Untamed Heat

by Tarah Scott

  “Come on.” He started them toward the rise. “It’s getting dark. Let’s get back to town. I know this great place.” She started to argue, but he cut her off. “Don’t worry. It’s an overly crowded cantina on the west side. There isn’t a private corner in the place where I could get my hands between your legs.”

  Butterflies leapt into a riotous dance inside her stomach at the memory of his hands between her legs, his mouth… How would she get through dinner without begging him to do that to her again?

  Chapter Six

  They crested the rise, and the instant before Hawk caught sight of the two flat tires on the Land Cruiser, he sensed something was wrong. Liz gasped, and he grasped her arm, bringing them to a stop.

  Hawk cursed. How had he missed hearing a vehicle pull up to their cars after the kids had left? Easy. He’d been so focused on Liz that a Mack truck could have rumbled past, and he would have missed it. He scanned the area. The Chevy sat parked twenty feet beyond the Cruiser. No other cars were within view of the old road or the desert beyond. It was unlikely anyone would be hiding around the cars, but who the hell knew what these crazy assholes would do?

  He dropped to a squat and looked beneath the Land Cruiser, then across the open space to the truck. No one hid beneath the two vehicles, and the truck’s four tires were okay. He didn’t like that. Whatever they’d done to the old Chevy wasn’t obvious, which probably meant the slashed tires were an afterthought. An afterthought motivated by a reason he felt certain he wouldn’t like.

  Hawk rose and started to tell Liz to stay put while he investigated, then realized, if anyone came up over the slope while he was at the cars, he couldn’t get to her before they did.

  “Come on.” He started them forward. When they reached within twenty feet of the Toyota, Hawk stopped. “Wait here.”

  “But—”

  “Let me take a look.”

  Her lips pursed, but she nodded.

  “Don’t move,” he emphasized.

  “I promise.”

  He handed her the cooler he carried and silently cursed the worth of her promise and depth of his stupidity. After he’d delivered her safely home, he planned to find Vance Reid and beat him senseless.

  Hawk approached the Land Cruiser. He looked inside, found nothing, then went around the truck and looked inside the cab. As expected, empty. He finally motioned Liz forward, then strode back to her car, where he squatted beside the front tire and ran his fingers along the gouge on the lower section of the rubber where it had been slashed with a knife.

  Liz set the cooler on the ground and knelt beside him. “My God.” She touched the hole, her long, slim fingers pale against the dark rubber.

  “Yeah.” Hawk rose and went back to his truck.

  He opened the hood and scanned the engine. Nothing obvious was out of place. He knelt on one knee, braced a palm on the ground, and looked under the car. A dark circle stained the desert floor beside the passenger-side tire. He lowered himself onto his back and scooted under the truck near the stain. As suspected, fluid dripped from a cut brake line.

  Hawk grasped the fender, pulled himself out, and stood.

  “What do you think happened?” she asked.

  He considered lying, but she wouldn’t be fooled by a sugar-coated answer. Only he didn’t have to tell her that her slashed tires were a message concerning her. His only living family was his grandfather who lived on the reservation. Vance Reid didn’t have a big enough army to get to him there, and Hawk’s friends could take care of themselves as well as he could. Hawk’s jaw tensed. He’d finally given Reid what he’d been after for the last three months, a way to get at him.

  “They cut my brakes and slashed your tires,” Hawk said.

  “Your brakes?” she burst out.

  “Did you bring a cell phone?” he asked.

  “Sure. But there’s no service out here.”

  “Let’s take a look.”

  He followed her to the Land Cruiser. She opened the driver’s side back door, then swung to face him. “My purse is gone.”

  Hawk nodded. “I would have been surprised if they’d left it.”

  “You don’t have a cell phone?”

  “I hate the things.”

  She looked nonplussed. “You’re kidding.”

  “I used to have one and couldn’t get a damn bit of work done on a dig.”

  She glanced around. “Why do all this then leave? That doesn’t make sense.”

  But it did. It made more sense than anything else they’d done so far.

  ****

  Panic rose like a tsunami. Get a grip, Liz mentally ordered. But the command didn’t stop the tremble that rocketed through her body. Hawk pulled her close, and she allowed herself to relax against his solid body. The steady beat of his heart lulled her rampant pulse into a manageable rhythm as he stroked her hair. Tears threatened, but she bit down on her lip. The last thing he needed was a hysterical female. And she had no intention of giving Vance Reid the satisfaction of reducing her to a blubbering mass.

  Liz wrapped her arms around Hawk and released a slow breath. A stirring against her abdomen confused her for a second before she realized the growing bulge would be a full-blown erection in seconds.

  She straightened and looked up at him. “How can you…”

  He gave a half laugh. “It’s not difficult with you, sweetheart, but we’ll save it for later.” One hand slid around her neck while the other held her tight. He pressed a chaste kiss against her forehead, then pulled back. “I’ll make this up to you when we get home.”

  Her stomach flipped, and she could only nod.

  Hawk released her. “It’s fifteen miles back to 87, too far to walk on this old road at night.” He glanced east. “Even with a full moon on the way.” His gaze came back around and locked with hers. “You game for a night under the stars?”

  Her heart did a double take, but to her surprise she read only concern in his eyes. That made her legs gel even more. A night under the stars with a Native American warrior who intended to protect her? Who was going to save her from him?

  “What time will your students return tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Katie will be here by nine a.m.”

  “That’s not too bad,” Liz said. “Emma will be worried sick, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m sure Katie will have a phone.” She gave him a recriminating look.

  He shrugged. “This’ll teach me.”

  “What time is it?”

  He glanced at his digital watch. “Seven-thirty.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and Katie will be early.”

  He nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling she’d be a lot luckier if Katie were late.

  “Where did you leave the cooler?” he asked. “We’ve got plenty of food and water left.”

  “The other side of the car,” she replied in a voice that, thankfully, didn’t crack. She fetched the cooler, then crossed to the truck, where Hawk was retrieving a sleeping bag and blue jean jacket from behind the seat.

  “You really come prepared,” she said.

  “The desert gets down in the forties this time of year. Without a coat and water you can be in trouble before you know it.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “We’ll be all right.”

  The knot in her stomach tightened when he pulled a rifle from behind the seat. Hawk shut the door and faced her.

  “Were you expecting trouble?” she asked.

  “I always keep a rifle on a dig. There’s not much danger with a big group like today, but I spend a lot of time on digs alone. Mountain lions can be aggressive.” He extended his hand in invitation. “The Toyota will be more comfortable than my truck. We can put the backseat down.”

  She entwined her fingers in his, and he led her toward the Land Cruiser. The casual clasp of his fingers, warm and sure, sent a frisson of awareness through her. Had it been so long that any touch from a man was so noticeable? She had to get a grip. It would be easy to get carried away with
a middle-aged fantasy that ended up making a fool of her—and getting her and Emma hurt. Hawk had made it clear he wanted her, but he was grown up enough to put aside his sexual advances. They had to get through this night and get safely home tomorrow.

  Five minutes later, Hawk had the seat down and the sleeping bag spread out across the Toyota bed. He motioned Liz in, and she ignored the idea that he was watching her rear end as she crawled inside.

  “Why leave us here like this?” she asked as he closed the door behind him.

  He scooted back to where she sat. “Another warning.”

  He stretched out kitty-corner on the sleeping bag and pulled her against his chest. The moon that lifted over the orange tinged horizon joined forces with the scent of earth and the unique masculine smell that was Hawk, and her stomach tightened with burgeoning desire. The arm wrapped around her lay heavy across her waist. A quiver radiated through her insides. Liz willed herself not to melt against the muscled expanse pressed close to her breast.

  “This is low-key compared to last night’s warning,” she said, in a voice she prayed didn’t give away the desire that throbbed between her legs with every beat of her heart. He was silent, and she was sure he could feel her nipples hardening against his chest. How long could she resist before she kissed him? “I meant what I said. I’m not going to risk Emma’s relationship with you.”

  “I won’t change my mind about being her advisor,” he said.

  “What?” Liz shoved up onto an elbow so they made eye contact in the dusky moonlight. “You’re going to be her advisor?”

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  Liz shook her head. And Emma wouldn’t. She would give up his support before hurting her. Liz hadn’t considered the possibility that Emma would find a professor willing to advise her so early in her education. Her throat tightened. Emma’s upset hadn’t just been teenage embarrassment. Had she already gone too far?

  “This is too big for me to jeopardize,” she said.

  “The only person who can jeopardize Emma is herself,” he said, “and that’s only if she doesn’t do the work. I can’t see her doing that.”

  “When things end between you and I—”

  “You’ve already made up your mind?” he cut in.

  “You have to admit, chances of a long-term relationship between us are slim.”

  “I’ve seen worse odds.”

  Liz nodded. “Maybe, but I’m not willing to gamble with my daughter’s future.”

  He laughed. “You have nothing to say about it, sweetheart. It’s a done deal.”

  “What do you mean?” she demanded.

  “I’ve already assigned her senior classes.”

  Liz stared. “But she’s only an undergrad.”

  “An immensely talented undergrad who deserves as much help as she can get.”

  “You could still change your mind.”

  His brows rose. “If you piss me off?”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time something like that has happened.”

  “It would be a first for me. Not to mention, I’m not stupid enough to let a student’s mother get between me and some great funding.”

  Liz blinked. “She’ll garner that much funding for you?”

  Hawk shrugged. “She’s a hot commodity. I’m simply a smart enough businessman to have tied up the deal before someone else did, and I have no intentions of giving her up, no matter how hard you try to talk me out of it. Though I won’t stop you from plying me with your womanly wiles in order to try.”

  “Talk you out of it? I…I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “I didn’t do it for you, Liz. Much as I’d like to take the credit.”

  “I know.” She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. “Which only makes it all the more amazing. You did it because you’re a nice person.”

  “Mostly a good businessman,” he said.

  She touched his cheek. “No. A nice person.”

  “Careful, Liz.”

  A quiver rocked her stomach. The husky note in his voice would do her in. “You were right,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I have lousy timing.” Not to mention mush for a brain.

  He laughed and pulled her close. “Yeah, but my timing’s great.”

  Liz thought about his great timing that morning when he’d had his mouth between her legs, and her pulse skipped a beat, then faltered.

  “Oh, my God.” She buried her head in his chest.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

  “They were watching us when—” She groaned.

  “They?” He chuckled, then gave her a reassuring hug. “It’s more likely Reid’s men came later.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Any more than you can know they were watching. And, even if they were, the only thing they saw was us kissing.”

  “And you on your knees when you—” Her cheeks heated, despite knowing he couldn’t see her face.

  “When I what?”

  His deep voice reverberated through her. “You know what you did.” She winced at the squeak in her voice.

  “I can’t wait to do it again.”

  Liz jumped at the feel of lazy circles travelling along her arm.

  “You want me to touch you that way again,” he said. “No woman reacts the way you did and doesn’t want to have that done to her again.” He brought his mouth close to her ear. “And again.”

  Liz had thought that very thing, and her body ached painfully at the idea.

  “How do you plan on dealing with Vance Reid?” she said

  The lazy circles stopped. A long stretch of silence passed between them before he said, “I’ll have to make the police understand they have to step things up on their investigation.”

  “I don’t think you’re being honest,” she said.

  “No?”

  “I think you intend to speak with him yourself.”

  “I would like a face-to-face.”

  Liz settled her cheek more comfortably against his chest and stared through the window at the moon that rose against a darkening sky. “Do you believe he’ll blink first?”

  He squeezed her arm. “I was wrong to play that game with you in the truck last night.”

  Warmth flowed like liquid silver up her arm from where he touched her.

  “Reid isn’t chancing that we’ll beat him,” Hawk said. “And I do plan to beat him. Did plan to beat him.”

  “Did?” Liz pushed up and met his gaze. “Now, wait a minute. You can’t make any changes on my account.”

  He tweaked a lock of her hair. “Sweetheart, I wouldn’t be able to not make changes if I tried.”

  “You are out of your mind. I don’t know how your generation does things—”

  “My generation?” Rich laughter slid across her senses like black velvet. “You’re going to be able to get away with that line for about two seconds, then I’ll toss you on your back and make love to you until you forget your age, your name…” His voice deepened. “But you sure as hell won’t forget my name.”

  Chapter Seven

  Liz didn’t resist as Hawk pulled her closer. His lips touched hers, and fire exploded between her legs. A moan slipped from her. He grasped her hips and lifted her onto his body. Her curves molded to his sharper contours, especially the rock-hard erection that dug into her abdomen.

  Her head whirled. She told herself to stop, but the command evaporated with the feel of his fingers pressing into her butt and the undulation of his cock against her mound. Desire streaked through her like a runaway train—headed for a cliff. He might have been an honorable man who wouldn’t let their relationship affect Emma, but he was still twelve years younger than her. She was going to crash and burn in a blaze that left nothing but ash in its wake.

  Liz broke the kiss and dropped her head onto his neck.

  “I’ve wanted to do that all day,” he said. “And this.” He rolled, and she found herself pinned beneath him.

 
Air rushed from her lungs, and she gasped at the steely weight that bore down on her. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. She wanted to run away and stay at the same time. She grasped his shoulders in an effort to stop the spin that threatened to toss her stomach into her throat. He covered her breast with a warm palm. She shivered. He kissed her.

  His tongue flicked against her mouth. Liz opened, and he drove inside, his tongue sliding along hers in languid strokes that heated her core to the boiling point. She envisioned yanking open the front of his jeans and seizing the raging cock that pressed into her belly. She wanted to touch him. All of him. He slid kisses across her cheek to her ear. Warm breath tickled the sensitive lobe.

  “I want to fuck you hard and fast,” he growled. “I’m going to make you come so hard your eyes roll back in your head.” He bit down on her lobe and nibbled.

  Liz drew in a sharp breath. Hawk slid off her and began unbuttoning her coveralls. Panic rushed to the surface. The full moon acted like a bright streetlamp. He was about to see her—all of her—and she was not at her best. What would be her best? What would be good enough for a Native American warrior?

  “I—I’ve been working in the dirt all day.” The words sounded stupid. He’d got the buttons undone clear to her waist. “I’m a mess,” she insisted.

  He spread the coveralls. Cool air wafted over the rise of breasts not covered by the black lace of her bra. “The most beautiful mess I’ve ever seen.”

  Her heart pounded as he slipped aside the bra cup and the nipple pebbled under his intense scrutiny. Hawk lifted her shoulder, eased back the coveralls, then did the same for the other shoulder. He tugged the sleeves free of her arms and dragged the coveralls downward. Liz lifted her hips, allowing the fabric to slip free, and tried to still the tremble that threatened to become a seismic disaster.

  His head dipped and warm lips closed around her areola. Pleasure strung taut between nipple and pussy. He cupped her mound with his palm. Liz whimpered. She wanted him inside her. Now. Needed to feel his shaft fill her balls-deep, stroke her, push her to the mind-bending orgasm he’d promised. His finger slipped between the thong and her flesh. Her clit tightened in anticipation. She pulsed against the long digit. Tiny licks of pleasure stretched out from her core.