He twisted the handle on Randi’s office door. Locked. He considered searching for the cooler and taking a look at the wiring. But staring at a repaired wire wouldn’t do him a bit of good. Besides, he didn’t want to take the chance of missing Randi.
Had someone sabotaged her business by destroying her perishables? He’d never heard an ill word said about her, which said a lot considering the tough stance she had to take with some of her drinking customers. He made a mental note to talk to the electrician. Maybe the guy would open up to him—tradesman to tradesman—in a way he wouldn’t be comfortable doing with a client.
Randi came around the corner. He couldn’t tell from her expression if she was relieved or peeved. All he could really see was a bone-deep fatigue weighing on her features.
She gave him a thorough once-over that sent his mind straight to their kiss, to the feel of her lips moving over his with excruciating tenderness. He couldn’t recall now who had made the first move and, in all honesty, he could give a shit. But his body had been yearning for the warmth of her breath on his face again.
Unlocking the door, she motioned for him to enter. “Kris said you had something urgent you needed to tell me. Did something happen to the wolf pups?”
“No, not that I’m aware of.” He set his hands on his hips, unsure how to proceed. This whole day had been surreal, otherworldly. He kept waiting for something to blow up in his face.
“Kris told me about the cooler. You’ve had a run of bad luck.”
She laughed. A tired sound, a defeated sound. “Can’t say I care much for this year so far.”
“I’m sorry for interrupting your meeting.”
“You didn’t. We had concluded our business right before Kris arrived.”
A vine of desperation wrapped around Britt’s throat, squeezing. “Was the hottie in the suit from the Carolina Club?”
She eyed him questioningly, but nodded.
Britt barely got his next words out over the constriction in his throat. “Did you accept?”
“They offered me another twenty percent.” She grabbed water out of the small fridge and threw it to him, then pulled one out for herself. “Only a fool would have declined.”
“Dammit, Randi! When they find out about those wolves, they’re going to hunt them into oblivion.”
“And you know this how?”
“I paid them a visit today.”
“You did what?”
“Invaded their inner sanctum. They’re not conservationists in the sense you’re familiar with through your mother. The club preserves the land and wildlife in order to maintain their sport.”
“If they’re into preservation, why do you think they’ll hunt the wolves into extinction?”
“Because they’re not just game hunters, they’re trophy hunters. They live and breathe checking animals off their kill list. Rare red wolves would be an unexpected gift to them.”
Something flitted across her features. The shift happened so fast that Britt questioned whether he saw it at all. She didn’t help matters when she turned her face away to open her water bottle.
“Well, I guess it’s good that I’m a fool.”
Britt froze. “What’d you say?”
“I said I’m a damned fool.”
“You refused the club’s offer?”
“God help me, I did.” Facing him, she pressed the cool plastic against her forehead. “I’ve never done anything so irresponsible in my life.” Terror-filled eyes glared at him. “And that statement includes the poor investment I made that got me into this unholy mess.”
A joy he hadn’t felt in way too many years replaced the heartbreak that had threatened to buckle his knees. The wolves were safe. Safe!
“Are you truly smiling about this situation?” she asked. “Do you have any idea of the untenable situation in which I just placed my business and employees?”
Britt closed the distance between them, losing his bottle of water along the way. He cradled the rigid edge of her jaw with his palms and planted a celebratory kiss on her lips. What he’d intended as a quick Hallelujah! smack lingered.
When she didn’t knee him in the nuts, he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue against hers. Drawn to her sweet hotness. The moment her tongue surged against his, seeking, needing, demanding, their exploration turned into a tension-releasing inferno.
He couldn’t get enough of her.
He allowed the kiss to go on for a while longer before the questions whirring in his head distracted him from the pleasure of her lips. Why had she declined the club’s offer? From her reaction, she didn’t have a better plan. Could the city girl still be her mother’s daughter, an environmentalist at heart?
Putting the wolves’ safety above saving her business took an enormous amount of courage and selflessness. Would he have made the same decision given what was at stake? The same sacrifice? He didn’t know.
Easing away, he traced every beautiful curve of her face. Memorized them. Held them close so he would never forget this moment.
“Why?” he asked.
She dropped her gaze, silent.
“Why, Randi?”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t do it.” She looked everywhere but at him. “The wolves deserve a chance. They’ve already been through so much.” Another shrug. “I just couldn’t.”
So many words of gratitude pushed to the tip of his tongue, though none could adequately convey the sentiments singing in his heart.
“Courageous girl.”
“Foolish.”
“Never.” He tipped her chin up until her eyes met his. “Your mother would be so proud.”
She pushed out of his arms. “Do not speak to me about my mother. I’m furious with her right now.” She sat down on the edge of the recliner and dropped her head in her hands. “I have absolutely no idea of how to get myself out of this mess.”
“I do.”
“I’m not taking your life savings.”
“How about my brother’s spare change?”
She stilled, then lifted her head, one disbelieving inch at a time.
“I spoke to Jonah. He’s asked me to extend an offer.”
Her expression never changed. She didn’t blink. He wasn’t even sure she was breathing.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Of course I did. Do I look deaf to you?”
His lips twitched. “Deaf, no. Dumb, yes.”
A pillow bounced off his stomach.
“No more worries,” he said quietly.
Tears sparkled in her eyes, and he ached to pull her into his arms and shower her with soothing words and calming caresses.
“But you didn’t want to be indebted to your brother.”
“We’ve both made sacrifices to ensure the pack’s safety.”
Her gaze roamed his features, studying every inch as if searching for a hint of emotion. A futile effort. He’d spent years hiding his thoughts.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said, sounding lost.
“Yes would be a good start.”
Rising, she held out her hand. “Please tell Jonah that I accept his generous offer. Though I have no idea of the details.”
He grasped her outstretched hand. “We could discuss them over dinner.” With gentle pressure, he drew her closer.
“It’s Friday.”
Closer. “Yes.”
“I work Friday nights.”
“Did someone call in sick?”
“No.”
“Then why do you need to be here?”
“To work. To fill in the gaps.”
Closer. “Maybe the boss will give you the night off.”
Confusion flared in her beautiful eyes. “But it’s our busiest shift.” Her attention fixed on his mouth.
A mere three inches separated their bodies, and Britt forced himself to go slow when all he wanted to do was back her into the nearest wall and slam into her heat. “Are you short-staffed?”
She shook her head.
Lowering his mouth to her ear, he whispered, “Then be with me.”
Her shuddering breath fanned over his neck, cooling his heated flesh. Britt’s lips grazed along the outer shell of her ear. “Please.”
Angling her face toward him, she covered his mouth with hers while her fingers burrowed into the hair at the base of his skull. He took that as a yes and curled one arm around her waist. Having her body pressed against his from head to knee made his gut quiver. Every inch of him strained to be closer, deeper.
When she arched into him, his mind exploded in color. The tenor of the kiss changed. Wild desperation replaced controlled hunger.
Britt eased his hand beneath her top. Conscious of the rough callouses on his palm, he glided his fingertips over smooth perfection. He’d never felt anything so soft and silken and warm.
Putting some space between their entwined bodies, Britt followed the edge of her bra until the backs of his fingers made contact with the underside of her breasts. She arched nearer, and he palmed both mounds, plumping them while he drew her bottom lip into his mouth.
Britt’s thumbs raked her hard nipples, eliciting a groan of pleasure. His mouth watered with the need to replace his thumbs with his tongue. He wanted to taste her so damned badly that his hands shook.
What the hell had gotten into him? He’d never felt on the verge of losing control with a woman before. Always, his mind was three steps ahead of his actions. In the past, sex had been about release and, at times, simple human companionship.
Never before had he wanted to consume his partner. Burrow beneath the covers and love her all night long. Everything about Randi felt like home, salvation, happiness. He couldn’t explain his feelings, though he’d known there was something special about her since that first day in the woods.
The day when, in a fit of frustration, she’d mooned him. It had taken every molecule of willpower he possessed not to call her out on it, not to burst out laughing. No doubt her impulsive action had caused her no small amount of embarrassment after her anger had worn off. Then again, maybe not.
In Randi, he sensed a kindred spirit. When he was with her, he didn’t feel so alone, so adrift, so much a failure. The connection he felt with her made no sense. Before Barbara’s death, they’d barely spoken two words to each other. After her death, their exchanges had been terse and wary. Except for the short time they’d spent watching the wolves. Then, they’d become friends.
During that short half hour, their complicated human world had melted away, leaving them immersed in birdsong, loamy soil, pine-scented air, and sun-kissed leaves. Britt feared that if he didn’t explore this thing with Randi, he would regret it. And now that his little brother had come to the rescue, he could get to know Randi better and look after the wolves.
He needed to muster the courage to share his feelings with Randi. To hang on to her with all of his strength. To pursue the happiness that was now within his reach.
Could he do it? Could he add another layer of responsibility to the stack?
Indecision clogged his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Britt stepped away.
17
One moment Randi was weaving between clouds of sensual bliss created by Britt’s long, drugging kiss. And in the next, she stood alone, cold, a silo in an empty winter field.
Her eyelids fluttered, blinking away the final remnants of her pleasant haze. She studied the object of her desire and her confusion.
A flush covered his neck and face, and light glinted off his plump, thoroughly kissed lips. His chest rose high with each breath and his hair stuck out in different places from her greedy fingers.
The only thing that didn’t fit the take-me-now bill was his bloodless fists and squared-off shoulders. Where her body felt limp and pliant, buzzing with anticipation, Britt appeared tense and fight ready.
Without taking her eyes off Britt, she tugged down her shirt until it wrapped around her waist once again. The action caught his attention, and hunger hardened his features.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked quietly.
“No.”
Relief swept over her like one of those airport body scanners, only warmer, less clinical. But the consolation didn’t last long. What had spooked him enough to end one of the hottest kisses she’d ever enjoyed?
Heat scorched her ears, and her eyes widened as a horrible possibility occurred to her. Could he be in a relationship? She’d never seen anyone attached to him for more than a few hours. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone special in his life. Each time they’d kissed it was as if they’d both gotten swept up in the moment.
“A-are you seeing someone?”
“If I was, this”—he waved a finger between them—“wouldn’t have happened. And I certainly wouldn’t have asked you out to dinner.”
At his tone, Randi’s spine snapped to attention. “I’m trying to understand.”
He clasped one hand around the back of his neck and stared at the ceiling. Seconds ticked by, and Randi began to fidget with her thumbnail. She would have to trim it soon.
“Me, too,” he said, dropping his hand.
Lost. Although he was attracted to her, he didn’t know what to do with her any more than she knew what to do with him. What fine lovers they made.
She reached out and ran her hand down his forearm until her fingers nestled inside his palm. “How about we take this day by day?” She sent him a tentative smile. “Starting with dinner tonight?”
His hand tightened over hers, and Randi’s heart lifted at the small reassurance.
“But it’s Friday night,” he said.
“I’ll talk the boss into giving me the night off.”
He brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, and she could tell he wanted to kiss her again. She wanted him too, badly, though she made no move of encouragement. A long time ago she’d learned that personal demons could not be battled by committee. Knowing someone cared and supported you helped, gave you strength, but the sword could only be wielded by the one under siege.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” He turned to leave.
“Give me a second and I’ll write down my address.”
“I got it covered.” The door closed behind him.
Randi wondered what to make of his statement. Did he already know where she lived? How? Had Carlie Beth told him? Grif? Or had he wanted to escape and knew he could get the address?
For someone who protected her privacy with a vengeance, she found herself caring little about the answer. Rather than concern, she felt only mild curiosity.
Dragging her thoughts away from Britt Steele, Randi peered down at her desk, at the stack of unopened bills, at the payroll she wouldn’t have been able to pay an hour ago. Her throat closed, and the despair that had been riding her for weeks dissipated.
She’d done it. Saved her business and her employees’ livelihoods. Saved herself from crushing guilt and unfathomable failure. She could not believe her good fortune, but she wouldn’t dwell on it.
Randi sat down and pulled up her financial software, checking which vendors she could afford to pay off now while she waited for her check from Jonah Steele.
She began making lists, putting a plan in place. Her pen hovered over her notepad, the numbers blurred out of focus as Britt crept back into her mind. He’d accepted his brother’s offer of help. Not just for the wolves but for her.
Would he come to resent his decision? Would he blame her? Would his resentment turn to hate?
Somehow she would make sure that didn’t happen.
Somehow.
18
Richard Norwood contemplated the attorney sitting calmly in front of him. He didn’t allow the rage welling up inside him to show. No one, not even his colleagues scattered about the room, had seen the volatile side of his nature. Medication helped him keep the most damaging aspects under control, though he grew tired of hiding behind a wall of drugs and civility.
More and more, he’d depended on hunting, on
the Kill List, to assuage his bloodlust, his need to defeat. The greater the challenge, the higher the reward.
Keith Gaviston wouldn’t understand such cravings and, therefore, couldn’t represent his interests to the depth necessary. It was time to find another voice for his cause.
“You are certain the Shepherd girl’s mind cannot be swayed to sell?” he asked the attorney.
“She appeared quite settled with her decision.” Gaviston’s gaze moved about the room, fixing on each of the members present. “At the conclusion of our meeting, I overheard one of her employees announce Britt Steele’s arrival. Perhaps she received a more lucrative deal from the Steele family. It would make sense, given the eldest son’s association with Barbara Shepherd and the proximity of their two properties.”
Richard’s fingers tightened on the snifter he held. To cover his reaction to the missed opportunity, he whirled the single malt scotch around the glass before taking a sip. He allowed the whisky to coat his tongue, enjoying the full-bodied, smoky flavor before swallowing.
Setting down his snifter, he gave the attorney a direct look, one that would leave no room for misunderstanding. “It seems we are no longer in need of your firm’s services, Mr. Gaviston.”
Gaviston nodded. “I’ll let you know if Miss Shepherd changes her mind.”
“You don’t understand. Your services are no longer needed. Ever.”
“By your decree, or the club’s?”
“Is there a difference?”
Gaviston didn’t get angry or make excuses and he didn’t ask annoying, useless questions. His features gave nothing away to the observer. When Gaviston rose, he stood at easy attention and his movements remained smooth. He exuded confidence in the face of disaster and disappointment. The attorney could be seething with fury or melting in relief.
Richard experienced a twinge of regret for his decision. Notwithstanding Gaviston’s failure on the Shepherd case, the attorney had served the club’s interests well over the past three years. But Richard couldn’t abide failure. Of any kind.
Loving Deep: Steele Ridge Series Page 13