by Taylor Lee
Laura played her usual role. But Nate didn’t. According to the stories Erin heard from Connor, Nate fell for Laura and fell hard. He loved her like no one should love a woman—or, at least a woman like Laura. What Laura didn’t understand or appreciate was that the big bad Nate Stryker had a soft streak, a do-gooder hero complex a mile wide. After 911, he and his best friend and cousin, Luke Lang, joined the army. It wasn’t long before the two young cops and mixed martial artist stars were handpicked by the shadowy elements of the military and soon disappeared from regular action. Instead, they spent the next three years fighting every evil creature known to man in the worst hellholes of the world. They were heroes to most. The town had never been prouder. At first, Laura loved the notoriety, the status of being married to the toughest guy around who was a decorated hero to boot.
But apparently ten years of hopping from one big dick to another got boring. Especially when her dick of the moment was off chasing bad guys halfway across the globe. Laura decided to change her standard of measurement. Instead of dick size, her new baseline was wallet size. Not that she gave up the carnal pleasures. But that became a side focus. For entertainment only. Her real focus was money, and plenty of it. She worked her way through every banker, business owner, doctor and lawyer, in a three-state area, until she landed on Mike Peterson. Mike’s ancestors were as close to robber barons as you were likely to see in the Midwest. Only instead of building railroads, they went after the natural resources. In Minnesota, that was trees. The fortune his family left him after generations of raping the forests, Mike’s father invested and grew exponentially. Mike Jr., now in his fifties, had nothing to do but spend it. He was a perfect target for Laura.
But Mike wasn’t a pansy. He craved public adulation as much as Laura craved physical adulation. If Mike was going to get screwed, he was going to do so at the public expense of the Golden Boy Hero. He demanded something in return. Knowing he couldn’t compete with Nate in the bedroom or anywhere else that required physical acumen, Mike played the only card he had. If Laura wanted his money, she needed to declare him the winner in the game of one upmanship. He insisted Laura divorce Nate, and marry him. For Laura the decision was less challenging than if she should wear her three-inch stilettos or her five-inch ones to the Wednesday night church supper. Nate got the divorce papers after a four month stint in a prison camp in Pakistan, a place so far off the grid no official element of the U.S. Army acknowledged it existed. According to the story Luke told his brother Connor, Nate was in an Army hospital in Germany, thirty pounds lighter and still drinking his food through a straw in his wired jaw when they gave him the divorce papers. He read through them and motioned for Luke to give him a pen. He signed the papers, handed the packet to Luke, and never spoke her name again.
But the betrayal took a toll. Nate returned from Afghanistan a hardened man, with a shell so thick it would take a sledge hammer to break through. Or as it turned out, a rookie firefighter who did the impossible. Erin captured Nate’s heart and began to sooth his spirit. But though she knew that Nate loved her, Erin was vulnerable to a past as horrific as Nate’s was. It had left her uncertain, afraid, and at heart not convinced that the man she loved more than anything in the world could possibly love her as much.
And now Laura was back. Vulnerable, needy, hurt. Ready and eager for comfort. The kind of woman that was Kryptonite to a big, tough, over-protective cop. And, as of last night, Laura became available.
Erin startled, realizing that Nate was staring at her, a quizzical frown pinching his brow.
His voice was low, concerned. “What is it, Erin?”
Not wanting him to know what she was thinking and knowing how easily he could read her, Erin jumped up and made a pretense of clearing away the glasses. She turned away mumbling something about putting the glasses in the dishwasher. She took refuge in the horrific things he’d told her.
“I’m upset about what you’ve told me. What a horrible crime.”
Nate held her gaze. “Yeah, it is, Erin. But that’s not what’s going on in the whirling brain of yours, is it Erin?”
She shook her head not wanting to talk, intent on making it to the kitchen.
Nate’s voice was low, edged with steel. “Uh uh, Erin. Come here, baby.”
“Don’t, Nate.”
She tried to twist away, but he had a firm grip on her arm.
“Don’t what, Erin? Don’t ask you why you are as jumpy as a scared little rabbit and won’t look at me when I ask you a question?”
She tossed her head. “I’m not a rabbit, and I’m not scared.”
Nate quirked a brow and his lip curled. But he didn’t speak, just kept looking at her with that questioning frown.
She stepped back and glared at him. Her legs were shaky. She longed to grab hold of the chair or back of the sofa—anything for support. Gnawing on her bottom lip, she crossed her arms protectively over her chest suddenly becoming conscious of her naked body under the silly shirt. The last time she saw Laura was at the Mall. Laura was coming out of a high end lingerie shop and looked like the Victoria Secret model gracing the storefront windows. Only Laura was more striking. She was quite simply the most beautiful woman Erin had ever seen. Erin was painfully conscious of the difference. That day she wore ratty jeans, a tank top and flip flops. She and Nate were putting in an herb garden at the cabin and they’d run out of organic fertilizer. The superior smirk Laura threw her confirmed that the gorgeous woman knew who Erin was. Later Erin was horrified to see that in addition to no makeup, she had a big smear of dirt on her cheek. Then as now, she looked like a joke.
“Erin. Come. Here.”
Nate’s soft command sent shivers between her thighs. His eyes were emerald hard, but the crease on his cheek could mean he was angry or more likely, concerned. He reached out and pulled her closer to him. There was no way she could resist him. He was too big, too strong. And though she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted nothing more than to bury herself in the shelter of his arms. She closed her eyes not willing to let him see the moisture building behind her lids. But he wouldn’t let her hide.
He put his thumb under her chin and tipped it up, not letting her look away. The deepening furrow between his brows confirmed he saw her tears. “First of all, I’m not finished with that wine. I’m thinking I might like a little more.” He took the bottle of wine and glasses from her and put them on the table.
His voice was soft, firm. “Second, I don’t want you even as far away as the kitchen. Uh uh, baby, I want you right here with me. How about we sit down here?”
Ignoring her squeak, he scooped her up in his arms and sat down in the oversized armchair where they spent many happy evenings cuddling before the fire. When she began to nestle against him wanting to hide against his hard chest, he shook his head.
“No, Erin. We’re gonna deal with this. Here and now.”
She did her best to pretend ignorance but her heart was pounding, and her mouth was too dry to swallow. She didn’t want to talk about Laura. She couldn’t bear to hear Nate pretend that it didn’t matter—when she knew it did.
His voice was firm, impossible to ignore. It was as though Nate could read her mind, see the ugly thoughts swirling in her addled brain. Leaning her cheek against Nate’s bare chest, the tufts of dark gold hair tickled her nose. She longed to hold him tighter, cling to him, breathe in his strong masculine smell that made her stomach clench. But she knew she couldn’t avoid this discussion. Remembering Laura’s knowing smirk and the dreadful stories Connor had told her about the devious woman gave her courage. Yes, she was jealous, sick with envy—and fear. But her protective urges stirred, knowing how deeply Laura had hurt Nate.
She pushed away so that she could meet his eyes. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she lifted her chin signaling her willingness to take him on, frustrated that she couldn’t hide the strain in her voice.
“Fine. What do you want to talk about?”
Nate stroked her cheek, then gave it a
light pinch. Erin gasped. The soft touch and tiny bite of pain unnerved her. She slammed her eyes closed unwilling to give him that window on her soul. But Nate was firm.
“Look at me, Erin.”
When she swallowed again, miraculously finding enough spit to get by the aching lump in her throat, she opened her eyes and met his gaze. The twinkle of amusement was gone. Instead, his frown and the tight lines around his mouth signaled his seriousness.
“I want to talk about the pain I see in your eyes and the tears that look like they might spill over any minute.”
She nodded, unable to look away and swiped at the corner of her eye. She hadn’t known her tears were so close to the surface.
Nate shook his head and pinched her cheek again, his finger brushing away the drop of moisture.
“Erin, honey, I know this going to be hard. But you need to know something and goddammit, you gotta tell me you know it in your soul. I love you, and I’m not going to let that Machiavellian bitch come between us. Do you hear me?”
Startled that he went straight to the issue was both heartening and disconcerting. It confirmed that he was as concerned about Laura as she was. Refusing to let her look away, he kept his thumb under her chin.
“Answer me, honey. Tell me that you understand, and that you agree with me,”
“I’m scared, Nate.”
Erin surprised herself. Her thoughts had been incoherent, jumbled, but the words that broke free summed it up. Yes, she was jealous of the stunning woman, but she hadn’t realized until the words tumbled out that at base she was afraid.
Nate sighed and refused to let her look away.
“What are you afraid of, Erin?”
Her sigh was as deep as his.
“I’m… I’m afraid that she will come between us… and she is so beautiful… and…”
Erin closed her eyes, and tried to grab a deeper breath to make her voice firmer. But looking up at him, all she could get out was a shaky whisper.
“She scares me, Nate.”
Nate guffawed with scorn, not laughter.
“You’re right about that, honey. She is one scary bitch. But Erin, you don’t have to be afraid of her. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, you got that, baby?”
She frowned. “I’m not scared for me, Nate. I’m afraid for you.”
He jerked his head in surprise.
“Me? Damn, honey, that’s one thing you never have to worry about. If you’re gonna worry about me in a fight, worry about the other guy.”
“No, Nate. I don’t mean like that. I… I know she hurt you in the past, and—”
Nate cut in. His voice was sharp. “Obviously, you’ve been talking to my cousin. Wanna tell you, honey, ConnorfuckingFreud worries if the sun is shining. Convinced it means we’re due for rain—someday soon. Erin, Laura is in the past. The forgotten past. And that’s where both you and I need to keep her.”
Erin reared up twisting so that she could meet his gaze head on. “But, Nate, that’s just it. She’s not in the past. She’s right here intruding in our lives. You were just with her. Do you know how I know that?”
Nate shrugged dismissively. “Because you know I came from the crime scene?’
Ignoring his annoyance, Erin pressed her point. “No, Nate. I know that because when I came in the room earlier, you were so lost in thought that I said your name three times before I could get you to break out of that deep slump you were in. Usually, you just smell me coming in the room. It’s like you have a sixth sense that I’m there. But… but tonight, you didn’t.”
Nate huffed out a hard sigh and leaned against the chair back. For a minute he closed his eyes as if shutting out a bad memory.
A shard of fear pierced Erin’s heart. The weariness flooding his face was frightening. It confirmed not only that Nate had been with Laura, but that it had upset him. When he opened his eyes, he gave her a tired smile.
“Yeah, Erin. I saw her, and you’re right. This is going to be hell. Not because she means anything to me, but because it brings back a lot of shit that is better left in the past.”
Knowing that her instincts were on target was a pyrrhic victory at best. But before Erin could answer, Nate’s expression hardened. His full sensuous lips pressed in a thin straight line, his jaw tightened. She’d seen this look many times in the past, but rarely directed at her. His eyes flashed a stormy green. If she could have she would have retreated but there was nowhere to go, he held her in place.
When he spoke, his voice was low but with a dangerous edge.
“Erin, you and I need to get something straight. Yes, even though it is the last thing in the world that I want, Laura is going to be in our lives. She found Mike’s body. She is a fucking witness in the biggest damn murder case that’s likely to hit this little burg of ours in two lifetimes. And yeah, I’m going to need to interview her—likely more than once. But we get to decide, Erin. We get to choose. Are we going to let that bitch come between us? OR are we going to build a protective wall around us—so high and so strong that not even the most manipulative woman the devil ever created can scale it?”
Nate’s gaze was so fierce Erin couldn’t have looked away if she wanted to. But she didn’t. His passion roused her, strengthened her. Nate was right. The only way Laura could hurt them was if they let her. Her protective instincts flared. Nate was the strongest, most powerful man she’d ever known. No one crossed him twice. Ask any lowlife who thought they could take on Nate Stryker.
But Erin knew Nate had a vulnerable side, a place he kept hidden under layers of bad-assed banter and sarcastic putdowns. It was the part of him that fiercely protected her. That whispered sexy loving things and then told her how much he needed her. She didn’t know if Laura had seen that side of Nate, but if she had she would use it against him. But—she’d have to come through Erin first.
Nate must have seen her determination on her face because a slight grin fought with the anger that marred his face seconds before.
“Hope that ‘The bitch better watch out, Black Widow is on the scene’ look in your eyes is meant for Laura, not for me.”
Erin started and then laughed. “Black Widow? Yes! That is exactly who I will be if Laura thinks that she can hurt either one of us. You’re right, Nate. I’m sorry that I acted the way I did. I… was… I—”
Nate put his finger across her lips.
“No need to say, it, honey. No apologies necessary. It’s important that we get this out on the table, between us—so we can grab it by throat and strangle it to death before it can do damage. Hell, Erin. I admit I was distracted when I got home. But not only because of Laura. That murder scene was not to be believed. I’m wrestling with it, trying to make sense out of it.”
His eyes narrowed as though he was shutting out a bad image. Knowing the way Nate captured a crime scene in his memory, Erin knew that was exactly what he was doing. Closing a door so that it couldn’t intrude on them. She was grateful. She didn’t want to think about any of it. The horrible murder, Laura, the hours and hours the investigation would require of Nate.
No, at this moment she wanted one thing only, and that was Nate.
Chapter 4
When she met Nate’s eyes, Erin started. The anger and fierceness that had gripped him seconds before was gone. In its place was a look she knew well. It was hunger. Hunger for her. Her body leapt in response, a hard tremor streaking to her core. Inadvertently, she squeezed her thighs together in a vain attempt to hold back the moisture developing there.
Nate chuckled. His eyes gleamed with a mix of laughter and lust.
“Hmm. I just remembered. I don’t believe you have any panties on under this outrageous shirt, do you baby?”
Erin gasped as he eased his hand under the sleep shirt and let it rest on her upper thigh. Leaning closer, he rubbed the rough edge of his beard shadow against the sensitive spot just below her ear. When he ran his tongue over the tender skin, a rush of heat flooded her groin.
He drawled in
her ear. “Tell me Erin, if I moved my hand about two inches to the north—like this, and a little to the east—would I find evidence that you and I are thinking the same thing?”
Erin’s voice was low, shaky. “I don’t know, Nate. I never know what you are thinking.”
He laughed. “Oh, honey. I’m a simple guy and no one knows it better than you. It’s a safe bet I’m thinking one of three things. I’m either thinking it’s high time I fucked you or I’m congratulating myself for just having fucked you, and if that is the case, I’m wondering when I can fuck you again.”
Erin twisted arching her back, and pressed her lips against his ear. She murmured, her voice as husky as his. “Some people might call that a one-track mind, Detective.”
Nate growled a low male sound, then lifted her face to his.
“Yeah, Erin, one track to a thousand destinations, every one of them sexier than the one before. It’s like this, woman. I can’t see you, or smell you or touch you without wanting more. And more, and more.”
He grasped her under her arms and lifted her as if she weighed nothing.