Harlequin Romantic Suspense May 2018 Box Set

by Regan Black

  “What?” Nicole interrupted. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Unfortunately not, ma’am. If I may continue?”

  Nicole gave a jerky nod of her head.

  “Dan Mabry is suspected of importing drugs, primarily cannabis and cocaine, for distribution here in Texas and points eastward. The drugs were hidden alongside legal loads when they made deliveries. Seven other individuals, including some of the truck drivers, have either been arrested or have warrants issued for their arrest.”

  When Nicole swayed, Kyle hurried over to her side. He slid his arm around her shoulders, offering his support.

  For a moment, no one spoke. Even Fran, normally so outspoken, appeared to have been stunned into silence.

  “Is there anything else?” Nicole finally asked, her voice wavering slightly.

  “If there is, I wasn’t instructed to pass it on,” Perkins replied. “Thank you for your time. My understanding is that the press will soon be descending in swarms upon our little town. You’d better brace yourselves, because once they learn of your connection to these people, they’ll be camped outside your front door.”

  Kyle swore, drawing the deputy’s attention. “No need to see me out,” Perkins told him. “I can find my own way.”

  Once he’d gone, Kyle helped Nicole into a chair. Fran still held baby Jacob, who’d fallen asleep and managed to remain that way all through Perkins’s discourse.

  “I wonder if they timed the raid so the Mabrys were gone?” Nicole mused. “Apparently they were here when all this was going down.”

  “That was probably only a coincidence.” Kyle kneaded her shoulder. “I have to wonder if Bill was the mastermind of all that, if his parents even knew. They may not have even been involved.”

  “Involved?” She gave a humorless laugh. “Bill and his mother were joined at the hip. While I think that he was probably the one that set the entire thing up. I wouldn’t be surprised if his mother not only knew, but helped plan shipments. Dan’s the only anomaly. Theresa may or may not have brought her husband in on the scheme.”

  “Drugs?” Fran finally spoke up. “Bill Mabry was moving drugs?”

  “And distributing them,” Kyle confirmed.

  Fran looked from him to her daughter. “But he was a deacon in the church.”

  Nicole only shrugged. “You truly had no idea what kind of man Bill was, Mom. He was awful.”

  “Awful?” The disbelief in Fran’s voice, even now, had Kyle clenching his jaw.

  “Awful might be too gentle a word,” Nicole replied. “He treated me like his possession, believing he had me cowed into not having an original thought of my own. He drank and when drunk, he used me as his very own punching bag. I’d started saving money, every penny I could out of my grocery allowance, because as soon as I had enough, I planned to take Jacob and run as far away as I could.”

  Stunned, Kyle swallowed hard. If Nicole’s mother hadn’t been there, he’d have Nicole in his arms right now and would be kissing her senseless.

  Instead, he watched myriad expressions play across Fran’s face. First shock, then disbelief, anger and, finally, sorrow. “I didn’t know,” Fran cried. “You never told me.”

  Nicole eyed her mother. “Seriously, Mom? Why would I? You would have refused to believe me. You and Dad made it clear to me that I was on my own once I got pregnant. You threatened to throw me and my unborn child out into the street with only the clothes on my back if I didn’t marry the man you handpicked—Bill Mabry.”

  Again, Kyle wanted to kiss her. More than that, he wanted to cover her body with his and make love to her until he’d driven the past from her mind.

  “But—” Fran began.

  “No,” Nicole interrupted. “Don’t say another word. I’m going to try really hard to work on this new person you say you’ve become, but it’s difficult when I remember the kind of mother you were.”

  Though baby Jacob still slept, Nicole extracted him from Fran’s arms. “Go on home, Mom. I need some time alone to think. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”

  Then, carrying her son, Nicole left the room without a backward glance.

  Though he wanted to follow her, Kyle showed Fran out instead.

  * * *

  Once she’d reached the safety of her temporary bedroom, Nicole put Jacob down in the small bassinette. He hadn’t woken at all, despite the shuffling from his grandmother to his mother.

  She felt like a fool. Just as she had in the early days of her marriage to Bill, she’d allowed herself to hope based on words. Her mother had given her pretty words, soft words, and said things Nicole had longed to hear. But if Bill had taught Nicole anything, it was that actions were what really mattered. All the apologies and promises in the world meant absolutely nothing unless they were followed up by action. Reality rather than promises.

  The truth of this sliced her open, exposing a gaping, painful wound in her psyche that she’d convinced herself had long ago healed. A hundred times she’d wanted her mother to love her, to help her, to be there with comfort and a smile and wisdom, only to understand that this matronly version of Fran did not exist. Never had, never would.

  Until today. Fran had done the one thing Nicole would have sworn she’d never do. She’d announced to the entire town, including her church, especially her church, the truth about Jacob’s true father. Was this enough to indicate Fran truly had experienced a major epiphany?

  Nicole wasn’t certain she believed it. She wasn’t sure she’d survive if she allowed herself once again to hope, only to realize Fran truly hadn’t changed.

  Why now? She wondered, sitting down hard on the edge of her bed. What could her mother possibly have to gain by pretending she wanted to mend fences she’d torn down and destroyed years ago?

  Exhausted from trying to decide, Nicole crawled up onto her bed and underneath the covers. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. Maybe a nap would help her regain perspective.

  Miraculously, she must have fallen asleep.

  When she next opened her eyes and stretched, she felt better. And then she turned over, to find Kyle lying on the bed next to her, sound asleep. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of shorts. The sight of his muscular body made her mouth go dry.

  Damn how badly she wanted him.

  Temptation had her curling her toes. She remembered, oh how well she remembered, them napping wrapped in each other’s arms. The first to awake had delighted in arousing the other and every single time, they’d ended up making love.

  Shaking with need, she put her hand on his chest, splaying her fingers so she could feel the steady beat of his heart.

  His eyes opened, those glorious green eyes. Unclouded by sleep, blazing with a desire that matched her own.

  She allowed this to embolden her. In this moment, fraught with sexual tension and the promise of fulfillment, nothing else mattered. They would lose themselves in each other, and the outside world would disappear.

  He reached for her and she stilled him with a shake of her head. “Don’t move,” she told him. “Let me do this first. No touching until I say so.”

  This was something she’d always wanted to do. A younger Kyle, less disciplined than this elite soldier he’d become, had always refused. She held her breath, waiting to hear if he’d refuse again.

  To her surprise, he agreed. Lying propped up on one elbow, he watched her. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to pounce on him and cover his body with hers, but that would defeat her purpose. Eventually, she planned to be on top, to control their movements, but first, she thought she’d see how far she could go without letting him touch her.

  “Roll over on your back,” she ordered. He complied, the bulge in his front a testimony to how all this affected him.

  Slowly, she stripped off his shorts. He wore no briefs underneath. A surprise. The strength and size o
f his already aroused body made her melt. When she reached for him, he called her name, his voice husky.

  “Nicole, take off your clothes. If I can’t touch, at least let me look.”

  At first, she thought her hands were trembling too much to accomplish this, but after she’d pulled her T-shirt off, she managed to unhook and remove her bra. Her breasts felt tight, not just her engorged nipples either. Arching her back, she removed her shorts and then her panties. Because the tension made her ache, she rubbed herself on him like a cat. His hands came up, but she hissed a warning and he lowered them back to his sides.

  She took him into her mouth, slowly, savoring the unique taste and feel of him. When she moved, caressing him with her tongue, he cried out.

  Again his hands came up, tangling in her hair. The instant he did this, she pulled back, putting a small distance between him and her overheated body. “No touching, remember?”

  Eyes narrowed, he nodded. “I should warn you though, if you keep that up, I won’t be able to control myself or what I do.”

  This pleased her. “Good.” She smiled. “I love making you lose control.”

  “Do you?” he rasped. “Because Nicole, I’m about to do that right about now.”

  As he spoke, he grabbed her, rolling so that his body covered hers. Though she gasped, instinctively arching herself so he could enter her, she pushed at him instead. “I wasn’t done. I want to be on top.”

  “Your wish is my command,” he teased, shifting them around and reversing their positions. She pushed up on her knees, hovering over him for a second. Then, because she couldn’t take any more, she lowered herself onto him, taking him deep inside her.

  Though she wanted to move slowly, he bucked against her, and the two of them worked in unison. Lovemaking had always been this way with them, electrifying in its passion. Though she remained on top, he pounded into her from below, claiming her with his body. She lost her capacity for thought, for speech. Nothing else existed but this man, the only man she’d ever loved.

  Kyle.

  She must have cried out his name as the ecstasy built. Cried it out again as she found her release, shuddering, her body clenching around him, bringing him to his own climax.

  After, they held each other, letting their perspiration-slicked bodies cool, neither speaking. She loved him and knew, even if he couldn’t admit it yet to himself, that he still loved her as well.

  Actions, after all, spoke louder than words.

  CHAPTER 15

  Kyle fell asleep holding her. He hadn’t meant to; these days he didn’t dare let down his guard. The bad dreams reliving the blast came when he slept, and he never wanted Nicole to witness what he became when in the throes of reliving what had happened to him.

  And then it came.

  A flash of light. Left side. Ringing in the ears. An explosion, knocking him off his feet. Pain and blood and terror. Not again. Gasping, Kyle came awake, bolting upright, battling the tangled sheets as if they were his enemies. Gus whined, crossing the room to nestle up against Kyle’s leg, offering canine comfort the only way the dog knew how.

  Then, a shadowy figure stirred in the bed next to him. He leapt backward, mindless in his panic, consumed by the gut-wrenching fear.

  “Kyle? It’s okay. I’m here. Nicole.”

  Nicole. He’d suddenly remembered that they’d gone to bed together. Foolish, on his part. He’d managed to convince himself that this night, because of her, his sleep would remain untroubled by his past.

  “Kyle, you’re here. In Texas. It’s all right. I promise you, you’re safe.”

  Something in her voice reached him, knocking the tension from his sweat-soaked body. He dragged his hand through his hair, trying to summon up a semblance of normalcy. “Bad dream,” he managed to croak, squinting in her general direction. “Go back to sleep.” He expected her to sigh, roll over and drift back to her dreams.

  Instead, to his shock, she swung her long legs over the side of the bed and padded over to him. Without another word, she wrapped her arms around him and held him, her embrace strong and sure. Gus whined, as if to let them know he wanted in on the hug too. Kyle reached down and tangled his fingers in his dog’s fur, which seemed to satisfy him. Nicole murmured something—he couldn’t make out the words or whether it was directed at him or Gus, but it sounded soothing.

  His pounding heartbeat gradually calmed; the quaking sense of emptiness inside him began to ebb away. Still, he held on to her as if he were drowning. He wondered if she understood that right now, in this instant, she’d become his lifeboat, helping him weather the storm.

  She made another sound, low in her throat. He braced himself, knowing she’d have questions, uncertain if he’d be able to answer them. But she didn’t ask, she didn’t say a word, just held him. Gradually, his heartbeat slowed and his wild trembling stopped. Ashamed, he wasn’t sure what to say, if anything. There wasn’t much that could excuse such a thing happening to a grown man, especially an elite member of the armed forces. So much for the ranger motto—Sua Sponte. He’d begun to see that in this, the world outside the army, he couldn’t handle this all on his own.

  Growing uncomfortable—and unbelievably—aroused, he shifted his weight and twisted slightly to break the embrace.

  “It’s okay,” she murmured, and let him go. While he stood eying her, his heart in his throat, aching to kiss her, she looked away. She reached down and patted Gus, who gave a doggie yawn and leaned into her, clearly enjoying the attention.

  Kyle let himself drink in his fill of her, from her sexy tousled hair to the way the T-shirt clung to her supple body. Clearly, with sheets bunched up around his body, she had no clue of how strongly she affected him, and how soon after their previous bout of intense lovemaking.

  Finally, when she looked at him, she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. “Let’s go back to sleep, if you can,” she said. “It’s two in the morning and tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”

  He considered, wondering if she’d be willing to go for another round. Normally after an episode like this, he’d pace for hours, unable to sleep. All the pent-up energy needed some sort of outlet. Like sex.

  Except this time, he realized the tension from the nightmare flashback had left him. The only tension he felt right now was sexual, which made him both grin and wince.

  Gus whined and then shook himself before lumbering back to his dog bed.

  “Are you coming?” Yawning again, this time midsentence, Nicole plumped her pillow. “I need my rest,” she continued. “You wore me out earlier.” A thread of laughter ran through her sleepy voice.

  “Are you sure all you want to do is sleep?” he asked, making his tone deliberately playful. He wouldn’t blame her at all if she did, but it never hurt to ask.

  “Mmphh,” she responded, clearly already on her way back to dreamland.

  He stood next to the bed for a moment or two, watching as she slipped back to slumber. Nicole. Her generosity of spirit touched him, making him wonder how he could have thought she’d changed. Nicole was Nicole, loving and giving and fiercely protective of the ones she loved. He understood finally what had driven her to do what she’d thought she had to in order to protect her unborn baby, her son. Their son.

  And now she wanted him to come back to bed and try to sleep. As if he were an ordinary man, rather than a severely damaged one.

  Oddly enough, her faith in him gave him hope. What the hell, why not? If the flashback returned, he’d know. Wariness warred with temptation. It wouldn’t hurt to try. There was always a first time for everything. He got into bed next to her, carefully and quietly so as not to wake her. Once in place, he tried to get comfortable, aware he’d probably lie there awake for hours. To his surprise, lying next to Nicole, listening to her even breathing as she slipped back into slumber, he relaxed even more.

  When he next stirred, he realiz
ed he must have fallen asleep. The clock showed 7 a.m., which meant he’d slept for hours.

  Exhilarated—and once again aroused—he turned to look for Nicole and found her side of the bed empty. Clearly, she’d risen before him. Maybe Jacob had awakened her. He also remembered her saying something about having a busy day ahead of her.

  He found her in the kitchen, sitting at the table and nursing Jacob. She smiled sleepily at him, the beauty of that smile hitting him like a punch in the gut.

  “I didn’t want to wake you,” she said softly. “You were sleeping so deeply and I thought you needed your rest.”

  “I was.” He took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  Moving toward the coffee maker, he shrugged, as if his words weren’t important at all. “You helped keep the nightmares at bay.”

  “Oh. I’m glad.” For a moment, her gaze held his. “I know I’ve mentioned this before, but you really might consider getting some help with all that.”

  Instead of arguing as he had before, this time he gave a slow nod. “I’m going to look into therapy,” he said. “I want healing.” Sipping his coffee, he summoned up the necessary courage to tell her the truth. “I need to get better. For you.”

  “No,” her immediate response cut him deep. “Not for me. You have to want this for yourself.” And she went back to focusing her attention on the baby.

  Pain sliced at his heart, even as he silently called himself every kind of fool. There you had it. As gently as she could, she was letting him know they had no future together. What had he really expected? After everything that had happened, why had he thought she would even want to move toward the future they’d originally planned together.

  The doorbell rang. Early for a visitor, but Kyle jumped at the chance to leave the room. Glad of the distraction, he yanked the door open. Deputy Frankel and Deputy Perkins, both in uniform and both wearing identical stern expressions, stood on his front porch. Kyle couldn’t help but notice they wore identical sunglasses. He wondered if those were department issued.