The Last Goodnight

by Kat Martin

  Kade hissed in a breath. Lifting her chin, her lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, then positioned himself between her legs, tore off her red thong panties, and stroked her until she was sobbing his name. Kade slid inside her, his hard length filling her completely, promising the same pleasure he had given her before.

  Kade paused, a shudder rippling through him as he fought for control. “Damn, I want you. Watching you smile at Sullivan, I wanted to rip his head off and shove it down his throat.” Kade drove into her, hard enough to lift her a little off the counter. “He doesn’t touch you. Nobody touches you but me.” Kade kissed her.

  She should have been angry, should have been worried at the wildly possessive note in his voice, maybe even frightened. Instead, she raised her hips to take more of him, urging him to move deeper, faster, harder, wildly exhilarated that in some way he claimed her.

  Kade took her and took her, the sound of their lovemaking hidden beneath the music pounding through the walls of the storeroom. Ellie came with a rush so sweet and hot that tears filled her eyes.

  She cried out as a second climax struck. Seconds later, Kade’s jaw clenched and his whole body tightened as he followed her to release.

  For long seconds, neither of them moved. Kade just held her, his forehead tipped against hers. He cupped her face and kissed her one last time.

  “Are you all right?”

  She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t all right. She felt as if she had fallen under some dark, powerful spell Kade Logan had cast over her. She had never felt this kind of wild, erotic hunger. She wasn’t sure if she could handle it, or if she should just run away.

  “I-I’m okay.”

  He took care of the condom she had barely noticed he’d put on, then turned back to her. There was something in his eyes, something dark and turbulent.

  “I don’t know what happened. One minute I was watching you talk to Sullivan. I knew what he was saying. I knew exactly what he wanted from you, and the next thing I knew I was dragging you in here.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I feel like I should apologize, but I don’t regret what happened, so it wouldn’t really be sincere.”

  Ellie might have smiled, but there was nothing funny about what had happened. It had shown her just how deeply she was entangled with Kade. Still, she didn’t regret it either. “It’s all right. I could have stopped you. I never doubted that.”

  He grabbed his hat off the floor and tugged it on, bent his head, and pressed a last brief kiss on her lips. “No matter how much I want you, I’d never hurt you, darlin’.”

  Ellie studied his handsome face. The turbulence remained, but it was softened by some other emotion she couldn’t read. “I think it’s time we went home.”

  Kade lifted her down from the counter and set her on her feet. They both rearranged their clothes, and Kade straightened her skirt. He didn’t say more, but the heat in his eyes had barely dimmed. She was pretty sure he planned to take up where they’d left off when they got back to the ranch.

  Ellie told herself she should back away before it was too late. But as he urged her out of the storeroom, she was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen.

  * * *

  Kade followed Ellie across the dance floor toward the front door. “What about Maisie?” he asked. “I thought you wanted to talk to her.”

  Ellie glanced over at the blond woman behind the bar. “Probably not the best time,” she said dryly.

  Kade followed her gaze to Maisie, who watched them with a smug smile on her face. Ellie’s dark copper curls were mussed, her white sweater smudged with dirt, and her denim skirt wrinkled. She looked as if she had just rolled out of some cowboy’s bed. Which basically she had.

  Kade felt the heat creeping into the back of his neck. “You’re probably right.” They grabbed their coats off the rack by the door, put them on, and stepped out into the cold evening air.

  Kade walked Ellie around to the passenger side of the pickup and helped her climb in, then headed for the driver’s side. As he started the engine, he tried to remember a time in his younger, wilder days when he’d dragged a woman into a back room somewhere and had steamy, uninhibited sex with her.

  Definitely never happened.

  It bothered him that Ellie could make him lose his highly valued control. Hell, he’d barely noticed the men Heather flirted with. Kade asked himself why that was. What was the difference between the two women?

  The only answer that came to mind was that after the first few years, he and Heather had pretty much just cohabitated. After dating through high school, marriage was the next logical step. And this was Coffee Springs. Kade needed a wife. Heather was beautiful, and there weren’t a lot of women to choose from.

  Ellie was different. She was her own woman. Independent, smart, hardworking, and sexy as hell. Kade had to admit he was fiercely attracted to her, more than any woman he could recall. Hell, more than any other woman he’d ever known.

  He was in deep trouble with Ellie Bowman, and unsure how to proceed. The feeling was new to him. He warned himself to tread carefully, but as he cast her a sideways glance and felt his body coming to life again, he wasn’t quite sure how to make that happen.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  ELLIE SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT IN KADE’S BED. AS THE CLOCKED ticked toward four a.m. and Kade lay beside her fast asleep, she was surprised at how reluctant she was to leave.

  You can’t afford to get any more involved, a little voice warned. It’s too big a risk.

  Easing back the covers, she dressed and quietly left the bedroom, went downstairs, showered, and went to work. As she set out the basics for breakfast, she thought again of the night she had spent with Kade, and another thought surfaced. Kade had told her he’d never been jealous of Heather. But he’d been beyond jealous of Ellie last night.

  He doesn’t touch you. No one touches you but me.

  No man had ever made those kinds of demands on her. Not her ex-husband, not a boyfriend or anyone else. Not that it was a problem since she didn’t sleep with other men when she was involved with someone—no matter how brief a time the relationship lasted.

  Still, it made her wonder. Was there a chance Kade had murdered Heather in a fit of temper? Infidelity was certainly a trigger for Kade.

  As breakfast ended and she and Maria cleaned up, Ellie tried to imagine a version of Kade who would kill his wife, but the entire concept of Kade using violence against a woman just didn’t fit.

  She thought of the people in his life—Wyatt, Alejandro and the ranch hands, Maria, young Billy. If anything, Kade was overly protective of the people he cared for.

  True, the man was wildly demanding in bed, but he had never threatened her physically, and she had never been afraid of him. In truth, when they’d been having passionate sex in the storeroom, she had encouraged him—a thought that sent hot color into her cheeks.

  Still, she would find a way to take a look at Heather’s medical records, see if there was any evidence of abuse, and also ask Zoe to take a look at Rance Sullivan, see if anything suspicious popped up.

  Ellie wiped her hands on a dish towel and glanced over at Maria. “Looks like we’re done here,” she said. “You should take breakfast to Alejandro. How’s he doing, by the way?”

  Maria gave her the dreamy smile she had been wearing since she’d been staying in the cabin with the handsome Latino.

  “He’s getting better every day.”

  “That’s good to hear. So . . . what about the two of you? Do you think you’ll get together after he’s well?”

  Maria’s soft smile faded. “He thinks he’s too old for me.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Thirty-one.” Two years older than Ellie. “I told him ten years is nothing. But he thinks I should go out and see the world, enjoy life before I think about settling down.”

  “Maybe he’s right,” Ellie said.

  Big brown eyes locked on her face. “My world is here in Coffee Springs.
My grandmother is here. My family is close by. I don’t care about seeing the world. There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

  There wasn’t much Ellie could say to that. Heather was the kind of woman who had craved freedom. Maria was a homebody who just wanted a man who loved her and a family of her own.

  “Give him some time. If he cares for you, maybe he’ll figure it out.”

  Maria’s eyes welled. “I thought I could make him fall in love with me. It’s not Alejandro’s fault.” A drop of wetness rolled down her cheek as Maria turned away, grabbed the foil-wrapped platter of food she had prepared, and hurried out the door.

  Ellie sighed. Secretly she had always dreamed of a love story with a happy ending. Now that she was older, she’d be happy just to see one of her friends find that kind of love.

  She thought of Kade and his moodiness that morning, the few words he had said to her before he’d left the house. He seemed to have the same doubts about their relationship she had. Gun shy, Zoe had said.

  The happy ending wasn’t going to happen. Not for her and probably not anyone else.

  With a breath of resignation, she forced her thoughts back to the murder case she was supposed to be working, crossed the kitchen, then went down the hall to her bedroom. Her laptop perched on the little Victorian writing desk in the sitting area. Ellie sat down and went to work.

  Starting with Rance Sullivan, she dug around on Google and checked half a dozen places where his name might pop up. He had no criminal record that she could find. On his Facebook page, she learned that Sullivan was a member of the Elk Foundation, an organization that supported wildlife habitat and hunting. Also the NRA, so he undoubtedly owned a gun, but so did half the men in Coffee Springs, and Heather had been strangled, not shot. He definitely had a lot of women friends.

  Zoe would be able to go deeper, but Ellie didn’t see any red flags where Sullivan was concerned. At eleven o’clock that morning, she heard a car pulling up behind the house. Since most visitors came to the front door, she went to the window to see who it was.

  A silver Mercedes convertible gleamed in the sunlight, steam rising from the engine in the cold. A stylishly dressed woman in designer jeans and a cashmere sweater got out. Early thirties, sleek, shoulder-length blond hair turned under, no tell-tale dark roots, a face bordering on beautiful, eyebrows perfectly plucked, lips full and painted a sexy red.

  Ellie’s insides knotted. She headed for the kitchen, opened the door, and stepped out onto the porch. “May I help you?”

  “I’m Grace Towers. I’m a friend of Kade’s.” Her gaze ran over Ellie in her worn jeans, scuffed boots, and red-plaid flannel shirt. “You must be the cook.”

  That and a whole lot more. “I’m Ellie Bowman. Is Kade expecting you?”

  “I thought I’d surprise him. Would you mind telling him I’m here?”

  “I’m afraid he’s out with his men. He usually comes in around noon to work in his study for a while, but not always. If he’s in cell range, I might be able to reach him on his phone.”

  Grace flashed a perfect white smile. “That would be lovely. Thank you, Ellie.”

  “No problem.”

  Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Ellie punched in Kade’s contact number. He picked up on the second ring.

  “Ellie. What’s the problem?”

  With all the trouble that had been happening, and since she rarely called, he had to figure it was urgent.

  “Everything’s all right. I just wanted to let you know you have a visitor.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Your friend Grace Towers. She drove out to surprise you. Surprise.”

  “Very funny. Tell her I’m fifteen minutes out.”

  “Will do, boss.” Ellie hung up the phone.

  * * *

  Kade gritted his teeth. Women. He shoved the phone into his back pocket. The last thing he needed was more woman trouble. But after the ass he had made of himself in the Elkhorn last night, he had no right to fault Ellie.

  He waved at Wyatt. “I’m heading in. Keep your eyes open.” The shooter could still be out there, which all of them knew.

  “Will do,” Wyatt called back, his mouth a worried line beneath his silver mustache.

  Kade climbed onto the ATV he had ridden to the north pasture and started back to the house. He didn’t see any of the security men on patrol, but he was sure they were there. These guys really knew what they were doing. He felt safer knowing they were watching his back as he drove the four-wheeler down the muddy, half-frozen lane back to the ranch house.

  Where Grace was waiting, he reminded himself, and silently cursed. Ellie had met one of his former lovers last night. She was perceptive enough to know Grace was another.

  Kade remembered meeting the wealthy, thirty-four-year-old divorcee at the Four Season’s bar in Vail, a lady on the lookout for company. He’d gone home with her that night, and they had enjoyed each other. Kade had told her he wasn’t interested in anything permanent, and Grace had adamantly informed him that she wasn’t either.

  They’d dated off and on for almost a year, whenever Grace was in Vail and lonely for male companionship. When she’d started pressing him for more than just no-strings sex, Kade had ended the affair. Now she was here.

  He rode the four-wheeler up to where Grace stood next to Ellie and turned off the engine. He couldn’t help comparing the two women. One tall, sleek, and sophisticated. The other smaller, with a full-busted, sexy figure, and gorgeous dark copper hair. One so perfect she seemed synthetic. The other a real woman in every way.

  He clamped down on a memory of hot sex in the Elkhorn storeroom last night. Now was definitely not the time.

  He strode forward. “Grace. It’s good to see you.” He didn’t lean down and kiss her cheek as he might have done before. “How long’s it been? At least three or four months.” He flicked a glance at Ellie to be sure she got the message.

  “Three and a half months, darling. Way longer that it should be. That’s why I’m here.” She linked her arm through his. “Why don’t we go inside so we can talk somewhere private?”

  Ellie gave him a phony smile. “That sounds like a good idea.” She walked over and opened the door, stood waiting as the two of them approached. The door slammed solidly behind him, and Kade winced as he led Grace into the house.

  As soon as the study door was closed, Grace slid her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him, but Kade turned his face away. He caught her hands and eased them from around his neck as he stepped out of her embrace.

  “I thought we’d both decided to move on, Grace.”

  “You decided, Kade. I thought it was just a misunderstanding. I thought once we were together again, you’d realize your mistake.”

  “It wasn’t a mistake, Grace. I’ve moved on, and so should you.”

  One of her blond eyebrows went up. “By moved on, you mean you’re sleeping with your cook?” She scoffed. “I thought you had higher ambitions.”

  “I don’t have any ambitions when it comes to women. I sleep with whoever I want, as long as that’s what the lady wants too.”

  “You could do far better. Surely you can see that.” She reached out and pressed her hand against the fly of his jeans. “We were good together, Kade. Admit it.”

  He caught her wrist and moved her hand away. “We had some fun. Now it’s over. I’ll walk you out to your car.”

  Her lips thinned. “Fine. If you’re determined to behave like a fool with a woman so clearly beneath you, there’s nothing more to say.” Turning, she huffed across the study, pulled open the door, and marched out into the hall.

  She didn’t wait for Kade, who followed her out, just headed back to the kitchen. When she reached the door, she paused to look at Ellie.

  “Enjoy him while you can. He’s a great fuck, but he doesn’t really give a damn.” Grace slammed out the door.

  Kade’s gaze locked with Ellie’s. “I ended it three months ago. It was never serious.”

&nb
sp; “It’s none of my business.” Words she had said last night.

  But there was a note of regret in her voice he had never heard before. Kade looked at her, and something tightened in his chest. He strode toward her, pulled her into his arms. When she tried to turn away, he caught her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  “Grace was just another woman. She never meant anything to me. Whatever happens between us, you’re special, Ellie. I’ve never met anyone like you.” Bending his head, he kissed her, didn’t stop until her ripe lips softened under his and she was clinging to his shoulders.

  He didn’t know what was going on between them, but whatever it was, that was the moment Kade decided it was worth finding out.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  ELLIE TOLD HERSELF TO PACK UP AND LEAVE. THERE WAS ALWAYS another job. Quitting would be the smart thing to do. She didn’t trust herself where Kade Logan was concerned, and she didn’t want to risk getting hurt again.

  But Ellie had never been a quitter. She would stick it out until the job was done. And something had happened today, something she hadn’t expected. Was it possible Kade had feelings for her, something deeper than the lust they both shared?

  Because Ellie was beginning to realize how deep her feelings ran for Kade. Watching him with Grace Towers had made her physically ill.

  But Kade had said he wasn’t interested in Grace. He’d said Ellie was special. Did he mean it? Or was it just a typical male line?

  The ringing of her cell ended her thoughts. She pulled the phone out of her pocket. Zoey.

  “Hey, Zoe.”

  “I’ve got news, Ellie. Actually, I’ve got a couple of things to report.”

  “Starting with . . . ?”

  “You already know Frank Keller worked for Red Hawk Mining.”

  “That’s right. I know the mine’s owned by Mountain Ore Mining Consolidated, but I haven’t had time to check them out.”

  “Mountain Ore is a huge corporation, family-owned, with mines in other parts of Colorado, but also South America and Africa. After Keller got out of the army four years ago, he worked for Mountain Ore in several different locations. His first job was in Brazil, but he ended up back in the States, working in southern Colorado.”