Harlequin Blaze June 2015 Box Set: Midnight ThunderFevered NightsCome On OverTriple Time

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  What the hell? He pulled the truck over to the shoulder and cut the engine.

  “What are you doing?” She straightened, glanced at him, looked away and dabbed at her eye.

  “Tell me what’s wrong.” He swore, if she said “nothing,” he would lose it. He’d heard enough “nothings” from his ex to last him a damn lifetime.

  “We’re almost home. Can’t we talk then?”

  “We could.”

  “Okay.” She glared at him. “You’re not driving.”

  “I said we could, not that I agreed.”

  “Trent.” Her shoulders slumped against the seat. “Please.”

  “Are you telling me nothing’s wrong?”

  “No. I’m telling you I want to get home. Before the first snowfall if possible. Please.”

  Trent started the engine. He let her be for the ten minutes it took to arrive at the Eager Beaver and park. But then she opened her door and jumped out so fast he wondered if she planned to dodge him all night. Fine. He wouldn’t say another word.

  Shit.

  Mutt came running from behind Violet’s trailer straight toward him. He stopped to scratch behind the dog’s ears. “How are you doing, boy? Have you been taking care of those kittens and their mama?”

  He barked and led Trent to the kitchen door.

  Trent sighed. Animals were so much easier to understand than women.

  He let Mutt in behind him, scooped kibble out of the bin and dumped it into his bowl. Without a single complaint or cross look Mutt chowed down. Didn’t take much to make an animal happy, either, unlike women. Trent should’ve learned that lesson by now.

  Irritated with himself for giving a damn, he walked through the house to see if Shelby had closed herself off in her room. Just as he got to the hall she stepped out of the bathroom.

  “Was that...” He closed his eyes for a second. “Better?”

  “Much,” she said with a regal lift of her chin. “Thank you.”

  “You could’ve just told me.”

  “I could’ve.” She tried keeping a straight face. “But I didn’t.”

  He lunged for her and missed. Laughing, she did a taunting little shimmy and danced out of his reach.

  “Okay. I see how you are. Now that you’re a mini tycoon you think you’re too good for me.”

  She stopped and stared at him.

  He expected her to laugh. Maybe flip him off. Or play along by sticking her nose in the air.

  Trent never thought she’d burst into tears.

  And damned if he knew what to do. He froze, a bunch of stuff flipping through his mind, afraid he’d make a wrong move and chase her off. He could only do one thing—trust his instincts.

  He grabbed a box of tissue from the bathroom, then he pulled Shelby into his arms.

  She cried louder.

  Holy hell.

  She didn’t push him away, though, so he hugged her a little closer and rubbed her back, letting her cry with her face buried against his chest. He lightly kissed the top of her head, hoping she hadn’t noticed. She might not like it at the moment, but he’d needed the small comfort.

  Wanting Shelby to call the shots, he stayed quiet and completely still, even when Mutt barked at the door.

  She drew back, pulled out half the tissues in the box, and kept her head bowed while she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “We better let him out.”

  Mutt probably just wanted to go chase evening critters. But Trent went ahead and opened the door to give Shelby a moment. After that... Hell, he didn’t know.

  “Can I get you something?” he asked. “Water? A sandwich? How about a beer?”

  She gave him a watery smile and shook her head. “Thanks.”

  Realizing he was still wearing his hat he yanked it off and spun it around in his hands. “Guess you’re just tired, huh?”

  “I am,” she said, “but that’s not it.” She cleared her throat. “Maybe I will have some water.”

  They both turned to the kitchen at the same time.

  “I think I can manage,” she said with a soft laugh. “May I get you anything? A beer?”

  “I don’t know. Will I need one?”

  Her expression faltered. “I don’t think so.”

  Goddamn it, he wanted to kick himself. What a jackass thing to say. He’d given her an out. It would’ve been easy for her to blame exhaustion. But she seemed willing to talk, and what did he do?

  Halfway to the kitchen she turned around. His gut clenched. She walked back to him, got up on tiptoes and kissed him before continuing to the kitchen.

  Shit. He really did want that beer. But he wouldn’t follow her. “Shelby?”

  “Got it.” Less than a minute later she returned with water for her and a bottle for him.

  “Thanks,” he said, and twisted off the cap. “This is not a commentary on anything. I just feel like a beer.”

  “Got that, too.” She smiled. “Let’s sit on the couch for a change, huh?”

  She sat first, in the middle, which helped him out. Hard for him to make a wrong move. His ex would’ve plastered herself to one corner and silently dared him to overstep. Hell, why had he been thinking of Dana lately? He wasn’t even that pissed at her anymore. Setting his beer on the coffee table, he sat in his normal spot. Shelby inched a bit closer. The warmth flooding his chest made him a little tongue-tied, so he just smiled and put a loose arm behind her on the couch.

  She shifted to face him and sighed. “Thank you,” she said. “For helping me get the booth at the fair. For having faith in me. For liking my jewelry. For...putting up with me. I showed up out of the blue, turned your life upside down and you still—” Her voice caught. She took a quick sip, her gaze lowered. “I guess I’m just trying to say thanks for everything.”

  Part of him thought he should just keep his mouth shut. The other part had him scared to death she was working up to a goodbye. “You’re tired,” he said, taking her free hand in his. “Now isn’t the time to make any big decisions if that’s where you’re going with this.”

  Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. “I’m not. I honestly just wanted to tell you how great you’ve been and how much it matters to me.” She took another sip then put her glass on the coffee table. “It’s been a long time since anyone has been in my corner. That’s why I’m emotional. I just—”

  He squeezed her hand, wanting to hold her. But something told him there was more to be said first. “You don’t have to thank me. Look how supportive you’ve been of me. What you said about Moon and that last call. Hey, we’re—” His throat closed some when she warily looked up. “We’re friends.” When the hell had that word become inadequate? She felt it, too, and yet what else were they if not friends. “That’s what friends do. Support each other.”

  She nodded. “You’re right,” she said with a short laugh. “Who woulda thunk it, huh? That we’d ever reach across that blue duct tape and—”

  Trent groaned. “Okay, not a shining moment. Can we forget about that?”

  “Well, what about me?” She winced. “Coming out wrapped in just a towel.”

  “Oh, well, that’s completely different. Feel free to do that anytime.”

  Shelby laughed. “See? You make me laugh. Before meeting you, do you know how long it had been since I really laughed, or felt like myself?” She sighed. “Of course you don’t. The other night I was trying to remember and I honestly couldn’t.”

  “Ah, Shelby...”

  She leaned another inch closer. “I’m not done thanking you.” He opened his mouth and she put a finger to his lips. “Rachel and Sadie and Jamie, I like them all so much and they seem to like me. One word from you about why I came here in the first place and they’d hate my guts. Things would’ve gotten too icky for me to stick around...”<
br />
  “I would never have done that.” His heart pounded. He should tell her right now how much he wanted her to stay. Call them friends, whatever. It didn’t matter.

  “I know.” She touched his face. “You’re a real sweetheart. Even when you pretended to be a meany there were a lot of tells that said otherwise. And now that I know a bit about your world, I’d say every one of your friends knows what a good man you are.”

  Trent wasn’t very comfortable with all this. “I think you’re being over-generous, but thank you.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. How easy it was to get lost in that beautiful smile of hers. He could stare at her lips forever.

  Damn, he needed to say something. Fast. Shelby needed to hear how much he cared for her and wanted her to stay. Now. Once Violet showed them proof that the ranch was his, Shelby might think he was only being a softie by letting her stick around, that she was extra baggage.

  He cleared his throat. “What I said about being friends—” Why was this so hard? “You know I care about you...right?”

  Shelby nodded, but she was worrying that lush bottom lip of hers.

  Hell, his getting all serious could chase her away. He had only known Shelby for a little over two weeks. His feelings for her were strong, stronger than was wise. For both their sakes, they should take whatever was happening between them slowly. He hoped this wasn’t just a rebound thing...for both of them.

  When she drew closer and kissed him, he went with his gut and pulled her onto his lap. They’d had a long, full weekend and were both tired. Now wasn’t the time for words.

  * * *

  SHELBY CURLED UP in Trent’s lap, soaking in his warmth and caring. She’d never had a friend like him before. In fact, she had a pretty strong feeling they were a lot more. Everything seemed better when his arms were around her.

  He was so different from Donald; Trent made it hard to remember why she’d ever loved Donald.

  Trent tilted her chin up. His lips brushed hers softly, back and forth in a gentle rhythm as he stroked her hair. Her eyes closed and with his hypnotizing touch, she felt the stress of the weekend fade away.

  If she could just stay right where she was for the next ten hours or so...

  She pulled away for just a few seconds, far enough to see the way he looked at her with his beautiful gray eyes. Oh, yeah. They were more than friends. When she found his lips again, she wasn’t nearly as tender as he’d been. Neither was the way she held on to him. She wanted to stop the world. Right here in this perfect moment.

  At first sight, she’d thought he was just a hot cowboy. A pretty damn rude hot cowboy. But even as he’d tried to bully her off the ranch, she’d seen enough to know he would never do anything to harm her. That his grouchy routine with Violet was just a ruse to let two stubborn people take care of each other.

  His tongue slipped between her lips, and she was back in the present, in the safety of his arms. She needed to remember everything. The soft groan he made when she followed his tongue back into his mouth. How fast he could make her heart pound while the rest of her was as relaxed as Mutt in front of the fireplace.

  Making out with Trent should be included among the wonders of the world. Not that she wanted anyone else to prove her point. The thought of someone else kissing him...

  She pulled back and met his gaze again. He seemed surprised, a little worried. It was nothing compared to how she felt.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “If I ask you to take me to bed, just to cuddle, would that be all right?”

  His slow smile made her melt inside. “Anything,” he said. He helped her up and they walked to his bedroom in no hurry. When they got there, he turned down the bedding, then took off Shelby’s clothes. The whole time, she just smiled. Memorizing his gentle touch, his reverent looks. Pity she’d probably be asleep by the time he could join her.

  She slipped between the cool sheets and lay on her side, both hands underneath her head as she watched him strip bare. He was mostly hard when he walked around to the other side, but all he did was scoot in back of her and tuck her in close. He made a perfect big spoon.

  He cuddled like a champ, and yeah, there was no mistaking his condition. But when his hand moved down her tummy and snuck in between her thighs, he whispered, “Don’t worry. This is all about you. All you have to do is close your eyes and enjoy. Okay?”

  She nodded. No one had ever...

  His talented fingers knew exactly what to do. The key was slow and steady. Circling her clit until she was moving her hips, breathing deeper. Clutching his arm and the bottom sheet as he patiently drove her nuts.

  “Come on, baby,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “That’s it. Just let go.”

  She nearly tore the sheet as her climax started deep inside. Like swirling clouds about to become a tornado, all the ripples started coming together, swelling underneath his fingers.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered. “I’m right here. Let go, honey. I’ve got you.”

  It hit her hard, not just between her legs, but all over. He held her as she trembled. Not just because of her orgasm, but because she completely believed him.

  As soon as the quaking subsided, she turned to face him. He smiled, until she drew away and sat up.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Nowhere.” She pushed at his shoulders and he fell back.

  “No, Shelby, that’s not what I was trying to—”

  “I know.” She swung a leg over his hips and straddled him. “This is what I want.”

  “You’re tired.”

  “Shut up,” she said and leaned down to kiss him. It took little to get him to respond.

  While their tongues explored and mated, she reached between them. He was hard. Incredibly hard, the silky head smooth and moist. She firmed her grasp and slid down the length of him. His breath stuttered in her mouth. She only teased him for a few seconds before she grabbed a condom from the nightstand, sheathed him, then positioned him to enter her.

  She sank down all the way and his moan filled the room. He cupped her breasts, his hands shaking as he gently kneaded. Rocking against him, she fought the stunning surge of pressure building in her own body.

  “Ah, Shelby.” He was gazing up at her, the tenderness in his face nearly her undoing.

  She lifted slightly and came down harder.

  He bucked up squeezing his eyes shut. “Take it slower,” he whispered. “Please.”

  No, not this time. She wanted him to explode just as she had done.

  It barely took any movement at all. She rocked once, twice, and they both trembled.

  Froze.

  He whispered her name the same instant she whispered his. She started to move again. In a matter of seconds the world shattered around them.

  17

  SHELBY STARED AT the bags littering her workroom and groaned. After digging through every one of them she still couldn’t find the special wire cutters and polished hammer she’d bought in Kalispell yesterday. They weren’t in her trunk, either. She’d checked. Twice. She really had to do something about organizing her work space.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She looked up to find Trent leaning against the doorframe, a steaming mug in his hand and a telltale smile on his face. “Don’t even—”

  “What?”

  “You think I don’t know that smile by now? Please. We are both too busy to start having—”

  He pushed off the doorframe and walked into the room, with an expression of faint amusement. “Go ahead and finish. Having what?”

  Oh, he was going to make her insane. She met him partway, grabbed the front of his shirt and gently pulled him down so their lips were inches apart. “You’re lucky you’re holding that coffee.”

  “I can put it
down.”

  Shelby laughed and gave him a quick kiss. “I really can’t.”

  Trent chuckled. “Hey, I came in to get a refill and was minding my own business when I heard you shriek. I’m just here to investigate, ma’am. That’s all.”

  “I don’t think I shrieked.” She sighed and, stepping back, glanced around the floor. “I really am an organized person. It’s just— I’m glad for this room. It’s wonderful. But I need to get better set up or I’ll never fill all those orders in time. Jeez, what a nightmare.”

  “In time? You mean for Christmas?”

  She shrugged. “I know some of the jewelry is for gifts.”

  “It’s been only three days since the fair and this is Blackfoot Falls. You meet a deadline or do anything too quickly and everyone will start talking. By day two word will have spread that you’re an alien.”

  “Fine. If people start hounding me about their orders, I’ll send them to you.”

  He smiled. “Come here.”

  “See? I knew it.” She couldn’t help her own grin as she took the four steps back to him.

  The kiss began light, a brush of lips, a tiny nip, a quick taste. As usual, within seconds they gave in to it. She wouldn’t let them get carried away, though. Not so much because she was busy, but she knew Trent was rushing to beat winter, and he was tired from all the sheet-tangling lasting into the wee hours.

  She broke the kiss. “We need to talk,” she said, putting up a finger. “Not now. Later.” The late nights really had to stop. It wasn’t as if either of them were going anywhere...

  A sudden painful awareness squeezed her chest. Ten days, Violet had said. Which meant D-day would be...

  Shelby sucked in a deep breath. It was no wonder she couldn’t hold on to the looming date she’d calculated a hundred times. The whole thing was stressing her out. It wasn’t today and not tomorrow. No, wait. Maybe it was tomorrow. And she hadn’t done anything about it. She’d thought about visiting Violet, but the woman had practically disappeared.

  “A talk?” Trent pushed a hand through his adorably rumpled hair. “Am I gonna hate it?”