“Are you sure he hadn’t seen the tattoo before and made a reference to it now?”
“I’m telling you, he was outside the house watching us. That statement is very specific to exactly what I did tonight,” Colt snapped, losing his patience. “You can’t see the tattoo when she’s dressed.” Colt indicated Luna’s back, brushing his hand over the tank dress she wore.
Sure enough, the deputy stared at her back. Luna held herself tighter under the scrutiny.
“I specifically positioned the tattoo so that it isn’t obvious when I’m dressed. Sure, in a swimsuit you’d see it all, but not when I’m wearing a shirt or dress or whatever.”
“I’ve known Luna for years. I had no idea she had the tattoo,” Colt told the officer.
“How long have you had it?”
“It started with the moon when I was eighteen. I added the owl and stars when I was twenty. Another tattoo on the front of my hip when I was twenty-one.”
“Could it be an ex who wants to make trouble for you now that you’re seeing someone else?” the deputy asked.
“No.”
“Has there been anyone since Billy?” Colt asked.
“No one serious. No one for a long time.”
“Who’s Billy?”
“My ex-best friend. Her ex-boyfriend. I didn’t know it back in the day, but he had a real thing for keeping her close and away from me.”
“You tried to take her from Billy.”
“No. Never,” Luna spoke up, defending him again. “It’s not Billy. The caller said I had to sell or they’d hurt you. It has to be one of the Traverses. Billy wouldn’t care about me selling this place, and he wouldn’t know that it’s one of the stipulations in the will for the Traverses to get more money.”
“Tell me about that.” Deputy Foster pointed his pen at Luna.
She sighed and pushed away from Colt. “Wayne left each family member a cash settlement, but the bulk of the estate went to me. Namely Rambling Range and the rest of his assets. A lot of money included. His sons can earn back half the ranch by working here for eighteen months. Or, if I decide that I do not want to uphold my portion of the inheritance, namely keeping the ranch running and protecting the land, then I can sell the property to a suitable party and his sons get ten million each, their aunt and uncle receive one million, and the rest is split fifty-fifty between me and several charities.” Luna took a deep breath. “They want me to sell so they’ll get the money.”
“You seem to be holding something back.”
Luna eyed Colt, then looked away again. “There are other stipulations in the will that I can invoke if I meet certain requirements or I choose to use them. But the family doesn’t know about them,” she quickly added.
“What are these other stipulations?”
“I can’t say. Only Mr. Manning, my attorney, and myself know about these added alternatives to the will that was read to the family. It has to stay that way, or I could forfeit my right to invoke them.”
“This isn’t the first time they threatened her. When she moved in, my brother and I found several dead rats in her bathtub with the word ‘sell’ written on the tiles in their blood.”
Luna gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes narrowed with disgust and fear. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to frighten you. I hoped they’d back off.”
“Looks like this situation is escalating,” Deputy Foster added.
“We need a restraining order against the family,” Colt demanded.
“You’ll need proof showing who did this and the other acts of vandalism. Let us investigate this latest incident, pinpoint the perpetrator, and you’ll get your restraining order against that person.” Deputy Foster turned away when his radio squawked. He stepped away and quietly spoke into his radio to the men searching the property.
Luna faced Colt and finally looked him in the eye again with eyes glassed over and filled with worry. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to keep things from you, but I really can’t tell you what it says.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the rats. But Luna, honey, I don’t need to know what it says. Rambling Range is your business. Not mine.”
“I don’t want secrets between us. I want to be able to tell you anything.”
“I hope you feel you can, even if you have to keep this one thing from me to protect yourself and fulfill Wayne’s last wishes.”
She pressed her lips together, holding back whatever she wanted to say. She gave him a quick nod but still looked wrecked about not telling him.
“The other officers have made a complete sweep of the outside. They didn’t find anything or anyone out there. They checked in with some of the men living on the property in the cabins. They didn’t hear or see anything.”
“I’m not surprised. They’re too far away from the house.” Luna fell onto the sofa and stared straight ahead. “This is useless. What am I supposed to do? Wait around for them to do something else?”
“You’ve got it on record that someone threatened Mr. Kendrick. If something else happens, let us know. Meanwhile, give me the names of all the players. I’ll pay them a visit and see what they have to say.”
“Simon is at the top of the list,” Colt said. “He’s the logical suspect. He works here, so he could have stayed behind when everyone got off work. He accused me once about seeing Luna because of her inheritance.”
“Josh is a hothead,” Luna pointed out. “He threatened to make me pay if I didn’t sell.”
Deputy Foster glanced up and eyed her, then wrote down what she said. “Anyone else involved?”
“Bea and Harry Murphy. Wayne’s sister and her husband. They received a payout but expected a hell of a lot more. Their daughters, Anne and Kelly, received some money and school tuition. I’ve paid them and set up a payment plan for Kelly. She’s decided to take this opportunity and go back to school and change careers.”
“You’ll pay for her to attend college?” The deputy sounded skeptical.
“Yes. It’s part of the will. So long as the ranch has the money to pay, I’m required to do so.”
“And the ranch makes enough money for college?”
“More than,” she confirmed without giving any details.
The deputy flipped his notepad closed. “Okay. I’ll speak to the parties involved and get back to you. I doubt any of them will confess, but I’ll do my best to get one of them to dig their own hole. Anything else happens, give us a call. I’ll have an officer posted outside for the night, not that I think anyone is coming back now that they’ve probably seen us here. I’ll ask for regular patrols for the next few days to dissuade anyone from coming back. Most likely this was just a prank to see if they can rattle you. They did. Let’s hope they got what they wanted and give up.”
Luna shook her head and spoke to her joined hands in her lap. “They won’t give up. It’s too much to give up.”
Colt shook the officer’s hand and saw him to the door.
“Don’t go playing hero and running around this place with a gun thinking you’ll shoot the bastard who spied on you. Don’t want you shooting the wrong person by accident.”
“Don’t worry about it. I got this covered.”
“How is Sadie?”
Colt eyed the cop.
“She and I go way back with her brother. Rory helped take down that drug lab, and we’re grateful to him.”
“Sadie’s good. Expecting their first baby. The wedding is a few weeks away.”
“Good to hear it. That girl deserves every happiness after what she’s been through.”
“Yes, she does. She and my brother are very happy.”
“Looks like you’re heading down the same path. Let’s hope it doesn’t end with you shooting someone to save your girl.”
“I will if I have to, but I’m hoping you’ll sort this out for me and I can go back to being with her.”
“Smart man.”
“Just so we’re clear, anyone touches
her, I will kill them.”
“I never heard you say that.” Deputy Foster walked down the path to his patrol car.
Colt closed the door, locked it up tight, and went back to the kitchen and out the back door. He tried not to think about someone out there with a gun pointed at him, so he ignored the chill racing up his spine. He gathered up the plates and glasses from their meal and took them inside, dumping everything in the sink. He locked up the back door, went to the freezer, found the tub of rocky road ice cream, grabbed two spoons from the strainer, and went back to Luna and plopped down on the sofa beside her. He picked up the remote and turned on the huge big-screen TV she bought to go along with the furniture.
“I see the satellite guys got you all hooked up today.”
“Yeah. Ford will be very happy the next time we have him over.”
He popped the top on the ice cream container but went still when her words hit him square in the chest. “The next time we have him over.” Like this was their place. He tilted his head and stared at her staring at the TV. She glanced at him, nothing but worry and wonder in her eyes that he’d looked at her.
“What?” she asked, completely oblivious about what she’d said and how she’d phrased it.
“Nothing. Did you get the sports package?”
“No. Do you watch a lot of sports?”
“Football and hockey.”
She nodded. “I’ll call tomorrow and set it up.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want it.”
“I don’t mind. I was so focused on the movie channels, I didn’t think about anything else. I only had basic cable at my other place. I love watching movies.”
“Great, let’s find one and have dinner.”
“That’s dessert.”
“Tonight, it’s dinner, since we didn’t get to finish our steaks. You pick the movie.” He handed over the remote, mostly to get her out of her head and do something else.
She took the remote but didn’t scroll through the channels or even pull up the guide.
“Don’t you even want to ask me what the will says?”
He shook his head and cocked up one side of his mouth into a derisive frown. “Wayne’s put a lot of pressure on you. See if you can make ranchers out of his too-good-to-get-their-hands-dirty sons, who could care less about this place and what it represents. Oversee his niece going to college. Deal with his greedy sister. Keep this place running the way he did when you’ve got to learn how to do that at the same time. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders, honey. I won’t add my weight to that burden. Whatever else Wayne put in that will, I’m sure you’ll share it with me when and if it becomes relevant. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have anything to do with the way I feel about you, the way you feel about me, or our relationship. I’m here because I want to be with you. Not for a piece of land, money, or anything else. If that’s good enough for you, then I don’t care what anyone else has to say about it.”
“I’m so glad you’re here, but I’m worried your being with me has put a target on your back.”
“Nothing and no one is going to keep me away from you. Anyone tries to hurt you, they’ll have to go through me.”
Luna took her spoon from him, dipped it in the ice cream, ate a bite, and leaned into his side.
“Tom Cruise or Jason Statham?”
“How about the Jason Bateman comedy?”
“Even better.” Luna turned on the movie and sat quietly beside him. It took her nearly half an hour to settle down and stop checking the windows and jumping at every little sound.
By the time he took her to bed, she was wound so tight he figured she’d never fall asleep. The second they entered her room, she went to the windows, slammed the shutters shut, and pulled the deep purple drapes closed tight.
“Luna, honey, come here.” He opened his arms and she flew into them, hugging him close, her face buried in his neck.
“This place was just starting to feel like mine, especially after you and I made love in that awesome new bed.”
“If the bed was awesome, what was I?” He tried to tease her out of this dark mood.
“Everything I want.”
He didn’t know what to say to something that rang true, hit him right in the chest, and echoed in the dark.
He slid his hands down her sides, gathered her dress in his fingers, and pulled it up her thighs and over her hips into his hands. He pulled the soft material up her sides and right off her raised arms. Naked, she stood before him and smiled softly, reaching out to place her hand on his bare chest. Her fingers slid down his belly. He sucked in a breath and tightened his abs when she tickled him. The seductive smile on her lips grew. She undid the button and zipper on his jeans, leaned in, kissed his chest, her open mouth driving him crazy. Her hand dipped down his jeans and worked over his swelling flesh until he was hard and heavy in her small hand.
He cupped her face, dipped his head, and kissed her softly, drawing her back with him as he sat on the bed. He broke the kiss, slid his hands down her body to her hips, and pulled her onto his lap to straddle his thighs.
“God, honey, you are so beautiful.” He traced his fingers over her shoulders, down her chest and pink-tipped breasts to her slender belly. His gaze swept over all that creamy skin to where his suntanned hands gripped her waist.
Unable to resist the sweet temptation in front of him, he leaned forward and took one tight nipple into his mouth. He sucked and licked the small bead, loving the taste of her on his tongue.
Her fingers combed through his hair. She held him to her breasts, one and then the other, but it still took her longer than he liked to relax and enjoy the attention he lavished on her.
He wanted her to forget, at least for a little while, and let go. He wanted what they’d shared hours ago before it had all gotten ruined by some asshole who thought tormenting her would change anything. She wouldn’t back down. She wouldn’t give in. Not for anything. Not Luna.
So Colt set out to make it all go away and draw her back to him.
It took some time, but when he had her sighing and moaning and laid out beneath him, he joined their bodies once again and pressed his heart to hers. He showed her with his body the connection they shared. Lost in him, she responded, her fingers gripped tight at his hips, pulling him in, holding him close as her body moved against his in the night. He kept the pace slow and steady, taking his time to love her, enjoy what they shared so easily, and languish in the warm feelings she evoked inside of him. He didn’t want to look too closely at what those feelings meant, but one thought refused to leave his mind. If something happened to her, what would he do then?
The thought tightened his chest and built into a need to be close to her that he couldn’t contain or control. He thrust into her hard and deep and moved over her in a desperate need that built until the desperation gripping both of them came to an explosive crescendo. He’d never felt this kind of overwhelming emotion after making love to a woman. Maybe because that wasn’t what he’d been doing with those other women.
Luna was different.
Everything about her called to him in a way he couldn’t define. He needed more of this intense feeling and her in his life.
Knowing exactly where his thoughts wanted to lead him, he tucked them away again, because no way did he fall for Luna in such a short time. He wasn’t ready for something permanent. He also wasn’t about to give her up, or let anyone ruin what they had and take her away.
Chapter 19
Luna woke up warm and tingling with Colt’s big hand on her breast, his other hand cradling her head, and his sensual mouth pressing kisses all over the stars on her back. It felt like a dream and reality mixed into one lovely wake-up call.
“Good morning,” Colt’s deep voice rumbled. Still not quite awake himself, he pressed more kisses to her skin.
“It is now.”
“You have to give me back my hands. I’ve got work to do.”
“No.” She leaned over, pressing her br
east into his palm even more, then took his hand from under her cheek and moved it to her other breast. She giggled and lay down on both of them.
Colt smiled against her skin. His chuckle vibrated across her nerves. He rolled her to her side, his big body pressed along her back, one hand pressed to her chest over her heart, the other laid against her belly, holding her close to him. “You’re dangerous,” he whispered in her ear. “All I want to do is stay in this bed with you.”
“Mmm. Sounds like a great plan.”
“I’ve got work to do.”
She rubbed her backside into his hard length. “Uh-huh, yes you do.”
His hand dipped between her legs, one long finger stroking her soft folds. She sighed and rubbed her bottom against him, catching his rhythm. He pressed soft kisses to her neck. She reached back and rubbed her hand over his hard thigh.
One hand at her breast, the other heating her body, he bit her shoulder in a soft love bite that shot electricity through her whole body, making her breasts tingle and her insides melt. “I like waking up with you.”
She had no complaints about the strong body wrapped around hers, or the man who held her during the night when she couldn’t sleep and made her feel safe and protected. She reached back to touch his face.
Someone pounded on the front door, jolting her out of the sweet cocoon they’d created this morning and making her insides go cold. She latched onto Colt’s arms around her and stiffened in his embrace.
“Stay here. I’ll see who it is.” Colt rolled out of bed behind her, dragging on the jeans he picked up from the floor.
She shimmied out of bed and grabbed the dress he’d tossed aside last night. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, she ran for the closet and pulled out her robe. Colt left the room ahead of her, but as he reached the front door, she caught up, saw their early-morning visitor through the glass side panel, and swore. Colt glanced at her, then opened the door, blocking her with his body.
“What the hell do you want?”
Simon pushed past Colt when he spotted Luna over Colt’s shoulder. “You sent the cops to my house last night,” he yelled at her.
Her Renegade Rancher EPB Page 18
