Body Language

Body Language Copyright 2007 Denise A. Agnew Contemporary Erotic Romance She runs. She hides. But the stalker is determined to find her… Lizbeth Cauldwell escaped the boardroom and her city life to forget a fierce attack. When she returns to the tranquility of her old home in Arizona, she discovers harmony she never expected when she takes over a bar and grill. There she discovers another thing as mindboggling as the evil that stalks her. Her once skinny, shy childhood friend Thomas Giancomo has transformed into one grade-A, powerful, gorgeous man. He never runs. He never hides. But a stalker is determined to hurt the woman he dares protect… Memories of strong, sexy Lizbeth kept ex-soldier, now cop Thomas Giancomo alive during a long stay in the harsh desert. Thomas is determined to protect her and to feel her surrender to raw passion in his arms. One touch from her arouses needs in his blood so fierce, he can’t forget her. When danger draws them closer, one intense night proves that long suppressed desires and feelings are too heated to ignore. Chapter One Just shoot me now. Lizbeth Cauldwell watched Isaac Breena swaggering to the bar for the sixth time that evening. She was too damn tired to tolerate him any more. She served tequila to a toothy redhead man barely legal enough to drink, then returned her attention to Isaac’s arrogant walk as he strode her way. The bragging pig wanted to fuck any woman under sixty-five. He believed if he charmed her long enough, she’d succumb to his sticky charm. He’d come on to her a time or two until she’d accidentally on purpose dumped dark ale over his head one night. Tonight his belly jiggled like gelatin and his presumptuous, odious smile made her nauseous. The wait help staff called him Jabba The Hut and now Lizbeth couldn’t think of him as Isaac Breena anymore. The scent of burned onions accompanied him, and she wrinkled her nose. He’d stuffed two orders of onion rings down his gullet already this evening. God, what a pig. Under the thump of rock music coming from the speakers and the steady hum of conversation buzzing through the building, weariness worked its way into her system. She

2

needed a break, but quitting time hadn’t arrived. In Foxfire Bar and Grill, she felt relatively safe. The operative word being relative. After the attack in Phoenix two months ago, she wondered if she’d ever feel secure again. Still, she wouldn’t abandon the noisy, rambunctious establishment for all the world. Busy and successful, the placed rocked every night with an eager hoard ready to party after long days at work. But nights like these…yeah…they made a woman wonder why she’d relinquished the craziness of a corporate boardroom for the insanity of running this small Arizona mountain town business. “Hey baby. Give me another drink.” Jabba’s piggy green eyes seemed swallowed up in the mush of his rounded face and twisted smile. “You know you want to.” This had been a crappy day, and all she needed was a man who didn’t take no for an answer, no matter how politely or impolitely she framed the refusal. “No, sorry. I can’t. We’ve cut you off. Besides, the bar closes in fifteen minutes.” She glanced pointedly at the clock on the wall behind the bar that read ten minutes to midnight. “I saw ya pouring drinks for old Giancomo over there a minute ago.” The inebriated asshole’s voice slurred as he jerked his thumb back in the direction from which he’d come. She cracked a smile. “He’s drinking iced tea.” Jabba grunted and placed his thick hands on his stout waistline. Tonight he wore what a friend of hers called a wife beater shirt. A t-shirt with the sleeves torn out and a red neck saying that proclaimed ‘Keep Honking, I’m Reloading.’ “That prick can’t handle a drink like a real man.” Jabba added a smile to his statement. He cupped his crotch. “I’ve got the man right here for you.” Her stomach rolled. Crissakes, but Jabba was odious. Her gaze darted to Thomas Giancomo in the far corner of the room. She allowed her attention to linger too long on Thomas, her fascination snagged by the way he slouched in his chair. She almost snorted a laugh. Um…yeah. Saying the hunky ex-soldier wasn’t all man was like stating that there was no centerfold this month for Playboy magazine. Face it. It isn’t the way he’s slouching. It’s him. His body. His out of this world magnetism. Every line in his physique screamed competence, masculine grace and authority. Relaxation didn’t take the edge away from him. Despite his boneless repose, she detected

3

underlying watchfulness within him, as if he could kick ass without breaking a sweat. Something extraordinary seemed to govern him, bringing a light to his brown eyes and forcefulness to his presence that could easily overwhelm a weak mind like Jabba’s. Yes. And that’s why I need to stop daydreaming about Thomas and what it would be like to fuck him blind. He’s too distracting. No, distracting didn’t capture his essence one little bit. Maybe too good to be true would describe him better. Either way, he took her mind away from her problems when she should pay attention to the hairy situation that might any day enter Allbright, Arizona and shatter her world. In the back of her mind, she feared attachment or feeling anything but sexual interest in Tom. Feared it and refused it. After all, men left her and her heart had split wide open too many times. She couldn’t indulge in mindless sex with Tom or any other man. In the end, she’d just get hurt. Her gaze slid over him again. God, he’s gorgeous. The underweight, short Tom Giancomo she’d known since they were five had shot up to around six foot three and filled out so magnificently with sculpted muscles, that when she’d seen him after fifteen years she didn’t recognize him. Tom at thirty-three could put any movie star on screen to shame. Tom as a teen had barely made a blip on her radar. Okay, that wasn’t fair. She’d always liked him and considered him a wonderful friend. Quiet. Comfortable. Sometimes shy as hell. Comfortable couldn’t encompass him now, and her mind flashed back to when she’d seen him two month’s ago after years of not seeing him at all. Another friend had reintroduced them at a party. Lizbeth’s mouth had fallen open and she’d gawked. Stared in dumbfounded, tingling, delicious female appreciation until a shy smile had broken over his face, and he’d accepted her handshake. He’d transformed into a sinewy, sexy man. Walking, talking sin with a cherry and whipped cream on top. More than once lately she’d daydreamed about licking ice cream off of him. Hell licking him everywhere, ice cream or not. Every time he strolled in the door these days, which seemed often, she sucked in a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Even now, sprawled in a chair and talking to a lithe, pretty blonde, he extruded a staggering presence. She knew where that presence came from. He had ex-military written all over him.

4

Before she could react, Jabba reached over the wide bar and grabbed her left wrist in a painful grip. “Ouch. Damn it—let go.” She yanked backward, but the pain stopped her short. Unforgiving memories of a brutal attack not so long ago roared up to overwhelm her. Anger spiked. She’d managed to escape a creep bent on her destruction, she could handle this prick. “Not a chance. I need to talk to you now,” Jabba said. “Damn it! I said, let me go. If I have to call the police, you’re going to regret it.” She hissed the words about ready to bean him with the nearest bottle of whiskey if he didn’t release her. “Release her now.” Tom’s deep, husky voice rose above the chatter. She jumped, startled by the firm, no-nonsense tone. Relief flooded her. Tom stood behind Jabba, towering over the blob. Tom’s mouth went tight when the much shorter man didn’t release her on command. Jabba froze, his eyes wide, but he kept his painful grip locked around her wrist. Tom’s almost black eyes fired from within, and muscles in his carved jaw clenched. A dark five o’clock shadow added to his dangerous aura. “I said, release her. If you don’t, I’ll make you wish you were dead.” The creep dropped her wrist. Pain arched through her, and she gasped as she cradled her limb. Jabba turned and tossed a nervous, furtive look at the cop. “Hey man, no harm done. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Tom’s gaze went from fire to ice in a heartbeat. “There are plenty of witnesses who would say otherwise if she decides to press charges. Or I could just take you in.” Lizbeth noted that most people in the bar had turned toward the little drama, conversation ceasing or lowering to conspiratorial whispers. The jukebox in the corner played a Pink Floyd tune. “Take me in?” Jabba said with a bit of sneer left in his voice. “You ain’t got nothin’ on me.” Tom didn’t blink. “If I grabbed your sorry ass and hauled you to the sheriff’s department, I guarantee you they’d charge you with assault. No questions asked.”

5

She made a quick decision. “No. As long as he promises never to step foot in this establishment again.” Jabba’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened. Finally, he put some words together. “Uh, of course. Yeah.” Tom stepped toward the man and the blob shifted backwards. “Come in here again, and your ass is grass and I’m the lawnmower. Come anywhere near Lizbeth Cauldwell again and you’ll be one hurting unit.” Jabba shifted on his small feet. “But—“ “Don’t even consider returning here, or I’ll know about it.” Tom took another step toward the quivering ball of gelatin. Jabba stumbled backward, his jaw slack and eyes frightened. “Absolutely, yes. No problem.” The pain in the ass scrambled between people gathered near the altercation. He vaulted out the door as fast as his butt would take him and the room erupted in chatter, laughter and clapping. A couple of men slapped Tom on the back and congratulated him. Tom frowned and shook off their joking. Tom turned to Lizbeth, his gaze still hot with caged anger, his voice rough. “You all right?” Her wrist throbbed. “I’m fine, thanks to you.” His gaze raked over her as if he needed reassurance or as if he wanted to berate her in some way. His determined stance and the hardness in his eyes stirred strange feelings inside her. Did he blame her for this incident? God, she hoped it wasn’t the former. She didn’t need any more trouble tonight. “Let me see.” Tom reached for her hand and held it gently between both of his. He inspected her wrist, his secure but tender touch sending waves of awareness through her. For a strong man he was incredibly gentle. “You’ll have a couple of nasty bruises here.” He leaned in closer, his attention on her wrist. “If he’s sprained it or broken it—” “No.” Lizbeth shook her head. “It’s fine.” “Maybe you should have it x-rayed.”

6

The husky, concerned tone in his voice warmed her clear down to the bone. More than once, she’d wondered what it would feel like to have Tom concerned about her, and now she knew. His attention felt far too heady, too pleasant for reality. “I think that’s a little overkill,” she said quietly. “I’m fine.” Tom released her, and she rotated the offended joint. A dull ache made her wince. “If it starts to hurt later, get to the doctor,” he said. “Will do.” She kept her tone clipped. Inexplicable tears welled in her eyes. God, she hated this out of control sensation, as if she might come uncorked any second from pressure. He tilted his head to the side, eyes questioning. “Take the rest of the night off. Twanna can take over.” Her throat tightened, sheer desperation welling up from a dark chamber of her soul she couldn’t name. “I’ll second that,” Twanna Jenkins, co-manager, said as she entered the bar area. Her chocolate, warm eyes narrowed, her slight southern twang soothing and her pretty face alight with reassurance. “You’ve had a rough day and night. Go home and get some sleep.” Lizbeth shook her head. “I have too much to do around here.” Twanna sighed and planted her hands on her tiny hips, her swirl blue and red floral skirt flowing across her legs. “Then at least take a break like Tom says.” Twanna winked. “A good, long break. Besides, we close in less than an hour.” Lizbeth glanced from Twanna to Tom. Tom still wore the serious cop face, not a hint of humor within his eyes. “I’ll be in the back room for awhile,” she said. “You okay, girl?” Twanna asked. Lizbeth swallowed hard and walked away. “Just peachy.” As she wended her way through the crowd, she felt the curious attention of patrons upon her. Finally, she made it to the office and closed the door. She sank onto the chaise. This wasn’t any ordinary metal chair. No, she’d lavished the room with cozy accoutrements like the blue velour chaise, pretty flower arrangements, and a well-appointed dark wood desk and filing cabinets. Along her stocked bookcase was a place for travel photographs. She sighed and lay back on the chaise.

7

She allowed her eyes to slide closed. She drew in a breath and played back the other encounters she’d had with Tom in the last two months. During the first party where she’d met him again they’d spent an hour rehashing childhood, and how their parents had been such good friends. They’d discussed how they used to play cars together at six years old, and how he played disgusting tricks on her like dropping spiders down the front of her shirt when they were both eleven. Everywhere she turned, they’d bump into each other, but with a small town like this, she expected it. He’d started coming in the bar shortly afterwards at least twice a week. They didn’t always talk long, but he made a point of saying hello and passing pleasantries back and forth. What seemed only seconds later, she jerked out of her daydream. A shadow fell over her, and then a man’s hand touched her arm. She squeaked in alarm and bolted upright, heart pounding. “Whoa.” Tom straightened. “Easy. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She took a gulping breath of relief. “God, don’t do that. My heart almost stopped.” Before she could leave the wide chaise, he sat on the edge. His jean-clad hip bumped her thigh. She drew in a breath, more to steady the sharp coil of awareness in her stomach than to steady her restless heart. His long, muscled legs caught her attention, and for one second she allowed her gaze to fall on the impressive bulge at his crotch. Oh, man. She looked away quickly. Now that was all she needed. Wondering about the size of his penis? Wicked thoughts flashed into her head faster than she could block them. What would it feel like to have him sliding inside her, a hard bar of thick flesh pushing, thrusting, and stroking deep into her wet channel? Her skin tingled from head to toe and desire coiled in her belly. “I was worried about you,” he said, breaking her wild fantasy. “I’m fine.” “Right.” Doubt touched his voice. “You forget something. I can spot a liar at fifty paces.” Unreasonable annoyance gripped her. “Thanks so much. Now if you’ll excuse me—” “Wait.” Regret flickered across his rough-hewn features. “I’m just saying you don’t need to hide anything in front of me.” “I’m a small business owner. I can’t afford to wait for anything.”

8

“I need you to listen to me.” “What?” “I didn’t just come in here tonight to drink iced tea.” She lifted one eyebrow. “You looked pretty relaxed to me. The woman you were talking with couldn’t keep her eyes off you.” Oh, shit. She’d never liked jealousy in other people, but as the words left her mouth, she realized she couldn’t deny it. She sounded and felt covetous. Ever perceptive, his eyes narrowed. “You care whether I have drinks with beautiful women?” In defense, she scoffed. “Tom, you’re a great-looking guy and…” Impulsively, she reached out and squeezed one of his ultra-hard biceps, “…and built like a rock, but why would I be jealous?” “Bullshit.” The matter-of-fact curse slipped easily from his lips. “Just because you left this town years ago and just came back doesn’t mean you don’t know me.” He pointed at his chest. “This is me, Beth. We’ve known each other decades.” “We’re changed people.” “You think I’ve changed that much?” “Yes. You’re not shy, retiring and wide-eyed any more. You’re completely different. Okay, maybe you still have a bit of shyness in you, but only in a social situation. Cops can’t afford to be reticent in their profession.” “I’ve matured physically, but inside I’m the same guy.” “I suppose you have some swamp land nearby you want to sell me, too.” To her amazement, his eyes lightened as amusement broke over his face. A wide smile curved his mouth. “Yeah. I do. And the swamp is full of crocs, too.” Lizbeth couldn’t believe her eyes. Gorgeous as hell without a smile, he now astounded her. She stared. “You always did have a dry, wicked sense of humor, Tom. I was wondering where you’d hid it.” His expression softened, turned intense with a soul-searching heat that threatened to melt her inhibitions. She’d remembered a younger Tom as less expressive. “And you were always kind and gentle. Did the big city destroy that in you?” he asked.

9

Automatically she wanted to lash out. Damn him for excavating her vulnerabilities. “I’m not going to spill my guts and pretend like everything is back in the day.” “Okay, then you can explain why you snapped at me when you mentioned that I was talking with a woman.” Caught red handed, she tried to think of something to say and couldn’t. She took a chance and stared at him boldly. He didn’t react. No guilt. No telltale sign of duplicity. “She’s my cousin Shelia,” he said. Startled, she let out a deadpan, “Oh.” “She’s visiting from Los Angeles. She’s a cop, too.” “God, Tom, it runs in your family, doesn’t it?” “What?” “Risky occupations.” He shrugged, but Lizbeth knew he understood her meaning. Tom’s father was a retired sheriff’s officer, and Tom’s brother Kent was an Army Ranger who’d seen months of action in war-torn Iraq. Her heart seized thinking about the danger they’d all encountered. No, she couldn’t do that kind of relationship again. She wouldn’t take the chance her heart would be crushed underfoot. “What’s the matter, Tom?” she asked, feeling her snarky side rising. “Playing war in the desert wasn’t dangerous enough for you? You had to come back to Allbright and face hard core crime?” This time something did shimmer in his eyes. Memories. Dark, forbidden recollections she shouldn’t have resurrected. “Maybe the city has changed you,” he said. “You’re chewing my ass like I’ve committed some crime, and the only reason I can think of is that you didn’t like me talking to a pretty woman.” Shame rose up inside her. Until this moment, until she’d returned to Allbright, she hadn’t realized how much she’d altered. Regret seized her in a grip, and mortification reddened her cheeks. “Come on, why don’t I take you home? You need some rest, and you look pale as hell,” he said before she could apologize.

10

She pushed her fingers through the shoulder length hair that tumbled around her face. “No. I’m sorry, Tom. You’re right. I…it’s a good thing I left Phoenix. I’ve lived there far too long and let things…build up. It’s one of the reasons I left the city.” Did his gaze soften, or did she imagine it? When he stayed silent, she continued with, “Finish what you came in here to say.” He didn’t budge, didn’t leave the far-too intimate space between them. She drew in a deep breath and caught his masculine, somewhat musky scent. God, he smelled wonderful. “I heard about what happened to you in Phoenix, Beth.” Beth. Only her geeky childhood friend, this man who had once been thin and physically weak and often picked on by others, had called her Beth. She couldn’t believe she was sitting here practically pressed up against the most virile, bone-meltingly attractive man she’d every encountered. “Beth,” he said again with a tone that almost sounded like longing. “Why didn’t you tell me what happened? We’ve seen each other plenty of times for it to come up in conversation. But you didn’t say a damned thing.” She shook her head and sighed. “That’s why I left there. I don’t want to talk about it.” “Then tell me because we used to be damn good friends.” True enough. When her old friends around town had told her that Tom had moved back to Allbright two years ago after leaving the Army, she hadn’t thought much of it. Confronted with him now, with nowhere to escape, all her nerves seemed exposed. He shifted, and when his hand came down next to her left hip, and it brought him nearer, her heartbeat started to slam. Not from fear, but from steadily building arousal. “I didn’t tell you,” she said, “because I didn’t want anyone in town to feel sorry for me or think they had to tiptoe around the subject. I wanted to come here with a clean slate.” He nodded. “If that’s all it was, I’d understand how you feel. But it’s more complicated than that. Twanna told me what the stalker did to you.” His gaze clouded, a thunderstorm building. “You should have alerted the local authorities that the fucker is still on the loose. That you’re still in danger.” The reminder sent a swift, icy breath up her spine. She quivered. “There’s nothing the cops can do. For a year, he’s been bothering me. I don’t know who he is.” His jaw muscles tightened. “Damn it, Beth, I won’t allow it.”

11

Frustration made her say, “Allow what? I’ve tried everything. Nobody knows who the creep is. Not even after he…” She trailed off, her throat tightening as she tried to jam back emotions threatening to run amok. “Forget it.

Just forget it.”

“There’s nothing to forget. You were attacked in your own home and the cops didn’t apprehend the perp. That sucks, but it won’t happen here in Allbright. When Twanna told me that the bastard was still calling you, I told Sheriff Bellamy. He’s put me on special duty.” Suspicion rose inside her. “What kind of special duty?” “I’m your damned bodyguard until we arrest the motherfucker.” “Motherfucker. Well, your language has certainly changed a little since we left high school. Your mother would wash you mouth with soap.” “Blame the job. Blame spending too much time with a bunch of foul-mouthed soldiers. Now stop avoiding the subject, Beth.” Alarm flared inside her. She held up her hand and ticked off her grievances one by one. “First, Twanna shouldn’t have squealed. Second, I don’t need a bodyguard.” Her throat dried up, and she cleared it. “Yeah, maybe Twanna should’t have told me, but I’m glad she did. And Sheriff Bellamy won’t allow a woman to be stalked in this town.” His fingers came up and brushed hair away from her cheek. When skin touched skin, she felt it all the way to her soul. She rubbed her hands over her cheeks, and discovered her face blazed with warmth. Heightened awareness streaked through her, a realization that this man’s nearness threatened to overturn her hard-won control. “At least go home and rest,” he said. “I need this work, Tom. If I’m not here to manage the bar, things will go to crap.” “Now you’re insulting Twanna. You know she can handle it. She was handling it before you came along.” She shifted on the chaise. “I didn’t mean it that way.” “Then what way did you mean it?” “I don’t know what I’m saying.” Defeated by his insight, by the way he’d stripped her emotions bare, she dared look once more into his penetrating eyes. She saw vulnerability, an unusual and startling tenderness fill his face. This close, she couldn’t ignore the intriguing green striations within the mysterious dark depths of his eyes, the

12

thick lashes that softened harshly-angled cheekbones and strong jaw line. With his military short black hair, he looked every inch the former Army man. Energy crackled, snapped, a live wire flickering between them. She felt wildly breathless. “Beth, I’m glad you came back to Allbright where there are people who care about you. Even if you’re fighting against it.” Deep and husky, his voice stirred renewed feelings inside her. When he reached up and cupped her face, she shivered. Not from cold, but from the extraordinary flash of heat she experienced when he touched her. Welling up from a deep-seated need, a hunger she hadn’t felt in so long responded to his touch. She leaned toward him slightly. His lips parted, and she thought his breath quickened. She felt like something could snap at any moment. His hand came up, twinned in the hair at the back of her neck, and he leaned forward. His mouth took hers, caught between gentle and deeply exploring. Warm, caressing, taking, his mouth tasted hers without hesitation. Her entire body quaked once with a shift, reactive desire. He treated her to a half dozen, tiny, probing tastes until she ached for more contact. More of everything. She met him halfway, kissing him back. Finally, his mouth sealed securely over hers. His tongue stroked deep and found hers, fucking her mouth in a carnal introduction. Excited by the intimate kiss, she caressed his tongue with her own, stroking and tangling. Crazy heat speared to her womb, a tight, hot reaction that burned deep and sucked the breath from her yet again. Oh. Yes. She’d thought he’d hesitate and pull back…but, oh. Not only didn’t he stop, his kiss grew in passion, in possession. His fingers massaged the back of her neck, her breasts brushed his chest. Her hands landed on his chest and the plain navy t-shirt molded over his hard pecs. She felt swept up in the exhilaration, her reluctance destroyed. Swift, stirring desire spiraled into her lower body and dampened her folds. Her breathing quickened as heat flushed over her skin in a wave. Her hands caressed his shoulders, then around his neck to pull him nearer. He drew back slightly and said softly, “You can’t deny there’s something between us.” She drew in a slow breath as she touched his face. “I don’t know.” One corner of his handsome mouth curved up in a lopsided smile. “It’s deep, Beth. Every time we’ve seen each other, I’ve felt this electric jolt.” His eyes seemed to darken, to

13

search her deepest secrets. “I’ve always had a thing for you. I think since the time I started liking girls…watching you grow up. Hell, I had some serious wet dreams about you, Beth.” Astonishment rocketed through her, but she didn’t pull away. “You have? You did?” He smiled, a wicked, all-knowing look. “Yeah. Seriously. Tell me you aren’t attracted to me.” Instead of speaking, she leaned toward him and sank into a new kiss. His lips molded, tutored, discovered with hungry attention. She found herself lying back on the chaise as he leaned over her, his arms bracketing either side of her body. As his tongue thrust into her mouth, a hot tingle started high in her pussy. Her nipples tingled, tightened and demanded attention. His fingers pushed through Beth’s hair, clasping her head as he plundered her mouth. Lizbeth writhed under his touch. Her hands skated over Tom’s body, exploring his shoulders, his powerful arms. She slipped her hands under his t-shirt and when she encountered his washboard stomach, he sucked in a breath. Heated desire pushed her, a flame demanding gratification. When he pulled back from her kiss, it was only to trail his lips over her cheek to seek her tender earlobe. She shivered and arched as his palm cupped her breast. As he kissed the tender skin under her ear, his thumb flicked over her nipple. The thin bra did nothing to dull sensation. She gasped and moved into sweet, sensual torment. As his thumb circled her nipple again, the throb between her legs became torturous delight. Once more, his mouth took hers. Drowning in his kiss, she realized he’d unbuttoned her shirt. His lips trailed down her neck, and then he flicked open the front of her bra. For one long moment, she forgot every doubt, every hesitation under his drugging touch and relentless kisses. She wanted this in her deepest fantasies, from the moment she’d seen him two months ago. Tenderness mixed with overwhelming desire to consummate the driving animal instincts pulsing inside her. Tom’s lips closed over her left nipple and the hot, wet stroke of his tongue made her gasp. “Tom. Oh, God.” His fingers plucked at the vulnerable nipple, tugging gently as he sucked her other bud into heightened sensitivity. Each wet lash of his tongue sent sparklers of sensation zinging to every erogenous zone in her body. Lizbeth clasped his head and held on, urging him to continue. The steady attention at her nipples, the warmth of his mouth—all of it drove her closer to forgetting where she was and losing her mind in the ecstasy.

14

A tap on the door jerked them apart. He stared into her eyes, and she couldn’t look away. The tap came on the door again, and he stood abruptly. “Who is it?” “Twanna. I wanted to see if she’s doing all right.” “Just a minute,” Lizbeth said, her voice shaky as she fastened her bra and shirt. She left the chaise and went to open the door, feeling dazed by everything that had happened. Twanna entered, but barely stepped over the threshold. Her grin held a conspiratorial bent. “Sorry to bother you. Jackson said he’ll help me close up tonight, so why don’t you get on home, doll.” “I’m fine—” “I’ll take her home,” Tom said. Twanna nodded and with a smile, she closed the door. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said. She put one hand up, her thoughts rattled and her desire cooling as she realized that if Twanna hadn’t come to the door, their intimacy would have heightened. Intimacy? Her mind screamed. Too polite a word for the tonsil-hockey they’d engaged in and the electricity dancing between them. Her body had considered fucking him immediately. “No, Tom. I need to help Twanna close up. Give me some time to think. What just happened just now…it’s not me.” He frowned. “Not you?” “I don’t do this…this losing control thing. This doing whatever feels right when I want. It’s too risky.” His mouth popped open, but she ignored him and walked out, closing the door behind her.

15

Chapter Two “You sure you want to do this, girl?” Twanna asked, her hands on her hips in a defiant pose. “Tom will shit bricks.” “So what?” Lizbeth said as they finished closing for the night. The bar and grill had long ago quieted, and Lizbeth had taken her time arranging this and arranging that. Twanna sighed and peaked through the shade covering the front window. “Well, I guess you waited him out. I don’t see Tom anywhere. I thought you said the sheriff wanted him to guard you?” “That’s what Tom said, but I don’t want a twenty-four seven babysitter. The stalker doesn’t know where I am.” “Sweetheart, he has your phone number and he’s called you twice. Don’t be an idiot. The stalker knows where you are.” Lizbeth’s ego felt pinched, and an angry blush stole into her face. She didn’t plan on acting the stupid heroine in a horror movie, running into rash situations without a plan. “I know. That was a stupid thing for me to say. What I mean is, I’ve got my pepper spray, I put a security system on the house, I’m being extra cautious. I’m as prepared as I can be.” Twanna shook her head. “But why take more risk? With Tom around, I’d sure as hell feel safer.” She wriggled her eyebrows and grinned. “Now he’s a man, honey. A real man. And he has a serious case of the hots for you. Anyone with half a brain can see that.” Lizbeth couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, he has the hots for me, and yes I find him attractive. It’s just…” “Yes? You ever heard the saying, ‘the lady doth protest too much’.” “Yes. And it’s not true.” “Mmmhmmm.” Twanna’s doubting tone came through loud and clear. Slipping into her sweater and slinging her small purse over her shoulder, Lizbeth followed Twanna as they locked up and left. Their cars were side by side in the parking lot, and after Lizbeth jumped in the car and locked the doors, they both pulled away from the bar.

16

Part of Lizbeth felt pure disappointment that Tom had left the building without a word. But what did she expect? She’d pissed him off. The hard as ice look in his eyes was her first clue. I’m a coward. Twanna was right again, damn her. My uninhibited physical reaction to him scares me spitless. She hadn’t come to Allbright to hook up with a man. She certainly hadn’t thought her friendship with Tom would burst into a serious desire to share the sheets with him. She drove through the forested land outside town, her compact car coasting along the familiar road not far from her home. Down the road behind her, she saw headlights, and yet it didn’t concern her. Light burst from a side road, blinding her. A gasp left her throat as fright gripped her in a vise. Metal crunched as impact whipped the backend of her car to the left with a jarring blow. Anger mixed with fear acute and immediate. “Son-of-a—” She heard an engine roar, then confusion rattled her brain. What the hell—? The car pulled back, then rammed again in the same spot. Her car still ran, but before she could think about pulling away from the maniac, she heard another car roaring up from the back. She pulled away from the road, tires screeching in protest. The car that collided with her followed, engine growling with menace as it started to overtake her vehicle. Her fingers reached unsteadily for the cell phone clipped to the dash, and she punched out 911. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mouth dry as she announced rapid fire to the 911 operator her emergency. As she floored the accelerator, she saw the third car racing up behind, a red emergency light flashing on the top. Tom? Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel until they ached. “Tom,” she whispered, hope reducing the fear sending nausea to Lizbeth’s gut. “God, I hope that’s you.” More headlights filled her vision, coming toward her this time, police lights flashing. The car directly behind her didn’t slow down. Whatever happened, she must keep control. Before she could decide her next move, the car behind her rammed her backend. The jolt rattled her bones. “Damn it! Asshole!”

17

She wrestled with the wheel. Fury tightened her fingers on the wheel as her car flew toward the ditch. The right wheels slipped off the pavement, and she pumped the breaks to a stop. The car that pursued her streaked by. Tires screeched as the cop car on the opposite side of the road did a three sixty to follow. The law enforcement car to her rear laid down rubber as it came to a stop behind her. Trembling, she unlocked her door. Seconds later her car door jerked open. She jumped, nerves on edge. Tom leaned down to look in the car, eyes concerned, intense. “Beth, are you hurt?” “No.” Tears prickled hot in her eyes. She couldn’t stop them. “I’m just royally pissed.” She launched out of the car, tears streaming down her face. “I am just so pissed.” “I know,” he said softly, his arms slipping around her waist. Shivers snaked through her body, and his hand cupped the back of her head. She nestled into his warm embrace and the tears flowed. ***** Tom stood behind Lizbeth as she opened the door leading from the garage into the utility room, and the heat of his body enveloped her in protection. Tom had driven her home from the sheriff’s department since her car needed serious repairs. She’d never felt as aware of a man as she did him. After the time she’d spent tonight at the sheriff’s office filling out paperwork, energy pinged through her rather than a desire for slumber. She wished she had a sleeping pill. She’d definitely need it tonight. The stalker turned out to be Edward Lee Cantos, a man who’d spent six years tormenting women throughout the United States. His attacks on women had escalated and tonight he’d decided to up the ante. Thank heavens Tom had decided to follow her, too. Now the stalker’s ass was in jail. Though she didn’t care about appearances, she felt strangely reluctant for Tom to see her old ranch house. Though she’d hired contractors to start work on the place, it needed updating in a big way. Everything, even the sinks and faucets and bathtubs gleamed since she’d scrubbed them. Yet they needed replacing before they fell apart. She figured the charming 1920’s style home would feel more hers once she put her style, her stamp on it. Tom followed her into the kitchen as she flicked on lights.

18

“Can I get you anything to drink?” she asked, part of her wanting him to say no, the other to say yes. “No, thanks.” She turned toward him, and the gentle light from the small light fixture over the breakfast nook sent warmth over his strong countenance. She led the way into the living room, and he placed his duffle bag by the roll top desk sitting in one corner. With his hands on his hips, his muscles flexed and bunched when he moved. One thought invaded Lizbeth’s mind despite the trauma of this evening. He kissed me earlier. Hell, he more than kissed me. He’s seen my breasts naked, he’s sucked my nipples. Oh, yeah, did I love it. She’d tried, all the way home, to ignore the stunning fact. Tom’s kiss had encouraged feelings too powerful to resist. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she craved more. Wanted his touch and caresses with unusual and stunning clarity. After the stalker’s new attack, she wanted Tom’s presence, his kisses and attention even more. Wonderful. Maybe she could forget how his lips had moved softly and yet demanded, how his fingers had kneaded her neck, how his tongue had slipped deep and started a conflagration. How his lips had teased her nipples into tight points. Her pussy ached, her vaginal muscles clenching and releasing with a steady requirement to find fulfillment. Crazy. Simply insane. She’d never experienced a desire for a man so primal and raw. “Have a seat,” Lizbeth said when he finished walking through the house. “There’s something I think we should get straight.” To her surprise, he settled onto the leather couch without protest, his relaxed and confident look returning. He crossed one ankle over his knee, and she realized for the first time he wore athletic shoes on his large feet. He sprawled so nonchalantly, his right arm along the back of the couch and his other bicep and forearm propped casually along the couch arm. His tshirt poured over his broad shoulders and tapered down over his flat stomach. His jeans slicked along strong thighs and rode a little low on his hips, unhindered by a belt. Yeah, he not only acted casual, he screamed carefree. Annoyingly carefree. She paced the room, turning on a couple of small table lamps to optimize light. Nervous butterflies rocketed around in her stomach like dive bombers. She rearranged a doily she’d

19

placed on the hulking square coffee table, then turned to look at the cop. Strong and silent, eh? She’d fix that. He wouldn’t like what she had to say. “I don’t need your protection, Tom, now that the stalker is in jail.” “I know.” He went silent, and the quiet yawned unbearably. Pain darted through her midsection, and she almost gasped. His gaze narrowed. “You okay?” She nodded. “Sometimes my ribs hurt.” His mouth tightened, and lines formed between his dark eyebrows. He rose from the couch, his stride smooth and sure. He stood near, his attention so focused Lizbeth looked away from his scrutiny. “From tonight? I thought you said you weren’t hurt?” “No. From the first time he attacked me.” “The sheriff didn’t tell me about the main details of that attack,” he said. Now that tonight had resurrected the fear she’d worked so hard to banish, she felt a fine edge of desperation. Tonight the darkness would seem cold, filled with shadows hiding the evil that once lurked nearby. She stared at the subtle browns and greens of the rug beneath her feet. “He bruised my ribs. I was lucky he didn’t break them.” Come on, Lizbeth, spill it and tell him everything, why don’t you? “He…he came through my gate at the back of the house. I was napping on my back porch on Fourth of July in broad daylight. I didn’t hear him approach.” “Forth of July? There was no one around? You were alone?” She smiled wryly. “With my heavy work schedule I was taking any opportunity to chill out. My neighbor’s houses were too far away and both of them were out of town.” “Jesus,” he murmured. Stark empathy arced through his face for a split second then he returned to stern and unapproachable, as if he’d forced his emotions down. His hands clenched and released. Silence gathered between them until she spoke moments later, gazing up at him. “He started sending me letters and making phone calls a year ago. Right before I called the phone company, he stopped making the calls. Then he followed me, leaving little mementos of his presence so I’d know it was him but could never prove anything was really happening. People thought I’d become paranoid.”

20

“Little signs?” “Stupid things. My mail and newspaper disappeared occasionally, but not consistently. I felt like someone was always watching me when I left the house, but I could never see if anyone was following me. His attention was so subtle, the violence of the attack was…” “Shocking.” “Yes.” Silence hovered between them for a minute, and she appreciated his patience as she processed bad memories. “Was it the Sheriff’s idea to set up this bodyguard thing?” she asked. “Mine.” “Because it’s your job.” His gaze went from disinterested to meltingly hot in a flash. She could feel the heat as he towered over her. “That and more.” She had to know. “Define more.” “I didn’t want to leave you tonight, and I’m glad I didn’t. When I saw that car ram you, it scared the shit out of me. And I’m not leaving you tonight until I know you’re all right.” Stunned by the definitive promise in his vow and in his eyes, she didn’t know what to say. When had any man been this dedicated to her? She couldn’t remember. “Are you this protective with all women who have stalkers?” “As far as I know, there aren’t any other women in Allbright that currently have stalkers.” He unwound from his at ease position, rising to his full height. All six foot three, she guessed. “You’ve been fighting me all night. Fighting what you feel. Why is that? What’s the real story?” He moved even closer, purposefully toward her, as if he had all night. Nothing would deter Tom from his goal—she could see it in his eyes, and that scared her. Not in a frightened, he might hurt her way, but a stirring, inescapable deluge of feelings. Fear of the unknown. Curiosity. Desire. “You know my history. I don’t have a good record,” she said, her throat tightening with repressed emotion.

21

“You think I’m going to leave you like your father abandoned your family? Like your fiancé left you when he died?” There. He’d said it. Exposed the raw edges. The pain stabbed like a knife. “Yes.” “Is that what you think your fiancé did? He must have loved you with everything in his heart, Beth.” Bitterness rose in her heart. “He went to Africa knowing that he could…die.” “He was a reporter, Beth. It’s what he loved to do. Just like I love my job.” She nodded, knowing the truth in her heart. “And your job could take you from me just as quickly. Ron went into that jungle with the rebels when he didn’t have to. He died in a firefight just because he felt he had to let the world know what was happening there.” When his voice came next, it held thickness, an emotional force she couldn’t identify. “You care about me that much? To worry that I might be killed or hurt?” Every nerve felt exposed, tingling with too much left over adrenaline, too much built up reaction to almost getting dead. Honesty seemed the only policy that made sense. “Yes. Yes, damn it. Are you satisfied? If I become involved with you…you could leave me and that would hurt too damn much.” Tom’s expression altered, a tender light in his gaze that ate away at the last of her resistance. “Right now the thought of any man hurting you physically or mentally is tearing me apart. I want to hold you, protect you. Sue me, but it’s the most fucking powerful thing I’ve ever felt.” Hot, thick wanting poured over her, unexpected and full. Lizbeth recognized her reaction as primal, as an inescapable need for male protection in the most hidden corner of her being. Not just any male guardianship, but Tom’s. She sniffed. “Me Tarzan, you Jane?” A quick grin flashed over his lips, but then extinguished. He pointed at her for a second. “You got it.” The idea terrified her in an elemental place she rarely delved into until meeting Tom again. With full on concentration, his eyes took her in from head to toe in one undeniable sweep.

22

Yeah. That’s what you called a once over and then some. Disconcerted, she took another tactic. “If you’re not leaving, then sit and talk. I don’t think I’ll fall asleep anytime soon.” She winked and held out her hand. “We’ll pretend like we’re just meeting again for coffee and haven’t seen each other in ages. Pleased to see you again, Tom.” One corner of his handsome mouth turned up, and laughter danced in his eyes. As his fingers closed around hers, her palm tingled. Big and strong, his grip didn’t intimidate—it caressed, sent renewed excitement rushing through her body. She drew in a deep breath as he moved closer. He smelled delicious. Spicy with a hint of musk. God, his touch, his male attention approached intoxicating. “Update me,” she said. “Tell me more about what you’ve done all these years.” For a second she saw reluctance in his eyes, as if he might say no. Instead, he lifted her hand and turned it palm up. He traced a fine web over the inside of her wrist. She sucked in a surprised breath. “That tickles. What are you doing?” The question came out on a gasp as sweet tremors coursed over her skin. “How’s your wrist feel?” His warm gaze traced over the slim bones. “Does it hurt?” Oh, God. If Tom keeps touching me like this, my sanity will disappear. “It feels fine now. What does that have to do with the last fifteen years that we haven’t seen each other?” His gaze tangled with hers, and fire sparked low, a wild tumble of foolish needs. “Not a damned thing.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back slowly. Heat slid up her hand and traveled the entire length of her arm. He released her and sauntered back to the couch. Relief came, but a hungry craving replaced it, one born of urgent curiosity and long suppressed desires only half named and understood. Tension ran like a five alarm fire through Tom. From the first minute he’d seen Beth tonight, he’d wanted to lead her from the bar, take her anywhere, touch her, kiss her. He’d accomplished both, but confusion still threatened to derail his plan. Fuck it, he wanted far more than polite conversation. Only burrowing his cock deep inside her would satisfy him. His body protested inaction, and before the night ended, she’d understand what watching, being near to her did to him.

23

Before Tom could start with questions of his own, Lizbeth said, “You haven’t lived in Allbright for long, right?” He allowed his legs to sprawl open in relaxation. No matter how nuts she made him, she couldn’t rob him of his true sanity. “Hell, no. But you know that already.” She sat on the couch and leaned back. “You never did tell me why did you came back to live in Allbright?” He sighed, his own pain flickering beneath the surface. He held it back, wishing beyond anything he could erase the ache he’d lived with for three years. “You mean the grapevine hasn’t told you?” Beth smiled warmly, and for a minute, he remembered the petite strawberry blond he’d known fifteen years ago right out of high school. She always looked so fragile, but then she couldn’t be more than five four at the tallest. “The grapevine told me their version. I’d like the unvarnished truth.” Could he ever give her that? “Twanna said you were a cavalry scout in the army up until two years ago,” she said. Tom nodded. “A roadside bomb took out the Hummer I was in.” Pain flashed through her clear, sky-blue eyes, as if she’d taken shrapnel for him. She leaned forward again, her eyes widening. “Were you hurt?” “Yeah.” Her gaze coasted over him. “Where?” Though she didn’t touch him physically, he felt her tender interest down to his bones. Hell, he hadn’t counted on her asking, or the sharp memories inside. “My collar bone.” He swallowed hard, a strong desire to run from the emotions barreling through him. “Damn it.” “What?” “I thought…I haven’t talked about it much for the last year. I dumped it all when I came back to the states. Did my time in the VA hospital with a broken collarbone and shrapnel in one leg. I talked in group therapy and to shrinks. I’m doing well now and getting on with my life. Then you ask and—” “I’m sorry.” She looked upset. “No. It isn’t your fault. If it had been me taking the force of the blast…just me, I could have blown off some of the bullshit. As it is…”

24

“Flashbacks?” Tom saw undeniable sympathy and desire to understand in her eyes. “Mostly of the blast. The shock wave overturned the Hummer. I was in the back left seat and hanging from the seatbelt. My buddy Roger was dead. The two men in front were dead. I hung there, half-conscious and hurting so badly I wanted to cry.” He paused and allowed the quiet to surround them and temporarily ease the tightness in his throat. Her gaze intent, she leaned toward him. “What happened next?” I can do this. I can tell her. “Not only did we hit the bomb, but our convoy was attacked by small arms fire. Luckily for us the bastards didn’t have RPGs—rocket propelled grenades— or armor piercing rounds.” He shifted on the couch, turning toward her. He put his arm along the back of the couch. His fingers almost touched her arm. “I must have lain there for twenty minutes with bullets flying all around me. I figured I was dead anyway because one of those damned bullets would hit me one way or the other…find a way in.” “You thought you were going to die, but you fought it.” Her voice held soft, aching understanding. Damn, but she looked sweet, the rosebud lips he’d tasted parted and soft. Her sad blue eyes reminded him of a lake, calm but rippling at the surface with secrets hidden so far in its depths. “I thought about my mom and dad back in Montana, and my brother and sister. They were counting on me to come back.” Go head, Tom, tell her the truth, even if rejects you and eventually kicks you out of the house. “You want to know the thing that kept me going beyond all that?” Her brows, delicately arched, tipped upward in question. “What?” “You. Remembering what we had together as great friends. All I could think about is that I had to come home to you. I should have looked you up when I returned to the states and told you right then. I was thinking that I was a fool for not keeping in touch with you all those years.” Her lips parted in clear surprise. Her thick tumble hair fell onto her shoulders as she looked at her hands. He wanted her touch on him. Her delicate, long finger hands held a blue topaz ring on the right, and a sparkling green stone on the left.

25

“Yeah, I thought about you. I realized that if I had a chance to see you again, I’d tell you how you make me feel.” His lips curled in a sardonic smile. “Then I returned to Allbright and realized what a coward I am. I can fight, I can shoot, and I can protect you. But when it comes to walking up to you and admitting my feelings, I’m a fucking coward.” Tom realized he’d stunned her revealing so much. Although the puzzled expression faded fast, her eyes held an almost happy glow. He allowed his fingers to touch her shoulder, a single caress. Her eyes deepened, until they reflected a sultry, welcoming look that made his cock turn stone hard. “When you came to Allbright and I heard about the stalker, I decided I’d watch over you, see if I could get to know you again slowly and renew our friendship rather then just coming out and saying, ‘hi Beth. You know I’ve got a serious hard on for you. Would you like to have sex?’ Because in a very basic way, that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to stake a claim on you.” Tom’s confession made her senses spin. He’d survived a horrible war situation, and now he took on a stalker for her. All the admiration and sensations she’d accumulated rose up inside as sweet, delicious discovery. The old Tom had always been a blunt kid, but only with her. She realized he’d trusted her, and he trusted her now. His unrestrained statement that he wanted to have sex with her sent wild tendrils of delight straight to her pussy. Lizbeth trembled as Tom shifted, leaned toward her. Wild sensations coursed through her as she entered a perfect moment of calm that glowed with possibilities. He cupped her face with one hand, his touch maddening and arousing and oh so tender. “Tom, did you leave the military because of what happened to you?” she asked, afraid to probe too much, but wanting to understand his deepest heart. Surprise distorted his features. Suddenly he looked too open, emotions flickering through his gaze like lightning. She saw a disconcerted, vulnerable man. His jaw tightened, his fingers slipping into her hair and twisting it gently around his index finger. “No,” he finally said as he caressed her hair. “I quit because of what happened to other people.” His statement hung in the air, a testament.

26

“Because I’d been in the army long enough,” he said. “I needed to come back to my roots and remember the good things. I needed to make a difference here.” Her heart swelled with understanding and compassion. “You still wanted to help people.” “Of course.” When she thought about him injured in war, that he might have died, her heart clenched. Losing him…well, somehow the idea became untenable. The world was a better place with this man in it. His gaze stayed steady. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, Beth. I’m not your fiancé. Don’t let down your guard with fatalistic thinking.” “Is that what I’m doing?” “Yeah, it is. Deep down there’s part of you that’s become helpless.” Lizbeth bristled a little. “I’m not helpless.” “You think not accepting help or love means you’re strong?” “I am strong. But if you were hurt because…” There, she’d admitted a big part of her problem. And right to his face, too. His voice came deep, husky, and sincere. “Hell, I’ll admit it. I like the fact you care about me enough to worry.” Once more his fingers did a sweet dance over her skin, this time over her arm in a soft caress. “Don’t turn away from me, Beth.” Tenderness swamped her, and yet she wanted to lighten the moment, afraid the way she felt about him would become relentless. “Don’t try and weasel out of finishing the story,” she said, her voice teasing. She sobered immediately. “What made you want to become a cop?” “My dad, remember? Thirty years right here in Allbright?” How could she have forgotten? “Twanna said he retired four years ago.” “Yep. They live in Montana. They love it there.” “But you didn’t take becoming a cop seriously until you were hurt in the war, right?” Surprise touched his eyes. “Good guess.” Again, he reached up to touch her, to trace her ear this time with a tickling brush of skin to skin. She gasped. “Tom.”

27

He leaned in closer, his arm embracing her shoulder as he tucked her into his body. “God, you feel good.” Tom’s sexy voice heated her stomach and broke open needs inside. She ached in ways she’d never experienced before. Ached to have more of his touch, more caresses along every inch of her body. She was through pretending. She wanted him so much. “Tom…” “Yeah?” His thumb slipped over her cheek again, and she shivered. “What are we doing?” Her voice quavered. “I have you right where I’ve wanted you for a very long time. In my arms.” “But what is it between us? I mean, when we were teens we grew apart a little. We didn’t run in the same circles anymore. You were with the cowboy crowd. I was—” “Popular as hell.” “Not that popular. I didn’t even like most of the people I hung out with. You were strong and silent and hard to know.” “You were bubbly.” “We were so different.” He grinned. “You’re quieter now…sort of.” She returned his cocky smile. “You think?” “Okay, maybe not.” Her smile faded. “You’re different. You’re strong and speak up when you need to. When I needed help you were right there.” “I thought you didn’t need help.” Damn, he’d gotten her there. “I didn’t want to need help.” His lopsided grin made her heart pump harder, her breath come faster. His fingers swept into the hair at the back of her neck. Tension coiled tight between them. Things were happening so fast. Her heart picked up the pace, but from his nearness or fear of the unknown, she couldn’t say. She sighed and slipped from his arms. She headed for the fireplace mantle, her gaze pinpointed on the snowy pond

28

portrait. So calm, so tranquil, the picture embodied everything she wanted right now. Finding it within his arms—was that possible? He stood and came to her, his hands touching her shoulders. She turned to him, her hands smoothing over his chest. Solid muscles moved under her palms. She inhaled his scent, an intoxicating blend of musk and man. Clean, strong, capable. Captured by his gaze, she slipped her hands up until they cupped his shoulders. “Tell me this is real, Tom. That I’m not imaging what’s happening between us.” Heat gathered in his eyes. “I feel it. There’s something between us that I don’t want to fight anymore.” “You’ve had to fight it?” she asked in fascination and growing anticipation. His hands slipped around her waist and brought her against him. Her breasts pressed the strength of his chest, his cock against her belly. “Hell, yes.” At those words, he angled her chin up and took her mouth. Nothing prepared her for the fire. As his mouth twisted across hers, he overwhelmed her with his taste, with the incredible power in his embrace.

29

Chapter Three Passion erupted inside Lizbeth. All doubts left her mind as his hands clamped over her ass and hauled her upward. Her legs wrapped around his waist. As her mouth melded with his, he groaned. She undulated, and his cock bumped and nudged aching folds, her ultra sensitive clit. She gasped, wild to know more of his body, to experience what she’d almost denied. Love wild and free. Sex unencumbered by fear and regrets. He tore his mouth from hers, eyes hot with desire. “Where’s the bedroom?” She pointed. “Last room, end of the hall.” As he walked down the hallway, she wrapped herself more securely around him. Within her a fire built, one that had simmered all night, teased into awareness by the intimacy they’d shared at the bar. Now, with untamed urgency, she had to make love with him. No. Making love would mean tenderness and slow, sweet joining. What she wanted amounted to animal hunger. Fierce, unfettered fucking. Now. “Hurry,” she said as he nudged open the door. He laughed softly. “Yes, ma’am.” She flipped on the overhead light, and it warmed the room with a gentle glow. “I don’t want to wait any longer.” He smiled and allowed her to slide down his body, moving along every inch of solid male flesh in between. Primitive sparks shot to her nipples and straight to her clit. She moaned. “Tom, please.” He cupped her face. “You want it fast? You want it hard?” “Yes.” “Birth control,” he said. “I don’t—” “I’m on the pill, and I’m healthy.” He sighed in obvious relief, his smile gentle. “I’m healthy, too.” Then she did something she never imagined except in her most secret fantasies. She grabbed the front of his jeans and worked furiously at the belt, the buttons and zipper. “Damn, sweetheart,” he said, his voice raw. “Let me take my shoes off.”

30

He leaned over and worked the laces open on his shoes, then yanked them off. His socks followed. He helped her undress him, pulling his t-shirt up and over his head in one movement, then tossing it to the floor. Within a few moments, he’d shucked his jeans, his black briefs and stood before her naked. She sucked in a breath. Holy…wow. She knew Tom worked out—a man with a body like this couldn’t hide it under a form fitting t-shirt and jeans. But his body rivaled her fantasies. Plainly speaking, he was ripped. He owned the body of a warrior. Leanly muscled, tight. Sinew rippled along his broad shoulders and arms. A sprinkling of dark hair over his pecs spread down over his six-pack stomach and surrounded his cock. His very large, erect cock. Without thinking, she reached for him, want to feel and touch and explore. As her hand encompassed his thick length, she murmured, “Tom.” “Mmm.” The soft moan left his throat, then his breath hissed inward as Lizbeth’s fingers stroked. His silk over steel cock surged in her hand, his muscle moving as she caressed. She couldn’t take it any more. She dropped to her knees and took him into her mouth, sliding over him with a deep swallow, taking as much of him as she could. “Shit,” he whispered. “Oh, God.” Her mouth drew him in deeper, sucking, licking. Her tongue drew patterns along his erection, and he released a moan. “Come here.” He hauled her upward, off his cock. In the low light, his eyes glittered with a feral heat that turned her on even more. He gripped her shirt and ripped. Buttons went flying. Before he could do anything to her bra, she unhooked it and pulled it off her body. Soon she’d removed her pants and left on the tiny red bikini panties. With one yank, he ripped the panties right off her ass. Savage arousal ripped through her. “God, Tom.” “You’re beautiful.” He cupped her breasts, his head ducking down so that he could massage her nipples with long, lingering licks. She held his head, pleasure and growing arousal sending lengthy shudders through her. Her legs felt weak, her heart pounded.

31

His fingers dove between her legs and found her folds. She jerked in his hold, exquisite pleasure streaking through her as he sank one long finger deep into her pussy, then slipped out to circle her clit. “Fuck…you are so hot. So ready.” She grabbed his hand and led him toward the bed. “Please, Tom. Don’t make me wait any longer.” They sank onto the bed, and as she opened her legs to him, he came down on top of her. As he kissed her, his tongue plunged into her mouth. His cock probed her wet labia. With a single thrust, he shoved his cock to the hilt. As his balls tucked up against her buttocks and his fat cock head touched her cervix, she bucked against him with a gasp. Thick, hot cock spread her wide and deep. She wriggled, squirmed as she accommodated his heavy manhood. His hips moved, and the sensation of him stroking along her ultra sensitive channel made her entire body quiver in bone-melting, heart-clenching pleasure. She groaned against his mouth. She’d never experienced anything so exquisite. He stopped kissing her, his eyes boring into hers as he gauged her response. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she dug her heels into his ass. Slowly, he pulled back, drawing his thick length through her heated, swollen channel. White hot pleasure twisted, writhing through her veins. He pulled back until only the head of his cock remained inside. Emptiness gnawed her. “Tom.” She lifted her hips, trying to coax. “Don’t leave me.” “Never.” He held in place, gritting the words between his teeth. “Never.” When his cock forged a hot path straight into her core, he stifled her gasping scream with his mouth. He stroked the flames, barely moving with tiny thrusts that brushed and rubbed steadily against her g-spot. She gasped, moaning as she rocked her hips, trying to feel every thick inch. Sweet, hot ecstasy threatened, then burst like a fireball. She wailed, the sudden explosion careening through her so quickly she couldn’t control her body. She thrashed, totally uninhibited as he held his cock hard inside her. As she looked up at him, panting and gasping for air, he threw back his head and closed his eyes. He gritted his teeth as a low moan issued from his throat. His hips moved again, still with steady, sweet stroking of that sweet spot high up inside her. “Tom, you’re killing me.” She rocked her hips again, and he moved with her, the steady movement building until he began to fuck her hard. Each forceful plunge into her body stretched Lizbeth, exciting her,

32

required the muscles in her sex to tighten in bliss. She opened her eyes and looked into the big mirror over the bed. The sight of Tom’s body moving over hers, the way his buttocks clenched as he thrust, was such an erotic vision, she felt the burn of excitement racing upward once more. Her arms went around his back and she held on for the ride, bucking and straining as she sank into sensation. Each time he drew back, then fucked her hard, a moan left her throat. She felt each withdrawal, each continuous pumping of rigid cock along her responsive walls. She quivered on the brink, her body leaping and responding. He drew back entirely, and she almost screamed in denial. “No.” “Easy, baby. We’re not done.” Panting, his chest rising and falling rapidly, he drew her legs up until her thighs pressed against her midsection, her pussy and ass fully exposed. Without pause, he thrust back into her. Her hips bucked, and she gasped as he lunged, pressed, fucked with rapid fire movements that sent hot, wild tingles racing through her loins, burning in her belly. As the bed rattled with their frantic movements, the sound sent her into a fever. She went mindless, heaving against him, melting into nothing more than sensation. Her clit throbbed with every merciless stroke. She whimpered as pleasure engulfed her body in an agonizing wave. As Lizbeth’s heat clenched and gripped and pulsated around his cock, Tom held on, the bliss so mind-blowing he dangled by a thread. He jammed deep and held there, savoring the wet, tight pussy rippling around him. He ground his hips against her, wanting to prolong her pleasure. He felt so fucking hard, so on the edge he might pass out from the high. As the last of her whimpers faded, he drew back and fucked like a mad man. His hips bucked as the last of Tom’s control came apart, ripping through him in a great, shuddering wave. Ecstasy dissolved him as groans ripped from his throat. He didn’t stop, his hips pounding and pounding as he climaxed in hot spurts deep inside her. He shook, panted with the ecstasy until he thought he’d never recover from the incredible sensations pulsating inside him. He sank down and quickly rolled to the side, gathering her to his chest. As she shifted, she threaded her fingers through the hair on his chest and slowly caressed. He kissed her forehead, his arms tightening around her. “God, you’re wonderful. That was fucking wonderful,” he said as he tried to catch his breath.

33

She laughed, the feminine sound causing warmth around his heart that he’d never felt with another woman. “You’re wonderful, too. I’ve never…what we just did now, I’ve never been so turned on in my life. I’ve never come so hard and so fast.” He grinned. “Mmmm. Good.” His gaze went upwards, then his eyes widened. “Hell, is that a mirror on the ceiling?” She grinned. “It was here when I bought the place.” “Kinky.” She sighed and reached down to caress his hard thigh and then up to his tight butt cheeks. “I enjoyed watching your cute ass bob up and down.” He laughed. Her fingers slipped over his nipples, and he sucked in a breath of excitement. Jesus, she was driving him nuts, arousing him again. “I don’t want to scare you, Tom. And if you don’t feel the same way about me, I’ll understand.” He frowned and levered up on his elbow to look at her beautiful face. Her eyes swam with tears, and his heart twisted. “What is it? What’s wrong?” “I’m falling for you.” She said it so softly, with a touch of melancholy, that he stared at her for a long moment without saying anything. Then he closed his eyes, terrified as a spiraling joy engulfed him. Whether he liked it or not, he knew in his soul this woman had marked him body and soul for the rest of his life. When he opened his eyes, he smiled and caressed her cheek reverently. “Oh, baby. I fell for you a long time ago.” As he gathered her in his arms again, he kissed her. Her tongue danced with his, tantalizing and hot. He caressed her hair and threaded his fingers into the strands. He palmed her back and slipped his thigh between hers. When his skin touched heat and wetness, his cock stirred into full life, wanting to possess her once more. He groaned into her mouth and pressed the length of his erection along her slit. Her finger slipped down to touch and caress. She squeezed him with delicate finesse, sliding over the tip, then back down until he thought he’d lose his mind. “Damn,” he whispered. “Beth, you do things to me. Things that have never happened before.”

34

She stroked him until liquid fire ran up his spine. “Is that good or bad?” Apprehension in her voice made him spill the emotions inside him. “I love you. It’s a great thing.” The happiness in her eyes undid him one heartstring at a time. “I love you so much. Let me show you how.” Tom’s words penetrated her heart. As she palmed his cock and his eyes turned molten with desire, happiness lit her from within. She smiled. He slipped from her embrace to kneel at the side of the bed, and Lizbeth recognized the intent in his eyes. He wanted to drive her mad, satiated with love and sex. He lifted her legs until her feet planted on the bed. His strong hands brushed over her thighs. Tom had never seen anything as delicious as the pink, wet folds between her parted thighs. He licked his lips as his heart pounded faster and his cock surged in excitement. He pulled her musky scent into his lungs. He knew she wanted him to fuck her now, and God knew he wanted that as well, more than he wanted to live. Still, he couldn’t resist having a taste. He slipped his thumbs over creamy, wet folds. So slick. She shivered delicately as he smoothed his thumb over her clit. “Tom.” Her voice, a whispery plea, tortured him. Lizbeth’s eyes closed, pretty lips parted in a sigh. He couldn’t believe the perfection of her breasts, so round with beaded nipples. Her slim, curved body had beckoned to him from the first, and nothing would prevent him from descending into her soaked depths repeatedly tonight. He slowly inserted two fingers into her silken chamber. She gasped and arched, a whimper of pure pleasure slipping from her lips. He enveloped her clit and sucked, and her hips came up at him as a cry broke from her lips. Determined, he flicked the hard little bead. She arched her back as a groan ripped from her mouth. She panted, and he knew it wouldn’t take much more to send her off the cliff. When his fingers rubbed and caressed inside her and he sucked her clit, she sobbed and climaxed with bone-shuddering force. Little whimpers left her throat. When he lay on the bed and tried to take her in his arms, she slipped from his grip. Without hesitation, she knelt between his spread thighs and drew his rigid cock between her lips. She palmed him, stroked, licked with furious intent. His hips bucked, a low growl leaving his throat at the exquisite sensation. Jesus, if he didn’t get inside her again in a second, he’d shoot down her throat.

35

She increased the pressure, slicking her palm and her mouth up and down over his thickness in a cadence apparently designed to force him into oblivion. As his panting moans accelerated, so did his heartbeat. “Please,” he said on a gasp for air, not giving a shit that he pleaded. “Ride me.” She didn’t stop sucking Tom, tormenting him a little longer. A few more swift pumps and the desperate sounds coming from his throat became guttural. She straddled him, posing over his cock and then impaled herself with a quick movement. “Holy shit,” he said on a moan, his hips coming off the bed to grind into her. His nostrils flared as harsh breaths exploded from his chest. She lifted upward, pulling off his shaft, and he groaned in obvious frustration. She settled back down as the large head of his penis opened her up and moved slowly inward and touched the end of her sheath. God, he wanted to get deeper, feel every inch of her sliding along his length. He worked her on his shaft, grabbing her hips and helping her start a pounding, driving pace. Manic, he planted his feet flat and lifted his hips, hammering her like a pile driver. He moved easily in her tightness, the come he’d spurted into her making for a smooth ride. He watched his cock moving in and out between the pale folds of her sex. It was the most exciting fucking thing he’d ever seen, and he almost exploded right then. He drove and drove her until she screamed, bliss flowing over her features as she tipped her head back and her pussy milked him. He came with a shout, his whole body quaking as he shot deep into her depths with one heart-shaking release. When she collapsed into his arms, he smiled and before long, sleep overcame him. ***** When Lizbeth wakened the next morning, she felt the steady sweet sensation of Tom’s fingers teasing her clit as he spooned his body behind hers. Tom’s cock teased her labia from behind. She gasped, then undulated as his cock head circled her entrance, then heaved with one powerful thrust straight upward. “Tom!” The cry rushed from her. His arms pulled her closer, one hand closing over her breast to tweak her nipple, the other strumming her beaded clit. Buried tight in her pussy, his cock plunged and fucked with steady building strokes. He had her so hot, then within less then a minute of his hard, unrelenting

36

fucking she started to come apart, her pussy throbbing with a need so intense, she begged. Faster, harder, merciless, his cock drove into her center. “Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.” The words were guttural, male, and so very primitive. “I’m coming!” His statement, and one last plowing thrust, threw her into another orgasm so violent she screamed. They rested against one another and her heart pounded for what seemed forever before she could catch her breath. “Good morning,” he finally said. She laughed. “Morning.” He kissed her ear and sighed. “What would you think to waking up with me like this every morning?” She assessed his serious expression. “What are you saying, Tom?” “You know I already love you so much I can’t see straight. I can’t imagine being without you.” Tears filled her eyes as she hugged him close and buried her face in his shoulder. “I love you, Tom.” “We’ve just found each other again, so I know this is crazy. People will say we are nuts, but I don’t care. I want you with me now and forever.” “Yes. Oh, yes.” “Say you’ll marry me.” Happiness welled inside her, and she knew she’d found a love to last forever. “I’ll marry you.” And they sealed it with a kiss. The End