GROOM UNDER FIRE

by Lisa Childs

  Unpack? She had so few things in her bag. Rest? She’d already slept more in the hospital than she had the past few months as she’d wrestled with the idea of marrying Stephen only for her money.

  What wouldn’t she do for that money?

  She had asked Cooper to sleep with her. But had that been for the inheritance? Or was that just because she really, really wanted to sleep with her husband?

  From the way her pulse raced and skin tingled, she suspected it was the latter, and she’d just used the money as an excuse.

  “I—I just need to be alone for a little while,” she admitted. Like maybe the rest of her life…

  But when she headed toward that open bedroom door, he caught her wrist and stopped her in her tracks. “You can’t leave yet.”

  “I’m just going into the other room…” The bedroom.

  “You can’t leave me yet,” he said.

  She turned back and chanced a glance at his face—his very handsome, very serious face. “It’s not like I’m divorcing you,” she teased, or attempted to, “I’m just leaving this room.”

  “You won’t have to divorce me,” he reminded her.

  Because they hadn’t consummated their marriage.

  “The minister pronounced us man and wife,” he continued, “but we never sealed it with a kiss.”

  “You want to kiss me?” she asked. But even as she turned up her face to ask the question, he was lowering his head. His lips brushed across hers in a nothing kiss—a mere whisper of breath and warmth.

  Was that it? Was it over?

  She wanted more. So she reached up, closed her hands around the nape of his neck and pulled his head down again. And she kissed him back.

  The passion she’d had for him over a decade ago had been a young girl’s passion. What she felt now was a woman’s passion—hot and deep and overwhelming in its intensity.

  She kissed him with all the heat burning inside her. First he was tense against her, but then he groaned. And his arms closed around her, pulling her up against him. Her breasts pushed against his chest.

  And his tongue pushed against her lips before sliding between them, sliding over her tongue. Did he taste her desire? Did he know how much she wanted him?

  She moaned as need overwhelmed her. But this was just a kiss…

  The kiss that they should have had on their wedding day. But she had nearly died.

  She had nearly lost this opportunity to kiss Cooper again. But she wanted so much more than his kiss…

  So she moved her fingers from his nape down to his broad shoulders. Then she moved her hands lower, to press her palms against his chest. He tensed again, as if he expected her to push him back. But instead, she slid her hands over the impressive, rippling muscles of his chest. But his sweater separated her hands from his skin. So she reached for the waist of it and tugged it up, her knuckles skimming across the washboard muscles of his abs. He finished the job for her, first taking off his holster and gun and setting them onto the table next to the couch. Then he dragged the sweater over his head and dropped it onto the floor.

  Damn. The man was hot. Figuratively and literally…so damn hot.

  She burned up just from touching him.

  Then he was touching her, too. His hands slid down her back to her waist. But he locked his hands around it and lifted her, swinging her up in his arms. He carried her into that room she’d wanted to go into—to be alone.

  But when he dropped her onto the bed, she clung to him, unwilling to let him go. “Stay with me,” she pleaded. She arched up and pressed a kiss to his lips, and another to his shoulder, and another to his chest, where his heart pounded furiously.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  In reply, she pulled off her sweater and shimmied out of her jeans. Maybe he’d already noticed when he’d gone through her apartment earlier that week that she had a thing for fancy underwear. She wore some now: a lacy red bra that barely contained her breasts and a matching thong.

  He groaned again. “I hope to hell you’re sure…”

  “Very sure.” And it wasn’t about the money. Or the spite…

  She wanted Cooper Payne because she had always wanted Cooper Payne. She opened her mouth to tell him, but he kissed her.

  He kissed her passionately, his tongue sliding in and out of her mouth. And he touched her, sliding his hands over her stomach.

  She sucked in a breath at the heat of his touch. And her skin tingled everywhere. She waited for his hands to move, to slide up, and finally they moved toward her breasts, tracing the underwire of her bra before undoing the delicate gold clasp between the cups. Her breath escaped in a gasp when he touched her breasts.

  And her heart pounded madly.

  She grabbed his arms to tug him onto the bed with her. But he pulled back.

  She tensed, worried that he’d changed his mind, that he was about to say that he didn’t want her. But he unsnapped his jeans and pushed them down and his underwear. And he proved he wanted her very much.

  His erection jutted toward her. She reached for it. But he caught her hand and lifted it over her head. “Not yet,” he said, “or this’ll be over all too soon.”

  It must have been a while for him since he’d been deployed.

  But instead of rushing, he took his time. He lifted both arms over her head, which had her breasts arching up as if begging for his touch.

  He touched. First with his hands, caressing her skin. Then with his fingers, he teased her nipples.

  Pressure built inside her, unbearable in its intensity. She squirmed on the bed, pushing her hips against his. That thin strip of lace separated her from his flesh. But it was already dampening with her desire for him.

  Then he touched with his lips, skimming them over her skin before closing them around a nipple while he plucked at the other. She arched off the bed and moaned.

  It had been a long time for her, too. She’d blamed her lack of relationships on the threats. But now she knew…she’d been disappointed with every man she’d ever dated because he hadn’t been Cooper.

  She wasn’t disappointed now.

  He kissed her mouth while he moved his hand over her stomach. He pushed aside that scrap of lace and teased her with his fingers.

  “Cooper…” She nearly sobbed his name as the pressure built to a new intensity. “Please…”

  He kept kissing her, moving his mouth from her lips to her breasts. He teased her before moving his mouth even lower on her body. Finally he pulled off that thin strip of lace and tossed it onto the floor with the rest of their clothes.

  She clutched at the sheets as he made love to her with his lips and tongue. And she screamed as sensations raced through her, releasing that intensity.

  She was trembling. But she wasn’t the only one, his arms shook a little as he braced them on the bed and covered her body with his. She reached between them and closed her hands around his erection. It was so smooth but hard and pulsing as if it had a life of its own. She parted her legs and guided him inside her, arching up as he thrust.

  He was big—so big—that he stretched and filled her. But somehow they fit. Perfectly. She locked her arms and legs around him and matched his rhythm. They moved as one. The pressure building inside her she could feel in the tension in his body, the tightness of his muscles.

  Cords extended in his neck. A vein in his forehead. And that muscle twitched along his jaw, as if his teeth were gritted. Still, a groan slipped out.

  He reached between them and pressed his thumb to the most sensitive part of her. An orgasm shuddered through her body with such force that she screamed. She screamed and sobbed his name.

  He joined her, pulsing and pumping inside her. And another groan tore from his throat with such force it would probably leave his voice hoarse. He collapsed on top of her.

  She welcomed his weight and heat. She’d felt so alone and cold for so long. But then he rolled off her, taking away his warmth. And his body filled with tension again.

 
Was he already regretting what they’d done?

  She had no regrets—except that it was already over. She wanted to do it again. She reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. “Cooper—”

  He turned and pressed a hand over her mouth. “Listen…”

  And then she heard it, too. Footsteps in the hall outside the hotel room door. First they passed. Then they stopped and turned back. And stopped again. Through the open bedroom door, she could see that a shadow fell from beneath the door to the hotel hallway.

  And the knob of that outside door rattled.

  His hand had slid away so she could speak, but she only risked a whisper. “You said nobody knows where we are…”

  “Nobody does.”

  Obviously someone did. And they had come for them. For her…

  The knob rattled again and they watched as the tumbler turned and the lock—unlocked.

  Tanya wanted to scream again, but it was caught in her throat on the fear that was overwhelming her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  His gun was in the other room and his pants were on the floor. Some bodyguard Cooper had proved to be. But he let none of that distract him as he had let Tanya distract him. He vaulted out of the bed and grabbed for his gun in the living room of the suite. He managed to unholster and aim the barrel at the door as it opened.

  He could have waited for the suspect to step inside, but if the shooter started firing wildly again, he might hit Tanya. Cooper hadn’t shut the door between the bedroom and living area. But he couldn’t see her. She had scrambled out of bed, hopefully to put on some clothes.

  He hadn’t had time.

  “Come any closer and I’ll blow your head off!” he threatened.

  A laugh rang out; it was loud and grating and obnoxiously familiar. “Don’t shoot your favorite brother!” Parker poked his head around the door and then he laughed again, more loudly, as he spied Cooper’s nakedness.

  “Get out!” he yelled at him.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll be waiting outside.” Parker stepped back out and pulled the door closed.

  “You told me they didn’t know where you are,” Tanya said, her voice full of accusation and embarrassment. She was fully dressed now, while he stood naked before her.

  “I didn’t think they did…”

  Had one of them followed him? Didn’t they trust him? Then, given how badly he had just lost his objectivity, they were right not to trust him.

  Cursing beneath his breath, he hurriedly grabbed up his clothes and pulled them on. Even though he knew it was Parker who’d broken in, he strapped on his holster and weapon, too, before stepping outside the hotel room.

  Parker leaned against the wall opposite the door. He was still chuckling. “And they say I’m the playboy…”

  Forcing the words out between gritted teeth, Cooper said, “I am not a playboy.”

  “That’s right,” Parker said. “You’re a married man now.”

  Officially married now that they had consummated it.

  “And you’re a damn fool,” he retorted. He wasn’t just teasing now.

  “A damn fool that tracked you down,” Parker taunted him.

  Guilt overwhelmed Cooper. He had failed to protect Tanya in every way. “How?”

  “I have my sources.”

  “Have they turned up Stephen yet?” That would explain Parker’s reason for tracking him down.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Then why are you here? Did you just get bored?”

  He laughed again. “Yeah, I didn’t get sent undercover with a girl.”

  “Nikki’s a girl.”

  “She’s my sister,” he said with great disgust.

  “You two didn’t get shot at?”

  “We didn’t get followed,” he said with a huge grin. Logan wasn’t about to live this one down.

  “Neither did I,” Cooper said. “So why’d you track me down and blow our hiding place? And a better question yet, why on earth did you pick the lock and open the door?” He had very nearly shot him.

  “I heard the screaming,” Parker said.

  Heat climbed from Cooper’s neck into his face. He was never going to live this one down. “Maybe you’re not the playboy everyone thinks you are if you’ve never heard that kind of scream before…”

  Parker punched his shoulder. “I’ve never had any complaints.”

  “At least you’ve dated polite women…”

  Parker laughed again. “You’re funny. I’ve forgotten how funny you can be.”

  So had Cooper. He’d left his family because they’d reminded him of his father—and his loss and the tragedy and grief. He’d forgotten the teasing and laughter. The fun. He’d lost that when he’d left.

  But if he didn’t find out who kept shooting at all of them, he risked losing that again. “Why are you here?” he asked. “Is Logan really all right? He didn’t get hit?”

  “Of course not. If it had been at all close, Candace would have jumped in front and taken the bullet for him.”

  It was no secret to anyone but Logan that one of his employees was hopelessly in love with him. Cooper had had to be back only a few days to figure it out.

  “If Logan’s fine, why are you here?”

  Parker groaned. “Mom.”

  “Logan’s letting her interfere in his business again?”

  “She’s Mom,” he said as if that explained it all, and it actually did. “He was only appeasing her by saying that if I could find you, he’d have me bring you back.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he thinks if I could find you, someone else could, too. However, he is completely underestimating my skills.” But instead of being resentful like Nikki, Parker simply shrugged—unconcerned.

  Logan wasn’t the only one guilty of underestimating Parker; Cooper had, too. “He may be right…” Had he been gone so long that he didn’t know the city as well as he once had? “How did you find me?”

  “Figured you’d pick a nice place—it being your honeymoon and all.” He smirked.

  “And you have contacts here?”

  “Higher-class contacts, but yeah.”

  “Where are we supposed to go now that you’ve blown this spot?”

  “Back to the church.”

  “Like that place is safe…”

  “Mom thinks it is—not because of the place but because we’ll all be together. She thinks we’re stronger that way than split up.”

  Given that Logan had just been shot at, Cooper couldn’t argue her logic. If they had been together, someone would have been able to chase down the shooter while the one getting shot at took cover. “We can all be together, but we don’t have to be at the church.”

  “Since the little tear-gas bomb changed her plans for yesterday, she wants to have your reception today,” Parker explained.

  “It’s a little late for that.”

  “It’s not too late for Tanya’s birthday party.”

  “That’s tomorrow,” Cooper reminded them. She’d had to be married by that time in order to collect her inheritance. But not only did she have to be married, she’d had to consummate that marriage. Cooper had to remind himself that was the only reason they’d made love—for money.

  Love had had nothing to do with it—at least not on her side.

  “Mom doesn’t think the food will last another day.”

  And given that Logan had just been shot at again, maybe he and Tanya wouldn’t either.

  *

  SMOKE ROSE FROM the tiny flickering flames. Tanya closed her eyes to block out the fire. Then she expelled the breath she held and hoped that she’d blown them all out. All thirty of them. There had been enough room for all of the candles since it was her wedding cake Mrs. Payne had put out for her wedding reception/birthday party.

  “Did you make a wish, dear?” the older woman asked.

  Tanya opened her eyes and her gaze fell upon her husband. And she wished it was real.

  Sure, they had consummated their marr
iage. But they hadn’t made love. At least he hadn’t.

  She was in love. But she was in that alone.

  She wasn’t alone now. All of the Payne family and some of their employees had gathered in the high-ceilinged lower level of the Little White Wedding Chapel. It was a beautiful room with brocade wallpaper that looked like lace on the walls, and the coffered ceiling had built-in lights. Lights twinkled everywhere, making the space look like Wonderland. Even the floor had a sparkle to it—as if it had been sprinkled with fairy dust.

  And she thought again, as she had when Mrs. Payne had produced that dress, that the older woman could be a fairy godmother. But Tanya was no Cinderella; she was unlikely to wind up with the prince.

  “I wished that your dress is really okay,” she replied.

  Mrs. Payne shook her head in disappointment. “You’re not supposed to tell what you wished for.”

  “Or it won’t come true…”

  “In this case, it’s already true,” Mrs. Payne said. “The dress is fine.”

  “They didn’t cut it off?”

  Mrs. Payne shook her head. “The paramedic was female. She understood the importance of your wedding dress.”

  “Your wedding dress.” Tanya had only borrowed it because someone had maliciously destroyed hers. She glanced around the room until she located Rochelle. Why had she come to the party? To try to kill her again?

  With all the Paynes and their associates in the room, she would be a fool to try anything here. But then, she’d been a fool to try anything at all. Had Tanya ever really known her younger sister?

  Not like the Paynes knew each other.

  She had overheard Cooper’s conversation with Parker—their male ribbing. And she had worried that she would never be able to face the older Payne brother after what he had overheard. But when she’d stepped into the hall, he had acted as charming and friendly as he always had.

  It was Cooper who acted differently. Or maybe it was that he acted the same, too, and she wanted him to be different with her. He still acted as if they were only old acquaintances. He didn’t even act as if he was her friend, let alone her husband.