She sighed and threw him a half disgruntled, half indulgent smile. “Okay.” She glanced around, her expression suddenly worried. “How do we know Junior isn’t going to show up?”
“We’ve got our eyes peeled,” the older cop said.
Another sheriff’s car had blocked off the entrance to the gas station, and that gave Hank a measure of comfort.
Police started their round of questions. While Hank wanted to support Arlie, he realized the police would want to question them separately. As Arlie sat in the ambulance with paramedics, a cop asked her the standard questions Hank would expect. Yet Hank could only hear part of it since the younger deputy of the two was busy questioning him.
After the deputy seemed satisfied with the answers, Hank said, “Is the sheriff’s department going to offer Arlie any protection against Junior? He seemed pretty intent on hurting her.”
Hank saw something in the deputy’s eyes. He couldn’t be sure if it was agreement or caution. “I doubt the department can spare anyone. The fire is taking up most of our resources.”
Hank understood, and he couldn’t argue with it. Well, he could, but what would be the point? Law enforcement did the best they could in a bad situation.
Hank didn’t like the odds. He knew what he had to do. “I’ll stay with her.”
The deputy smiled. “Good idea.”
“You’ll let us know if you catch up with Junior?” Hank asked.
Skepticism returned to the deputy’s face. “We’ll keep you informed.”
Hank understood that was cop speak for we’ll let you know what we want you to know and when we want you to know it.
“Do you both have somewhere to go with the evacuation still happening?” the deputy asked.
Good question. Hank shrugged. “I’ll see what Arlie wants to do. I was heading to a hotel for a little R&R in Tucson, but that hotel is probably filled with evacuees by now.”
“You live nearby?”
“Yep, but my house is in the evac zone.”
The deputy nodded as he scribbled in his notebook. “Okay, then. As long as we have your phone number and you stay nearby until we can get this sorted out.”
“What qualifies as nearby?”
“No farther than Tucson.”
Hank nodded. Getting as far away as Tucson might be a good idea with Junior God only knows where. “Will do.”
“Hank!” Arlie’s call caught his attention. She was waving to him from the ambulance.
“That’s all for now,” the deputy said.
Hank hurried to the ambulance.
Arlie didn’t look too happy as she said, “They want me to get checked out at the hospital.”
Hank took of her worried expression. “Where are you guys taking her?”
“Back into Chimney Rock,” one paramedic said. “It’s the closest hospital and it isn’t in the evac zone.”
Hank gave Arlie a smile. “I’ll follow the ambulance.”
Arlie’s returning smile was filled with relief. “See you there.”
Just like that Hank felt that smile warm him all through, even the very male part of him that wanted to kiss her again and wanted to protect her. He’d be damned if Junior would get near her again.
* * * *
Six hours later and with a clean bill of health, Arlie stood in her curtain-shrouded cubicle in the emergency room. Nervousness still pinged around inside her. Clouds had dumped considerable rain on the area so far, and now that night had come the humidity stayed up and the cooler temperatures helped. According to the news feed on her phone, the fire was losing steam, and as far as Arlie was concerned that was all good. No, it was the thought of Junior lurking around out there that kept the acid in her stomach churning. She was starving and that was part of the problem.
Hank had left a few moments ago to grab a cup of coffee, right before a nurse came to Arlie’s cubicle with release paperwork. Arlie signed the papers and handed the clipboard off. She half expected the nurse to ask questions that had nothing to do with how she felt—everyone had looked at Arlie and Hank with curiosity when they heard of the incident at the gas station. Fortunately the hospital staff had too much on their plates to ask those types of questions, and for that Arlie was grateful. She was also grateful the cops kept her cell phone and purse safe. She didn’t feel as naked now that she had both. Not that there was anyone she could call. Okay, she could call her friends Maggie and Tina as soon as she got out of here.
“Thank you,” the nurse said, her smile genuine.
Arlie suddenly felt insecure. She couldn’t wait to leave here, but she didn’t have anywhere to go. Her area was still evacuated, at least until sometime tomorrow.
She said the first thing she could think of. “Hank should be back in a moment. Is it okay if I stay here and wait?”
The nurse didn’t look perturbed or impatient. “Sure. Things have slowed down a little. Believe it or not, we don’t even need the bed for the moment.”
Arlie smiled and let out a breath of relief. “Great.”
“Take care,” the nurse said as she left.
Arlie sank into the chair by the bed. She was tired as hell, needed a shower, and her mind raced at about a hundred miles an hour. Doubts ran around in her head, but so did gratefulness. At the end of the day she had a hell of a lot to feel thankful for. Arlie had decided that on the way out of town she’d grab her luggage from her truck at the gas station where she’d left it. Hank had suggested strongly they take his SUV to Tucson. He was worried about her safety and didn’t want to be separated from her.
His concern was sexy as hell. Gratifying. She couldn’t remember a man ever treating her as well as Hank did, and even though he was protective there didn’t appear to be an overbearing bone in his gorgeous body. The fact she could appreciate those things about him, after what had almost happened with Junior in Grandma’s trailer, surprised her. Shouldn’t she be repulsed by even the idea of a man touching her? She knew, without even really thinking about it, that Hank would never, ever force anything.
Hank turned up less than five minutes later, and she popped to her feet. Whoa. Back the hell off, girl. Wasn’t her reaction a little strong, even after the thoughts she’d just had? Maybe the excitement had more to do with getting the hell out of the hospital. But she doubted it.
He carried two cups of coffee and a bag of nuts.
She smiled as he handed a coffee to her. As their fingers brushed, her skin tingled. She ignored it in favor of saying, “Ah, I see you’ve brought me a cup of nirvana and some dinner.”
“I should have asked if you wanted cream. I guessed that you did.”
“My hero. That’s the way I like it.”
“Oh yeah?”
She caught the glint of teasing and warmth in his eyes. What else would you like? Wow. Now that was a thought. A new sensation spun through her lower belly. Oh. That sensation. The one saying she found this man attractive.
“I figured we should eat something before we both crash from hunger. We could stop at a restaurant in town if you want,” he said as he ripped open the bag of nuts.
She shrugged. “Up to you. I think this will hold me until breakfast tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan.” They chowed down and sipped coffee for a few moments before he asked, “You’re ready to go?”
“Get me outta this Popsicle stand.”
He led her through the maze where they stopped at the checkout area, and she forked over her co-pay.
As they exited the building, the parking lot lights illuminated the night. The smell of smoke was still heavy in the air. She sipped the steaming coffee, savoring the pick me up.
They headed toward his SUV, and she said, “We didn’t talk about where we’re going next.”
“I was thinking a hotel. My place is in the evac zone as well.”
That spinning in her stomach escalated.
Before she could react and make sure she understood exactly what Hank was thinking, he stopped by his SUV an
d unlocked it with the remote. “Wait. I forgot to tell you that your phone was making some interesting ring tones when you were out for that last scan.”
She grinned. “What kind of ring tones?”
His return smile was broad and appreciative. “An interesting rendition of The Walking Dead theme was the first call. The second call was Moonlight Sonata.”
Awesome. He knew what Moonlight Sonata sounded like? She didn’t know too many men that did.
Heat filled her face. “My friends from work. Maggie is a huge Walking Dead Fan.” She shrugged. “And Tina is a classical pianist and loves Moonlight Sonata. They evacuated to hotels in Tucson yesterday. Maybe they heard what happened.”
“Shit,” he said softly. “Hope our names aren’t in the paper yet.”
“I’ll text them back when we’re on the road.”
A tingle went up her spine right in that second, and she looked around.
That’s when she saw Junior on the sidewalk near the front entrance of the hospital, still wearing his uniform.
Fear sliced through her.
The rumble of a fire truck rolling through the parking lot caught her ears, but she barely registered the big machine coming. It wasn’t slowing down.
She grabbed Hank’s arm and her coffee cup hit the ground. “It’s Junior.”
Before Hank could move, before she could move, Junior ran between the parked cars.
The fire truck’s horn blared, the brakes screeching as the truck tried to stop.
Junior and the truck collided and the cop went flying.
Junior landed, his head at an awkward angle, and Arlie knew without a doubt that was the end of him. She should have felt horror. Concern at the very least for a fellow human being. But perversely only two thoughts went through her stunned mind.
Death by fire truck. How appropriate.
“Son of a bitch,” Hank said under his breath, his tone stunned.
Firefighters in the truck piled out, and Arlie knew they’d all be here for a long, long time.
Chapter 4
Arlie stood in the hotel room, her mind whirling from the day and night that wouldn’t seem to end. Midnight came and went and when they’d pulled into the parking lot two a.m. had arrived. The small chain hotel just outside of Tucson had one room left. With one king-size bed, a couch and a small kitchenette it gave them a little more room to move around. She’d balked at the extra expense—she didn’t have that much money to spend. Hank insisted on paying. When she’d promised to pay him back for her share, he’d shrugged and said it was his pleasure to pay and no worries.
“I’ll take the couch,” Hank said.
She smiled and lifted her suitcase onto a stick chair in one corner. “Very chivalrous of you.”
He snorted a laugh. “I’ve slept on worse. I can take it.”
After the trauma of escaping Junior, the fire, and then seeing Junior creamed by a fire truck—well, her mind was numb enough not to care where he slept. Face planting on the bed sounded like the right idea. Although she felt a bit weird about sharing a room with a man she’d only met the previous day, she didn’t have much choice and she knew she was entirely safe with him. Two of the city cops who’d investigated Junior’s demise knew Hank and their interactions with Hank proved they trusted and liked him.
He tossed his big duffle down on the couch and unzipped the bag. “I’m gonna get a shower.”
She didn’t know if she could make it through a shower. After he entered the bathroom, she lay on the bed, shoes off and clothes on. Maybe she’d just sleep like this right here. Who gave a damn?
Images floated through her mind of Junior lying dead and the chaos that had ensued afterwards. The firefighters and paramedics realizing they couldn’t save the man and the whole place turning into yet another crime scene. It had taken hours for the resulting mess to be cleared away and the police reports taken. By the time they’d been released from the scene, Arlie thought her eyes might cross. Hank didn’t look tired, but she knew he was used to the strenuous physical demands of wildland firefighting and that no doubt made a difference.
Still, she’d been wired for sound even as they drove to Tucson. They’d talked of the sheer bizarreness of Junior’s death. How things could have gone from bad to worse for them if Junior had simply pulled out his gun and shot at them. If the firemen in the engine hadn’t arrived right then at the hospital to visit an injured colleague, Junior might have accomplished his ultimate goal of killing Arlie. It amounted to a you’re-never-gonna-believe-this-shit story she was sure she’d find amusing later. Much, much later.
Now, as the comfort of the room surrounded her, she discovered her mind still wouldn’t shut up. She floated in a half state between wanting to sleep and still hearing everything around her. Shower running. Sounds of traffic outside. Eventually the bathroom door creaking.
Her eyes popped open and out stepped a god. Oh, man. She sat up and stared.
Hank wore shorts that looked sort of like slightly baggy blue swim trunks. His hair was damp. But holy cow, his chest…now that belonged on some sort of firefighter calendar or maybe an advertisement for a new movie about male strippers. He beat Channing Tatum all to hell. Hank didn’t have a bodybuilder body so much as the highly sculpted powerful arms, rock-solid chest and six-pack abs of a man who came by his muscles through hard manual labor. That chest was sprinkled with dark hair, and her mouth watered. Hell to the yes. He was, in a nutshell, the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.
He lifted one eyebrow, and a smile touched his mouth. “Bathroom’s all yours.”
“Uh…yeah.” Her face heated.
She scrambled off the bed and gathered what she needed from her suitcase. She took a quick shower, washed her hair and blew it dry a bit. She dressed in the only long sleep shirt she had. It was plain blue and hung down to mid-thigh. Too tired to give more thought to being in this situation with Hank, or the fact that she was hyper aware of him, she exited the bathroom and found him…
Sound asleep on the couch, curled onto his right side with a pillow and blanket. Okay. Good. No awkwardness. She felt a bit selfish that she had the entire bed. But no. She wouldn’t invite him into the bed because, well…there was potential there for who knew what.
After turning off the light and peeling back the sheets and coverlet, her head hit the pillow and it was blessed lights out.
Until the nightmare came in the early morning hours.
Flames approached the hotel. All the way up here somehow, the red and yellow dancing devil reached for them, racing over the land in the way only a wind and fuel driven fire could. Too fast. Too fast to outrun. She screamed.
She burst into sitting position as Hank sat on the edge of the bed. The bedside lamp was on, but she could see through the curtains that a new day had already awakened. His eyes were dark with concern, his hands firmly clasped on her shoulders.
“Hey. Hey, it’s all right,” he said softly. “You’re safe.”
She shivered and embarrassment rolled over her. “I was dreaming about the fire coming for the hotel.”
He gathered her close and, tucked against his chest, she eased into calm. His palms spread over her back, and she slipped her arms around his neck. They stayed that way for quite a while until she drew back slightly and dared look into his gaze.
His eyes warmed with undeniable male interest, and on impulse she cupped his face. The bristle on his cheek and chin rasped pleasantly against her fingers. Tension drew tight as a heated awareness seemed to grow in the very air between them. The contrast between his obvious physical strength and the tenderness he displayed caused the melting heat growing in her stomach to expand. His gaze dipped to her mouth.
“Think you can sleep now?” he asked softly.
“No.”
And she made a decision, crazy and maybe dangerous to her heart.
She slipped her fingers into his hair and drew him down. She kissed him.
Oh. Oh, yes.
His response was
warm and instant, a brushing of lips over lips, a soft meeting that sank into sweet exploration. She slid her arms around his neck and drank him in as his arms tightened around her back. Every sense felt magnified and she became aware of each inch of his hard body and his clean male scent. She’d fantasized in a few unguarded moments about a kiss like this with Hank, but the reality was so, so much better. A new hunger built inside her. She wanted to know what it would be like to see all that power, all that passion she sensed inside him unleashed.
She pressed closer and the hardness of his chest against her breasts made her nipples tingle and harden. Heat flashed to life between her legs. Hank lay back on the bed and drew her down with him, a movement graceful and strong. He shifted until she lay half on top of him. His fingers speared into her hair, his touch now possessive. He played with her lips, slow and soft and still holding something back. It was maddening, a crazy-making seduction. She melted into him, savoring, writhing against him. He gripped her bottom and she lifted one leg over his hips as he moved her until she was on top of him. Her thighs spread over his, the rough hair on his legs tickling and reminding her how male he was. He lifted his hips and oh…oh yes. His erection pressed between her legs as he gently squeezed her butt cheeks in both hands. Anticipation and excitement soared through her. She sighed against him, and when her lips parted his tongue went deep. With slow, teasing strokes he made love to her mouth. The hot brush of his tongue over hers made a bolt of hot need shoot through her belly.
Breathless, she moaned and so did Hank as he increased the passion in his kiss. She’d never felt this cherished and important, this cared for in her entire life, and the mixture of erotic sexual intent and gentleness undid her.
Aching and dizzy with need, she squirmed against him and whimpered. He rolled until now he was on top, leaning over but not crushing her with his weight. He broke their kiss and they both gasped. He gazed down at her and the look in his eyes said it all. He wanted her.
“Arlie.” He rasped the word, his voice throaty and deep. “I’m dying for you, but I’m not going to push for anything you don’t want.” He grinned, a rueful, almost embarrassed smile that faded into regret. “Besides, I don’t have any protection with me. I wasn’t planning anything like this.”
Trapped Page 4