Beyond Control

by Kat Martin

  Josh held on to the hope Bridger wasn’t involved in the abduction. Which made him think of Tory. He glanced over to where she perched on the edge of the mattress, her eyes closed, half asleep.

  “Tory, honey, you need to get in bed and get some rest. You can’t do anyone any good if you make yourself sick.”

  Her big green eyes fluttered open. “I know.”

  “You need me to help you get undressed?” Just saying it made him start to get hard, made him feel like a letch for even thinking about sex. Truth was he hadn’t stopped wanting Tory since the night he’d taken her on the porch.

  “I can do it,” she said, and Josh gave an inward sigh of relief.

  Leaving her to change into the long, white cotton nightgown she had brought with her, he went into his own room, stripped, and hit the shower. When he finished, he turned the water from hot to cold, hoping it would help cool the lust in his blood.

  Back in his room, he dragged on his jeans and went next door to check on Tory. She was lying in bed, the covers pulled up.

  “You okay?”

  She released a tired sigh. “I guess. I keep thinking about Lisa, how terrible it must be for her, not being able to remember what happened. But Lisa’s really strong. That gives me hope she’ll be okay.”

  Josh sat down on the edge of the bed. “You’re strong, too, honey. You’ll get through this. With any luck, so will your friend.”

  “The police don’t think Damon did it.”

  “So far there’s no proof he had anything to do with it. There are lots of crazies out there. Could have been any one of them.”

  “I wish I could convince myself. In my head, I just keep seeing the look on his face when he was hitting me, kicking me. It was like he turned into some kind of monster. I can’t get the notion out of my head that he’s the guy responsible.”

  He thought of what Bridger had done to her and his hand unconsciously fisted. He forced himself to relax.

  “You can’t keep thinking about it, Tory. You need to leave it to the police.” Josh leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Get some sleep, okay?”

  “I know you have to get back to Texas. I can’t expect you to stay here much longer.”

  She was right. He couldn’t stay away from the ranch forever. “Let’s not worry about that now.” He stood up from the bed and started for the door.

  “Why did you get two rooms?” Tory asked softly.

  Josh turned, his gaze sweeping over her, taking in the fiery curls tousled around her face, the lips that tasted as good as the strawberries they reminded him of. Her eyes were sleepy but there was something else in them now.

  “I wasn’t sure exactly where we stood. I thought I would leave it up to you.”

  And he needed his own space. There was always the chance he’d have one of his occasional nightmares. He’d had a bad dream last night just before dawn, reliving a bloody battle to the death. He’d awoken covered in perspiration, his heart pounding like a hammer. He didn’t want to burden Tori with that.

  On the other hand, having sex with her was an entirely different matter.

  “So . . . does that mean if I asked you to stay, you’d be okay with it?”

  His whole body tightened. “Baby, you have no idea how okay I’d be. But if I stayed, I wouldn’t want to sleep, and you really need to rest.”

  “I won’t get any rest if I can’t fall asleep. I have a feeling you could help me with that.”

  Hot need surged through him. His blood thickened, began to pulse through his veins, pool low in his groin. He wasn’t an idiot. The lady was issuing an invitation he wanted to accept more than he wanted to see his next sunrise.

  He pulled a foil-wrapped condom out of his wallet and tossed it on the nightstand. Buzzing down his zipper, he stepped out of his jeans, turned to see Tory pulling her nightgown off over her head, letting him admire her luscious little body.

  Josh took the gown and tossed it away, then slid naked into bed beside her. Her eyes found his. A slender finger ran over the muscles across his chest, trailed down over his abs, and he went harder than he was already.

  “It seems like it’s always me making the first move,” she said. “I don’t know why that is. I was never this way before.”

  He nipped her lush bottom lip. “I’ve never waited this long for an invitation before.” He kissed her, sinking into her soft, sweet fullness, feeling a wash of heat that burned through every muscle and sinew in his body.

  He cupped a pale round breast, massaged gently. “From now on, I’m not waiting.”

  Bending, he took the hardened peak into his mouth and suckled greedily. He’d warned her. Tory had had her chance to back away. Now that he’d had a taste of her, she was a fire in his blood. He wanted her and he meant to have his fill.

  Hot, deep, lusty kisses followed, pushing the limits of his control. Determined to make it good for her, he forced himself to slow down, to coax instead of ravage, to stroke and tease until he had her squirming beneath him.

  He was painfully hard, hanging on by a thread. “I want you,” he said. “I need you, baby.”

  Her fingers dug into his shoulders. “Please, Josh.”

  Kneeing her legs apart, he settled betweem them, then eased himself inside. Hot blood pulsed through him. When Tory arched up, taking him deeper, a low growl slipped from his throat.

  Clamping down hard on his control, he tried to go slow, but his body wanted none of it. He tried not to hurt her, tried not to be greedy and take her too hard, but Tory wouldn’t let him back away.

  She was an equal partner in this, and when he turned over on the mattress, taking her with him, lifted her on top of him and gave up control, she proved it.

  She rode him until she reached her peak, her soft cries, and the sweet contractions of her body urging him to take what he’d wanted since the day she had driven her old blue Chevy up in front of his barn.

  Holding on by a thread, Josh rolled her beneath him and surged deep, took her hard, took her and took her, driving her up all over again, and this time when she came, he joined her, spinning out the pleasure, the rapture, letting the need slide away.

  They lay quiet for a time, lazily spiraling down. It felt good just having her beside him. With a last, soft kiss, he eased out of bed, took care of the condom and returned, drew her close and tucked her against his side.

  Drowsiness settled over him. He should get up, sleep in his own room just in case, but she felt so good snuggled against him, he let himself drift for a while. He wasn’t sure how long what they had would last, but he planned to enjoy it until it ended.

  One thing he knew, as long as Tory was with him, she was under his protection. She and her little girl.

  It was a job Josh took seriously.

  If Damon Bridger knew what was good for him, he would stay the hell away.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Another day passed. Lisa’s condition was upgraded to stable. Her parents were at the hospital with her, other friends, and family.

  Lisa was in good hands, and Tory missed her little girl. Ivy was restless for her mother, and Josh had a ranch to run. It was time to go home.

  “You’re going to be okay,” Tory said to Lisa as she sat in the chair next to the hospital bed, holding on to her best friend’s hand.

  Lisa was swathed in bandages, still hooked up to a heart monitor. An IV dripped fluids into a tube taped in her arm. A bandage around her head covered a patch of shaved blond hair, but she still looked beautiful.

  “You’re the strongest person I know,” Tory said. “You’ll make it through this.”

  “I know . . . I will.” Lisa moistened her lips. “I just . . . wish I could remember. It’s like a big black . . . hole with . . . nothing in it.”

  Tory poured some water into a paper cup and held it up for her friend to sip. “Maybe it’s better you don’t remember.”

  Lisa swallowed, then lay back on the pillow. “I’ve thought about that. The doctors say it’s possible I mi
ght . . . never remember any of it. They don’t really . . . know.”

  Tory squeezed her hand.

  Lisa managed to smile. “I like your Josh. He’s really . . . hot.”

  Tory smiled back. “Yeah, he is.”

  Lisa’s expression changed. “Be careful, Tory. Make sure he’s . . . everything he seems.”

  Tory glanced away. “I’ll be careful.” Lisa was thinking of the vicious, brutal abuser Damon had turned out to be. They hadn’t talked about him. Lisa didn’t remember who was responsible for her abduction, and the police had confirmed Damon’s alibi.

  “I pray they catch whoever did this to you,” Tory said.

  “So do I.”

  “I’ll call, see how you’re doing. I’ll stay in touch this time.” Even if it would be taking a risk. Bending over, she pressed a kiss on Lisa’s forehead, turned, slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and walked out of the hospital room.

  In the hall outside, Josh waited beside the door. Was he everything he seemed? She had no reason to doubt him, and yet, after Damon, it was hard to trust her instincts the way she had before.

  “You ready to go?” Josh asked.

  “I’m ready to go home.”

  “Home? You mean Texas?”

  “Yes.”

  Josh actually grinned, making him look so handsome her stomach fluttered.

  “Home sounds good to me,” he said. “I’ll start making arrangements as soon as we get back to the room.”

  The afternoon was gone by the time they left the hospital, the sun sitting low on the vast desert horizon. The hot orange ball silhouetted the tall, spiny cactus thrusting up from the landscape, and the temperature hovered in the nineties. The air was dry and hot as they crossed the parking lot and climbed into the shiny black rented Jeep. Josh buckled his seat belt, waited for Tory to buckle hers, then cranked the engine.

  “How about a burger or something before we call it a night?”

  Tory hadn’t been hungry since she had left Texas, but Josh was a big, strapping man. He needed to eat. “Burger King or Carl’s?”

  “There’s a Sonic Drive-In a few blocks down the road. It’s on the way.”

  “Good enough,” she said.

  Josh turned the Jeep in that direction. The vehicle rolled along with the traffic, the radio playing country music, Josh’s favorite and fast becoming hers, too. As the SUV continued down the street, Tory noticed him glancing in the rearview mirror.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure. There’s a brown Buick behind us. I saw that car in the hospital parking lot this morning. The guy sitting inside never got out. As warm as it was, it seemed kind of odd, but I didn’t think much about it at the time. When we walked out just now, the Buick was in a different location, but the guy was still sitting behind the wheel.”

  “Maybe he’s waiting for someone.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” But Josh kept an eye on the mirror as they continued down the road. The Jeep turned into the drive-in and pulled into a space next to an automated menu. As they placed their order, the Buick drove on past, rolling leisurely down the road.

  “He kept going,” Tory said. “Must be just a coincidence.”

  “Could be.” But Josh still seemed wary.

  The burgers, fries, and chocolate shakes they ordered arrived, and Tory discovered she was ravenously hungry. Maybe it was relief that nothing had happened while they were in Phoenix. Maybe it was knowing they were on their way home. Whatever it was, she dug into her burger.

  “Linc said he’d send the jet back whenever we’re ready.” Josh munched a handful of golden brown fries. “I need to call him.”

  “I’ll really be glad to get back. Do you think we’ll be leaving tonight?”

  “Probably need to give him a little notice.” Josh’s amazing blue eyes swung toward her and she didn’t miss the hot gleam there. “Might as well get a good night’s sleep and leave first thing in the morning.”

  Her breath hitched. Just thinking about another night in bed with Josh Cain was enough to send her temperature into the danger zone. “That’s sounds . . . sensible.”

  Even if they left tonight, by the time they got back, Ivy would be in bed. Better to let the little girl get a good night’s sleep and pick her up in the morning.

  They finished their burgers. Josh started the engine, and the Jeep pulled out of the lot, heading down the street toward the hotel. She noticed him checking the rearview mirror.

  “The Buick’s back. It just pulled in behind a Toyota pickup. Looks like we’re being followed.”

  Alarm shot through her. “You don’t think it’s Damon? Did you get a look at the driver?”

  “Guy had thinning brown hair and wore glasses. It wasn’t Damon.”

  “No, that isn’t him. Besides, Damon drives a BMW.” She turned to look behind her. “I don’t see him.”

  “Five cars back. I’ll turn the corner up here, see if he follows. Don’t let him catch you looking.”

  She flipped down the sun visor and used the mirror to watch the traffic as Josh turned the corner. “There he is! The Buick just turned the corner behind us.”

  “It’s not Damon but there’s a good chance it’s someone working for him.”

  “I think that’s how he found me in Carlsbad. I think he hired a private investigator.”

  Josh’s features hardened. “Guy wants to know where we’re going? Let’s let him find out.”

  Tory sat back in the seat, her nerves strung taut. Josh slowed as they approached the Marriott, slowed even more as they pulled into the parking lot, letting the Buick get even closer.

  “Plate number’s AKJ1302,” he said.

  Tory memorized the number. “Maybe we can find out who the car belongs to.”

  “Oh, we can find out.” Josh pulled the Jeep into a space, turned off the engine, and both of them climbed out. “Might be able to speed things up.”

  They walked into the lobby of the hotel. “Go on up to the room. I’ll be along in a minute.”

  Tory stopped. “Wait a minute—what are you going to do?”

  “If Bridger hired this guy to keep track of you, his job isn’t finished yet.”

  As if Josh had a crystal ball, Tory looked through the glass front doors to see the Buick pulling into the parking lot. They both stepped back so the driver wouldn’t see them, watched him park in a space where he could watch the entrance to the hotel.

  Something appeared in the window of the car. “What’s he doing?” Tory asked.

  “Taking pictures. Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Josh headed down the hall and disappeared out one of the side doors. Tory stayed out of sight next to the big glass window in the lobby. Across the room, the desk clerk stood behind the counter, checking in another couple.

  Tory looked back out the window, catching a glimpse of Josh at the rear of the parking lot before he disappeared between a pair of parked cars. Except for the lights illuminating the parking lot, it was too dark to keep track of him.

  She almost smiled. If Josh didn’t want to be seen, she probably couldn’t spot him even in the daylight.

  She spotted him a couple of times as he cut a path toward the Buick, moving in that silent way he had that seemed almost ghostly.

  The next thing she knew, the door of the Buick shot open and the driver flew out of the car. One of Josh’s big hands clamped around his neck and the camera went flying, landing on the pavement, rolling a couple of feet before it came to a stop. Josh backed the guy up against the car.

  Tory gripped the purse slung over her shoulder and flew out the hotel’s front door.

  With his hand wrapped around the guy’s throat, Josh shook him like the rat he was. “Who the hell are you? I want your name and I want it now.”

  “Hey, buddy, take it easy, okay?” The guy tried to pry Josh’s fingers away but there was no chance of that.

  “No, it’s not okay. You’ve been watching us all day. Who are you?”
r />   When he didn’t answer, Josh shook him again. “This is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.”

  “All right, okay. My name is Floyd Wickham. I’m a private investigator.” From the looks of the faded old Buick, Wickham’s wrinkled khakis, and sweat-stained yellow polo shirt, not the high-dollar variety. “I was hired to keep an eye on a woman named Victoria Bradford. I take it she’s your girlfriend.”

  Josh didn’t answer. His relationship with Tory was none of the guy’s business. Besides, he wasn’t sure about it himself.

  He let Wickham go but stayed right in his face. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tory running toward them. She stopped a few feet away.

  “Who hired you?” Josh asked.

  “I’m not at liberty to say.”

  Josh grabbed a fistful of Wickham’s shirt and hauled him up on his toes. The detective was at least three inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter, not much of a challenge. “I asked you a question.”

  “He’ll fire me. I need the work. This was supposed to be an easy job.”

  Josh let him go, grabbed his wrist, and bent it backward until Wickham crouched to avoid the pain. “How bad do you need the use of your right arm?”

  The detective made a hissing sound between his teeth. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. His name’s Damon Bridger. Got the hots for your girlfriend, I guess.”

  Josh eased his hold. “How’d he know we were here?”

  “Some nurse at the hospital gave him your names, said you were visiting one of the patients. Bridger hired me to follow you, take pictures, figure out where you were staying. He asked me to find out as much about you as I could.”

  “Did you?”

  “I dug around. You’re kind of a celebrity in Texas, so yeah, it was easy to find out what I needed to know. I talked to Bridger this morning, emailed him the photos I took. I told him you were a special ops soldier. Marine sniper. A war hero.”

  Josh swore foully.

  Behind his horn-rimmed glasses, Wickham’s eyes darted around as if he were hoping someone might come to his rescue. No one did.

  “Keep talking,” Josh said, bending the wrist a little for emphasis.