In a Heartbeat

by Rita Herron

  Just as there hadn’t been when he was a teen.

  The image of his foster sister’s face materialized, and he nearly choked on the bile. She’d survived the beating the old man had given her. And Brad had decided to pay him back.

  He’d almost killed the girl’s father. Had known then that he possessed an animal instinct that he couldn’t control. He’d been removed from that foster family because of it. Later, he learned the old man had beaten the girl again.

  That time, she hadn’t made it.

  He’d been filled with hatred and anger. Had lived on the streets afterward because, after all, no one wanted a volatile kid around.

  And Liam Langley certainly wouldn’t have a man like that for his daughter.

  Not that Brad could blame him. Lisa deserved so much better.

  Pain knifed through his hands, and he staggered, the heat draining his already exhausted body as he slammed into the bag again.

  “Brad.”

  He hesitated, let the bag swing back and whack him in the thigh, then hugged it to him, heaving for air and wishing he had the energy to keep going. But he didn’t. Not anymore.

  Lisa walked toward him, her angelic face like a light in the midst of the darkness. “Let me see your hands,” she said softly.

  He shook his head, then turned away and ripped the gloves off, pressing his bruised knuckles to his shorts to stop the bleeding. Her shoes crunched the brittle grass as she approached him. He stiffened, knowing he should just show her his hands, his ugliness, then she wouldn’t see him as this false kind of savior.

  Instead, the air left his lungs as she gently lifted his right hand, pressed a towel around it and dried the blood. He tried to yank it away, but she held on, turned it over and kissed his palm, then gently did the same with the other hand. This time she pressed it between both her own until he relaxed, although a different kind of heat pulsed between them. His body hardened in response, a sexual fire burning through him. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman in his life.

  “Talk to me, Brad.” Her blue eyes met his, imploring. “I know you’re hurting, and I’m here for you.”

  Her sweetness never ceased to amaze him. “It’s just the case, Lisa. My job is my life.”

  She lifted their joined hands and pressed them to her cheek. “It doesn’t have to be.”

  He swallowed hard. What was she saying? That she wanted something from him?

  Jesus, he wasn’t the man she thought he was.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have room for anything else.” He pulled his hand away. “I don’t know how to be anything but who I am.”

  “I’m not asking for you to be anything different.”

  He balled his fist over his chest. “Lisa, you don’t know the real me. I’m not just an FBI agent, I’ve killed people before. Taken lives.”

  “I know that.”

  “But what you don’t know is that I didn’t mind.” He saw the faint flair of shock darken her eyes. “I didn’t feel guilt or remorse because they deserved it.” His voice rose an octave. “Don’t you see? They call me a man without mercy because I’m as bad as the men I’ve taken down. I started when I was a teen, and I haven’t stopped. There’s evil in my soul.”

  Unable to bear the disappointment he knew he’d see in her eyes, he turned around, strode to the edge of the lake, shucked off every scrap of his clothing and dived into the water.

  Pounding the punching bag hadn’t done anything to purge the desire spreading through his body, the constant hunger and need for Lisa that was driving him wild. Maybe the cool lake water would.

  Because he couldn’t take Lisa to bed, couldn’t sate his own selfish lust and feel the pleasure her body would give him, while Darcy Mae Richards lay in a coffin in the ground waiting to die.

  * * *

  LISA WATCHED AS Brad dived into the water, her heart racing. She’d practically thrown herself at him, but he had turned her down.

  Because he didn’t want her, or because of his job?

  No, he did want her. She’d seen the need in his eyes, felt the heat and hunger rippling between them, seen the evidence of his desire in the hard rigid length of his sex just before he’d jumped into the lake.

  So why had he turned away? It was almost as if he was running from her.

  Or running from something else…

  Did he think she’d expect commitment?

  And why had he said he was evil, when he was a hero in her eyes?

  A slight breeze rustled the trees, lifting her hair and making it easier to breathe. The sound of water churning as Brad cut through it echoed around her, each stroke smooth and even, pulling him farther away from her.

  But she wouldn’t let him shut her out.

  He swam until his head was only a dot in the distance, then finally rolled over and backstroked his way toward the shore. Over and over, his arms glided through the water. A few stars twinkled above, fighting their way through the grayness, and a sliver of moonlight shone off his hair, surrounding him like a halo.

  Her pulse kicked in, the surge of longing deepening in her chest. She’d never been bold with a man before. Never asked for what she wanted.

  Because her ordeal with William had changed her. Had forced her to be even more cautious.

  But she was through hiding out. She wanted to be with Brad, and she had to gather her courage to go to him, or William would have tainted her forever.

  Another woman might die tonight. The thought came unbidden.

  It also served to remind her that time was short, that death happened in a heartbeat. That she had to embrace life while she could. And she wanted to be with Brad.

  He rolled over, switching to a breaststroke. His gaze caught hers, fastened to her as he repeated the stroke.

  Emboldened by her growing thirst for him, she slid her jeans down her legs, then slipped her T-shirt over her head. Hot air bathed her body, along with freedom.

  She wanted to be totally free. Free of the fear. Of the rigid control she’d created for herself. Of the ties to William.

  Swallowing hard, she slid her bra off next, then her panties, and tossed them onto the pile of clothes she’d discarded already. When she looked up, Brad had stopped swimming. He was treading water. Staring at her in the moonlight.

  Her naked body tingled.

  She licked her dry lips, forced her hands to remain by her sides, and let him look her over. She knew her body wasn’t great or perfect. But her nipples hardened as his smoky gaze rested on them. She still bore a few scars from William’s brutal beatings, but they had faded, and now seemed unimportant.

  Time seemed to stand still, the tension between them palpable. She ached for Brad to swim toward her. But he remained frozen in the lake, his arms gently moving beside him as he maintained his distance.

  Still the hungry look in his eyes beckoned her.

  Knowing he might push her away again, but burning with intense desire, she slowly stepped into the water. It felt cool to the touch, lapped up against her scalding hot skin, made her arms and legs sing with feeling. She moved deeper and deeper into the lake, smiling as the water sloshed against her feminine curls, rose to her waist, then brushed her nipples. Pinpoints of pleasure stung her nerve endings, spiking her hunger even more as Brad’s eyes darkened. He still watched her, as if he felt the magnetic draw of her body to his.

  Finally he began to move toward her.

  The soft sound of his arms splashing through the water mingled with the night sounds of the crickets chirping. Her heart pounded, her breathing becoming more erratic as he closed the distance. Finally he stopped in front of her, his gaze glued to hers.

  “Lisa?”

  “Shh.”

  “You don’t know what you’re doing, who I am.”

  “I know everything I need to know.” She took his hand, floated backward until they could stand in the water.

  His jaw tightened. “I told you, I’m a killer. No better than—”

  She pre
ssed a finger to his lips, let him taste her skin and the water. “You don’t have the heart of a killer, Brad,” she whispered. “And I want to be close to you. Right here, tonight.”

  He started to shake his head, but she slid her hand against his cheek, then into his hair.

  One moment his mouth hardened as if he intended to push her away, the next his eyes flickered with such longing that she glided toward him, then closed her mouth over his.

  His lips were firm yet tender, and he parted them and delved his tongue inside her mouth. His hands cupped her face, angling it sideways to give him better access, and he deepened the kiss, molding and shaping her to his touch. She made a throaty little moan, and her legs buckled, but he caught her, sliding one arm around her waist while the other hand stroked her hair and then skated down her back. She wrapped her legs around him, clinging to his arms, savoring the kiss. Her body churned to life for the first time in years as he spread kisses along her jaw, then down the sensitive skin of her throat and lower. Lisa whispered his name, hoping he wouldn’t stop until he joined them together and made love to her in the moonlight.

  * * *

  BRAD HAD TRIED TO SAY NO, but watching Lisa undress, seeing her standing naked with the moonlight dappling her body in pure gold, had completely shattered his resistance. He’d known she was beautiful clothed, and had seen her naked once, but he shook away that tragic memory and focused on the heavenly one before him now.

  Lisa offering herself to him. Lisa with her lips pressed against him, her slender legs wrapping themselves around his rough, hair-dusted ones, her breasts swaying and bobbing in the lake water, begging for his touch.

  His entire body erupted into one big hard-on, the force of his need a reminder that he had to tread slowly. Lisa wasn’t some two-bit hooker or even a one-nightstand kind of girl. She was sweet. Vulnerable.

  And so damn sexy that he felt lucky as hell.

  Her breath rasped out as he lowered his head and tugged one nipple into his mouth. He licked the rigid peak, swirling his tongue around it until she arched her back, then he closed his lips around her and suckled her until she moaned his name. His own body throbbing, he slid a hand down to play with her curls while his mouth inched its way to her other breast, loving and suckling her the same way. She stroked the back of his calf with her foot, clinging to his arms as if she might melt into a puddle if he released her. As sexy as he found the lake water lapping around their hot bodies, brushing nerve endings and rippling against his thighs, he didn’t want to take her there, not this first time. So he gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to the shore. Then he lowered her to the ground and spread their clothes out as a makeshift blanket. Stars twinkled above them, lighting the sky, and moonlight slashed across her cheeks, giving him a glimpse of the desire on her face.

  “You’re so beautiful, Lisa.” His voice cracked. “I don’t deserve to be with you.”

  She shook her head and let her gaze roam over his face, then lower. Her lips parted as if in invitation as she looked at his length, then she slid her hand down to close around him. White-hot fire surged through his loins.

  He groaned, then claimed her mouth again. One kiss led to another and another, each time his tongue delving deeper inside as he trapped her with his body. Her breasts teased his chest, her heat cradled his thighs. Then he was suckling her again, teasing her nipples and dipping his fingers lower to spread her legs wider and push a finger inside her tight sheath. She arched and gripped his arms, and he hesitated, then looked into her eyes. He’d expected to see fear, but the pure radiant glow of a woman on the brink of sexual pleasure shone instead. Deeper, deeper, he thrust his finger, stroking her folds and stretching her open, as the urge to taste her nearly sent him over the edge. He lowered his head, settled his lips where his hands had been, then drank in the sweet juices of her release as she climaxed below him.

  Her body jerked in response, and she reached for him, but he continued to kiss her and love her until the tremors rocking through her subsided. She whimpered and pulled at his arms, and he rose above her, then gazed into her eyes. The sated, sleepy look of a well-loved woman stared back, giving him more joy than anything he’d felt in years.

  And he hadn’t climaxed yet himself.

  Slowly, though, he realized that he couldn’t, not tonight.

  “Brad?” Her husky, sated voice skated over his raw senses, but he moved off her and cradled her by his side.

  “What’s wrong?” Lisa whispered against his neck.

  He threaded his fingers into her hair. “I…don’t have protection,” he murmured in a husky voice.

  “But—”

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “No, Lisa. I promised to take care of you, and I intend to keep that promise. That means protecting you in every way.”

  She sighed as if frustrated, then slid her hand down, closing it over him. “Then let me love you like this.”

  Stunned by her suggestion, he started to comply. But he didn’t want Lisa making sacrifices for him. He’d already taken too much.

  So he pushed her hand away and sat up. “Not tonight.”

  After all, the realization that another woman might die while he was having pleasure was something he couldn’t live with.

  “Go back to the cabin, Lisa.” He grabbed her clothes, shoved them into her hands, then turned away from her, yanking on his own.

  She touched his shoulder. “Brad, please—”

  “Go,” he barked. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

  Lisa dragged on her clothes, then the sound of her footsteps trampling grass and gravel cut through the night as she did as he said.

  But seconds later, Lisa screamed his name.

  He took off running, his heart clamoring in his chest.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  VERNON DIDN’T CONSIDER himself a violent man, but he’d watched Lisa strip off her clothes and climb into the lake with Booker, and every cell in his body had nearly exploded with rage. Lisa was supposed to be his now.

  He had survived White. Had even gotten revenge in the end.

  And he had healed. Had changed his face. Had started over.

  Just for her.

  But she’d let Booker touch her and do things to her that no man but her husband should do. Just like his trampy mama.

  Booker raced toward the house the minute Lisa yelled his name. She must have seen the new comforter, noticed that he’d touched her underwear and had spread it across the bed, and been frightened. He hadn’t meant to scare her…

  But he had to keep Booker away from her.

  Vernon grabbed a tree limb and slunk down low to hide behind the bushes. His breath rattled out as he waited. Booker might have his gun with him. Vernon had to time it just right.

  Just as the agent approached the front porch, Vernon lurched out from behind the tree and slammed the branch into his head. A second whack sent him falling into the dirt. Blood seeped from his scalp and trickled down his neck. His body lay limp.

  Vernon dragged him to the side of the porch and kicked his legs. But Booker didn’t move.

  He was a goner.

  Sweat pooled on Vernon’s lip and forehead, then zigzagged across his jaw as he climbed the steps to the porch. The wood floor creaked. Lisa came running toward him and nearly slammed into him.

  “Whoa.” He grabbed her arms, elated to finally touch her. She was so close now he could feel her breath on his skin. The mere scent of her soothed the burning heat roaring through him.

  But her eyes widened in shock, and she instantly tried to jerk away. He gripped her harder, staring at her with pleading eyes. But she was frightened. She tensed, her lip quivering.

  “Who are you?” she whispered in a ragged tone.

  He smiled. “Don’t you recognize me, Lisa?”

  “N-no….” She shivered, her blond hair tumbling wildly around her shoulders as she tried to pull away again. A flashing image of her naked in Booker’s arms drifted back, sparking Vernon’s anger, and he grip
ped her tighter, refusing to release her. He wanted her naked with him. Pure. Perfect.

  A whimper tore from her throat. “Y-you’re the man who came to Ellijay. My…my new neighbor.”

  He grinned, smiling widely to show off the new caps on his teeth. “That’s right.”

  Again she tried to back away, but he tightened his hold. Now that he had her, he never wanted to let her go.

  “Please,” she whispered. “Don’t hurt me.”

  He shook his head, then stroked her arms with his fingers. “I won’t hurt you, Lisa. I love you.”

  Her expression became pinched. “You put that comforter on my bed…went through my things.”

  “Oh, Lisa, I’ve wanted you for so long. I had to feel your silky panties on my skin,” he said in a low voice. “I closed my eyes and pretended it was you touching me.”

  “Why?” Lisa asked. “What do you want?”

  “I told you, I love you. I’ve always loved you. Only you.” He paused, his breathing growing more erratic. “I want to make you happy, make you mine.”

  “But you’re Aiden Henderson. I just met you,” she said, her voice breaking.

  “No, it’s me, Vernon. Remember me from school? Vernon Hanks.” He lowered his voice, hoping to calm her. “I used a fake name because I wanted to get to know you so you wouldn’t be scared, but then you ran off with Booker.”

  Lisa’s gaze flew to the lake, her chest heaving as she struggled for a breath. “Where’s Brad? What did you do to him?”

  He shrugged, his white dress shirt stretching over his shoulders. “He was in the way, Lisa. Don’t you see? You belong with me, not him. You always have, but that William ruined everything.”

  Lisa’s eyes flared with panic. “You…killed those women.” Her voice rose, hysterical. “And now you did something to Brad, and you want to do the same thing to me.”

  Vernon staggered back a step, her accusations stunning him. “No…no, you don’t understand.”