He touched her then, pulled her close and kissed her. Head swimming, she allowed herself to drown in that kiss.
Mouths locked together, they each helped the other shed their clothes. For a split second, she worried about whether or not she’d worn one of her good bras and prettier panties, but then he slipped his finger inside her and she no longer cared.
“You’re so wet.” His voice was a husky murmur, the movement of his fingers driving her wild. Frantic to touch him, she reached out, found the thick bulge of his arousal and freed it from his briefs.
“Wow,” she murmured, wrapping her hand around him and moving it up and down the satiny shaft. She bent, intending to take him into her mouth, but he stopped her by twisting away.
“Come on.” Pulling back the awful yellow-and-orange bedspread, he tugged her down with him onto the sheet. “I want to be inside of you.”
Her entire body quivered in anticipation. His hands resting above her, she arched her back, wanton and shameless, beyond caring. “I want you inside me. Now.”
Using her hands, she tried to pull him down to her, but he resisted, despite the force of his arousal. “Wait,” he rasped. “I want our first time to be slow.”
“Not me,” she countered, taking him in her hands. “I want wild and fast and hard. And now.”
He muttered something—either a curse or a prayer—and covered her with his body. So big, so hard, so damn sexy, she almost came just then.
Ah, but she clenched herself, holding back. Because she wanted more. She helped guide the already moist tip of him, right against her. And then, in one quick move, he pushed the entire swollen length of him inside her.
This. He filled her up, holding still while her body adjusted. She’d forgotten how good sex could feel. And then he started to move.
* * *
Whatever he’d expected to find when he came to Getaway again, it hadn’t been this. Cradling a sensual armful of woman, Parker wondered if their lovemaking had shaken her to the core. It certainly had him. There was satisfying and great and then there was...this. The depths of passion they’d reached defied rational explanation.
Despite that, his body stirred, already wanting more.
Ever since he could remember, women had wanted to be with him. He hadn’t been a jock in high school, or particularly brilliant or talented. One of his girlfriends had told him he gave off some kind of bad-boy vibe, though damn if he’d ever understood what she meant. At the time, he hadn’t particularly cared.
The first time he’d been without women had been his stint in the military, specifically when he’d been stationed in Afghanistan. Like all the other guys, he’d spent more than a few nights with a magazine and his hand. But the period when he’d been in the desert had also brought him a time of great clarity, when he’d realized there just might be more to life than a series of one-night stands.
Honorably discharged and stateside, he’d gone to great lengths to avoid exactly this kind of thing.
Then why...?
Rayna was different. She could be more.
Stunned, he considered. He’d had no plans other than to find Nicole and attempt to make John’s final days the best he could.
Shaking his head at his own deep thoughts, he knew he couldn’t even think about getting emotionally involved with someone right now. No, he had to do what he’d planned, find John’s kid sister and drag her happy ass back to Dallas.
Maybe once all that was settled... He shied away from the thought, unwilling to face how much his world would change without John in it. This, what he’d done, what he and Rayna had done, was completely unfair to her. She wasn’t a one-night-stand type of woman. And right now, he couldn’t give her more. No matter how much he might want to.
He’d made a mistake. He’d been thinking with the wrong head. All the trite excuses and rationalizations went around and around inside his head, but the truth was, Rayna Coombs had gotten under his skin.
Worse, he had no idea how she felt. She sighed, stretched and then eased out of his arms. Completely confident in her nakedness—and why shouldn’t she be with a body like that?—she’d gotten up, cool as a cucumber, gone to the bathroom to wash up, come back and put on her clothes and then offered to drive him back to his bike. With him still flat on his back in the bed, wanting her still.
Bemused, he’d agreed and pulled on his clothes.
Rayna acted as if nothing unusual had happened. She was back to the brusque, efficient sheriff of few words as she drove. Still sexy as hell, but now she’d returned to being remote and polite. As if she hadn’t just come apart in his arms. He wasn’t sure how to react to that, so he didn’t.
When they reached the parking lot, now packed with numerous cars circling looking for spots, she pulled up behind his Harley and put her cruiser in Park. “Drive safely,” she said, her pleasant smile untouchable.
He had a sudden urge to pull her to him and kiss that smile right off her face, but the Rattlesnake was now hopping and a constant stream of people spilled out into the parking lot.
“I will, thanks.” Equally pleasant, he got out with a wave.
She drove off and never even looked back.
Aching, Parker climbed on his bike, well aware he couldn’t follow her. He toyed briefly with the idea of going back inside and having another beer, but decided against it. Instead, he headed back to the motel, aware his room would smell like sex and Rayna, and wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
When he woke the next morning, his head was back where it needed to be. Since finding out if the bones belonged to Nicole would be a waiting game, he decided to see what he could do to retrace her steps from the moment she’d arrived in Getaway. Starting with the Welcome to Getaway sign.
Surely with all the research the sheriff’s office had done previously, they’d have some idea of where she went after that. But then he remembered Rayna saying they had no evidence of Nicole being in town. Nothing on camera, no witnesses who’d seen her, absolutely nothing. He’d doubted that then and also now, but their assertion that something possibly happened to Nicole before she ever reached the city limits could be correct.
Taking that at face value, he knew he needed to find out where she’d gone after taking the selfie at the welcome sign. If only they’d located her phone, they could use the GPS tracker to pinpoint her journey.
Since her phone—actually, none of her belongings, including her vehicle—had ever been found, he didn’t have a whole lot to go on.
Once he reached the Welcome to Getaway sign, he pulled over to the side of the road. For the most part, west Texas was supremely flat, and from this slightly elevated spot, he could see for miles in all directions.
Toward the west, he could see some of downtown, even though the tallest building was only three stories tall. East were fields, some dotted with cattle, others crops. Way, way off, he spotted a farmhouse and barn, both with red roofs.
He turned slowly, and north and south had views similar to what he saw looking east. More fields, more crops and livestock, and a couple more ranch houses and barns, some of them just specks in the distance.
He imagined the sheriff’s office would have started there, interviewing the occupants, asking them if they’d seen anything unusual.
Turning his bike around, he headed into town. He’d stop at the sheriff’s office and find out exactly what they’d investigated and how.
He had to admit, the thought of seeing Rayna again filled him with anticipation.
When he strode into the small building, Mary looked up from her desk, holding up her hand to let him know she was on the phone. She wore a headset on one ear and appeared to be asking the caller several pointed questions.
Parker glanced past her, trying to see if Rayna might be inside her office. But due to the way the cubicles had been arranged, he couldn’t see past the front row. He suspected
this might be deliberate, one of Sam’s safety measures in case a bad actor came in with the intent of hurting cops.
Finally, Mary finished up with her call. “What can I do for you today, Mr. Norton?”
Since he’d already learned he couldn’t get past her, he outlined what he hoped to learn.
“You’ll have to talk to Larry about that,” she said, her eyes narrow slits behind her eyeglasses. “I know you want to see Rayna, but she’s on a conference call with Abilene and can’t be interrupted.”
“Abilene?” he asked. “Do you mean with their medical examiner’s office?”
“I have no idea.” Her sharp tone told him she felt it was none of his business.
“Fine. I’d like to talk with Larry,” he conceded.
“Then come back after lunch. He doesn’t come in until one.”
He didn’t even have to consider. “I’ll wait for Rayna.” He took a seat in one of the chairs. “Surely her teleconference can’t last too long.”
Chapter 4
Mary popped into Rayna’s office, opening the door slowly. When she realized Rayna wasn’t on the phone, she came all the way inside, closing the door behind her.
“That man is here again,” she said, her mouth turning downward. “At first, I thought I had him talked into discussing the case with Larry, but Larry’s shift doesn’t start until one. Even though I told him you were on a teleconference, he’s insisting on waiting.”
Rayna managed to conceal the way her entire body came awake. She didn’t have to ask which man Mary referred to. Parker. The man with whom she’d made mad, passionate love last night. And whom she ached to make love with again.
Apparently once hadn’t been enough. Giving herself a swift mental kick in the butt, she pushed to her feet. “It’s okay, Mary. Go ahead and send him back.”
Though disapproval sparked in the older woman’s eyes, she turned on her heel and headed back up front. At least she hadn’t argued. Rayna supposed Parker’s rough biker look must have put Mary off. She wished he affected her that way. Instead, everything about him turned her on.
Tap, tap, and then her office door opened. Parker stood in the doorway, larger than life and sexier than hell. His brown eyes glowed with warmth, making her remember how he’d looked at her last night, during and after...
Hells bells, but she blushed. “Parker.” Despite her rosy complexion, she tried to act as if nothing had happened between them. She kept her tone professional and held out her hand for him to shake.
Though this appeared to briefly startle him, he finally enveloped her fingers with his large hand. If he held on a bit too long, she pretended not to notice. Even if she wanted to tug on his hand and pull him close to her.
“What can I help you with?” she asked.
Finally releasing her, he nodded. “I’d like to review the records and see what y’all turned up when you completed your investigation.”
She considered his request, thinking of the bones in the shallow grave and the look of devastation on Parker’s chiseled face. “I think I can arrange that. Larry’s not due to come in until after lunch, and he’s been looking into everything. Most of it should be in files on his desk. You’re completely welcome to look through them.”
He stared at her for a moment, making her wonder if her agreement had surprised him. “Thank you,” he said.
She took him back to their small but adequate interrogation and conference room and brought the files to him. The utilitarian ten-by-twelve-foot space contained a long metal-and-wood conference table and six battered metal chairs. “The coffeepot is over there,” she said, pointing. “And the restrooms are down that hall. Let me or Mary know if you need anything else.”
Already intent on flipping through the first manila folder, he nodded. “Thanks again.”
She left him then, closing the door quietly behind him. She couldn’t help but hope the unidentified remains belonged to someone other than Nicole. Of course, if that turned out to be the case, it would open up an entirely new set of problems. As in, who did the bones belong to, how long had they been there and were there more?
Worried, she put in a call to Sam. Not only was he always the voice of reason, but his long career spanning decades working in law enforcement provided him with valuable insights.
Sam listened as she explained what they’d found.
“How’s Parker holding up?” he asked, once she’d finished telling him everything.
“As well as can be expected. He’s here right now, going over the case files from the first investigation.”
“I’m not surprised.” Sam sighed. “You do know, whether this turns out to be Nicole or not, you’ve got to consider the very likely possibility that there’s a killer in Getaway.”
“I have,” she replied. “And I’ve also considered that it might have just been someone passing through.”
“True, but Getaway isn’t exactly on a well-traveled route to anywhere. Nor is it exactly a tourist destination. It’s much more likely to be someone living right there in town.”
She groaned. “We don’t have any people who’ve been reported missing, other than Nicole. She was just passing through on her way to Dallas from Texas Tech. The rare times we had a crime problem, it always turned out to be someone on their way to somewhere else.”
“I know.” Sam chuckled. “Some things never change. I hope for Parker’s friend’s sake, those remains aren’t Nicole’s. Even if they are, you’ve got to start looking for the killer.”
“Which will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” she groused. “I know just about everyone in this town. I can’t imagine any of them doing something awful like that.”
“True. Anybody new move there recently? Someone that keeps to themselves, avoids socializing?”
She thought for a moment. “Not that I’m aware of, but I’ll check.”
“Have Larry do all of that. He loves poking his nose around in places it doesn’t belong.” Sam laughed, making Rayna remember how he and Larry used to joke about who was actually the nosiest. This memory, combined with the knowledge that Sam was all the way down at the Texas coast, over five hundred miles away, made her sad.
“Are you sure you’re not ready to come back here for a visit?” she asked, ever hopeful. “It’s been a few years since you retired and moved to South Padre.”
This made him laugh again. “Not yet, Rayna. Not yet. Visiting now would be the definition of bad timing.”
He had her there. They chatted a bit more about family. She told him Wanda and Lauren were fine and he discussed his wife’s continued remission from breast cancer.
“I’m going to put a call into the Taylor County ME’s office,” Sam finally said. “Cherry and I go way back. I’ll see if she can put a rush on this for you.”
Once again, Sam came through. She thanked him, hoping as usual, his personal touch would get things moving. She really didn’t know what she’d have done without Sam having her back. She’d learned so much since coming to work here, and all of it made her not only a better law enforcement officer but a better person.
When they finally ended the conversation, for the first time she felt more at ease since getting the call about the remains. She stood and walked to her door, fighting the urge to head down to the conference room and check on Parker.
“There you are!” Mary exclaimed. “I didn’t want to interrupt your phone call. It’s lunchtime. I was about to run down to Mickey D’s and grab a salad. Do you want me to get you one?”
Glancing at her watch, Rayna saw it was nearly one. Larry would be in soon. “Sure,” she replied, going back for her purse and extracting a ten. “I’ll have a sweet tea, too, please.”
Mary accepted the money and then glanced toward the closed conference room door. “What about him? Should I see if he wants me to pick him up anything?”
; “Sure.” Touched by Mary’s thoughtfulness, she smiled. “That’s really nice of you, Mary.”
“He’s easy on the eyes,” Mary drawled, playing off the compliment by teasing. “I see the way you look at him.”
Rayna’s heart stopped for a second. Swallowing, she managed to shrug, hoping to play it off. “Hey, I’m female and human, right?”
“Right.” Oblivious to the turmoil inside her boss, Mary stepped over to the conference room and knocked.
Rayna slipped back into her office and closed the door before Parker answered. Mary’s comment on the way she looked at Parker touched a raw nerve. After all, she’d heard similar remarks before when she’d started dating Jimmy Wayne, a local politician in Conroe. Unbeknownst to her, he’d also been under investigation by the FBI for various criminal activities. She’d been a police officer. When he’d been arrested, there hadn’t been many on the force who hadn’t thought her crooked.
But she hadn’t known. The one time she’d thought it safe to abandon her work persona and enjoy life, she’d had the wool pulled over her eyes. Not only did his arrest almost cost her the job she loved, but Jimmy Wayne had believed that she’d somehow been behind the entire investigation.
Blinking, she reminded herself that the past was exactly that. Jimmy Wayne was no longer a threat, and she’d vowed that she’d never again be played for a fool by a man. Clearly, she had a thing for bad boys. Jimmy Wayne had been one. And Parker Norton another.
Part of her protested—already!—that Parker was nothing like Jimmy. But up until the moment the Feds had come for him, she’d thought Jimmy Wayne was just about perfect. Sure, Wanda hadn’t liked him and had made no bones about telling Rayna exactly what she thought, but Rayna had simply believed it had been a case of “no one is good enough for my daughter.” Turned out her mother had been correct. Jimmy Wayne had been a liar and a cheat and a criminal. And she’d been a cop, too blinded by love to see the truth.
Texas Sheriff's Deadly Mission Page 5