Top Gun Guardian

by Carol Ericson

  Buzz had been so consumed with guilt at his parents’ deaths at the time that he hadn’t even noticed Raven’s silence. She’d sent him a condolence card with a quick note almost a year after the crash. It had helped but made his return to the ranch even harder.

  She wrapped her hand around his as he placed a glass of water on the counter. “Did the investigators ever find out what was wrong with the plane?”

  “Poor maintenance.”

  “No way.” She smacked the tile. “You took good care of that plane, Buzz. If anything, Josh should’ve checked the plane out more thoroughly before taking off.”

  “No.” His hand jerked so violently, the water from the other glass sloshed over the sides. “It’s not Josh’s fault. I should’ve been there to fly that plane. It was my plane, my parents, my responsibility.”

  His gut twisted with the old pain, and he grabbed a dishcloth to mop up the water. He could forget when he was flying the commercial jets. He could forget in his apartment in Dallas. He could even forget while he was running around the globe looking for Jack Coburn. But the agony and guilt flooded his senses every time he stepped onto the ranch. Why did he think it would be any different this time?

  Malika probably would’ve been safer in another location, where memories weren’t constantly pummeling his brain and distracting him.

  Raven slid the glass from the wet counter and turned toward the fridge. “I’ll get another glass of water.”

  Buzz tossed the dishtowel into the sink and wiped his hand on the back of his jeans. Touching Raven’s shoulder, he said, “Thanks for the card, by the way. I appreciated the gesture. I didn’t know Meg had told you.”

  She spun around with a full glass of water in her hand. “Yeah, well, Meg knows what it’s like to be shut out. Ian never told her anything about Prospero.”

  “They’re back together now. He had to retrieve a case from the mountains in Colorado, where Meg’s living and working. He found out they have a son together.”

  “Meg never told me she had a son.”

  “She never told Ian either. Once he got past his anger, he was thrilled.” Buzz tried to keep the accusatory note out of his voice.

  “I’m happy for them. I’m sure Ian will make a great dad.” She turned away from him again, carrying the two glasses of water back into the family room.

  He followed closely on her heels, a glutton for punishment. “Why are you so sure Ian will make a great dad after his upbringing with a couple of drunks, and yet you’re so sure you’d be a failure?”

  She put one glass down on the coffee table next to Malika and pressed her finger to her lips. Then she plopped on the floor and crossed her legs. “You didn’t move my piece, did you, Malika?”

  Clenching his jaw, Buzz perched on the end of the coffee table. Raven could dish it out, but she couldn’t take it. She’d refused to examine her fears when she’d broken off their engagement and now, when proof that she could be a good parent was staring her right in the face with a pair of big brown eyes, she refused to acknowledge it.

  Malika shoved a piece with her finger and shook her head. “Did not move.”

  “I was just teasing you, silly.” Raven patted the top of Malika’s head. “I think it’s your turn.”

  Malika picked up a card and then dropped it on the board. “I would like to go to bed now.”

  “Are you feeling okay?” Raven put the back of her hand against Malika’s forehead. “Do you want your water?”

  “Yes, please.” Malika gulped down the water and scrambled to her feet, encased in soft flannel pajamas.

  With a furrowed brow, Raven followed Malika into the downstairs bathroom. Ten minutes later, she plodded into the family room with heavy footsteps. She sank onto the sofa and kicked her feet up on top of the coffee table.

  “I guess I screwed that up.”

  Buzz rested his magazine on his chest. “What are you talking about?”

  “Malika.” Raven pointed to the closed door of Malika’s bedroom. “She was having fun until I accused her of cheating. Maybe it’s some kind of heavy insult in her culture. She didn’t give me one smile before I tucked her in.”

  Buzz draped an arm across the back of the sofa, his fingers lightly touching Raven’s shoulder. Her confidence in dealing with Malika must be shaky if it took so little to dash it.

  “She’s tired, Raven. We flew in last night, shopping today and the play area. I’m exhausted, too.”

  “Yeah, she’s tired of having a fraud for a parent. Any news on her father or Burumanda?”

  “Nothing yet. I’ll wait for the colonel to call me. Once the legitimate government takes control, they should both be safe in their own country.”

  Raven released a long breath and closed her eyes. Her long, dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks and Buzz brushed a wisp of hair from her throat. She parted her lips.

  Touching no other part of Raven’s body, Buzz covered her mouth with his. A pulse throbbed in her lower lip, and she curled one hand around the back of his neck. He deepened the kiss, stroking her cheek.

  She tasted as good as he remembered and her skin, devoid of the expensive makeup she usually wore, felt soft and supple beneath his touch. Not that he minded the artfully applied makeup or the high heels or the designer clothes. Even in the field, Raven had dressed to kill—and he’d been her first victim.

  As an adjunct member of Prospero, she’d been tough, brave, smart, witty and great in bed. A lethal mix.

  She placed her hands flat against his chest, splaying her fingers across his T-shirt. “No strings?”

  “No strings.” He plowed his fingers through her black hair, the silky strands catching on the rough patches on his hands.

  She plucked at his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. Goosebumps raced across his flesh as she trailed her long fingernails down his belly to the waistband of his jeans.

  “Are you cold?” A smile played across her full lips.

  “Baby, I’m burning up.” He peeled her fleece sweatshirt from her shoulders, burying his face in her neck. Her fresh scent, enhanced by the Oklahoma countryside, intoxicated him to the point where it muddled the voice in his head yelling that this wasn’t a good idea.

  He gathered the material of her long-sleeved T-shirt in one hand and yanked.

  “Hey, don’t stretch this. It’s brand-new.” She smoothed the material before rolling it up and off her body.

  The sexy, lacy bra cupping her perfect breasts couldn’t have come from Daisy’s. He unhooked it in the back and dangled it from his fingers. “I’m glad you didn’t swap this out for the small-town version.”

  She reached for him, digging her nails into his shoulders. “Are you going to conduct an inventory of my clothes…or my body?”

  Turning his head, he trailed a line of kisses along the inside of her arm. “I remember every inch of your body.”

  Raven shivered and grabbed his crotch. “And I remember every inch of you.”

  The laugh deep in his throat turned into a groan as the pressure of her hand increased. She unbuttoned his fly slowly and deliberately, each movement designed to heighten his desire.

  Before she got to the last button, he straddled her and pinned her wrists against the cushions of the sofa. “Are you trying to tease me?”

  She widened her eyes. “I’m just helping you undress. Would you like me to move a little faster?”

  He dropped his head to her breast and circled her nipple with his tongue. “Mmm, I’m not that impatient. Are you?”

  His hands shaped her breasts and she wriggled beneath him. “As a matter of fact, I…”

  Her sentence trailed off along with his pleasure when a crash sounded from behind the closed door of Malika’s room.

  His mouth suddenly dry, Buzz jumped from the sofa and stepped over the coffee table, banging his knee. “That came from Malika’s room.”

  Raven cried out and scrambled to follow him, repeating, “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

  Buzz sho
ved open the door and a gust of cold air blasted him in the face. The window gaped open and a lamp lay shattered in pieces on the floor.

  Malika was gone.

  Chapter Seven

  As Raven peered around Buzz’s shoulder, her heart pounded from fear instead of passion. The words thumped against her temples with the same rhythm as her heart—just like Mom and Dad, just like Mom and Dad. She and Buzz had been too into each other to keep a close watch over Malika.

  Buzz rushed to the open window and, grasping the windowsill, peered outside. “This window was locked. I know. I double-checked it earlier.”

  Clasping her trembling hands in front of her, Raven asked, “I-is the lock broken?”

  Buzz stepped back and pulled down the window. With his brows a straight line across his nose, he inspected the glass and the lock. “I don’t see any sign of forced entry.”

  Raven tiptoed around the broken glass from the lamp. “Could he have used some sort of tool to slip the lock?”

  “I don’t know, but we’re not doing any good standing around talking about it.” He charged from the room, buttoning his fly. He snagged his T-shirt from the back of the sofa, stuffed his feet into a pair of running shoes and threw open the closet door in the hallway by the front door.

  “I’m coming with you.” Raven had already pulled her shirt over her head and now reached past Buzz to grab her jacket. “They must’ve taken off on foot. We would’ve heard an engine.”

  Buzz raised one brow, his mouth a grim line. “A tornado could’ve ripped through the house and I don’t think I would’ve heard it.”

  Leaning against the wall, Raven pulled on her new boots with shaking hands, her face hot. Yep, just like Mom and Dad.

  “Just in case we can’t find her on foot…” Buzz slipped his keys from a hook by the door and stepped onto the porch. “I’m going to investigate outside the window first.”

  Raven followed him around the corner of the house and could barely keep her balance on a pair of rubbery legs. Silent prayers tumbled through her brain. She narrowed her eyes against a gust of cold wind as they rounded the corner to the side of the house.

  The windows of the house were low to the ground. The intruder hadn’t needed any kind of boost to crawl into the room. Buzz crouched beneath the window and flicked his flashlight across the ground. “There are some broken flower stems and a few scuff marks against the side of the house.”

  A spurt of adrenaline rushed through Raven’s system and she cried out. “Malika! Malika, where are you? I’ll start in the back and you take the front.”

  “Oh no.” Buzz clinched her around the waist. “I’m not leaving you on your own. We’re doing this together.”

  Raven hadn’t even thought about the danger to herself. Of course, Malika’s abductor would be armed. And he wouldn’t give up his precious cargo easily. The fate of a country rested on that little girl’s shoulders.

  Buzz clasped Raven’s stiff, cold hand in his warm glove. At least someone had come prepared. He yanked her toward the front of the house and the circular drive, glancing down where his flashlight played across the ground.

  “I don’t see any new tire tracks. The footprints are harder to see.”

  They edged down the long drive, bordered by the bare willows. Their skinny branches created a lacy web that looked as if they could trap you. Raven snuggled closer to Buzz. The wind gusted again, lifting the ends of her hair and whipping it across her face.

  “Malika? Malika?” Maybe if the girl was within hearing distance, she could give them a sign.

  Cocking his head, Buzz shushed her. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?” The only sound Raven could hear was the whistling wind that buffeted the ranch on all sides.

  “The horses.” Buzz jerked his thumb toward the barn to the left of the main house. “The horses are restless.”

  “Could it be the wind?”

  “That or a stranger in their midst.”

  Raven rubbed her hands together. “Do you want me to continue toward the road while you check the horses?”

  He placed a hand lightly on the back of her neck and steered her back toward the ranch. “I already told you, Raven. I’m not leaving you alone.”

  Glancing over her shoulder, Raven figured if the kidnapper had a car waiting outside the gates of the ranch Malika might be long gone. Her nose tingled and she rubbed it. Buzz could find her. Buzz could bring her back.

  As they drew closer to the barn, the whinnying and snorting of the horses carried across the night. A knot formed in the pit of Raven’s stomach. The knot tightened when she saw Buzz draw a gun from his pocket. He’d really come prepared.

  They reached the barn door, and Buzz tucked her behind him. “Stay back.”

  He pushed open the door and flicked on the light. Raven blinked. She didn’t even realize barns came equipped with electric lighting.

  “Malika? Are you in here? Are you hiding?” Buzz lowered his weapon and peered around the corner of an empty stall.

  “I wanted to see the horses.”

  At the small voice, relief coursed through Raven’s body, so strong she sagged against the barn door.

  Buzz disappeared into the stall. “You gave us a scare, young lady. I would’ve shown you the horses tomorrow.”

  He emerged from the stall, hoisting Malika in his arms, her pajama-clad legs and feet dangling over his hips.

  An involuntary sob bubbled into Raven’s throat and she coughed to stop it. Her fear turned to anger and she gritted her teeth to hold back the angry words balanced on the tip of her tongue. She closed her eyes and forced a smile to her stiff lips.

  “You scared us, Malika. Why did you sneak outside? You don’t even have a jacket.”

  Malika dropped her lashes and a violent tremble shook her small frame as if she’d just noticed the freezing temperature.

  “I can solve that problem.” Buzz opened his jacket and wrapped it around Malika. “Let’s get you back to bed, and I promise I’ll take you to visit the horses tomorrow. They’ll be happier to see you then.”

  They trudged back to the house and Buzz carried Malika upstairs, bypassing the first-story bedroom. He nudged open the door of the room next to Raven’s and pushed back the covers on the freshly made bed.

  “I think you’ll like this room better, but no climbing out of this window.” He dropped a kiss on the top of Malika’s head and left Raven to tuck her into bed.

  Raven pulled the blankets up to Malika’s chin. “Why did you climb out of that window?”

  “The horses.” Malika screwed up her eyes and wrinkled her nose.

  Raven drew in a steady breath. She didn’t want to vent her fear and anger on Malika, but she wouldn’t be much of a parent if she let that flimsy excuse slide.

  “Malika, I know the horses aren’t the real reason why you climbed out of your window into the cold night wearing just your pajamas.” Raven traced a finger around Malika’s soft ear. “I won’t get mad at you.”

  Malika opened one eye. “I heard you and Buzz-Daddy in the kitchen. You were mad. I am too much trouble.”

  “That’s not true.” Raven tugged Malika’s ear and smiled even though a little piece of her heart shattered.

  “That is why my mother died. She had to stay with me instead of going with my father when the bad men came.” A big, fat tear rolled down Malika’s downy cheek.

  Raven caught the tear with her thumb. “Your mother wanted to stay with you. And Buzz-Daddy and I want to stay with you, too.”

  Malika’s wet lashes fluttered and she rubbed her nose against the pillow. “Horses.”

  Tucking the blankets around Malika’s shoulders, Raven whispered, “That’s right. You can visit the horses tomorrow. We can learn how to ride together.”

  Raven sat on the edge of the bed for several minutes more, watching the steady rise and fall of Malika’s chest. She should’ve realized something had bothered Malika when she’d lost interest in their board game.

 
; Nobody claimed parenting was easy. She’d just never had a desire to succeed at it…until now.

  She left the bedroom door open when she stepped out of the room and tapped on Buzz’s door.

  “C’mon in.”

  Inching the door open, she peered around the edge. Her blood thudded through her veins as her gaze scanned Buzz’s muscular frame propped up against snowy-white pillows. His touch had ignited a fire that burned like a pilot light in her belly. She knew now that flicker of heat between them would never die out.

  He waved his book at her. “Come on in. I don’t bite.”

  Liar. He did bite—intoxicating little nibbles that turned her insides to warm, sticky caramel. But she’d sworn off sweets.

  “Malika climbed out that window because she heard us arguing in the kitchen. She thought we were arguing about her and she didn’t want to be any more trouble to us.”

  “Silly kid.”

  The stress of losing Malika, the fear and anxiety of the past few days came crashing down on her like a detonated building. Sinking to her knees, she buried her face in her hands as sobs wracked her body.

  Buzz’s large, comforting hands clasped her shoulders. He drew her into his embrace, and her tears dampened his bare chest as she clung to him.

  His lips caressed her temple. “Maybe you should go home. Maybe it was a mistake to drag you along.”

  Her head shot up and she ran a hand beneath her nose. “You don’t think I can handle this? You don’t think I can take care of Malika?”

  “That’s not what I meant.” He tucked her hair behind her ears and cupped her face. “It’s dangerous and stressful. I had no right to upend your life.”

  “It wasn’t you, Buzz. I had to come along for Malika’s sake.” She rubbed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. “I’m okay now. All those feelings when we discovered Malika missing hit me at once.”

  He grinned. “Wanted to strangle her when you found her, huh?”

  “Oh, no. No.” How did he know her fear had morphed into anger?