but to think she was ultimately responsible for all the cost and devastation was paralyzing.

“I already thought about it,” Titan admitted. “The Fire Marshal knows what to look for. We’re just dealing with a much bigger area. The guys told me when they arrived the fire seemed to originate from more than one place.”

He pulled up to the front of the small café. “Fries?”

“Tater tots.” She grinned at him. “And extra pickles.”

“Sure thing. You’re not pregnant, are you?” He teased, shutting the door before she could answer.

It was probably a good thing he had walked off, he didn’t hear her squeal. “Oh, my God!” She certainly could be pregnant. She wasn’t on birth control and they had done absolutely nothing to prevent pregnancy. When Damien had slept with her, he’d always insisted on a condom. In his sick mind, Makenna had never been quite good enough for him, nor clean enough. Her period wasn’t heavy, and she wasn’t terribly regular. So, she tried to think back to when her last period had actually come. “Allie, Allie, I need to talk to you.” Makenna dug in her purse for her cell phone. When her friend answered, she just started yelling. “I can’t believe this! I might be pregnant! How are you?”

Allie started laughing. “Sounds like I’m better than you. Are you pregnant?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t taken a test. I just realized I’ve been having unprotected sex.”

“With Titan.”

“Yes, with Titan.”

“You lucky woman.”

Makenna laughed. “True.”

“And if you are pregnant, is that such a bad thing?”

“Well, no.” She took a deep breath. “Although I’m not so sure Titan would agree.”

“Have you asked him?”

“No, I just thought about it,” she confessed. “We’ve been at another fire. This time it was the nursing home.”

“I can tell from your tone, you think it was Damien. Don’t you?”

Makenna let out a long breath. “Yes, I do. He’s determined to punish me for living.”

“Don’t let him win,” Allie said with conviction. “Be strong. You’ve got a hero on your side. Damien will slip up. They’ll eventually tie him to these fires and catch him. Until then, stay strong.”

“I’ll try. How’s the work coming on your house?”

“The insurance money came in and I have contractors there now. I’m still staying at my cousin’s house, mainly because you were worried. I don’t think Damien is concerned about me anymore. I think he’s moved on.”

“Yea, moved on to hurt me in other ways.” Makenna looked up to see Titan returning. “Well, Titan’s coming back. We’re headed home. You take care.”

“Call me when you take the pregnancy test.”

“Oh, gosh, I will,” she whispered. Letting herself think about the fire, she’d pushed the idea of a baby out of her head. “Bye, Allie.”

“Bye, girl. Hang in there.”

Titan opened the door, handing her the white bags. A fragrant aroma made Makenna groan. “I am starving!”

“Here, I thought you might like this.” He handed her a chocolate milkshake.

“You are so sweet. I haven’t had a milkshake in years.” She took a sip and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.

“Why not? Life is short, pretty girl.” Titan backed out of the parking lot and headed home.

“I wasn’t allowed…well, never mind, I don’t want to think about it.” She gave him a smile. “Thank you for thinking of me.” He gave her a long sideways glance as if he was trying to read between the lines. What would it be like to have a child with him? The thought thrilled her and terrified her at the same time. If she didn’t start her period soon, she’d have to find out. Plus, she needed to see about getting on the pill.

Once they were home, Titan came in and ate his burger, then he went out to take care of the animals, instructing her to lock the door. Makenna took an opportunity to just walk around his house, trying to imagine it was her home too. They had been through so much so fast. She and Titan jumped from friends to lovers with nothing much in between. Her heart was involved before they started, so if things didn’t work out, Makenna knew she would be hurt. But she’d survived hell with Damien, sharing heaven with Titan for a time would be worth almost anything.

Upstairs, he’d made room for her in his closet and in his chest-of-drawers. She didn’t need much room, Makenna didn’t have many belongings. Titan didn’t seem to place a great deal of emphasis on material possession and that was one of the reasons Makenna admired him. Damien was very brand conscious, and they’d never had enough money to substantiate his fixations, much less fulfill them. She walked around Titan’s room, running her hand across the smooth wood of the headboard on his bed. Undoubtedly they would make love tonight, or they would if she had any say in the matter. Her uncharacteristic moxie made her smile.

From below, she heard the front door open. “Makenna, whatcha doing?”

His voice put wings on her feet and she flew down the stairs to greet him. “Just exploring.”

“Not much to see, this place needs a woman’s touch.” He hugged her to him, swinging her around, her feet not even touching the ground. “Did you see my wine room?”

“No, I didn’t. How did I miss that?”

“It’s my only splurge item.” Setting her down, he led her back toward the kitchen. “I turned the pantry into a mini-wine cellar.” With obvious pride, he opened the door and showed her the racks of wine, organized by color and geographic location. There was also a small refrigerator unit. “Do you like wine?”

“I don’t know much about it,” Makenna admitted.

“Tomorrow you’ll know more. Like I promised, I’m taking you to some nearby vineyards and out on a date. We’re also heading into Austin to a family thing this weekend. Are you up for that?”

Makenna felt like her head was swimming. But, she couldn’t lie, she was excited to be included in his plans. “Yes, I would love to go with you. You’ll just have to tell me how to dress. I might have to borrow something from Allie.”

“I’ll get you anything you need,” he assured her. “It will be my pleasure.”

“I don’t know…” Makenna hesitated. “I don’t want to be a burden.” Like she’d said the day before. “I need to find a job.”

“Well, let’s talk about it,” Titan said slowly. “Walk with me.” He took her arm. “I want to show you my blacksmith shop.”

Makenna had an image in her mind of the Old West. A roaring fire and Titan, like the god Vulcan, wielding a huge hammer as he struck iron glowing red with heat. “Okay. I want to see it.”

“Have you worked before? I mean, have you held down a job?”

Makenna shook her head. “Just volunteer work.”

Titan held the door for her and they started out across the yard. “You mentioned once that you attended Texas Christian. What degree did you earn?”

“I didn’t finish,” she said, halfway embarrassed. “Damien came along. He didn’t want me to work.” Makenna sighed. “Big mistake. Now I’m not qualified for anything and don’t have a lot of options.”

Titan stopped her in her tracks. “Now wait a minute.” He placed a big hand on each shoulder. “Let’s get one thing straight. I think you should have a career if you want it, but you have something everyone else doesn’t have.”

“What’s that?” Makenna didn’t understand.

“Me.”

“Oh.” Makenna was struck speechless.

BUZZ! BUZZ!

As she was thinking of a response, his phone rang. “Sloan.” He listened for a few seconds, then just said, “Thanks, Kirk.”

Recognizing the Fire Marshal’s name, she asked, “What did they find?”

“Paraffin, so it’s the same perpetrator.”

“Damien.” Makenna said the one word like it tasted bad.

“Now, we just have to prove it. Conner’s about to try and get a warrant to search his house, but the judge he has to go through is the same one who let him walk after hurting you.”

Makenna crossed her arms and stared at Titan. “It’s my house too. As much as I hate to admit it, we’re still married. Why can’t I give the Sheriff permission to search the place? That way they don’t have to alert him.”

“Baby!” Titan smiled. “You’re a genius.” He immediately got back on the phone to call Conner. While he was talking, they headed on to the small outbuilding to the left of the barn. “Sure thing, Conner. Keep us informed.” As soon as he was off the phone, he invited her into his sanctuary. “Come in, look around. When it’s cold outside, this is the place to be. Right now, you either have to strip down to your skivvies or turn on the A/C.”

She wandered in and was immediately fascinated. Big steel tables held every kind of tool imaginable. There was a huge forge and several vices. “What do you make? Horseshoes?”

“Well, I do shoe horses,” he admitted, pointing out a whole row of horseshoes hung on the wall. “But I specialize in making knives.” He proudly showed her several he was working on.

Makenna was fascinated. “I’m so impressed.” She looked at the intricate work on the handles and the fine edge on the blades. “You are talented. These are magnificent. I want one!”

She was teasing, but he jumped on her comment like white on rice. “I’ll make you one. Every woman needs protection. I’ll feel better if you have it with you.” He began to show her blades and handles, even asking her what kind of things meant a lot to her. By the time his questions had subsided, he had a plan in mind.

“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”

“Are you kidding?” Titan asked, amazed. “I love to do things for you. It makes me happy.”

Makenna wanted to cry. She was happier than she’d ever been in her life.

*

It wasn’t the way he looked at her, even though his intense gaze made her wet. It wasn’t the nice things he did for her, although his thoughtfulness made her feel important. She wanted Titan and the main reason was just…him. He was sexy, sweet, smart and hot as hell. By the time they were ready to go to bed, Makenna was so ready for him, she wanted to ride him like a horse. Her bold thought made her blush, but she just went with it. They’d been relaxing in front of the television. He’d been enjoying a glass of local Moscato, but Makenna had only taken a sip. Until she found out for sure about the baby, she wouldn’t risk alcohol.

But right now she wanted something more potent—him. Makenna took his glass from his hand and set it down. Standing up slowly, she walked to the door. It took a lot of courage, but she turned, giving him a heated glance. “Titan, I can’t wait any longer. I need you. In bed. Now.” Then, she just turned and walked to his room.

Titan didn’t delay long, only enough to come to his senses. He sprang from the couch, bounded up the stairs, kicked the door closed and ripped off his shirt in one mighty move. Makenna’s eyes widened, not only at all the muscle he’d exposed but because he was stalking her across the room like a great big cat. When he reached her, she kissed him right over his heart but eased away when he tried to catch her hand. “No, I want a chance to just…look at you.” Slowly, she started to circle him. “I’ve watched you, wanted you for so long. The day of the calendar shoot, I stood at the back of the room…and my panties got wet from looking at you. Just you. The only sex in my life that counted was what I’ve had with you.”

Titan went still. This was the sexiest damn thing he’d ever experienced. “You like looking at me about half as much as I enjoy looking at you.” But he wasn’t crazy. If Titan could make her a little crazier for him, he would. After all, he figured it would pay off—in bed. He tried to make it look natural, but he stretched a little, moved his body and flexed a muscle or two.

When Makenna came to his back, she gave in, using both hands to caress him from neck to arms, planting a kiss as high on his back as she could reach. And then she paused to skim her night shirt over her head, leaned in and rubbed on him, brushing her stiff hungry nipples back and forth across his back. As her face was pressed to his skin, she felt his chest rumble from a deep-throated growl. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed against him, her hands beginning to move. “I want to be as close to you as I can get.”

Titan thought he could be still. He tried. Those small, soft hands of hers crept up from his waist and covered his pecs, rubbing, the palms caressing his nipples. He looked down. His cock was trying to push out of his pants. “You’re teasing the beast, baby.”

Makenna smiled against his skin. What was amazing about all of this was that he was powerful, a male animal in his prime. He could hurt her if he wanted to, but she had no fear whatsoever. Titan would cut off his arm before he would harm one hair on her head. “You’re so sexy, Titan. I’m wet for you.”

She didn’t make it around to his front by herself, she had help. He pulled her around, lunged at her mouth, taking both of her breasts in his hands. As he ravished her mouth, Titan tugged on her nipples. She arched against him, sliding one hand up his chest to encircle his neck. His mouth slid off of hers, spreading a trail of hot kisses over her throat and collarbone. She followed his lead, licking and kissing his throat, then his jaw. Her spare hand wasn’t idle, she teased his nipple, lightly scoring it with her fingernails. “Enough, babe, I’m dying.” With one easy move, he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

“Now the pants, cowboy.” She lay there, spread out and ready for him.

He wasted no time or movement, losing the jeans as fast as he’d lost the shirt. “Better?” He knew his cock was appreciative, it had been living in cramped quarters.

“Come lie on top of me. I need to feel your weight.” This she wouldn’t try to explain, but the sheer bulk of him on top of her made Makenna feel sheltered, enveloped—enclosed. No one could touch her when he stood between her and the world.

“Give me that mouth,” he growled, nipping her bottom lip, eating at her lips. Makenna reveled in his lust, clinging to him and kissing him back just as feverishly. When he pulled away, she thought she’d weep, but he moved down her body, ending up at her feet. Picking up one leg, he caressed the arch, kissing a path from ankle to knee. “Roll over.”

Makenna turned over so quickly, she hoped she preserved some sense of grace. She was so excited. Her arousal was flowing down the inside of her thigh.

“Up on your knees, face in the pillow.”

About two seconds after she’d done as he asked, she felt his mouth against her pussy. “Oh, yes, God, yes.” Not being able to see what he was doing just made it more intense. A lick from his talented tongue made her groan and when he spread her open with his fingers and buried his face in her sex she thought she’d black out. Makenna perched her ass in the air, pushing back, pressing her pussy into his face.

After that, all she could do was hang onto the sheet, because he made it his personal mission to make her scream—and he was very successful. Makenna came so hard she bit a hole in his pillowcase.

Titan couldn’t believe the sight before him. He’d hit the damn love jackpot. There was no sexier woman in the world. For him, she was it. Taking his engorged cock in hand, he fit himself into her cleft, sliding in her cream before pulling back and pushing the head into her opening ever so slowly.

Makenna almost said something about a condom, but she was weak. She was addicted to the feel of him. If something happened, it was on her. She wanted him, she couldn’t deny it. She wanted him forever. So, wanting his child was a natural extension. “More,” she whimpered and he worked his way in halfway. When he pulled back to thrust in, she countered his move, impaling herself on his big cock.

“Mercy!” he bellowed, as his body shook with the need to explode. “Hold on, I can’t stop now.” Grabbing her hips, he began to fuck her hard, covering her back, kissing her neck, grazing the soft flesh with his teeth. When she tightened down around him, milking his cock, Titan saw stars.

Taking her hips in his hands, he held her right where he needed her. Make no mistake about it, he might be on top, but she was calling the shots. At any time, if she gave any hint that she wanted him to let up, to stop, he’d cease and desist. Instead, she begged for him, “More, Ti, harder, more!”

Giving her what she needed, Titan hammered into her. Her little channel caressed him, milked him, burned him with her hunger. “Come for me, baby, I need you so much.” He slid his hands around to her front, one grasping a quivering globe, the other delving between her legs to find her clit.

Titan didn’t know if it was his words or his touch, but she bloomed for him, her body responding in the age-old way of a woman surrendering to a man. With a sexy cry, she came all over him, the pulsing spasms of her channel pushing him over the cliff—a stampede of sensation that kept his cock moving in and out of her long after the clasps of her pussy muscles had milked him of every drop.

Pulling out, he wrapped an arm around her and took her with him, him landing on his back and her spread on top of him like jam on toast. “Did I satisfy you, my Makenna?”

“Completely.” She sighed, relaxing fully against him. “Completely.”

Chapter Ten

‡

Titan’s world had changed. He was no longer alone and he was no longer lonely. What he’d wished for, what he prayed for had been given to him. Now, he just had to make sure he kept it, kept her. He lay there, his cock growing harder by the second and realized…she was here, they were together and there was no use to deprive either of them of what they wanted or needed. Rising, he bent over and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking through the shirt. Beneath him, she bowed her back and whimpered.

“Titan.” Makenna said his name at the same time she clasped his head to her breast. “Good morning.” He grazed his teeth over her nipple and she felt herself grow wet.

Titan shut his eyes, luxuriating in the moment. “Take me inside you, Makenna,” he instructed with a low voice.

She skimmed his T-shirt over her head and rose up on her knees. Between the two of them, they managed to put Part A into Slot B. He held his cock up and helped her angle over him until she could sink down on his dick…slowly. Titan loved the look of wonder on her face as she sheathed him. Linking their hands, Makenna began to ride him while he gazed at the erotic sight. He wanted to watch—her breasts were jiggling, her eyes were glazed over with desire and her sweet mouth was open, ready for his kisses. But fuucck, it felt so good, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. The heat, the rub, the friction, the slide of his flesh against her. “Makenna!” Too soon he came, shooting up inside of her. Embarrassed by the breakneck speed his cock raised the white flag, he was grateful she was polite and came with him.

“Oh, that was so good.” She laid her head on his shoulder and he held her tight. Life didn’t get any better than this—Titan Sloan had it made.

After cumming so hard, they drifted back so sleep but an insistent buzzing on the nightstand claimed Titan’s attention. Since he’d squashed his old alarm clock, Titan had replaced it with a sturdier model. The next piece of technology that was in dire danger of being mauled was his phone, especially now that he had Makenna in his bed. With a groan he grabbed it. “Hello?”

“Titan, this is Kirk Armstrong. I wanted to let you know that we found liquid paraffin in Wade’s garage. We also found some other things that might connect him to these fires—trophies, I guess you could say. All of this has to be analyzed, but he looks to be the arsonist.”

Titan wasn’t surprised that the Fire Marshal found proof. What did surprise him was the disappointment in the man’s voice. Clearly, he hadn’t wanted Damien to be guilty. “What next?”

“He wasn’t there.” The bombshell Kirkland dropped reverberated in Titan’s head.

“The fucker was gone? The police can’t find him?” Even before he heard the verdict, Titan knew the answer.

“Someone tipped him off. He’s got friends.”

Titan sat up on the side of the bed. He knew Makenna was awake and aware.

“The sheriff said if he found out who was leaking information, they’d be off the force. “I hope people don’t start turning on Conner for trying to see that justice is done.”

Rubbing his face, Titan was pissed. “To hell with those people.” Their blind faith in someone who didn’t deserve it was putting everyone at risk, especially Makenna.

“Keep me informed,” Kirkland said.

“Oh yeah, I will.” Titan laid the phone down.

“He’s still on the loose, isn’t he?” Makenna knelt right behind him. “What if he comes here? He has to know what I’ve done. What are we going to do?”

Titan cursed under his breath, he hadn’t intended to scare her. Her trembling voice made him feel helpless. “I’m going to keep you safe, first of all. The sheriff put an APB out on him. He’s probably a state or two away by now.” Which was true. Damien might be a psycho, but he wasn’t stupid. He was probably long gone. “Second, we’re going to talk and I want to know everything about that idiot you can tell me. It’s time we took him out of commission.”

Makenna felt better when she had a sense of purpose in mind. They readied themselves for the day, then sat down at the kitchen table to eat breakfast. Today their meal consisted of omelets she’d whipped up while he made coffee. “What can you tell me about Damien’s past?” Titan asked as he buttered his toast.

“I’ve probably heard the version that everyone else relates. He’s a hometown boy. His parents owned a Mom and Pop mercantile store.” Makenna thought a minute. “What he really likes to talk about is his time in the VFD and how he came to be involved. If I heard the story how he saved the congregation at the Baptist Church once, I heard it fifty times. He loved to relate how he was driving by, saw the fire and ran in to lead everyone out to safety.”

“It seems he did this more than once, right?” Titan watched her face, seeing how this affected her.

“Yes, he loved to be a hero. I don’t know the names of the families whose homes he managed to save, but there was more than one. I believe Kirkland was Fire Chief then, and they encouraged Damien to join as soon as he was old enough. He had quite the reputation. When he moved north, it was Kirk’s recommendation that got him the paid job in the big city fire department.”

Titan kept eating, but his mind was racing. “Why did you leave the city and move back here?”

Makenna swallowed before answering, wiping her mouth with a paper towel. “My life at that point was miserable. The honeymoon stage was over, I guess you could say. He didn’t talk to me, not really. Every day he seemed to take greater pleasure in browbeating and humiliating me.” At his questioning expression, she elaborated. “Well, you heard how I had to say that I was worthless out loud.” She saw Titan’s jaw harden, his mouth compress in a thin straight line. “If the meal I cooked wasn’t up to his specifications, I had to eat mine off the floor.” Titan groaned, so Makenna moved on. Those days were behind her, no use to dwell on them. “When he decided to move, I wasn’t included in the decision. Damien came home one day and announced we were leaving. There were no goodbye parties or visits from his friends. We were just there one day and here the next. I don’t know what happened.”

Titan stood and collected their plates. “That is strange. I wonder…” he began, but he didn’t finish his sentence.

Makenna helped him, placing their dishes in the washer. “What are you thinking?”

“I think I see a pattern.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I do my best thinking at the anvil, so I’m going to head out to my blacksmith shop for a bit.” Glancing at the clock, he saw it was still pretty early, only seven-thirty. “As soon as Kirk is in his office, I’m heading down and go over some records and make a few phone calls. Why don’t you get dressed and you can ride with me? Maybe you and Allie can get together while I take care of this.” He smiled when he saw her face brighten. “Remember, this afternoon I’m taking you to the vineyard.”

“You make me so happy.” She hugged him on tiptoe. “My life is nothing like it used to be.”

“This is the way life is supposed to be, sweetheart.” He hugged her back.

After that, the day passed swiftly. Titan worked his frustrations out on hot steel, forging a beautiful knife for Makenna. It would be delicate, like her, but functional. He hoped she liked it. For him, it wasn’t just a weapon for protection, it was art. As he beat the metal into submission, he let the theories he had on Damien formulate in his mind. If he was right, Damien had been a firebug all the time.

Once he had the blade formed and cooling, Titan returned to the house to see if Makenna was ready to go. When he grasped the door handle, he was glad to see she’d locked it. They couldn’t be sure Wade had left town, so taking precautions was smart. “Makenna, are you ready?” he called from the bottom of the stairs.

“Almost,” she answered back.

Titan laughed. ‘Almost’ could mean anything to a woman. “Okay, I’m going to get some lemonade and cool off. I’ll be waiting.” He sauntered to the kitchen, poured the cool drink over ice and sat down at the bar to enjoy it. To pass the time, he went through the mail. Nothing unusual, bills mostly. At the bottom of the stack, he saw his sister’s magazine she’d left, the one Makenna had referred to. “Let’s see the kind of boots she likes.” Opening it up, he began to leaf through the pages. They would see Tara this weekend. Their family was one of the driving forces behind Rodeo Austin and the scholarship ceremony was around the corner. He was expected to be there. The timing was good, because he wanted to introduce his parents and Tara to Makenna. As he flipped through the magazine, he saw it—and his face broke into a huge smile.

The pair of snow white cowboy boots were worn by a bride. She sat on the steps of a country church with a bouquet of wildflowers in her hand. All of his hopes and dreams rose like a flood in Titan’s heart. “Makenna needs these boots,” he muttered.

With a plan in mind, he drained his glass, sat it in the sink and made his way upstairs. “Hey, baby, how’s it coming?” She was standing in front of the vanity applying mascara to her already long beautiful eyelashes.

“Almost,” she said again and he nodded, trying to look entirely innocent as he made his way to the closet to check her shoe size.

“Good deal,” he said, as he meandered back into the hallway and down the stairs to place the order.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she announced as she came bounding down the stairs, looking for all the world like a ray of sunshine in a simple yellow dress.

“Me too,” he agreed. He was ready for a lot of things, ready to start a new life with her as his wife for one.

*

“You are one lucky woman,” Allie announced as they watched Titan cross the street on his way to the Fire Marshal’s office.

“Yes, I am.” Makenna couldn’t argue with the truth. “He’s taking me on a date to a vineyard tonight.”

“What are you going to wear?” Allie asked with excitement as she pulled her small Audi out into the street.

“Probably my black dress.” Makenna didn’t want to make a big deal about it. “It’s nice and always appropriate.”

“No, you’ll wear something of mine. You know my closet is always overflowing.” Allie was a buyer for several department stores. “I’m thinking about opening my own boutique here in town. How would you like to work for me? I’d give you deep discounts.”

Makenna’s eyes grew big as saucers. “Seriously?”

“Heck yea, I’m serious.” Allie assured her as they pulled up in front of a Walgreens. “I like it here. I’m not letting your psychotic ex-husband run me off. I needed to make some upgrades in the house anyway. His antics just assured that the insurance company would pay for them instead of me.” She winked at Makenna. “Besides, Hotshot asked me out for this weekend.”

“He did?” Makenna squealed and hugged her. “That’s wonderful!” When Allie opened the door to get out, Makenna asked, “What are we doing here?”

“Buying you a pregnancy test. Did you forget?”

Yes, she had. With all the hullabaloo with fires and Damien-trouble, she had pushed the possibility of a baby to the back of her mind once again. “I had a lot on my mind,” she said weakly. “If I’m not pregnant, I need birth control, that’s for sure.”

“Well, first things first,” Allie pronounced as she held the door for Makenna. “After we buy this, we’ll pick up some lunch, then head over to my house so you can pick out something to wear tonight.” Heading down the right aisle, Allie picked up a box and handed it to her. “While we’re there, you can pee on this stick.”

A few streets over, Titan sat in front of Kirkland Armstrong. “I want you to help me research something.” He leaned forward and placed a sheet of paper on the desk. “According to our VFD records, these are the dates of those fires Damien Wade built his reputation on, the ones that he just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”

Kirk picked the paper up. “What are you saying, Sloan?”

“Look, I know you two were friends. But what if he’s been doing this the whole time?”

Kirkland let out a long breath. “Actually, I’m ahead of you.” He pulled a file folder from his desk. “It’s a sad fact, but a higher than comfortable percentage of arsonists are firefighters. The occupation tends to draw those who are fascinated and drawn to fire.” Opening the folder, he spread out a sheaf of papers. “It seems he’s been using the same manner of setting the blazes from the beginning. I’ve turned all of this information over to the DA. Property damages are huge, but there were also some injuries involved. This is one dangerous man.”

Titan thought he would feel better when the truth came out, but he didn’t. Damien could have been a model citizen. He had so much to offer. Instead, he was a criminal and the one who had suffered the most was Makenna.

Meanwhile, Makenna and Allie visited over Paninis at a street-side café. The outing wasn’t without drama. Their waitress turned out to be someone who’d gone to school with Damien and she pulled no punches, telling Makenna just what she thought about the accusations made against him. Seeing the attention the conversation was drawing, Makenna didn’t even attempt to defend herself. Instead, they finished their meal, then hurried to the trailer where they rifled through Allie’s closet, tossing outfits to the right and to the left until Makenna settled on a short white dress overlaid with lace. “I like this one,” she murmured, running her hand reverently down the soft material.

“You’ll look marvelous in it,” Allie assured her.

The knock on the door came earlier than expected. “It’s Titan,” Makenna said, peeking out the window.

Allie went to let him in, whispering as she went, “As soon as you find out the results, I want you to call me.”

Makenna agreed, hugging her friend. Titan waited outside, so she quickly gathered her things and went to meet him. Her purse felt ten times heavier with the pregnancy test in it than it ever had before.

*

“What kind of grapes are these?” Makenna let her window down to get a better look at the rows and rows of grape vines, growing green and lush as far as the eye could see.

“I believe they’re called Norton grapes. Aiden can give you a rundown, if you like. He does enjoy talking about wine.” Titan drove slowly so she could get a good look. “Across the way you can see his house and farther on, the winery itself.

“Do you know Aiden well?” She was fascinated. Once they turned off the main road, she didn’t even feel like they were in Texas anymore.

“Pretty well. I’ve been trying to get him to join the VFD. He’s single and wealthy enough to have help running the winery and the restaurant. Aiden oversees everything, of course. He also raises horses, Appaloosas. He’ll take you down to see them before we go if you want to meet them.”

Makenna smiled. “You make it sound like the horses are part of his family.”

“Oh, they are, definitely,” Titan assured her. “Both Aiden’s horses and his wines have won awards.” He stopped speaking, almost as if he was considering something. “You know, it might not have been a good idea to bring you out here.”

“Why is that?” Makenna frowned. “I want to do this.”

“Because Aiden’s a handsome eligible bachelor and you are the most beautiful woman in the Hill Country.”

Makenna blushed. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“Oh, really? Why is that?” He kept up his teasing banter.

“You’re the complete package, Titan.” She grew serious. “You’re not only the best looking guy I’ve ever seen, you’re also kind, honest and hardworking. I’m glad you don’t have as much money as Aiden.” She waved her hand at their beautiful surroundings.

“Why are you glad I don’t have money?” He asked the question carefully.

Makenna was staring ahead. She could see a man coming out to meet them. “Because I’m as poor as a church mouse, it makes you seem more accessible to me. Although,” she brightened, “I do have a job prospect. Allie is buying a boutique and asked me to work for her!”

Titan slowed down, raising a hand to Aiden. “I think our sleeping in the same bed makes me pretty damn accessible.” Makenna heard the disturbed tone in his voice, but her door being opened for her by their host drew her attention away.

“Welcome to my home.” They were greeted in style, for following along behind Aiden was a waiter with a tray of glasses containing a sparkly white wine.

“Aiden, it’s good to see you.” Titan came up by Makenna, instantly putting an arm around her shoulders. “This is my girlfriend, Makenna.”

She noticed he didn’t add the last name—Wade. Makenna didn’t mind at all. “How do you do?” She let Aiden take her hand and smiled when he brought it to his lips for a kiss. “Thank you for having us.”

“My pleasure.” He slapped Titan on the back. “Lucky man.”

“I am,” Titan stated flatly. “Your place looks good,” he said, gazing off into the distance. “How’s the harvest looking?”

“Good. The flavor is excellent. Grab a glass of wine and let’s take a ride in the golf cart. I’ll show you two around.”

For the next couple of hours, Makenna learned more about wine than she knew there was to know, although she did try to avoid drinking any. Once, she even watered a plant with what was probably a very expensive vintage. Luckily, both men were so happy to have someone to talk to about wine, they never noticed she wasn’t imbibing. They seemed equally enthusiastic about the subject, but she secretly thought Titan probably was more knowledgeable than Aiden. They talked Texas weather, French influence, Italian blends—she was dizzy with the facts and figures they bandied about. When they stopped to take a breath, she threw her own question out there. “If you could only drink one wine for the rest of your life, what would it be?” Honestly, she should’ve ducked because the discussion that idea produced was quite dramatic. She was never more grateful when an employee came to speak to Aiden and he begged off, leaving them parked under a grand old oak.

“Whew!” Makenna let out a big sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Titan turned to her, concerned.

She kissed him gently on the lips. “I’m glad he’s gone. This place is romantic and I wanted to be alone with you.”

“Awww, you say the sweetest things.” From that moment, the tone of the afternoon changed as he drove her from one scenic spot to another, including the horses, and ending their tour at the Tuscan inspired restaurant. “We’ll feed one appetite now, another later.”

He led her inside where an elegant table was laid out awaiting them. “Aiden made sure we were next to the windows. If you’ll look down toward the creek, you’ll see one of the most exclusive wedding spots in the Hill Country.”

Makenna turned so hard and quick to see what he was talking about that she knocked her glass of wine over. “Sorry.”

Titan helped her right the glass, mopping up the spill. “Easy, baby, it’s just some pretty white lights and a scenic grove of trees.”

When he tried to refill her glass, she placed her hand over her glass. “I want to be awake for what we plan to do later.”

Returning her attention to the wedding site, she pictured Titan in a cowboy tux and herself in a white dress with those cowboy boots that for some odd reason had come to represent their future happiness to her. “This would be a glorious place for a wedding.”

Titan was about to agree, until a waiter came to get their order. “What will you have, pretty girl?”

She pointed at a center cut filet with a red wine reduction. “This looks good, it comes with an herb cream sauce, broccolini and roasted potatoes.”

“Okay, perfect.” He looked up at the man and spoke in fluent Italian. “I’ll have the Bistecca alla Fiorentina and she’ll have the Controfiletto ai Pepe.”

Makenna’s eyes bugged, not expecting the fluid flow of romantic sounding words to come out of his mouth. She glanced down at the menu to see what he was having. He’d chosen steak also, but a sixteen ounce wood-grilled Hereford ribeye with Parmigiano garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. “Oh, that looks good too.” As soon as the waiter left, she grinned at him. “I don’t think I know you very well at all, Mr. Sloan.”

Titan raised his glass. “Stick with me, honey. There are layers to my personality. You have to peel them off one by one.”

Makenna giggled. “Like an onion.”

Titan roared with laughter. “Only you would say something like that.” He leaned across the table and kissed her. “I love you.”

The rest of the meal, as good as it was, was only a blur to Makenna. Titan Sloan had said he loved her. It wasn’t a romantic declaration, but it was the only ‘I love you’ she’d ever received that mattered.

On the ride home, they held hands, his finger brushing the inside of her palm suggestively. She’d never known such an innocent touch could make her so achy. “Thank you for taking me to the winery.”

“You’re welcome. Making you happy is my job.”

Maybe it was his husky voice or the hooded look in his eye—she wasn’t sure, but suddenly she couldn’t wait. “Titan, uh, could you find someplace to pull over?”

Titan reacted immediately to her request, finding a safe place to pull off the highway, a small deserted dirt road. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t wait.” Boldly, she placed a hand over his manhood. Even flaccid it was big, but once she touched it, she could feel it begin to grow. “I need you inside me.”

The very next moment, Titan was out of the vehicle and coming over to her side. Throwing open her door, he unfastened her seatbelt and picked her up. “There’s too much of me to have sex inside a truck cab.”

“Then, where?” she asked, thinking maybe the back of the truck or the hood.

He backed her up against the truck, his voice vibrating against her neck. “You let me worry about that.” Makenna began to quiver with excitement. Damn, the man was potent. He was fast becoming as necessary to her as oxygen.

“I know you’ll take care of me, you always do.” She lifted her head for his kiss. He captured her lips, sucking the bottom one between his teeth. Makenna took one of his big hands and placed it over her breast. Even through the material of her dress, his touch scorched her. As he kissed her, Titan cupped the eager globe, weighing it, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the nipple.

The dress she had on was held up by tiny straps, small bows tied at the shoulder. When he took one in his teeth, pulling it till it was loose. She gave a small gasp of pleasure. The sexy man kissed his way across her shoulder until he reached the other bow, undoing it in a similar manner. “You don’t have on a bra,” he growled, his hands caressing her chest as he eased the dress down her body.

“Built-in shelf bra,” she whispered, as if he cared. Her breasts were heavy, swollen, the nipples distended and aching. “Touch me,” she whispered.

Titan intended to touch her, right after he got his fill of looking at her. “Don’t rush me.” He lifted them, cradling them in his palms, swirling his thumbs over the nipples.

“No one can see us…can they?” Makenna was so turned on, she almost stuttered. The throbbing between her legs was now a demanding pulse.

“It’s dark, no one will see.” Sliding his hands beneath her bottom, he lifted. “Put your legs around me.”

“Feels good,” Makenna whispered as she ground her softness against his hard crotch. “Do you ache as much as I do?”

“My cock wants you all the time.” He bent his head and sucked a nipple deep into his mouth, his tongue twirling around the sensitive tip.

“I’m so wet. Feel.” Makenna didn’t know why she was talking like this. It was as if the darkness set her free. She’d never wanted to be fucked so much.

Titan smiled against her cheek, his hand finding its way between them. Pushing her panties out of the way, he massaged her slit, moving the cream he found there from the back to the front, petting her clit until she groaned. “Oh, you’re so hungry, aren’t you?”

“Fuck me, Titan.” She licked his neck, letting her teeth sink in.

She heard him growl, then the rasp of his zipper sounded loudly in the night. Waiting was sweet torture. Makenna clung to his shoulders while he freed his cock. In the moonlight, she could see desire branded across his face as he placed the tip of his cock into her opening and pushed. “Perfect, so fuckin’ perfect.”

Holding him tightly around the neck, Makenna pushed against him, taking more and more of his cock, loving the way it stretched her, the way it burned. “You feel so good,” she keened.

“It’s about to feel better,” he promised, lifting her, stepping away from the truck.

“Titan!” she cried, afraid for a moment that he’d drop her. But that wasn’t the case—he was strong, he was powerfully built. All she had to do was brace her hands on his shoulders and he did all the work, lifting her, lowering her, moving her up and down his solid pole.

Makenna rocked on him, moaning, shuddering, relishing every spine-melting stroke. “Harder,” she whispered, needing as much of him as he would give. How could she ever exist without him?

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. Bracing her with hands at her waist, he thrust into her again and again. She kept her legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into his hips. The friction he created within her was exquisite. “Titan!” she cried as her reality spun out of control. Digging her nails into the hard muscles of his arm, fire sparked across her skin. “Hold me, hold me,” she begged as her entire body melted.

Walking back to the truck, Titan braced her against the door so he could enclose her in his arms. He tunneled deep, a flash of heat washing over him as her pussy tightened almost unbearably around his cock. Her pleasure was his pleasure. “Come for me, baby,” he panted through clenched teeth.

“Yes, oh, yes!” she cried, her climax building, growing until it consumed her, her world flying apart with unparalleled pleasure.

Hearing her surrender, Titan closed his eyes, letting go, ecstasy slamming across his senses, pushing him over the edge. “I’d rather listen to you cum than breathe, Makenna.” He sighed, keeping her caged in his arms. They stayed, joined, until they caught their breath. “Ready to go home?”

Home. Makenna smiled. “Yes, I’m ready to go home.”

*

Not since the Memorial Day floods had a storm took a toll like the one that swamped Hays County over the accusations and charges mounting against Captain Damien Wade. To say the town was split was putting it mildly. Everyone had an opinion and all of them were being voiced loudly. There was a camp who felt Damien was being framed, if not by Makenna, then by Titan or someone else in the unit.

Since that night, Makenna had been pulled from pillar to post. She’d been subjected to questioning after questioning. A team of investigators came in from the capital and reopened the records of the fires that Damien had conveniently come upon and fought so valiantly. Of course one investigator didn’t hesitate to point out that Titan had done the same thing with the Langston fire. He managed to keep his cool and was vindicated when several people spoke up about him being at the livestock auction during the time the fire was started.

There was no trace of Damien, either. It looked like Titan had been right. There was no telling where he was by now. She tried to stay calm, tried to keep her focus. The pregnancy test was still in her purse, she hadn’t found the courage to take the test yet. She wanted Titan and she wanted his child, but the turmoil of the last few days made her doubt everything.

“You can’t let this bother you.” Titan tried to comfort her. “People love to talk. It doesn’t mean anything. All of this will blow over soon.” He rubbed her arms, trying to instill confidence. “In the meantime, come out to my shop. I finished your knife.”

“You did?” She was thrilled Titan had created something just for her. “I wish I was talented enough to make you something besides brownies.”

“You don’t have a clue. You do make me something.” He insisted with a smile.

“What?”

“You make me happy.”

Makenna didn’t walk to the shop, she floated.

Once inside, he told her to close her eyes and he guided her right to the place he wanted her to stand. “Now, hold out your hands.”

Obediently, she did and she felt an object being placed in her palm. Her fingers closed around it and she felt it smooth, solid and heavy in her hand. Rubbing her thumb across the handle, she felt an unevenness. “Did you carve something on it?”

“Look at it.”

Her eyes sprang open and she found an elegant silver knife with beautiful ivy scrollwork etched on the side. Makenna was engraved on the handle. “It’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed.

“Open it.” He showed her the little release and the blade opened slowly but fully.

“It looks sharp,” she said, wanting to test it on something. “What can I cut?”

“You’re going to be dangerous. Here.” He pointed her to a thin piece of plywood he’d hung on the wall. “Carve something.”

Smiling, she walked over and held the knife carefully, drawing an M, a T and an F. “There!”

“What does that stand for?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Makenna’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “Well, technically it’s my initials, or at least that’s what I told Damien. Makenna Tess Flynn. My maiden name.” Giving him a shy smile, she licked her lips, buying time. “When a girl likes a guy, sometimes they write their name over and over, like if I wrote Mrs. Titan Sloan or Mrs. Makenna Sloan.”

If she’d been looking at Titan, she would have seen his breathing quicken.

“I couldn’t do that,” she continued to explain, “so I wrote my initials, MTF. Only it didn’t stand for just my name, it stood for Makenna and Titan forever.”

Titan didn’t say a word. He just pulled her close and kissed her until she sighed with contentment.

Chapter Eleven

‡

“I’m nervous, I can’t believe I’m meeting your family.” Makenna squirmed in her seat, staring out at the Texas countryside as the miles flew by.

“They’re going to love you.”

He said it as if their approval was a foregone conclusion. She waited for him to add, ‘just like I do’—but he didn’t. Although she’d waited, he hadn’t told her he loved her again, not since that time in the restaurant. All Makenna could conclude was that it had just been something to say, he hadn’t meant it for real. “I hope so,” she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. This didn’t seem like the right time to meet his family. Makenna still wasn’t sure what their relationship entailed. Her divorce had been granted, all that was lacking was Damien’s signature and if he couldn’t be located, the lawyer said a special hearing would be held to deal with it. But the cloud of her soon-to-be-ex still hung over her head. If she wasn’t right with Titan, she spent her time looking over her shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

There was also the question of her missing period. Makenna had set herself a deadline. She planned on taking the test in the coming week. And if she was pregnant…well, she didn’t know what she was going to do. Telling Titan was inevitable, as was keeping the baby—but there were a whole lot of what ifs in the mix.

“Are you sure the dress I’m wearing is okay?” She couldn’t help but worry as she fingered the black material of her faithful dress. He’d said this was an awards dinner at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in downtown Austin. The Rodeo Austin Association was dolling out scholarships to worthy students. It seemed like a highbrow affair to her.

“You’re absolutely beautiful,” Titan said, meaning every word. She’d refused to let him buy her a dress and her friend Allie had been called away on a family emergency. The dress she wore might not be new, but she was perfection as far as he was concerned.

“So, what are we going to do?” she asked nervously. “Prepare me.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about. We’re going to meet my family at the ceremony, then we’ll have dinner with my parents.”

“Do they live in Austin?” Makenna realized she didn’t know that much about him, which would never do.

“They do, on the west side off Capital of Texas Highway.”

The address didn’t mean much to Makenna, she didn’t know the state capital that well. “Are we staying in a motel?” A tinge of panic made her stomach queasy. She hoped they weren’t staying with his parents.

“There’s a guest house at my folks’ place. I lived there while I was in college. It’s completely separate and…” he winked at her, “we’ll be completely alone.”

She let out a nervous breath. “That’s good.”

“We’ll go out on the town after we spend a little while with them. I want to show you my old stomping ground.” Titan knew his parents would love her. How could they not? He was a bit concerned about Tara. She tended to be a bit overprotective where he was concerned. He certainly didn’t want his sister interrogating Makenna.

“All right.” As they came nearer, she could see the Austin skyline. The pink granite state capitol building she could recognize. “What’s the tall thin building to the north?”

“That’s the tower on the UT campus. When the Longhorns win a ball game, it’s lit up with burnt orange lights.”

“Austin is growing, isn’t it?” As they neared the downtown area, she could see a lot of new constructions. Makenna realized she was probably asking a lot of questions. She was trying to take her mind off meeting Titan’s family. “Do they know about Damien?” The question came out of nowhere.

Titan placed his hand on her knee. “Yes, they know. They are very supportive,” he reassured her. “And yes, Austin is growing by leaps and bounds. I think the population is over eight hundred thousand now.” Once they were downtown, Titan slowed down and they started looking for a parking spot. “I probably should go to a parking garage. Do you want me to let you out?”

“No, I’d rather stay with you.” As soon as he found a spot, they began walking through the concrete garage toward the street. On the way, they passed several groups of people. Some were couples, some appeared to be college kids. It didn’t matter what age the women they met were, Makenna noticed they couldn’t take their eyes off of Titan. To give him credit, he didn’t seem to notice. His focus was entirely on her. “You look really nice tonight.” The black western suit fit him like it had been made just for him. His shoulders were a yard wide, and the cut was impeccable.

“Why, thank you, beautiful. Walking next to you would make any man look good.”

When they stepped out on the street, Makenna could see the huge Texas star sculpture that sat out in front of the building. She could also see people arriving. Some of the women were dressed to the nines and she suddenly felt self-conscious. “I’m not sure I’m going to fit in.”

Titan tightened his arm around her waist. “Anywhere you are, you will be the prettiest woman there. Besides, you’re with me. You never have to clear a path, I’ll clear it for you.”

The difference between Titan and Damien was never more pronounced than at this moment. Damien would have walked off and left her to fend for herself and Titan wouldn’t leave her side. It was with pride she held his arm as he led her into the beautiful building.

The awards ceremony was being held in the Grand Lobby, which had a sweeping two-story vista with a majestic staircase. The lighting was low, but the decorations were breathtaking. Everything spoke of Texas, but not just its wide-open spaces, the wealth of Texas was on predominant display. “I’m still not sure what’s going on. Your family takes part in Rodeo Austin?” It was apparent a thought just came to mind. “Did you ride rodeo?”

Titan escorted her deeper in the room, stopping a waiter to grab two glasses of champagne. A country-western band was playing, but the dress was not western by any means. These women knew how to dress. Makenna tried to make herself appear smaller so as not to draw too much attention. Maybe everyone would be looking at Titan and just ignore her.

“I did some calf roping, but it was my father and my sister who were the winners. My dad was a legendary bronc rider and Tara won the world championship barrel racing title twice.” He raised his glass at people who recognized him, calling him by name. Makenna carried her glass until she found an empty table to place it on. Titan continued to explain. “The Sloans sponsor Rodeo Austin and help pick the recipients of the scholarship.” With that fairly vague explanation, they turned at the sound of a woman’s voice.

“Titan!”

“Mother!”

Oh Lord, Makenna thought, this is it. They were greeted by a tall elegant woman wearing a chic evening gown and enough diamonds to blind someone.

There was no doubt she loved her son, her hug was warm and her eyes lit up with excitement. “I’m so glad you could come. I don’t see you nearly enough.” Facing Makenna, her smile didn’t change. “Makenna, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Call me Louisa. You all must sit with us.” She hastily kissed Makenna on the cheek. A cloud of Chanel No. 5 hovered around her. The only way Makenna recognized the scent was because it was Allie’s favorite. Louisa stood on tiptoe and glanced around. “Titan, do you see your daddy?”

“I do.” Titan stepped out to shake a man’s hand, a giant of a man formed from the same mold as his son. It fascinated Makenna to see what Titan would look like in thirty years. He would still be a handsome man. His father’s face was lined, but when he smiled a genuine kindness shone through. “Dad, this is my girlfriend, Makenna Flynn. Makenna, this is Ross Sloan.”

She noticed he used her maiden name, and that made her happy. “Hello, Mr. Sloan.”

He took her hand and gave her a gallant bow. “I’m delighted to meet you, Makenna. You’re a little too pretty for this big old brute, aren’t you?”

Makenna smiled, but she was so insecure, she didn’t know if he really thought she was pretty or if he was gently warning her off his son. “Thank you. He’s the most wonderful man in the world and I’m lucky to be with him.”

Her soft-spoken explanation caused both men to stare at one another and Titan pulled her even closer. “She’s something, isn’t she, Dad?”

“She sure is, she sure is.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, if you’ll take your seats, we’ll begin.” On the way to the table, Titan introduced her to a few more people, whose names she either wouldn’t remember or didn’t hear clearly. When they neared the front, a whirlwind in blue came out of nowhere.

“Titan! You’re here!”

When Titan picked up the pint size woman and hugged her, Makenna’s mouth dropped open. But when he set her down and held out his hand, she took it. “Tara, this is Makenna Flynn, my girlfriend. Makenna, this is Tara Sloan, my big sister.”

Tara and Makenna both laughed. Compared to Titan, Tara was just a smidge of a person. “Yes, I am, Titan Sloan, and don’t you forget it!” She wagged her finger in his face, then faced Makenna with a slightly different expression. It wasn’t unfriendly…it was just analytical. “So, this is Makenna.” It was obvious she was being sized up.

“Hello, Tara, I’m so glad to meet you.” She held out her hand.

Tara didn’t take it immediately. She looked up into her brother’s eyes, who met hers with a flinty concentration. Makenna almost let her arm drop, but at the last second, Tara clasped her hand and said, “I’m happy to meet you too, Makenna.”

“Titan, take your seat,” his mother hissed and to Makenna’s surprise, they were seated at the head table. Looking out at the lavish table displays and the obviously well-to-do attendees, Makenna began to get a different picture.

Titan Sloan wasn’t a country cowboy/firefighter. Titan Sloan was well-to-do.

Well, damn.

Rodeo Austin proved to be more than a rodeo, carnival and stock show association. The gathering reminded her of the night Titan had received his Brother’s Keeper Plaque. Before the evening was over, the association had distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of scholarships to deserving students. Makenna discovered the Sloans were one of the main backers. She picked at her steak and dragged her fork through her potatoes. Her appetite had fled with the realization that she was way out of her league—both at the party and in Titan’s life.

“What’s wrong?” Titan found her hand under the table and took it in his, rubbing his thumb over the back. “You don’t like your food?”

“No, it’s good.” She smiled at him. For the rest of the meal, they managed to eat one-handed because he never let her go. The guest speaker turned out to be Titan’s father and he quickly had the room in stitches. But he also said some deep things. She could see where Titan got his engaging personality. “Rodeo is a lot like life, you don’t just have to learn how to ride, you have to learn how to fall.”

As Makenna listened, she understood how true his words were. Her life hadn’t been easy by any stretch of the imagination. She’d been a victim of one of the worst terrorist acts on U. S. soil, and her husband had abused Makenna’s body and her trust. With her father’s help, she had survived the bombing, coming to grips with her mother’s death and the knowledge that you were never really safe anywhere. Now, Titan was helping her rise from the ashes of her abuse. Learning how to live wasn’t just about when things went smoothly, you had to learn how to fail and learn how to get up when you do. When Ross Sloan was finished speaking, she rose with everyone else to give him a standing ovation.

Soon, the ceremony was over and Tara leaned over to speak to Titan. “Are you coming to the house? Mother wants us to come for drinks.” She spoke in a pointed tone, conveying the message that he should attend.

Makenna noticed Titan didn’t let Tara fluster him. “Yea, we were planning on it. Then we’re going out for a while.” He rubbed Makenna’s shoulder. “I want to take my girl dancing on 6th street.”

“You’d do well to spend some time with Dad. You know you’re going to have to take over the company soon.”

Company? Makenna could see this was an old argument between them. She wondered if Titan would get upset. Instead, he laughed. “Tara, you’re the perfect one to run the company and Dad and I both know it.”

The next few minutes were hectic as everyone was up and moving. They spoke to his mother for a moment and assured her they would be driving over to the west side of town. “Let’s get outta here, baby.” He wound an arm around her neck and pulled her close. “This monkey suit is making me itch.”

When they were back in the truck, Makenna let out a sigh of relief. “That was fun, but I don’t like crowds.”

“Me neither,” Titan agreed, backing out and heading down the spiral route to street level.

“Your family is very nice,” she offered, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Tara can be a bit much. She’s been trying to fight my battles since she walked me to school on my first day of kindergarten.”

Makenna rubbed her hand across his knee. “She loves you and that makes her all right in my book.”

As they hit the Interstate and went north, Makenna watched the city lights go by. “Here, Austin has a policy against cell phones. Read my texts.” Titan gave her his phone.

A man that would turn his phone over to his girlfriend is a man who can be trusted. “Okay.” She opened his messages. “Oh, no!”

“What is it?” Titan was instantly concerned.

“This is from Hotshot. There was another fire, but they handled it.”

“What else does it say? How did it start?”

Makenna understood he was wondering, like she was, if Damien was responsible. If he was, that meant he was back in town. She read on, then let out a relieved breath. “No, it was a grease fire at a restaurant.”

“Anything else?” he asked as he took the exit to 183 west.

“There’s a message from Aiden, thanking you for our visit.” This made her smile. “He’s a really nice guy.”

“I’m a really nice guy,” Titan stated flatly.

“Yes, you are.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “The very best, you’re my hero.”

“And you’re my dream girl, Makenna, don’t forget it.”

Suddenly the pressure of holding it all in came bubbling out. “Titan, we haven’t been using condoms and every time we make love, I get too excited to remember to tell you that I’m not on the pill.”

Titan’s hand jerked on the wheel. He looked in the rearview mirror, changed lanes and took the exit toward Loop 360, Capital of Texas Highway. “Hold on, honey. Let me pull over.” He saw a road leading off to the Arboretum Mall and he took it, stopping in front of a duck pond.

The fact that he hadn’t said anything made Makenna feel like she was going to throw up. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.” She covered her face with her hands. “I wasn’t on the pill. Damien and I didn’t…do much and when we did, he always used something because he thought I was…dirty—”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence. He was out of his door and around to her side. Titan threw the door open and the next second she was in his arms. “You think you might be pregnant?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been regular. A gynecologist told me once he wasn’t sure if I could have children…but we—”

“I haven’t been protecting you,” Titan said. “If there is any fault here, darlin’. It’s all on me.” He framed her face. “But understand this, if you’re having my baby—I’m thrilled. I’d be the luckiest man in the whole world.”

She nestled against him, so relieved she thought she might faint. “I’m so glad you’re not mad. I bought a pregnancy test, but I haven’t been courageous enough to use it yet.” Makenna buried her face in his chest. “And I still, we still…last night…”

“Hey, don’t you worry, don’t worry a bit. You belong to me, and I want you and I would want our child more than anything.”

“I need to get on the pill.” She ran her hand over his neck. “Everything’s too new for us to go so fast…if…”

“I’ll use a condom until you can get on the pill.” He picked her back up and set her on the seat. “But if you’re already with child…” he smiled this huge, brilliant, toe-curling smile, “I’ll be so happy.”

“I guess we should go see your parents.” She felt as if an immense worry had been lifted from her shoulders. As usual, Titan was willing to bear the weight of her troubles.

Before he returned to the driver’s side, he kissed her passionately and deep, holding her tight. “You aren’t alone, Makenna. Never again. You aren’t alone.”

*

“You’re rich,” Makenna said, almost accusingly as they pulled into the driveway of a mansion. She’d had her suspicions at the museum, but after they’d driven over the Pennybacker Bridge and she saw the neighborhood they’d entered, an uneasy feeling held her in its grasp. And now, here was the proof, a three story home built on the top of a wooded cliff overlooking the Colorado River.

Titan threw back his head and laughed. “No, I’m not rich. My parents are. Huge difference.” He parked his truck between a black BMW 750LI and an F-Type Jaguar. “They’re just people, honey. Good, decent people. My dad just happened to buy the right stock at the right time.”

“What kind of business does your father own?”

He held her hand as she stepped to the pavement. “He owns real estate mostly, a couple of hotels, a few car dealerships, stuff like that.”

“Oh, stuff…” Makenna playfully scoffed. “The dress I have on cost three dollars at Goodwill and my shoes were fifty cents.”

“Shhhh,” he teased, “don’t tell my mother, she’ll want you to take her shopping. She’s a coupon-clipper.” He said the last two words with sharp enunciation.

Makenna threw her hands up. “I give up.” He wouldn’t allow her to make a big deal out of his family’s status.

“Might as well, it has very little to do with us.” Titan cupped the nape of her neck. “I have all I need to take care of you. Don’t worry.”

She reached behind her back and cupped his package.

“Whoa!”

“Yep, all I need is right here.” She lightly squeezed.

“Now I have to walk into Louisa Sloan’s foyer with a hard-on.” He fussed in her ear.

As they walked up the wide verandah, the front door opened. “What are you two so happy about?” his father asked.

“We’re young, good-looking and in love,” Titan announced. “What’s not to be happy about?”

Ross Sloan’s mouth dropped. His son had rendered him speechless. He stepped back and let them walk in. When he found his words, he chuckled. “Come in, you two can remind us what that feels like.”

By the end of the evening, Makenna didn’t know what she’d been worried about. The Sloans were very gracious. If they thought it odd Makenna refused alcohol and asked for water, they didn’t say anything. Tara was a bit standoffish until Makenna mentioned the boutique Allie was planning and the brands they would carry. “Oh, girl, I can line you two up with some local designers and local artists, you’d love the merchandise.”

“I’ll just be working there.” Makenna reminded her. “I’m not going to be part owner.” Louisa pinned Titan with a stare, which Makenna intercepted. “And we’re not married, we’re not even engaged and if we were, I would insist on a pre-nup!”

“So you have assets you need to protect?” his father asked.

“She sure the hell does.” Titan laughed, as Makenna blushed.

“I meant…nevermind.” She could see she was getting nowhere.

They visited for another hour before Titan steered her out. He stopped to lose the jacket and then they headed back downtown. “I’m going to take you on the Titan Sloan tour.” He drove her by Zilker Park. “This is where the South by Southwest Music Festival is held.” They stopped and watched the moonrise over Lady Bird Lake and drove through the University of Texas campus. “I played football for the Longhorns.”

“I bet you were the most popular guy on campus.”

“I wasn’t…unpopular.” He grinned at her, driving by a frat house he used to live in. “I put myself through school, by the way. Scholarships and fitness model gigs. I was a body-builder.”

She squeezed his bicep. “I can tell.”

“What I’m trying to tell you is that I don’t rely on my parents for anything. Never have.”

“I’m glad.” Makenna rubbed her hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean anything back there. I just felt intimidated because I don’t have anything to give, nothing to share with you.”

Titan was parking again, so he waited until they were walking toward his favorite club on 6th Street. The first alley he saw, he pulled her in it and backed her up against the wall. His big body crowded hers. His arms bracketed her shoulders, his face so close she could feel his breath. “The value of anything is based upon the regard we have for it, what worth it is to us. You, my darling, are invaluable to me.” He leaned in to kiss her. “Your body brings me ecstasy. Your kind heart inspires me and your sweet spirit makes me want to be a better man. I want to touch you all the time. I want to stare at you. When I roll over in my bed and find you there, I know there is nothing in this world that brings me greater pleasure than you. So, what do you have to give, what do you have to share?”

She stared at him in absolute wonder, not daring to breathe.

“You.” He kissed her tenderly. “You are all I want.” He held her for a moment until her heart rate slowed back to normal. “Better?”

“Perfect.”

“Good, I want to dance with my girl.”

For a big man, Titan could move. The bar he chose was called The Thirsty Nickel and when he got her in his arms on the dance floor, she was swept off her feet—literally. “I’m impressed.” Makenna was having a hard time keeping up. If he wasn’t so proficient at leading, she would’ve been lost. He didn’t just do the twisting and swaying, he mixed in salsa and ballroom steps.

“Louisa Sloan insisted on lessons.” He twirled her around. “You should see what I can do with the French vocabulary, mon obsession avec toi est comme j’ai été frappé par un coup de foudre.”

“What did you say?” she asked with delight.

“I said my obsession with you is like I was hit by a bolt of lightning.”

“Ah, you silver-tongued—” She didn’t get to finish because he kissed her till she couldn’t remember what she was going to say. The music slowed down then, and he held her close, the palm of his hand rubbing up and down her spine. Between them she could feel his arousal. “Do you want to go back to your place?”

“Yea, I do.” He wasted no time getting them on the road and headed back toward the west side. “As soon as all of this is over,” he paused, lifting his hand off the steering wheel, “we need to sit down and have a long talk. And I hope it’s over soon.”

“So do I, Titan.” She wasn’t exactly sure what he was talking about, but being free of Damien and able to start a new life—hopefully with Titan—was more than she could ask for.

When they arrived at his parents’ home, instead of pulling into the drive or parking by the garage, he drove to the rear of the property. There were lights in the big trees, illuminating a beautiful pool. Next to the pool was a two story building, a smaller version of the main house. She could see lots of glass and the glow of a lamp was in the window. “Is this our love nest?”

“And if Hazel fulfilled my requests, there are some special items waiting for us inside.”

She giggled as he rushed her across the patio, teasing as if he was about to push her in the pool, only to pull her back at the last second. “Who’s Hazel?”

“Mom’s housekeeper. She’s been with us since I was a kid.”

“And what did you ask her to buy?” Her curiosity was overwhelming. Mainly because he had this really wicked look on his face.

When he unlocked the door and flipped on a light, she could see Titan everywhere she looked. This place, even more so than the ranch house, contained memories. She could see photos from his college days on the walls. When she moved farther in, there was his music and movie collection on display. She could see he preferred action flicks, but his taste in music seemed across the board—typical Austinite. A chess game was set up with a couple of the pieces already moved and several empty wine bottles in different colors were sat high on a shelf to catch the evening sun.

“Since I have you here, I want to take this opportunity to fulfill a fantasy.”

Now he had her attention. “What kind of fantasy?” Taking her by the hands, he began backing her up, being careful of her pathway. She glanced over her shoulder and saw he was aiming her toward the kitchen. “Does it involve food?”

“It involves feasting on you, yes.”

“Hmmm, have you ever brought another girl here to partake in this fantasy?”

When her hips bumped up against a table, she leaned on it while he leaned over her. “Nope, you’re the first. I have champagne, peaches and chocolate sauce…for our enjoyment.”

“Sounds kinky…and sticky.” She grinned at him.

“I promise to lick you clean.” He brushed his mouth over hers. “I plan on making all my fantasies come true with you, and I have a database full.”

She gasped beneath his kiss, gripping his hair in her fist to pull him closer, her lips rubbing across his jaw, enjoying the rasp of his evening scruff.

Titan shivered. “I lose my head around you, woman.”

She understood the feeling. She’d lost something too—her heart. Makenna began unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it from his pants. Titan helped her, groaning when she started unzipping his pants.

Her hands weren’t the only part of her that was busy. Makenna’s mouth seared its way across his pecs. She swirled her tongue around one of his nipples and his cock sat up and took notice. When her hand skated down his abs and her little fingers pushed down his underwear so she could touch him, he groaned.

“You like for me to touch you.” Makenna sounded triumphant as she stroked him from root to tip.

“I was supposed to be seducing you,” he growled, “and here you have me…”

“In the palm of my hand.” With a tight grasp, she pumped him up and down again, faster.

“Fuck!” he cried when she brushed the tip of his cock with the pad of her thumb. Makenna had changed his whole life, nothing was the same—even the way his body responded to sex was different. With her it was intense, more sensual. Her every touch brought him joy.

When she went to her knees in front of him, he wanted to stop her. “I had a plan,” he protested. But his plan went out the window when she reached for the squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce and anointed his cock.

His fingers plowed into her hair, ensuring that she stayed right where she was. At the first lick, his heart rate ramped up. “Ye gods, baby.” Watching her was imperative. He didn’t want to miss a second. Those violet eyes held his, her sweet mouth busy, the tongue darting out to swipe a trail of chocolate she’d drizzled across the head.

“Chocolate has nothing on you,” she moaned, licking her lips.

Titan thought he’d lose his mind. “Suck it for me, baby.” She made short order of the chocolate, almost as if it were getting in her way, then she gave him a wicked grin and licked his balls, rubbing the length of his cock with her thumb. “Suck me, Makenna.” He was desperate to feel the wet satin of her mouth.

“Ah, yeah!” he whispered when her lips closed around him, her tongue cradling the head. A rush of ecstasy spread through him, every muscle in his legs tensed. Titan widened his stance, making more room for her while she went down on him. “God, you’re beautiful doing that.”

Makenna lifted her eyes to his while she took him deep, then pulled his member slowly out with a strong suction so good he threw back his head and bellowed. No part of him went unloved. Her tongue teased the head while she pumped his shaft with one hand, the fingernails of the other digging into his thigh. Titan was so aroused he was weak with it. He’d wanted to make love to her, show her how much he desired her—and here he was, she’d brought him to the limits of his control in mere seconds. “Baby, baby, my turn.”

When he lifted her from his cock, she whimpered. “I wanted to make you cum.”

“Oh, I will, I will.” Helping her undress, he laid her out on the oak trestle table, stepping back to just admire the sight she made—full breasts quivering, her pussy glistening with desire, that beautiful face and big eyes looking at him as if he hung the damn moon. “Now, for my fantasy.” Anticipation scorched through him as he uncorked the champagne and pulled the bowl of sliced peaches close at hand.

“I’ve never been anyone’s fantasy before,” Makenna murmured.

“You’ve been mine from the moment I saw you,” Titan whispered as he held the bottle high and let the sparkling liquid splash down on her breasts. Makenna didn’t play fair, her little hand reached for his cock and she lazily pumped him while he tried to focus on the pleasurable task at hand. Taking a piece of peach, he traced her nipples with it, then brought it to her lips for a bite. She opened her lush mouth and accepted his offering, licking her lips to enjoy the flavor.

Titan bent to her breast, licking the liquid that had beaded on the soft flesh. He sprinkled open-mouthed sucking kisses all over the upper swell. When she arched her back, he rewarded her, cupping one tit as he devoured the other, sucking voraciously on her nipple. She writhed as he nursed, his fingers milking the distended tip.

Makenna moaned, cradling his head. “I love this, it feels so good,” she keened.

Titan didn’t let up, he massaged and sucked until she was writhing, biting his way across her cleavage until he could minister to her other breast. Sliding his lips over the smooth skin, he licked a path down her torso, cleaning up the rivulets of champagne. When he came to her mound, he took another piece of peach and teased her slit. He smiled as she tossed her head. “How does that feel? Cool?”

She choked out a little laugh. “Yea, but it makes me so hot.” She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was watching her so intently, passing the juicy piece of fruit over her clit. And when he brought it to his lips and ate it, she shivered.

“You taste so good.”

Makenna spread her legs wider, inviting him back. Titan knew what she needed. He moved to the end of the table and grabbed her hips, bringing her to the edge. “Now for a drink with my meal.” Taking the champagne, he poured a thin stream, letting the golden drops cover her mound and run down between her legs to pool on the table. “Beautiful.” Going to his knees, he swiped his tongue up her slit, through the wet folds until he came to her clit. A perfect little pearl. “I want you so much,” he spoke against her skin, making her jerk. Titan smiled, then sucked the little button into his mouth.

Makenna responded with a moan and a gasp, reaching out to grab the sides of the table. “Titan, fuck!”

Titan chuckled, running the flat of his tongue over her clit again and again. When her whole body jerked, he had to hold her down, anchoring her hips to the table. “Fly for me, Makenna.” He scraped his teeth over her clit. “You once told me you were ready to fly. Do it for me.” Again, he drew the small bud between his lips and sucked.

Makenna screamed as she came and it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. He’d given her that pleasure and the knowledge filled him with primal satisfaction. Giving her no chance to recover, he stood, sheathed himself with a waiting condom and funneled his aching cock into her still trembling passage. “This is what I needed,” he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Me too,” she whispered, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Titan slid his hands up her belly until he could cup both breasts. As he fucked her, pumping in and out, he milked her nipples. “I love to be inside you. It’s my favorite place in the whole world.”

She stared up at him, her Titan, while his big body moved over hers, in hers. The feeling of belonging to him was so sweet Makenna thought she might cry. “Show me what you got, cowboy,” she whispered up to him. “Make me burn.”

Accepting her challenge, he filled her over and over again with deep, hard strokes. He was past talking, he couldn’t get enough. Thrusting, pumping, in and out, harder, faster. Sex with Makenna wasn’t just sex—it was making love, pure and simple. And when she tightened around him, making those sexy little noises he loved, Titan couldn’t hold back. He leaned over, sucked her nipple in his mouth and pumped one more sweet slide, emptying himself in electric pulses of release.

Makenna held him tight. “I don’t think this table will ever be the same.”

Titan laughed, kissing her gently on the lips. “I’ll never be the same. You’ve changed my life, Makenna. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

Chapter Twelve

‡

Makenna was beginning to learn that mornings were full of adventure when she was a part of Titan’s life. She was having the best dream, the most erotic dream she’d ever had. With his head at her breast, he was suckling at her nipple while he pulled at its twin with eager fingers. She tossed her head, moaning. “Feels so good.”

“Are you wet, baby?”

His voice made her open her eyes. This was no dream. Her hips levitated off the bed when he touched her between them. Yes, she was wet—she was dripping.

“I’ve got to have you, I can’t wait.”

He slipped on a condom and came over her, lifted her thighs and sank in. It felt so amazing, she was so turned-on by the attention he’d been lavishing on her breasts that she started cumming…and cumming. “Titan!” she screamed as he fucked her.

When he shuddered above her, Makenna clamped down hard on him, making him groan. When he rolled over, he carried her with him. She stretched and smiled. “What a way to wake up. I loved it.”

Sealing their union with a kiss, he announced, rising, “Good. I plan on waking up like that with you for at least the next fifty years.” His parting words as he padded naked from the room left her lying there with her mouth wide open. She only shut it when his cell began to ring. “Will you get that, love?”

“Sure.” She rolled over and took it from the bedside table. “Titan’s phone.” Makenna listened, said goodbye and pressed the OFF button. “There’s a town hall meeting back home. You’ve been called before the council.”

They readied themselves, said goodbye to his parents and hit the road. The drive was scenic, traveling through the rocky hill country, but neither saw much being deep in thought.

“What do you think this is about?” she asked. The clerk’s voice hadn’t given anything away.

“I don’t know,” Titan said. “This is my first experience with a town meeting. As secretary, you know we turn all reports in to the county, but they’ve never really interfered before. Usually they’re just grateful we risk life and limb to protect them.”

“Maybe there’s some word on Damien.”

“Maybe. But I don’t think this would be the place for that to come to light.” He could hear the worry in her voice, so he sought to take her mind off the meeting. “The first chance we get, I want you to take that test. If I need to start renovating a room into a nursery, I want to get started.”

She smiled, picturing a baby boy with his topaz eyes and dark hair. “What would we name a boy?”

“Hmmm,” Titan mused, “I have a girl’s name in mind, but no boy’s name.”

“What is it?” She perked up, curious.

“Tessa, I want to name her after you.”

A big smile came over her face. “How about Tyson for a boy, it’s close to yours.”

“I like it.” He raised her hand to his for a kiss. “Let’s get this meeting behind us, then we’ll go home, take care of the animals and celebrate.”

She studied his face. “What if I’m not pregnant, what if there’s nothing to celebrate?”

“Ah, honey, we have each other, that’s plenty to celebrate.”

When they drove up to the town hall, Titan parked. He noticed there were cars in every available spot. Something about this didn’t seem right. As they started in the door, Hotshot met them. “Wait, before you go in there, you need to know that it’s Damien’s friends, they’re the ones who’ve stirred this up.”

“Damn.” Titan wondered if Makenna should even go in. “What do they want?”

“You removed as Fire Chief for one thing.” His friend looked as if he hated to say the words.

“Well, I can certainly arrange that,” Titan said dryly.

“Don’t even think it,” Makenna said in his defense. “You’re a wonderful chief. They’re just blind to Damien’s faults.”

Hearing the shouts and loud voices coming from inside, Titan steeled himself and opened the door. He saw the city officials at the front, along with Kirk Armstrong and Deric Conner, the Fire Marshal and the Sheriff. They’d no more than walked three steps down the center aisle before a man spoke up from the rear. “Here he is now, and she’s with him! Our community shouldn’t have to put up with such salaciousness. Have they no shame? Living in sin while the man she’s married to, one of our own, is accused of acts he didn’t commit!”

Makenna felt like sinking into the floor. She recognized the man, he was pastor of a small church located just outside of town. “Titan…”

“It’s okay, baby.” He saw Allie seated about three rows back and he steered her toward her friend. “You sit with her. And don’t worry, I’ll deal with this.”

The Sheriff was at the podium, trying to maintain control. “We have evidence that links Damien Wade to these fires, Preacher.”

“How do we know Sloan or that woman didn’t plant the evidence?” another person shouted from the right.

Deric Conner dry-scrubbed his face. “We’re in the process of gathering more forensic evidence, but I’m not at liberty to share official police business with everyone while an investigation is ongoing.”

A general uproar broke out. The mayor rose and held up his hands for quiet. “Let’s hear from Titan Sloan. You’ve been making accusations and he should be able to tell his side.”

Titan didn’t know he had a side, other than what was right and legal. Nevertheless, he came to the podium. “You’ll never know how much I regret all of this. Especially the pain and suffering Captain Wade’s wife endured at his hands.”

A woman came to her feet about three rows over from Makenna. She recognized her as the woman from the hardware store. “How do we know she’s telling the truth? She might have just taken a little spill and blamed the bruises on Damien. He’s a good man.”

“No, ma’am,” the Sheriff interjected, “we have proof Mr. Wade committed assault and battery against his wife. That isn’t up for debate.”

Whispers could be heard all over the room.

An older gentleman wearing overalls with a large chew of tobacco in his jaw spoke up. “I heard tell she’s touched in the head! Hasn’t she been in some type of a looney bin?”

“All right, that’s enough.” Titan had stood it all he could. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Makenna. She underwent counseling for trauma, she was a survivor of the Oklahoma City Bombing. When the building exploded, Makenna was in the daycare. She was only six years old. Her mother was killed.” At the startled expressions on people’s face, he added, “Yea, Wade neglected to tell you that part, didn’t he?”

Makenna couldn’t stand it, she had to get out. Allie tried to stop her, but she ran.

Titan saw her leave and rose to follow her. He ignored the curious looks from the townspeople. Right now he wouldn’t give a plug nickel for the whole bunch. “Makenna!” He found her standing out by his truck.

She was crying. “I’m so sorry. This is embarrassing. Everyone is turning on you because of me.”

He took her in his arms. “Do you think I care?”

“It’s not fair!” She sobbed against his shirt. “They hate me.”

He wiped her tears. “Does it matter what they think? I love you.”

She threw herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you too. And no, as long as you love me, I don’t care if they jump in the lake.”

“Titan, they need you back in here,” Kirk spoke from the door.

“Go on in,” she told him. “I’ll get my breath and go back to sit with Allie in a second.”

Titan didn’t want to leave her. “Okay, this will be over soon.”

He followed the Fire Marshal back in. But instead of going to the front, Kirk pulled him off to the side. “Let me tell you what we found. It might help your feelings some.”

Titan needed something to make him feel better. He was worried to death about Makenna. “What’s that?”

“We found more evidence against Wade. The day of the Langston Fire, he had a flat on his pick-up. He took it to Moore’s garage and they replaced it. Moore showed me the receipt. We found the tire in his garage, it had white shell in the treads. And the only place there’s white shell in town is the Langston place.”

Titan hated to play devil’s advocate, but he had to say it. “Kirk, Makenna and Allie are best friends. Couldn’t he have driven her over there to visit some time before the fire?”

“We thought of that, but Allie told us that the gravel had been delivered and spread that morning.” Kirk looked proud of himself. “She had a receipt too.”

Titan hid a grin. Kirk put a lot of stock in receipts. “I’m glad. I didn’t like to be lumped in the same pile with Wade, just because I spotted a fire and stopped to help.”

“Oh, and one more thing.” Kirk bent even closer, whispering, “We heard from Damien’s old boss. They suspected him up there of starting fires, but they were never able to get any proof. After I told them about the liquid paraffin, that may change.”

“Hell, he’s a career arsonist, isn’t he?”

“Looks that way.”

Shaking their heads, they returned to the podium to answer more questions and concerns.

Outside, Makenna was steeling herself to go back in when she heard a voice. “I can’t believe you have the nerve to show your face in public.

Makenna jumped, taken by surprise. What didn’t surprise her was the identity of her intruder. “Tammie Woods.”

“You threw away the love of one good man and now you’re trying to pull the wool over Titan’s eyes.”

“Damien is dangerous. He hurt me.” She backed away from Tammie, who had her fingers curled into claws.

“Damien is the same man he’s always been.” She took her finger and poked Makenna hard in the chest. “And you’re going to pay.”

“Are you threatening me?” she asked, glancing around to see if anyone else was outside.

“No, I’m telling you the truth. The day is coming when you’re going to regret you ever came to the Devil’s Backbone.”

She was wrong. Titan was here and she could never regret finding him. “We’ll see, I guess.”

“And another thing,” Tammie hissed. “Titan’s little goats are out and wandering near the highway. If they come on my property, we’ll be having BBQ.”

Makenna watched her leave, feeling sore from the encounter. She started to go back in, but the idea of Houdini and Cola on the highway and the possibility of them getting hit spurred her to action. She opened the door and tiptoed back into the meeting. The debate was still ongoing. Now they were questioning Kirkland about the nursing home fire.

“We found liquid paraffin at the scene. The arsonist squirted it through the mail drops in the front and through the kitchen vents in the back.”

“How do we know it wasn’t a copycat?” a man yelled.

Kirk Armstrong was getting frustrated. “Because there’s not that many lunatics around, that’s why!”

Makenna slipped up to sit by Allie. She could see Titan was deep in conversation with Hotshot. They were studying a piece of paper, pointing to something that drew their interest.

“Allie,” she whispered, “would you give me a ride to Titan’s? Some of his livestock is out and I need to get them back in before they get hit on the road.”

Allie picked up her purse. “I’ll give you my keys and you can take my car. I’ve got a date with Hotshot afterward and I don’t want to miss it.”

“Oh, okay,” Makenna took the keys, “thank you.” She briefly hugged her friend and crept back out, grateful to escape all of the accusations and yelling.

Once she was back at Skyview, Makenna parked and immediately ran out to look for the goats. “Houdini! Cola!” Seeing nothing, she headed out to the barn. The gate to their pen was standing open. She took the time to grab their leashes, then took off to look for them. By now it was early afternoon. Makenna didn’t have on her watch, but the sun wasn’t directly overhead anymore. Heading toward the highway, next to the fence line separating Tammie and Titan’s land, she heard a faint bleating. “Houdini! Cola!”

Breaking out into a run, she was thankful to see them grazing on some tall grass. “What are you two doing?”

She was thankful they didn’t run from her. In a few minutes she had the leashes hooked on their collars and was on the way back to the barn. As she walked, she relived the harsh things people had said about her. They’d made her so uncomfortable. Just because Damien grew up here, some people couldn’t believe he could be at fault. But what had Titan said? What was more important? That they love her or that he loved her?

There was no contest.

One day the truth would be known. Until that time, she needed no one’s approval but his.

Once she had the goats put up, she decided to stop in at the house to wash the pungent smell off of her hands. Those two needed a bath! Inside, she headed to the bathroom, took one look in the mirror and decided to change clothes. With no time for a shower, she freshened up quickly, grabbing the first thing she could find to put on. The jeans she’d worn the day before going to Austin were still lying across the hamper. “These will do.”

Going back downstairs, she thought about the pregnancy test. Heartened by Titan’s attitude, she decided to see once and for all. Was she pregnant? With trembling hands, she went to her purse and withdrew the box. Returning to the restroom, she took the test, then she waited, staring at herself in the mirror. It was unbelievable how much her life had changed. Her marriage was over. Her husband was on the verge of capture and would face jail time. She had Titan in her life—and she might be pregnant!

Counting out the seconds, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was it! Raising the plastic stick to eye-level, she looked. There was a plus sign. A plus sign! She and Titan were having a baby!

With a happy squeal, she ran down the stairs to the kitchen. She couldn’t wait to tell him. Maybe she could get back to the meeting before it adjourned and leave Allie her car. Titan would be worried if she wasn’t there, but she couldn’t have let Houdini and Cola get run over! Picking up her purse, she was about to slip the pregnancy stick inside when a voice behind her caused her blood to run cold. She dropped it where it landed unnoticed on the floor.

“Long time no see, Mrs. Wade.”

A hand gripped her arm and twisted it ruthlessly behind her back.

“Damien, no!”

“You and I have some unfinished business to attend to.”

“No, let me go!” She struggled to no avail. This was a scene they’d played out too many times. Makenna was no match for his strength and he knew it. The only power she had was a threat. “Titan will kill you, Damien. He loves me.”

“How long have you been fucking him, Makenna? How long have you been shaming me, making me the cuckold?”

“I didn’t, not until I left you.” He slung her around and slapped her in the face—hard. “But I wanted to! I wanted to from the first moment I saw him!” She didn’t know what possessed her to confess that bit of information. It just came tumbling out.

“Today’s the day you die, Makenna!”

“Titan will kill you, Damien.”

“Not if he thinks you left him willingly.” He held on to her arm while he grabbed a notepad and pen from the counter. “Write him a note, tell him you don’t love him. Tell him you’re leaving.”

“No!”

“Yes, you just came from the town meeting. Didn’t you? Oh, I was there. I’ve never left. I’ve been staying with Tammie. We’re old friends.” He forced her to sit in a chair. “We’ve been fuck-buddies too. Can’t blame me for that, can you? Being married to a fat frigid bitch like you, I had to seek consolation elsewhere.”

He forced the pen into her hand. “Write. Write what I tell you.”

She struggled in vain.

“Dear Titan,” he sing-songed. “I’m leaving you. I never really loved you. The confusion in town is more than I can handle. I wish you the best. Don’t come looking for me.”

“He won’t believe this.” Would he? In a last desperate act, she signed it. Not with the name Makenna, but with the initials MTF. Would he know what it meant?

“Come on, you bitch!” Damien pulled her to her feet. “Take your purse.” She thought he was about to lead her outside. Instead, they started down the hall. “Get your suitcase and fill it, let’s make this thing look real.”

As Makenna tried to follow her crazy husband’s directions, he took every opportunity to knock her around. When he was satisfied with what she’d packed, he picked up the suitcase and yanked her through the house and outside. Once they were in his truck, she asked, “Where are you taking me?”

“To your funeral pyre,” was his macabre answer as he made her climb onto a four-wheeler that she assumed belonged to Tammie. He made her sit in front of him, her arms still forced behind her back. In horror, Makenna realized he was taking her to Titan’s cabin, the one they’d been in the day of the stampede. “That was you who beat on the walls, wasn’t it?”

“Yea, I enjoyed myself.”

When they arrived, he showed her no mercy, dragging her, hitting her. He was wet with sweat and he stank. Makenna wondered how she could’ve ever thought she loved him. His answer was no surprise to Makenna. By this time, she was tired, she was weak. When he tied her to a chair in the center of the room, she knew all was lost.

“I’m about to set a fire that will put this area on the map. They call this place the Devil’s Backbone, but when I get through, they’ll call it the Devil’s Triangle. I’m going to set three fires, all to converge right on top of you.”

“Are you crazy?” she screamed in panic. Of course he was.

“No, I’m not crazy,” he answered calmly. “A wildfire burns away debris, and that certainly describes you.”

“Were you responsible for all the fires?” She didn’t know why she was asking, she just wanted to know.

“Yes, I love fire.” He grew still. “Seeing something burn that I’ve ignited makes me feel powerful. It’s exciting.” He met her gaze. “More exciting than anything. The thrill is better than sex. It’s the ultimate power.”

Seeing the madness in his eyes made her scream anew. “Titan! Help!”

“No one can hear you.” He stood back for a moment staring at her, as if admiring his handiwork. “You’re nothing, Makenna. You’re nobody. No one will ever love you and no one will find you in time.”

Sheer terror washed over Makenna. She had no doubt he was about to do just as he promised. Titan wasn’t here. He was in town. He wouldn’t know what was happening.

She was going to die. Their baby was going to die! Misery and terror consumed her. “Titan!” she screamed again.

But there was no one to hear her. Damien had left to set a fire—a wildfire.

*

“Hey, excuse me.” Titan touched Allie’s arm as she talked to Hotshot. “Have you seen Makenna?”

“Yea,” she answered brightly. “She borrowed my car to go to your house. She said some of your livestock was out.”

“Oh, okay.” Titan was surprised. “How did she know?”

“I don’t know.” Allie shrugged. “She didn’t say.”

“Is something wrong?” Hotshot asked, a concerned look on his face.

“I…don’t know,” Titan admitted. “I need to leave and find her.” The meeting had finally turned his way. Enough of his friends and supporters had drowned out the troublemakers. A vote had been taken and he was still chief.

“Hey, if you need anything. Call me.” Hotshot touched Titan’s shoulder.

Titan nodded, going to his truck. He was blocked in by a couple of cars that had pulled too close. “Damn!” He had to wait, growing more frustrated by the minute. “Dammit, move!” His gut was doing strange things. He didn’t know if it was the tension from the stupid meeting or if his instincts were trying to tell me something. Was something wrong?

By the time the stragglers had claimed their vehicles and moved on he was so worked up he could have cheerfully picked up the cars and tossed them aside with his bare hands. Gunning it out of the parking lot, he drove home at breakneck speed.

*

Damien watched the liquid fuel catch. The bluish-white flame mesmerized him. When the dry grass around it ignited with a rush, he broke out into laughter. Conditions were just right. No rain for weeks and weeks had dried out everything. Just a spark could ignite this whole damn area. That’s what he wanted to see, a furnace in the Backbone.

He stepped to watch. This was fire number two. One more to go and he would’ve set a trap that his tramp of a wife couldn’t escape. To make it even better, he was destroying Sloan’s ranch. Two birds with one red hot stone, you couldn’t beat that with a stick.

Moving on to his other target, he thought about what he’d accomplished. During his career, he’d set almost a hundred fires. Most he’d been right there to put out. A couple of people had died. Oh, well. Collateral damage. Killing people wasn’t his goal, but it happened occasionally. This was the first fire he set with that goal in mind. And Damien had to admit…

It was mighty sweet.

He smiled and took out his lighter—ready to start another fire.

*

When Titan skidded into his own driveway, he saw Allie’s car parked next to Makenna’s. She was here, somewhere. Jumping out, he called her name. Listening.

Nothing.

“Makenna!” He tried again, running to the house. Surely she was inside. Going in, he stood in the foyer. “Makenna!”

Again, nothing.

He began looking through the house—the living room, his office, the dining room—finally, the kitchen. Spotting something on the floor, he picked it up. It was her pregnancy test. It was positive! Makenna was having his baby! “Makenna, love, where are you?” Maybe she was upstairs taking a bath. He was about to head upstairs when a piece of paper caught his eye. A note!

Snatching it up, he read it. She was leaving him? She didn’t love him? Pain shot through his heart. She was having his baby and she didn’t want to be with him?

And then his eyes settled at the bottom of the paper. She’d written MTF.

MTF.

Makenna and Titan forever.

“No, no, no.”

She wasn’t leaving. She’d never sign a note that way if she intended to break things off with him.

Something was wrong.

Just to make sure, he started up the stairs. “Makenna!” The buzz from his pager stopped him in his tracks. “Talk to me,” he answered dispatch.

“Repeat that.” He just had to make sure what he’d heard.

“Grassfires have been spotted in the vicinity of Skyview Ranch. More than one. With drought and wind conditions taken into consideration, we’re looking at a wildfire, Chief.” Then she paused. “I’m sorry. I’ve notified everyone and called for assistance.”

“My God!” He clipped his pager back on his belt, feeling more torn than if a knife had ripped him in half. “Makenna, baby, what’s going on?” As if a voice from above was speaking to his heart, he knew—he knew that all of this was connected. Makenna was in danger!

Just to ease his mind, he raced up the stairs and looked room to room. He could leave nothing to chance. Heading out, he did the same. Losing possessions was one thing, losing Makenna was something else entirely. Coming to the barn, he looked everywhere before putting a saddle and a bridle on Valiant. “It’s just you and me, boy. You’re going to have to be my fire horse.”

Mounting up, he began to ride toward the smoke.

*

Tears ran down Makenna’s cheeks. She was so afraid. “Help! Help!” The odor of smoke filled the air. Through the windows she could see the fiery flames shooting skyward as the blaze consumed the trees and undergrowth.

She began to squirm, twisting her hands. But the ropes held tight. She rocked the chair, maybe if she could turn it over it would break and she could escape.

Panic washed over her. She’d been so young when the bomb had exploded, but the fear and the dread were the same. In her mind, she went back—back to the time when she was helpless, hearing people scream. The heat and the noise was overwhelming.

Despair made her weak.

The dawning truth was more than she could process—she was about to die.

Wringing and twisting her hands, desperation drove her to try. She knew she’d struggle until the flames licked up her body. Fighting to save her baby was pure maternal instinct.

Suddenly, her fingers touched something hard.

What was that?

She bowed and twisted, shifting her weight, trying to get her fingers into her back pocket.

The knife! The knife Titan had made for her was in her grasp.

*

Titan rode toward the horizon. His ranch was going up like a tinder box. The whole sky was bright red and orange. Pulling Valiant to a stop, it was like he was seeing the whole scene from above. He sat on horseback, a lone dark silhouette against the curtain of fire before him. A cowboy pitted against hell. He knew his friends would come. They’d bring their trucks, they’d bring their equipment. The best and bravest would fight a blaze set by a madman.

Damien Wade set this fire, there was no doubt in his mind.

As he rode toward the inferno, a movement in the periphery of his vision made him turn his head. Someone was out here. Heading deeper into the hot zone, Titan had to force his mount to stay on course. His horse had more sense than he did. But if someone was in danger…he had to make sure they were able to get out.

His radio went off and Titan grabbed it. “Go ahead, I copy.”

“Chief! This is Dallas. We’re on our way. Where are you?”

“I’m at the blaze site, about three miles west of my house, near the boundary fence that butts up to the highway. I thought I saw someone, I’m checking it out.”

“Listen, Chief. This is serious. There’s a triangulation of fires. They’re spreading out, but the corners of the burn paths seem to be converging on what Hotshot keeps calling Miner’s Ridge. Do you know where that is?”

“Yea, that’s where my cabin is located. Thank goodness it’s vacant.” The news he was being given was horrendous. His cattle were in danger. Hell, everything he had was in danger. “Can you send someone to cut the fence between my property and the Woods place? I need to give my livestock a way out of this mess.”

“I’ll make some calls.”

Titan could hear the sirens, both on the radio and in the distance. The whine and wail was a comfort to his soul. As he stared into the smoke-filled distance, he saw movement again. “Dallas, I think I got a twenty on whoever’s up here. Let me get back to you.”

“Be careful, Chief, I hate to say this is Wade’s work, but I got this creepy feeling. These fires are too precise, too geometric to be random. You need to watch your back.”

Until that moment, his own fears hadn’t coalesced. What if…oh God, what if…and then as he drew closer, Titan got a good look. It was Wade! On foot, carrying a backpack full of God knows what. “Damien! Stop!”

Instead of obeying or coming toward him, the fool ran back toward the fire. Titan urged Valiant into a gallop. He could feel his mount’s reluctance in the uneven, but obedient gait. “Damien!”

The man was no older than Titan, but he’d inhaled smoke. He wasn’t as fast as he would be normally, so when he came alongside him, Titan dove off and brought him down. “This is the last fire you set, Wade!”

He fought back, throwing punches and butting Titan with his head. “This is the last fire I need to set.”

“You’re going to jail for the rest of your life if I have anything to do with it.” Titan landed a right hook and knocked the SOB to the ground. He was about to try and subdue him when he heard a click.

“Don’t move or I’ll kill you where you stand, Sloan. You know I will.”

Titan froze, looking down the barrel of the revolver. Around them fire was raging, consuming everything in its path. “I know you would, but you’re not going to get the chance.” With a vicious kick, he sent the gun flying.

Boom! The gun went off as it spun through the air. “Get up, you coward. You set fires because you can’t deal with your problems face to face.”

Damien rolled to one side, rose and tried to run. Titan jumped him, wrestling him to the ground. He kept one knee to his back while he pulled off his own belt to tie Wade’s hands.

“She’s dead, you know.”

His cold words stopped Titan’s heart. “What did you say?”

“My slut of a wife is dead. I tied her up in your cabin. It’s ashes by now.”

“No!” Titan’s scream echoed over the Devil’s Backbone.” For one moment, he almost did it—he almost took the son of a bitch by the neck and snapped it.

“Titan, we’ve brought your gear!” Hotshot called from some distance away. Seeing the despair on his friend’s face, he came running. “What’s wrong?” When he drew nearer, he saw Damien. “You’ve got him.”

“Take him, Jericho, take him before I kill him.”

Hotshot got Damien Wade to his feet.

“I’ve got to go.” Titan went to his horse. His eyes were blinded by tears.

“But…where?” he asked, seeing Titan head into the thick of the smoke.

“He said Makenna’s dead. I’ve got to go to her.” Before Hotshot could say more, he was gone.

*

Wildfire. Texas Wildfire.

Firefighters were striving to subdue a wind-fed razing dragon consuming miles of timber and pastureland. The heat was like an oven, visibility was impossible. Helicopters flew over, dumping water. Pump truck after pump truck emptied their bowels into the conflagration to no avail. Men stood side by side, shooting foam onto the flames, while mechanical beasts dug ditches, leaving scars in the earth to inhibit the spread of the wildfire.

Ignoring the cries for him to stop, Titan rode through. His horse was nearly mad with fear, yet he obeyed his master, battling heat and death to reach where the cabin once stood. Now there was nothing more than glowing embers. One of the crews had reached it, but just put out the fire as part of the general process.

Dropping Valiant’s reins, Titan dismounted with a heart-rending bellow of grief. “Makenna! Makenna!” If Maverick hadn’t been there to stop him, he would have run full-throttle into the red-hot debris. “Did any of you see her?”

They didn’t have to ask, Hotshot had radioed ahead.

“We didn’t see her, Chief. If she’s there, she’s buried beneath the rubble.”

Titan turned on him, almost attacking him in his incomprehensible sorrow. The horse whinnied and danced on its feet, its remaining at the scene untethered a statement of its loyalty.

Standing there, staring at the destruction, Titan felt hopeless. He’d lost the most important thing in the world to him. And…the baby! He’d lost her and their child. “No, God, no!” he shouted to the heavens, then bowed his head in utter inconsolable grief.

“Maybe she’s not there, Titan. Maybe she escaped.” Maverick shadowed him, trying to offer his friend something to hold on to.

Titan stared at the cabin, remembering the time they’d spent together here. “Damien said she was tied up.” His heart sank at the idea.

“We need to go back, Chief.” Maverick touched his arm. “There’s nothing you can do here till it cools off where we can search.”

His radio sounded again. Titan raised it to his ear slowly. He had lost all heart to fight. “Sloan. Go ahead.”

“Your cattle are safe and we’ve plowed a barrier. You won’t lose your house.”

Titan recognized Ronan’s voice. He sounded so happy, he thought he had good news. Ronan had no idea that Titan would give everything he had just to hear the sound of her voice.

“Titan?”

Titan’s whole body clenched. He was hearing things.

“Titan?”

There it was again. Bracing, Titan turned—and there she was. Black soot on her face. Her hair was askew. Her clothes were torn. She was the most beautiful sight he’d ever beheld in his life.

“Makenna,” he whispered, staring, trying to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“Go to her man, she’s waiting. She needs you.”

Maverick didn’t have to tell Titan twice. He mounted his horse, clicked the reins and rode toward her. When he drew nearer, she held up her arms and Titan pulled her to safety.

“Titan!” she cried, her arms going around his neck. “He did this. He destroyed your ranch. I’m so sorry. It was my fault. He was trying to kill me.”

Titan buried his face in her neck. “You’re alive.” He raised his head and kissed her with all the love in his heart. “You’re alive and that’s all that matters, you and the baby are safe.”

“You know!” She wiped her tears. “You found my note and the test.”

“Yes,” he said, trying to control his horse, who was still spooked from the chaos. “Let me get you to safety and then we’ll talk.”

She clung to him as he carried her out of the danger zone. All around him, the waste of the wildfire proclaimed the work of a madman. But he had all that mattered in his arms. As the cowboy/firefighter rode by, his friends saluted him. Today the hero had prevailed.

When they arrived back at the house, he helped her down, reluctant to let her go for even a moment. “Are you hurt?” He began to run his hands over her face, her arms, her body.

“No, just a few scratches and scrapes.” She smiled at him. “Titan, you’re shaking.” Her big, powerful giant of a man was shaking.

Titan sank to his knees and pressed his lips to the soft flesh beneath her breasts. “I thought you were dead. He told me you were dead. He said he’d tied you up and set the fires so the cabin was in their path.”

She cradled him to her, taking off his hat so she could kiss his head. “The knife you made for me, I had it in my back pocket, Titan. I cut myself free.” In her arms she felt him tremble. “Then I ran to the springs and hid in the cave from the fire.” She kissed him again. “I was safe. You gave me what I needed to be safe.”

Titan stood to his feet and picked Makenna up. His heart was near to bursting. “You’re my everything, Makenna. I would never want to live without you.” He kissed her. “You and our baby are my world.”

Chapter Thirteen: Epilogue

‡

After the fire was put out, the rains came. In a few days, Titan and Makenna rode out to survey the damage. “We’ll have to feed the cattle hay and grain for the rest of the year.”

“Can we make it?” she asked.

“Piece of cake,” he assured her. Compared to what they’d been through, compared to the prospect of losing her—nothing seemed insurmountable. Damien was behind bars and Makenna was safe with him.

When they arrived back at the house, a brown mail delivery truck was waiting. “They’re here!” he announced happily.

“What’s here?” Makenna asked as she watched Titan dismount and stride over to accept a package.

“He left me up here,” she grumbled, becoming amused at herself as she tried to get down off the tall horse.

“Be careful, baby!” He grabbed her just before her feet hit the ground. This was becoming a habit.

“What’s in the box?” she asked with curiosity. He looked like the big cat that ate the canary.

“Come in and I’ll show you.”

Like a kid with a really good secret, he herded her toward the door. When she was inside, sitting on his couch, he sat beside her. “Give me your knife.” He held out his hand.

“I’m never without it.” She took it from her pocket and offered it to him, lying in the palm of her hand.

He smiled, cutting the tape and pulling the top off. “Now cover your eyes.”

She did, listening to him moving around. “What are you doing?”

“Proposing.”

“Titan!” she squealed, removing one hand and holding it out, keeping her eyes covered with the other one.

“Now what are you doing?” he asked her teasingly.

“Uh, usually men ask for a woman’s ‘hand’ in marriage…” she spoke uncertainly.

“I don’t need your hand,” Titan spoke slowly.

“No?”

“I need your pretty little foot.”

She felt him pick up one leg, his big hand holding her right above the ankle. He slipped off her shoe. “What are you doing?”

Makenna felt something being placed on her foot, then he began to do the same with the other leg. “Makenna Tess Flynn,” he said her name reverently when he was finished. “Will you marry me? Will you be my wife?”

Opening her eyes, she looked down and on her feet was the beautiful pair of white cowboy boots she’d imagined wearing to their wedding. Tears came out of nowhere. “You are the perfect man.” She cupped his cheek, kissing his sweet lips. “Yes, yes, I will marry you. I want nothing more in this world than to belong to you.”

“You already do,” he whispered. “You always have.” He sat back, smiling at her. “I ordered the boots right after you told me about them. I want to marry you at the vineyard and I want you to wear these boots and a beautiful white dress. And don’t worry, you’ll still get a ring.”

Slipping from her seat, she joined him on her knees. “All I want is you. I love you, Titan Sloan. I love you more than my heart can hold.” She threw her arms around his neck and Titan clasped her close, closing his eyes.

Dreams do come true. He had the proof in his arms.

The End

If you liked TEXAS WILDFIRE – Book 2 of TEXAS HEROES will be:

TEXAS C.H.A.O.S.

The letters C. H. A. O. S. don’t just refer to reality out of control, it’s an alert – the Chief Has Arrived On Scene! Logan Gray is that chief. He covers the ground he stands on and people show respect when he walks by. At 38, Logan is a confirmed bachelor. While he may adore the young Jenna from afar, at 20, he considers her to be a lifetime too young for him.

Jenna is of another opinion. Logan Gray is everything to her. He rescued her from a fire at 16. His parents took her in when she had nothing and no one. Raised on his Gray Wolf guest ranch, Jenna learns how to trick-ride and perform in the rodeo. When Logan’s not looking, she even loves to try her hand at bull-riding. And now, she is ready to go after what she wants most – Logan Gray.

Ignoring the fact that his heart and body craves Jenna like a drug, Logan does what he thinks is best and gently turns her down. What happens next turns his world on end. Logan learns that love can’t be defined by a number and life without Jenna is no life at all.

Here’s the link to the series.

sablehunter.com/texas-heroes.html

About the Author

Sable Hunter writes romance, some of it quite spicy. She writes what she likes to read and enjoys putting her fantasies on paper. Her stories are emotional reads where the heroine is faced with challenges, like one of her favorite songs – she’s holding out for a hero – and boy, can she deliver a hero. Her aim is to write a story that will make you laugh, cry and sweat. If she can wring those emotions out of a reader, then she has done her job.

She has spent time in south Louisiana along the mysterious bayous where the Spanish moss hangs thickly over the dark waters. The culture of Louisiana has shaped her outlook on life and made its way into her novels where the supernatural is entirely normal. Presently, Sable lives in Texas and spends most of her time in wild and wonderful Austin. She is passionate about animals and has been known to charm creatures from a one ton bull to a family of raccoons. For fun, Sable has been known to haunt cemeteries and battlefields armed with night-vision cameras and digital recorders hunting proof that love survives beyond the grave.

Join her in her world of magic, alpha heroes, sexy cowboys and hot, steamy, to-die-for sex. Step into the shoes of her heroines and escape to places where dreams can come true and orgasms only come in multiples.

Visit Sable:

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www.sablehunter.com

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Sable’s Books

Get hot and bothered!!!

Hell Yeah!

Cowboy Heat

Hot on Her Trail

Her Magic Touch

Brown Eyed Handsome Man

Badass

Burning Love

Forget Me Never

I’ll See You In My Dreams

Finding Dandi

Skye Blue

I’ll Remember You

True Love’s Fire

Thunderbird

Welcome To My World

How to Rope a McCoy

One Man’s Treasure

You Are Always on My Mind

Moon Magic Series

A Wishing Moon

Sweet Evangeline

Hill Country Heart Series

Unchained Melody

Scarlet Fever

Bobby Does Dallas

Dixie Dreaming

Come With Me

Pretty Face

Texas Heat Series

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

My Aliyah

El Camino Real Series

A Breath of Heaven

Loving Justice

For A Hero

Green With Envy (It’s Just Sex Book 1)

Love’s Magic Spell

Wolf Call

Cowboy 12 Pack: Twelve-Novel Boxed Set

Rogue (The Sons of Dusty Walker)

Be My Love Song

Hot in the Saddle

Heroes in the Saddle, Book 1

Randi Alexander

‡

“HOT IN THE SADDLE”

Copyright © 2015 Randi Alexander

*~*~*~*

Edited by E Felder

*~*~*~*

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to place of purchase and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web – without permission in writing from the author.

Chapter One

‡

Treven Arnett pulled his white straw cowboy hat down tighter on his head as a breeze blew across the infield of Wild Oak Speedway. The roar of the super stock cars’ engines surrounded him as drivers jockeyed for the lead in the race’s final laps. Dirt track racing had become his favorite live sport now that this part of Texas had installed its very own oval.

He’d volunteered to serve on the firefighting crew today, and had put in his hours during the morning race. Despite all the work he needed to get done at his ranch, here he sat, sipping a beer with another off-duty firefighter, watching the end of the race.

“One more, buddy?” Treven’s friend Clint reached into his cooler and pulled out a can of brew, water dripping from both the beer and Clint’s hand.

Treven could almost taste another ice cold pilsner slipping down his throat, but he shook his head. He needed to get home and get some work done. “Thanks, but I should get moving. The horses don’t breed themselves.”

Clint laughed as he opened the beer then ran his wet fingers through his short blond hair. “Not in this day and age, they don’t.”

The dozen thoroughbreds Treven owned and/or stabled on his property three miles away kept him busy and in property-tax and vet-bill money, but he had to work his ass off twelve to sixteen hours a day, most days.

“Ms. Delta Pennington.” The announcer’s voice blared from the speakers. “Our southern belle in the number thirteen car has taken third place from Randy Vinter, and is moving up fast to challenge Beau Trudeaux for second.”

Treven had gotten a peek at the lovely Ms. Delta as she’d inspected her car before the race. With her sunglasses on, he couldn’t see her trademark eyes, but her brown hair touched her shoulders in thick layers, and those sexy bangs blew around her forehead. She’d looked at him for long moments, nodded, then moved on.

Delta being the first woman to compete on this new track, Treven hoped she’d take first, or at least one of the top positions. He liked that she went after her passion in a male-centered world like stock car racing.

Treven stood. “I’m gonna make my way out.” He needed to cross the oval to get to the parking lot where emergency responders left their vehicles. “See you next weekend.”

“Next weekend, not before.” Clint responded, his blue eyes going serious.

Treven got moving, his boots kicking up dust as he strode across the newly-planted grass. The Wild Oak volunteer firefighters kept good karma coming their way by never admitting there might be another chance to see each other—like a fire at a local home or business.

The race cars circled the track for the second-from-last lap. As he walked, Treven rolled down the sleeves on his blue denim shirt and buttoned them, figuring he’d stop and pick up a few dozen bales of hay on his way home.

Nearing the oval, he slowed and waited, not stupid enough to cross the track until the race was over.

“Oh, lordy, look at that!” The announcer’s voice squeaked.

Treven swiveled his head as a car spun into the infield about fifty yards from him. He prepared to bolt one way or the other, but the dark blue car with yellow lettering slid to a stop.

Then exploded.

“Fuck!” He ran toward it as flames shot out the side windows.

Screams came from the stands and the infield.

“Aw, folks.” The announcer shouted. “That’s Delta Pennington’s car.”

Sirens blared and in his peripheral vision, Treven saw people running toward him, but no one was near enough to help.

He was on his own.

He threw off his hat as he skidded around the front of the vehicle, ran to the driver’s window, and heard choking coming from inside.

She was still alive, but engulfed in flames.

He didn’t have gloves with him, not the ones he’d been wearing earlier when he was on duty, nor the ones he’d be using for hay later. Nothing to cover his bare hands or his face.

Taking a deep breath, he removed the net from the window and reached inside the car anyway.

Hot, blistering flames—his hands would be a mess, but he could do this.

Heat licked at his face, singeing his skin as his fingers found the five-point harness release and pushed.

Nothing. Had it melted shut?

No, wait, this was a latch variety. He felt for the piece of webbing that would release it, tugged on it…

A click sounded and she was free.

Treven grabbed the shoulders of her fire suit and pulled. She was lighter than he’d imagined. At just a few inches shorter than his five-foot ten inches, she’d been a strong-looking woman when he’d seen her earlier in her yellow and blue fire suit. The one that curved over her nice behind.

He pulled his thoughts back from wherever the hell they’d just gone and focused on tugging her out the window, into his arms, and keeping her limp body from hitting the ground.

Her helmet banged against his cheek as he pulled her higher against his chest, spun, and ran as fast as he could. That gas tank could go any second. Why hadn’t it already? And why was the interior of the car on fire when the tank hadn’t gone up? And why hadn’t he at least paused before he’d rushed in to save her to consider that he could be blown to his eternal reward?

The firetruck reached the car, and half the firefighters that jumped off came running his way with their med bags.

Treven sank to the ground, his knees shaking, his breath pumping as he eased Ms. Delta onto the seedling grass of the infield.

With a jerk, her body came to life. She coughed and hauled off her helmet, gasping in air and hacking it back out. “What…” More coughing as she removed her fireproof hood. “What happened?”

She looked up at Treven.

What they said was true. She had one green eye and one blue eye. “You’re safe.” He reached to take her pulse, but didn’t recognize the red, blistered skin on his… Then the pain hit.

*

Delta had seen this cowboy earlier, walking through the pits. Those dark green eyes, auburn hair, spectacular jawline, and muscled body. Now, his eyes widened in his smudged face, then his lids flickered and a grimace distorted his mouth.

“What is it?” She looked down at her fire suit, then caught sight of his hands. Delta gasped and sat up, her world spinning for a second, then settled as three men surrounded them.

“Ma’am, lay back.” One guy touched her.

“No, I’m fine.” She looked at the blond man with his hand on her shoulder. Not in uniform, but carrying a red medic bag, he had to be a firefighter. The man’s pale blue eyes shifted and a look of horror crossed his face as he spotted the cowboy’s hands.

How had he gotten so badly burned? “Please help him.” Delta held her palms a few inches under the cowboy’s burned, shaking hands. “I don’t know what to do to help him.”

Loud shouts came from behind her and she looked back as firefighters in full gear shot white propellant from nozzles attached to canisters at flames blazing from the inside of her car. “Oh.” Everything made sense now. She gazed at the cowboy’s hands.

This man had saved her life.

“Aw shit, Treven.” The blue-eyed, white-haired man grasped the cowboy’s elbow and moved his arm to look at the damage on the other side. “We need to get you to the hospital. Right now.”

“I can drive him.” Delta scrambled to her knees just as the firefighter gestured for the ambulance to pull closer. “Oh.” Her brain wasn’t functioning at full speed.

The cowboy looked at her, and gave a half smile. “No offense, ma’am, but I’ve seen you drive. I’ll ride in the ambulance, if it’s all the same to you.”

She would laugh if the pain in his eyes wasn’t so terrible to witness. The white-haired fireman helped the cowboy—Treven?—stand.

The crowd went wild. “Someone bring me the name of that hero,” the announcer called. “The man who saved Delta Pennington’s life.”

Another firefighter, this one dark-skinned with black hair and eyes, crouched next to her. “If you’d lie down, ma’am, we’ll check for—”

“No.” Something made her need to stay with the cowboy. “I should go with Treven.” She struggled to get to her feet, but ended up coughing so hard, she grew dizzy and sank down again.

The fireman helped her sit, then pulled out a tank of oxygen and gave her the face mask to hold over her mouth and nose. “He’ll be here for a bit.” As he took her pulse, he looked from one of her eyes to the other. “We’ll get you over there and you can ride to the hospital with him. You should be checked.”

Taking stock of herself, Delta figured he was right. Her ears rang like she’d stood in front of rock concert speakers for six hours, her lungs burned with each breath, and her throat felt like it’d been coated with sandpaper. Even her nostrils hurt.

“I’m fine, but I will ride in the ambulance with him.” Taking a few deep breaths of pure oxygen, she struggled to her feet.

He assisted her, but held her arm. “You should—”

She pressed the canister into his hands and he tottered back a bit as she stumbled into him in her rush to get to the cowboy.

“Ma’am, wait.”

Ignoring him, she hustled to the ambulance. The white-haired firefighter—who must be a paramedic—hovered over the cowboy who half-sat, half-laid on the gurney inside, and another older man took notes on a clipboard. They’d inserted an IV into Treven’s arm and the cowboy’s eyes were pinched shut.

She stepped up to pull herself inside, and the white-haired paramedic held out a big hand. “Hang on. Let us work here. Have a seat on the bumper for a minute.”

“I’m riding with him.” She tried to make her voice commanding.

Treven’s eyes opened, then widened when he saw her. “You shouldn’t be walking around. You were unconscious for a time.”

White-hair’s blue gaze shot to hers. “She was?” He gestured to his partner. “Help her in, Buzz. Give her a non-rebreather.”

The older man helped Delta climb in and sat her on the bench. He handed her a clear plastic mask on a hose. She unzipped her fire suit and peeled it off her arms. “What can I do to help?”

“Stay out of the way for now.” White-hair set one of Treven’s hands on some kind of plastic sheet-like thing as the older man left the ambulance, closed the doors, and they got rolling.

“Ms. Pennington, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” Treven gave her a sideways grin.

Her heart gave an extra thump at the sweet cowboy manners, despite what had to be a lot of pain for him. Or had they added pain meds to his IV?

“Please call me Delta.” She forced a smile. “And you’re Treven…?”

The paramedic sighed. “Treven Arnett, meet Delta Pennington.” He gave her a look. “And I’m Clint Black and prefer no jokes about the famous name, please.”

“Not much for bedside manners, is he.” Treven winked at her.

Clint shook his head. “Not much for common sense, Treven. Diving head-first into a burning car.” He rechecked the IV.

Delta had to agree, it’d taken no thought, just bravery and adrenaline for Treven to do what he’d done. “I have to go with the hero theory.” She coughed a few times, then smiled at Treven. “Especially since I was the recipient of…”

Treven’s eyes rolled back and his head dropped to the side. Delta jumped up to grasp his forearm to keep his hand from hitting the rail, but Clint was already there.

“Thanks, ma’am.” The paramedic adjusted Treven so his scorched hand sat on a sterile surface. “Now please, sit down.” He looked back and forth between her eyes. “You’ve had a trauma, and I don’t need you passing out, too.

“Not. Passed. Out.” Treven’s eyes opened. “Just wanted to be able to say that Miss Delta Pennington held my…arm?” He let out a sound that could have been a laugh. “And you went and spoiled it, buddy.”

Delta couldn’t believe how tough this cowboy was.

“Oxygen.” The paramedic pointed to the mask she’d set next to her on the bench. “Take some good deep breaths.” He got busy fitting one on Treven’s face.

“Thanks, Clint.” Treven’s gaze met hers as the two of them sucked in oxygen.

The sweet air helped with the scratch in her throat and the burn in her lungs. And just looking at her hero made her chest flutter with gratitude. He’d risked so much, even though he’d known the pain he’d suffer for it. This man was someone she would never forget, and wanted to get to know.

After a few seconds, she held her mask to the side. “This must be a small town. Everyone knows everyone.”

Clint gestured toward her mask, and she immediately put it back in place. “Treven here, he’s my buddy in the town’s volunteer fire department.”

Treven looked like he was going to fade out again. She pulled her mask away. “That’s what made you risk your life for me. You’re a firefighter.” The knowledge that it was his job didn’t diminish her appreciation one bit.

Shaking his head, Treven turned his green gaze on her. “Partially, ma’am, but there’s another reason. Either way, I’m glad I got the chance to help.”

*

An hour and a half later, Delta sat on the edge of the emergency room bed swinging her cowgirl boots like she would hit the ground running if she could. She wanted to be anywhere but here, but the doctor was slow in granting her a release. Her pit crew chief, Kellan Brody, sat on a chair in the corner, mumbling under his breath.

He’d come to the hospital with her Pennington Racing branded duffle containing her clothes and had someone drive her car in for her, but he’d also brought his suspicious mind, and that was racing in high gear. She’d told him what she could remember from the accident, but her mind was somewhere else. She wanted to go to Treven and see how he was doing.

“You know, Delta, it never should have gone down like that. How the hell did the steering quit just when a mysterious fire burst out?” The older man ran a hand over his mostly-bald head. “Answer me that.”

“I don’t know. There are always freak accidents.” She had just been lucky there was someone close by to get her out. The doctor had said another few seconds in there with no oxygen, and she may not have survived. The guy had been exaggerating—she kept telling herself—but she owed the cowboy her life.

“Delta,” Kellan snapped. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

She flung her hands out to the side, palms toward the ceiling. “Until the crew finds anything out of place, it’s just an accident.”

He stood, his knees cracking. “And last week in Mississippi?”

That busted brake line had been scary as hell. “Again, things happen.”

Pointing a finger at her, he narrowed his gaze. “Not to cars under my watch. And somebody’s ass is going to roll for this.”

She bit her lips to keep from smiling at his mixed metaphor. “Let’s have Uncle Steve run another background check on the pit crew.” She contorted her lips and came up with her cartoon duck voice. “Would that make you happy, Kewwan?”

Kellan’s face turned red. “This isn’t about me, girl. This is about your safety.”

“Sorry.” She used that stupid voice when she was nervous, but it irritated the hell out of nearly everyone she knew.

“You need to remember who—” Kellan groaned as her cell phone rang.

“Hi, Uncle Steve.” She held the phone away from her ear, waiting for the outburst.

“Delta, are you okay?” Her uncle’s voice came through the phone, softer than she’d expected.

“The doctors checked me over, and I’m good.”

He sighed, then went on for a while about safety, about taking precautions, about making sure her car was perfect before she got into it. “And don’t forget, I want a full report of what the area can provide for us. For the project.”

That damn project. She didn’t want to get into it with him now. Not with Kellan in the room and locals wandering through the halls.

“About the car, though. Kellen thinks there might be something more happening.”

“What? What’s going on?”

The nurse walked in with a clipboard. “You’ve got your papers, Ms. Pennington.” She winked at Delta. “And I need your autograph.”

“Listen, I’ve got to do some paperwork here, but call Kellen.” She winked at her crew chief. “He’ll fill you in. Bye.” She hung up before her uncle could start yelling.

“Thanks.” Kellen glared at her before answering his ringing phone. “Yeah, I got a theory. Let me get somewhere private and I’ll call you back.” He hung up on Steven, too.

She grimaced. “He’s not gonna like being cut off by both of us, you know.”

As Delta signed, Kellan snorted. “He sits in that ivory mansion and expects to tell us what to do, when we’re the ones getting’ our hands greasy and risking our lives.” He looked at Delta and his eyes grew shiny.

She smiled at him. “Aw, Kell. I’m fine. You know I’ve got nine lives.”

He grabbed her charred fire suit, set her car keys on the bed next to her, and marched out, mumbling something about ducks and cats.

Delta accepted the release papers from the nurse. “Where is Treven…um…?” She didn’t remember his last name.

“Arnett. He’s in number four.” The other woman gestured to her right and smiled. “He’s one great guy.”

Delta could hear longing in the nurse’s voice. “Are you and he…?”

Her face turned red. “Oh, no. I’m married.” She giggled. “But a girl can still look.” Her face dropped. “I’m sorry. That was…” She turned and nearly ran from the room.

Delta watched her go. “Okay, strange.” She whispered the words as she stood, pocketed her keys in her jeans, then adjusted her Pennington Racing logo T-shirt. She looked in the mirror, finger-combed her hair, and went to find one great guy.

He lay so still in the bed, she wanted to check for a pulse. His hands had been wrapped, and his face had been washed. Delta leaned in closer. One of his auburn eyebrows was completely gone. The thought of how much worse he could have been burned had her sucking in an uneven breath. He’d done it for her. For her. When had anyone done anything that risky for her? Never, that she could recall.

“I can do it tonight.” A male voice came from the hallway. “But I’ve got to be in Fort Worth tomorrow.”

“Okay, I can handle tomorrow, but I won’t get there ’til sometime after noon.”

Delta recognized the voices and moved toward the open door to close it so Treven could sleep. The two men from the track, Clint and the black-haired man who’d helped her, stood looking at calendars on their phones.

“Shit. His horses have to be fed in the morning. What do you think of setting up a schedule online and get the rest of the crew to take a shift?”

“Leave it open, ma’am.” Treven’s voice came from the bed.

She spun to look at him, and met his dark green gaze. “But you need your rest.”

“They’re trying to split up the work on my ranch, and I’d like to hear how they think they can do it.” He shifted, froze with a pained look on his face, then relaxed. “I’m gonna be helpless for a few weeks.”

Delta’s stomach shifted, thinking of the pain, the scars, the vulnerability this man was facing because of her.

He cocked his head and listened as the guys in the hall plotted and planned.

She shook her head. This was her chance to be useful. To make up for all the times she’d run away from her responsibilities and acted like a pouty, rich brat. She could do this. And she was going to, no matter what roadblocks Treven Arnett threw at her.

As an added bonus, she could let her uncle believe she was doing it to help him with his complicated buyout plan. The big jerk.

Stepping to the door, she poked her head out. “Clint? Could you two come in for a minute?”

The blond man’s brows rose, his gaze shot to his friend’s, then he nodded and they followed her back in.

No one spoke. The three men just stared at her.

She pulled in a deep breath, which caught on a soft cough, and stared at the cowboy. “I’m going to take care of Treven and his horses. For as long as he needs help.”

Chapter Two

‡

Treven wished he could use a finger to clear his ears. Delta Pennington wanted to work his ranch while he was laid up? Were the pain meds causing hallucinations?

“You’re what?” his friend Rex said on a laugh.

Delta stepped closer to Rex and held out her hand. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Delta Pennington, and I appreciate your help back at the racetrack.”

Rex took her hand, his brows dropping. “Rex Tarrow.” His eyes searched hers. “You serious here?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.” She let go of his hand and squared her shoulders, looking back and forth between Rex and Clint. “Any reason why I shouldn’t be?”

Treven held in a laugh. This woman was straightforward, fearless, and so beautiful, he had to keep blinking to reassure himself she was actually breathing the same air as he was.

Clint snorted. “Hay bales that weigh a ton, stalls full of horseshi…” He pursed his lips. “A dozen stalls that need mucking out. Horses that need to be exercised.”

“Worst of all?” Rex gestured toward Treven. “The patient from hell to deal with.”

Treven laughed. “Hey, don’t make her change her mind.” He couldn’t think of anything he’d like more than to haul Ms. Pennington home with him and spend some time with her. For one, he admired the hell out of her, and for two, he could easily fall for a woman with her spunk.

She walked toward his bed. “You’re okay with it? I thought you’d be the one I’d have to convince.”

He shrugged, then instantly wished he hadn’t as the motion jostled his hands. “If you’ve got the time, and you don’t mind a little hard work, I’m glad to accept your offer.”

Behind her, Clint and Rex looked at each other, then back at him with wide eyes. Why the hell shouldn’t he let her come help him? She was a grown woman. Grown very attractively, too. Just having her this close to him sent a tightness to his groin, anticipation to his chest.

Of course, she could be looking at him with pity, like he was a weak foal in need of rescue. But he’d spend the next few weeks showing her—without the use of his hands—that he was one heck of a proud stallion. He smiled as the thought sent heat racing through his veins.

Delta frowned. “Are you okay? You look a little flushed.” She blinked a few times.

He shifted to cover the rise in his jeans. “I’m good. Would you press the call button, please? Let’s see when I can get out of here.”

*

Hours later, with a bag full of gauze, ointments, latex gloves, and pain pills, Delta drove her yellow ’67 Shelby Mustang with Treven in the passenger seat to his ranch just outside of town, close to the racetrack. It was the perfect spot for her to make it look like she was only doing this for Pennington Racing, and not because she had a heart and a soul, which her uncle wouldn’t understand.

Driving under an old metal archway proclaiming Rusty Horseshoe Ranch, she smiled. “Cute name.”

He shrugged. “My grandmother’s idea. She and Gramps met when his horse threw a shoe near her ranch outside of Dallas.”

“Romantic.” She pulled to a stop on the gravel driveway in front of a new-looking tan rambler with red shutters and doors. Not what she’d expected at all. “This is nice.” She opened her door and slid out of the car. Looking around, she spotted three barns, corrals with neat white wood fences, and a quonset hut. “How long have you lived here?”

He hadn’t moved.

“Oh, sorry.” Shit, what a dummy. She raced around the car and opened his door.

He gave that sexy little smirk as he swung his legs out and stood. “Not a problem. We’re both gonna have some learning to do up front.” Bumping the door with his hip, he closed it, and offered her his arm. “Quick tour?”

She took his arm, carefully, and let him lead her through the tidy barns then through the unlocked front door of the house. “I’ll go get my things from the car. Be right back.” Delta pulled her suitcase, purse, and the bag of hospital paraphernalia from her car and trudged back inside.

The place was neat and modern, brown leather furniture, hardwood floors and big area rugs, and even curtains that graced the big windows of the living room. The vaulted ceiling made the place look huge, while a big stone fireplace made it cozy. “You have a beautiful home.” She set down her packages.

“Thanks, I have a housekeeper who keeps it tidy.” He shrugged and toed off his boots, leaving them on a mat by the door.

She did the same with hers. “What now?”

His face turned red. “I’m gonna need you to help me.” He hefted in a breath and puffed it out. “Nature calling.”

Her brows drew together. Then it computed. “Oh, right.” How was this going to work?

“I’m thinking that if you can get me out of my jeans and into some pajama pants, I can probably take it from there.”

Delta felt her own face turn red. When she’d thought about her activities for the next two weeks, she’d imagined cooking for him, working in the barn, mowing the lawn. But never had she considered having to take care of his corporeal needs. “No problem.” She looked to where a hallway led out of the room. “That way?”

He nodded. “Room at the end of the hall.”

They walked along the hallway, her in front. The first room was a big office, the second looked empty except for a rocking chair, the third had a large bed and lots of furniture.

“Guest room.” He nodded toward it. “You can make yourself at home in there.”

The final room, taking up the whole end of the house, was his bedroom. Another stone fireplace filled one corner, surrounded by a nice gray sectional couch. His bed was a four-poster affair, big enough for a dozen people.

Treven touched his elbow on a drawer in the tall, heavy-looking chest of drawers. “Would you please?”

She opened it and they found a pair of black lounging pants and a white T-shirt. Going for the top first, she removed his slightly-charred shirt and held it over the hamper. Did he want to keep it? She looked at him, he nodded, and she dropped it in. His chest was bigger than she’d expected, a furring of hair across the pecs extended down the middle of his ripped belly to disappear into his jeans.

Those nice, bulky arms invited her to touch. Low in her belly, jitters started, sending a chill along her skin. He was all male, and sexy as sin on a Saturday night. But, he was injured, and she needed to remember that. With extreme care, she got him into the T-shirt, but spotted scars—burns?—on his shoulder and neck. She looked away. This wasn’t the time to go deep into his history, but he’d said there was another reason why he’d saved her life today.

She reached for his belt buckle.

“Um.” He stepped back a few inches.

Those gorgeous eyes of his, she could drift deep into them, looking for the soul of the man. She noticed the long eyelashes on one eye, and shorter ones on the other side where his eyebrow was missing, too. They would grow back, thankfully. But his hands might bear scars, according to the doctor.

He swallowed and looked away.

“What’s wrong?” She unfolded the pajama pants.

“Just ignore whatever you see happening down there.” He fidgeted.

She glanced down to see a mighty bulge behind his zipper. With a smile, she blinked up at him. “Why, Mr. Arnett. You flatter me.” Delta laid on the southern belle accent.

He laughed, and let her unbuckle and unzip his jeans, but turned away from her as soon as the denim dropped to his thighs. She divested him of his jeans, trying hard not to stare at the manly, sexy ass displayed in black boxer-briefs right in front of her, then helped him slip on the soft jersey pants. Off to the side of the bed, she spotted the bathroom door, and walked in, turning on the light. Fancy. A big jetted tub took up one corner, a glass shower big enough for ten spread across one wall, and the entire room was done in soft, glowing, golden tiles.

“I’ll take it from here.” He came in and nodded his head toward the door. Luckily, a few of his fingertips had escaped severe burning and blistering.

“Okay, but shout if you need me.” She winked. “Remember, I travel with a pit crew of mostly men, so I’ve seen it all.”

He tried to stifle a yawn.

“Do you want something to eat?” She checked her watch. “It’s almost time for your next pain pill, and you should have something in your stomach.”

“Sure. Just a sandwich.”

“A sandwich I can do.” Cooking wasn’t a strong point for her. “Ask me to install a brake rotor, and I’m your girl. But to get water to boil? Uh uh.”

He chuckled. “I’m a man of simple tastes.”

“Then we’ll get along just fine.” She left the room, pulling the bathroom door behind her, but leaving it open enough that he could get his foot in the crack to open it. At the bed, she ran her fingers over the blue cotton quilt, then pulled down the corner of the bedding to make it easier for him to climb in. She hoped he’d nap, and the thought of him lying in that big bed made her want to crawl in and wait for him.

In the kitchen, she peeked into the dozens of white Shaker cabinets which seemed to carry everything a chef could need plus the floor space for about fifty people to do the cooking. This house truly took her by surprise. She’d expected a bachelor hovel, not a brand-spankin’ new, state-of-the-art custom home.

When she was halfway through putting together a sandwich for him at the big black-granite countertop on the kitchen island, a car pulled up. Three women climbed out, each carrying a box. “What is this about?” She crossed the kitchen and opened the side door as they climbed the few steps onto the porch and stopped, staring at her through the screen door.

“Ms. Pennington.” The oldest, maybe in her fifties, smiled brightly. “We heard you were here, but didn’t dare to believe it.”

So they’d come out to Treven’s ranch to check? Unbelievable. She put her hands on her hips and tipped her head. “Is there something I can do for you?”

The youngest, in her twenties and evidently pregnant, stepped forward. “We wanted to bring a few things for Treven. He’s done so much for everyone in town, the prayer chain is buzzing.”

Delta felt like a total bitch.

The young woman looked behind her as another car pulled into the driveway. “We won’t keep you, but we have some food, and some, um, things that might make it easier for him.” She swallowed, her cheeks turning pink.

“Please.” Delta pushed open the screen door and gave them her biggest smile. “Come in. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

“You’re so kind, but no thank you.” The women stood talking for a few minutes, greeting the next arrival who bore her own box of food.

The ladies set their boxes on the center island. Delta unloaded two casseroles, three frozen crock-pot meals in giant plastic baggies, cookies on paper plates, a whole cake, and three loaves of homemade bread. She and Treven were set for a week.

One woman gave her a box of adaptive items she’d brought from the long-term care facility she worked at, and Delta tucked that box away in a closet, for now.

She couldn’t thank the ladies enough, and even admitted she wasn’t enough of a cook to know what to do with everything. The women left copious notes on reheating, and by the time they’d left—with a warning that there would be more folks stopping by—the kitchen island was full.

Delta leaned against the countertop, surveying the booty. She opened the double doors of the stainless steel refrigerator. Too well stocked, and not much room for anything more. Contorting her tongue, she used her cartoon duck voice. “What are we gonna do now?”

“What the heck was that?” Treven wandered into the kitchen, a crooked smile on his face.

“Oh. Sorry.” Very few people knew about her duck voice. “When I’m overwhelmed, I go into cartoon mode.”

“You’re one fascinating woman, Delta. Race car driver by day, cartoon duck by night.” He looked at the plethora on the counter. “You even baked bread?” His smile came with a big yawn.

“Your neighbors and the townsfolk stopped by.” She couldn’t imagine anyone in her neighborhood in Atlanta doing anything like this for her.

“Ah.” He used his foot to pull out one of the tall stools on the far side of the island. “I should have warned you.”

“The prayer chain strikes again.”

He nodded and poked at a plate of bars covered in clear wrap. “Gotta love livin’ in a fishbowl.”

She jumped to help him open it, then shrugged. “Short of taping a fork to your bandages.” Picking up what looked like a seven-layer bar, she held it out for him. “Excuse my fingers in your food.”

He opened his mouth and she popped it in. Treven stared at her with those sleepy green eyes. Nothing in her recent memory buzzed with that much sexual energy, or hit her that hard and naughty down low in her belly. She heaved out a breath and went back to making his sandwich. She had to watch herself, or she’d end up tumbling into bed with this cowboy, maybe even falling for him a little. Just a little.

“Some mayo, some mustard, please.” He sat patiently while she dressed the sandwich, set a glass of ice water with a straw in front of him, then plopped down next to him and held up a quarter of the sandwich.

He took a bite, chewed and swallowed, she wiped mustard from his mouth, then he leaned in and kissed her.

*

Goddamnit, what was he doing? Treven pressed his lips against Delta’s, breathing in her sexy, spicy scent, like some foreign opiate that stirred his blood to boiling.

For a second, she froze, then opened her lips on his, inviting him in.

He took advantage, skimming his tongue over her teeth and into her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers, tasting every little bit of her he could reach.

He’d always heard that one kiss could change a man’s life. And this was that kiss. He could barely breathe.

Delta pulled away first. “Wow.” The word floated out on a sigh. She blinked those pretty mismatched eyes at him and licked her lips. “You sure know how to surprise a girl.”

Surprised her? Hell, he couldn’t believe he’d just done that. “If I blame it on the pain meds, would you forgive me?” But the meds had worn off an hour ago. This was all pure desire happening here in his kitchen, and he could feel her response just as if she’d waved a green flag at him.

“Nothing to forgive, cowboy.” She held up the sandwich for him. “And in case you didn’t notice, I was glad to participate.” The smile she gave him was soft and flirty.

He took a bite, chewed and swallowed, watching her. “You’re not what I expected.” The media made her out to be a wild child, doing what she wanted whenever she had the urge, spending her deceased father’s money like she was determined to go broke, and living her life on the edge.

“Yeah, I’ve got a reputation out there.” She frowned as she picked up another wedge of sandwich.

“Yet, here you are, being my nurse, cook, stable hand—”

“I’m really glad I could do it.” She said the words quickly as she set down the sandwich. “But honestly, Treven?” She squinted at him. “If both my race cars weren’t out of commission, I might not have offered.” With a shrug of one shoulder, she got up to refill his water glass. “I probably would have hired someone to nurse you for a time, though. Throw some of the family money at a problem, like I usually do.”

Her candor surprised him, her words spoken with a heavy dose of self-directed scorn. “Delta, I appreciate the honesty, but no matter why you’re here, it’s something so unexpected.” He paused to find the right words. “Besides my friends on the fire crew, no one has ever done anything like this for me.” Emotion welled in his chest. “Thank you. Really, I’m overwhelmed.”

She turned to look at him, and her eyes misted over. “You’re welcome. But reserve judgement until you see how I do with those horses.”

He smiled and gestured to her chair. “Let’s eat then we’ll go out and see what you can do with a barn full of cayuses.”

A watery smile curved her lips. “Cayuses?” She gave a quick laugh. “You Texans use such interesting words.” She held a pain pill to his lips then lifted his glass for him.

He took the pill as he let his eyes wander over her face, and his mind wander into the future. What would she be like in bed? The wild child he’d read so much about? Or the caring, concerned woman he’d seen the last few hours. A mix of both would be hot. Real effen’ hot.

Delta moved around the island and took her seat next to him. “And we’d better do the horses fast before that pill hits you, ’cause I’ll want you to stay in bed for the rest of the day.”

Her words caused a flood of lust to race to his cock. “Delta, darlin’, how could I ever refuse a command like that?”

She paused a moment, then broke out in laughter, her sweet voice rising to the rafters.

He knew right then he’d already lost half his heart.

Chapter Three

‡

Treven could barely stay on his feet in the barn, exhaustion and pain rendering him nearly useless, but he liked that Delta picked up the list of chores quickly. She’d actually brought a pen and paper and had taken notes on everything.

They trudged back toward the house as he recited emergency phone numbers, Clint and Rex’s numbers if she needed help with any of the heavier chores, and a couple of additional tasks for her to do.

When he hit his bed, it took less than a minute for him to fall asleep. When he woke, in the exact same position, the room was dark. The sun had set. Delta had been right, he needed the sleep. If she’d only come and lay next to him, this would have been the best day of his life.

He padded down the hall. The kitchen was clean, just the under-counter lights on, but an amazing smell emitted from the crock pot on the counter. If he could figure out how to get the lid off and spoon some into his mouth, he’d be all set.

Quiet, feminine laughter came from the living room.

He headed that direction. Delta sat on the couch in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, headphones over her ears, and a tablet in her lap. She looked so young, so carefree, but he knew she had a heavy load on her shoulders.

Not only had she taken on the burden of her legendary father’s racing team, she’d become a major player in the Pennington Racing Company, living like a nomad most of the year with no family, just a pit crew.

Spotting him, she pulled off the headphones and stood. “Hi. How are you feeling?”

The outfit must be her pajamas. A little too short for public consumption, the shirt bared her belly and cupped the round globes of her breasts. Treven’s mouth watered.

“Hungry?” She stepped toward him.

He wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her senseless. Damn, why hadn’t he thought to brush his teeth, use mouthwash? Hell, with his hands like this, he couldn’t do any of those.

“Yeah, I’m hungry.” In his underwear, a hard one formed. He turned toward the mammoth television sitting dark in the corner. “You don’t like a big screen?”

Brushing past him, she shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t want to risk waking you.”

He followed her into the kitchen, admiring the way her nice ass wiggled in those shorts. “I was pretty much dead in there.”

She flipped on the lights and shook a pain pill out of the bottle. “Ready?” She held it up.

His hands hurt. Bad. Otherwise he’d say no and offer to sit up with her and watch TV. “Yep.”

Supper was a comedy with her handling two bowls of stew and two spoons. Then she walked to the hall closet and pulled out a box. “Now, I don’t know how you’re going to feel about this.” Her mouth quirked in a frown as she opened the lid on the box and pulled out a yard-long plastic stick with a sponge on the end. “But one of your neighbors dropped this off with a few other things that might make your life easier.”

Treven stared at the sponge, realizing just how completely helpless he was, and the glaring way that weakness was prominently displayed in front of the sexiest woman he’d ever gotten close to. “Just kill me, Delta. Please.”

She snorted, then laughed. He laughed with her, and they ended the night falling asleep next to each other on the couch, watching an old western on the big screen.

*

The next morning, Delta stood outside the walk-in shower in Treven’s bathroom, adjusting the water temperature for him as he stood under the cascading spray. The plastic bags on his hands were secured to his forearms with the waterproof tape she’d found in the box from his neighbor lady. In his black underwear, he was a gorgeous specimen of man, all wet muscle and long sinews.

Her gaze finally made it back to his face, and he smirked at her. “Could I impose on you to wash my hair for me?”

“I’d be happy to.” She sounded a little too eager, but her fingers itched to touch him, wash his hair, soap him down. Everywhere. After the shampoo, conditioner, and a brief rubdown with the bar of soap on every inch of skin not covered by his underwear, her whole body tingled with chills of desire. The smell of his manly products, the firm contours of his body. And surprise! In his underwear, he had a half-mast chubby. For her.

What would he say if she stripped off her clothes and joined him?

“Thank you, Delta.” He turned his back to her. “I can take it from here.”

Disappointment doused her like cold water. “Shout if you need anything.” She wandered back to the kitchen and chose a casserole to put into the oven for lunch, then emptied the dishwasher from the morning meal. She didn’t have chores to do until later. If Treven wasn’t sleepy, she’d love to spend time with him.

Opening the hall closet door, she reached up and took down four games in colorful boxes. This would keep them busy. And keep her mind off her thoughts of jumping Treven and inventing naked games to play with him.

*

It took over a week for the pain to abate enough for Treven to be able to use his hands for a few things. After two trips to town to see the doctor, and daily visits from friends and neighbors—all bearing gifts—Delta had settled into life on his ranch. And she loved it.

No traveling cross-country, no media circus surrounding her, no dealing with her uncle about expenses and mistakes she made on the track. And how rare that she could wear just shorts and an old T-shirt? Plopping down on a rocking chair on the porch, she set down her tall glass of iced lemonade and breathed in the sweet, warm evening air.

She liked him. The brave cowboy who volunteered as a fire fighter in his spare time. They’d played every game he had in the house, taken walks when he was feeling well enough, and had watched television. Mostly, though, they talked. Not about anything deep or soul-searching, but about their lives and how they’d gotten to where they were.

She’d learned about his wife, who’d left the ranch four years earlier because she couldn’t stand the country life. The girl had given Treven an ultimatum—move to Houston with her, or she’d go alone—and she’d gone without him and gotten a divorce. He didn’t seem too broken up about it, though, so maybe the relationship hadn’t been all that strong to begin with. But he’d torn down the old house he’d grown up in and had this amazing new one built. What did that say about him?

The screen door opened and Treven walked out, wearing a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. “Hey.” He stretched and yawned, coming around after his long nap.

When his shirt rode up, exposing a peek at his firm abs, she snuck a look. “Want some lemonade?”

“No, thanks.” He padded barefoot and sat in the chair next to hers. “Nice evening.”

“Beautiful.” The sun would set to their left, over the field, and would turn the tall grass golden. She loved this time of day here. Peaceful. Something she’d never thought she’d crave.

“Supper was good. Thanks.”

Rex Tarrow, the dark firefighter who’d helped her that day on the track, had brought hamburgers, and she’d asked him where the grill was. Rex had directed her to an electric grill on the patio off the back of the house. That had gotten her thinking, and while Treven slept after the three of them ate, she checked the water heater. Electric. The furnace. Electric. Clothes dryer. Electric. There were no gas appliances on the property.

“What is it, Delta?” He stared at her with those intense green eyes.

“Why do you think there’s something?”

“You stopped rocking. You’re in constant motion. Unless something’s wrong.”

Delta used her toes to get the chair moving again. “May I ask you something personal?”

“We’ve been talking personal all week. I don’t see why anything would be off limits.”

A smile curved her lips. She’d told him about how her father hadn’t known about her until, on her fifth birthday, her mother had dropped her off at his big house in an Atlanta suburb. And Mom had never come back. Her world tilted and wobbled that day, and had never truly righted itself since.

Dad never adopted her, legally, but he’d changed her name and taught her how to drive race cars. He’d brought her on the circuit with him and had given her cars and a pit crew when she came of age. Then, when he’d died in a dirt bike accident five years ago, her uncle had ended up managing Dad’s estate, and treating Delta like she was a commodity, not a relative.

But, as long as she made money for Pennington Racing, he gave her some latitude to do what she wanted.

“You stopped rocking again.” Treven’s voice held a hint of worry.

“Guess I’m the kind of girl who can only do one thing at a time.” She turned toward him. “Will you tell me about the scars on your neck and shoulder?” The burn mark concerned her, made her want to hear the whole story. To hear another piece of Treven’s life, and share another bit of personal information with this man who’d snuck his way into her heart.

He huffed out a breath and got his own chair rocking. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and stopped moving. “I was twelve.” He pointed in the direction of the outbuildings. “We had a fire in the barn. My sister…” He didn’t move, just stared at the barns.

He’d already mentioned that he’d grown up here. Said his parents were now living in a retirement community on the Gulf of Mexico. But he’d never spoken of a sister.

“They think she started it. She was fifteen, and had a boyfriend with her in the hayloft. They were smoking.”

“Oh, Treven.” She heard the pain in his voice, hadn’t meant to dig up such a terrible memory. “I’m sorry. If you’d rather not discuss—”

“No.” He reached over as if he wanted to take her hand, then shook his head as he stared at the big white bandage.

She wrapped her fingers around his forearm and gave him a soft smile.

Treven blinked a couple times, looking at her as if he was just seeing her for the first time. “I want to talk about it. I’ve never talked about it with anyone.”

Her brows rose. He’d never talked about it with his wife?

With a harsh laugh, he took his arm back, and she laced her fingers together in her lap.

He stared off into the distance. “I couldn’t save her. Rhianna. My sister. I climbed the ladder, but the fire was too hot.” His jaw clenched, a cracking sound came from his mouth.

“You were only twelve.”

“I was a big kid, strong for my age. Back then, the ranch had cattle and I worked with Dad when I could.” He went silent for a while. “I was hit by a falling board, knocked down, and burned. But that probably saved my life because the roof collapsed over the hay loft, and the whole thing came down.”

“That’s so sad.” She rocked slowly. “And that’s why you’re a volunteer firefighter?”

“Yep. I joined when I turned eighteen. Even though I have a fear…no, a complete and nightmarish paranoia about fire.”

That explained the lack of gas appliances, and the electric grill. “But you ran right in and saved me without a thought for your own safety.” Had it been to prove something to himself after all these years?

“Delta.” He sat forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “I knew I would be burned. I didn’t care. I had my chance to prove I could do it. That’s why I went in after you. Not because I’m some hero, like you said.” After a few minutes, he stood and walked to the railing. “I wanted to know I was capable of saving someone.” His voice caught on the last word.

Foolish man. Why was he overanalyzing this? She stood and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and pressing her cheek to his back. “The term hero might not sit right with you, but it doesn’t matter why you reached into those flames. And why you risked getting blown up along with me if the gas tank had gone up. And why you dragged me to safety.”

He stiffened.

“Treven, you didn’t have time to think, you just acted. Now, after the fact, with your body coping with the residuals of the pain pills, this might not be the best time.”

He turned and wrapped his arms around her, looking into her eyes. “What are you saying?” His voice came out too quiet.

“I’m saying that you can analyze your actions from now ’til the end of days, but in that moment, in that split-second, you ran straight for danger and did what few people would have done. And those who would have done the exact same thing? They’d probably have solid reasons for doing it too. Some of which might even be, ‘I wanna be a hero!’”

Tipping his head down and getting closer to her, he swallowed hard. “How is it you understand me so well?”

She cupped his strong jaw in the palms of her hands. “I’m not sure.” Delta looked into his beautiful eyes. “But I do know that I don’t want to leave here without spending a night with you.”

His brows shot up.

“And I know that’s forward and fast and flirty, but I’ve got the hots for you, Treven Arnett. And I want to do something about it.”

Chapter Four

‡

Treven nearly shouted with relief. Here, he’d thought Delta looked on him with pity, the poor rancher who couldn’t do a thing for himself; and imagined she was pacifying her guilt over ultimately causing him so much pain. After he told her his ambivalent feelings about the reason he saved her, he thought she’d back away even further.

But here she was, her hands on his face, pulling him in for a kiss. And he would damn sure accept any offer she made. He pressed his lips to hers, tugged her in tighter using just his forearms, and pushed his hips forward. Her hips against his sent a manic plunge of heat down his spine and into his cock. “Yeah.” Whispering the word, he tasted her, the seam of her lips, her tongue, the roof of her mouth.

“Me too.” She dug her hands in his hair and tipped her head, granting him deeper access, turning the kiss even wilder.

Treven wanted to pick her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom, but his injured hands would probably have him dropping her on that sweet, round ass of hers. He slowed the kiss and touched his nose to hers. “Come to my bedroom.”

“I’ve been waiting for that invitation for a week.” She walked backward, hauling him with her, then she opened the screen door and they made a quick retreat to his room.

Helpless. He couldn’t do anything, couldn’t touch her. But he could use his voice. “Delta, darlin’, you are more sexy than should be legal, and you have me totally under your power.”

Her smile went mushy and she sighed. “Wow, you’re one Texas charmer.”

“No charm. All truth.” He kissed her neck, trailing his lips to her ear. “I want to see you naked. All for me.” In his pants, his erection swelled, pressing the head of his cock against her belly.

“Anything you want, Treven.” She slid her shorts down her legs, peeled off her T-shirt, and stood in front of him in a lacy white bra and panties, her skin glowing in the evening light filtering through the windows.

“Beautiful.” He kissed her shoulder and snagged a bra strap in his teeth. Reaching one hand behind her, she unclasped her bra, allowing him to pull it all the way off. Her breasts, round and firm, were tipped by dusky rose-colored nipples.

He couldn’t resist, and bent to suckle one tight peak into his mouth as he used his forearms to hold her thin waist, hold her where he wanted her. In his arms, he felt her sinking, and walked her backward to the bed, letting her sit on the edge as he took her other nipple in his mouth. Like spiced cherries, she filled his senses with her taste, her scent, her perfection.

Delta’s hands roamed across his shoulders and down his arms, then up his back to cup the back of his head. She shifted and kissed the top of his head.

He released her nipple and looked up at her. “You’re so amazing.” She was so loving and gentle, caring, yet tough enough to run a ranch almost single-handedly.

Brushing a lock of hair from his forehead, she trailed her fingertips down the side of his face. “I’m amazed that it took us so long to make it to your bed.”

Growling, he kissed between her breasts, sliding nibbles and kisses down along her belly. “I’ve wanted you since that day in the hospital.” He reached her panties.

She put a hand on her hip, but he nipped at her fingers. “Uh uh. Those are mine.” He eased her back on the bed and leaned over her, kissing along the top of her lacy underthings, then catching them in his teeth and dragging them down. With her helping by lifting herself off the mattress, he had her bare for him in seconds. And she was. Bare. Clean-shaven and as peachy-smooth as anything he’d ever seen.

Leaning down, he tasted. “Yep, softer than anything I’ve ever known.” Using his elbows, he spread her legs and knelt on the floor between her feet. “And I’m gonna get to know you real well, Miss Delta.”

She propped herself up on her elbows.

He looked into her eyes. They’d gone dark, one forest green, the other midnight blue.

Her breathing sped up. “Don’t leave me waiting.” Her words rolled, soft and southern.

All Treven wanted to do was obey her every command. “Yes, ma’am.” He dipped lower, pressing his lips to her mound, kissing along her pouting pussy lips, lapping at the spicy taste of her.

Delta’s body shook, her exhales becoming tiny moans, her scent flooding out and dizzying him with every breath he took.

Suddenly frustrated at not being able to use his hands, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against her soft, moist skin, vowing to make this perfect for her, even if he couldn’t use his regular tricks. He used his tongue as he would have used his finger, scooping it inside her sweet channel, circling and thrusting.

She jerked and let out sexy little noises with each of his movements.

Moving upward, he followed the swollen cleft until he found the tight little bud waiting, pulsing and hot for him.

Her body shimmied and her fingers tunneled through his hair. He was definitely in the right place. Wrapping his lips around her clit, he sucked it in gently, then circled it with his tongue, alternately flicking it and rubbing the flat of his tongue against the nubbin.

“Ohhh.” Delta breathed the word, then cried out twice, each sound louder, higher. “Wait.” She tugged at his hair.

He stopped what he was doing. Oh God, had he hurt her? “Darlin’? What’s wrong?”

Using his hair to pull his head up higher, she sat up and looked into his eyes. “Nothing’s wrong. You’re amazing.” She shivered for a few seconds. “I want my first time coming for you to be with you. I want you inside me, coming with me.”

So romantic, this woman of his. Turning his head, he kissed her arm. “Delta, you’re the sweetest angel.” He bent and kissed her thigh, licking a quick path back to her pussy. “You sure, now?”

“No. Yes.” She laughed and traced her thumb across his lips. “You’re mighty talented, cowboy.” Shaking her head, she sat up and grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt. “But I want this, for us.”

He blinked a couple times. For us? She was talking more than just a quick hop in his bed before she went back to her life. The thought had his heart pounding. He wanted an “us.”

*

Delta didn’t know why she’d said that, why she’d stopped him. She wanted this to be different. To be the one time when things were perfect, and right, and done together, the way she’d always dreamed. She’d never had time for relationships, and starting one with this man would change her life dramatically. Was she ready for that? Sure, she loved the country life, didn’t miss traveling the US in a damn trailer, but would this be enough for her? Heck, would he even consider something longer-lasting with her?

As she pulled his shirt over his head, he stared at her, looking a little bit startled. Surprised by her words, maybe? They eased the shirt over his bandaged hands, then he stood.

His cock pushed the fabric of his boxer briefs and jogging pants to the limit, pressing hard and straight out toward her.

“I love this.” Delta stroked the fabric over his erection up and down, causing friction and heat on her palm, wanting him to feel it along his cock.

He groaned and tried to get his hands into the waistband, but she couldn’t let him hurt himself, no matter how much she’d like to keep teasing him.

Pulling his clothes carefully away from the hard shaft, she let them drop as his cock bobbed and pulsed close to her face.

“Impressive.” With a grin, she took his length in her hands, sliding her palms along him gently. Hard and long and thick, he was more than she’d expected, and a gift she would like to spend hours unwrapping. Leaning forward, she licked at the drop escaping from the slit, then took his head into her mouth, savoring the hot, salty skin of this incredible man.

He jerked and eased back an inch, popping out of her mouth. “Same goes for me, darlin’. Let me come inside you. I’m too torqued right now to be able to stand much more of that magical mouth of yours.”

She smiled and reclined on the bed, rolling across the quilt to make room for him beside her.

He eased onto the mattress and rolled on top of her, his elbows bearing his weight. An instant of narrowed eyes proved to her that this was not a pain-free position for him.

“For now?” She wrapped her leg around his waist and pushed with her hand.

He didn’t budge. “Yeah? What now, darlin’?” His smirk set her heart pattering.

“How about I get to be on top?”

His jaw set.

He didn’t care to be told what to do, she knew that. But worse, he didn’t care to be reminded of how dependent he was, how useless his hands were right now. “Just so I don’t have to give you a pain pill, and watch you fall asleep on me tonight.”

His brow shot up. “Since you put it that way.” He wrangled them so he was on his back, with her lying atop his body, his hard cock pressed tight between them.

She wriggled, letting her mound hit right on the heat of his shaft.

Nose to nose, they just breathed for a minute, sharing air, building anticipation.

“Darlin’, I’m gonna have to ask you to put the condom on me.” With that low, sexy voice of his, she couldn’t refuse, and sat on his thighs to roll on the protection.

“You’re so hot, Treven.”

“It’s gonna get hotter, Delta.” He reached for her hips then let out an exasperated sound and lay back on the bed. “Or not.”

She hated to see him frustrated, but she knew how to turn on the heat again. “It’ll be damn hot, cowboy, since you’re gonna tell me exactly what to do.”

Lifting his head, he looked at her for a second, then a wicked smirk curved his mouth. “Yeah, I like that. And you’ll obey? No questions asked?” He quirked a brow.

This could get pretty naughty. “No questions asked.”

“All right then. Crawl up here, darlin’, and put a pillow under my head.”

She loved how he took right to the role of demanding male. Maybe too easily, but she’d let him have it all his way tonight. Up on her hands and knees, his hard cock bobbed against her thigh as she stretched to reach over his head for a pillow.

Treven took advantage and licked her nipple.

She sighed as she tucked the pillow under his head. With her hands on his chest, she bit her lip for a second. “What now, cowboy?”

His gaze locked with hers. “Now you’ll get up on your knees.” When she complied, he stared at her pussy. “Now touch yourself, Delta. Press your fingers along that soft, wet heaven between your legs.”

Waves of pleasure rolled through her belly, down into her core, making her even wetter as she slid her fingers along her pussy lips, coating them with her musk.

“Now bring those fingers to me, let me taste you.”

Bracing herself with a hand at his side, she eased one finger toward him.

He licked it, then sucked it into his mouth. “Wet for me, aren’t you, darlin’. Now rub your fingers on the head of my cock.”

Back up on her knees, she coated the top of the condom with her juices, loving the feel of him pulsing thick and stiff beneath her. For her, just her. “What now?” She wanted to sink down onto him, take him deep, scream his name, but this was his game to call, and she’d let him do it however he wanted.

“Grab the base of my cock, press the head just there, on your sweet slit.” His words came out gravelly, his eyes fastened on where their bodies would join.

Slowly she eased her hand down his length, grasping it tight, and wiggled her body until she sat poised on top of him, his big shaft just at her opening. Heat filled her, flaring from his hot flesh along her pussy, up into her core, contracting her belly and shooting hot lava up her spine to melt her brain, in preview of the climax she knew would make her an addict. Obsessed with Treven’s loving.

“Use your other hand.” He spoke slowly, rumbling like a thunderstorm. “Cup my balls, hold them.”

She obeyed, gently manipulating his hot sack. Holding all his important goodies in her hands gave her a rush of power, a burst of something so sweet, her eyes welled up.

His entire body stiffened. “Now, darlin’. Slide your velvet canal down on me, hard and fast.” He sucked in wild breaths. “Do it, Delta. I need you.”

She cried out at his last words, never thinking anyone would ever say them to her, and dropped her body straight down as she released her hold on him. The lovely stretch, the fullness and ache of desire turned her world foggy and intense, her body hot and tingly.

“Aw, yes.” He breathed the words as her thighs rested flat on him, his cock fully seated inside her. “Now move, take us both there.”

Looking into his eyes, she watched them turn even darker green as she eased her body off his shaft slowly, then dropped back down again. She could do this forever, let him rule her in the bedroom every night.

He groaned and gritted his teeth. Was he close? As close as she was?

They moved in sync, Delta lifting up then dropping as he thrust his hips upward, pushing his cock deep inside her core, the friction adding to the pleasure shooting up her spine and turning her thoughts to the desperation of finding her release.

“I’m close. Treven. So close.”

He moved faster, thrust harder, and groaned as he stiffened.

Her head blacked out as heat melted every synapse, cocooning her in heat and pleasure, spinning her around as darkness overtook her. She felt his lips suckling at her nipple, and another, stronger climax tore through her, burying her deep under waves of pleasure. Floating, she found herself lying flat on top of Treven, their heaving chests pulsing against each other as they caught their breath, found their brain cells, and basked softly in an afterglow like she’d never experienced in her life.

“Wow. Treven.”

Kissing her temple, her forehead, he just groaned.

“How soon can we do that again?” She nipped at the skin of his pecs.

A low rumble came from his chest, a laugh filled with so much sensuality, her core tightened at the sound. “Darlin’, you rest a bit right there, then we’ll see about an encore. Or two.”

“Mmmm. Two, please.” She felt herself drifting, but wanted to stay awake to enjoy every minute of this.

“Wait, say that in a duck voice.” His chest shook as he laughed.

“Oh, no. I don’t know you well enough yet to use that voice during sex.” They both laughed then snuggled quietly, and soon his breath came deep and rhythmic. Smiling, Delta let herself follow him, deep and quiet.

Chapter Five

‡

Treven woke as Delta jumped out of bed and ran to her room. Was that her phone making a noise like squealing tires? He grinned and sat up, sliding his legs over the edge of the bed. Knowing Delta, that’d be her ringtone.

The sun just peeked over the trees. Last night had been amazing. They’d made love and played and talked until they both crashed somewhere around four in the morning.

He used the bathroom then pulled on his stretch pants and wandered down the hall toward her bedroom.

“You’re serious?” Her voice was quiet.

He stopped just past her door, not sure if he should walk in to lend her support.

She was silent for a few minutes, then repeated it. Another bout of silence, and she groaned. “Have you told my uncle yet?”

Another pause.

“This is bullshit.” The sound of her bare feet pacing the floor reached him.

He hated to eavesdrop, but he was worried about her. It was an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a long, long time.

“Yeah, thanks. I will. G’bye.” More pacing. “Steven, I just heard from Kellan. Someone sabotaged my cars. Both of them.”

Treven froze, his heart stopping for a few beats. Sabotaged?

“Yes, that’s right. Trying to kill me.” She let out a fast breath. “Oh God. I’m so confused.” Her voice held the threat of tears. “Who would want me gone?”

“Okay.” She went silent for a time, still pacing. “No one knows I’m here but Kellan.”

Treven would invite her to stay as long as she needed to hide out with him. Should he hire a security company to—

“Yes, I know, Steve. But buying the land is the least of my worries right now.”

Buying the land? What did that mean? Treven moved a step closer to the door.

“Yes, I realize it’s why I’m here, but jeez, did you even hear me? Someone is trying to kill me? How do you expect me to concentrate on land deals when my life is in danger?” Her voice went shrill, then the bathroom door closed, and her loud, echoing words were no longer clear.

But what came through loud and clear was the fact that she was here to buy land.

She was not here for him. The realization thrust a hot poker directly through his heart.

Walking back to his room, he told himself there had to be a good explanation. He closed his door behind him and pressed the remote to shut the shades then lay on his bed. Alone.

Why wouldn’t she tell him she was here to buy land? And what did she need the land for?

A few minutes later, his door opened, lasering light across the bed. Treven closed his eyes, not ready to confront her on this. He didn’t have all the facts.

She silently closed the door and a few minutes later, he heard the distinctive squeak of the barn door opening. She’d gone out to do chores.

Now was the time for him to hear the facts. He sat up and dialed the operator, asking her to connect him with Pennington Racing, Inc. When they answered, Treven had to clear his throat a couple times. “Steven Pennington, please.” The words came out choked. This was not going to be easy.

A half-hour later, Treven stood in the dark kitchen, leaning back against the countertop.

Delta came in and flipped on the light. “Oh.” She jumped a little when she spotted him. A smile broke across her face. So beautiful, so sexy, so deceitful.

“I have something for you to look at.” He ground out the words as he pointed to the island where an eleven-by-seventeen color diagram sat. He’d printed out the picture Steven had sent him, detailing Pennington Racing’s plans for the area. Three more racing ovals spread around a forty-acre area. Hotels, resort cabins, golf courses, water parks, an amusement park, a man-made lake.

The smile left her face at his tone, and her brows dropped.

Yeah, he had to sound like a real ass, and he felt the tightness in his face, but he couldn’t help that. He was pissed.

She stepped to the island and looked at the paper, loudly sucking in a breath. “Treven.” Turning, she stared at him. “I should have told you.”

His hands fisted. “Yes, you should have.” Her uncle had been exceedingly glad to hear from him—once Treven had gotten past the receptionist by stating he was a landowner in Wild Oak, Texas. And Steven Pennington had voiced his pride in his niece, who’d finally convinced someone to sell their land. “Steven says ‘Hi.’ And he thanked me for saving your life.” Which, her uncle had done only as an afterthought.

Grasping the edge of the countertop with both hands, Delta opened her mouth to speak, then shut it with a snap.

“No excuses?” He crossed his arms, not thinking about how much it would hurt his hands. He’d skipped his morning pain meds so he could be clearheaded for this conversation. This confrontation.

Stepping toward him, she held out her hands, palms up. “I didn’t do this…” She glanced around the kitchen. “Didn’t come to the Rusty Horseshoe to convince you to sell your land. I came because I wanted to help you.”

He raised a brow. “But how convenient for you, that you made yourself look like a saint in front of my neighbors and friends, whose land you also want to buy.” He gestured to the printout. “That’s a lot of acreage, and with mine smack in the middle, somehow you had to be sure I’d sell. And girl, you found the perfect way to do it.”

Her eyes went wide and she shook her head. “No.”

Treven didn’t care for the taste in his mouth, the bitterness of what he hated to think—and worse—say out loud. “Had to go all the way and sleep with me to lock it in, right?”

“No.” Moving closer, she set her hand on her chest, over her heart. “Treven, I realize it may look that way. We barely know each other, and we’ve…” She pressed her lips together for a few seconds. “But despite what my uncle said, I was not here to buy land.” Delta flung one hand wildly. “I don’t even agree that we should move ahead with this project. It’s the family’s big plan.”

He waited, but she didn’t say more. Treven took a painful breath. “I think you should go.” The words stung like bees on the way out.

Her shoulders rounded and she walked past him. “I guess I’d better. There’s no way for me to convince you that I’m not that woman. That spoiled rich girl who does what it takes to get what she wants.”

Before he could process that, her bedroom door closed.

“Shit.” He’d expected a fight, a confession, an apology, then, maybe, in his wildest fantasy, she would stay and they would work it out. This, though, was totally out of his capacity to deal with. She’d just given up, walked away. That proved her guilt, right? So why did he feel like the guilty one right now? Just like he had when his wife had left him. Why was he cursed to fall for women who deserted him?

Her door opened and she brushed past, carrying her purse and her duffle bag. “I called Clint and told him I had to leave. He’s going to arrange people to help you.” Yanking open the back door, she stopped and looked his way. “Don’t sell, Treven. Your home is beautiful and if you don’t sell, they won’t be able to get anyone else in town to sell. Fight it.” Her voice broke. “You belong here.”

Treven sucked in a breath as his chest seemed to contract.

She left, quietly closing the door behind her.

Was he crazy for wanting to run after her? Wanting to ask her to come back and talk to him, help him understand why she’d done it? Or had she? Her behavior was unlike any woman he’d met and subsequently broken up with. This was unlike his ex-wife’s desertion, because he’d asked Delta to go.

Her yellow car passed the window on the way down the driveway.

Panic gripped him. Nothing made sense. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her. He didn’t have her phone number, though. Treven looked at his hands. He couldn’t even drive to chase after her. Why had he let her go? And he’d forgotten—someone was out there, wanting to kill her.

He was an ass. A moron. A man not worthy of a woman like Delta. How could he make this right?

*

Four weeks later, Delta cruised the last dozen laps of a Florida race. She’d already been lapped by the lead cars, so no sense risking her life to get a better position. Hell, she didn’t even remember the name of the town, so this race couldn’t be too important, could it?

The last weeks had been torture on her. Walking away from Treven—at his request—had nearly put her into the ditch a mile from his house. The tears had blinded her and made her pull to the side of the road, crying like her world had ended until a passing vehicle stopped next to her.

Such nice people in Wild Oak. They didn’t deserve to have her company buy them out at cut-rate prices just so they could build a racing world resort that would serve only to put millions more into the company’s already overloaded bank accounts.

Delta wanted to do something else with the money. Do something that would make a difference in the world. She had no idea what, but she’d bet any money Treven would. He’d be a great resource for knowing any kind of organization that would help firefighters, fire safety education, maybe in-school classes for older kids who might be interested in becoming firefighters or paramedics.

But he’d never even tried to contact her, and she’d come to the realization that he’d been serious. She laughed a bitter croak. He was one mega-serious man, so when he’d asked her to leave, that was the end. No going back on that one.

Passing her pit area, she saw Kellan’s old whiteboard being held out for her by someone in a white hat. When she got closer, she could see the word.

Sorry.

“Strange. What was that for?”

Since learning that her crash and the brake line failure had been sabotage, Kellan had laid off—with pay—the entire pit crew until the investigation could be completed. He’d hired on people he knew and trusted from the old days. Retirees who’d been so out of practice, there’d been no way she could have possibly placed near the top of the three races she’d run since coming back after her near-deadly crash.

And now they’d gone back to communicating with her on the old white-board signs? Great. Things were just getting weirder and weirder. She’d lost so much of her love of the sport since the fiery spinout in Wild Oak, that nothing shone anymore. Everything seemed dull. Or was it the aftermath of losing Treven?

Coming around the turn again, she spotted the same person holding that goofy sign. This one was different.

Forgive me.

“No.” She craned her neck as she sped past, but at that speed, she couldn’t see a face. When her heart skipped a beat and her lips curved up into a smile all on their own, she knew it was him.

Her cowboy.

Nine laps left. She saw no sign, no man in a white hat for the next few laps, then he was there again, holding out the whiteboard.

I was a real.

She blinked. “A real?”

Then next lap, three letters, written so big, they took up the whole board.

Ass.

Delta laughed and went two laps trying to blink the tears from her eyes. On her last lap, she spotted the man in the white cowboy hat, not holding anything this time, and she pressed the palm of her hand to the net over the window.

He raised his hat and whipped it in a circle above his head.

Glancing heavenward for a second, a chill raced through her. “Thank you.”

The checkered flag marked the end of the race and she cruised into her pit area.

Her team helped her out of the car and she tugged off her helmet and hood. “Where is he?”

Kellen hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “By your trailer.” Her pit chief shook his head and stomped away. “Kids.”

She didn’t care what anyone thought of her or Treven. This was something real for her, something she wanted more than anything, even racing. Delta ran for her man.

There he was, halfway to her little trailer, his hat in his hand. Standing next to…her uncle?

Oh, hell. She slowed and got her heart back into a normal rhythm, strolling up to them. “What’s the story here?”

Treven stared at her as if he couldn’t get enough, a frown on his lips telling her he had some serious talking to do once they were alone.

Her uncle, though, he looked like he’d been invited to his own funeral. In his expensive gray suit, his usually-perfect brown hair blowing in the breeze, he almost looked as if he’d been crying. “Delta, hon, I need to apologize, sincerely, and assure you I knew nothing about this.”

Her gaze flicked between the men’s solemn faces. “Give it to me fast and straight.”

Steven let out a breath. “Your aunt and I are separated. Divorcing.”

Delta frowned. She’d known for a while that they weren’t very happy, but hadn’t realized it had gone this far.

Her uncle rubbed a finger along the bottom of his nose. “She’s been on medication. Strong medication. For a while.”

“Okay.” Delta nodded, not sure why this had to be done in person, and in front of Treven.

Treven turned to her uncle. “You want me to tell her?”

Steven nodded, his face growing red. “Would you?”

What was this? Delta narrowed her eyes.

“Your aunt.” Treven’s fingers worked his hat in a circle in front of his thighs. “She bribed a man on your pit crew.”

Tipping her head, she tried to make sense of the words. Then it hit her. “Hired him to fix the car to…kill me?” Her voice grew shrill. “Steve?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, hon.” Her uncle looked small, defeated, shrunken inside his suit.

Delta had practically grown up with her cousins, in her aunt and uncle’s house. This couldn’t be right. “Why?”

Steve let out a shaky breath. “Like I said, the medications were too strong, they made her a little unstable.”

“A little?” A sudden burst of anger rolled through her, and her stare made her uncle drop his head.

“She thought that by killing you…” Steve met her gaze. “It’d put your half of the company in my hands, and she’d stand to receive more in the divorce.”

Delta’s knees started to shake and her world tilted a little.

Treven stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her back, taking her weight against his warm, hard, amazingly comforting body.

“How did you find out?” The words came out of her like firecrackers going off.

Steve gestured toward Treven. “This guy here had the smarts to get his friend involved. Rex, is it?”

Treven nodded. “Rex Tarrow. He’s an ex-marine, working toward his detective’s badge.”

Delta had overheard part of the guys’ conversation when Rex had been at the Rusty Horseshoe for dinner.

“Together they poked and dug until they got the truth out of everyone.” Steve shrugged. “The private detectives I hired couldn’t find anything. Thank God for these two.”

“But, that must have taken weeks.” She glanced at Treven.

His eyes softened. “I didn’t want to come to you until I had something that would help.”

Steven gave a cough. “You mean, something that would save her life? Again?”

Delta let the warmth seep from Treven deep into her heart. The heart that had been in a state of suspended animation for the last four weeks.

Her uncle turned away. “We’ll talk later, but hon, know that I’m desperately sorry.” He walked away, and she let him go. She needed to hear the whole story, but right now, in Treven’s arms, she wanted to sort things out with him. Desperately.

She’d already convinced their board of directors to put the theme park idea on hold, and was taking a more active role in the company to try to steer its direction away from projects that would displace dozens of hard working people. Like her cowboy.

Glancing up at Treven’s face, she noted his eyebrow and lashes had grown back over the last four weeks. Taking a chance that the time apart had also softened him toward her, she took a chance. “Do you want to come in?” Her words sounded stiff, but if he said no, she’d be crushed. Was he holding her because he cared and wanted to be with her, or was his presence only because he had news about her near-death?

Then she remembered the pit stop signs. “Since you gave me such a unique apology.”

He smiled. “Lead the way.”

They stepped up into her little trailer and she shut the door, sealing them in together, alone.

“Delta.”

She needed to be in his arms, but they had to talk first. “You’re forgiven.” She completely understood his reaction all those weeks ago. “I’d given up hope of seeing you again. And I still can’t believe you’re here.” That night nine days ago, when she’d made herself face the fact that Treven would never contact her? It had been the darkest of her life.

“I realized my mistake as soon as you’d left the ranch. But I didn’t want to come to you unless I had something to offer you.”

Nearly leaping into his arms, Delta flung her arms around his neck. “Just your handsome, brave face is enough for me. Not to mention your perfect gentleman’s personality and your kindness to every living creature.”

Smiling, then frowning, he snorted. “I’m gonna have to work on my image, I guess.”

“Uh uh. Not one bit.” She kissed his perfect lips. “And before you say any more about the investigation, let’s clear one thing up first. We have four weeks apart to make up for.” Wiggling her hips against his fly, she smiled as she felt a solid chubby forming there.

The corner of his mouth jumped. “You sure you don’t want to talk a while?” His hand ran down her back, pressing her tight against him. His eyes darkened, signaling his preference.

“Talking seems like the smart thing to do.”

He nodded, looking less than happy.

Taking his hat from his hand, she set it on the table. Delta needed the healing of being possessed by him completely, and giving him all of her, proving in a sensual way that she’d forgiven him, and he’d forgiven her. “I don’t feel like being smart right now.”

He threw his head back with a laugh and grasped her butt with both hands, lifting her until her feet left the floor. “Delta, darlin’, that should be the tagline for our relationship.”

Hanging onto his shoulders, she kissed him, their tongues teasing, their breaths merging as it panted from their lungs. Treven broke the kiss and peeled off her fire suit, then her long-sleeved fireproof undershirt, and her sports bra, while she unbuttoned his shirt and ripped it open, revealing his perfect chest. Then she remembered. “Your hands.” Grasping his wrists, she looked at them. Red in some spots, scars that were barely noticeable. “They look so good.” She eased his palms up to her bare breasts. “Feel so good.”

He sucked in a breath and palmed her nipples. “They are healed, thanks to you.”

In a burst of speed, he pulled down her fireproof pants and lace undies, and dealt with her boots, as she tore his jeans down, along with his briefs, and yanked off his boots. They stood naked, breathing hard and looking at each other.

“I didn’t dare hope, Delta.” His brow furrowed.

“I still think I’m dreaming.” She went to him and he picked her up, stepped forward, and pressed her against the polished wood wall. With one hand on her bottom, he used his other hand to lift her leg and slid his hand up her thigh to her pussy, which she gladly arched upward for him, hot for him.

Heat spread along her core and her belly contracted. When he brushed her clit, she sighed and shuddered. “Together? Like the first time?”

He bent his head and suckled her breast. “Yes ma’am. Anything you want.” The motion of his tongue on her tight peak shot lovely chills down deep into her belly.

Lifting his head, he frowned. “Shi… Crap. I didn’t bring any protection.” He looked like his world had just collapsed.

“I’m protected. And I trust that you’re as perfect, healthwise, as you are in every other aspect of your life.”

He smirked. “Perfect? Hardly. I let you walk out of my life.”

“Talk later.” She wiggled against his fingers. “Now, sex.”

He chuckled. “Cavewoman. I love it.” Lifting her higher, he positioned himself with his cock just at her opening. Their eyes met for a long moment before he pushed his long, hot shaft deep into her, making everything inside her shift and heat.

“Yes, Treven. I’ve missed this.” She gasped for air as her body burned with desperation. “I’ve missed this. Missed you.” Her head lolled to the side as he withdrew and entered her again, pulsing and thrusting, slow then fast, until his teeth clenched.

Her mind raced in circles as the pleasure in her core escalated to a frenzy. “Yes.” Her shout sent her whirling on a wild ride across a silent universe that had her fingers digging into his shoulders, her body shaking, and her nerve endings buzzing. Fast and frenzied, the climax tore through her soul as she fought to feel every thrust, every movement Treven made inside her.

Shouting her name, his muscles stiffened then shook for a second, his eyes opening to look into hers. “You’re back in my arms.” He continued to thrust inside her as warm wetness flooded in pulses deep in her core.

On a sigh, she whispered, “I’m right here, Treven. Don’t ever let me go.” She meant so much more than just her body. Her heart, her soul, needed to be right here, right now.

“Darlin’.” He breathed fast for a few seconds, his eyes growing serious again. “Bed?”

She looked toward the back of the trailer. “Yes.”

Still inside her, he walked the length of the trailer and eased her onto the bed, sliding his still-hard cock out of her and lying next to her. Touching and kissing, they stayed silent for a few minutes.

“I want to hear all about your investigation.” Delta’s curiosity sobered her out of the lovely afterglow. “But not right now.”

He shook his head. “No, right now, I want to apologize for asking you to go that day.”

“Forgiven.” Staring into his beautiful eyes, she touched his cheek. “And I want to apologize for not telling you, from day one, that my uncle thought I was there to buy land.” She dropped her hand and glanced away. “I’m not one to keep secrets, but I was afraid you’d send me away before I got a chance to help you.”

“Forgiven.” He brushed her hair from her face.

“What now?” How would they make this work?

“Let’s figure that out together, one day at a time.”

She smiled and ran her hand along his big biceps. “Today, we’re here in…” Why couldn’t she remember the name of this place? “Whatever town this is in Florida.”

He laughed. “You don’t even know where you are?”

“Nope.” A burst of sweet emotion raced through her. “But I think I finally know where I belong.”

“I do too, Delta.” He touched one finger to the spot over his heart. “There’s a place for you right here.”

Tears welled in her eyes as her world finally stopped wobbling and spun easily on its axis.

The End

Ready for the second book in the Heroes in the Saddle Series? Rex’s book, Badge and a Saddle, will be released in the spring of 2016 in the Cowboy Justice 12 Pack, along with eleven other books from eleven awesome authors. Connect with me at any of the sites below to be kept informed of new releases. And here’s a sneak peek:

Rex and Mina’s story:

Badge and a Saddle

Chapter One

Rex Tarrow set his badge and gun on the night table next to his bed and sank down on the mattress behind him. Dropping his head, he ran his fingers through his dark hair, which had needed a cut for the last two weeks.

This missing persons case, though. It had consumed him, kept him awake nights, drew his attention away from his other duties during the day. Nothing about it made sense. Doctor Mina Cooper, an astronomer at the U of Texas at Austin. Why would a woman like her, single, young, beautiful, go out on a turkey hunt on a ranch just outside of Dallas/Fort Worth and disappear? And the woman was a friggin’ vegetarian.

The neighbor’s dog barked. After midnight, and the darn animal was outside?

A beam of light flashed through the room. It had to be the neighbor. Was that raccoon back after the garbage cans?

Rex stood, even though every muscle, tendon, and bone in his body told him to lie down and get some sleep. Hell, what would one more night without rest matter? He trudged through the house to the back door as footsteps clomped up the porch steps and the flashlight beam caught Rex in the eyes.

“It’s Jeb from next door.” The man’s gruff voice nearly rattled the pane of glass out of the door.

Shielding his eyes, Rex opened the back door. “What’s going on?” Jeb’s flashlight redirected to a woman’s face, partially shielded by blonde hair and…sunglasses? She held her hands up at her shoulders as if in surrender.

“The lady, here, says you know her.” Jeb shifted his shotgun away from its deadly aim at her back.

Tipping her head up, she stretched to her full height of nearly six feet, just a few inches shorter than Rex.

He snapped on the porch light as she removed her glasses.

“Holy fu…” Rex had to swallow. Twice.

Dr. Mina Cooper stood right in front of him, living, breathing, and lifting an eyebrow at him. “Are you gonna keep a girl standing on the back porch all night?”

Connect With Me

Two of my uncles were firefighters, and one became a paramedic after he broke his hip during a rescue. The hours they spent protecting their communities, the days when their families didn’t have them with them at home, the knowledge that every time that alarm rang, there was a chance they wouldn’t make it back to the station. We owe these men and women a resounding shout of thanks for risking their lives for us.

I’d love to hear from you. I’ve listed all the places I hang out, and I hope you’ll connect with me at one or more of them.

All my best,

Randi

“Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied”

RandiAlexander.com

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About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Randi Alexander knows a modern woman dreams of an alpha cowboy who takes the reins, and guarantees they’re rode hard and put up satisfied.

Published with Cleis Press, Wild Rose Press, and self-published, Randi writes smokin’ hot romance with heroes who’ll have you begging to ride off into the sunset with them. When she’s not dreaming of, or writing about, rugged cowboys, Randi is biking trails along remote rivers, snorkeling the Gulf of Mexico, or practicing her drumming in hopes of someday forming a tropical rock-band.

Forever an adventurous spirit with a naughty imagination, Randi is also family oriented and married to the best guy in the world, her own cowboy, Kick. Give in to the allure of erotic passion, strong but vulnerable heroines, and irresistibly seductive cowboys, as Randi’s emotional love stories sweep you off your feet and leave you breathless with passion.

Saddle up! And prepare yourself for the sexier side of happily ever after.

Other Books by Randi Alexander

The Sons of Dusty Walker: Jackson – When rodeo bronc rider Jackson Walker’s father passes away, he’s shocked to find he’s not the only son of Dusty Walker. His dad had three other families at compass points around the country. When a stipulation in Dusty’s will requires him to live in his dad’s house and work at his company for one week, Jackson heads to Red Creek, Kansas to get it over with, so he can get the hell back to his regularly scheduled life.

Computer engineer Rori Hughes needs to solidify her position in Dusty’s company, but the only one of his four sons available is Jackson, and Rori has a mighty low opinion of rodeo cowboys. Finding inconsistencies in the computer files, Rori and Jackson work together to solve the mystery, but their constant contact fires a red-hot desire that burns wild between them.

Spending their days at Dusty’s opulent lakeside home, and their nights together making love, they both ignore the warning signs that point to their attraction becoming more than merely sexual. Jackson’s time in Red Creek is coming to an end, but can he follow his original plan and leave town, breaking away from smart, beautiful, sexy Rori?

Legend Awakening Book 1 of the Diaries of a Casanova Series – The series addresses the controversial and often taboo art of The Ultimate Female Orgasm. The books are based on true-life events and real life experiences of co-author, Leo J. Canyon, pen name for a country music artist who has been seen by millions. “Leo” has opened his secret vault, telling his story in this truthful adventure that unfolds through fiction. The series of three books combines a traditional romance with a supernatural twist, and sexual passion so strong it smolders off the page. This mysterious subject begs to be explored, opening discussions for women worldwide. Join us as we take this erotic storytelling journey together. It’s fiction based on truth, guaranteed to get a little rain on you.

When small-town, Southern boy Liam Jackson learns he’s able to evoke The Ultimate Female Orgasm, he’s unprepared for the side effects. With each one he brings forth, he inherits the woman’s sexual uncertainty and frustrations. This frees the woman to love whomever she chooses, but binds Liam’s soul more and more with each encounter, lessening his ability to find love.

Inspired by the rumor of a legendary ritual known as “The Rain Ceremony,” Liam questions whether this ability may be his hereditary legacy. In a reckless search for answers, he creates havoc with the people he cares about most. Reaching the lowest point of his life, he is faced with a pivotal decision: will Liam seek the future his family wants for him, or continue his search for the truth?

As the legend awakens, Liam can no longer ignore the mysterious powers at work within him.

All Hat No Cattle Book 1 of the All Cowboy Series – Award Winning Novella It’s Independence Day, and Harper Johansen is at the rodeo in South Dakota on business. While she’s deep in cowboy territory, she’s hoping to meet a real cowboy—one who shares her dreams for the future. Shaw Donahue, tall and sexy in his cowboy hat, jeans, and boots, could be that man, and Harper quickly falls for his seductive charm. Until he tells her he’s a roughneck.

Shaw can’t believe his luck. Harper is an accomplished, intelligent businesswoman, and she’s beautiful, sexy, and willing. Until she learns he’s working in the local oil field. Before he can explain the reason he’s roughnecking, she pushes him away, telling him they can only be friends. He doesn’t fit into her plans. With four days of rodeo ahead of them, can Shaw convince Harper to value a man for more than his cattle?

All Flash No Cash Book 2 of the All Cowboy Series – When bar owner CJ Overton hires Pete Gonally to paint a motorcycle for a charity giveaway, she expects him to do it her way. After all, he’s a small-time rancher, and graphic arts is just his hobby. But Pete comes back with his own ideas, and sparks fly as tension builds between them. The only way to relieve the pressure is one hot night in her bed. Just one. But Pete wants more.

Pete lets CJ think he’s just a farm boy, but working on the oil field for years, he’s accumulated a small fortune. CJ’s dream future includes selling the bar, leaving Deadwood, and traveling the world. Attaching herself to a hayseed like Pete would only ruin her chances. How can Pete convince CJ that falling for a “dirt-poor farmer” will make her happier than anything she’d ever find outside of her small town of Deadwood, South Dakota?

All Smoke No Fire Book 3 of the All Cowboy Series – Dax Marshall is surprised when country music singer Marilou Roselle calls him out on stage to perform the song he hoped to sell her. But he’s downright shocked when she invites him to ride with her to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras performance. He makes the uncharacteristic choice to take time off from his job on the oil field, and head south with her. But somewhere between South Dakota and Louisiana, he falls for the intelligent, motivated, sensual woman.

Marilou sees great potential in Dax, with his deep, seductive voice and strong, sexy body, but she knows he’ll always stay behind the scenes as a songwriter if she doesn’t nudge him toward a singing career. The attraction between them grows hotter than a Bourbon Street bar on Mardi Gras Day and they give in to their wild desire. But Dax learns he’s not Marilou’s first “project” and heads home, confused and heartbroken. Can she convince him that their bond isn’t like those other times, that what she feels for him is real? Or is what they have all smoke and no fire?

Double Her Fantasy Book 1 of the Double Seduction Series – At a comic book convention, artist Megan Shore is amazed to find action movie hunk Garret McGatlin sharing the same elevator. Usually reclusive, she jumps on the rare opportunity and flirts shamelessly with the man who has starred in more than one of her sexy fantasies. He responds strong and seductive, and she agrees to meet him for a drink—in his suite. When she arrives, it’s his rancher brother, Trey, who opens the door and unleashes Megan’s cowboy fantasy. Both men pour on the charm, and she’s uncertain which of them she desires more.

The McGatlin brothers have shared many women, but Megan is an irresistible combination of brains, beauty, humor, and sensuality. They want her, need both of their cocks sliding deep inside her. Working together, they execute a potent seduction. When one hot night turns into an amazing week, the three-way relationship becomes emotionally charged. But some bad publicity sends a terrified Megan running, and Garret and Trey have to devise a way to make the headlines disappear. Can they pull off the impossible, or will they lose Megan forever?

Double Her Pleasure Book 2 of the Double Seduction Series – Megan Shore had spent a fantasy week in Chicago with two of the sexiest men she’d ever met. Now she’s a guest on their ranch, and the McGatlin brothers, Trey and Garret, are heating up their ménage under the bright Texas sun. But when strange messages and mysterious gifts begin appearing, Megan fears the threat from her past has followed her from Canada.

Trey and Garret McGatlin decided they wanted Megan for more than just that mind-blowing week in Chicago. Now that she’s with them on the Silver Spur, they’re thinking long-term. But she’s spooked by a past that won’t leave her alone and by people’s questions about their relationship. Will Megan bolt for home, or can they assure her she’s safe as well as desired in their bed?

Double Her Temptation Book 3 of the Double Seduction Series – Visiting the Silver Spur ranch in western Texas, Megan Shore loves being the center of sexy Trey and Garret McGatlin’s sensual attentions. The more the brothers get to know the woman they’d met and seduced during one memorable weekend in Chicago, the more they can see her fitting into their lives long-term. But when a stalker from Megan’s past finds her, she’s tempted to run back to the polar north to hide.

As the threat escalates, Garret and Trey call on their family to help find the man intent on kidnapping Megan. When Megan’s parents start encouraging her to leave the ranch and return north with them, the McGatlin brothers need to prove that the best place for their woman is tucked tightly between their hard bodies, held safely in their arms.

Double Her Destiny Book 4 of the Double Seduction Series – In the final installment of the Double Seduction Series, Megan Shore marries her two men, Trey and Garret McGatlin. The secluded, romantic ceremony binds them together, but an unexpected and unwanted visitor brings with him ammunition to destroy their future together. When yet another shock threatens to change their world at the very same time, is their love strong enough to hold the three of them together forever and let them secure their destinies as a family? Or will it all fall apart for Megan, Garret, and Trey?

Chase and Seduction Book 1 of the Hot Country Series – Country music superstar/actor Chase Tanner has yet to be denied anything—and he’s never wanted anything or anyone more than gorgeous screenplay writer Reno Linden. So when the film they are working on is finally finished, Chase decides to turn up the volume on seducing Reno.

Reno Linden lived a quiet, rural life until she was thrust into the Hollywood scene when her book was adapted to film. Chase Tanner is larger than life, sinfully sexy and hell-bent on getting her into bed. Skittish after a failed wedding engagement, Reno risks the plunge into Chase’s arms, and is surprised that her good girl self can keep up with bad boy Chase.

Though Chase returns to his cowboy roots often, and Reno cherishes the time spent with him on his ranch, the two find their careers pulling them in different directions. Will their attraction survive the glitz and stress of fame?

Heart of Steele Book 2 of the Hot Country Series – Actress Tracy Hartman can’t believe she just punched country music superstar Steele McLairn in the mouth. And of course, somebody recorded it! Now, the thing has gone viral and to avoid their being harassed by the tabloids, Steele convinces Tracy to head out of LA with him. In a cozy, remote spot, they find the desire they’ve been feeling for each other has grown into full-blown lust.

Steele can’t believe his luck. Alone with Tracy, and all it took was a punch to the mouth. She’s funny, sweet, sexy, and ready to experience every wild thing Steele hungers to do with her. But their time together is cut short, and hidden family issues threaten the trust they’ve built. Can they find the courage to confide in each other, or will their secrets force them apart?

Rough Ryder Book 3 of the Hot Country Series – When a hot little strawberry blonde from the audience interrupts country music superstar Ryder Landry’s concert and accuses him of stealing a song, he thinks she’s just another fan, using an innovative method to get his attention. Backstage, she doesn’t want anything to do with Ryder’s seduction—not right away, anyway.

Brooke Davidson barely has the willpower to put a stop to Ryder’s foreplay, but she’s there on business. Illegal business, because he’s taking credit for a song she’d written. When they determine it had been stolen by a third party, they set out to find the man, ending up together in intimate, sexy, tantalizing situations.

Ryder normally keeps his public and private lives separate, especially now, with all the secret family matters he’s working through. His rule has always been to never spend more than one weekend with a woman, but Brooke has him wondering if his rule needs to be changed. She’s quirky, uninhibited, and intensely sensual, but a new revelation about the stolen song has him doubting her and his feelings for her. Will he be able to get past his uncertainties, or will Brooke’s jealousy and distrust keep them from exploring the irresistible connection between them?

Cowboy Jackpot: Christmas – Award Winning Novella A lucky first kiss in front of a Las Vegas slot machine pays off big for bull rider Boone Hancock and New York college student Gigi Colberg-Staub. As they celebrate their win, an intense attraction develops, and they spend a hot, sensual night in each other’s arms. When Boone inadvertently reveals his true objective, Gigi walks out of his life. Boone quickly recognizes his mistake and acknowledges his deep feelings for her. He’s willing to take a chance on love, but is it too late to win her back?

Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine’s Day – A fortuitous spin of a Las Vegas roulette wheel links New York accountant Kira Morrow and rodeo bareback rider Dallas Burns. The heat that has flared between them since their first meeting threatens to burn out of control as they share sinful nights and hot days. As their mutual distrust resurfaces, the flames quickly die. Only when Kira walks out of his life forever does Dallas realize he needs to stop letting past hurts prevent him from opening his heart to love. Is it too late to repair the damage he’s done and reclaim the heart of the woman he’s fallen for?

Cowboy Jackpot: St. Patrick’s Day – Stormie Thompson has only one reason for being in Las Vegas; to seduce rodeo bronc rider Jayden Hancock. Thinking she’s the reason for all his bad luck, Jayden wants only to avoid her. But when a lucky mistake at a video poker machine makes them both big winners, Jayden realizes Stormie may be the best thing that’s ever happened to him, especially when he gives in to her seduction. When she finds evidence that Jayden is interested in what she has instead of who she is, can he convince Stormie to ignore her suspicions and trust her heart?

Redneck Romeo: Red Hot Valentine – When Genevieve Riley sneaks onto the O’Bannon Ranch to return a stolen heirloom, the boy she’d fallen in love with as a teenager, Nick O’Bannon, catches her before she can slip away. The problem is, he’s now a big, rugged cowboy, and those feelings from a decade ago resurface. She can’t concentrate on anything but picking up where they left off.

Nick can’t believe what his dogs cornered. Beautiful ‘Jellybean’ Riley, all grown up and sexier than sin. He never knew what tore her from his life when they were teens, just as their relationship was starting. With the heat radiating between them, he knows he can seduce her, but can he make her stay this time?

Her Cowboy Stud – Trace McGonagall’s quiet life on his Houston stud ranch is shaken up when gorgeous Macy Veralta arrives to claim an inheritance left to her in his uncle’s will. Trace sees her as just another gold digger, but he also can’t resist her curvy body. When she hints at being the perfect submissive to his Dom, he has to have her.

Macy wouldn’t have been three months late to claim her inheritance if she’d known Trace was sin in jeans. The cowboy’s dominant bearing and the smoldering glint in his eyes send shivers to her toes and stirs images of being bound in his bed and disciplined at his hand. But could Trace’s perfect seduction be part of his plan to reclaim her inheritance?

Turn Up the Heat – During the filming of the reality show America’s Newest Chef, finalist Mackenzie Jarvis falls desperately in lust with actress Gina Volto. Mackenzie’s never been with a woman, and her strict Wyoming upbringing has her questioning whether she can loosen up enough to live out her fantasy.

When Gina shows Mackenzie how sensual their nights could be, Mackenzie ignores her doubts for one wild weekend. Monday morning, she returns home to her ranch, her horses, and her busy career as the owner and chef of a restaurant. But a week later Gina shows up at Mackenzie’s home. She’s come to Wyoming-for Mackenzie.

Gina teaches Mackenzie the sweet pleasures of loving a woman, the naughty sting of a whip, and the seductive submission of bondage. But Gina admits she wants more than just a few days. Can conservative, family-valued Mackenzie ignore the plans she’s made for her life, and find her future in the tender arms of a woman?

Cowboy Bad Boys – Randi Alexander has created ten male/ female (M/F) erotic romances starring sexy cowboys and the ladies in their lives. Each story combines the heart-pounding heat you expect from Randi, as well as the touching romance she does so well. Randi’s stories take you from an early summer High Country Ride in the Rockies, to a dangerous buck off a rodeo bull with a Hard Headed Cowboy.

Body Heat – When a rancher and his gorgeous passenger are buried in his truck under an avalanche, they discover a sensual way to keep warm.

Breakfast in Bed – A ranch foreman devises a plan to keep his woman from bolting out of his bed every time they’re through making love.

Hard Headed Cowboy – When a rodeo bull rider needs a lift, his sexy equipment sponsor makes him a proposition.

High Country Ride – Fulfilling her father’s last wishes, a city girl hires a hot cowboy to guide her into the Rockies.

Kill Me or Kiss Me – With her life in danger, an exotic dancer has to trust a sexy cattle rustler to keep her alive.

No Way Out – The town sheriff and the beautiful bank president he’s been lusting after are cornered by a killer.

Private Lessons – When her girlfriends buy her a mechanical bull lesson with a real bull rider, a college girl gets a sensual ride from her high school crush.

Stubborn Redhead – The rancher’s woman left him because of rumors of his cheating, but what will it take to make her believe his innocence?

Takin’ a Chance – A barrel racer has one last opportunity to seduce the sexy rodeo bullfighter she’s fallen for.

Where We Left Off – In desperate need of help, a country veterinarian contacts the man she’d loved but booted out of her life years ago.

Skin Deep (short story in the Cowboy Heat Anthology) – A pretty city girl and a scarred country cowboy discover love waits when you’re ready to look beneath the surface.

Layne Starwood drives all the way from Denver to a barely-there town in rural Colorado to drink away her self-pity in a watering hole aptly-named The Wrong Turn Bar. Taking a seat near one of the three customers, she orders a beer and begins her mission. Starting up a conversation with the quiet cowboy hiding in the shadow of his Stetson, she unburdens her sad story on him then is shocked to learn of his tragic history.

The scar on Kyle’s face mirrors the ache in his heart, and after a long evening of talking, Layne realizes the man is as modest and kind as he is funny. She lets herself indulge in a touch, a kiss, and a wild, hot hour in his arms. Can she convince him to spend the rest of the weekend with her, or are his scars too deep for her to try to heal?

Banging the Cowboy (short story in the Cowboy Lust anthology) – Every Saturday for a year, Annie Paris has lusted after Rafe McCord from behind her drumset on stage at the honky tonk. The Big Cowboy, they call him, and rumors say he likes it rough in the bedroom. The thought of banging him makes Annie’s pussy tingle and cream.

But Rafe is a one-night-stand kind of guy, and Annie couldn’t handle seeing him every Saturday, knowing she’d already had her one night with him. That there’d be no more.

Tonight, something’s different. Rafe doesn’t leave with a woman. And he’s been staring at Annie since he came in the door. At closing time, he sets his longneck on the bar, and swaggers toward her, his gaze locked on hers, his smile pure sexual invitation. Annie’s slit contracts and her nipples harden. Oh God, if he asks her to his house for a rough ride on his big, hard cock, where would she find the strength to say “no”?.

FREE READ A Gentleman and a Cowboy – Storeowner Laci Monson can’t see that Finn Halliday is just the genuine cowboy she’s been looking for until he resorts to using borrowed duds to capture her attention. When things go wrong, will she be able to see the real man behind the clothes?

Come Hell or High Water

Sabrina York

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Text Copyright Sabrina York © 2015

All Rights Reserved

Edited by: Carrie Jackson

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to Pam Binder and Lisa Fox for being such awesome friends…and letting me borrow their names.

Come Hell or High Water

By Sabrina York

Back in her hometown on the heels of a nasty divorce, Lisa Binder is looking for a quiet place to curl up and lick her wounds. The last thing she wants is a man—she’s been hurt too many times by the faithless breed. But then Cade Silver steps through the flames, into her life and into her bed, and she begins to question her resolve to spend the rest of her life as a single cat lady. The tall, handsome cowboy/fireman—an Eagle Scout and military vet—seems to be the kind of man she’s always craved, and he seems to be fascinated with her as well. But can she trust him not to break her heart?

Cade has been a little in love with Lisa since high school, but when she started dating his much more charming and handsome brother, he was devastated. He left town and joined the Marines to avoid the torment of seeing the two of them together. Now, years later, he’s traveled the globe, survived multiple disasters and experienced loss. He is a man who knows what he wants and is willing to fight for it. And he wants Lisa. Now that life has given him a second chance to win her heart, he’s determined to prove to her he can be the hero she desires…come hell or high water.

Chapter One

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It was a good goddamn thing he’d put the truck in park and set the brake before he saw her, or else he might have gunned the engine and slammed through the plate-glass window of Sweet Sally’s Five and Dime.

Of all the people in the world, Lisa Binder was the last one Cade Silver expected, hoped, wanted to see strolling down the main street of Snake Gully.

Because hell, he’d thought he’d forgotten her. Wiped every vestige of her from his mind.

Apparently he hadn’t.

He tightened his hold on the steering wheel and tried to calm his pattering heart. He was a grown man. A veteran of brutal tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Something of a badass in his own mind. His heart should, of all things, not fucking patter.

He didn’t like it. Didn’t like it at all. It made him feel the way he’d felt in high school, when he’d been that gawky, awkward, stuttering kid with a paralyzing crush on the prettiest girl in school—the girl who was dating his brother.

He wasn’t that kid anymore.

He was an experienced man of the world.

He was.

But an experienced man of the world wouldn’t have ducked down beneath the dash when she passed—to avoid catching her attention. Wouldn’t have pretended there was something fascinating in the footwell on the passenger side. Wouldn’t have peeped up to make sure the coast was clear. Wouldn’t have gusted a sigh of relief—or regret—that it was.

Because damn.

She was gone. Again.

It had taken only a glimpse to tip his world on its end. It wasn’t fair that a mere glance at her could do this to him. Not now. Not after all these years.

The last time he’d seen her had been at the spring dance his senior year, before he’d enlisted. She’d been in his brother’s arms, gazing up at Cody with an adoring expression as they twirled through the shimmering lights showering the auditorium. The sight had been too painful to bear.

He’d had to turn away.

He’d had to leave.

Oh, he got why he couldn’t have her. He got why she would pick his brother over him—what girl wouldn’t? But he hadn’t needed to stay. He hadn’t wanted to see it.

And so he hadn’t.

He’d turned around and kept on going. He’d enlisted in the marines and hadn’t come back to Snake Gully for years. Even though she and Cody broke up that long-ago summer. Even though she’d moved away.

Now he was back.

And so, apparently, was she.

And damn, but she was still as beautiful. Her skin as clear. Her features as exquisite. She was slimmer than she’d been in high school, but her curves still packed a punch. Her hair was a rumpled welter of curls that tempted a man to sink his fingers in and hold her still for a kiss. And her lips… Ah, there was that. Perfectly formed in a seductive moue with a tantalizing Cupid’s bow arch.

It hardly mattered, he reminded himself as he grabbed his jacket and levered out of the truck. Even though he wasn’t the stupid dork he’d been all those years ago, he still wasn’t the man for her and he never would be.

Lisa was married now. It behooved him to remember that. He’d been deployed when he learned of her marriage to Guy Christie, some hotshot Dallas lawyer. The news had ravaged him.

She lived the high life, jet-setting around the world and doing charity events that occasionally made the news—even out here in the boonies. And Cade was a wounded vet who co-owned a struggling ranch on the outskirts of the Podunkiest town in Texas. They didn’t even live in the same universe anymore. He kind of doubted they ever had.

But at least she hadn’t married Cody.

That would have fucking killed him.

Not just because Cody always seemed to have everything come to him so easily, or because he was able to turn every woman’s head. Or because he was by far the better looking of the two of them.

If Lisa had married his brother, Cade wouldn’t have ever come home. It would have been too hard to see the two of them together. Like that.

Thrusting all thoughts of Lisa from his mind, he pushed through the door of the Five and Dime to the familiar tinkle of the bell and waved at Sweet Sally, who was helping Mabel Ostrom pick out a hemorrhoid cream. The conversation between the two elderly women made him shudder, but that was the beauty of living in a small town, he supposed. Everyone knew, with no doubts whatsoever, exactly who had hemorrhoids.

“How you doing, Cade?” Little Willie asked as Cade passed the counter. Little Willie wasn’t little, but he had been once. In a town like Snake Gully, it was hard to shake off the past. Prickly things like nicknames tended to cling.

“Doing fine, Willie,” he called as he headed for the chips and dip; it was his turn to provide the snacks for the quarterly training of the volunteer fire department. For the first time in months, he had a weekend off and he was looking forward to hanging out with his buddies at the firehouse. While he split his time between the ranch and his volunteer firefighting, he knew which one he enjoyed more. Especially now that the Double S had turned into such a zoo. He collected what he needed and headed back to the counter.

“How’s business at the ranch?”

God. Cade hated the lurid warble in Willie’s voice. It hadn’t been his idea to turn their father’s dream into a part-time strip club. His brother Cody had been the genius behind the venture of bussing in strippers and horny housewives on the weekends. To Cody’s credit, those parties had saved the ranch. Tattered their reputation in a conservative town, but saved the ranch.

“Things are great, Willie,” Cade said as he dropped his items on the counter.

“I’ll bet they are.” Big, bushy brows waggled. He leaned in, so Sally couldn’t hear him hiss, “I bet you get laid all the time, all those wild city girls crawling all over the place.”

Cade didn’t have the heart to tell him their customers weren’t only from Dallas. More than one local girl had come to visit the Stud Ranch—but he would never reveal their names. They’d all sworn him to secrecy. And in his mind, customers were customers. They certainly weren’t there to tangle with him, not when they could rub up against a handsome, muscled dancer…who didn’t have any visible scars. But Willie was looking at him hopefully, so he forced a smile and said, “How much do I owe you?”

Judging from his expression, Willie took the evasion as a confession and chuckled as he rang up and bagged the items. Which was just fine. No one needed to know the truth about Cade’s love life.

Hell, even Cade didn’t want to think about it.

It felt like escape as he stepped out onto the street. He stowed the snacks in his truck and headed for Bubba’s Bar and Grill, where he was meeting his friend, Ford, for a drink before joining the guys at the station.

As he stepped into the B&G, it took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dimness. It was only Friday afternoon, but the bar side of the establishment was already humming. Several of the tables were full and most of the stools. A couple of games were underway at the billiards tables in the back. Almost all the patrons wore worn Stetsons and dusty boots. Many of them lifted a hand in greeting.

Everyone knew your name in Snake Gully. Of course, they knew your history too. And your shoe size. And probably which magazines you subscribed to. But after years away, living his life in military anonymity, nothing more than another pair of boots on the ground, Cade found he really enjoyed the sense of community, connectedness.

He spotted Ford at a table in the back and winced.

Damn. Cody was with him.

Normally, that wouldn’t faze him. Cade and his brother got along…most of the time—they damn well better, since they shared a house. But today, after seeing Lisa, he was a little raw. He thought about slinking away and going straight to the firehouse but Cody saw him and waved.

Too late.

Cade set his teeth, fixed a smile on his face and headed over.

Ford and their buddy Wayne were engaged in an animated discussion about the pros and cons of a new baler but greeted him with nods. As he took his seat, Cody nudged him with an elbow. “Hey, we’re hosting a poker game tonight. Our place.”

Cade poured himself a beer from the pitcher. “Ah… I’m not coming home tonight.”

“What do you mean? Don’t you want to play poker with us?” Cody said.

Cade ignored his brother’s frown and lifted his beer to his lips. “Not tonight,” he said. “I got plans.”

The chatter at the table descended into silence. The crack of balls from the pool tables twined with the Blake Shelton twang on the jukebox.

Cade realized they were all gaping at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He let them gape.

Cody was the first to break. His brother leaned forward and pinned Cade with what was probably supposed to be a glower. “What do you mean, you have plans? You don’t have a date, do you?” There was no call for Cody to ask in that tone. As though it would be inconceivable for Cade to have a date. Even though it probably was. He didn’t have much of a social life. But then, he never had.

There was hardly a point. Cody dated enough for both of them. Aside from which, after a woman got a gander at his brother’s movie star good looks, well, Cade faded into the background. Always had. Always would. And the scars on his face from an unfortunate run-in with an IED didn’t help. It didn’t matter that they’d faded; Cade was still very aware of them.

“Do you? Do you have a date?” Wayne waggled his brows.

“No.” The word hardly burned at all. Cade shot a look around Bubba’s Bar and Grill, but only because he didn’t feel like meeting their eyes. “I’ve got training tomorrow. Going to hit the hay early.” He glanced at his brother. “Staying the night at the station.”

“Shoot.” Cody rolled his beer between his palms. “I was kind of hoping you could be my designated driver.”

“Not tonight.”

“What’s the point of having a brother who’s a freaking Eagle Scout if he won’t be your designated driver?”

Ford rolled his eyes. “Are you going to start whining about that again? You could have made rank too if you’d been more dedicated.”

Cody grimaced. “You sound like my dad.”

“You were only a couple badges away.”

“Maybe I didn’t want to be an Eagle Scout.” He waved at Cade in what could be interpreted as a dismissive manner. “Maybe I didn’t want to be a war hero.”

“I’m not a hero…” No such thing anymore.

“Maybe I didn’t want to be Mr. Perfect.”

Hardly perfect. And if Cade was all those things—except perfect—it was for one reason and one reason only. He’d always had to try harder, strive more diligently, struggle, to measure up to Cody.

His brother put out a lip. “This is the first weekend in months we haven’t had a party at the ranch. I was looking forward to a friendly poker game.”

Ford snorted.

Cody glared at him. “What was that for?”

“The games are hardly friendly.”

“They are too.”

Wayne snorted as well. It was an epidemic. “You always win.”

Cody showed his perfect pearly teeth. “What’s wrong with that?”

And yes, more snorts.

“No one wants to play with someone who always, mysteriously, wins.”

The conversation played on, the guys ribbing Cody relentlessly, and as enjoyable as that might have been, Cade’s thoughts drifted off, to other things.

Lisa, specifically.

He wondered what she was doing here, how long she’d stay, and if he might have the opportunity to see her again. And if he did, what would he say? He’d been a tall, skinny dweeb in high school, too intimidated to talk to her, but he wasn’t that shy kid now. Now he could talk to her.

He vowed if he did have the chance, he would.

He almost believed it.

Chapter Two

‡

Some things never changed.

One of those things, apparently, was Snake Gully.

Lisa Binder stared down the short strip of road that was the glorious downtown. The Five and Dime. The pizza joint. Bubba’s Bar and Grill.

When she’d been a kid, growing up on these dusty streets, she’d been filled with hopes and dreams of what life could be like. She’d been convinced everything would turn out just peachy.

But it hadn’t. Had it?

She wasn’t sure why—when faced with the implosion of the life she’d built—she’d chosen to come back here, of all places. Probably because this was the one place she’d been happy. Somewhere in the deep well of her soul, she imagined she might be happy once again.

It was probably foolish of her to yearn for some imaginary world, a world where life was simple and sweet. Where men were strong and devoted and could be trusted. A world where a dad didn’t come home smelling of some other woman’s perfume and break a mom’s heart. Where family meant something. Where divorce didn’t shatter a woman’s dreams.

Snake Gully seemed like it could be a part of that world, with the whitewashed church and the clean streets. Trimmed yards speckled with perky flowers. Small towns were archetypes of clean ethics. Morals. Standards.

Of happy-ever-afters.

But that was an illusion, wasn’t it?

There was no such thing as a happy-ever-after, not when you counted on someone else to provide it for you.

And really, that was why she was here. To forge her own life. To make her own happy ending. To take charge of the reins. To captain her own destiny.

She was done with giving someone else control—giving Guy control. Done with allowing him the power to hurt her, again and again.

She was done with men.

And who could blame her? She’d awakened one day to the horrifying realization that she was turning into her mother.

Her mother had always attracted faithless men—an endless stream of them, starting with Lisa’s father. Each one of her relationships had ended with a cheating man and a broken marriage. And now, the pattern was repeating itself with Lisa. But hell, now that she thought about it, it went back much further than this debacle with Guy. She’d caught her very first boyfriend kissing another girl behind the bleachers. She should have known then.

Maybe all men were faithless philanderers.

Or maybe she had a genetic tic that drew them to her like filings to a magnet.

Regardless. Whatever.

She was done with men. Or relationships at the very least. She was hardly a nun. If she happened to come upon a man who caught her fancy, she might play with him. But playtime only. Nothing more. She couldn’t risk hoping for anything as stupid as forever, because she knew how that would turn out.

She’d settle here in this façade of a perfect town, open her pastry shop and become a spinster cat lady.

She liked cats. Didn’t she?

At any rate, she would be happy, because she decided she would.

“Excuse me?” A lilting voice startled Lisa from her dark reflections. She turned to find a perky blonde gazing at her. Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Lisa Binder. It is you! I thought so. I’m Claire Silver. Do you remember me?”

Lisa gaped. Remember her? Of course she did. They’d been best friends for years, although things had gotten weird when she’d started dating Claire’s brother…and then broken up with him. “Claire!” She pulled her friend into a hug. And how wonderful, how welcoming it was to see a familiar face.

“It’s great to see you,” Claire said and then she urged her companion, a petite brunette with elfin features, forward. “Do you know Porsche McCoy?”

She kind of remembered the younger girl. Vaguely. “Isn’t Ford your brother?” Him, she remembered from high school. Who wouldn’t? He’d been one of the star players on the football team.

Porsche grinned. “Yep.”

“Wow. And how is he?”

The grin widened. “He’s getting married.”

“How wonderful.” A lie. In her experience marriages were precursors to disaster, but she kept her opinions to herself.

“So, what are you doing in town?” Claire asked.

“Ah, my grandmother died.”

Claire’s face fell. “Right. I forgot. I’m sorry. I liked her.”

She had been wonderful. Lisa’s rock. “She left me her house. I…I’m thinking about moving here.” A shiver walked through her as she said the words aloud for the first time. A certain…rightness settled in her soul.

“Oh my God, that would be wonderful.”

“The house needs a lot of work, though, so I’m staying at the motel.”

Claire wrinkled her nose. “That dive? You should come stay at the ranch.”

Lisa’s stomach dropped. Stay at the Double S? See Cody every day? No, thank you. “That’s so sweet, but I think I’d like to be closer to town. If I decide to stay, I’ll have a lot of work to do setting up my business.”

“What kind of business?” Porsche asked.

“A bakery.” It was her passion. Guy had called it a waste of time.

Claire’s eyes brightened. “This town needs a bakery. I do hope you decide to stay.”

With this welcome, it was tempting.

Claire hooked her arm in Lisa’s and tugged her along the street. “We’re going for dinner at the B&G. Would you join us?” As though she was giving Lisa a choice. But then, knowing Claire, she rarely did.

“I’d love that.”

And the funny thing was, it was true.

The B&G was just as she remembered it. Bar on one side, restaurant on the other. The fragrant, familiar odor of food frying in a basket. Amazing burgers that made her tongue weep.

Lisa had a wonderful chat with Claire and Porsche while they ate a decadent meal containing more calories than she would normally eat in a week. It was great fun reminiscing and catching up with the characters in town. She was surprised at how much she laughed.

The tales of what had become of the Double S were particularly hysterical. Claire’s brothers had turned it into a strip ranch and some of the stories she told had Lisa holding her sides.

Halfway through the meal, she excused herself to visit the ladies’ room, which was in the back on the bar side. Unlike the brightly lit restaurant, the bar was murky and dim and smelled of hops. It was full of men in cowboy hats and faded chambray. Country music wailed from the jukebox. It was so cliché, it put a smile on her lips.

But then she caught sight of a familiar face, and her smile froze.

She ducked her head and hurried into the room marked Cowgirls. Damn. Why did Cody have to be here?

Though any tender feelings she’d once had for him were dead and gone, the mortification of seeing the boy she thought she loved dry humping another girl behind the bleachers was still sharp. Of course, it was probably magnified by the fact that, not too long ago, she’d caught her husband doing the same. Though that humping had been far more graphic. Bare asses and elbows.

On her bed.

On sheets she’d bought.

It still galled her, but at least the divorce was finalized. She could let it go. Let it all go. Regardless, she didn’t want to face Cody. Not yet. She would eventually, if she decided to stay. It was a small town, after all. But please, God, not on her first day.

When she headed through the narrow hall back to the restaurant, she kept her head down—and her thoughts were preoccupied—so she didn’t see it coming. She slammed into something hard and warm and solid.

Her chin jerked up, her eyes widened and she found herself staring into the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. They were a deep blue with a dark ring around the irises, and fringed with sandy lashes.

They stunned her.

He stunned her, and it wasn’t just the impact.

His face was striking, a hard, chiseled countenance. High cheekbones, arched brows and full, lush lips. The scar on his left cheek only underscored his raw beauty. His hair was a tumble of sandy curls beneath his cowboy hat. His neck was thick and muscled, and his shoulders were broad. And his chest…glory be, it was hard.

And oh.

She gulped.

That wasn’t the only thing that was hard.

A bulge, in the general vicinity of his groin, gouged her belly.

His hands on her waist tightened as he steadied her. His lips quirked up and he tipped his head to the side. Oh mercy. What a smile.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he said in a low drawl. It made a shiver walk through her.

“I…no. I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.” But she made no move to step away. Neither did he.

His aftershave drifted toward her, making her head spin. She stared up at him, reveling in the feel of him against her, the warmth soaking in, his steady hold on her. His thumb moved on her waist. A caress. She swallowed.

One thought rang in her mind. Now this was a man she wouldn’t mind playing with.

The moment thrummed between them.

His expression tightened. His Adam’s apple worked. He opened his lips to speak, but before he could, a familiar voice rang out behind him.

“Well, I’ll be. If it isn’t Lisa Binder!”

Lisa winced.

Crap.

Cody had found her.

Chapter Three

‡

Cade flinched as his brother shattered the moment. He should have expected as much. Cody did that. Whenever he had the chance. Even when he wasn’t trying.

And hell. It had been amazing, holding Lisa, feeling her soft breasts pressed against his chest. That little thrust of her hips when she realized he was hard against her. But more than that. The look in her eye—the interest in her eye—had poleaxed him.

It was something he’d wanted, ached, yearned to see for ten years.

But now, here was Cody to fuck things up. As usual.

Reluctantly, he released her and stepped away; he tried to swallow his frustration.

Cody rushed in and swept Lisa into a hug. Cade’s left eye ticked at the sight.

“Lisa, when did you get into town?”

She extricated herself from Cody’s hold and glanced in Cade’s direction. “Um, today.”

“Well, ain’t that something. Hey, why don’t you join us for a drink?” Cody tugged at her arm but Lisa resisted.

“Oh, no. I’m having dinner with friends.” She waved toward the dining room.

Cody leaned into the room and scanned the tables. “Not Claire and Porsche?”

“Um, yes.”

“Well, perfect. You can all join us.”

As Cody always did, he took charge, storming into the dining room and corralling Claire and Porsche as though they were cattle, and herding them—with their plates and silverware and glasses—into the bar. He pulled up extra chairs at the table and ordered everyone to sit. Of course, he sat next to Lisa.

Cade took his chair—across from them—and Porsche sat at his side. He didn’t miss the frown she sent to Cody when he draped his arm over the back of Lisa’s chair. But then, Cade was frowning too.

Something nudged his foot and he moved it away. The nudge returned. He looked down at Porsche and she smiled at him. It was a seductive smile, but in it, Cade could see a hint of desolation. He’d always suspected that Porsche had a thing for his brother, which was a shame. Porsche was a beautiful girl with delicate features and a curvy body. She could probably get any guy she wanted. But Cody wasn’t the getting type. He hadn’t had a relationship that lasted longer than six months in his life and Porsche was the kind of girl a man married. Aside from that, Cody and Ford were best friends. His brother knew better than to fool around with someone like Porsche because if he broke her heart, Ford would break his kneecaps.

Cade forced himself to smile back, which was a mistake, because when he turned back to the table, he caught Ford’s scowl.

Yeah. He kind of liked his kneecaps as they were too.

“Do you know everyone?” Cody asked, leaning, in Cade’s estimation, far too close to Lisa.

Her gaze flicked to him and she shook her head. Cade’s chest constricted. Hell. She didn’t remember him.

Had she ever even noticed him?

Cody swept his arm across the table. “This is Ford McCoy.”

“Yes, I know Ford.”

“Wayne Culpepper. And you know my brother, Cade.”

Her eyes widened. She said his name, though silently. He saw it on her lips. Then she dabbed at them with her tongue and swallowed. “Cade. I didn’t recognize you.”

“Yup. Yup. He’s all grown up.” Cody pinned Lisa with the fervent attention a starving man might give a juicy peach. “Well, you look wonderful. How have you been?”

She responded with something vague. It might have been “Fine,” but Cade was too stupefied for it to register, because she was still looking at him. And her eyes were warm.

“So, Lisa,” Cody gusted, unwilling to allow her attention to linger on anyone but himself. Yup. That was pretty much Cody to a T. The bastard. “How long are you in town?”

“She’s staying,” Claire announced. Cade stared at his sister and then he glanced at Lisa. Excitement shafted through him at her nod.

“Might be staying,” she qualified with a grin.

“Really?” Cody’s expression brightened. He scooted his chair closer.

Cade suppressed the urge to growl.

“She’s redoing her grandmother’s house.” Yeah, if Snake Gully had a town crier, her name was Claire Silver.

“That sounds like you’re staying.” Cody’s glee was a little too avid for Cade’s liking.

Lisa fiddled with her napkin. “If I stay, I’ll live there. If I decide to go back to Dallas, I’ll sell it.”

“And your husband? Is he here with you?” A nasty worm crawled through Cade at his brother’s slick question, even though he’d been itching to ask it himself.

Her features tightened. She forced a smile and said, “As of last Friday, I no longer have one.” She might have added, in a whisper, “Thank God.”

And damn. That bit of news sent exhilaration and delight skittering up his spine.

No husband.

Not anymore.

Apparently, Cody found it fascinating as well. His eyes glinted. He scooted even closer. Cade’s gut rippled. Of its own accord, his foot shot out and whacked his brother in the leg.

Oops.

Cody winced, but his attention on Lisa didn’t waver.

“I told her she should stay at the house,” Claire said with a sniff, and a bolt of lightning sizzled through him. God. What would that be like? To have her near? Close at hand? To see her every day? Awesome.

Then he glanced at his brother and decided it wouldn’t be so very awesome. It was clear Cody was interested in Lisa. And what Cody wanted, Cody got. He always had. If she lived at their house, Cade would have to watch the inevitable seduction, the inevitable affair. And that would kill him.

“The motel is fine,” Lisa said.

Ford grimaced. “That motel is a flea trap.”

Wayne took a sip of his beer. “Should have been condemned years ago.”

“Besides which, you’d be much more comfortable at the ranch.” Claire was like a dog with a bone. “It’s homier.”

Porsche snorted.

Claire frowned at her. “What?”

“Nothing.” Porsche fluttered her lashes.

“Why did you snort?”

“The Double Stud? Homey? Seriously?”

“It’s perfectly homey.”

“Right. Especially when the strippers invade.”

Claire crossed her arms. “That’s only on the weekends. Besides, Lisa might enjoy that.” She shot a look at her friend. “You like hard, muscled, half-naked men, don’t you?”

The expression on Lisa’s face was priceless. “Um. I suppose.”

“See?” Claire crowed at Porsche.

“I’m just saying, homey isn’t the word I would use.”

“Ignore her,” Claire said, waving a dismissive hand at Porsche. “The point is, the ranch has plenty of room and you are welcome. I would love some female company.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Well, no matter where you hang your hat, I hope you decide to stay,” Porsche sighed. “This town could use a bakery.”

Claire nodded. “This is absolutely true.”

“You’re a baker?” The question emerged, before thought had time to form. Cade wasn’t usually quick with his words, but he was glad he was this time, because her attention snapped to him.

Her face transformed. “I love baking.”

He met her smile with one of his own. “Excellent. I love eating.”

To which she laughed. It was a musical sound that danced through him.

The conversation shifted then, to other things this town desperately needed. Cade tried to follow along, and be all civil and shit, but it was tough, because Cody leaned closer and whispered something in Lisa’s ear. Cade’s attention locked on the couple across the table. And God, how that rankled. Seeing them as a couple. Again. It dredged up all the old memories and ancient resentments. Reminded him how things always seemed to come easy for Cody, how he never really honored the blessings he got.

Even when they were kids, Cody took everything for granted. As though being the golden child was his due.

Cade had fought for everything.

His brother’s hand dropped onto Lisa’s shoulder and Cade fixated on it. Something in him roiled and swelled. It tasted like fury.

She glanced at him and their gazes tangled. He sent her a searing look and her lashes flickered. A flush rose on her cheeks and she glanced away, but only for a second. When their eyes met again, he was the one seared. And then her lips lifted.

For a long, luxurious minute they engaged in some sort of conversation, one without need of words.

And goddamn Cody. He stole her attention again.

Stole it. Put his hand to her chin and turned her face to his.

Right when things were getting interesting.

Cade had no idea what he said. Couldn’t hear a thing on account of the blood rushing in his ears, but he did notice her slight frown. Noticed how she pulled away. It was subtle, but it was there.

It was enough.

He hated leaving. Hated leaving Lisa there, sitting next to Cody, but he needed to get to the firehouse. When he stood and turned to her and said, “It was great seeing you again,” he thought he saw regret in her eyes. He hoped he did.

Before he pushed through the door out onto the street, he glanced back and found her attention on him. He had no idea why that sent a ripple of warmth through him.

Ah hell. Yes, he did.

The Snake Gully Fire Department was run out of an old brick building next to city hall. Compared to the fire stations he’d worked in with the marines—even the pop-up stations that moved from site to site as the troops advanced—this one was practically decrepit. There was one bay for the fire truck, and even that was so narrow, the firefighters could barely maneuver when the truck was inside. The medic unit was parked in the side alley. The station house had a large kitchen, training room and living area downstairs, and a dorm on the upper level, complete with antique pole. It desperately needed upgrading, but the town had never been able to get the bond to pass.

But, as they always did, they made do with what they had. And for Cade, and most of the other volunteers, it was only a part-time gig.

The guys greeted him with whoops and hollers as he stepped into the kitchen, but he suspected the cheers were for the snacks. Bobby and Tank grabbed the bags and riffled through them.

“Hey, hold on. Those are for later,” Cade sputtered as Tank popped open the chips.

The guys just laughed and dug in.

Cade shook his head and plodded up the stairs, dropping his bag on an empty bunk.

He’d been looking forward to this training weekend for months. Not only because he hated going so long without a refresher of his firefighting skills, but because he’d missed the camaraderie of the team. While he loved the ranch—it was the home he’d grown up in after all—and he loved his siblings, he often felt lonely. These boisterous get-togethers with his fellow firefighters made him feel a part of something that mattered.

Not that strip ranches didn’t matter.

But, honestly, they didn’t.

“Hey, buddy.” Sandy poked his head in the door and grinned. “Glad you could make it.” Sandy was one of the two firefighters Snake Gully kept on staff. All the others were volunteers.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Cade said with a smile. And he meant it. But although they had a great time that night—lots of laughter and animated conversations amongst men and women who shared similar passions for firefighting—the whole evening he found himself wishing he was still at the bar. With her.

The alarm woke him from a deep sleep, but Cade shot up in a second. His years as a marine deployed to warzones and his training as a firefighter kicked in. He was dressed before his head cleared. The other men moved quickly as well, but Cade was the first one down the pole.

Technically they weren’t supposed to use the pole—city lawyers had claimed it was a liability—but they did anyway. He landed on his feet and rushed to his locker, pulling on his turnout gear. It took him seconds to suit up.

Sandy was already at the wheel of the engine as Cade and the other guys piled in. “Is this a drill?” Cade asked.

“Nope.” A dark snarl. “Come on, boys,” he bellowed at the others. “Let’s move it.”

“What do we got?”

Sandy frowned. “The goddamn motel,” he growled. “That place is a goddamn death trap. I told the mayor it should have been closed down years ago.” He went on, griping, as he pulled out of the station, about how the town council always ignored his recommendations. But Cade didn’t hear a thing. His gut had clenched, his heart stalled.

Lisa was at the motel.

Fuck.

When they arrived, one end of the structure was fully engulfed. Flames flickered in the windows and the sound of shattering glass rocked through the night air. Cade scanned the crowd, manically searching. His belly dipped when he didn’t see her.

“Is everyone out?” Sandy asked the motel manager, Dundy. He was a balding man with a severe case of Dunlap syndrome—his belly had “dun lapped over his belt.” He was dressed in a pair of skivvies and a stained wifebeater.

He shrugged. “How the hell should I know?”

Sandy scowled at him and whipped around, barking orders. “Silver and Brody, take the far end. Check and clear. There may be victims inside. Daniels and Wade, with me,” Sandy called. “Let’s get those hoses out.”

Cade and Brody jogged to the far end of the motel. Though flames were dancing on the roof, there was still time to safely check the rooms. The first cabin was empty, bed made and room spotless. Cade marked the door and moved on to the next. He and Brody leapfrogged the rooms to move more quickly. Halfway through the building, he still hadn’t found Lisa and his panic was rising. If she was at the fully engulfed end, she could be—

Damn.

Ruthlessly he continued, moving closer and closer to danger, ignoring the weight of his SCBA gear and the sweat prickling on his brow. He had to find her. Had to.

He kicked in another door and reeled back as a shower of embers fell. Flames licked around the doorframe. A hint of white through the smoke caught his attention and to his horror, he realized it was a small form, dressed in a white nightie, hunkering in the bathroom in the back. He knew at once, it was Lisa.

And hell. Her room was ablaze.

Chapter Four

‡

She awakened to an odd crackling and the smell of smoke. It took a mere moment for Lisa to slough off the coils of a deep sleep and realize she was in danger, but it was a moment lost. A loud crack resonated and part of the roof collapsed, dropping a flaming beam in front of the door. Glowing cinders danced through the room. The curtains on the window caught with a whoosh and red tongues licked upward, creating twin rivers of fire. Her gut lurched as it occurred to her, she was trapped.

Keeping low, below the roiling smoke, she ran for the bathroom and pounded on the tiny window until it broke. She gasped, filling her lungs with fresh air. She grabbed a towel and soaked it then held it to her face and peered out at the room. The conflagration was worse. The fire roared—roared—consuming everything in an unrelenting, scorching wave.

This is it, she thought. This is how I die.

She would either burn to death, or collapse from smoke inhalation. Frankly, she was hoping for the smoke inhalation.

She soaked the other towels as well—wrapping one around her head and the other around her body—thinking they might protect her from the heat for a bit. But she was probably delusional.

Just when she was convinced there was no hope, when she was sure it was all over here and now, the walls shook with a tremendous impact and the door flew open, sending the singed beam over onto the bed; the mattress ignited with a howl.

Lisa’s pulse surged as she spotted a man, dressed in full firefighter gear, outlined in the frame.

Thank God.

Thank God.

As though he had no fear at all, he waded in, through the inferno. To her mind he seemed like every hero she’d ever dreamed of. He was large and strong and indomitable. Without a word, he lifted her in his arms and bolted from the fiery hell.

The kiss of the cool, crisp night was exquisite. Lisa sucked in a deep breath, and then began to cough as her lungs seized. She clung to her rescuer’s shoulders as he ran—though there was no need, as his hold on her was firm, comforting. She glanced back at the motel and her pulse lurched when she saw the full extent of the fire.

Holy God.

There was no way the motel could be saved. Any of it.

Even as the thought occurred to her, one end of the building collapsed. A cloud of sparks engulfed them. Her fireman hunched his body over hers, taking the brunt of the blast.

She was aware of other men running around, of calls and bellows and great streams of water blasting into the blaze, but mostly, she was aware of him. His huffed breaths, his strength, his warmth.

He gingerly lowered her to the curb next to a medic unit, wrapped her in a blanket and then he pulled off his helmet and SCBA gear.

Lisa gaped. Her pulse hammered.

Cade. Cade Silver.

Deep-blue eyes entranced her. She would recognize them anywhere, even on a grubby soot-covered face. And what a face. As gorgeous as he had been in the bar, dressed in jeans and a chambray shirt, he was infinitely hotter now, dressed as he was in turnout gear.

His jaw seemed firmer, his lips fuller. His body bigger.

Damn, he was hot.

She shivered as arousal scalded her. It was probably nothing more than a natural reaction to a brush with death. Or not.

Maybe it was simply him.

“Are you all right, Lisa?” he asked. His voice was low, raspy.

“I’m fine.” Hers was raspy too.

He stared at her as though he couldn’t bear to look away, and then forced his attention to the fire. “I need to get back,” he said. “But Taggert will take care of you. Okay?” He waved to a man dressed in blue slacks and a white shirt with a paramedic patch sewn onto the chest.

Lisa nodded. It was all she could manage. She was incapable of speech.

He sketched a salute to Taggert, put his gear back on and headed back into the fray. As the paramedic checked her over, Lisa watched Cade and his fellow firefighters battle the blaze. It was funny how she always knew which shadowed figure was his. As if her mind had memorized his form.

One thought kept running through her mind: He’d saved her. He’d saved her.

“That was a close call, ma’am.”

She jerked and forced her attention to the man kneeling by her side. To her surprise he was taking her blood pressure. She’d been completely unaware of that until now. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said, that was a close call. Silver pulled you out just in time.”

“Yes.” She shuddered. “He did.”

Taggert chuckled as he reached for her pulse. “Figures though.”

“Figures?”

“That it would be him.”

Lisa followed his gaze and saw Cade bracing himself against the spray of the hose. The flames were almost out. “Why?”

“Not the first time he’s run into a burning building to pull a pretty lady to safety.”

Well, he was a fireman.

Taggert must have read her thoughts in her expression. “Do you remember that story on the news a couple years ago when Cherise went to Iraq?”

“Yeah.” The pop star had been there entertaining the troops when enemy insurgents had attacked the base. She’d nearly died but she’d been saved by a—“That was Cade?”

“The one and only.” He winked. “They say she thanked him with a kiss. He’s been a legend here ever since.”

“I-I didn’t know he was in the service.” It occurred to her how little she actually knew about him. She knew everything about Cody, but then, Cody hadn’t shut up for two minutes during dinner.

“Cade enlisted right after graduation. He came back when his dad died, to help with the ranch.”

“The stud ranch?” She couldn’t help the jibe.

“Yeah.” Taggert grinned. “That one. We were real glad to have him back, though. We needed the help. And say what you want about the military, they sure do know how to train firefighters.”

“I bet they do.”

He leaned back and set his hand on her arm. “So you have some cuts and minor burns, but thanks to those towels, you’re not burned bad.” She glanced at the towels piled beside her and was surprised to see that they were completely dry. She was also surprised to realize Taggert had wrapped her hands. She stared at them bemusedly because she had no memory of that at all.

He patted her knee. “It’s natural to be a bit dazed. You’ve been through a lot tonight. Can I get you a bottle of water?”

Oh God. “Water would be wonderful.”

Thankfully, he opened it for her, because her hands were bandaged. The cool rush of liquid on her burning throat was sublime. As she finished the bottle, the firefighters, who had beaten back the flames, gathered by the medic unit for a debriefing. Lisa listened with half an ear. Nearly every ort of her attention was on Cade.

There was no reason for her soul to trill the way it did when he came and sat by her side and shot her a soothing smile.

But it did.

“How are you doing?” Cade asked. There was no call for the arousal that ignited at the sight of her sitting there in a skimpy nightie. Though the blanket covered most of her, her legs were bare.

“I’m fine.” Her eyes were wide, damp. He checked her pupils and, though he was certain Taggert had already verified she wasn’t in shock, he was relieved to see they were normal. She set her hand on his arm. He stared down at it, taking in the bandages.

Damn. She wasn’t fine at all. She’d been hurt.

“Thank you for saving me.” His gaze jerked up to meet hers. He swallowed painfully. She looked fragile and wan. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have the right.

Though it nearly killed him, he forced a grin. “All in a day’s work, ma’am.”

She nearly flinched and he could have kicked himself for being flippant. He didn’t want to be flippant. Not with her.

He turned toward the motel, which was a smoking hulk. It occurred to him that everything she had, everything she’d brought with her, was gone. Burned to a crisp. “You can come stay at the ranch,” he said, though he didn’t know where the words came from. Had no idea where he dredged up the courage to offer. It was silly, really. Ridiculous. She probably had lots of friends who could put her up. If nothing else, she could go stay at her grandmother’s house. But when she glanced at him with that hopeful look in her eyes, he couldn’t help adding, “Claire would love it.”

Her lips worked. “I…I couldn’t intrude.”

Cade forced a laugh. “It’s no intrusion. The house has ten bedrooms.” And staff quarters. And a bunkhouse. And a fully furnished gatehouse. Lots of private places—

It took great effort to keep his fantasies at bay.

A smile ghosted her lips. “And what about the parties?”

Cade winced. “None this weekend, ma’am.”

“I was teasing. I’d love to stay there. I mean, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.”

Hell no. He didn’t mind at all.

It took a while to finish up at the scene and get all the equipment put away. When they were done, they all headed back to the firehouse; Lisa rode with Taggert while Cade rode on the engine. Once back at the station, he found a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt for her to wear—though she fairly swam in them—and then, after he’d cleaned up a bit and she was dressed, he tucked her into his truck and headed for the ranch.

Normally he would stay at the firehouse for the training on Saturday, but Sandy had canceled it in light of the call; in his estimation, they’d gotten a better refresher managing a real incident than they could have gotten in a hundred simulations. This suited Cade just fine. Because he had a chance to be with Lisa.

The night was dark and still, the streets empty as he drove out of town. When they passed into the countryside, silence swallowed them up. He loved the peace of driving at night, with the stars glimmering overhead and the indistinguishable lumps of houses and barns and hills flicking by. He didn’t mind, however, when she broke the silence.

“Thank you again for this,” she said.

He glanced at her. Her features were illuminated by the lights of the dash and it struck him again how damn beautiful she was.

“No problem.” Nope. None indeed. “Claire will be glad to have you stay.” He was sure he imagined the flash of disappointment on her face.

“Well.” She threaded her fingers together. “I appreciate it.”

“We’re glad to have you.” And then, because he needed to say it, “I’m glad to have you.”

She smiled at that. “Are you?”

“Yes.” It was nearly a whisper, but she heard. Her smile broadened and she turned to gaze out the window.

When they arrived at the ranch, he woke up Claire—who was indeed thrilled to have company—and let his sister take over Lisa’s keeping. Fortunately the two were of a similar size, so Lisa would have some clothes to wear.

It was late by the time Cade dropped into bed, but even so, as he lay there and stared up at the ceiling, he couldn’t sleep.

Because she was here.

Under his roof.

Chapter Five

‡

Something smelled delicious. Still half-asleep, Cade followed his nose into the kitchen and was surprised to see Lisa at the counter wearing Molly’s apron and dusted in flour. He was gratified to see the bandages on her hands were gone, replaced by a few Band-Aids. She glanced up and smiled as he entered the room.

It was a smile of such complete and absolute delight, dimples and everything, that it was like a punch to the gut. He’d like to wake up every morning to a smile like that.

Oh, and smells like this.

“What-what are you making?” A stupid question, and he hated that he prefaced it with a stutter. He’d vanquished that demon long ago.

“Right now?” She tapped her lips with a spoon and his gaze fixated on that. “Muffins. But those are done.” She waved at a tray on the counter. “Cream puffs. Not very breakfasty, but I was in the mood to bake.”

He prowled over to the tray and examined the bite-sized puffs. They looked perfectly formed, tantalizingly browned and utterly exquisite. He picked one up and popped it into his mouth and…

God.

A mouth orgasm.

It was a flaky pastry filled with a dollop of vanilla crème that exploded on his tongue when he bit into it. It was freaking awesome. Heaven. He stared at her.

Her smile faltered. She blinked. “I hope you don’t mind. I mean, I invade your home in the middle of the night and then take over the kitchen… And oh. I’ve made quite a mess.”

He hated the way her expression deflated. Wished he could think of something, say something to salvage the conversation, but his brain was absolutely vapor locked. So he grabbed another cream puff. It was so good, he took another. And another.

As she watched him devour half the tray, her eyes started to sparkle again. Her lips quirked. His heart lifted and then soared. If he could make her happy by eating, he’d snarf down each and every one.

They were as close to perfection as he’d ever tasted.

She laughed, a light tinkling sound that sent shivers skittering up his spine. “Are you going to eat them all?”

“Mmm hmm,” he responded, though his mouth was full.

“Well, at least have some coffee with them.” She turned to pour him a cup and his attention stalled on her ass.

He didn’t mean for his attention to stall on her ass, but it was facing him and it was spectacular, cupped in a pair of jeans. His attention zeroed in on that shadowed spot between her legs and his cock jerked as thoughts totally inappropriate to the kitchen of his family home wound through his head.

When she turned, with a steaming cup of joe in her hands, he forced his eyes to her face and attempted to look as innocent as he could. But judging by the way she stalled, the way her lips parted, the way a light-pink blush tinted her cheeks, she knew what he’d been thinking.

Her lashes fluttered as she handed him the mug. When their fingers brushed, she jerked back.

It was unfortunate that she jerked back. It made him think she really didn’t care for his touch, for one thing. That, and the coffee was hot. His recoil sent more of the steaming liquid sloshing from the mug.

“Oh my God,” she said as she stared at his hands. She grabbed a towel and mopped at the coffee. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay, Lisa,” he said, though where the words came from, he had no idea. They certainly hadn’t been in his head. Nothing was in his head. Nothing but the realization that she was touching him again. He set down his cup and took the towel from her and finished wiping up the spill. Because she appeared somewhat distressed, he smiled at her.

Their gazes clung. Cade measured the moment in the beat of his pulse. Her attention flicked to the scar on his left cheek. A tiny tightening around her mouth. A flicker of lashes. He hated that he knew what she was thinking.

She stepped back to the counter and forced a laugh. “Well, I should probably finish these. Cody and Claire will be up soon.”

Right.

The mention of Cody was like a dash of cold water.

He should have thought of that before he brought her here. He should have remembered.

“He will love these,” Cade said, snagging another of the cream puffs. Might as well.

She chuckled. “Well, don’t feel like you have to leave any for him.” Oh, he liked that idea. He liked it a lot. But then she went and added, “I can always make more.”

Right.

His first inclination was probably an artifact of his youth. He wanted to retreat, to hide, to remove himself from her presence, from the possible pain seeing her and Cody together again might cause, but he fought it. It cost him a lot, but he piled the remaining cream puffs on a plate, picked up his mug and sat at the beat-up kitchen table. “Do you bake a lot?” he asked. It was a stupid question, but a safe one. And the fact of the matter was, he was here, alone with her right now. And Cody wasn’t.

He should take what he could get.

She went back to stirring her batter, but a smile teased her lips. “Not as often as I’d like.”

“Really?” Because she was damn good at it. “No time in Dallas?” A lame probe into her life with Mr. Wonderful, but there you have it. He really wanted to know.

But she bent her head and only murmured, “Hmm.”

“Well, you can bake for me anytime,” he said, popping another cream puff into his mouth. She rewarded him with a grin.

He loved watching her work. The way her face crumpled up as she focused on her measurements, the way she huffed when her hair came untucked from behind her ear and flopped onto her cheek. The streak of flour she left when she tugged it back. It was nice, sitting in the scented kitchen, being silent. Being together.

Lisa blew out a sigh. It wasn’t awkward, not chatting with Cade. Somehow silence fit him like a comfortable old suit. But she wanted to talk to him. To get to know him better.

She remembered him from high school, though he’d been two years ahead of her. He’d been the tall, silent type even then. Although he was even taller now. And he was no longer a boy. Service in the military had filled him out and where he’d been slender before, he was now all bulk and hard muscle. His eyes were harder too, but filled with fascinating depths. The scar on his cheek, speaking to a wealth of experience, was fascinating as well.

Though he wasn’t “pretty” like his brother, or charming or playful, he had a certain…something. He was definitely the more attractive of the two. Not that Cody wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous. He was. But Cade had a quiet resonance about him that appealed to her.

When Cody had asked her out, she’d gone, but somewhere, deep in her heart, she’d known he wasn’t the man for her and they’d only dated a couple of times. If only she’d had the same sense of self-awareness when it came to Guy.

Marrying him had been the biggest mistake of her life.

But then, there were so many mistakes to choose from.

“What are you thinking about?” The low rumble startled her. She glanced up to find Cade staring at her with his head cocked to the side. His eyes, a clear and sharp bluish-gray, seemed to see through to her soul. That they were framed with long lashes didn’t help the skittering of her pulse.

“I…ah…” Hell. Should she ruin the conversation, such as it was, by telling him the truth? But Cade seemed to be the kind of guy who valued the truth over pointless chatter, so she gave it to him. “My husband.”

He flinched as though she had slapped him. His friendly expression closed down a bit, which made her sad.

“He’s a…lawyer, right?”

Lisa tried not to grimace. Shark was a better description.

“Are you…missing him?”

She couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that escaped.

Cade blinked. “Well, aren’t you?”

“Not hardly.” Bitterness threaded the words, though she swore she would not be bitter. “And I doubt he’s missing me.”

His throat worked. His ears went pink. She had no idea how to interpret that. “Well… He’s probably missing your baking.”

Hah! “He never eats my goodies.”

Oh. Holy. God. She loved his expression, the bald and blatant disbelief. “What is wrong with him?”

Yeah, she loved his squawk too.

She cupped her hands around her coffee mug and leaned forward to confide, “He’s vegan.”

“What?”

“Apparently butter is the root of all evil. Aside from that, he rarely eats carbs.”

Cade shook his head as though he was having trouble taking that tidbit in. “He doesn’t eat carbs?”

“No sugar, white flour, grains, breads, chocolate, cookies…” She attempted to tick them off on her fingers, but ran out of fingers. “He also avoids red meat and fat.”

“What the hell does he eat?”

She shrugged. “He likes tofu.”

“He sounds…fascinating.” His lips quirked up and she found herself staring at his smile. Then found herself smiling as well. And then—surprise, surprise—chuckling.

She’d sworn she wouldn’t think about Guy, or talk about Guy, but in this circumstance, she was willing to make an exception. And it felt good to have someone validate her outrage over his disdain for her baking.

When she’d met Guy, she’s been in training to be a pastry chef; their whirlwind romance and subsequent marriage had put a stop to all those plans. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember why she’d been willing to give up her dreams…for him. But it happened that way sometimes, she supposed.

Cade sobered. He peered into his mug for a while and then, without glancing back up, asked, “Why did you marry him?”

Why indeed? She shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Most things do.”

“I was young and stupid. He seemed like everything I thought a husband should be.” Hell, he’d even been charming, back then. “My mother liked him.”

“And now?”

She snorted. “My mother still likes him.” But then, Mom had always had a soft spot for unfaithful men. And Guy had been—apparently, from the get-go. He’d been really good at keeping his philandering a secret. It was only by the purest accident Lisa had returned home early that day and caught him in flagrante delicto with his sex-bomb secretary. It still made her skin crawl that they’d been romping in her bed.

“So why did you come to Snake Gully? Of all places in the world?” Cade’s question tugged her from her dark reflection.

She shrugged. “I don’t know why I came back. I needed to get away, for one thing. And I was checking out places I might move to.” Oh, Mom and Gary—her most recent boyfriend—had invited her to come stay with them in their condo in Waikiki, but the last thing she wanted to do was watch her mother flirt with a boy who was half her age. Aside from that, Mom really did like Guy. Loved that he was a lawyer and ran with the Dallas elite. She’d never stop nagging Lisa to take him back.

Lisa would never take him back, even if he wanted her back—which was doubtful.

Cade’s head bobbed in a small nod. “Well, you can stay here as long as you want.”

“I… Thanks.” That was nice to know. One of the nicest things she’d heard in a while.

“That is, if you don’t mind the parties.”

“Ah, the parties.” She couldn’t hold back a grin.

“They can be a little…wild.”

“I’ll bet.”

They shared a smile then, a lingering gaze. One that spoke to her. Sent a shard of excitement and anticipation through her.

She had no idea what it meant, but she liked it. She liked it a lot.

Cade winced when Cody breezed into the room, shattering the moment he and Lisa were sharing. A-fucking-gain.

Cody stopped short and stared at her. His lips kicked up into a seductive grin. “Well. What do we have here?” he cooed. Fucking cooed.

Lisa waved in Cade’s direction. “He invited me.”

Cody whipped around and gaped at him. “You did?”

“Yup,” Cade murmured into his mug. “The motel burned down last night.”

“What?”

“Huge fire.”

“Cade saved me.” God, he loved the way she looked at him, as though he were some kind of hero. “Waded right in through the flames and pulled me out.”

He lifted a shoulder. “All in a day’s work.”

Cody glared at him, no doubt annoyed that Cade had earned such adoration. He couldn’t hold back a smug smirk.

His brother’s gaze flicked to the plate on the table, which held the two last cream puffs. His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer.

Something sizzled in Cade’s gut.

No way was he sharing.

They exchanged a glower and a sudden resolution swelled in Cade’s chest.

He’d had to fight his whole life for every scrap. He’d had to fight for everything.

He would fight for her.

No way in hell would he stand back and let his brother waltz in and sweep her into his arms. Not again.

Cade quickly popped one, and then the other cream puff, into his mouth, before his brother could snag so much as a crumb.

This time it would be different.

This time, he would win.

Chapter Six

‡

Okay. It was probably wrong to stare. Especially since she was hunkered behind a pile of hay bales and leering at him. But damn. He was a sight to behold.

Cade Silver. Shirtless. Sweating. Muscles rippling as he hefted feed into the back of his truck. Load after load after load.

She’d come upon him by accident. She’d been taking a stroll through the woods and come back to the house around the barn…and there he was. The vision had knocked her senseless. So senseless, she’d immediately dropped to her knees and proceeded with the leering.

What she should do was saunter up to him and engage him in conversation, or something, but if she did that, he might stop. Or worse. He might put his shirt back on.

That would be a tragedy.

She didn’t remember Cade having a build like that in high school. But, come to think of it, she didn’t remember much about Cade in high school. Next to his brother, he’d always kind of faded into the background. He never spoke much, and he wasn’t the captain of the basketball team and he didn’t run with the popular crowd like his brother. He was simply just there.

Granted, he’d been two years ahead of her, so there was little chance for them to meet socially, and shortly after she and Cody started dating, he’d moved away—apparently to join the marines—and she hadn’t seen him again.

If this was what the marines did to boys’ bodies, it should be written into law that each and every man served.

Because…damn.

“What are you doing?”

Lisa flinched as Claire’s chipper tone skittered on the breeze. She lurched around and glared at her friend. But it was too late. A hot tide rose on her cheeks and she stood, brushing the hay from her jeans. She didn’t have the heart to glance at Cade, but she was pretty sure he’d stopped what he was doing. She was pretty sure he had turned and was watching her. He’d probably figured out that she’d been ogling him.

How mortifying.

She fixed a blasé smile on her face and gusted, “Why, nothing.”

Claire’s expression made clear her disbelief. And the snort. The snort made it clear as well. She leaned closer and whispered, “Are you drooling?”

“Shut up.”

There was no call for Claire to titter a laugh. There was never a call for anyone to titter. Ever. She hooked her arm with Lisa’s and tugged her out from behind the bales of hay. “You’ll get a better view from the yard.” Numbly, Lisa followed. Her mind spun as she sought some way to explain her skulking. She finally decided there was no good explanation and her best option was to pretend it had never happened—as with any truly humiliating incident.

Her gaze landed on Cade’s face and her gut lurched. There was something there, in his expression, that supplanted her embarrassment. There was amusement, of course, the tantalizing tilt of his beautiful lips, but something else as well. A steamy assessment. And…interest. A frank and sexual appraisal. His perusal skated over her heated face, slid down to her breasts, to her waist and then her legs. His attention lifted again, stalled at her chest, and lingered. His tongue peeped out to wet his lips.

She nearly melted into a puddle right there.

In that instant, they were the only two people on the planet, certainly the only two in the yard.

Claire cleared her throat and Cade tore his attention away; Lisa felt it like a physical loss so strong her knees nearly buckled. It was a good thing Claire was holding her up.

“Where are the guys?” Claire asked.

Cade blinked. Lisa had the sense he was as befuddled as she was. “The guys?”

“You know. The ranch hands. The guys who are supposed to be doing this?” She waved at the truck.

“Oh.” Cade pulled off his gloves and slapped them on his jeans. Dust billowed. “They’re working the fence on the south forty.”

Claire propped her hands on her hips. “You know, there’s a reason we pay them. So you don’t have to do the heavy lifting.”

Cade took off his hat and raked his hair. “I, ah, needed a workout.”

Judging from those muscles, he didn’t. But Lisa wasn’t inclined to disagree.

Then he flashed her a grin. A gorgeous grin. It made all kinds of delight cavort in her belly. “I ate about ten thousand calories at breakfast,” he said with a wink.

“Right. And about that…” Claire frowned at Lisa. “How is it you baked all morning and yet there was nothing left when I got up?”

“I left an entire tray of muffins on the counter.”

Claire’s scowl shifted to Cade. He glanced up at the sky. Apparently there was something very fascinating wedged in a cloud up there. He pursed his lips into a nonchalant whistle.

“I’m not kidding,” Claire growled. “Next time leave something for me, or there will be hell to pay.”

Cade winced as his sister smacked his shoulder. “Hey, talk to Cody. He was there too.”

Lisa laughed and hooked her arm in Claire’s. “Come on. Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll make something now. Just for you.”

“Just for me?”

“Just for you.”

Claire shot Cade a superior look and flounced toward the house. Lisa followed, but she paused to glance at him over her shoulder. He was watching her with a smile on his face. It sent a bolt of lightning through her.

He found her later when she was in the kitchen making cupcakes for Claire. A part of her had expected him to come. Another part had hoped he would. Still, she jumped as his deep voice wafted through the kitchen. “Were you checking out my butt?”

Her pulse thrummed and she whirled around, holding her stirring spoon before her like a weapon. Though it could never protect her. Not from his raw allure. “W-what?”

He prowled into the room and leaned on the countertop of the island, his biceps bunching. He had his shirt on, but only in as much as it was draped over his shoulder. The sight of the broad slabs of his chest, that sprinkling of golden hair trailing down to his belt buckle, captured her attention. She tried not to gape. Really she did. He was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

The kitchen was a large and airy room. Still, he filled it up, heated it up.

“Were you checking out my butt?” he repeated. “Out there, in the yard?” Oh, she loved the playful tilt of his lips. That and the hint of vulnerability in his eyes, as though he didn’t know. As though he wasn’t sure.

“No.”

His smile dropped and her belly with it.

She hurried to add, “I was checking out your chest. I didn’t get to your butt yet.” She twirled a finger. “Turn around.”

He did, and he even waggled it for her, but he held her gaze. His glimmered.

It sent heat licking through her, heat that was probably too intense, at least for a guy she’d just met. Well, kind of just met. Really just met. She didn’t know much about him except he was damn hot, and a firefighter, and ex-military. And Cody’s brother. If he was like Cody, it probably wasn’t a good idea to encourage a flirtation with him—no matter how sexy she found him. It probably wasn’t a good idea to encourage anything with him—until she knew him a little better.

Still, she gusted a melodramatic sigh. “I knew it was a good idea to come and stay at the infamous Stud Ranch.”

He barked a laugh and then made a face. “None of that was my idea, by the way.”

“Hmm.” She gave the frosting a stir. “Let me guess…”

“Yup. Cody. But I gotta admit, it did save the ranch.” He leaned over and peered at her work. “What are you making?”

“Butterscotch cupcakes.”

His eyes lit up. “Seriously?”

She waggled the spoon at him. “For Claire.”

He watched her with puppy-dog eyes as she spooned frosting into the bag and piped it on in a practiced swirl. “She’ll never know if you give one to me.”

“I’m pretty sure she will.”

His lip pooched out. God, it was a beautiful lip. She tried not to stare. “What kind of frosting is it?” he asked in a woebegone voice.

“Maple bacon.”

“That sounds…dangerous.”

She scooped some out with a finger and, without thinking, held it out. “Wanna taste?”

His eyes flared. Muscles flexed. He took her wrist in a warm cuff and leaned forward and, easing her finger into his mouth…he sucked.

Too late, she realized her mistake.

She should never have allowed this man to put his mouth on her. For as he drew her into that warm, velvet cavern, lapping and nibbling on her tender skin—long after the frosting was gone—she realized she was an idiot for thinking she could be friends with him. She was an idiot for imagining she could resist his allure.

He was far too desirable.

Their gazes locked. A tumult, a conflagration passed between them. Without loosening his hold on her, he came around the counter and pulled her into his arms. And then, he kissed her.

God in heaven above.

Excitement pounded through Cade’s veins as he held Lisa in his arms. Her body, warm and soft against his, her hands tracing the muscles of his back as he settled his mouth on hers. It was everything he’d always imagined and more. She was sweet and fragrant and perfect.

He loved the little noises she made at the back of her throat as he rubbed his lips over hers. He loved the way she sighed and opened to him. He really loved the tentative dab of her tongue.

It was only natural for him to walk her back against the countertop, to press against her, drag his body over hers. To deepen the kiss.

And damn, if she wasn’t all in. She scraped her nails over his skin, as though testing his resolve, and then shoved her fingers into his hair, holding him, pinning him there. As if he had anywhere else to be.

This was wonderful. This was heaven. This was what he’d dreamed of for years.

But it was better than a dream.

Much better.

He kissed his way over her cheek and to her neck and when he nuzzled her there she arched into him with a groan. The pressure against his cock made every muscle in his body go on point. He reared up and stared at her. The intensity between them singed him. Holding her gaze, he skated his hand up her side, under her apron, and took possession of her breast. Shivers rippled through him. She was full and soft and her nipple thrust at his palm.

“Jesus, Lisa,” he breathed. When he scored that nub with his thumb, she winced, but her nails sank into his shoulders, telling him she liked it, practically begging him to do it again. So he did. When he brought his fingers together in a gentle pinch, she reared up, taking his mouth with hers. To his shock, she took his lower lip between her teeth and nipped.

If he thought he was crazed with lust before, he was feral now. With a snarl, he yanked up her apron and unzipped her jeans and eased his hand in between her legs. When he found her wet heat, his knees locked.

He toyed with her slowly, teasing, circling, brushing her tender flesh as she panted and moaned beneath his kiss. As her cries became more manic, he moved faster, wilder, determined to bring her to bliss, determined to make her come.

She was close. He could tell. He wanted to see, so he lifted his head. Her features were taut, her attention locked on him. Her lips parted, her eyes glazed as he worked her. She sucked in a deep breath and seized. He shoved his hand lower and filled her with two fingers in a savage thrust. Her creamy arousal registered on his lust-sodden brain and he nearly exploded right then and there. By the grace of God, he was able to hold out.

It was painful, the way she clutched him, inside and out. Oh, her nails in his flesh for one thing, but the inner grip made his eyes cross. He couldn’t help but imagine his cock sunk deep within her, barraged by the waves of her orgasm.

After her crisis, he soothed her, kissing her gently and stroking her until her shudders became mere quivers and her manic breathing eased.

He leaned back and smiled at her. His cock ached. His body hummed. Delight gusted through him at the knowledge that he had done this for her…and she had let him.

He was about to unfasten his jeans, to finish this, when the oven timer dinged, reminding him—with something of a shock—that they were in the kitchen.

She blinked in surprise and glanced around, as though realizing the same thing. “Oh my,” she said.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

He couldn’t fuck her here.

With a sigh, he zipped up her jeans and let the apron fall. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you okay?” he asked.

He liked that she responded with a nod and a wide grin. He didn’t want to step away, but he did—he was still plastered up against her after all—and it was a good thing, because their privacy was shattered when Claire burst into the kitchen.

“What is that smell?” she yowled. Yowled. Claire was a yowler.

Lisa smoothed her apron and then ducked around him, over to the island. “Um, cupcakes.”

Claire picked one up and bit into it. “Oh my God. That is divine.” As divine as it was, it didn’t stop his sister from shooting Cade a glare. “Get out.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Go on. Shoo. I know you’re in here trying to beguile Lisa.”

His lips worked. Heat crept up his neck. “Ah…”

“These cupcakes are mine. All mine. And you cannot sweet-talk her into giving you one.”

Oh. That.

He forced a glower at his sister. “But there are at least a dozen cupcakes there. Surely you can’t eat all of them.”

“Surely I can. Besides, it’s none of your business what I eat or don’t eat. Oh, and Andy was looking for you.”

Cade frowned. “Andy?”

“Some problem with the fence.”

Damn.

Cade glanced at Lisa, trying to assess her mood. He hated to leave her like this, with no words between them. It was a relief to see her smile. As much as he really wanted to finish their…conversation, that wasn’t going to happen with Claire around and—apparently—he had business to attend to. It would have to wait. But they would finish this. They would.

“I’ll see you later,” he said to her. And surely that wasn’t a question in his tone.

He loved that she nodded. Loved the rise of pink on her cheeks. The sparkle in her almond-shaped eyes.

And then, grabbing a cupcake—and licking it thoroughly before Claire could snatch it back—he sketched them both a salute and headed out the back door.

He couldn’t hold back a satisfied grin.

He’d kissed her.

He’d made her come.

And he’d gotten a cupcake.

Chapter Seven

‡

That had been magnificent.

Long after Cade left the house, Lisa’s body hummed. She could barely pay attention to Claire’s chattered conversation as they cleaned up the mess she’d made in the kitchen. Thankfully, once everything was done and Claire got her goodies, she headed to the office to work on the books.

She took the cupcakes with her. Each and every one.

Evidently, growing up with two strapping brothers had taught her to get while the getting was good.

At something of a loose end—because seriously, how many cupcakes could she make in one day?—Lisa headed for the library. She found a wide selection of books ranging from agronomy to romance. There were a lot of women’s magazines scattered around as well, which made sense if the ranch’s customer base was female. It was a comfortable room with wide-open windows and lots of cushy chairs.

It was the perfect place to relax and partake in one of her favorite pastimes. She searched the shelves, found one of her favorite authors and curled up in the window seat.

“Well, hey there.”

Lisa glanced up as Cody meandered into the library. He tended to meander. Everything was slow and easy for him. “Hey, Cody.” She closed her book on her finger and scooted over so he could join her on the window seat.

“Whatcha doing?”

She waggled the tome. “Reading.”

He tipped his head to the side so he could check out the title and he grimaced. “Romance?”

She didn’t like his tone so she smacked him with the book. “Shut up. It’s a good one.”

He chuckled and took it from her, which she found annoying. It was also annoying that he tossed it on the floor. “You know, Lisa, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you again.”

“Really?” She leaned down to rescue her read.

“You’re as pretty as you always were.”

Oh hell.

He eased closer and tucked her hair behind her ear. He was way too close. To her horror, she realized he intended to kiss her. She stopped his approach with a palm to his chest. “Thanks.”

Ignoring her hand, he pressed even closer and offered a crooked grin. “Don’t you think it’s interesting that you came back to Snake Gully right now?”

“Right now?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Seriously? Did he still believe the world revolved around him?

He did, apparently. He took her hand in his and kissed it and, now that the way was clear, he kissed her…on the forehead, on the nose. On the lips.

“Cody,” she said through his lips.

“Mmm.” He deepened the kiss. He probably would have deepened it more, but she turned her head. It was a damn shame that as she did, she caught a flicker of movement in the doorway. Cade.

Her stomach dropped at his expression. Damn.

Without a word, he whirled away.

Damn, damn, damn.

Cody, oblivious to this byplay, moved to nibble on her neck. Lisa pulled back and, when that didn’t dissuade him, stood. Cody flopped onto the pillows and then stared up at her with a pout. “What’s wrong, Lisa?”

“What’s wrong?”

He righted himself and fixed her with a curious expression. Not a heartbroken one, as she suspected Cade’s had been. Merely curious.

“I would prefer it if you didn’t do that again,” she said.

He gaped at her. Obviously Cody wasn’t used to hearing no from women. “I…what?”

Lisa folded her arms around her book and stared back at him. “First of all, I’m not the girl I was when we dated. We sure as hell are not going to pick up where we left off. Second of all, I’m really not in the market for a ‘boyfriend’ right now. And third of all, if I were looking for a man, do you really think it would be you?”

He stood and raked his hair. Befuddlement wreathed his features. “It wouldn’t be me?”

She snorted a laugh. “Not a chance in hell.”

For some reason, he found this confabulating. As annoying as his arrogance was, there was a certain sweetness to it. He was like a clueless puppy dog who couldn’t understand why anyone would refuse to love him.

“Why not me?”

Lisa blew out a breath. “Did you really expect me to forget about Jenny Sanders?”

His mouth dropped open. “Jenny Sanders? Shit, Lisa. That was ten years ago.”

“I don’t care if it was a million. You cheated on me with another woman. In my book, that’s a deal breaker.”

“We were fifteen.”

She shrugged. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t. It couldn’t. It was something she could never forget.

But there was more to it than that. More reasons why she couldn’t slip into a relationship with Cody again. She wasn’t that girl anymore.

And he didn’t fascinate her the way he once had.

Oh, he was handsome. And charming. And funny. And—when he wasn’t cheating on his girlfriend—he was a good person. But she’d outgrown him.

She wanted more in a man.

Someone who had lived a little. Sacrificed for what he wanted. Worked for it.

She wanted a man who was solid and steady. Who wouldn’t leave her in the lurch or use her. Someone who wouldn’t siphon off her energy and love and leave nothing but an empty husk. Someone with large hands and strong arms and blue-gray eyes. Someone whose kiss made her feel safe and loved and on fire at the same time.

Her heart stalled.

Oh, she knew she was attracted to Cade. She’d known it from the second she plowed into him at the bar. Before then, maybe. But she hadn’t realized how much until now.

A sudden realization hit her with the force of a tsunami. As much as she wanted to explore whatever it was between her and Cade, she had to be careful. It would be too easy to fall for him.

“Lisa?” Cody called her back to the conversation. No doubt he still felt they needed to negotiate.

There was no negotiation here. There was no point.

She hit him with a somber frown. “My father cheated on my mother, Cody. It ruined my life.”

“I’m sorry. I—”

“And my husband cheated on me too.”

“Oh. God. I—”

“It’s a deal breaker for me, Cody. Plain and simple.”

Oh hell. She hated the way his face fell; it wasn’t disappointment as much as remorse. It probably wasn’t fair for her to flail him for something he’d done ten years ago, but she needed to drive the message home. She couldn’t have him hitting on her if she stayed. “Look, you’re a nice guy. A good guy. You’ll find someone. It just won’t be me.” She patted his hand for good measure, but couldn’t help adding, “And when you do find her?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t cheat on her.”

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

He’d known.

He’d known Cody would fuck this up. But Cade hadn’t figured it would be this quick.

Walking by the library and seeing Lisa in his brother’s arms had devastated him. Ripped through his gut like an RPG, exploded his hope, strafed his fantasies.

Had he really thought he had a chance with her with Cody around?

No one had a chance with Cody around. No one.

Cade pulled up on the reins, realizing he was riding too recklessly. It wasn’t Champion’s fault his life sucked. He shouldn’t take it out on his mount. As he rode the fence line, checking for problems, he managed to calm himself. He reminded himself that he and Lisa had shared something amazing this morning. At least it had seemed amazing. At the very least, he owed her a conversation.

Aside from that, he wasn’t going to walk away without a fight. He’d vowed as much to himself. If he did that, he’d only be reinforcing the patterns of the past, where Cody always got his way and Cade was left with the scraps.

That wasn’t happening this time.

It wasn’t.

Though he was calm, his anger flared when he saw his brother waiting for him at the barn when he returned.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Cody muttered as Cade pushed past him into the paddock. “You’ve been like a horse with a burr all afternoon.”

“Me?” He forced a laugh, though it was tinged with bitterness. “I’m deliriously happy.”

“No. You’re not. What the hell is it? I’ve never seen you like this.”

“Really? You don’t have any idea why I’m ticked? Not one inkling?”

“No!”

“You kissed her. You fucking kissed her.”

“Kissed who? Lisa?”

“Oh. Have there been so many women you kissed today you aren’t sure?”

“Don’t be an ass. We just—”

Cade didn’t wait for him to finish. He did the thing he’d been wanting to do since he came upon his brother cornering Lisa in the library…fucking kissing her.

He curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it into Cody’s perfect, charming, handsome face.

It was damn satisfying. His brother reeled—probably in shock—and then fell onto the ground with a thud.

Yup. Damn satisfying.

He towered over Cody and glared down at him. “Was it worth it?” he snarled. “I hope it was.”

Cody sat up and gingerly touched his nose. Winced. “Why’d you do that?”

“Because you deserved it. God, Cody. You always got it all. Always got everything. Did you have to take her too?”

“I didn’t take her. She’s still there…”

“You know what I mean. And shit, do you know how much it hurt back then? To see you with her?”

Cody gaped at him. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“I wanted her. I liked her. And what did you do? You asked her out.”

“Wait. You liked her?”

“I had a thing for her.” A huge thing.

“You never said anything. I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t care.”

“Okay, this is totally unfair.”

“Isn’t it?” A hiss.

Cody stood and set his hands on Cade’s shoulders, which, frankly, was dangerous, because it left his vital organs utterly exposed. “Wait. Stop. Let me process this. When we were in high school, you had a crush on Lisa?”

“I told you I thought she was special. And you still asked her out.”

“Damn. I…didn’t realize.” Cody went pale. “Is that… Is that why you left? Why you joined the marines? Because I was dating the girl you liked?”

Hell. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know that. “I needed to get away.”

“Shit. Shit.” Cody dragged his fingers through his hair. “I am so sorry. If it’s any consolation, we didn’t date long. I…ah, well, I blew it.”

“I heard.” Hell, in a town like Snake Gully, everyone heard. “But that’s all history. It is what it is. What’s infuriating me now is that you kissed her again.” Of its own accord, his fist formed. Cody shot it a leery glance and backed away.

“Wait. Wait. Listen. Yeah. I did kiss her.” Oh. He needed to die… “But she didn’t kiss me back.”

Cade stilled, his fist poised to strike again. He stared at his brother. Swallowed. “What?”

“She’s not interested in me, brother. And she never will be. Never. Not. Ever.”

He let his arm drop. “How do you know?”

Cody laughed, but there was little humor in it. He scrubbed his face. “Because she told me. In no uncertain terms. I guess when her dad cheated on her mom, it hurt her really bad. I cheated on her and her husband cheated on her… It’s surprising she hasn’t given up on men all together.”

“Wait. Her husband cheated on her?” The fist was back. Too bad Guy Peckerwood wasn’t around to punch.

“That’s what she said. But listen, Cade. The point is, there’s nothing between me and Lisa, and other than a few school dances and a handful of good-night kisses on her front porch, there never has been.”

Cade glared at his brother, but his fury was slipping away. Try as he might, he couldn’t hold on to it. “How many kisses?”

Cody winced. “I don’t know. Seven?”

Seven?

Seven too many.

Chapter Eight

‡

Lisa spent a totally enjoyable afternoon with Claire, which was surprising, because she was worried about what Cade had seen and how he’d reacted. She itched to talk to him, but he simply wasn’t around.

Thankfully, Claire helped distract her.

It was funny how some people could pop back into your life…and the two of you picked up where you left off years ago. Claire was a friend like that. It didn’t take long before they were laughing and joking and teasing each other as they had when they were in high school.

It was a wonderful feeling. Like coming home. After the misery of the past year, the loneliness, the isolation, it was exactly what Lisa needed.

Claire explained that they had a housekeeper named Molly, but she was visiting her daughter in Houston who’d had a baby, so Claire and Lisa made dinner together, which was uproariously fun. But that could have been the merlot. It was an excellent vintage of boxed wine.

While she loved to bake, Lisa wasn’t much of a chef, so she just followed Claire’s directions and tried not to ruin everything. In the end, they were howling with laughter.

Again, probably the merlot.

Despite Lisa’s disastrous attempts at tossing a salad, and a suicidal spud that decided to explode in the oven, they managed to put together a palatable meal of steak and potatoes.

They were still chuckling when the guys clomped down the stairs to join them at the dining-room table. Her attention snapped to Cade, of course. He’d showered and changed after a dusty day on the range and his hair was slicked back. While she preferred the carefree tumble of curls, the look emphasized the hard, bold lines of his face, making him even more striking. To her relief, he met her gaze and even smiled a little.

The moment hung between them until Claire shattered it. “What the hell happened to you?” she barked.

Lisa turned to Cody and stilled. A dark shadow circled his left eye. He frowned at her perusal. “Nothing.” A grumble.

Claire propped her fists on her hips, frowning from one brother to the other. “Were you two fighting?”

Judging from their chagrined flushes, they had been, but they both offered innocent looks and said, “No.”

Claire wasn’t fooled. “What was it this time?”

Lisa’s heart thudded when both men glanced at her and then quickly looked away. Hell. Had they been fighting about her? She wasn’t sure if she should be worried…or thrilled.

“We weren’t fighting,” Cody insisted as he took his place at the table and speared one of the steaks. One of the larger ones. Claire and Cade followed suit in a rush. Apparently, in this family, he who hesitated got the smallest steak, but Lisa didn’t mind. She doubted she could eat all of hers anyway.

“How’d you get that shiner then?” Claire was like a dog with a bone.

Cody scowled and sawed at his meat. “It was nothing. We were just…goofing around.”

“Right.” Claire pinned her frown on Cade. “You know it’s not fair for you to fight him. Not now.”

Cody huffed a breath. “We weren’t fighting—”

“It was one thing when you were kids. But now, you’re trained in lethal force.”

“Hardly lethal,” Cody muttered through a mouthful.

Claire’s attention whipped to Cody. “Come on. He was a marine. He can kill a man with his bare hands.”

Cade chuckled. “Where do you get these ideas?” he said, but Lisa noticed the flush on his cheeks had deepened.

“I watch movies.”

“Which are totally accurate.” There was a thread of sarcasm in his tone.

“Besides, you never talk about your time in the service.”

Cade went silent. He toyed with his fork. Then he said softly, “Trust me, Claire, you don’t want to hear about that.”

“Where were you stationed?” Lisa had to ask. She wanted to know. Needed to know.

He glanced at her and nodded; there were shadows in his eyes. “One tour in Iraq. Two in Afghanistan. It was pretty rough.” He blew out a breath and forced a smile. “But now I’m home.”

Claire lifted her wineglass. “Ooh rah to that.”

The conversation shifted then as Claire began recounting some of Cody and Cade’s more epic boyhood scraps for Lisa’s edification—much to their chagrin. The rest of the meal played out to the accompaniment of rollicking laughter and a great jockeying of position to tell an even funnier story. Lisa’s sides hurt by the end of it.

However, when it was time for dessert to be served, silence fell.

It was a near reverent hush, which Lisa found extremely gratifying, because she’d made her triple-chocolate-fudge cakelettes with caramel surprise. The surprise was, when you cut into each individual cake, a gooey blob of thick, handmade caramel oozed out.

“Oh. My. God,” Claire gushed as she took a bite, but those were the only words echoing in the room. The men said nothing; they said what they had to say with their eyes, their moans, the desperate scraping of their empty plates.

Cody tossed down his fork, picked up the plate and proceeded to lick it, lapping up each and every morsel. Cade did as well and, though Claire chirped at them to mind their manners, she quickly followed suit.

Lisa chuckled. “There’s more, you know.”

“Mmm,” Claire said. “Midnight snack.”

“Right. If you wait ’til midnight, it’ll be too late,” Cody said with a chuckle.

“You better not eat them all.” At that point, Claire and Cody launched into a frantic negotiation about who should get how many cakes and the dire consequences that might befall the person who hogged them all.

While they were thusly occupied, Cade leaned over to Lisa and whispered, “You are a genius, you know.”

Lisa affected a cocky smile. “I know.” But still, his praise was wonderful and warming. Quite a departure from her ex-husband’s constant criticism. It made her think her dream of making a go of a bakery could actually come true.

“We should hire Lisa,” Cade said out of the blue. His pronouncement startled her. She blinked.

It startled Cody and Claire too. They both fell silent and stared at her. But then, slow grins curled on their faces. “That’s a brilliant idea,” Claire said. “Can you imagine what her pastries would do to our breakfast menu? They would put us into a whole new league.”

Cody drummed his fingers on the table. “You’re right. People would come just for that.”

“Not to mention the desserts.”

“Right.”

The brothers erupted into an excited dialog, tossing thoughts on marketing and menus left and right.

Lisa lifted a hand to silence them. It didn’t work. “Wait,” she finally called. “Wait. I’m planning to open a bakery.”

“You can do that too,” Cody said magnanimously. “Once you’re up and running, you can cater our parties. We’ve been using that restaurant in town and it’s really not…well, not stellar.”

“Look at that.” Claire shot her a smug smirk. “You’re not even in business yet and you have your first paying gig.”

“Say you’ll do it.” There was something in Cade’s tone, something beyond a plea that she bake for his parties. “Just say yes.”

“Just say yes! Just say yes!” The chant went up around the table and it lit something within Lisa’s soul. A bubble of laughter ascended. A bubble of pleasure.

Cade took her hand in his. His grasp was warm, firm. “Just say yes,” he murmured.

And what could she do? What could she say?

“Yes.”

The delight in his expression transfixed her.

Dinner ended on a high note, despite its rocky beginnings. Cade was excited by the prospect that Lisa had agreed to his proposal. He had hopes it wouldn’t be the first of his suggestions she would accede to.

But the evening got even better when Cody and Claire pulled the short toothpicks and had to do the dishes. By mutual accord, Cade and Lisa headed out to the porch to sit on the swing and enjoy the falling night. They sat in silence, listening to the chorus of the crickets and frogs as a soft breeze wafted by, carrying the scents of mown hay and wood smoke. It was peaceful and sweet, sitting there beside her, rocking gently.

It occurred to him that this was a moment he’d dreamed of many times. Just sitting beside her, close enough to touch. Still, he wanted more.

He was thinking about reaching out and taking her hand, perhaps broaching the topic of their conversation in the kitchen and the prospects of continuing it, when she spoke.

“So, Cody got a black eye,” she said.

He grimaced. Damn. He thought that topic had died. “Mmm hmm.”

“I, ah, don’t suppose you know how that happened?”

He glanced at her and his gaze was snared by the expression on her face or, perhaps, just her face. She was so lovely, sitting there in the soft light of the moon. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in a silky fall, and her eyes shone. Her lips were slightly parted and they tempted him to take a taste.

Resolve and determination swelled within him. This was it. This was his chance. It was time for a declaration.

“He tried to take something I wanted.” He didn’t mean for his voice to drop so low, but it did.

She shivered. “Did he?”

“Yes.” And then, almost an accusation, “He kissed you.”

She threaded her fingers. “He did.”

His gut lurched. Even though he already knew it was true, he hated hearing it from her lips.

“But I didn’t like it.”

He stilled. His pulse kicked up. Something exhilarating shafted through his soul. “You didn’t?”

“Not at all. I told him not to do it again.”

Good.

Fucking good.

He’d hate to have to break his brother’s kneecaps.

She nudged his leg with hers. Barely touching, but it consumed his awareness. “He’s not the one I’m interested in.”

His pulse thudded. “He’s not?”

She met his gaze then, held it. “You know he’s not, Cade.”

He sank into the depths of her eyes, but still, some ifrit in his soul made him say, “Every, ah, every woman wants Cody.” He was handsome and charming and had an easy way about him. Everything about Cade was difficult and hard. Especially right now.

“That is not true.”

God, it was wonderful to hear her say that. He didn’t know why he pressed on. He should just accept that and be happy. But he couldn’t. He had to add, “Cody doesn’t have this.” He gestured to the scar savaging his cheek.

Her smile skewered him. Her words did too. “Poor Cody.”

“Poor Cody?”

“I think your scar is…” His heart pattered as he waited for her to finish. “Hot.”

Good God. His breath locked. His pulse jerked. “H-hot?”

“Very sexy.”

Oh man. Her tone, her expression, her fingers brushing his thigh—that was hot.

“Don’t get me wrong. Cody is…pretty. I just don’t like pretty men.”

“What do you like, Lisa?”

Her lashes fluttered. Her lips worked. Lust and need clawed at his soul. “I like manly men.”

“Manly men?” He tried not to puff out his chest, but failed.

She leaned closer and her scent coiled around him. “I really liked…what we shared in the kitchen. I wouldn’t mind…you know. Exploring that.”

He audibly gulped. “I wouldn’t mind either.”

She looked away, staring out at the yard. Her sudden retreat made him ache. “But only exploring it.” Her sigh was heavy. It made something cold whip through him. “I suppose I should warn you, right up front, I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I’ve made a vow to avoid emotional entanglements.”

“I…see.” He hated the way his chest constricted.

“I’m just out of a bad relationship.”

“I get it.” And then, “Why was it so bad?”

“He cheated.” Her eyes narrowed. “They all cheat. They always do.”

No. They didn’t. “Maybe you’re choosing the wrong guys.”

She snorted a laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“That’s what I keep telling my mom.” She sighed and raked back her hair. “It runs in the family, you know.”

“What does?”

“Bad taste in men. It really is hopeless.”

No, it wasn’t. She had no idea. No clue what he would give to have the chance to be faithful to her. “So you’re not looking for a boyfriend?” The words desolated him.

“Nope.” She shot him a sharp look. “I want to make sure we’re clear on that. You know, so there are no misunderstandings or false expectations or anything.”

He didn’t like the idea of some rootless mating with her. He didn’t like the idea of using her and having her use him with no expectations. He didn’t like it at all. But as he studied her expression, so solemn and determined, he realized he would take it. Any deal she offered. Any opportunity.

And, if he was lucky, or diligent, or worthy, he could change her mind. He could make her want more.

“All right.” He said it softly, but she heard. Her chin jerked up, as though his assent had surprised her. “Only exploring.” He touched her hand—nothing more than a soft stroke, tracing the delicate veins. She shivered again, then turned her palm up and threaded her fingers through his.

“Only exploring. That’s all this is.”

Right. That was all it was.

But hopefully, not for long.

Chapter Nine

‡

He’d agreed.

Holy God, he’d agreed.

Lisa had no idea why she was flooded by such conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he’d agreed. They were going to…explore. And glory, what a thrill that was. On the other hand, he’d agreed. He’d agreed to no expectations, no commitments, no strings. She didn’t know why that depressed her so. It had been her idea.

“Do you…want to take a walk?” His low voice roused her from her dismal thoughts. The query was accompanied by a squeeze of her hand.

She glanced at him and was struck by the lines, the beauty of his face. Oh, he wasn’t cute like his brother. Cade had a hard, rough, savage beauty. A manly presence. Cheekbones were high and raw, his nose bold and slightly bent. The scar on his cheek only emphasized his masculinity. He was, without a doubt, the most attractive man she’d ever met. Everything about him, from his looks to his voice to his tantalizing scent, drew her in. Made her want to come closer.

Take a walk?

“Absolutely.”

His lips kicked up, snagging her attention. He stood and helped her stand. And though she didn’t need any help standing—she’d been doing it herself since childhood—she allowed it because she liked the feel of his hand in hers.

“Where shall we go?” She tried to infuse the question with a playful tone, but her excitement might have made it sound a tad manic.

“This way.” He led her down the stairs and over to the right of the ranch house, toward some outbuildings. She’d reconnoitered a little during her walk in the afternoon, but hadn’t made it over to this side of the property—some scintillating sight in the barnyard had scuttled her exploration.

“What’s that?” With her free hand she pointed to a large, low building hunkering in the shadows off the paddock.

“The shop.” He grinned and his teeth flashed. “You might find that boring, unless you like to work on machinery.”

She wrinkled her nose. She did not. “And that one?” She pointed to a long, double-storied edifice.

“That’s the bunkhouse. Do you want to go check it out?” He led her in that direction, but she held back.

“Oh, no. I don’t want to bother the ranch hands.” Aside from which, she liked this, being alone with him.

He huffed a laugh. “Oh, we won’t bother anyone. It’s empty right now.” At her curious look, he elaborated. “After Dad died, we had to downsize. We cut our stock in half and rented out part of the property to other ranchers. We couldn’t afford to keep full-time staff. Now, all of the guys who work for us are on contract. And the bunkhouse, well…” His grin widened.

“What?”

“We only use that on party weekends. You know, for the dancers.”

“The dancers? Strippers, don’t you mean?”

He chuckled as he led her toward the bunkhouse. “Most of them would beg to differ. They see themselves as professionals.”

“Mmm hmm.”

He barked a laugh at her sardonic response. “Really. Most of them are just working guys—”

“You’re not making your point.”

He stopped and set his hands on her shoulders, holding her still. His expression was serious, but there was a hint of amusement in it. “Kane is an oil-drill worker. He works our parties because they help him keep in shape. Stefan is saving up to open a bar in Dallas. Gareth is an accountant. He dances on the weekends to make extra money to pay for his daughter’s chemo.”

She put out a lip. “Oh, great. Way to make me feel like a scumbag.”

He winked. “Tony loves to have women fawning all over him. Does that make you feel better?”

“A bit.”

He mounted the stairs and opened the door, ushering her in. When he flicked on the light, she blinked.

“This is the lounge.” He waved at the mishmash of sofas and chairs, all well used. “The kitchen is over there, and the dorms are through that door and along the length of the building.”

“It’s nice.” Nicer, still, was his presence beside her. The humming energy arcing between them that had little to do with the layout of the bunkhouse and everything to do with the fact that they were alone. Together.

He knew it too. His voice dropped an octave when he said, “It’s private.”

And then, he flicked the light back off.

The room was shadowed, but the moonlight shone in through the window, illuminating it in a pale light. Lisa looked up at Cade and her heart lurched at the expression on his face.

She tried to be all blasé as he stepped closer and pulled her into his arms, but she didn’t know if she succeeded, and then, she didn’t care because he dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers.

It was a soft, teasing caress, a breath, the hint of a kiss. Then he did it again and again. All the while, his fingers skimmed over her back, her arms, her shoulders, her hair, mere traces of a touch. She sank her nails into his shoulders and tried to hold him still, tried to deepen the kiss, but he continued to toy with her until she wanted to wail with frustration.

“What are you doing?” she grumbled.

He leaned back and fixed a patently innocent expression on his face. “Exploring.”

She couldn’t help glaring at him for throwing her proposal back in her face, and he chuckled. Then he dipped his head again, but this time, he found her neck and teased her there, his mouth hovering over her sensitive skin, his breath skipping over her sanity. He cupped her breasts, thumbed her nipples and electricity surged through her. Delight mounted. Arousal sizzled and spat. “Cade.” She buried her fingers in his hair and scored his scalp with her nails. “Cade.”

He walked her back, toward one of the sofas, angled her down and then sat beside her. He took her cheeks in his palms and leaned in and kissed her. Thank God he kissed her properly. She’d been about ready to go out of her mind with his teasing.

She opened her mouth and welcomed him in, thrilling to the surge of his tongue. When she met his with hers, he hissed in a breath and deepened the kiss. It became a wild tumult, a force of nature, a howling storm.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lisa was aware of all the kisses she’d ever had in all her life. And she knew, none of them, not one of them, had been this exciting, this crazed, this hungry. It exhilarated her to the core, because she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Cade wanted her with the same intensity with which she wanted him. There was no apathy here.

She did love that about him. He was an all-or-nothing kind of guy.

And right now, it was all. Definitely all.

His hold on her was tense and trembling. His mouth hot. His fingers restless. He didn’t break the kiss as he found and began working on her buttons. She took this as an invitation to work on his. And God. God.

When she slid her hand beneath the cotton and felt the hot, hard slabs of his chest beneath her palm, she shuddered. His skin was soft, smooth, though the hairs of his chest prickled. Unable to resist, she leaned in, kissed, caressed, explored.

His muscles shivered to her touch. He smelled of soap and shaving cream and musky man. She wanted to eat him up.

To her disgruntlement, he levered her back and, after shooting her a frown, finished unbuttoning her blouse. When the lapels fell apart, he stilled and gazed at her breasts, cupped as they were in a lacy bra. “Oh my God,” he breathed. He lifted his hands, as though to seize them, but stopped short.

Instead, he extended a finger and trailed it along the top of her bra. It was a skimming whisper that sent skitters through her. Then he drew a large circle around her breast. And another, smaller one. And another. And another, zeroing in on the aching nubs that swelled, awaiting his attention.

She nearly wept when he didn’t touch them, but began the whole damn process all over again.

By the third iteration of this hellish torment, she was ready to smack him. She grabbed his wrist as he tried to pull away. “What are you doing?” she snapped.

His grin was wicked and boyish at the same time. “Exploring.”

She did smack him then, on the shoulder, but with very little heat. “Exploring, my ass.”

He waggled a brow. “Okay.”

It was hard not to laugh, though he seemed far too eager for her to maintain composure. “You want an exploration? I’ll give you an exploration.” And then, before he could stop her, she slid between his legs and unbuckled his jeans.

Cade stared.

The sight was riveting.

Lisa, on her knees before him, looking up at him with an expression tinged with both anticipation and determination. There might have been a hint of mischief there as well.

“What—”

She lifted a finger, compelling him to be silent. He could not disobey, because whatever she had in mind, he didn’t want to discourage it. No fucking way.

And indeed, she drew his zipper down. His lungs locked. His cock surged. “Jesus, Lisa…”

“Hush.”

He shifted a bit so she could tug his jeans off his hips and then he sat as still as he could while she studied him, taking in his length, his breadth, the visible throbbing through the cotton of his briefs. The small damp spot where a tear had collected.

She blew out a sigh and it gusted over his belly. He flinched and his cock bobbled.

She glanced up at him and smiled. Heat howled through him, nestling in his balls. Damn, she was hot. Damn, she was beautiful. Damn she was—

Oh God.

Oh God. She touched him, stroked him, exploring the fat vein running his length. It was like being scraped with an electric wire, but in an exquisitely pleasurably way. He held his breath as she peeled his underwear off and took him in her hands.

His eyes might have crossed a little. And then they did, because she eased forward and touched her tongue to the tip. Nothing more than a nudge. A simple lap. But it nearly unmanned him. It took everything in him to hold back, to not surge into her mouth, or tip her on her ass and fuck her like a wild steer.

Yes, it took effort, but he held back. He didn’t want this to end so soon. He needed to see what happened next.

And good God. What happened next was worth all the agony. She took him in, deep. Sucked him into her velvet cavern and gorged on him. Her moan, as he hit the back of her throat, made every nerve in his body quiver. He released his hold on her head—hadn’t even been aware he’d been holding her—and buried his fingers in the leather of the sofa, holding on for dear life as she worked him. Up and down, swirling around, over, under…she explored him ruthlessly.

She set up a heinous counterpoint with her fist, so there was no part of him that was not stimulated.

He gazed down at her bobbing head. His cock was encased in her mouth and blanketed by her enthusiastic moans. Shards of delight skewered him in a relentless barrage. That was awesome enough, but that this was Lisa with her mouth around him, sucking the sanity from him, made it even more mind-blowing.

She did something naughty and captivating with her finger in his ass and he lurched, nearly bellowing with surprise and pleasure. He felt her lips quirk on him and heard her mumble something that could have been, “Only exploring.”

He loved this playful side of her. Hell, he loved all sides of her.

But he had no opportunity to reflect on that, or to strengthen his resolve not to come, not yet, because she did something else, some twisty thing with her hand as she dropped down, taking him as deep as he could go…and then she cupped his balls.

They were hard little nuts by then, filled and ready and primed for action. A great welling heat surged up, a mix of lust and adoration and gratitude. The wash of ecstasy was blinding. He tried to pull her away, but she wouldn’t allow it. She hunkered lower and drew on him again, attempting, perhaps, to sip his essence from him.

And ah, she could.

He released into her mouth in a scorching rush, surge after surge after surge and she took it all. She took everything. Lapping and licking and sucking him dry.

She laid her cheek on his thigh and looked up at him with a satisfied smirk on her lips. He collapsed back on the sofa and set his hand on her head, tangling his fingers in the skeins of her hair as he recuperated.

Recuperated?

Hell, he’d never be the same again.

“Lisa,” he sighed, reaching down to pull her into his arms. He loved the way she cuddled up against him. “That was unbelievable.”

She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “I figured I owed you. You know. For this afternoon.”

“You didn’t owe me anything. I assure you, that was entirely my pleasure.”

“I beg to differ.” She stroked his chest, as though she couldn’t stroke it enough.

He chuckled and held her closer. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with mutual pleasure.”

“No, there’s not.” Silence rippled through the room and then she murmured, “Although we should try it at the same time.”

And, purely in the interest of exploration, he agreed.

Still, he had to say, “Next time, we should try that with frosting.”

Her laugh was a song.

Chapter Ten

‡

They stayed in the bunkhouse for a while, kissing and talking and enjoying each other’s presence. Cade didn’t seem in a hurry to end this, but frankly, neither was Lisa. Though the passion between them burned bright and hot, when it was sated, what was left was the warm comfort of two souls entwined. It was pleasant and peaceful and felt right. For the first time in a long time, Lisa felt utterly at home in a man’s arms.

It was late when they walked back to the ranch house, with fingers entwined. The house was quiet and all the lights were out.

“Hmm. I think they went to bed,” Cade said as they stepped into the foyer. “I suppose we should too.” There was the hint of a question in his eyes.

“I suppose we should.”

He studied her, his thoughts plain on his face. “Do you…do you want me to walk you to your room?”

Her stomach pitched. He was giving her an out. Being chivalrous. She’d never been so annoyed by chivalry in her life. “No.” He paled, so she hurried to add, “Do you want to walk me to my room?”

A muscle in his cheek flexed. Intensity flared in his gaze. “I’d rather walk you to mine.” A whisper, yes, but enough to set her blood on fire.

She stepped closer, until there was not a breath between them, looped her arms around his neck and dragged her pelvis against his. She was gratified to feel a bold response. “This room of yours? Is it far?”

His arms came around her. His Adam’s apple worked. “Fourth floor.” Something of a croak.

“And is anyone else nearby?”

He blinked. “Um, no. It’s the only room in the attic.”

“Well, good.” She took his hand and led him up the stairs. “Because you’re something of a howler.”

He stopped abruptly. When she glanced back at him, his features were fixed in a disgruntled arrangement. “I am not a howler.”

The look she shot him made it clear if he hadn’t been before, he would be now. She must have made her point, because when she continued up the stairs, he hurried to catch up.

If she’d had any curiosity about why he had chosen the lone room on the fourth floor, it was answered when he pushed open the door and ushered her in. Spanning the length of the house, it was more of an apartment than a bedroom; there was a living area, a bathroom and a bedroom. Because it was on the top floor of the sprawling house, the ceiling sloped. It was decorated with a mélange of comfortable furniture that suited him to a T.

“This is nice,” she said, because all of a sudden, she couldn’t think of anything to say. She was here. In his room. They both knew what was going to happen. For some reason, she was suddenly wracked by nerves, which was silly, given what they’d shared earlier. But this? This was more.

“Thanks. It was full of junk when I moved back home. I cleared it out and put up these walls.” He waved toward the bedroom. “Redid the plumbing for the bathroom. Installed the sauna.”

Her eyes widened. “A sauna?”

“Yup.”

“Well, my. You’re handy.”

“I like my comfort.”

She wandered to the large round window and peered out at the shadowed lawn. She knew when he came up behind her. His heat preceded him.

“I like my privacy too,” he said.

She didn’t jump when he set his hands on her hips, but barely. Slowly he turned her until she faced him and then he tipped up her chin. His eyes bored into hers. “Lisa?”

“Yes, Cade?”

“Are you…? Do you…? That is, do you want to do this?”

“I…” Words failed her as hunger and heat and nervousness assailed her. Finally she managed, “Yes. But I’m a bit…”

“A bit what?”

She forced a laugh. “Shy, I guess.”

He laughed as well and threaded his fingers through her hair, then traced her cheek. “You weren’t shy earlier.”

“It was dark.”

“I can turn out the lights.” His tone was hopeful and playful and made her smile. When she didn’t respond, he settled his forehead on hers. “It’s okay, Lisa. We can take this slowly. There’s no rush. We’re only exploring, right?”

With those words, with his patience, something released within her. There was no pressure. There were no expectations. This was, simply, what it was.

“I’d like that.” She went up on her toes and kissed him. It was meant to be a quick kiss, a thankful buss, but it became something more. Most kisses with him did that, she was coming to find, but she didn’t mind in the least, because the place it took them was delicious indeed. He walked her over to a large, overstuffed chair, tossed the chaps that were draped over the arm out of the way, and sat, pulling her onto his lap.

He was hard and warm and his kiss was drugging and sweet, but something had snagged her attention. She pulled away and leaned over to peer at those leather chaps. The image of Cade wearing them—and nothing else—whipped through her mind like wildfire.

She gulped and then stared at him, her mouth agape.

There might have been some drool.

“What is it?” he asked.

She waved in the general direction of her fantasy. “Do you—do you really wear those?”

He glanced at the chaps. “I, um, of course.” When she shuddered, his eyes narrowed on her. “Lisa?”

She looked away. She had to. “Ah… I might have a thing for chaps.”

“Really?” His tone was a little lurid. Or maybe not lurid so much as fascinated. “I could…put them on.”

She flinched. Yeah. Visibly flinched as a howling arousal snarled in her belly. “Would you?”

“Hell yeah.”

She was on her feet in a trice, with him beside her. He fumbled for the chaps and quickly buckled them on. It wasn’t exactly the look she was going for—he was still wearing his jeans, after all—but, damn, it was an awesome look. The leather chaps hugged his powerful thighs, framing his crotch in a way that had always lit her fire.

Oh, why had she ever moved to the city?

Aw hell, she knew why. But she wasn’t moving back.

“Cowboys are hot,” she said, sauntering toward him. She set her hand on his broad shoulder and drew her palm over his chest. “You’re hot.”

“Do you think so?”

“Oh my God, yes.”

And he was.

He was hot even without the chaps, but the sight of him wearing them did something inside her, made her feel wild and reckless and horny. She backed him into a corner and he allowed it. The grin on his face was enormous.

She wiped it away though, when she reached down and measured his erection with her palm. His throat worked. “God, Lisa.”

“Hmm. I have a fantasy.”

“I, ah, what’s that?” A croak.

She kissed his neck. Licked. Nibbled. Then she did the same to his earlobe. He hissed out a breath.

“I always wanted to be a cowgirl.”

He made a strangled sound and then, with no warning whatsoever, yanked her into his arms, carried her into the bedroom and tossed her on the mattress. She bounced once before he lowered himself beside her, and then he rolled over, covering her. As he cupped her cheek and kissed her, she reached down and groped his ass—because surely that was what it was, groping. It was a perfect ass. Then she skimmed her hand over the leather. The scent of it, mingling with her arousal and his, rose to meet her.

She couldn’t stop from arching into his hard form, pressing against that raging erection. She couldn’t stop herself from clawing at his shirt as the intensity of the kiss raged higher and higher. When his chest was finally bare—and she might have popped a button or two—she kissed and licked and nibbled at his neck and shoulders, and then lower. He reared up, so she could reach a nipple, but then, when she sucked it, he roared and lunged to the side, taking her with him. She didn’t mind, because now she was on top. Right where she wanted to be.

And oh, she wanted.

She’d never wanted with such ferocity.

And he’d only kissed her.

Then again, this man could set her on fire with a glance.

He tried valiantly to remove her blouse, but she wasn’t inclined to stop what she was doing, so it took him a while to bare her bra. When he did, he tugged her closer, so he could pull her nipples into his mouth. She settled on him, delighted to find the crux of her thighs melded with his. As he worked his teeth over the lace of her bra, she rode him in tiny surges.

It maddened him.

In a frenzy he struggled with her bra, and in the end, she unhooked it herself. When her breasts came free, his entire body seized. His cock surged. Heat enveloped her; he enveloped her. When his mouth closed on her, flesh to aching flesh, she wailed. The pleasure was delicious, beyond intense.

He worked her for a long while, moving from one nipple, one breast, to the other, inciting her passion, making her burn. As he sucked and nibbled and teased, she sank her nails into his chest, scoring him. Her hips, restless and wayward, worked over him as she rubbed her thrumming clit against his hardness.

When she could take no more, when her weeping body demanded fulfillment, she wrenched away. Though he protested, she frowned him into silence. And he stilled when he realized her intentions. When she began unbuckling his belt. He watched her face as she worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

It took mere seconds to release his cock. She ripped her gaze from his, but only to glance down. And ah, he was beautiful. She took him in her hand—so hard and soft at the same time—and she stroked. He groaned through his teeth. “Lisa…”

She couldn’t resist a taste. She loved the way he smelled. Loved the way he felt in her mouth. Loved the tiny tear beading at the tip, proclaiming his need for this, for her.

“Lisa!”

To her dismay, he pulled her away. He stared at her, with red-rimmed eyes, and growled, “I want to be in you.”

Oh. God.

Yes, please.

At her nod, he leaned over and pulled a condom from the drawer in the nightstand and quickly rolled it on. It was a scintillating sight. A cowboy wearing chaps, with his jeans undone, splayed on the bed awaiting her delectation.

Yes.

Manically, she removed her jeans. Her panties followed in a rush. She tossed them away, somewhere. Anywhere. She didn’t care.

Once he was sheathed, she pushed his hands away and straddled him. “Mine,” she said as she eased over him and guided him to her entrance. “Mine.”

Cade was helpless. Mindless and helpless and lost.

He stared at Lisa as she settled over him. The sight of her, bare and emboldened, poised above him, sent a scorching fire through him. Her heat kissed the tip of his cock and he trembled. He locked his muscles to keep from surging up into her but it took every damn bit of his determination.

Because he really wanted to fuck her. Hard and hot and balls to the wall. But she wanted to ride him.

Like a cowgirl.

He hoped she knew what this cost him, giving up control, containing his need. He had every expectation he might not survive.

His hunger for her was a raging blaze, his need a blistering ache. And it was more than a physical desire. It was so much more.

He gritted his teeth as she slid down, impaling herself on him. And then, God help him, she explored. Fucking explored. Squeezing him. Shifting from this position to that. Circling him. Testing.

Each move was an agony of bliss.

Oh, it was fascinating watching her reactions, tracking every expression as it rippled over her face, but Jesus, she was killing him. When it became more than he could bear, he put his hands on her hips and tried to move her in some semblance of rhythm, but she resisted, and when he shot a look at her—surely not one of sheer unadulterated desperation—she grinned.

“Please,” he huffed. “Please.”

Her expression became solemn. She set her palms on his chest and leaned closer. “Is this the way a cowgirl rides?” she whispered in a taunting voice. It might have been a seductive voice, but it sounded taunting to him. But then, her breath teased him beyond sanity.

“No,” he ground out.

She pouted.

“She rides faster.”

“Like this?” Bracing on him, she moved her hips back and forth.

And ah. Ah.

“Faster.”

She complied. Thank God in heaven above, she complied, speeding up, whipping him into a frenzy, bucking, fucking and then, finally kicking into a feverish pace that stole his breath and fractured hers.

Every muscle in his body tightened, clenched, surged. She worked him harder, faster, until sweat drenched them both. She closed on him, an exquisite clutch, and his vision went red. Relief and rapture warred within him; they both won.

She shuddered over him, around him, working his orgasm and drawing it out, softening it, prolonging it until he forgot who and where he was and no longer cared.

When she collapsed on him, gasping and sighing, he held her, reveling in the slick feel of her chest against his. He held her and soothed her and murmured nonsense into her hair.

And somewhere, deep in his mind, one thought rang.

Please, God. I don’t ever want to let her go.

Chapter Eleven

‡

When Lisa awoke, she was wrapped in a warm, hard cocoon. That rumbled. It took a minute for her to realize she was still in Cade’s arms, pillowed on his chest, and the rumbling sounds were his snores.

She had no idea why the fact that he snored made her smile. She’d never liked snores before. His made her want to nestle closer. As she did, his hold on her tightened, but he didn’t wake.

She lay like that for a while, enjoying the peace of the moment, reveling in the feel of his bare skin against hers. As she replayed their tryst in her mind, her body heated. It had been glorious and wild and unrestrained. She’d never been filled so completely, never come so splendidly.

Moving slowly, she levered up and studied his face in the shadows. In repose, relaxed in sleep as he was, he seemed younger, playful, boyish. Vulnerable, perhaps.

That thought hit her hard in the gut, though she didn’t know why. They were both grown-ups. They’d agreed this would be a casual fling. No strings attached. There was no call to worry she might hurt him, but the prospect of doing so, ever, gouged at her. That, and a sense of guilt that she was using him—this gorgeous, valiant, magnificent man—to scratch an itch.

Resolutely, she thrust the guilt aside.

If she was using him, he was also using her. They were using each other. And no matter how her conscience felt about that, she couldn’t deny that what they’d shared had been the most mind-blowing experience of her life. She had no intention of walking away. Not now. Not until she’d had her fill of him.

Not until he’d had his fill of her.

She thought about waking him up, exploring him again, but he looked so peaceful she couldn’t bear to. Besides. There was always tomorrow.

She thought about leaving, going back to her room, but she couldn’t bear to do that either. Instead, she eased back down onto his chest and, as his arms closed on her again, he mumbled something that might have been her name.

She fell asleep, there in his arms, to the rumble of his snores, and she didn’t awaken again until morning.

“Dude! Where the hell are you?”

Lisa shot up in bed as a deep bellow echoed through the room and the door flew open and smacked against the wall. Stunned, she peered through the tumble of her hair at the man standing in the entrance to Cade’s bedroom.

It took a second for her to realize it was Cody. And he was staring at her. Her chest, actually.

Mortification washed over her as she realized she was naked. With an eep, she yanked up the sheets.

Cody’s lips worked. He forced his attention to her face. “Ah… Good morning, Lisa.”

A civil response was beyond her. Aside from which, her heart clogged her throat, so she simply glared.

“Sorry to, um, intrude, but Cade’s late.”

Lisa glanced to her side, where he should be, but found nothing but a dented pillow. The door to the bathroom opened and he stepped out and her pulse hitched. All thoughts of her embarrassment, of his brother, and her nakedness fled.

Good glory, he was gorgeous.

He wore only his jeans; his chest was bare and bronzed and beautiful. He was in the process of scrubbing his hair with a towel, which for some reason she found adorable. More adorable yet when he peeped out at her and grinned.

And then he stilled. His gaze shot to his brother. The grin morphed into a glower. “What the fuck?”

Cody smiled. Or maybe it was a smirk. “Good morning to you too.”

“What the hell are you doing in my room?”

Cody fluttered his lashes. “Did you forget we had a meeting with Andy?”

Cade looked at the clock and winced. “Shit. I did.”

“He’s waiting.” It was annoying the way Cody tapped his watch.

“All right. Fine. I’ll be down in a minute.”

“I can wait here.”

Cade snarled. Snarled.

Cody laughed and held up his hands. “Okay. Okay. I’m leaving. But hurry up or I’ll have to come back and fetch you.” He turned to leave, but then he paused and shot Lisa another smirk. It didn’t last long. Cade slammed the door in his face.

“God, I’m sorry about that.” He shot her a remorseful look. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, slipping from the bed and hunting for her clothes. Oh, where the hell were they?

“He has no concept of privacy. And he wonders why I wanted the room farthest from his.”

She found her bra and slipped it on. And there, thank God, her blouse. It took a while to find her jeans. Her panties were nowhere to be seen. She didn’t care.

By the time she was dressed, he was as well, but he didn’t leave. Didn’t hurry off to the important meeting. He came to her and took her in his arms and studied her face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m great.”

“Good.” He kissed her then, softly and gently. “Last night was amazing, you know.”

Beneath the warmth of his gaze, her embarrassment faded. “It was.”

“I’d like to continue this.”

“Me too.” Her lips curled of their own accord. “But next time?”

“Mmm hmm?”

“Let’s lock the door.”

“So…”

Cade glowered at his brother as he stepped into the office. He didn’t care for his brother’s smirk. “Not a word, Cody. Not a word.”

“Did I say anything?” That smug grin widened.

“Unless you’re hankering for a match to that black eye, you better zip it.”

“I wasn’t going to say a word.”

“Good.”

“Just that she’s got damn fine…”

Cade narrowed his eyes and growled.

“Features.” There was no call for Cody to laugh. Then he sobered and clapped Cade on the shoulder and said, “Look, bro. I’m happy for you. I know how much you like her and damn it, you needed…somebody.”

It was difficult maintaining his ire in the face of such sincerity. That was the thing about Cody, he could be a complete ass and then turn around and say or do something that was actually human. “Yeah, well, thanks.”

“I hope it works out between you. I really do.”

Cade grunted his response. He hoped so too, but he didn’t have a lot of hope. Lisa had made her position more than clear. Even though last night had been amazing, and she’d admitted as much, that didn’t mean she was inclined to change her mind about them. He couldn’t help but remember the bitterness in her tone when she explained why she’d decided to avoid romantic entanglements. She’d been hurt and hurt a lot. The only real way to win her over would be to show her that he wouldn’t do the same. And everyone knew it was impossible to prove a negative.

The best he could do was try to keep her in his arms as long as he could and hope for the best.

The meeting with Andy was interminable. The forecasters were predicting a heavy spring rain and they needed to work out the schedule for moving the cattle in the back forty to higher ground before it hit. There was a plethora of other issues that seemed to go on forever. Normally, Cade enjoyed this kind of work, but today he was restless. He could only think of Lisa. He wanted to find her and talk to her. Maybe kiss her again.

By the time the meeting ended, he was cranky and hungry. He’d missed breakfast after all. He headed for the kitchen and, while it was filled with the wonderful scent of cinnamon, and there were apple muffins on the counter, there was no sign of Lisa. He hunted for her all over the house—from the library where she’d been yesterday, to her bedroom—but couldn’t find her.

Grumpily, he clomped down the porch steps and over to the shop.

The sound of laughter stopped him in his tracks. It was her laughter and it was musical. Like a Greek sailor following the call of a siren, he turned and followed the entrancing sound. She was in the barn, in one of the back stalls, where Daisy and her puppies were ensconced.

Cade leaned on the gate and stared down at Lisa, who sat cross-legged in the hay. She was covered with squirming puppies all wriggling and scrabbling, trying to lick her face. It was such a beautiful sight, so intrinsically Lisa, it made his chest clench.

She looked up and saw him and their gazes tangled. “Hey you,” she said and then she grimaced, because one of the more amorous pups took the opportunity to stick his tongue in her mouth. Cade should be jealous, but he couldn’t bring himself to be. Besides, her hacking and gagging was hysterical.

“You have some admirers,” he said.

She chuckled and peeled a couple of the hounds off, but before she could stand, several more piled on. “They are adorable.”

No. She was.

“Do you need a hand?”

“Oh, please,” she gusted.

He stepped in the stall and helped her extricate herself from the mass of wriggling fur. It took a while for them to exit the stall without letting any of the pups escape. As she stepped out, she brushed off her jeans. Then she glanced up at him. “Is your meeting over?”

“Finally.”

“And what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Technically, he should start working. Riding the fences or joining the crew as they hauled out feed. Cody mentioned he was planning to replace the alternator on one of the ATVs they used to run the ranch and he wouldn’t mind a hand.

Cade didn’t want to do any of that.

“How about a ride?”

Lisa’s eyes widened. “A ride? On a horse?”

The way she said it, one would think he’d suggested riding a walrus. Or a dragon. “They’re quite tame. We use them for the parties.”

“Cade, I don’t know how to ride.”

“I’ll show you.” He hooked his thumbs in her belt loops and tugged her closer, kissed her. “Come on. It’ll be fun.” And they’d be away from the ranch house. There might even be privacy.

“Okay.”

She watched as he saddled up two mounts—Champion, his favorite, and Kate, a gentle mare. As he worked, he gave her a quick lesson on horses, including the most important tip—never come up behind them without letting them know you’re there. He’d learned that one the hard way as a boy.

When he finished, he helped her mount and waited at her side as she found her bearings. Only when he was certain she was comfortable did he mount up himself. He shot her a grin. “Are you ready?”

She sighed. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.” There was trepidation in her tone, and she clutched the reins as if her life depended upon it, but she valiantly gave Kate’s side a gentle kick as he instructed and the horse moved forward. It was only a step, but she eeped…and then she laughed.

He loved that about her. She might be scared to death of the enormous beast, but she was brave enough to try a new thing.

As they headed out of the stable yard and into the field surrounding the compound, it became easier for her. By the time they reached the woods, she was riding like a pro. Well, maybe not a pro, but she was definitely more at ease.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“I thought we’d go to the lake.”

“Oh, you have a lake?”

“Yup. It’s a popular spot during the parties. We have a little cabana set up with a bar and a grill. There’s a rope swing too. If you want, we can go swimming.”

She made a face. “I don’t swim.”

He gaped at her. “You…don’t swim?” Such a thing was unthinkable.

“No. I never learned.”

“I can teach you that too.”

Though her eyes glimmered, she said, “Besides, we don’t have swimming suits.”

He stilled and shot her a scorching gaze as the image of Lisa, naked, frolicking in the lake, filled his mind.

As though she knew exactly what he was thinking—or she was thinking it too—she pinkened. Either by accident or intent, she kicked Kate again and increased their pace.

Chapter Twelve

‡

Oh lordy.

She’d been missing Cade all morning, frustrated and annoyed that they’d had to part so soon, before they really had a chance to talk about last night…or repeat it. And now, judging from his expression, he was leading her to a spot where they could do just that.

The thought thrilled her.

He thrilled her.

There was something about him that pushed all her buttons. Something about him that made her want to gobble him up, sink in, wallow in him. Maybe it was his smile or the look in his eyes or the calm, steady energy he projected. Maybe it was his voice or his scent or the way he touched her, treated her. But when she was with him, the sun shone brighter and the birds were…chirpier. Everything was clearer. More pleasant. The rustle of leaves in the breeze, the smell of the loam, the movement of the horse beneath her.

She liked spending time with him and, more than that, she liked who she was in his presence.

As they rode, he told her about the ranch, how it had been built by their grandfather, who got it in his mind that his children and their children would never leave the Double S, so he built a house large enough to accommodate them all. They had moved away, though. All of them, until his father was the only one left. He talked about the day his father died. About learning the ranch was near foreclosure. About how Cody had come up with a crazy idea to save it.

And they talked about her life. How her father had broken her mother’s heart. How her parents had divorced and she’d had to leave this town and move to Dallas. About meeting Guy. Her dreams of opening a bakery.

He appeared somewhat annoyed when she mentioned that Guy hadn’t supported her career. She liked that. She liked that a lot.

When they came out of the trees to a clearing nearly filled with a sparkling expanse of water, her breath caught. “Oh, it’s lovely.”

“We like it.”

He slid to the ground and then came around to help her down. As much as she considered herself an independent woman who didn’t need a man for anything, in this instance she really appreciated his help. Also, his hands on her waist were warm. She loved the way his hold spanned her. She tipped up her chin to thank him and he took a kiss instead.

He tied up the horses and then took her by the hand and led her to the charming gazebo at the far side of the lake. It was a whimsical confection of curlicues and lattice and inside there were several lounges, chairs and tables sprinkled about. The bar took up one side, but the others were open to the air and the front arch looked out on the lake.

It really was beautiful, the water tempting.

The day was warm. Sweat gathered on her brow. A dip would be wonderful.

She leaned against the colonnade and glanced up at him with a flirtatious smile. “About those swimming lessons…”

He stilled. His gaze locked on her. “Do you…do you want them?”

She shot a look around the clearing. “This is private, isn’t it?”

“Very. The crew is on the other side of the ranch. Cody’s in the shop. Claire’s working in the office. We’re all alone.” The lilt of enthusiasm in his tone was stirring, as was his expression.

Tempting. Tempting indeed.

Without giving herself a chance to think about it, she pulled off her t-shirt. His eyes widened. He stared at her. Then he scrambled to catch up. They pulled off their clothes and dropped them where they stood, then raced each other to the shore. Laughing, Lisa plowed into the water, catching her breath at the cold kiss on her heated skin. Cade was right behind her; he grabbed her, swung her around and then turned her to face him and kissed her.

As always, the kiss heated them.

As always, it lasted longer than intended.

Lisa didn’t care in the slightest. She gloried in the feel of the sun, the feel of his skin against hers, his hands on her body. The nudge of his erection.

That he wanted her as much as she wanted him invigorated her. Beyond that, it was glorious and illicit, being nude outdoors, in the daylight.

He walked her deeper into the water; as they submerged, it crept up her back like silk. All the while, he kissed her, stroked her. When they were as deep as her chest, when the play of water lapped at her pebbled nipples, he stopped and raised his head.

“The first lesson in swimming,” he said, “is learning to float.”

She blinked. Something that resembled disappointment skittered through her. Surely not because his tone was avuncular and pedantic. Surely not because he’d been serious about swimming lessons. Surely not because she’d really been expecting something else.

“Seriously? We’re going with swimming lessons?”

He grinned. “I did promise. And I always keep my promises.”

“You do?” That was good to know.

“Of course. I’m an Eagle Scout.” He said this as though it were a given. “Besides, everyone should know how to swim.” He winked. “It’s as easy as riding a horse.”

“Humph.” No doubt it was. But she’d really had something else in mind. She set her hand on his chest and thumbed his nipple in an attempt to distract him. It didn’t work.

“Come on, Lisa. Lie back in the water.” When she resisted, he added, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

Well, hell, she wasn’t worried. She could still touch the bottom, for heaven’s sake, but it seemed like a pretty good excuse to clutch at him.

She allowed him to ease her onto her back. His hands splayed out to hold her up and he began gliding her body through the water. “Focus on keeping your back slightly arched. Focus on staying buoyant.”

She watched his expression as he tracked her, making sure he didn’t move so quickly water splashed on her face. He was so gentle, so tender, so patient, she didn’t have the heart to tell him she already knew how to float. It was far too pleasant to allow him to continue.

“Now, close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes? Why?”

“Lisa.” He tsked. “Who’s giving these lessons?”

She huffed a sigh and complied. And oh, with her eyes closed, each glide of her body, each lick of the water, each touch of his hand was magnified.

Something warm and wet closed on the peak of her breast. Her eyes flew open and she lurched as the sensation seared her. She grabbed hold of his shoulders with a cry.

He lifted his head. His lips tweaked. “Close your eyes, Lisa,” he said in a low, languid voice.

It took every bit of her self-discipline to do so—she really wanted to watch—but with great effort, she closed her eyes and leaned back into a float. It wasn’t long before he touched her again, but this time with a finger, and not to her nipple. Instead, he drew tantalizing circles around and around, teasing her areola until it swelled to a painful point. She couldn’t hold back a moan.

She thought she heard him chuckle, but her ears were underwater so it could have been her imagination.

He continued his torment, alternately nibbling and plucking and sucking at her nipples until she wanted to thrash. With great force of will, she managed not to. She was about to congratulate herself on an impossible feat, when his palm scudded lower. She froze as he neared the crux of her thighs, shivered as he drew a light line along her crease.

She did open her eyes then. She couldn’t resist. And the expression on his face slayed her. His attention was locked on her mons. His features were tight. A muscle in his cheek bunched. What she saw there was pure, savage hunger.

And this time, when he touched her, he touched her. It was like a bolt of electricity screaming from her clit to each and every humming nerve.

“Cade.” She took hold of his arm and used it to lever herself up, to fit herself against him. The hairs of his chest abraded her hard nipples. His erection thrust against her belly. She realized she could no longer touch the bottom, but she didn’t care. She was in his arms.

“Lisa.” While she clung to him, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her and then he folded himself around her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Lifting her slightly, he entered her.

It was a slow invasion, but each nudge, each inch set off a shower of new sensation, new delight. Relentlessly, resolutely, he filled her. When he was as deep as he could go, he gave his hips a shimmy, circling in her, massaging her.

She couldn’t help but close on him at the wash of unmitigated pleasure.

He hissed a breath through his teeth and pulled out. As he moved, he held her gaze, spoke to her with his body and his eyes as he loved her, brought her to higher and higher pleasure.

She’d loved fucking him last night, and remembered it well, but this was even more glorious.

Maybe it was the sun on their skin, or the water teasing them, or the fact that he was controlling the thrusts, but it was more intense, more immediate, rawer than anything she’d ever experienced.

As their passion raged like a storm on the range, as it began to whip and scream and howl, his pace increased. He growled, feral beast that he was, and pulled out before thrusting again and again in a manic and perfect rhythm. They had no leverage but each other, so their lovemaking was like a battle, two bodies wrestling together, twined and entwined, each questing, searching, demanding respite.

As wild as it was, though it made her heart race and her body weep, though it made her quiver and quake, there was a thread of tenderness woven through it. A tenderness so sweet and poignant, it brought tears to her eyes.

When she came, it overtook her. It emerged from some place deep within her, some dark, secluded cave where she’d hidden a part of herself. It rose up, expanded and exploded into the light, arms wide, embracing the glory and the warmth of the day, this man, this moment.

He held her as she struggled for breath. Stroked her as she reclaimed her hold on this world. His chest surged as well. His pulse thudded against her cheek. His arms, strong and warm, held her. Held her up.

Which was a good thing, considering she was in way over her head.

As though he could read her thoughts, his hold tightened. “Don’t worry,” he whispered into her ear. “I’ve got you.”

Chapter Thirteen

‡

The next week was one of the happiest Lisa had ever spent. She baked like a fiend, trying new recipes—freezing what the Silvers and their ranch hands couldn’t eat—and creating a stockpile for the party scheduled for that weekend. There was nothing she loved more, she found, than exploring her passion.

Speaking of exploring passion, she spent the nights with Cade, usually in his room. With the door locked. And occasionally they didn’t wait for evening. There was a shocking tryst in the hayloft and another in the woods and another in his sauna, which had left them both limp as noodles.

Thankfully Cody and Claire accepted the blossoming romance with ease. Lisa had worried how Cody would react—and she was worried how she could face him knowing what he’d seen that morning in Cade’s room—but he waved her concerns off with an affable grin and never mentioned it again, other than to say he was pleased, that he’d never seen his brother so happy.

That comment tugged at her conscience. Lisa knew Cade was besotted with her. She was besotted with him too. She couldn’t deny it. But she also couldn’t deny that every relationship started out like this, full of hearts and flowers and protestations of absolute devotion. But at some point, they all went sour.

She couldn’t bear it if that happened with Cade, but she didn’t have the courage to examine why.

It was much easier to continue as they were. Exploring each other.

The difficulty was, with each new thing she learned about him, she adored him more. He liked to sing but had little talent for it. He had a soft spot for small creatures—she discovered this when she found him in the barn gently performing CPR on a newborn kitten. He had a habit of sticking olives on each of his fingers before gobbling them up.

When she asked him about his romantic past—and she found at one point she was burning to know—he told her there wasn’t much to tell, other than he’d been in love with a girl in high school who hadn’t known he was alive.

That about broke her heart, because he was a wonderful man who deserved to be loved back, with the ferocity and constancy with which he loved. When she told him that girl had been stupid indeed, he’d gazed at her with glimmering eyes and then he’d kissed her. Their lovemaking that night had been gentle and slow and tempered with his gratitude. Which had annoyed her.

He had no call to be grateful to her. She’d only spoken the truth.

A woman would be damn lucky to win Cade Silver’s love and devotion. She damn well better love him back.

Lisa had no idea why the thought of this imaginary woman—the one who would take him to have and to hold—annoyed the crap out of her, but it did. It wouldn’t be her, she had to remind herself. It couldn’t be.

And yeah, that thought annoyed her too.

When those kinds of thoughts settled in her mind and swelled, she turned to her baking and found relief.

As the week went on, she found herself baking more and more.

Claire swept into the kitchen on Friday morning to find Lisa up to her elbows—literally—in bread dough. She glanced around the room, which was littered with pans and bowls and a dusting of flour. “What are you doing?”

Lisa bit back a grin and punched down the dough. “Um, making bread?”

Claire put out a lip, which was funny, because usually when she came upon Lisa in the process of making something edible, she was excited. “Porsche’s coming over.”

“That’s nice.” Lisa dumped the bowl onto the floured counter and began to knead. It was therapeutic, kneading.

“I was hoping we could all go into town for lunch. You’ve been closeted in the house all week.”

Hardly closeted. She’d been in the woods. And the hayloft. “This will take a few more hours. You guys can go ahead.”

Claire settled on the stool at the island and helped herself to a scone. “We can wait for you. Make it a late lunch. Dinner maybe? Trust me, you don’t want to be here this evening.”

“What happens this evening?”

“The Huns arrive.”

Lisa blinked. “The actual Huns?”

“Mmm. For the party this weekend? They usually start descending on Friday afternoon.”

Ah. Lisa chuckled as she split the dough and started rolling it out. “Are you talking about the strippers?”

Claire made a face. “No. The horny housewives. The strippers are actually pretty chill. But those women. Gads. The squeals. The panting. It’s revolting.”

“How many are coming?”

“Fifteen this weekend. It’s a bachelorette party. The worst.”

“I can’t wait to see it.”

“Trust me. You can wait. Come with us to town. You’ll be glad you did.”

She was glad, but not for the reason Claire assumed. It was simply a delightful afternoon. The three of them had lunch at the B&G and chatted and laughed. Lisa hadn’t had many friends once she’d married Guy—somehow they’d all drifted away. It was nice to enjoy that sense of camaraderie once more. She and Claire were on the same wavelength and their conversations were snarky and funny. She liked Porsche as well. Ford and his fiancé, Crystal, stopped by to chat and ended up joining them. Lisa couldn’t help thinking how nice it was to be back in town. How nice it was to have friends again.

When they arrived back at the ranch house, there were a bunch of cars parked in the gravel by the barn—the party was already in full swing. Cody met them at the door with a scowl. “Where have you been?” he barked at Claire.

She sniffed. “We went into town.”

“You knew we had a party starting tonight.”

Claire grinned. “Exactly.”

“Damn it, Claire, we needed your help with check-ins.”

She patted him on the chest and waltzed into the foyer. “I’m sure you handled it.”

“Of course I handled it.” Cody started closing the door, but then noticed Porsche standing there. “Oh, hi, Porsche,” he said breezily.

“Hi, Cody.” Her lashes fluttered. Her tongue peeped out.

Cody turned back to his sister and propped his hands on his hips. “Next time, let me know your plans, will you, Claire?”

Cody didn’t notice the way Porsche’s face fell, but Lisa did. Her heart pinged as she realized her new friend had a thing for the handsome cowboy. It was a shame, because he barely even registered her presence.

It occurred to her that Cody was even more clueless than she’d suspected.

Which was a really lot.

Cade was working in the office when Cody found him. Well, he wasn’t working so much as hiding. He hated the first night of the parties; they were so frenetic as the women arrived and got their first glimpse of all the dancers. There was way too much alcohol and many of their guests were already lit. This was going to be a wild one, he could tell. Hence the hiding.

Besides, though he’d looked for her, he couldn’t find Lisa anywhere. There was no point in emerging if it wasn’t to see her.

Cody pushed into the office with a growl on his lips. He was often grumpy on first night, so Cade didn’t pay him much mind. “Claire went to town.” This he said like, Claire ran off with a carnie.

“Mmm hmm?” Cade continued to pretend to work.

“She knew we had a party tonight.”

“A small one.”

He huffed and dropped into a chair. “She should have been here.”

“She does the books, Cody. Orders the supplies. Coordinates the caterers. Handles the housekeeping. Schedules reservations—”

“Okay. Fine. Whatever.” Clearly Cody didn’t care for such insurgency. Clearly he’d expected Cade to leap to his defense. He wouldn’t. Silence simmered and then Cody grumbled, “Rick canceled.”

This caught Cade’s attention. Not because of the words themselves so much as the tone. “And?”

“We’re short a dancer.”

Fuck. “And?”

Cody fluttered his lashes. “And you need to fill in.”

“I’m not stripping.”

“I’m not asking you to strip. I’m asking you to fill in. Dance.”

“Have you seen me dance? The robot is about my best speed.”

“They don’t care if you can dance.”

“Right. They want me to strip. I’m not doing it. You do it.”

“I can’t do it. I’m the MC.”

“Give me the mic.”

You would have thought Cade had suggested Cody give him his firstborn. He reared back. “MC is my job.” Something of a pout. “It’s always been my job.” When Cade glared at him, he forced a wheedling smile. “Look, if you do this, I’ll give you the next two weekends off.”

“I don’t work for you, Cody.” It bore repeating.

“Please, Cade? Just come out and wiggle your butt a little. Five minutes on stage.”

“Five minutes?”

“Just five minutes.”

“And I get the next two weekends off?” That was tempting. Maybe he and Lisa could take a vacation together, get away. He could always close his eyes and think of England while he did his stint. Besides, if Lisa was watching, he could perform for her. The sight of him in chaps always turned her on. Yeah. This might not be so bad after all.

“Deal?” Cody thrust out his hand.

Cade didn’t take it, but he did nod. “Okay. Deal.”

“Great.” Cody slapped his knees and stood. “Oh, and Cade, can you come dressed in your firefighter gear?”

“What?”

“Kane and Gareth are doing the cowboy routine. We need a firefighter. For variety.”

“Seriously?”

“It’ll be great,” Cody said breezily as he headed for the door. “Oh, and remember not to wear your shirt.” And then, with a grin, he was gone.

Hell.

The music was loud, resonating on a deep bass beat. The big dining hall was dim. Lisa stood in the doorway and stared at the stage as two Stetson-wearing musclemen with alarmingly shiny skin writhed on the stage as women howled and screeched. She shot a look at Claire, her eyes wide.

“Toldja. It’s insane.”

Porsche shrugged and took a sip of her drink. “That guy on the left is hot.”

Lisa scoped him out and her nose wrinkled. It was clear that Kane was a bodybuilder. His body was thick and powerful; his features were sculpted perfection. There was no doubt he was a gorgeous man. But he stirred nothing inside her. None of them did.

Even in chaps.

She bit back a smile as the thought occurred to her that Cade in chaps had probably ruined her for any other cowboys. Funny, how the thought warmed her.

The cowboy routine ended to thunderous applause and even more thunderous whistles and catcalls. Lisa had had no idea women could be so raucous. She wondered if her hearing would ever return to normal.

She winced as Cody picked up the mic and it screeched. He lowered his voice and warbled, “And now, for the first time ever, on the Double Stud stage, put your hands together for Randy, the smoking fireman.”

The women went wild. Burn It Up started thrumming through the room and a shadow appeared on stage. A tall, broad, powerful man. Something about his silhouette snagged Lisa’s attention and she narrowed her eyes. The lights flared, flickering over his body. She couldn’t see his face because his helmet was angled low, but he was gorgeous. His body was perfectly proportioned and muscular. His broad, bare chest tapered to narrow hips that swayed with the sound of the music. He slowly slid off his yellow jacket and dropped it to the floor.

The women screamed, but Lisa barely heard through the pulse pounding in her ears. He tipped his chin up and she caught a glimpse of his lips and her heart stalled. She knew those lips.

Holy God.

It was Cade.

Of their own volition, her feet moved her closer to the stage. He filled her vision.

He looked up then and spotted her, and he stilled, but only for a second. When he started moving again, it was with a smile that was just for her. He removed his helmet and tossed it into the wings, then he lifted a hand and drew it over his chest, caressing himself as he held her gaze. She imagined it was her hand measuring those pecs, rippling over that washboard. He circled his belly button and then drew his finger back up to his nipple. Her knees went weak.

He turned around so his back was to the crowd and toyed with one of his suspenders, and then the other, teasing the audience. Teasing her. He glanced over his shoulder as he eased one, then the other down, and then waggled his hips as his pants scudded lower.

Lisa’s breath caught in her throat as the curve of his bottom appeared.

Surely he wouldn’t… Not in front of everyone?

But then he grinned and pulled them back up. The women in the audience wailed.

He turned around and did the same with the front, sweeping low, but only a tease.

It shouldn’t have affected her the way it did, his dance, his expression, his intent. But it liquefied her.

She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was seducing her.

Here.

On stage.

In front of everyone.

The song ended and he bowed to his adoring crowd and then he grabbed his jacket and ran offstage.

A roar resonated in the room as the women protested his escape, but before they could revolt, Cody quickly called on the next dancer.

Lisa didn’t wait to see. She couldn’t.

She was utterly aflame.

She stumbled from the room and around to the staging area where the dancers were suiting up. They all looked up when she entered the room, but she only had eyes for Cade. Without a word, she took his hand and towed him into the hall.

He knew. She could tell from the look in his eyes, he knew what she wanted.

He wanted it too.

They didn’t get far. He backed her up against the wall—hard against her, hot against her—and kissed her with a blazing passion. She scudded her palms over the muscles of his back, then raked him with her nails.

He growled in his throat and glanced at the stairs.

Apparently he decided he couldn’t wait as long as it would take them to climb to the fourth floor. He seized her arm and dragged her into the kitchen. The room was dark and deserted, but he didn’t stop. He herded her around the corner and into the pantry and closed the door.

They came together in a heated rush. The kiss was feral. Hunger snarled between them. There was no time for talk, no need for it.

With hard, harsh hands, he unfastened her jeans and yanked them down. Wildly, she kicked them off. He turned her around and bent her over the table, and spread her legs.

She buried her face in her arms and moaned as he touched her, stroked her. He hissed when he found her damp heat. When he pulled away to yank off his pants, she nearly wailed, but there was no time, because almost immediately he was back, hot and hard, nudging her. With no preamble, he thrust home.

Ecstasy erupted within her, brilliant and blinding.

He withdrew and plunged again. And again and again, pummeling her with a barrage of breath-stealing bliss. The sound of his huffs, the slap of skin against skin, intensified as he worked her, finding that spot, the one that made her mindless and mute, the one that made prickles rise on her skin, made tremors take her from the inside out. Unerringly, he found her there, again and again, drawing her to some arcane plane where two somehow became one.

Her head began to spin. She pushed back into him, opening to him, welcoming him. More. She wanted more.

His pace became more frenzied. More feverish. His lunges savage. She took it all and gave back as good as she got.

His muscles tightened. His grip on her hair became fierce. His cock swelled, filling her even more, stretching her and sending her over the edge as he sawed in and out of her with desperate intensity.

Rapture flooded her. She devolved into something primal, something bestial and bare. Absolute rapture imbued her every nerve. She shuddered; she shook.

He made one last manic plunge and stilled. His groan echoed through the pantry. Then one small surge. And another.

He collapsed on her, curving into her, covering her as she clung to the table.

“Lisa,” he said on the whisper of a breath.

And somehow, that said it all.

Chapter Fourteen

‡

Cade lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Though it was the middle of the night, he couldn’t sleep. His mind was beset.

Lisa snuffled something and nestled closer and he tightened his hold on her. He loved the weight of her on his chest. The feel of her hand caressing him in her sleep. Her scent.

Hell, he loved everything about her.

He’d always been fascinated with her, sure. In high school it had been a stupid crush, and when he’d seen her again, there’d been that undeniable blaze of physical attraction. But this? This was something more. This was something all-consuming. Something that lit his soul on fire and made him ache with a hunger he’d never before known.

He had her now, in his life, in his arms, in his bed, but he didn’t want just now. He wanted forever. It killed him that she’d been hurt before. Hurt so badly she was too gun-shy to even contemplate a long-term relationship with him.

Because that was what he wanted.

That was what he needed.

She stirred and lifted her head and blinked drowsily. “Can’t sleep?” She traced the bristles on his chin.

“Mmm. Just thinking.” He stroked her hair then pulled her closer for a kiss. It was lazy and luxurious. Her essence infused him.

“About what?” she asked when the kiss finally ended and she had settled back on his chest.

His pulse thrummed. Should he tell her? Could he dare? The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her or push her away, but the desire to confess the depth of his feelings for her was strong. Before he could pull it back, he said, “Us.”

Damn. She stiffened in his arms.

Well hell. In for a penny, in for a pound. He drew his fingers over her back, reveling in the shimmy of her skin to his touch. “I like us.”

He could tell she was holding her breath. Waiting for her response was a torment. Finally, she whispered, “I like us too.”

It was hardly a declaration, but it was something. It made his soul fly.

Though he was tempted to push further, to say more, he curtailed the urge. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I have next weekend off.”

“Do you?”

“What do you think about going away for a couple days?”

“Away?”

“Maybe to the coast. Only the two of us?”

She blew out a sigh and her breath danced over his chest. To his delight, she wriggled closer and murmured, “Only the two of us? No Cody? No Claire? No horny housewives?”

“Not a one.”

“That sounds amazing.” She lifted her thigh and rubbed it against him.

It didn’t take long for passion to rise.

But then, it never did.

The next week flew by. Lisa spent a lot of time in town, working with the lone realtor on finding a workable site for the bakery. There weren’t a lot of options. When she got frustrated, she would think about the coming weekend and her excitement would flare. Cade had made reservations at a hotel on the beach in Corpus Christi. She couldn’t wait to go, especially since it had started to rain and hadn’t let up for days. The thought of lying on a sunny beach was tantalizing.

She wasn’t sure why the prospect of going away with him was so alluring. They had plenty of time alone here. As much as they wanted, really. But still, each time she thought of it, she smiled.

Heck, when she thought of him, she smiled.

He was such a warm, sweet, loving soul. So gentle and tender…and so wild. Each night he brought her to higher and higher pleasure, as though each time they tangled built on the last. But it went beyond physical pleasure or something so superficial as animal attraction. It was his grin. His laugh. His sense of humor. His view of the world. They’d had engaging conversations about politics and humanity and world issues, and while they didn’t always agree, she had to respect his opinions. They were well thought out, balanced and threaded with compassion.

She loved their chats. She loved kissing him. She loved being in his presence.

She suspected she loved him, but she didn’t allow herself to think about that. If she did, if she was tempted to contemplate breaking her rule, all she had to do was dredge up the pain and anger of Guy’s betrayal, or recall how her father’s infidelity had ruined her life as a girl.

Neither of those things were Cade’s fault, of course. But it didn’t matter.

She couldn’t allow herself to be hurt like that again.

Sadly, she suspected she was headed in that direction regardless. Even if she and Cade were not an item, at this point, if he dumped her or traded her in for a newer model, it would devastate her. She should walk away. She should end it. But she couldn’t. Not yet. She couldn’t bear the thought.

She returned to the ranch house after another dismal meeting with the realtor on Friday afternoon to find guests arriving for this weekend’s party. It was a birthday this time, for an eighty-year-old Dallas socialite and her friends. Lisa refused to be shocked by the lascivious comments of the silver-haired octogenarians as they milled in the lounge, waiting for the dancers to arrive for the welcome party.

“Don’t worry. We have a portable defibrillator on site,” Cody whispered in her ear.

Lisa chuckled and smacked his shoulder. “Stop.” Though the ladies were all preoccupied, it wouldn’t do to have them hear.

Claire came into the room carrying a tray of Lisa’s cookies. She set it on the coffee table next to a pitcher of lemonade and then lurched back to avoid the rush as the grannies descended on it. She headed over to Lisa and grinned. “This is going to be a fun one,” she said. “Too bad you’ll miss it.”

Lisa grunted. “I’ll survive.” She eyed the frenzy at the table. “I hope I made enough goodies though.”

“Me too.” Claire glanced at her. “Did you have a nice afternoon in town?”

“I got some clothes.” She tried to sound cheerful about that, but all Snake Gully had was a thrift store. And most of the people who donated to it were, well, not fashionistas.

“I told you, you can keep wearing mine until the rest of your stuff comes from Dallas.”

“And I appreciate that, Claire. But…”

“But what?”

Lisa grimaced. “Apparently I enjoy baked goods a little more than you do.” For some reason, since she’d arrived, Claire’s jeans were getting tighter and tighter on her.

“Is that even possible?” They both ignored Cody.

Claire’s brow rumpled. “I have sweatpants.”

“And sweatpants are sooo attractive.”

“They’re comfortable.”

“Well, thank you. I appreciate the offer.”

“Humph.” After a moment of watching the grannies squabble over cookies like jackals with a zebra carcass, Claire asked, “So, how did things go with the realtor?”

“Awful.” Lisa wrinkled her nose. “There’s not a lot of retail space available right now.”

Cody snorted. “There’s not a lot of retail space, period.”

“I don’t know why you don’t retrofit your grandmother’s house and use that,” Claire said with a shrug.

Lisa gaped at her. Holy God. Why hadn’t she thought of that? It was right on the main drag, it had a large kitchen and it wouldn’t take much to remake the front room into a storefront. “Claire, you’re a genius.”

She buffed her nails on her shoulder. “Yeah. I know. Oh crap.” She frowned at the tray, which was now littered with crumbs. The grannies had turned to her and fixed her with gimlet glares. “I’d better get some more.” She bustled from the room.

This left Lisa alone with Cody. It shouldn’t have been uncomfortable, but he was studying her with an intensity that made the hairs on her nape prickle. She shot him a frown. “What?”

He looked away. Shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Come on, Cody. What is it?” She knew him well enough to know it wasn’t nothing. Not at all.

Another shrug. “Just…you and Cade are going away this weekend.”

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering…”

“Wondering what?” For a guy as brash and reckless as he usually was, he was certainly dancing around this.

“I was wondering what’s going on between the two of you.”

She stared at him. Seriously? Was it not obvious?

“I mean, where is this, you know, going?”

Holy God. “Are you asking me what my intentions are?”

His grin was sheepish. “Kinda.”

“I think that’s between me and Cade.” As in, MYOB.

“It is. But, Lisa, he’s my brother. I care about him. I don’t want him hurt.”

Why that slashed at her like a savage claw was a mystery. “He’s not going to get hurt.”

“Isn’t he? He really likes you. And you’ve made it no secret that you’re not interested in anything permanent. As I recall, you were quite adamant when you told me you weren’t looking for a boyfriend.”

That was different. That was…

Oh hell. It wasn’t.

“You don’t understand.”

“I think I do.” He settled his gaze on her, solemn and serious and so out of character for him it snagged her attention. “You’ve been burned. You’re leery. But I don’t want my brother to be a casualty of war.”

“That’s a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”

“Is it?” He leaned closer, studied her with an alarming intensity. “Do you deny you’re holding back because you’re afraid? Afraid of getting hurt again?”

“That’s none of your beeswax.”

“But it is. Cade is. The fact of the matter is, Lisa, you don’t know if things are going to work out. You never know. That’s the thing about relationships. It’s about trust. Would Cade ever cheat on you? I’d bet my last dollar he wouldn’t. Ever. He’s not that kind of guy. Besides, he’s had a crush on you since high school…” He trailed off. A hint of guilt crossed his features. His ears went pink.

Her heart lurched. “He’s…what?”

“Forget I said that.”

Forget he said that? No way in hell. “Cade had a crush on me?”

I was in love with a girl. She didn’t know I existed.

Good God.

It was her. She was the moron.

He was in love with her. In love with her. The thought made her weak at the knees. Made her tremble and want to weep.

The realization turned her world on its ear.

She walked away from Cody without another word.

Words were beyond her.

Chapter Fifteen

‡

Cade found Lisa in the kitchen with Claire, finishing up another batch of cookies. “Hey, babe. You ready to go?”

She looked up over the island and their gazes tangled. There was something there, in her expression, something odd that made his gut ripple; he couldn’t name it. But she nodded and said, “Yep. All set,” in a casual tone.

He carried their suitcases to the truck and stowed them in the cab before walking her over with an umbrella above her head. The rain was annoying, but at the same time, it created a cozy cocoon just for the two of them. He was so excited for this weekend and he hoped she was too. His nerves, he tried to ignore.

The fact that he planned to tell her everything, the fact that he had a ring in his pocket, made his brain hum. He knew it could be a mistake, pressuring her, trying to pin her down, but he’d made the decision that he had to do something, had to say something, so he would.

This would be it. The beginning of something wonderful or, possibly, the end.

Of all the things he’d done in his life—charging into burning buildings, running across battlefields with mortars exploding around him, leaving his home for parts unknown—this took the most courage. This took everything he had.

He could only hope he wouldn’t lose her because of it.

He didn’t know what he would do, who he would be, if he did.

With a deep breath, he shot her a brave smile and started the engine.

They’d nearly made it out of town when the call came in. Cade glared at the squawk box mounted on his dash, but he couldn’t not answer it. He shot an apologetic glance at Lisa. “Silver here,” he said into the handset.

“Cade. Where are you?” Sandy’s voice crackled over the speakers.

“Heading out of the north end of town.”

“Thank God you’re close. We have an incident. We need someone who’s trained in swiftwater rescue.” Damn. He peered at the road through windshield wipers that were working away like mad. He should have expected something like this. It had been raining for days. “Can you get to the arroyo where it intersects Binion Road?”

“Yeah. That’s not far.”

“Thanks, buddy. Bobby and Tank are already there. They’ve set up a command center.”

“What is it?”

“A car tried to cross.”

“Hell. In this rain?” The riverbed was usually dry, but when the spring rains came, it could become a raging torrent in seconds.

“Yeah. They were swept downstream and snagged on a sandbar, but the way the water’s rising, we need to move quickly.”

“Gotcha. I’ll be there in a flash.”

“You’re the best, man.”

“Thanks.”

He ended the call and glanced at Lisa. “Sorry about this. Looks like our getaway will have to wait.”

“I don’t mind. If someone needs help, that’s more important.”

He shot her a grateful smile. It was nice to know she understood.

He reached the command center the guys had set up, which wasn’t much but a collection of trucks. Bobby and Tank were in the process of stringing a line across the river. Cade would use that as his anchor, snapping into it with a carabiner.

Safety was the watchword in operations like this. Cade knew one careless moment could be the difference between life and death, so they had multiple backups.

He could see a red compact in the middle of the arroyo, snagged on a mound of sand. Water swelled and rushed around it on both sides. As he watched, a chunk of wood careened down the river and slammed into the elevated bank, causing a wedge of the shoreline to sheer off and cascade into the river.

Damn, it was moving fast.

He moved fast too, changing into the gear he kept in his truck. The rain had drenched him by the time he was ready. It hardly mattered. He opened the passenger door and gave Lisa a quick kiss. “Stay here,” he said. “The riverbank is saturated and unstable.” He waited for her to nod, then he kissed her again and closed the door.

He jogged over to Tank. “What do we got?” As they spoke, Cade pulled on a PFD and helmet. No matter how skilled a rescuer was, a man never went into the water without headgear and a flotation device.

“Two victims. A woman and an infant.”

Shit. “I’ll get the baby first.”

“Right. We’ve done a scene assessment and determined a tension line is the best approach.”

Cade agreed. The water was moving too fast for a throw bag and it was too high to wade. He studied the rope anchored on each side of the river at a diagonal angle. He’d hook in and zip-line to the car, secure each victim and be towed back. “Let’s do it.”

As he locked in and adjusted his webbing, it was a relief to see Sandy pull up with a couple other guys in the medic unit. Though he was trained in swiftwater rescue, it was good to know it wasn’t just the three of them, in case anything went south.

One could never trust a raging river.

Bobby jogged downstream with throw bags in the event he or the victims got swept away, Tank headed upstream to watch for debris and Sandy and the other guys took point on belay.

With a deep breath, Cade headed out. Since the far side of the river was lower, he didn’t hang up as he maneuvered toward the car. The water rushing beneath him was flecked with white and littered with debris, everything from branches to old pop cans. Occasionally something large would sweep by. He knew it was a dangerous flow, and it was rising quickly. There was no time to waste, especially since he needed to make two runs.

He reached the car and shot a smile at the woman, hoping to calm her. Her face was pale and she visibly shook. She held the baby tightly. Too tightly as it was. The child was shrieking. “Don’t worry, ma’am,” he said. “We’ll get you out of this.”

“I didn’t know,” she said. “I didn’t realize…”

“It’s all right. It’s all right. Listen, I’m going to take the baby first and then I’ll come back for you.”

She paled even more. “T-take the baby?” She glanced at the shore. “How safe is that?”

“Very safe. We’re all well trained. I’ll put her in this harness.”

It took far too long to convince the woman to hand over the child. Water crept up, higher and higher. It would soon reach her window, and that would block her exit. Once Cade had the child secure, he gave the signal and Sandy hauled him back up. He handed off his precious load and headed back down immediately. Even so, the body of the car was almost completely submerged by the time he got there; water was licking at the bottom of the window.

“Okay, ma’am,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “We need to hurry.” She struggled to get through the window; the angles were awkward. Cade helped as much as he could. He secured her to the harness and pushed off.

A cry echoed from upstream and Cade looked over his shoulder. A massive log careened around the bend and barreled toward them. It slammed into the car and in a screeching blow, knocked it off the sandbar and swept it downstream. The collision changed the angle of the dead tree and sent one end whipping toward Cade. He rolled to the side, protecting the woman from the impact, but he couldn’t protect himself as well.

The log hit him with a jarring force that made him see stars. He was aware of something ripping and a screaming agony as the tree branches scraped into his back and shoulders. He could only hope his harness held fast. Because his head went light and his hands went numb…and everything went black.

“Get them out! Get them out!” Cries rose among the firefighters and they all grabbed the towrope to haul Cade back.

Lisa stood in the rain, clutching the wailing baby, and stared at the sight of Cade dangling on the line, motionless, with a thrashing woman tethered to his chest. Absolute horror curled in her gut, bony and cold, like the fist of death.

His arms were limp, hanging down and flopping with each yank on the rope. His eyes were closed. His mouth slack.

An appalling thought crept into her mind. She forced it away. She couldn’t even think it. She couldn’t even contemplate it.

She rushed to the riverbank as they hauled him out, but one of the other firefighters eased her back. “Please, ma’am. You need to stay away from the shore.”

“But Cade—”

“We’re bringing him out. Don’t worry.”

It took forever for them to pull Cade onto the riverbank, unhook the woman and get him on a stretcher. She held her breath as Taggert checked him out. He was so still. So pale. She nearly fainted when he moved.

Thank God. Thank God he wasn’t dead.

It horrified Lisa that they fitted him with a collar. Taggert assured her it was merely a precaution, in case he’d hurt his spine, but it was so frightening looking Lisa couldn’t breathe. As it was, she was barely aware that the mother Cade saved had come to claim her baby.

Lisa rode with Cade in the ambulance while one of his buddies followed in Cade’s truck. All the way to the hospital, she held his hand and whispered to him, begging him to wake up, but he didn’t. Taggert didn’t say much, but his concerned glances and constant checking of Cade’s vitals made Lisa’s nape prickle. When she asked, “Will he be all right?” Taggert forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and said, “Of course.”

But she didn’t believe him.

Lord, it was hard to breathe. One thought howled in her brain.

She couldn’t bear it. She simply couldn’t.

Life without him.

A world without him.

It was beyond her.

It chilled her to the bone.

Suddenly, everything was crystal clear. Brilliantly, painfully, dreadfully clear.

No matter what, no matter what pain might await her in the future, she had to have this man in her life. She had to. She could not live without him.

Life was nothing without him.

If only he would survive this.

If only he could.

Please, God, she prayed, deep down, in the depths of her soul. Please, God, let him survive.

The wait for news was interminable. Lisa was nearly out of her mind with worry when Cody and Claire rushed through the door. What a pity she had nothing to share. Claire’s hug was wonderful though. Lisa clung to her and wept onto her shoulder. And she allowed it for as long as Lisa had tears.

They all sat together in the tiny waiting room, sipping tepid coffee from a vending machine and jumping each time a nurse wandered by. But still, no news.

Word got around town about what had happened, and Cade’s friends started coming by to check on him. Ford and Crystal, Porsche, Wayne and all the firefighters as well. There were many more. Each one had wonderful things to say about him, stories of times he’d helped them out or humorous anecdotes about his mischief as a kid.

It proved how well-respected he was in this town, but it was too much like a wake for Lisa’s comfort.

It was the middle of the night—Cody and Claire were both asleep in their uncomfortable chairs—when the nurse finally came for Lisa. “Miss Binder?”

Lisa’s head jerked up. “Yes. Yes. How is he?”

It was a relief when she said, “He’s fine. He has a minor concussion so we’re keeping him for observation, and we’re trying to keep him as quiet as possible, but he’s been insisting on seeing you.”

“Me?”

She chuckled. “Oh yeah. Can you follow me?”

Lisa was on her feet in a flash.

The nurse led her down a hall to a room on the right where Cade lay on a bed, hooked up to all manner of beeping machines. The collar was still on his neck. The sight of him, lying there, so still, hit her like a blow, but then his eyes flickered open and he smiled and everything was suddenly all right.

He waved. “Hi, honey.”

“Cade.” She rushed to his side and took his hand. Cognizant of the nurse’s cautions, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been through a meat grinder.”

“You kind of were.”

“Right.” He chuckled and winced.

“God, Cade, I can’t tell you how frightened I was.”

“There was no call to be frightened.”

She scowled at him. “There most certainly was.”

“We knew what we were doing.”

“Still, you almost died.”

“I didn’t almost die.”

“You could have.”

He lifted a shoulder, winced again. “Yeah. I s’pose. But that’s always the case. There are no guarantees in life, Lisa.”

“Yeah. I know.” She took his hand in hers and stared at their entwined fingers. “About that…”

He stilled. “Yeah?”

“I, ah… I’ve been thinking about that.”

“About what?”

“About my life. My relationships.” She glanced at him. “Us.”

His Adam’s apple made the long journey down and up his throat. His lips quirked tentatively. “I like us.”

She sucked in a deep breath and tried to hold his gaze, but failed. “I…love us.”

His hold on her tightened. His body hummed. “What? What did you say?”

It took all her effort, but she made herself meet his eyes. “I said, I love us. I love you, Cade. I don’t want to play anymore.”

His brow wrinkled. “You don’t want to play?”

“It was stupid of me to think I could avoid getting hurt by not making a commitment. There’s no avoiding pain in life, there’s only not living. And I want to live. I want to embrace it all. I want to have it all. I want…more.”

“More?” A croak.

“I want you.”

The way he gaped at her, all speechless and wide-eyed, made something nasty squirm in her belly. Had she misread the situation? Had she misunderstood? Was she moving too fast for him? Would this declaration make him run?

Oh, she couldn’t bear it if he did. She couldn’t, but she would.

One had to be brave when seizing the day, even if it meant losing it all.

“I…” Her voice broke. “If you don’t feel the same, I understand. I just, well, I wanted to tell you. I needed you to know.”

“If I don’t feel the same?” She had no idea why anger rippled over his features. “Shit, Lisa.”

She blinked. “What?”

He tried to turn, but the collar wouldn’t allow it. He waved at the table next to the bed. “Go over there.” His tone was harsh, hard, intense, threaded with frustration.

“Over there?” Wrapped in confusion with perhaps a sprinkling of self-pity, she followed his barked command.

“Open the drawer.”

She did. A small box was nestled inside.

“Go on. Open it.”

With trembling fingers, she lifted the box and snapped it open. Inside, a brilliant marquise diamond sparkled. Her breath caught. Her pulse pounded. Her mouth went dry.

“That’s how I feel, Lisa. That’s what I want.”

“Cade…is this…?”

“Yes, dammit.” A snarl. “I want to marry you, Lisa. I want you as my wife. I want you to be my companion and my lover. The mother of my children.” He paused before adding, “And my baker.”

Joy gushed through her. Joy and gratitude and the sweetest, most tender love she’d ever known. It made her weak at the knees and strengthened her at the same time.

“Oh, Cade.” She wanted to say more, but her throat closed. Even that came out as a warble.

“So will you, Lisa Binder? Will you be my baker?”

Tears flooded her eyes; incongruously, she laughed. “Oh yes, Cade. Yes.” Then she froze as a crucial thought occurred. “With one condition.”

His eyes narrowed. A muscle flexed in his cheek. “What?”

“Occasionally?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you wear your turnout gear when we make love?”

He gaped at her. “My…turnout gear?”

She eased closer. His scent taunted her sanity. “Firemen are hot.”

He put out a lip. “I thought cowboys were hot.”

“They’re both hot,” she said. “You’re hot.”

And she kissed him.

And he kissed her back.

“Oh, brother.” Cody’s voice floated into the room, rife with a teasing disgust. “Don’t you two ever let up?”

Epilogue

‡

Cody Silver crossed his arms and tried not to glare around the table as everyone laughed at Ford’s joke. He didn’t know why he was in such a foul mood. Surely it wasn’t because his best friend and his brother were both now happily engaged.

That was a ludicrous thought.

The hint of envy worming through him as he watched the two couples canoodling was ludicrous too.

He didn’t want to be engaged.

Didn’t want to be tied down.

Besides, he wasn’t a settling kind of guy. Sometimes he wished he could be. Wished he could be solemn and serious and devoted like his brother. Wished he could find a woman who could hold his attention for longer than a fortnight. But he wasn’t and he hadn’t and he couldn’t. Just couldn’t.

He should pin a smile on his face and pretend to be delighted that everyone else was happy. It was tough to do, when he’d probably die a grumpy old man. Alone. All alone.

“What do you think, Cody?” Porsche, at his side, nudged him, drawing his attention from the frivolity of Cade’s engagement party.

“Hmm? What?” He glanced down at her, at his best friend’s little sister. She was a tiny thing, but a firecracker, always in one predicament after another. All the while she was growing up, Ford nearly ripped his hair out over her recklessness. Thank God she’d finally settled down or else Ford would be bald. She shot Cade a mischievous grin reminiscent of that girl, one that sent a prickle down his spine.

“Should Cade and Lisa ride into the wedding ceremony on bulls or alpacas?”

“What?” A squawk.

Porsche laughed, something low and lyrical. Something that made his gut ripple. “I knew you weren’t paying attention.”

He thrust out a lip. “I was too.”

She waggled a finger at him. “Liar.” Her eyes sparkled. Her dimples blossomed and all of a sudden it occurred to him that she was very pretty. Beautiful. He’d always seen her as that annoying kid tagging around after them on their manly adventures.

When she’d been in high school, she’d decided she had a crush on him and he’d had to avoid her so Ford wouldn’t pound him into ground chuck. She’d always been the minx Ford despaired would never grow up.

But now…

Now…

He leaned closer and the scent of her perfume rose to meet him. It tangled with his sanity. Lust surged in his veins.

He nearly sank into her wide blue eyes. She blinked and her lashes fanned out. “Cody?”

“Hmm? What?” Damn, her lips were lovely. The perfect shape for kissing.

“Are you all right?”

Was that her hand? On his thigh?

Shit. It was. And so close to his—

A toxic combination of horror and fear slithered through him as he realized a terrifying fact.

He had the hots for Ford’s sister.

Ford’s sister!

He lurched back and his gaze automatically whipped to his friend. His heart clenched. His stomach roiled. Ford’s eyes were narrowed on Cody, his features fixed in a ferocious scowl.

Oh shit.

The End

About The Author

Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & sexy to scorching romance. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests.

For more information, or to connect with Sabrina, visit SabrinaYork.Com

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Books By Sabrina York

Bookshelf

CONTEMPORARY

Stud Ranch Series

Come Hell or High Water

The Real McCoy

Tryst Island Series

Rebound, Book 1

Dragonfly Kisses, Book 2

Smoking Holt, Book 3

Heart of Ash, Book 4

Devlin’s Dare, Book 5

Parker’s Passion, Book 6

Wired Series

Adam’s Obsession, Book 1

Tristan’s Temptation, Book 2

Making Over Maris, Book 3

Stand Alone Novels and Novellas

Extreme Couponing

Fierce

Heartbreak on a Stick

Man Hungry

Pool Man

Pushing Her Buttons

Rising Green (Horror)

Snow Angels

Stone Hard SEALs

Training Tess

Trickery

Whipped

Anthologies

Five Alarm Fire (High Octane Heroes)

A Cowboy for Delilah (Cowboy Heat)

Saving Charlotte (Smokin’ Hot Firemen)

HISTORICAL

Untamed Highlander Series—Coming Soon

Hannah and the Highlander, Book 1

Susana and the Scot, Book 2

Lana and the Laird, Book 3

Noble Passions Series (Steamy Regency)

Folly, Book 1

Dark Fancy, Book 2

Dark Duke, Book 3

Brigand, Book 4

Defiant, Book 5

Tarnished Honor (In the Incomparables: Heroes of Waterloo Collection)

FANTASY

Lust Eternal

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Box Set Contents

After the Fire

Title Page

Copyright Page

Author’s Note

Other works by Cora Seton

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

Other works by Cora Seton

About Cora Seton

Where There’s Smoke

Title Page

Copyright Page

Acknowledgements

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

About The Author

Saddles & Soot

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

About the Author

Look for these other titles by Cynthia D’Alba

Controlled Burn

Title Page

Copyright Page

About the Book

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

About Delilah Devlin

Other Books by Delilah Devlin

Excerpt from Dangerous Liaison

His Firefly Cowgirl

Title Page

Copyright Page

About the Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

About the Author

Her Volunteer Cowboy

Title Page

Copyright Page

What they’re saying

A note from Donna

Also by Donna Michaels

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Other Books by the Author

Cowboy’s Match

Title Page

Copyright Page

About the Book

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Also by Lexi Post

Preview of Pleasures of Christmas Past

About Lexi Post

Hellfire, Texas

Title Page

Author’s Note

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

About the Author

Other Titles by Elle James

Rekindled

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

About the Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

About the Author

Texas Wildfire

Title Page

About the Book

Chapter One: Prologue

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen: Epilogue

About the Author

Sable’s Books

Hot in the Saddle

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Sneak Peek: Badge and a Saddle

Connect with the Author

About the Author

Other Books by Randi Alexander

Come Hell or High Water

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

About the Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

About The Author

Books By Sabrina York