Naked Heat: Naked Cowboys, Book 7

by Desiree Holt

  Mac walked over to shake Cade’s hand. “Thanks from me too. This was a nice change.” He glanced at Nida and back at the man. “Even if y’all did a little manipulating here.”

  “At least your ride home will be prettier than me,” Cade joked.

  Nida had the big SUV again tonight, and he still marveled at how a woman that small manhandled a vehicle of that size so easily. As she backed around and drove onto the street, he cleared his throat.

  “I’m sorry this is uncomfortable for you. I’d think your friends would know better.”

  She laughed, a soft musical sound. “Oh, they do. I promise you. They just can’t help themselves. Would you believe me if I told you that every couple at that table has been manipulated? In the nicest way, of course.”

  Mac chuckled. “They do seem a determined lot. The men as much as the women.”

  “People say it’s something in the water. I don’t know. But…” She paused.

  “But what?” he prompted.

  “I came here four years ago to get away from the mess I’d made of my life. I had nothing but my real estate license and a need to start over.”

  Mac grunted. “I can relate to that.”

  “I met Amy first,” she went on. “None of the others were here yet. She befriended me and sort of made me her project. Introduced me to everyone. Put the word out to scare up listings and clients. Little by little, our group just grew. Everyone’s got a story, believe me. Now I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

  Mac thought about it as they rode silently through the night. Maybe that was why he’d ended up here, drawn by an invisible thread to a place where people brought their troubles. He certainly felt a lot better sitting close to this woman, no matter how contrived it had been.

  “Thanks for the ride home,” he said at last and reached over and gently squeezed her arm.

  “Actually, it’s my pleasure.” She glanced his way quickly and gave him a smile that surged all the way through his body. He was in big trouble here.

  They rode in silence the rest of the way, as if they both knew they could be comfortable with it. When she parked the car to the side of his house, she just sat there studying it. The moon was full and cast everything in a bright light.

  “You’ve gotten a great deal done since you closed on this,” she commented.

  He gave a short laugh. “And there’s still ten times as much to do. But it’s getting there.”

  She surprised him by getting out of the SUV and standing in front of it, taking a good look around. Mac went to stand beside her.

  “You’ve certainly got lots of sweat equity into this,” she commented.

  “That’s the damn truth. And lot’s more to come.”

  There was more silence. “I know you didn’t come here just to hide out in a rundown house,” she said at last. “When you’ve dealt with troubles, you can sense them in others.”

  “Nida, listen. I—”

  “I don’t want an explanation. Just know that if you need someone to listen, I’m here. And I don’t tattle.”

  “I wouldn’t think you did.”

  He turned toward her at the same moment she moved to look at him, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to put his hands on her shoulders and take a good long look into those mysterious eyes. It seemed even more natural for him to cup her chin and tilt her face upwards. He was a bare whisper from her mouth when he stopped.

  “I’m going to kiss you. Take a step back if you don’t want that.”

  When she didn’t move, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Damn, she tasted incredible, hot and sweet at the same time. When she opened her mouth, he thrust his tongue inside and every nerve in his body fired. His cock, already throbbing with need, swelled even more, and his balls ached like a son of a bitch. Heat surged through his body as their tongues tangled and he drank her in. He could stay like this forever.

  Breaking the kiss was one of the hardest things he’d ever done and took every ounce of his self-discipline. What he really wanted to do was carry her in the house, strip off all her clothes and run his tongue over every inch of her body.

  “Nida, I have to tell you—”

  She touched her slim fingers to his mouth. “You don’t have to tell me a thing. That is, until you feel you want to.” She took a step back. “Good night, Mac. It was great seeing you again.”

  She gave him a smile that was half-shy, got in her SUV and drove down the driveway.

  Mac stood there staring after her for a very long time.

  Chapter Four

  Mac added another load of underbrush to the large pile he was creating, wiped his sweaty face with the hem of his tee shirt and blew out a long breath. He hadn’t done this kind of extensive physical labor for a long time, but it was just what he needed to deal with his grief and fury. Hard labor blunted a lot of things, including the intense attraction he had for super duper agent Nida Beloit.

  Despite his hard work from sunup to sundown, he couldn’t get the damn woman out of his mind. He wasn’t exactly a celibate person, having had his share of women in his life. Some he was attracted to more than others, but even before the tragedy, none of them had ever made a lasting impression on him. And he’d been with some damn fine women.

  Then along came Nida Beloit and his head was well and truly screwed up. How was that even possible? He’d seen her a scant few times. Although that night at the B&B, he’d been all too aware of her as a woman and not just another person in the room. It seemed as if his body simply had a mind of its own. That night when she’d driven him home—and hadn’t that just been so cleverly manipulated—they’d shared one kiss. One kiss, damn it. Now look at him. He had a mission to accomplish and he could not allow himself to be distracted. Yet every time he closed his eyes, it was Nida’s face he saw, her lips he felt.

  Shit!

  He needed to forget the kiss, forget her. Forget everything except what he’d come here to do. He’d discovered that a lot of the ranch hands liked to hang out in a place out on the highway called the Branding Iron. Tonight, he’d stop in and hang out for a while. Listen to the cowboys in the area chatter. Add a few more names to his growing list of big ranches in the area, the people who owned them and their offspring.

  He wished he had more of a description to work with, but his friend had only been able to scrape the bare bones from his source. Whoever had driven that car was the son of a big rancher, somewhere between eighteen and twenty-five. He had no physical description. No idea if the killer had siblings or what. But the word was he still did live at home. Possibly worked the ranch with his father.

  Finding him was the focus of Mac’s life now, and he didn’t care how long it took. Or how much he was tempted by a woman with glossy black hair and the sexiest lips he’d ever kissed.

  Adjusting his jeans to accommodate the swelling of his cock that always went hand in hand with thoughts of Nida, he yanked out more brush from the scraggly shrubbery at the front of the house. He’d managed to tame the worst of it with the Bushwhacker and oversized hedge clippers. Now he had the front and one side done and could actually see the bones of the house. Next week, he was going to hire someone to come out and spray weed killer on the poor excuse for a lawn and all over the gravel. Then he might start thinking about painting.

  If he hadn’t found his prey by then.

  He had just begun gathering another load of trash and trimmings when his attention was caught by the glint of the sun on a SUV turning into his driveway. For a minute, he thought it might be Nida, but then he realized it was the wrong color. It also had Sheriff painted on the side. What the hell?

  He pulled off his work gloves and stuck them in his back pocket, waiting until the vehicle reached the weedy gravel patch that passed for a parking area. The man who climbed out had broad shoulders, lean hips and long legs all clad in jeans and
a long-sleeved cotton shirt. Sun reflected off the star pinned to his chest and the aviator sunglasses he wore as he strode toward Mac.

  Great. The law.

  “Dillon Cross.” He grinned. “I guess I don’t need to tell you I’m the sheriff.”

  “Mac McDaniel.” Mac wiped his hand on his jeans and shook the other man’s outstretched one. “Yeah, the car and the badge kind of tell it all.”

  “Jinx and I didn’t make it to the dinner the other night, so I thought I’d stop by and introduce myself.”

  “Thanks.” Mac glanced over his shoulder at what was still a sorry site. “I think.”

  “Charity had some nice things to say about you, and she’s pretty hard to please.”

  “Oh?” He lifted an eyebrow.

  “Ten years in the Dallas P D leaves you pretty jaded, so I give her opinions a lot of credence.”

  Mac made himself smile. “Glad I passed the test.”

  Dillon chuckled. “No test, just a gut reaction.” He took his time looking the property over. “Quite a mess you bought yourself.”

  “You got that right. But the hard work’s good for me. Clears my head.”

  Now why the hell had he said that? Dillon would start asking him what he had in his head that needed clearing out.

  But the man just nodded and said, “Uh huh.” He looked around some more and then pulled off his sunglasses and looked directly at Mac. “As the sheriff of Rowan County, I kind of feel like it’s my responsibility to protect my citizens. Keep an eye on things.”

  A tiny sliver of unease wiggled through Mac’s system. “Am I one of the ones you think need protecting, or are you protecting others from me?”

  “Neither at the moment.” Dillon studied him for so long Mac wondered if the man had X-ray eyes. “You should know that for the most part my work here consists of filing reports and arbitrating disputes. Not a lot of crime to fight in the county. So I take the time to check out new residents.”

  “Oh?” The sliver of unease turned into a cold ball of dread in Mac’s stomach. What was up here?

  “When the ladies passed along the details on the hotshot from San Antonio moving onto a falling-down ranch, it piqued my curiosity. So while I was filing paperwork and all that crap, I decided to see what you were all about.” He paused. “Very interesting story.”

  “It is.” Mac clenched his fists and shoved them into his front pockets. “But I’d say it’s more than interesting.”

  “Me too,” Dillon agreed. “Just so you don’t think I’m an unfeeling asshole, what happened is one of the worst kinds of tragedies. I know the grief must be consuming you.”

  “It is that.” He blew out a breath. “She was my twin.”

  “Son of a bitch.” The curse slid out of Dillon’s mouth like a knife in the air.

  “No shit.”

  “Listen.” Dillon rubbed his jaw. “I could throw a lot of bullshit your way, but you seem like a man I could respect, so I’ll just lay it out.”

  “Lay what out?” Mac wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what came next.

  “I know you’re up here looking for that guy,” Dillon told him. “Don’t try to deny it,” he went on as Mac opened his mouth to do just that. “I asked a few quiet questions. I have friends too. And I worked for the San Antonio P D for ten years before I moved up here. I know the word is that he’s the son of some big Hill Country rancher. That means he could very well be in my county. The word is that a lot of pressure was brought to bear to kill the incident.”

  “Incident?” Rage surged through him. “Is that what they’re calling it?”

  “Take it easy,” Dillon soothed. “I might not be as emotionally invested in this as you, but it still chaps my butt to see that happen. Besides, the law comes first for me, no matter who you are.”

  “And?” Mac had to grit his teeth to keep from shouting. Was this guy sending him some kind of message? Was he going to tell him to lay off?

  “And…there’s only so much you can do on your own. I’m not exactly overworked here. I could give you a hand with it. Maybe help you narrow down the suspects.”

  Mac studied the other man. “You’d do that for me? Why? You don’t even know me.”

  “For whatever reason, you seem to have the stamp of approval from people I trust.” Then Dillon’s face took on a hard look and his eyes were suddenly as cold as winter. “Besides, one of the things I hate most is people who think money buys them immunity from the law. It may work some places, but not here.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Mac didn’t know what else to say.

  “I don’t expect you to jump all over this right now. Sometimes focusing on a mission like this helps the grief. But I want you to know I’m here and I want to help”

  “Thank you.” He swallowed back the bitter taste that always surged when he discussed what happened. “I’ll consider it.”

  “Just don’t wait too long. I’d hate to have to arrest you for acting like some kind of vigilante.”

  “Understood.”

  “These are good women, Mac, and their husbands are solid. When they extend the hand of friendship, you can count on it no matter what. Just so you know.”

  Mac didn’t know what to say. His throat choked with unexpected emotion, so he just nodded.

  Dillon put the shades back on and grinned, the lines in his face relaxed again. “By the way, if you’re going to hang around for very long, be warned that the women my wife is friends with can’t stand to see a man—or woman—single for too long. If they see you with a member of the opposite sex, they’ll start checking wedding venues.”

  Mac laughed, the tightness in his chest easing. “I got that impression at dinner. They weren’t too subtle about mixing Nida and I up together.”

  “You could do a lot worse. She’s an incredible woman and a great friend.” Dillon’s face sobered. “But she’s had her share of heartache. I don’t know exactly what happened. She doesn’t share too much.”

  Mac realized there was a hint of warning in the words. We want to be your friend but don’t hurt one of ours. Another person warning him about Nida. Interesting, this connective bonding they all had. Mac had a lot of friends, but none of them as tight as this little circle.

  “Understood.”

  “If you’re in town, stop by the office. The coffee pot’s always working and ours is unexpectedly drinkable.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Mac stood in the same spot watching the SUV head back down the driveway and turn onto the highway, staring long after it disappeared. Could he take Dillon up on his offer to help? He had such a burning thirst to wreak vengeance himself, but it might be time to admit he needed assistance. He’d see what happened in the next couple of days.

  And Nida. What had the sheriff said about her? “She’s had her share of heartache.” He wondered about that and hoped his focus on revenge didn’t hurt her more. She had started stopping by in the morning with breakfast pastries, just spending a few minutes and seeing if he needed anything. At first, he wanted to tell her to stop. He didn’t need the distraction. Then, as he became used to her visits, he began to look forward to those few minutes every day. He even found himself smiling when he was with her, something he hadn’t done for quite a while.

  Damn. It had just sort of snuck up on him. The woman had just wormed her way under his skin without even trying. One minute, there was nothing but his dedicated mission, then he was having erotic dreams and jerking off, wishing it was Nida wrapped around his cock instead of his hand.

  Nida turned onto the two-lane highway that led to Mac McDaniel’s place with only a slight feeling of trepidation. After the night she’d driven him home and he’d kissed her stupid, she’d hardly been able to think of anything else. There had been certain chemistry between them, an electric charge she’d felt from the moment he’d w
alked into her office. She was worse than a giddy schoolgirl, and at her age it was hardly becoming. Still, the man fascinated her beyond belief.

  The day after what she now referred to in her mind as the Kiss, she’d had to drive out to see a property less than half a mile from his. Giving in to impulse, she’d picked up some sweet rolls at With Icing on Top and made a stop at his place.

  In the daylight, she’d gotten an even better idea of the amount of work he’d done. With the eyesore outbuildings gone, she could see how much land still surrounded the house. With a lot of muscle and sweat, it could be turned into a beautiful site again. If Mac hung around that long. She had a feeling this was a temporary situation for him, although she had no idea why anyone would go to all this trouble for a place they didn’t intend to stay in very long.

  From then on, she made it a regular habit to drive out in the mornings with goodies from the bakery. Mac made coffee and they sat on the back steps and enjoyed the scenery and talked about—well—nothing really. But she came to look forward to it more and more. It didn’t matter that when she’d moved to Saddle Wells, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t let an attraction to a man guide her life. It still hurt to remember the relationships she’d thought were so solid, so exciting, where the men had turned out to be users and losers. Apparently, her judgment in that department was pretty skewed.

  Odds were, she was being stupid yet again. She had a history of making bad choices and getting hurt because of it. Yes, stupid was the word. But she couldn’t fight the urge gripping her that she and Mac were on the verge of something, something that might consume and destroy them or might be just the best thing ever. Even though she’d been with him early that morning, she had an itch to see him again. Would he wonder at two visits in one day? Would he tell her he didn’t have time? Would he think she was too pushy?

  What are you doing, Nida Danielle Beloit. You’re going to make a fool of yourself. Why do you always put yourself out there? He’ll be gone soon and you’ll be left to pick up the pieces.