Midnight Bride

by Barbara Mccauley

  They were going to kill her. He’d seen that look in a man’s eye before, he knew that some men took great pleasure in taking a life, the more vulnerable the victim, the better they liked it. No doubt they’d had something else planned for her, too, Caleb thought grimly, before they killed her. A rage built slowly in him, curling up from inside him like the flames from hell.

  “Caleb,” she said, wincing. “You’re hurting me.”

  He suddenly realized he’d tightened his hold on the back of her neck. Cursing, he released her, then lightly ran his fingers over the delicate skin he’d nearly bruised. Trusting, she leaned into his touch and he resolved he’d save his anger for later. When Sarah was safe and out of the way, there would be retribution. Agent Victor Howard and his buddies could count on that.

  “Go on,” he said, brushing her hair away from her shoulders.

  “There was an explosion, like a gunshot, and the car swerved. It was a flat tire. The two men in the back got out, but Agent Howard stayed with me, started asking me questions about Robert, how well I knew him, if I’d worked with him. When I told him that Robert and I were just good friends and I helped him occasionally with his research, he seemed very interested, anxious even. He wanted to know exactly what kind of research, if I kept files or copies of computer disks that he could look at for his investigation.”

  “What kind of investigation?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. But I told him Robert and I worked on a lot of different things, and that Robert always kept his own files and disks, even when he used the library computers. The library doesn’t store users’ files for more than a few days. Agent Howard seemed angry at my answer.”

  Thunder shook the cabin again, and Sarah hugged her arms around her. Wolf rose from his spot by the front door, whining softly as he began to pace.

  “It was the same that night,” she said softly, staring into the fire. “Lightning and thunder and pouring rain. I could hear the men outside swearing as they worked on the tire. Agent Howard wasn’t smiling anymore, didn’t even pretend to be friendly. His voice got louder, he kept insisting that I knew something. It was dark, but I could still see the look in his eyes, the fury that I didn’t know anything. I think that’s when I realized there was no FBI office in the mountains, and that I was probably never going to wear that bikini I’d bought.”

  Caleb pulled Sarah into his arms and waited for her shaking to ease. She nestled against his chest, her breathing ragged and warm.

  “Howard got out of the car then and started to yell at the men to hurry up. He said that the ladies were waiting and time was running out.”

  “What ladies?” Caleb asked.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know, but they started to argue then, about me, about ‘just getting it over with,’ one of them said. They must not have thought I could hear them, or else they just didn’t care. Caleb—” she lifted her head and looked into his eyes “—they wanted to kill me. Me, of all people, a simple, nothing little librarian.”

  He wanted to tell her she was anything but simple, and that she sure as hell wasn’t “nothing.” It scared him just how much she was, and how much she meant. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I got out of the car, thinking I might slip away in the dark. One of them saw me and yelled. Howard told them to go after me. ‘Kill her if you have to,’ he said, ‘but don’t let her get away.’“

  Bastards! Caleb’s insides twisted with rage, but he forced himself to remain calm. He needed to know everything, every detail. It would be to his advantage when he went after Howard.

  Sarah drew in a long, shuddering breath. “I ran, then slipped in the mud. One of the men, the larger one with squinty eyes, he grabbed me from behind. Luther, I heard Howard call him. That’s the one I bit, then kicked. He went down, but Howard and the other one were right there. I backed toward the cliff, lost my footing and started to slip down. Howard grabbed me, but I broke away and fell down into the darkness. I don’t remember anything after that.”

  “Not even me finding.you?”

  “No,” she said wearily. “Caleb, what could they possibly want from me?”

  “You know something, Sarah,” he said. “Whether you realize it or not, you either saw or heard something, or have access to information Howard needs. It obviously has something to do with your friend. Whatever it is, it has to be important and a threat to Howard. Otherwise he never would take the chances he’s taking to get to you.”

  “But how can he change computer files like that, create a person that doesn’t exist? That’s dishonest.”

  It amazed him there truly was a person as naive as Sarah. Her innocence brought out every protective instinct within him. He wondered what she’d think of him if she knew even a small part of the things he’d done. Things that were a hell of a lot worse than changing a computer file.

  “An FBI agent, any government agency, for that matter, has access to every computer entry ever made about you,” Caleb explained, “no matter how private. He also has the ability to change those files to say anything he wants.”

  “But to say he’s my husband! Who would ever believe that?”

  He said nothing, just looked down at her wide baby blue eyes. She stiffened and pulled back.

  “You believed it,” she whispered.

  He nodded stiffly. “For a while. And that’s all Howard needs. A little time. If he’d found you, he would have had you away from here before anyone could question anything. Like you said, who would say no to the FBI?”

  She stared at him oddly for a moment. “You sound as if you know, as if you’re familiar with this sort of subterfuge.”

  He could tell her that he was not only familiar with it, but that he’d helped write the book. Somehow he didn’t think this was a good time to share that little bit of news. For that matter, she never needed to know. Once he had her in a safe place, he could take care of Howard. After that, she could go back to her life. To Mexico. She could wear that bikini she’d bought and forget any of this ever happened.

  The question was, could he?

  “It’s common knowledge the government can go anywhere and do whatever they want,” he said evasively. “Especially if they don’t get caught. Whatever it is that Howard is up to, he doesn’t expect to get caught.”

  Sarah’s shoulders slumped heavily. “He’ll be back, won’t he?”

  He’ll be back, Caleb thought, but I’ll be ready for him. He slipped his index finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “You’re safe for now. I won’t let him near you.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  She held his gaze. He saw the trust in her eyes, the acceptance. No one had ever looked at him like that before. The feel of her skin under his fingers made him ache, made him want things he didn’t know he was capable of wanting. He dropped his hand away.

  “You have to do everything I tell you,” he said tightly. “No more running away.”

  She stared at the hands she’d folded in her lap and nodded. “I—I’m sorry. I couldn’t stand the thought of you handing me over to that man.” She looked up at him, and he saw the sparkle of tears in her eyes. “Would you have?” she asked in a whisper. “Would you have given me to him?”

  He met her steady gaze, felt his own blood pulse through his veins. He heard the pounding of the rain and the rumble of distant thunder.

  “No.”

  Sarah felt her heart soar at Caleb’s answer. She’d needed to know. In spite of everything that had happened, and no matter what was to come, she had to know. His single word skimmed over her like a comforting hand. Her throat felt thick with relief. “Thank you.”

  “I’m going to call a friend of mine. He’ll be able to…take care of you better than I can. You’ll be safer with him.”

  She couldn’t imagine feeling safer with anyone other than Caleb. Her heart, which had felt so light only a moment before, grew heavy. And though the fire warmed her, she felt suddenly cold inside. She knew she co
uldn’t stay here. It was foolish of her to think that she could. Or that he would want her to.

  And why would he? It was obvious that Caleb was a man of experience. With women, with the world. She was a sheltered, naive librarian who’d foolishly fallen in love with a man who wouldn’t have looked twice at her if he hadn’t been forced to.

  “When?” she asked quietly. “When will I have to leave?”

  “In the morning, early. I’ll have to make a phone call, then get you out of here before Howard retraces his steps and comes back.”

  “In the morning,” she repeated softly. She lifted her gaze to Caleb’s. His jaw was set rigid, his mouth hard and thin. She could still smell the storm on him and his own masculine scent that made her pulse race. She might never see him again, she realized.

  What the hell, she thought, taking a deep breath. She’d already made a fool out of herself. Why not go all the way?

  Her fingers were shaking as she reached out and laid a hand on his chest. “Well, then,” she said and heard the tremble in her voice, “we just have tonight, don’t we?”

  He went still at her words. It seemed as if the very room had stilled. She no longer heard the pounding of the rain, only the pounding of her pulse and the feel of Caleb’s heavy heartbeat under her fingertips. “Sarah—”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips. “No, Caleb, don’t say it. For just a little while, in the time we have left, I want to pretend that none of this happened. That there are no agents out there and no one’s after me. I want to pretend it’s just you and me.”

  His hand circled the wrist she still had on his chest, but he didn’t move it. She felt the tension course from his body into hers, understood that he was struggling to maintain control, control that she was equally determined to break down.

  But how? She’d never seduced a man before. She had no idea how to make a man want her, certainly not a man like Caleb. She decided to let instinct take over, to just do what felt right.

  She drew in a slow, shaky breath. “Make love to me.”

  His entire body stiffened, and the dark intensity of his eyes sent a flood of liquid heat racing through her.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking,” he said, his voice oddly strained.

  “That’s exactly why I’m asking.” She traced his lips with her fingertips, remembered what they’d felt like covering her own. “I want to know. I want you to show me.”

  He didn’t move, didn’t speak, and she was certain she’d lost the battle. Good Lord, she could hardly force the man! Tears built in her eyes as she slowly pulled away from him.

  “You don’t want me,” she said blankly. “I-I’m sorry. I’ve put you in an awkward situation…again.”

  Not want her? Caleb found it impossible to speak, he wanted her so badly. When he’d found her gone earlier, he nearly went crazy. The thought of her alone out in the woods, where she might have been hurt, had sent him into a frenzy. People were lost in the mountains all the time, sometimes they were never found. If it hadn’t been for Wolf, he might never have found her.

  Or Victor Howard might have.

  He’d known earlier, before he’d discovered Sarah missing, that he couldn’t have handed her over to the man. He would have turned over every stone, followed every lead to verify his story before he would have let Sarah go with him. Even then, he didn’t know if he could have. And though he was glad that he didn’t have to now, he still knew there was no place in his life for her, either. It would be like jumping from the proverbial frying pan into the fire.

  A man with his job could never have a wife or children. They would be the first target for anyone who wanted to get to him, and there was always someone who wanted to get to him. The danger was too great. He sure as hell hadn’t saved her once so that he could be the one who eventually caused her death.

  It was too late for him to change his life, but not Sarah. There were so many things for her still to see and do. He thought of those things, the places he could show her…. No. He’d send her with Mike tomorrow, get her far away from here. Far away from him.

  Then we just have tonight, don’t we…

  Her words had sent his heart hammering and his pulse pounding in his temple. He looked at her now, saw the flush of color on her delicate cheekbones and the hurt in her big blue eyes. Her skin glowed in the light of the fire, skin that was softer than rose petals. Golden sparks danced in her hair. Unable to resist, he tucked a loose strand behind her ear, then watched her intake of breath as he ran his fingertips over her earlobe and down her neck.

  Not want her? He wanted her so much he found it difficult to breathe. “Sarah,” he said, “you’ve been through a lot. You’re confused right now. Things will look different in the morning.”

  She rubbed her cheek against the palm of his hand. “I see things more clearly than ever, perhaps than I ever have. Victor Howard almost killed me, Caleb. I would have died if it hadn’t been for you.”

  His fingers stilled. “Is that what this is about? Gratitude?”

  She shook her head. “What I’m saying is that life has a different meaning to me now. Every moment is important, is precious to me. And right now, being here with you is more important and more precious than any moment in my entire life. I know I’m not very good at this,” she said quietly. “Nor will I pretend to be. But I want to be here, with you, even if it’s just for tonight.”

  Not very good at this? Good Lord, he thought with a quiet groan, if she were any better, he wouldn’t know his own name. Her innocence, her lack of guile, excited him more than any other woman had even come close to.

  “You really don’t know how beautiful you are, do you?” he said, cupping her chin in his hand. Her pale, porcelain-like skin against his tanned, callused hand heightened his awareness of their differences. Differences that aroused him fully, to the point of pain.

  Embarrassed by his compliment, she lowered her gaze demurely. He watched the firelight play over her delicate features and light up the silver and gold in her hair. His insides tightened. God, how he wanted her. Like he’d never wanted before.

  And then she lifted her gaze to him. The innocence in her eyes was gone, in its place a bold, seductive look that made his heart stop. She leaned closer and the scent of her, the scent that he’d come to recognize as hers alone, settled over him like a net spun of silken threads.

  “Make love to me, Caleb,” she whispered. “Please.”

  Her soft plea snapped the last of his control. On an oath, he pulled her to him, dragging his hand through her hair and tilting her head back. Her eyes darkened to a smoky blue, and he held her sensuous gaze, drinking in the incredibly erotic sight of her. Her lips parted, inviting him, tempting him….

  He covered her mouth with his.

  All rational thought left him. He felt the same wildly urgent need move from her body into his as she answered his kiss. Her breasts pressed against his chest. He ached to touch them, to draw each hardened nipple into his mouth, to taste every inch of her, but he wanted to go slowly with her, to savor every moment with her, because he knew it would have to last a lifetime.

  Her arms slid around his neck, pulling him closer, and he heard her soft sigh of pleasure. He deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth, moving against her lips in a rhythm as old as time. She responded eagerly, meeting every hot thrust of his tongue with her own. And when her hips began to move with the same rhythm, he lost his last thread of control.

  With the rain outside and the fire beside them, they sank to the floor, aware only of each other. He laid her on the rug in front of the fireplace, easing his weight carefully over hers. Blood pounded in his temples and raced through his body until he thought he might explode from the force.

  He dragged his mouth from hers and rained kisses over her neck. She arched toward him with a whimper, then gasped as he traced his tongue over the velvet curve of her earlobe.

  “Caleb,” she breathed his name heavily, “there is one more thing. Something I’d forgott
en, that I remembered tonight. I think you should know.”

  He moved down her neck, delighting in the way she responded to the slightest touch from him. “Hmm,” he answered, but truly wasn’t listening.

  “I—” she sighed as his mouth moved lower and his hand moved upward “—I’m a virgin.”

  Seven

  Caleb suddenly went very still. Sarah watched as he slowly lifted his head and looked at her. Her heart beat furiously, not only from his touch, but from the fear of his response to her declaration. She saw the passion in his eyes, marveled that she was actually responsible for it, but the control in him she’d felt slip only moments ago was back again.

  He drew in a long breath and rose on one elbow to gaze down at her. “Sarah,” he said carefully, “you’re twenty-six years old.”

  She nodded.

  “And the man who was killed, Robert, you said he was your boyfriend.”

  “I said he was my friend. Agent Howard thought he was my boyfriend, but Robert didn’t—” she felt her cheeks burn “—well…we were just friends.”

  He continued to stare at her, a mixture of amazement and desire and uncertainty on his face. “You mean to tell me you never, that you haven’t—”

  She shook her head. “I dated a little, but I just never met the right man. And the few dates I did go on turned into wrestling matches, so I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic to go out much. I liked dating Robert, he never put those pressures on me. I felt safe.” She looked away. “I’d always planned to, but I was so busy with work and Granny and it just never happened.”

  Caleb rolled his eyes. “Dammit, Sarah. It’s not like taking a trip or enrolling in a class.”