Covert Kisses

by Jane Godman

  They said good-night to Bryce in the well-lit parking lot. His car was closer, and he was already driving away as they approached their rental. Just before they reached it, Laurie tucked her arm into Cameron’s.

  “I like your brothers.”

  He turned his head to look down at her with a smile at the precise instant that a shot rang out and Cameron dropped to the tarmac.

  * * *

  Cameron hit the ground hard, searing pain shooting through his upper left arm. Even though it was bad, he was able to think rationally. Flesh wound. Blood loss will be the biggest problem. He reached up with his right hand, ignoring the darts of agony the action sent shooting through him, and pulled Laurie down beside him.

  “Keep low. Get into the car. You drive.” He shoved the keys into her hand.

  He caught a brief glimpse of her beautiful face, fearful but determined. She nodded once, then she was away, crawling the last few feet commando style, getting the door open and clambering into the car. Moving was torture, but Cameron managed to drag himself across to the car in her wake. He pulled himself into the passenger seat, grateful for Laurie’s hands under his arms hauling him those last few inches.

  Collapsing into the seat, he gasped out two words. “Let’s go.”

  “Shouldn’t we go back, get help from Vincente? Get you to a hospital?”

  Cameron shook his head. “From the direction of that shot, he’s between us and the apartment building. Can you outpace him if he follows us?”

  Her expression hardened. “I can try.” The engine gunned into life, and Cameron slewed wildly in his seat as she spun the car out of the parking lot. “Sorry.” Laurie bit her lip, casting an apologetic glance in his direction.

  He managed a shaky laugh. “You concentrate on the road while I focus on staying upright.”

  Once they were away from the riverside complex, the roads through town were quiet, and Laurie took him at his word. In her capable hands, the big vehicle maintained a sedate speed through the main street of Stillwater, then thundered onto the open road. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the road and the rearview mirror.

  “Anything?” Cameron was attempting to undo his shirt.

  “No. There’s nothing behind us.”

  He managed to ease the blood-soaked garment off his left arm. It was difficult to assess the full extent of the injury in the darkness and in a fast-moving car, but he was fairly sure there was no bullet lodged in his arm. It was bad, but it could have been worse. Feeling around, he found where the bullet had passed right through the fleshy part of his upper arm. There didn’t seem to be any damage to the bone. Although it hurt like hell, he’d been lucky. He had a feeling Grant had been aiming for his heart, and it was only Laurie’s words about his brothers that had distracted him at the last minute, causing him to turn toward her. He had been very lucky.

  “How bad is it?” Laurie bit her lip again as she risked a sideways glance in his direction.

  “You’re stuck with me a while longer.” She exhaled a long sigh of relief. “There’s a medical kit in the cabin. The turnoff for the Stillwater Trail is coming up...”

  The flow of words dried up as he followed the direction of Laurie’s intent gaze. Up ahead, flashing lights showed a police cruiser blocking the highway. A lone figure stood in the road in front of the vehicle, arms folded across a broad, unmistakable chest.

  “He must have gunned that car along the back roads to get here ahead of us.”

  “How could he know which direction we would take?” Laurie was slowing the car. Cameron noticed that, curiously, her eyes seemed fixed on the rearview mirror rather than on Grant, who had started walking toward them.

  “Logic, I suppose. It was either this way or we were headed out of Stillwater and toward Park County. What the...?”

  Without warning, Laurie popped the car into Reverse and floored the throttle. “Hold tight. I’m not prepared to let him put a bullet in your head out here in the middle of nowhere and then drag me out of the car.”

  As the car picked up speed, she took her foot off the gas and swung the wheel hard around to the right. It wasn’t a pretty or smooth maneuver, but it did the trick. The front end of the car flew straight around so they were facing back the way they had come. Calmly, Laurie switched from Reverse to Drive and pulled away at speed.

  “Where did you learn to do that?” Cameron asked, when he regained control of his breathing. Part of him expected a bullet to come through the rear windshield, but they were moving so fast, and she had performed the maneuver so quickly, he doubted Grant even had time to draw his gun.

  “When I first joined the force, I did an emergency response driving course. It also helps that I have a friend who is a rally driver. He showed me a few tricks.” She went back to scanning the road. “Once he’s recovered from the shock of that little stunt, he’ll come after us. He’s armed, he’s killed before and now he’ll be really pissed off. You know these roads. Which way should I go?”

  As he directed her, he kept his eyes on her profile. It struck him again that, apart from her looks, she was nothing like Carla. Carla had been damaged by her early experiences. A traumatic childhood had left her insecure, prone to anxieties and in constant need of reassurance and support. Theirs had been a one-sided relationship, although even as he thought it, Cameron felt a pang of guilt. He had been happy to be the provider of Carla’s strength. Had known all along that was what she needed from him.

  But Laurie was different. She had her own inner vitality. This woman was his equal in fortitude and courage. It was one of the many things that intrigued and excited him about her. As much as he wanted to feel her beautiful body wrapped around his again, he wanted to know more about that mind of hers. About the kind of woman who could stare down a man who wanted to kill her and calmly decide to flip a car into a J-turn. He wondered if it was to do with the route his life had taken. The man he had been when he first met Carla was not the same man he was now. A week ago, he’d have believed that thought would have brought with it a whole world of regret. Now? He examined it, prodded it, put it under the spotlight. Now it felt different, but it was too soon to say how.

  He led Laurie along a series of hunting tracks, some of them only half-remembered routes from his childhood. With dipped headlights, she skillfully negotiated the rough terrain. After about half an hour of evasive tactics with no sign of Grant’s vehicle in pursuit, Cameron guided her onto the main Stillwater Trail. When they reached the lockup where they could leave the vehicle, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Can you manage this walk?” There was only the moon to light their way now. Laurie’s face was a picture of concern as she gazed at him.

  His injured arm had stiffened during the drive, and he flexed it with a grimace. “Since the alternative is spending the night in the car, I’m going to make sure of it.”

  The hike that had been nonthreatening in daylight assumed different proportions under cover of darkness. The vast beauty of the Wyoming night sky took on a new quality, one that was slightly intimidating. Throughout his life, Cameron had been used to this awesome display of stars splattering the inky darkness like diamonds scattered onto black velvet. For the first time ever, he felt in no mood to admire it. The silence should have been comforting. It meant they were alone. Parts of the trail were home to buffalo, wolves and even bears, although it was unusual for them to venture this far south. Even so, he couldn’t help wishing he had a canister of bear spray. Or even better, a gun. Because it wasn’t really the wildlife his ears were listening for at all. It was the possibility of a human predator stalking them that bothered him most.

  Cameron knew Laurie was thinking the same thing, which was why they completed the hike in tense silence. The climbs, slides and switchbacks caused his arm to throb excruciatingly, and he was shocked at how little energy he had. Although it was summer, the te
mperature up here was cool. Without his shirt Cameron was soon feeling the effects of the mountain breeze, and his teeth began to chatter. By the time they drew close to the cabin, his feet felt like they were laden down with lead weights and each inward breath was an effort. He staggered, and Laurie moved to his side, getting her shoulder under his right arm and supporting him the last few steps.

  She took the keys from his hand and fumbled the door open, crashing into the welcome space and kicking it closed behind them. Easing Cameron into a seat by the fire, she locked the door again before hurrying to get a blaze going. Heading into the bathroom, she returned with a bowl of warm water, washcloths and the medical kit.

  “Close the curtains,” Cameron said, as she prepared to get to work on his injury.

  “Why?”

  “Because I know how much the darkness outside bothers you.” He smiled up at her.

  For an instant her guard dropped, and he caught a glimpse of tears shimmering in the blue depths of her eyes. She blinked them away rapidly. “You, Cameron Delaney, are an amazing man.”

  “I do my best.” He would have attempted a smile, but he didn’t have enough energy.

  Chapter 13

  Biting her lip, Laurie studied the damage the bullet had done to Cameron’s arm. “This needs stitches.”

  “If you have the stomach for it, everything you need should be in that kit. You don’t take any chances on getting a hunting injury this far from town.”

  She swallowed hard, then nodded. There was a time and a place for being squeamish, and this was probably not it.

  “Take these.” She handed him two painkillers from the pack she kept in her purse, and a glass of water. “I need to clean you up before I do anything else.” Soaking a washcloth in the warm water, she washed the dried blood from his chest, arm and shoulder, wincing at his indrawn breath when she touched the wound itself. “Lean forward.”

  He shifted position, leaning his head into the curve of her neck, and she repeated the process with the exit wound in the back of his arm.

  The bullet had torn straight through, and although it had left a bloody mess in its wake, the edges of both wounds were clean. That would make her job easier when it came to stitching them together and meant he would heal better. She took out a bottle of liquid antiseptic and poured it onto another washcloth.

  “I’m going to have to hurt you.”

  He nodded, flinching as she applied the cloth to the open wounds, making sure she got the disinfectant into every part of the injured flesh. Although his face paled and his jaw tensed, he made no comment until she had finished.

  “You’re very thorough.” His face was close to hers, those dark eyes warm on her face.

  “You’re not the first person to have said that about me.”

  Laurie turned her head slightly, and Cameron’s lips brushed hers. Shouldn’t this seem out of place instead of absolutely the only thing to do right now? Sighing, she leaned into the kiss, parting her lips and allowing his tongue to tangle with hers. It was a slow, soothing exchange, a give-and-take of—she searched for the right words—strength, fortification, care. The searing heat was still there, whenever they wished to explore it, but this was deeper. This had meaning. This was new. It changed everything. And it scared the hell out of her.

  “I’m going to stick needles into you now.” Her voice was slightly breathless as she pulled away from him.

  Cameron’s eyes reflected her own emotions back at her. “I really shouldn’t still be turned on when you say that, should I?”

  She choked back a laugh. “If you still feel the same way when I start on the stitching, then I’ll get worried about where this is going.”

  Inside the medical kit she found a pack containing everything she would need to suture the wound, including a syringe and a local anesthetic. Following the instructions on the packaging, she injected this into the area around the two sides of the hole in Cameron’s arm.

  “I haven’t actually done this before, but I have been in a first responder medical emergency course.” Although she tried for a reassuring tone, Laurie’s hand shook slightly as she prepared the needle and suture material. “So I’ve been shown how to do it.”

  Cameron placed his hand over hers. “I trust you.”

  The warmth of his touch and the smile in his eyes gave her the courage she needed, and she nodded. With a hand that was completely steady this time, she bent over her task, completing it quickly and effectively. “There. It’s not the prettiest stitching, but it’ll hold you together.”

  Cameron flexed his arm. “It works. That’s the most important thing.”

  Laurie finished up by placing dressings over the stitches and securing them in place. Then she collected together the used washcloths and packaging and took them to the bathroom to dispose of them. When she returned, she knelt on the rug in front of Cameron. Placing her cheek on his knee, she remained in that position for a long time. He tangled his hands in her hair, stroking and soothing.

  Eventually, she lifted her head. “He tried to kill you tonight. You’re one of his best friends. You said yourself you were probably his only friend throughout his childhood, yet he shot you because of me.”

  His hand cupped her cheek. “Laurie, this is about him. You haven’t done anything. He is the one who is wrong in all of this.”

  She nodded, turning her face into his hand so she could press her lips to his palm. “When you fell...” The rest of the sentence refused to come. She could see from the look in Cameron’s eyes that he understood. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss quickly became fierce, hot and hungry, and when she drew away, Laurie was breathing hard. “We can’t. You’re hurt.”

  Cameron’s expression was glazed with wanting. Danger had fired up the need in them both. “We can...if you don’t mind doing most of the work.”

  Raising herself with her forearms along his thighs, Laurie got to work on his belt buckle. Her fingertips brushed against the rock-hard bulge in his jeans, and Cameron’s hips jerked. When she had tugged his belt undone, she slid his zipper down and freed him from the restraints of his clothing. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Magnificent, proud and erect. He stripped away what was left of her breath. When she had eased his jeans and boxer briefs around his ankles, she shifted position so she was between his knees. Looking up at him with a mischievous grin, she leaned forward and took him into her mouth. Cameron’s body jolted upward in response to her lips closing over his aroused length. Laurie used her tongue to coat him in wetness, at the same time wrapping her fingers around the base of his shaft.

  “Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?” He caught hold of one long strand of her hair, winding it around his fingers and tugging on it.

  Laurie answered by taking him farther and deeper into her mouth, leaning forward and enveloping him in heat and pleasure. As she pulled back, she tightened her lips around him and sucked hard. Cameron groaned, and she allowed herself an inward smile at the effect she was having on him.

  Her head rose and fell in his lap, and she hummed softly in time with the rhythm she’d established. Using her tongue to flick the head and her hand to cup him, she could feel the intensity of Cameron’s pleasure in the tension of his muscles. Before long, she felt him begin to tense and shudder. His hand tightened in her hair as his warm release filled her mouth.

  “Come here.” His voice was husky.

  Laurie joined him on the sofa, curling into his side. Pulling her close with his good arm, Cameron drew her into a kiss that went on forever. His tongue possessed hers as he attempted to pull her shirt free from her jeans one-handed. In the end, he gave up. Laughing, he rested his forehead against hers.

  “Help me out here?”

  Laurie tugged her shirt free and unbuttoned it, slipping it off her shoulders. The look in Camero
n’s eyes made her stomach flip up and over in the giddy way only he could achieve. Purposefully, he reached up his right hand and closed it possessively around one breast, pinching lightly at her nipple through the thin, lacy fabric of her bra. She moaned softly as pleasure streaked through her. Slowly, keeping the anticipation ratcheted high, he bent lower, kissing his way down her neck.

  “Now this.” He plucked at her bra strap, and she reached around behind her to undo the clasp of the flimsy garment. Tossing it aside, she shivered slightly as she faced Cameron and his eyes roamed over her.

  His hand cupped her breast and he bent his head, teasing her with his tongue, circling her nipple over and over. Laurie’s head fell back, and she fought the impulse to dig her nails into him, deciding he’d had enough pain for one day. Instead she buried her fingers in his hair, holding him to her. His lips closed around the aching peak, and he sucked hard. A lightning bolt shot from his mouth directly to the scorching heat between her legs.

  Cameron’s hand found her, moving over her jeans to cup her sex. His fingers fumbled open the button on her jeans, and he got the zipper down. Laurie helped him push aside the fabric, and his hand slid inside the elastic of her underwear. He eased a finger down over her clitoris, separating her folds and pressing the tip of his finger into her sex.

  “You’re so hot and wet. I want to lose myself inside you.”

  “Please.” Laurie tried to urge his finger farther, but the cloth of her jeans bunched around her hips was hampering them both. That delicious touch between her legs disappeared as Cameron removed his hand. He used his good hand to pull at her jeans, and, desperate to be free of the restrictive barrier of her clothing, Laurie wriggled free of her boots, jeans and underwear. Naked, she shifted her weight so she was straddling Cameron with her knees on either side of his thighs.