Fatal Exposure
Page 24
“Do you want it to work out?” he asked, quiet hope beginning to bloom again.
“Dylan, of course I do! Every time we’re together, I want to melt into you and never let you go. I want you to make love to me, every minute of every day. But, what will I do with myself in Dodge? I never meant to stay here.”
Dylan didn’t know how to answer her. He struggled for an answer, but then she saved him the trouble.
“Tell you what. Can we take it a day at a time for now? I’ll stay at the hotel when you go to see the boys. I promise to make a decision before you bring them home for good. We’ll have time to talk about logistics.”
Dylan was amazed, and a little disappointed, by her logical approach. “Can we still make love?” he asked. She didn’t know it, but he’d already made his decision. He was going to see to it this worked out, no matter what he had to do, short of giving up the boys.
“We’d better,” she replied, leaning into him again. Maybe it wasn’t too cold after all. Dylan dipped his head, turning it to look directly into her eyes. The fire there should keep them warm. She made the decision for him, pushing him onto his back and leaning in to kiss him. As they kissed, her little hand found his zipper and slipped inside to caress him. He reached to unbutton the flannel shirt she’d changed into when it got cold.
To his utter delight, he found nothing under it but her skin. Her nipples puckered as his hand brushed across them and then he clutched her and brought her closer. He could lick and nibble the sweet globes all night if she’d let him. Her hand had brought him to readiness, and now she took full control. With a deft move, she twisted to straddle him. “Condom,” he gasped, “back pocket.” He lifted his hips to allow her access, but she shook her head.
“Dr. Sam fixed me up. I’m on birth control now.”
Dylan lifted his head to watch as Lexi, who’d somehow removed her jeans without his notice, settled onto him. The feel of her without a condom between them was exquisite. Seizing her hips with both hands, he bucked into her, becoming more frenzied as she threw her head back and moaned. His gaze devoured the sight of her breasts bouncing, glimpsed in swift peeks as her open shirt moved with his every thrust.
Too soon, too soon. He didn’t want to finish before he’d witnessed her climax. With an effort, he held back, until she came undone around him, and then he was lost as well. She collapsed against his chest and he held her tenderly while she shook.
“I love you.”
Later, they’d always wonder how both of them uttered the words in unison. Both of them considered it a good omen.
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Author’s Note
Thank you for reading this book. If you enjoyed it, please review it on Amazon, Goodreads, or the site where you purchased it. Nothing is more helpful to an indie author than readers who take the time to post their impressions and constructive critique. I read and value every review I receive. My reader's reviews have helped me hone my writing and encouraged me to continue.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jamie Jeffries is the pen name of a successful author with several published novels under other pen names, in addition to other titles under this name.
She likes to bring a bit of the unusual, the unlikely and the humorous to her plots. Jamie brings you heroines who overcome hard challenges, sweet, sexy heroes with a hint of alpha male, and side characters you’ll love to hate or laugh with.
When she isn’t writing (which is almost never) Jamie enjoys reading, hiking in the foothills near Denver, live blues music, karaoke and now and then crafting something in crochet or cross-stitch.
Caution: whether reading or writing, Jamie bites when interrupted in the middle of a good chase scene, whether it’s bad guys chasing the hero in cars, or the hero chasing the heroine around the bedroom.
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Coming Soon
Excerpt from Fatal Divide
NPS Ranger Dylan Chaves eased the Silverado over a washout on Ajo Mountain Drive, wringing a grunt from his passenger, fellow ranger Rick Anson. “Sorry,” he said. “When are they going to repave this road?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” said Rick. “Budget’s been tight for years.”
Neither man said what he was thinking, that the government had been far more interested in building a fence than preserving existing resources. Something had to be done all right, but neither was certain the fence was the right thing. They rode on in silence for a few minutes before Dylan noticed the birds.
“Look,” he said, pointing. Several large black buzzards circled just below the arch. “Should we check that out?”
Rick shrugged. “Might as well. Probably a deer, though.” If that were true, the short hike into Arch Canyon would be a waste of time, but Dylan was ready to get out and stretch his legs after patrolling the one-way road for the second sweep of the day. At least the temperature had cooled in the past few weeks to a pleasant average in the high seventies. Perfect for a walk, even in the mid-day sun. Then around the rest of the loop and back to the office for lunch.
Dylan swung into the trailhead parking lot, surprised to find no other cars. This was the best time to visit the park, in his opinion. Why anyone would want to be here in the summer escaped him, but the snowbirds would be here soon. Rick led the way up the trail, with Dylan only a yard behind. Dylan couldn’t see around him as he stopped abruptly, holding his hand out to stop Dylan from coming around.
“Shit,” he said. That’s when Dylan knew it wasn’t a deer. He moved up slowly, watching where he put his feet to avoid disturbing evidence.
Lying face-up in a pool of his own blood, the elderly Native man sported a surprisingly neat bullet wound in the center of his chest. Judging from the amount of blood and the size of the hole, Dylan was certain the exit wound wouldn’t be so neat. “Shit,” he echoed. Dylan looked up, staring at the rugged Ajo Range that separated Organ Pipe National Monument from the Tohono O’odham Nation. Why had this old man come to his death here? The most inexperienced amateur could look at this scene and know the murder had occurred right here. Murder, because there was no sign of the weapon; someone had carried it away, and it definitely wasn’t the victim.
For the second time in as many months, murder had come to this remote desert region and shoved itself in Dylan’s face. His responsibility to investigate, this time, although local authorities would be involved. He and Rick, as reporting witnesses along with their law enforcement responsibilities, would be in it up to their necks.
“This is gonna be a problem,” Dylan remarked, unconscious of the understatement as he looked more closely at the dead man’s face. His jaw clenched.
“Do you know him?” Rick asked. Good guess.
“Yeah. He’s on the tribal committee that’s considering the adoption,” Dylan said, his face now carefully neutral and his tone flat.
“Shit,” Rick said. He could say that again. Dylan had just become a suspect as well. Again.
Discover More Books By Jamie Jeffries:
Impermanent
What do you do when everything you think you know about yourself turns out to be a lie?
That’s the question that Hannah, aka Em, spends no time answering before she steals her dad’s new BMW and runs headlong toward…somewhere else…to find out who she really is.
How do you make amends for doing the worst thing you can possibly do to your family?
For Ty, the only answer is to distance himself, physically and emotionally, and
make a new life without them.
When the two are thrown together, both sense that they shouldn’t act on their growing attraction, but fate has a different idea. Can he justify trying to win a younger woman who has never had a chance to know herself and her desires? Can she trust a man who has dark secrets he can’t, or won’t, share with her? Only by accepting their pasts can they move on to a future together—if they’re strong enough to overcome their obstacles and forge a lasting relationship.
Impermanent is a standalone full-length Romantic Suspense novel. It is recommended for 18+ due to mature content, sexual situations, and adult language.