Colton's Deadly Engagement

by Addison Fox

  He followed the dogs to the door, stomping his feet on the front mat to remove any excess snow. He grabbed the towel Darby kept near the door to rub down the dogs and wipe the snow off their feet, and was instantly aware of her as her light scent and the warmth of her body brushed up against his. “I’ll help you do that.”

  She had an extra towel and worked over Lucy’s paws while Finn did Lotte. Lucy bounded off and Darby had already turned to Penny, praising the dog as she rubbed her down. “You were much better than your sister. Only a little bit to dry off.”

  “She stayed close. Lucy and Lotte took off exploring.”

  Darby kneeled, coming face to face with Penny. “Not feel like a romp tonight, sweet girl?”

  Whatever distance had been between them had vanished and Penny leaned into Darby much in the same way she’d accepted his gentle affection outside. She laid her head against Darby’s shoulder and stood still as Darby offered praise and affection.

  “Looks like you two have officially bonded.”

  “Finally.” Darby smiled her first real smile of the night as she looked up at him. “You were absolutely right. She did come around.”

  “She just needed a bit of time to get used to her new reality. To grieve her loss of Bo and to accept that she’s safe and loved by her new owner.”

  Darby ran a tender hand over Penny’s soft head. “That she is.”

  Finn knew he should leave. Knew he should call Lotte over and give Darby space. Yet something kept him rooted to the spot. “Did something upset you tonight?”

  “When?”

  “At dinner. You seemed—” He stopped, well aware that he was crossing an invisible threshold. Whatever pretense they’d kept up between themselves, if he pressed what was on his mind, there’d be nowhere to hide.

  “I seemed what?”

  “Upset.”

  “I was laughing and having a good time.”

  “I know. But underneath.” He sighed, knowing he was making a mess as he fumbled his way through what he suddenly needed to say. “You just seemed upset when Carson and I came back to the table. You were lovely as you always are, but I can’t shake the fact that something is bothering you.”

  “We’re not a couple.”

  “Oh?”

  “That was what was bothering me.”

  When he only stood there dumbfounded, Darby gave Penny a final pat on her head and then stood.

  “You and me. It dawned on me as I listened to Serena that she has a real relationship. She has a child. She also has a man who loves her and her daughter without limits. I don’t have anything close to that. And now I realize that I’ve been deluding myself that a fake relationship is somehow a replacement for going out and finding those things in my life.”

  She took a deep breath, fire burning in her blue eyes as she kept her gaze level with his. “I’ve become lazy in my personal life since I got divorced and I’m sick of settling. Settling for living a half life, all by myself. So I have you to thank for that. Whatever else this experience has been, it’s given me a push I’ve sorely needed.”

  Finn took in her words but struggled to understand what she was saying. She wanted to go out and find a relationship? Here he was, hoping to find something with her, and she was ready to look elsewhere?

  “I see.”

  “Do you?”

  “I think I do. You have a bright future in front of you and I’m standing in your way.”

  “No, Finn. You’ve cleared the path.”

  It was silly and small, but as he stood there staring right back at her, refusing to let his gaze drop, he had a revelation. Or more a solidification of all he hadn’t been able to admit to himself.

  She might want a future for herself but he wanted one with her. Or at least a shot at one. And the only way he was going to get that shot was if he put his balls on the line and told her.

  “What if I told you I wasn’t ready to step off the path?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Maybe you’re standing in my way.” He moved in closer and laid a hand at her waist. “And maybe I like it.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes.”

  His answer was final, a resounding welcome to everything he’d been running from in his life. He did want a shot at things with her. At something that went beyond a fake relationship and a hunt for a killer.

  But he knew he needed to be gentle. Darby wasn’t a woman to toy with. She’d been honest with where she was coming from and what she wanted in her life. “That’s what I want. A chance to find out what’s between us. I feel a spark. Do you?”

  “Yes.” She nodded before a small line crinkled her brow. “But I was afraid I was making it up.”

  “I can assure you, you weren’t.” That line smoothed out as a small smile edged the corners of her mouth. “So now it’s up to you. What do you want, Darby?”

  “I’d like a chance, too.”

  Before he could answer, she closed the distance between them, assuring him she was as on board as he was. “I’d like that chance with you.”

  They both moved at the same time, her arms around his waist as his wrapped around her shoulders. He’d spent the past week taking kisses wherever he could and all had been delicious, but this was different. The pretense was gone, replaced with the woman who had come to mean so much to him in so short a time.

  Her tongue dueled with his, a merging of mouths that would be the precursor to the joining of their bodies. Despite the cold evening air that still lingered in the hallway from the open front door, they quickly generated more than enough heat to battle the lingering chill. But it was the firm actions of her hands that confirmed all they’d still not said.

  She dragged his coat off, leaving it to pool at their feet with a thud. Her quick fingers then moved to his waist, tugging the hem of his shirt from his slacks. As her fingers met flesh, Finn sucked in a hard breath at so simple a touch.

  It was sweet and seeking and intimate, all at once. And in that moment he wanted her more than he could have ever imagined.

  He walked her backward into the hallway, on toward her bedroom. He heard the light tinkle of dog tags and stopped, turning to three witnesses who’d suddenly decided to trail them to the bedroom. With firm command, he stared down Lotte, Penny and Lucy.

  “Out there for you three. Keep watch.”

  He saw the slightest hesitation before acceptance filled three sets of eyes. But it was the wag of Penny’s tail as she followed the other two to take up a spot in the living room that suggested she approved.

  And that she was more than happy to give them some privacy.

  * * *

  Darby watched three tails disappear around the corner of the hall into the living room and couldn’t hold back a giggle. “That’s impressive, Colton. It would have taken me considerable cajoling and likely half a box of treats to accomplish the same thing.”

  He shrugged. “I’m alpha dog.”

  The funny thing was just how true that statement was. Finn Colton was the quintessential alpha dog. At work and throughout Red Ridge, the man was in charge. In return, he protected everyone in his role as pack leader. Even more than that, he took his role as protector seriously. It was more than a job for him. As she’d come to observe him, she knew it was also his calling.

  “I guess you are.”

  “You guess?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I know. You’re a protector to your core.”

  He stilled, his blue gaze crystal in the muted light of the bedside lamp. “You have the same qualities, you know.”

  Her? “I’m not a protector.”

  “I think you are. Your commitment and devotion to Penny suggests it, but so does your focus on helping me with the Groom Killer. Your immediate attention and upset earlier over that pewter rose showed it again. Even the way you hold Lo
ra, so close and safe against you. You’re a protector, too.”

  The process of getting to know Finn had been a revelation and it was both humbling and shocking to realize that much of what had been revealed were things about herself. Areas of her personality or the way she was observed by others that she’d never thought of or even considered.

  “I want you to know something. Before we—” She broke off, her glance drifting toward the bed. “I want to be with you, but I want you to know that I have no expectations. Of us.”

  “I do.”

  His declaration, so swift and immediate, caught her off guard once more. “You do?”

  “For starters—” he pulled her close again, nuzzling her neck “—I expect we’re going to have a great time.”

  She arched her head to allow him better access, her voice going breathy. “I sort of expected the same.”

  “Good.” He pressed a long, lingering kiss there, his tongue finding a pulse point and shooting sensation through her that made her knees weak. “But that’s not all.”

  She tried to focus on his words but the strokes of his tongue against the column of her throat were making it hard to concentrate. “There was something else?”

  “Oh, yeah.” The hands that had held her in place as he kissed her neck began to move, drifting over her stomach in light strokes. His fingers glided higher, coming to rest beneath her breasts before he cupped her fully with each hand.

  And when he did—when his hands settled over her—Darby saw stars. Sparks seemed to flash beneath her skin as all her awareness settled in the glorious way he made her feel and the private cocoon that wove around their bodies.

  Here, it was just the two of them. The outside world and all that was wrong with it had no place between them. For a few short hours, Darby knew, they could both shut it out and the responsibilities they’d both go back to. For now, their only obligation was to each other.

  “I also expect that you’re going to surprise me. Because you’ve done it every day since we met and I’ve found that I like it.”

  “I’m not very surprising.”

  “Then I’ll be all smug and point it out when you do it again.”

  His thumbs flicked over the peaks of her nipples and pleasure shot through her with all the force of a rocket. The time for talking and thinking and even dreaming had ended. It was time to take advantage of her chance to be with Finn.

  Reaching for the hem of his shirt, she pulled on it, lifting it over his head. The strength she’d already felt through the fabric was on full display, his skin golden in the soft light. A dusting of hair covered his chest, tapering down over his stomach into the waistline of his slacks. She traced the path, pleased when his already impressive stomach muscles tightened beneath her fingers.

  Taking full advantage of the moment, she traced the path in reverse, flattening her hands so that she could cover as much area as possible.

  Strong and solid.

  The muscles that quivered beneath her hands spoke of both and seemed to be the outward sign of what she’d observed in his personality. In his choices and in his life, he was so strong and solid. He had the will to chase after killers and to spend each and every day working to keep Red Ridge safe. He also did it from a position of inclusion, as focused on the work as the men and women of his team. As much a part of things, working with Lotte to catch criminals, as what he asked of his squad.

  There was nothing soft about Finn Colton. And as she felt that strength wrap around her, pulling her against the solid length of his body, she gave thanks for that.

  In moments, interwoven with long, mind-bending kisses, Finn stripped her clothes from her. As each piece fell, that steady sense that there was nothing but the two of them grew. And once they were both naked, he pulled her down on the bed and covered her body with his.

  The intimate press of his body—and the urgency that had built steadily between them—had a streak of shyness weaving through her. Turning her head, she stared at the wall, suddenly embarrassed about what was to come.

  “Darby?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What is it? Do you want to stop?”

  Stopping was the furthest thing from her mind, but the sudden embarrassment of just how long it had been since she’d been intimate with a man clawed at her. She wanted this to be good between the two of them and she hardly had a great track record of setting the sheets on fire. Even her marriage hadn’t produced a particularly Olympian-like sex experience. Bo’s infidelity had put a stop to things relatively early on and other than the first halcyon days of their relationship, her experience was woefully lacking.

  All of which only made the moment worse—that she was bringing Bo Gage into bed with her and Finn.

  She pressed at Finn’s shoulders, struggling to sit up. He moved immediately, giving her the room she needed.

  “What is it?” His voice was soft, his touch full of concern where it rested against her back.

  “I...um...oh, um, well...” She stopped, the embarrassment growing at the fact that not only had she interrupted what was building between them but she now fumbled over her words. “It’s been a while since I did this.”

  “Okay.”

  When he said nothing else, she turned to face him. Where she’d have expected frustration or even anger filling his gaze, all she saw in the blue was concern. True, genuine concern.

  “It’s embarrassing.”

  “Why?”

  “Seriously? Here I am with a sexy man and I’m the shy woman who hasn’t exactly been setting the town on fire. Heck, I was so sexy even my husband got tired of me faster than you can say newlywed.”

  As the words spilled out, Darby recognized the truth. She saw it reflecting back in Finn’s gaze, but didn’t need that reinforcement to know what had truly been festering inside all this time.

  Bo’s infidelity and casual dismissal of their marriage had done damage. She’d understood it on some level, but believed herself past it. How humbling to realize that it not only still lived inside her, coiled and waiting to strike, but just how little she’d dealt with those feelings.

  “I’m sorry. I’m ruining something wonderful and special.”

  “No, you’re not. But can I say something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Bo Gage was an ass.”

  A giggle bubbled to her lips before she could stop it. “It’s not nice to speak ill of the dead.”

  “Why?”

  Her laughter stopped abruptly, cut off by that simple question.

  “I’m serious, Darby. Why is it wrong? I’ll do right by Bo Gage in solving his murder. He’s one of mine and I will see that he gets my very best. But why should I suddenly decide to think well of him because he’s dead?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just because you’re supposed to do that. We’re still alive and he’s not. It seems unfair to speak ill of him.”

  “Sorry, but I don’t buy it. Especially from where I’m sitting. You’re a beautiful, vibrant, compelling woman who is nothing short of amazing which, to my mind, is the exact reason Bo left you the business. Shame he couldn’t have found a way to tell you that, especially because the man has left you feeling less than and alone. If that’s not worth speaking ill of, I’m not sure what is.”

  A sense of joy unlike anything she’d ever known unfurled in her chest. It was warm and sweet and freeing.

  So very, very freeing.

  With a smile she couldn’t hide, she gave him the side eye. “You’re not just saying this to get me into bed, Colton?”

  “News flash, Gage. I have you in bed.”

  She looked down at their naked bodies, whatever sense of embarrassment or shame that had stopped her fading. She wanted Finn. And if she truly did believe life was for living, she’d be foolish to let the moment pass them by. “I guess you do.”

  They
turned to each other in unison, their mutual intent clear. And as her lips met Finn’s once more, her joy burst through in a big welcoming smile.

  * * *

  Finn lowered Darby onto the bed, his mouth never leaving hers. While he’d not have called their prior moments passionless by any means, something had shifted in their conversation over Darby’s past.

  The kisses with her were sweeter. Hotter. And considerably more heartfelt. She was an amazing woman and he was determined to make her feel that in every single second they spent together.

  With one final press of his lips to hers, he shifted, moving down her body. He spent some time in that sensitive hollow at her neck, enjoying the way her hands grew more urgent at his back, one more point of evidence to how good things were between them. Continuing the journey, he traced a path with his tongue, pressing kisses over her collarbone before coming to her breasts.

  She was a small, petite woman, but her curves were lush and gorgeous and absolutely perfect. He plied those curves, pleased when his touch elicited a small moan from the back of her throat before he closed his mouth around one pert nipple. Her moan deepened and Finn felt himself groan as he sank into the moment.

  Time passed. Minutes or hours, he had no idea. All he knew was a sense of urgency matched with an unwillingness to rush things. He wanted her—wanted to awaken her to true passion—and his only focus was Darby.

  Where had this attraction been lurking, he wondered as he shifted to her other breast, determined to pleasure her for as long as he could before giving in to the demands of his body.

  He’d seen her around town. Known who she was. How had he never before noticed how beautiful she was? Or how well they fit together?

  Finn pressed on in his sensuous journey. His lips pressed against her belly button before he dipped his tongue to lightly tickle her. The quiver of flesh beneath his lips let him know he’d done what he’d set out to do. But it was the long, low moan and arch of her hips when he fastened his mouth at the very center of her that had his flesh quivering. He would make this last. Would see that she found pleasure with him, over and over. Even as his body demanded release.

  “Finn!”