Tex Appeal

by Kimberly Raye, Alison Kent

  “You’re not wearing any underwear,” Cade finally managed.

  “I didn’t get to the laundry this week.”

  His laugh was wry and hoarse. “If I’d known, the linguine would have gotten very, very cold.”

  He ran his hands down her bare skin in one possessive stroke, then dug his fingers into her hips, lifted her and settled her on the island countertop.

  “Hurry,” she said.

  “Need to touch you.” He ran his hands up her sides, rubbed the rough pads of his thumbs over her nipples.

  She arched back, offering more, and he took. When his mouth closed over her breast, the pleasure was so sharp, her need so urgent that she cried out. Wrapping her legs around him, she ordered, “Now.”

  Drawing back, he kept his eyes steady on hers as he moved his hands slowly down her sides and hips until those hard wide palms rested on her thighs. Very slowly he slipped his thumbs into the slickness of her folds and drew them down, tormenting, teasing, opening her. Then he withdrew his hands.

  “Don’t.” The word burned her throat.

  “Don’t what?”

  But relief was already streaming through her as she saw that he was dealing with his jeans and a condom.

  She tightened her legs around him. “Don’t stop.”

  “This time I won’t.” He gripped her hips and his eyes stayed intent on hers as he slowly pushed into her. When he finally filled her and she surrounded him, both of them stilled for a moment.

  Finally, he said, “Now,” and he leaned forward to take her mouth with his. As the kiss deepened, slowly, surely, they both began to move.

  5

  WHEN THE alarm rang, Macy sat straight up in bed, slapped the buzzer off, then stared at the time. Seven. As she struggled to orient herself, her first clear thought was that she’d overslept. She only used the alarm as a backup. Her inner clock always woke her up at six.

  Then she smelled the coffee. When she spotted the tray with a mug and a thermal carafe on her bedside table, she remembered exactly why she’d overslept.

  Cade Dillon. Just thinking about him had her heart taking a little bounce. Up—and then down. Not good. She poured herself a cup and took that first bracing swallow of caffeine. Then she sighed and ran her fingers lightly down the carafe. First he’d brought her linguine and now this.

  The man was definitely trouble. The pillow beside hers still carried the imprint of his head, and the bedclothes looked as if they’d been tied in knots. Macy’s lips curved. Considering what they’d done to each other in bed last night, it wouldn’t surprise her if they were.

  She drank more coffee. No regrets. She didn’t believe in them. Nor did she believe in lying to herself. Life was too short. Besides, how could she possibly regret last night when she knew that she wanted to repeat the experience?

  Plan A—the be-professional strategy—had definitely bitten the dust. So…Macy considered while she tapped her fingers on the side of her mug. So what? Climbing out of bed, she headed for the shower. She was a practical woman, wasn’t she? She still had options. Twisting the faucets, she turned the water on full-blast. If there was one thing she’d learned in life, it was there was always a plan B. Whatever mistakes you made, whatever dreams of happy endings might be ruined, you could always pick yourself up and start over.

  Hadn’t her whole life been a testimonial to that? A lot of people had walked away from her and she’d survived. Her dad had left when she was ten. Then her mother had remarried and moved east when Macy had started at UT. She’d been pretty much on her own since then.

  Satisfied that the water was hot enough, she stepped in and turned her face up to the spray. The important thing would be to keep a handle on reality. She and Cade were two adults who were very focused on their careers. She poured shampoo into her hand then rubbed it into her hair. Twice now they’d been thrown together, and once Leonard was behind bars, they would each go their separate ways. End of story.

  The mistake she’d made the first time around with Ranger Cade Dillon was in thinking that he was different from the two other men she’d become involved with. That had been stupid. Her problem was that she always expected too much. And by and large, people disappointed you.

  After shutting the water off, she pulled on a terry robe and toweled off her hair. Her best strategy would be just to enjoy what she and Cade could have together—a very temporary and extremely satisfying affair.

  And there she had it—a very viable plan B. While she dressed, Macy ignored the little band of pain that squeezed her heart a little tighter and turned her attention ruthlessly to the day ahead.

  TEN MINUTES later, Macy paused just outside the archway to her kitchen. Alan and Cade were sitting at the counter while Alan scribbled away on a piece of paper. For a moment, she was struck by the differences in the two men.

  The contrasts went far beyond the fact that Alan was gay and Cade wasn’t. As usual, the always meticulously groomed Alan looked as if he’d just stepped off the cover of a men’s fashion magazine. His hair was perfectly arranged, his tan, Macy knew, came from a bottle and boasted an SPF of 45. His brilliantly white shirt and tailored black jeans provided eye-catching drama. Alan worked at attracting attention.

  Cade didn’t. That glorious mane of tawny hair looked as though he’d finger-combed it after his shower. And his tan hadn’t come from a salon or a bottle. So where had it come from? Two months ago, the man had seemed to be chained to his desk at Ranger headquarters. Obviously, he must do something outdoors on the weekends. She shifted her gaze to the denim shirt and jeans; both were faded from many washings.

  Nope. Cade Dillon was not going to set a new trend in men’s fashion anytime soon. But he didn’t have to because of the rangy, toned body the clothes covered.

  And it wasn’t merely clothes and grooming styles that made the two men so different. Alan was always in perpetual motion. When he talked, he gestured with his hands. And even now, when he was silent, he was tapping his pencil on the list whenever he wasn’t actually writing.

  On the other hand, Cade looked perfectly relaxed, one elbow resting on the counter, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and his bare feet crossed at the ankles. Just looking at those feet had lust curling in her stomach. She wondered why it was that bare feet were so sexy on a man. Or perhaps it was just Cade’s bare feet that she found sexy. Whatever it was, her throat had gone as dry as dust. If Alan hadn’t been sitting there at the counter, she would have jumped Cade again.

  Macy reminded herself to breathe. Good thing she’d decided to terminate plan A and go with plan B.

  “This is her schedule for the next four days,” Alan said. “I’ve marked off the things like the marketing and some of the deliveries that I can do without her.”

  Macy dragged her gaze away from Cade’s feet and narrowed her eyes. Her schedule?

  They stopped talking the moment she walked into the kitchen. That together with the guilty expressions on their faces told her a lot.

  “What about my schedule?”

  “Nate brought us breakfast,” Cade said. “Have a donut.”

  “You shouldn’t encourage her deplorable eating habits,” Alan scolded. “I brought yogurt.”

  “She stockpiles those in the refrigerator,” Cade commented. “From the size of the stash and the number that have passed their expiration dates, I’d say she doesn’t eat many of them.”

  Alan sighed. “Hope springs eternal.”

  “Okay.” Macy circled the island and poured herself another cup of coffee. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me as if I wasn’t in the room. And I want to know what you think you’re doing with my schedule. Because if you—”

  “Sorry.” Cade waved the box of donuts under her nose. “Peace offering.”

  Since she was not the kind of woman who cut off her nose to spite her face, Macy climbed up on a stool, inspected the contents and made her selection. Chocolate frosted were her favorites. “Thanks,” she said around a mo
uthful, “but no peace until you tell me what you were plotting behind my back.”

  “Alan gave me a general outline of your schedule yesterday. I just asked him to write out the details,” Cade said easily. “It’s very regular. You visit the market three days a week at the same time and you go to the same stalls.”

  Macy licked frosting off her thumb. “Fresh ingredients are the key to good cooking.”

  “You prepare and take meals to the same three clients on Mondays and Thursdays. Then you have several other clients who want meals on the weekends.”

  Macy set down the last quarter of her donut. “We often deliver two or three days of meals at a time. That way, nothing has to be frozen. And I’m not going to stop doing that. Plus, we’re adding five new clients.”

  Cade raised a hand. “I’m not asking you to stop. It’s just that the regularity of your schedule makes life very easy for Elton Leonard to get to you. I’m betting that he’s memorized your routine and that he even knows what routes you take when you deliver these dinners. You’re making it easy for him. I want to make it hard.”

  Macy felt a little skip of fear shoot up her spine. Last night and this morning she’d been so focused on Cade that she hadn’t given much thought to the billionaire bank robber who evidently wanted to put a period to her existence.

  “I can do the marketing and deliver the meals by myself,” Alan said. “We probably should consider letting me take over some of that permanently now that we’re picking up more clients. You’re going to have to spend more time meal-planning and cooking.”

  Macy deliberated while she polished off her donut. “I won’t give up the marketing altogether. And I want to stay in contact with our clients.”

  “I agree.” Alan nodded. “But you can do that once a week and let me handle the other two days.”

  She met his eyes. “I’ll consider it.” Then she turned to Cade. “What else have you decided?”

  “Leonard has been keeping you under surveillance. If, as I suspect, he was the one who pushed you into the street last Friday, it’s very possible that he didn’t want to kill you—that day.”

  Macy set down the second donut she’d selected without tasting it. “He just wanted to scare me?”

  “That, too. But Elton Leonard likes attention. We’ve known ever since he became our prime suspect in the ‘Clyde’ bank robberies that he doesn’t do it for the money. He does it for the thrill of outsmarting the authorities. Even when he cut your brake lines, he couldn’t be sure that you would die.”

  “So he’s toying with me?” Macy asked.

  “No, I think he’s toying with me,” Cade said. Rising, he moved to the coffeemaker, brought the pot back to the island and refilled their cups. “I’ve been chasing him for a while now. Do you remember the movie, The Thomas Crown Affair?”

  “The Pierce Brosnan or the Steve McQueen version?” Alan asked.

  “Either one. Thomas Crown stole that painting to prove to everyone—the museum security, the insurance agent, the police—that he could outsmart them. I think Elton Leonard fancies himself another Thomas Crown. He needs to prove to everyone that he can rob banks and get away with it. And now that he’s decided to commit premeditated murder, he wants the police and me to know that he can get away with that too. He’s been sending me cryptic e-mails for two months. The one he sent last week said, ‘When push comes to shove…’ Yesterday’s said, ‘Buckle up.’”

  “He’s taunting you by giving you hints of what he’s going to do,” Alan said.

  “Exactly. But not enough of a hint that I can do anything.”

  Macy’s hands had grown so cold that she wrapped them around the mug to warm them.

  Cade reached over and closed his hand around her wrist. “He’s not going to get away with it. So far he’s been one step ahead of us, but that’s going to stop right now. I’m going to be with you 24/7. Leonard is a meticulous planner, so we’re going to change your routine a bit and try to throw him off stride. When you don’t go to the market and you don’t make the delivery tonight with Alan, he’ll have to improvise, and we hope he’ll make a mistake. That’s what we want.”

  Macy swallowed hard. “You’re not making me feel any better.”

  Cade squeezed her wrist. “Whenever you do go out, I’ll be with you, and Nate and another Ranger will be following you. We’re going to get him.”

  For a moment, as she met Cade’s eyes, Macy let herself believe that. After all, Cade was a Texas Ranger.

  “Well…” Alan cleared his throat as he rose. “If you two will excuse me, I’ll just get my list and do the marketing.”

  Macy slid off her stool. “I haven’t printed it out yet.”

  “While you’re doing that, I’ll check in with Nate,” Cade said.

  The moment that the front door closed behind Cade, Alan joined Macy at her desk. “Tell me everything. When I got here, Ranger Hunk answered the door in his bare feet and told me you were still sleeping. You’re always up at least an hour before I get here. Plus, there was no evidence the couch had been slept on. I want details.”

  “There aren’t a lot. I just decided to have another temporary affair with Cade.”

  “Temporary?”

  She tapped keys and the printer whirred. “Yes. I’ve decided that I’m a temporary kind of woman. Men find me very easy to say good-bye to. My big mistake in the past was that I’ve always hoped for more. This time I’m going to be satisfied with what I can have—a very enjoyable time with Cade.”

  Alan studied her. “You’ve discussed this with him?”

  “No, but I’m sure we’re on the same page. Once he gets Elton Leonard behind bars, we’ll both go our separate ways. End of story.” She handed him the printout.

  Alan folded it and tucked it into the pocket of his jeans. “That’s what you want?”

  She beamed a smile at him. “That’s exactly what I want.”

  Saying nothing, Alan turned and walked away. But he turned back when he reached the doorway. “Liar.”

  6

  FOR AT LEAST the fifth time in an hour, Cade glanced up from his file on Elton Leonard to check on Macy. She was still seated at the island in her kitchen, staring at her laptop while she fiddled with a button on her sweater. She rarely sat perfectly still.

  He’d moved her away from the desk because it sat in front of a window. Nothing in Leonard’s file indicated that he had sniper abilities, but Cade wasn’t taking any chances.

  They hadn’t spoken more than a few words to each other since Alan had left for the market. That had surprised Cade. He’d fully expected that once they were alone, Macy would want to lay down some new ground rules and organize their relationship. He’d spent some time thinking about a few rules himself. But when he’d reentered the house with the files Nate had brought him, he’d found her busy at her laptop, planning the “Sexy Supper,” the final and grand prize in the Valentine’s Day contest.

  So he’d followed her example. For a while at least. There’d been a new e-mail with the usual cryptic message—Smoke gets in your eyes. He should be concentrating on figuring that out. Instead, he was sitting here like a schoolboy, staring at a woman he wanted. A woman whom, try as he might, he couldn’t stop wanting. No other woman had ever affected him in quite this way. Right now, he wanted to go to her, snatch her up off that stool, and make love to her again on that counter.

  Disgusted with himself, Cade shifted his gaze back to the information he’d accumulated on Elton Leonard. At least with Leonard he had a better idea of what his next step should be. If Cade didn’t miss his guess, Leonard would make his final move on Macy at some point during the shooting of her last TV show. Nothing would please the man more than having his work captured on film and run on the twenty-four-hour news channels.

  The problem was figuring out what kind of a move Leonard would make. And when. Even though the man was a master of disguise, it would be safer to make his play when Macy was delivering the dinner to the lucky winner. But Leon
ard didn’t always play it safe—he’d run quite a risk cutting those brake lines yesterday. Cade had been standing no more than fifty yards from Macy’s car. The problem had been that he’d been watching Macy.

  Just as he was watching her now. No woman had ever affected his concentration this way. And he didn’t like it. In the two months that he’d stayed away from her, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking of her. He’d pictured her in his office. He’d pictured her in his car. He’d pictured the way she looked when she was lying beneath him and he was inside her.

  But he’d never once imagined the way she might be at work. She worked hard. In the three hours since Alan had left, she hadn’t taken a break, not even to drink one of her colas.

  A whirring sound had Cade stiffening. Macy slid off the stool, grabbed papers from the printer, and moved back to the island. Not once did she shift her gaze to him. Clearly, she was having an easier time concentrating than he was.

  For a moment, as annoyance streamed through him, he toyed with the idea of breaking her focus. He knew her weaknesses and he knew how to exploit them. He’d already risen and started to close the distance between them when, suddenly, she tossed the paper down, fisted her hands on her hips and began to pace.

  “Problem?”

  She turned and blinked. “What?”

  “You were a million miles away.”

  “Yes.”

  And clearly on an entirely different wave length. Cade straddled one of the stools. “Maybe it would help to talk it through. That’s what I do with Nate sometimes.”

  She studied him for a moment. “Promise you won’t laugh.”

  He raised his right hand. “I swear.”

  “I don’t have a sexy enough idea for my Sexy Supper. It was Alan’s idea to run a theme of aphrodisiacs through the three shows.”

  Cade smiled. “Yeah. I got that. It’s very effective. Watching you play with the asparagus gave me a hard-on.” Of course, he had one now, and there wasn’t a stalk of asparagus in sight. But the worry in her eyes had him keeping that thought to himself. “What’s on the printout?”