by Lori Foster
She plowed right into Avery, and both women went down.
Shit. Rowdy reached them in less than a second and hauled DeeDee to her feet. One of Reese’s buddies took her off his hands. Kneeling by Avery, who looked stunned, he said, “Hey.” He pulled her into a sitting position. “You okay?”
She held her head in both hands. “It was a sting?”
“That’s right.” Rowdy brushed some dirt off her shoulder, then smoothed down her hair.
“You and DeeDee...?”
Despite what he’d told himself, Rowdy relished the opportunity to set her straight. “Just part of the setup.”
Instead of relief, she looked...distraught. “So, did you actually buy the bar or not?”
“I bought it.”
Now he saw relief—though she quickly hid it behind a frown. Avoiding his gaze, she said, “Good. I was already counting on my raise as bartender.”
Coming to his feet along with her, Rowdy grinned. “Then get to it. Since I just fired Dougie, you can start right now.”
* * *
IT WAS DAMN near dawn when Reese got home to Alice. He should have been dead on his feet, but instead he felt energized. He’d called Alice as soon as he could, letting her know that Cheryl was shaken up, but unharmed. This time, she was more than willing to talk to the police, to ensure that Hickson and Woody Simpson got what they deserved.
Knowing what awaited him, Reese bounded up the steps and down the hall to the apartment. As he stepped inside, the first rays of sunlight slanted through the patio doors.
Logan had already picked up Pepper. Dash was crashed in a chair, staring blindly at the TV. But when the door opened, he sat forward and pulled on his shoes.
Just as she’d promised, Alice was awake, waiting for him. Both she and Cash looked bleary-eyed with fatigue, but they immediately rose to give him a proper welcome.
First things first, Reese thought, and he reached for the leash.
Alice stopped him. “Dash just had him out, soon as he knew you were on your way home.”
Reese gave his attention to Logan’s brother. “Thank you, Dash. For everything.”
Smiling, Dash slapped Reese on the shoulder as he headed for the front door. “Anytime.” He already had his keys in his hand.
“Anxious to get to bed?”
“I’ll be heading for a bed,” Dash agreed with a yawn. “But not my own, and not to sleep.” He bobbed his eyebrows, gave a negligent wave and was gone.
Alice stared at the closed door. “He couldn’t be serious.”
Reese grinned.
“But he was up all night!”
Reese teased her, saying, “You should know that men consider sex a cure-all for just about everything, even exhaustion.”
“Oh.” Suddenly she was hugging him, and Reese breathed in the comforting scent unique to Alice. He ran his hands down her narrow back, and, yes, he wanted her.
Always.
But there’d be time for that.
“You have to be hungry,” she said. “Let’s eat first.”
First, meaning she was amenable to lovemaking? Amazing Alice. How the hell had he gotten so lucky?
She took his hand and led him toward the kitchen. Her long nightgown nearly touched the floor. She had shadows under her eyes and rumpled hair and she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.
In the kitchen doorway, he pulled her around. “Alice.”
“Hmm?” She looked up at him with trust and acceptance and so much more.
He kissed her, then went on kissing her—until Cash whined.
They both turned to see the dog standing by the counter where they kept the dog treats, wearing an expectant expression.
Alice bit her bottom lip. “He acts like all we do is have sex.”
“He’s intuitive, much like you.”
Laughing, Alice gave the dog a treat, then turned to press Reese toward a chair. “Sit while I put on the coffee.”
It did feel good to get off his feet. He toed off his shoes under the table, stretched and thought how nice it was to end a long day with Alice.
“Cheryl went back home to her family?”
Reese watched the sway of her hips in that fetish gown as she filled a carafe with water. “She called her mother from the station. There were some tears, but I don’t think they were sad tears.”
“Excess of emotion,” Alice said with a nod. She gave him a shy look. “I do that sometimes, too.”
“I don’t want you to cry. Ever.”
She laughed at that. “Sorry, but sometimes I even cry when I’m happy.”
Okay, so he might have to get used to that—since he planned to keep her very happy. “Peterson got a warrant, and she’s going through Woody Simpson’s offices right now. She’s already found tons of evidence.” Quietly, because he knew how Alice would react, he told her the rest. “She also found a young lady named Michelle, who was more than willing to detail everything she’d overheard, and everything she’d seen.”
Alice went still before turning in a rush. “Is she okay?”
“Peterson thinks she’ll be fine.” Certainly, she’d be better now than she would have been if Alice hadn’t intuitively recognized that Cheryl needed help. She’d started the ball rolling on breaking a huge case of drug trafficking, kidnapping and more. “And thanks to her, we’ll be able to shut down deals already in the works and ferret out buyers and distributors who’d been involved with Woody.”
Alice briefly closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she asked, “And Rowdy? How did things work out for him?”
Reese told her about the petite redheaded waitress who had occupied much of Rowdy’s attention. “I have a feeling he’ll be facing new challenges very soon.”
Grinning, Alice said, “I’m glad.” As she turned to fill the coffee cups, she asked, “What about Trace? Is he gone again already?”
It occurred to Reese that it no longer bothered him for Alice to mention the elusive wraith. “I doubt we’ll see much of him after this, but I got the feeling he’d be doing some behind-the-scenes recon for the lieutenant, helping her to nail down evidence against any remaining corruption.”
As if Trace’s whereabouts didn’t concern her all that much, Alice set the coffee on the table. “What would you like to eat?”
He smiled at her, and she blushed.
That made him laugh outright. He caught her hand and pulled her over and into his lap. “You know, if it weren’t for you, both Cheryl and Michelle, and probably a lot of other women, would still be in a great deal of trouble.”
“You give me too much credit.” Her gaze intent on his throat, she slipped her hands under his shirt. “I’m just glad that you were able to sort it all out.”
Already aroused heat filled her big brown eyes. Damn, but he loved her.
Reese traced a finger over her lips. “Looks like I’ll have mandatory days off again.”
“Oh?” She nuzzled into his throat, her breath gentle and warm.
He shuddered. “I was thinking we could spend that time looking at houses.”
Her head came up. “You were serious about that?”
“Cash needs room to run.” He tangled a hand in her silky brown hair. “And since I’m staying with you now, we need a bigger place.”
She caught her breath. “Are you...staying with me?”
“I want to.”
Chewing her bottom lip, she grew serious. “For how long?
”
Slipping his other hand into her hair, Reese cradled her head in his palms and kissed her. “Does forever sound too long to you?”
Her eyes widened. “Forever?”
He pulled her close again, took another kiss, this one gentler still. “If you’ll have us. Cash and me, I mean. We’re a package deal.”
“I adore Cash,” she rushed to assure him. “You know that.”
“And me, Alice?” He searched her face, his heart full. “How do you feel about me?”
Those happy tears she’d mentioned turned her eyes luminous and left her voice husky. “I’ve been in love with you since the day you said hello.”
“Yeah?”
“How could you not know that, Reese? I’d done so much to protect myself that I’d shut out the whole world. But I couldn’t shut you out.” She gave a choked laugh. “I couldn’t even stop thinking about you long enough to try.”
He knew the feeling. Alice hadn’t crept into his life; she’d launched a full-force attack on his heart...without even trying. “Given that I feel the same, what do you say we get married? Maybe adopt another dog or two. Have a couple of kids. That is, after we find the right house—”
Alice kissed him.
Grinning, Reese eased her back. “Should I take that as a yes?”
Nodding fast, she said, “Yes, yes to everything.”
“Tell me again that you love me.”
“Oh, God, Reese, I do. So much.” Knotting a hand in his T-shirt, she slipped off his lap. “Now, come with me, Detective. I’ve decided the coffee can wait.”
Perfect, he thought as he followed her toward the bedroom. His old nickname had stuck true. He’d bared it all, even his heart, and now he had Alice.
He had everything.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Buckhorn Legacy by Lori Foster!
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Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor
When You Dare
Trace of Fever
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PROLOGUE
THE FAMILY PICNIC had lasted all day, and Casey had a feeling everything that should have been accomplished had been. In fact, even more had developed than he’d expected—like his present uncomfortable situation.
He hadn’t exactly meant to pair up with Emma Clark. She had few friends, none of them female, and Casey had just naturally defended her when the others had started sniping.
So now, with nearly every girl in town chasing after him, he found himself behind the garage at the far end of the house with a girl—the one girl he’d been doing his best to avoid—snuggled up to his side. No one else in the yard could see them. They had complete privacy.
How the hell was a guy supposed to deal with that?
His father and his uncles had been the most eligible bachelors in Buckhorn, Kentucky. It had been fun for Casey growing up in an all-male household and watching his uncles and his dad deal with all that female adoration. Casey had been proud of their popularity and amused by it all. And pleased by the situation, since he’d gained his own share of adoration as he’d matured. He’d learned a lot from watching them—but he hadn’t learned how to deal with Emma.
Like his father and his uncles, Casey loved and respected women, most especially his grandmother and his new stepmother and aunts. But then, they were all so different from Emma.
And that thought had him frowning.
Emma was...well, she had a reputation that could rival his Uncle Gabe’s, and that said something since Gabe had been a complete and total hedonist when it came to his sexuality. By all accounts, Gabe had started young; from what Casey knew, Emma had started even younger.
At seventeen, she flaunted herself with all the jaded expertise of a woman twice her age. Her bleached-blond hair and overdone makeup advertised her status of being on the make.
Lately she’d been on the make for Casey. For the most part, he’d been able to resist her.
For the most part.
Emma’s small soft hand began trailing over Casey’s chest. His heart thumped hard, his body hardened. Very gently, doing his best to hide his reaction from her, he eased her away. “We should join the others.”
In fact, he thought, all too aware of the heat of her young body so close to his own, he never should have been alone with her in the first place. Thanks to his stepmother and her father, he had a great business opportunity coming up. But before he could take advantage of that, he had several years of college to get through. Emma, with her hard-to-resist curves and open sensuality, would be nothing but trouble.
“No.” She stroked down his bare chest, but Casey caught her hand before she reached the fly to his jeans. He liked her more than he should have, and wanted her more than that. Hell, to be truthful, he was crazy nuts with wanting her, not that he’d ever even hinted as much. His plans for the future did not include Emma. They couldn’t.
Emma had led a very different life from him. Tangling the two up wouldn’t be good for either of them.
His head understood that, but his body did not.
It took more control than he knew he had to turn her away this time.
“Emma,” Casey chided, hoping that she couldn’t hear the shaking of his voice. He’d only wanted to champion her, but Emma wanted more. She was so blatant about it, so brazen, that it took all his concentration not to give in. Besides, more than anything else, Emma needed a friend not another conquest. And beyond that, Casey didn’t share.
“Are you a virgin?” she taunted, not giving a single inch, and Casey laughed outright at her ploy. She was determined, he’d give her that. But then, so was he.
Flicking a finger over her soft cheek, he said, “That’s none of your business.”
Her incredible brown eyes widened, reflecting the moonlight and a femininity that went bone deep. She shook her head in wonder. “You’re the only guy I know who wouldn’t have denied it right away.”
“I’m not denying or confirming.”
“I know,” she whispered, still sounding amazed, “but most guys’d lie if they had to, rather than let a girl think—”
“What?” Casey cupped her face and despite his resolve, he kissed her. Damn, it was hard fighting both himself and her. “I don’t care what anyone thinks, Emma. You should know that by now. Besides, what I’ve done or with who isn’t the point.”
“No,” she agreed, her tone suddenly so sad it nearly broke his heart. “It’s what I’ve done, isn’t it?”
Thinking about that, about the guys she’d probably been with and the notoriety of her reputation, fi
lled Casey with possessive rage. So many guys had bragged. Too damn many. Ruthlessly, Casey tamped down the urges he refused to acknowledge, and repeated his own thoughts out loud. “I don’t share.”
“Casey,” she said, shyly peeking up at him, her expression tinted with hope, “what if I promised not to—”
“Shh.” He couldn’t bear for Emma to start pleading, to make promises he doubted she could keep and that wouldn’t matter in the long run anyway. He couldn’t let them matter. “Don’t do that, Emma. Don’t make it harder than it already is. Summer break is almost over and I’ll be leaving for school. You know that. I won’t be around, so there’s no point in us even discussing this.”
Big tears welled in her eyes, causing his guts to cramp. One of her hands fisted in his shirt. “I’m leaving too, Casey.” Her breathing was choppy, the words broken.
Emma leaving? That surprised him. As gently as possible, Casey stroked the tears from her cheeks and then, because he couldn’t help himself, he kissed her forehead. “And where do you think to go, Em?” She hadn’t finished high school yet, had no real prospects that he knew of, no opportunities. Her home life was crap, and that bothered him too. He wanted...
No, he couldn’t even think that way.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I just wanted you to know.”
He didn’t like the sound of that, but had no idea what to say. He could see her soft mouth trembling, could smell her hot, sweet scent carried on the evening breeze. Unlike the other girls he knew, Emma didn’t wear fragrances. But then, she didn’t need to.
Her warm palm touched his jaw. “You’re all that matters to me right now, Case. You and the fact that we might not ever see each other again.”
Boldly, she took his hand and pressed it to her breast. Casey shuddered. She was so damn soft.
His resolve weakened, then cracked. With a muttered curse, he pulled her closer and kissed her again, this time giving his hunger free rein. Her mouth opened under his, accepted his tongue, gave him her own. It didn’t matter, he promised himself, filling his hand with her firm breast, finding her puckered nipple and stroking with his thumb.