by Karen Foley
Buck clasped her hand warmly. “Buck Rogan. Very pleased to meet you. I recall Sheriff Hathaway did tell me that you would be in town. He also mentioned that you were interested in doing some work in the mines.”
Lacey couldn’t believe how easy this was working out for her. “Yes, that’s right. I work for a GPS company called StarPoint Technologies. I’m here to perform a field test on a prototype GPS unit that we developed for NASA. I was hoping to bring it into the mines and run it through a series of tests.”
Cole turned sharply toward her. “What? You didn’t tell me you needed access to the mines.”
“You didn’t ask,” she replied lightly. “So Mr. Rogan, is that something you would be willing to let me do? If it’s a liability issue, I understand, but I’m willing to sign a waiver.”
“No.” Cole bit the word out.
Both Lacey and Buck looked at him in surprise. His expression was tense, and Lacey sensed that he forced himself to relax and smile. “I only meant that the mines are no place for someone without experience,” he explained lamely.
“I’ll make sure that Miss Delaney is well taken care of,” Buck said smoothly. Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out a slim card holder and withdrew a business card. “Call my office and we can make the arrangements.” He gave Cole a shrewd look. “Why don’t you come over to the mine and see me in the morning? We’ll have a cup of coffee and chat, and then I’ll show you your new office.”
A muscle worked in Cole’s cheek, and finally he gave a curt nod. “Fine.”
“Good.” Buck tipped an imaginary hat at Lacey. “Nice meeting you, ma’am, and I’m looking forward to talking with you about your project.”
He turned and made his way through the crowd toward the exit, and Lacey turned to Cole. “Considering that man just gave you a job, you could have been a little friendlier to him.”
“I was friendly,” Cole protested.
Lacey snorted. “Oh, okay.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you intend to go into the mines?” The words sounded like an accusation, and Lacey bristled.
“I didn’t know that I was supposed to,” she retorted. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Damned straight I do.”
Lacey was taken aback by his vehemence, but before she could say anything more, Carr interrupted, smoothly stepping between them. Until then, Lacey had forgotten he was even there. As she glanced at the other members of the rescue team, she saw they all looked uncomfortable, and none of them would make eye contact with Cole. What had just happened?
“How about you and I take a whirl around the dance floor?” Carr asked.
“I’d like that,” she said hurriedly, grateful for the interruption.
“I’ll watch your drink for you,” Cole said stiffly.
Lacey gave Carr a brilliant smile as she slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her out onto the dance floor. Once there, however, she wondered what she’d gotten herself into.
The small dance floor was crowded with couples who were expertly negotiating the steps to a complicated country dance; one that involved twirling and holding hands, and moving your feet in a precise manner that otherwise might have you tripping up your partner and losing your balance.
Carr was doing his best to guide her through the steps, and Lacey was laughing in spite of herself, embarrassed by her own clumsiness as she stumbled along beside him. The other couples gave them a wide berth as she twirled in the wrong direction, away from Carr, and came up hard against the solid chest of another man.
Cole.
He caught her by the upper arms and before she could protest, tucked her against his side. He nodded briefly to Carr, who gave Lacey a rueful smile and shrugged regretfully before he made his way from the dance floor.
“Looked to me like you could use some help.” He smiled. “I figured I should step in before somebody got hurt.”
The country song came to an end, but before Lacey could protest that she’d rather not dance, after all, another song started and Cole pulled her firmly into his arms. It was a slow ballad, with a man’s heart-wrenchingly velvet voice singing about how shameless he was when it came to loving his woman.
Cole intertwined his fingers with hers, curling her hand against his chest as he pulled her close, and his other hand at the small of her back. Lacey resisted for about a second, her body stiff against his. But when he started swaying softly in time to the music, it was all she could do not to melt against him. God, he smelled so incredibly good, and she could feel the warmth from his body through the layers of their clothing. Her free hand rested on his upper arm, and, seemingly of its own free will, crept upward until it encountered the nape of his neck. His short hair felt like rough velvet beneath her fingertips.
He sighed and pulled her fractionally closer. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Me either,” she murmured. Tipping her head back, she looked up at him. “What was that all about, anyway? Why don’t you want me in the mines?”
“Let’s save it for another time. It’s probably nothing anyway, just me being overly cautious.”
“Well don’t.” Lacey’s voice came out sharper than she intended, but she was so tired of having people think that she needed protection. She softened her tone and moved closer to his warmth. “I can take care of myself, okay?”
He made a noise that could have been disbelief or assent, but his big hand slid along the curve of her spine, and she found she no longer cared about anything but the feel of his body against hers.
“I thought about this all day,” he murmured into her ear. His warm breath feathered against her neck and caused goose bumps to shiver their way down her spine.
“About dancing with me?” Her voice sounded slightly strangled.
He laughed, his voice husky. “Yeah, that, too.”
“Maybe you didn’t notice, but I’m not much of a dancer.”
“The only thing I noticed,” he breathed, “is how damned pretty you are and how much I’d like to kiss you.”
Lacey’s breath caught. She was trapped in the intensity of his stare. His eyes were fathomless; bottomless pools of translucent blue in the dim light of the dance floor, and she thought she finally knew what it meant to drown in somebody’s gaze. She didn’t resist when he released her hand from where he held it against his chest and instead pulled her fully into the warmth of his body. The dance floor was crowded, but he apparently didn’t care. His hands slid over her back and he pressed her against his solid bulk even as his lips nuzzled her neck.
But it wasn’t enough.
As they swayed in time to the music, Lacey wound her arms around his neck, reveling in the feel of him beneath her fingers. “Then kiss me,” she whispered, surprised by how much she wanted him to kiss her, right here, right now.
Cole pulled back and searched her eyes. He groaned, and swept his mouth across her lips in a kiss that was hotly sweet and much too short. Before she could protest, he stepped back, grabbed her hand in his and began pulling her behind him as he strode off the dance floor. They were outside in the humid darkness of the parking lot before she fully realized what he was doing.
She laughed. “What about our sandwiches?”
“To hell with them. I’ll make us something to eat.” His look was filled with promise. “Later.”
When they reached his truck, instead of handing her up into the cab, he held her against the side of the vehicle, imprisoning her with his own body. “I’m sorry, baby,” he growled softly, “but I can’t wait another second…”
He cupped her face in his large palms and slanted his lips across hers in a kiss that rocked her all the way down to her toes. She sighed into his mouth and arched against him, all thoughts of maintaining any distance from him completely gone. If she had her way, there would be absolutely nothing between them. Desire curled through her as he deepened the kiss, spearing his tongue against hers and feasting on her lips.
Oh, God. If h
e didn’t stop, she was going to haul him into the truck and beg him to make love to her right then and there. She dragged her mouth from his, breathless.
“Wait,” she panted.
He cupped her face and his fingers massaged the tender skin behind her ears. His eyes glowed as he gazed down at her. “What’s wrong?” His voice was husky.
Lacey’s gaze slid to where several young men made their way across the parking lot toward the club. “We’re in a public place.”
He dropped his forehead to hers. “See what you do to me? I think I have a blanket or two in the back—I know of a meadow about two minutes from here where the stargazing is phenomenal.” His voice was languid and full of promise.
Lacey’s body responded instantly, liquid heat pooling at her center. Her breasts ached where they were pressed against his chest. She wondered briefly if it was possible to become addicted to someone’s touch. She didn’t want to wait to reach a meadow, or even his cabin. She wanted him, and she wanted him now.
“Let’s just drive,” she whispered, pulling his head down, “and see where we end up.” Her eyes fluttered closed, and then his tongue was in her mouth as he flattened her against the side of the truck and devoured her. The kiss was long and deep, and Lacey felt herself turning to mush in his arms.
He tore his mouth from hers. “Let’s get out of here.”
He handed her into the cab and flipped the radio dial to a soft country station as he maneuvered the truck out of the parking lot and back onto the main road. He glanced over at her. “We’ll be at my place in less than ten minutes.”
Lacey was only vaguely aware of the dark forest, interspersed with the occasional light from a home, flying past the windows. She knew she should tell him to slow down, but she wanted him to go faster; didn’t want to wait a second longer than she had to to feel him inside her.
“Hurry,” she murmured, and laid one hand over the hard muscle of his thigh.
* * *
COLE LEANED HARDER on the accelerator, and then, thank God, there was the turnoff to the steep incline that led to his cabin. The truck barely skidded to a stop before he leaped out. He told himself to go slowly and not rush things, but when he opened Lacey’s door he had to restrain himself from carrying her bodily into the house. She didn’t speak as she preceded him inside, but as soon as he closed the door, she moved into his arms and skated her mouth along the line of his jaw.
Cole nearly groaned at the sensation of her moist lips on his skin. She flattened him against the door with the weight of her body, sliding sensuously against him even as she cupped him through the denim of his jeans. He’d been hard since they left the club, but he felt himself grow beneath her fingers. Meanwhile, she dragged her mouth along his jaw, planting soft bites on his throat and chin, before licking at his mouth.
“So good,” she muttered. “I want to taste you everywhere.”
Cole groaned. Oh, yeah.
Bending his head, he covered her mouth in a kiss that he knew was neither gentle nor seductive, but a testimony to the raw need that raged through him. He wanted to consume her, to take her right there and then, without any preliminaries. His hands slid down to cup her rear and pull her against him so that she couldn’t help but feel his arousal. She made a purring sound of approval and wound her arms around his neck, pushing her fingers into his hair. He lifted her, gratified when she hitched her legs around his hips and clung to him.
With their mouths still fused together, he carried her across the room and deposited her on the sofa, shoving aside pillows and swiftly lowering himself onto the cushions beside her.
“Can you turn on a light?” She sounded breathless.
Oh, man, a woman who wasn’t afraid to be seen. Could things get any better? Reaching over her head, he switched on a small table lamp.
“Better,” she said breathlessly. “I want to see you.”
With a small groan, he slanted his mouth across hers. Her tongue slipped past his teeth, the texture and taste of her fueling his own rising need. He felt her working the snap on her jeans, and then she was shimmying out of them, pushing them down over her legs until she could kick them free. Then she pulled him on top of her and hooked her heels against the back of his thighs, settling him into the soft cradle of her hips. She rocked against him, rubbing herself along the length of his erection, and Cole had to grit his teeth against the sensation.
Bracing his weight on one arm, he reached down and skated his palm along the length of her leg until he encountered the edge of her panties. When he eased his hand beneath the silky fabric to cup one smooth buttock, Lacey kissed him and drew hungrily on his tongue. Her hands were everywhere, pulling his shirt up, smoothing over his back, gripping his backside and urging him closer.
“Take these off,” she gasped against his mouth. “Hurry.”
Cole didn’t need any further encouragement. Sitting up, he quickly shucked his boots and then stood up to unfasten his belt. He pushed his jeans and his briefs off in one movement, and then dragged his shirt over his head before lowering himself onto the couch beside her and gathering her into his arms. She was soft and supple and welcoming, and when she slid one leg over his, he nearly groaned aloud.
“I want to see you,” he muttered. Raising himself on one arm, he unfastened the buttons on her blouse and pushed the fabric aside. Beneath the fragile cups of her bra, her breasts rose and fell quickly. Cole pressed his hand against her skin, feeling the rapid beat of her heart beneath his fingers. He pushed the lacey material aside, releasing one breast. Her nipple strained toward him, and he bent his head to draw it into his mouth. He heard Lacey’s indrawn hiss of breath, but was unprepared when she reached down and curled her fingers around his straining erection. He groaned against her breasts, and she responded by stroking his length and then swirling one finger over the blunt head of his penis.
“I want you inside me,” she breathed into his ear, and raised a leg across his hips to emphasize her meaning.
Cole lifted his head. Her skin had flushed and her breathing was unsteady. She moistened her lips and squeezed her hand around him, and Cole was a goner.
“A condom,” he managed to mutter. “I don’t have a condom.”
“I’m on the Pill,” she said quickly, and when he sharpened his attention on her, she gave him a smile. “I’ve been on it since college. I’m safe, in all the ways that matter.”
“I’m safe, too,” he finally said. “So if you’re sure…”
“I am.” As if to prove her point, she shifted so that he lay nestled between her thighs, his erection flush against her.
With a rough sound of need, he reached down and grasped her buttocks. All he could think about was being inside her—being part of her. She’d occupied his thoughts every moment of the day. It was like he’d discovered a secret treasure he wanted to keep to himself for as long as possible, while at the same time he wanted to climb to the tallest rooftop and shout it out to the world. She groaned deeply as he pressed, hard and hot, against the most intimate part of her, and then he was pushing himself into her welcoming moistness.
She gasped in pleasure and raised her legs higher, wrapping them around his hips even as she met the thrusts of his tongue against hers with equal fervor. God, she felt incredible, all slick heat and pulsating tightness. He grasped her silken buttocks in his hands and drove himself into her, knowing he wasn’t being gentle, but beyond the point where he could restrain himself. She rode him just as fiercely, moving beneath him with equal urgency. Her fingers speared through his hair and she was moaning into his mouth, making small sounds of pleasure.
He dragged his lips from hers and slid one hand between their straining bodies. “I want you to come,” he growled softly. “With me inside you.”
“You feel so good,” she gasped against his neck.
Cole stroked her hard and she cried out, arching her back. He stroked her again and a shudder went through her body. He felt her tightening around him, gripping and squeezing him un
til, with a harsh cry, he climaxed in a powerful rush of exquisite pleasure, heat surging up from his balls to explode inside her.
Her arms came around him as he collapsed against her, and the only sound in the room was their harsh breathing. Her fingers stroked his hair, and Cole turned his face and pressed a kiss against the juncture of her neck and shoulder, where her skin was damp with exertion. She smelled wonderful and she felt good in his arms. She’d said she was safe in all the ways that mattered, but in that instant, he knew she was wrong.
She was a danger to him in more ways than she realized.
8
COLE OPENED THE fridge and grabbed two bottles of water, tucking them beneath one arm before picking up both plates of sandwiches. “C’mon. It’s a gorgeous night. Let’s eat outside.”
He and Lacey had showered, and while she dressed, he made them both some food. Now he led the way to the porch at the back of the house and settled himself on a swinging settee, indicating that Lacey should sit next to him.
“Here.” He handed her a plate and tucked the bottles of water between them. He nodded toward the horizon. “Take a look.”
Lacey gazed out over the panorama that lay before them, and Cole saw her eyes widen in awed pleasure. It made him feel ridiculously pleased. The cabin had been carefully situated to take advantage of the sweeping vista of valley and mountains, bathed tonight in the soft glow of moonlight.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
Cole hadn’t taken his gaze from Lacey, and now he let it drift down over her profile, over the smooth forehead and gentle slope of cheek and nose, past the softly parted lips to the chin that bore the slightest trace of a cleft.
“Yeah,” he agreed, “it sure is.”
She shot him a swift look and then gave him a soft smile of pleasure. “This is nice,” she said. “Really nice. I’d forgotten how much I love the mountains.”
Cole gave her a warmly quizzical look. “Don’t they have mountains in New England?”