by D'Ann Lindun
The sun finally disappeared, leaving the valley shadowed.
Someone built a fire, and he longed to move close. Nights in the Rockies were always cold, even in July. But he knew better. If he put himself near the fire, he would be an easy target silhouetted by the flames.
“That’s it for now.” Brendan gave them a sympathetic smile as he snapped his notebook shut. “Stay close where we can keep an eye on you.”
After he moved away, Derrick placed an arm around Laramie’s shoulders. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” They turned to look as a group of police wrapped Ramona’s body in a yellow sheet and lifted her on the back of a patient horse. One by one, the police officers mounted their horses and someone doused the fire.
“Let’s get out of here.” Derrick led Laramie to her horse and waited until she mounted. Then he stepped up on his own mare. “Stay in the middle of the group, ahead of me. You’ll be safe there.”
She nodded and moved Pale ahead.
Even in the dark, the light horse was easy to spot.
“Laramie, stop!”
She reined in so hard, her palomino reared. “What?”
“Get off now!”
To her credit, she dived off the horse without questioning him. “What’s wrong?”
The cops all looked at him like he was crazy, but sitting on the silvery palomino, Laramie stood out like a headlight. “She’s too visible.”
Derrick handed over Nightmare’s reins. “Ride her. I’ll take Pale.”
“No, you won’t.” Brendan motioned to his men. “Remove the body from that horse. Put it on Miss Porter’s gelding. She can ride that one.”
Laramie held up her hand. “Pale won’t tolerate that. Leave Ramona’s body where it is. I’ll walk.”
Handing over both horses’ reins to Brendan, Derrick said, “We’ll both hike.”
Brendan opened his mouth to protest, but Derrick interrupted him. “We’re safer that way. Keep us in the middle of the group.”
Brendan motioned to the policewoman in the lead, and she nudged her horse ahead. Waiting until several riders passed them, Derrick took Laramie’s hand and fell in line. Behind them, several more cops rode in silence. Only the sound of the horses’ hooves striking an occasional rock carried through the night. The dogs fell in at Derrick’s heels.
He would’ve gladly traded horses. He’d pay any price to keep Laramie safe. When they’d almost made love, he nearly told her how he felt. That he’d fallen for her, and hard. But he sensed her reluctance to hear it.
As they wound their way down the mountain, his tension eased a little with each step.
Arriving at the meadow, a blazing fire greeted them, along with the sound of talking and laughter. Derrick’s heart hurt when he thought of Ramona’s men. He dreaded seeing their faces when they got the news of her death. Most of them had been with her for years. Steering Laramie to his pickup, he flinched when one of the men shouted in Spanish. One of the younger hands promised revenge, and the entire meadow erupted in shouting and cursing. The police were forced to restrain several of Ramona’s men.
Derrick tensed as Brendan approached. “Load up. I want everyone out of this area now. If you refuse I’ll put you in lock-up with the rest of these hotheads.”
Derrick nodded. “Are you going after Lawrence?”
Brendan gave him a hard look. “In the morning. With all of this activity, he’s not going to be around. Go home. Stay put until you hear from me.”
“Don’t wait,” Derrick replied evenly. “Because the last time you made that mistake, a woman died.”
Chapter Eighteen
Laramie looked in her side mirror as Derrick eased into the line of trucks and trailers pulling out of the meadow. The cops followed them, several turning left with Ramona’s men, the rest coming with Derrick and Laramie to the right. “I wonder if they’re going to guard us tonight.”
Derrick peered into his own mirror. “No.”
“Why not?”
He didn’t answer for a minute. “Brendan didn’t say anything about a guard.”
Laramie didn’t press it. She was so tired, bone weary. The day’s events had caught up to her, and she was done in. Derrick’s big bed sounded wonderful. Would he share it with her?
Several miles passed before she spoke again. “Oh, no. Derrick, you were right. The cops are all turning toward Cliffside.” She grabbed his arm. “We’ll be all alone.”
“I figured.”
As the police fell away, Laramie’s stomach knotted. “You don’t think Lawrence would follow us to your house again, do you?”
Derrick glanced at her, and something feral flickered deep in his eyes. “I doubt it.”
“I can’t believe another woman is dead.” Laramie stared out the window into the dark. There was no doubt in her mind that Lawrence had meant to kill her, not Ramona. And yet she lived. The guilt was almost too much to bear.
As if he read her mind, Derrick said, “You can’t blame yourself for your brother’s actions.”
“I should’ve known he would — ”
“What? Lurk around the mountains like a wild animal, waiting to take shots at you? How were you supposed to know that? How were you supposed to know he would kill his wife?”
“I knew he was out of control,” she said. “But I didn’t know how far gone.”
“You knew he was beating his wife?”
She shook her head. “Not until recently. I knew when she tried to talk to the Cliffside cops, and they basically called her a liar. That’s what started the second fight, the one where Lawrence beat her so badly she lost the baby.”
“And you brought her to your house?”
“Yes. To keep her away from Lawrence.” She swallowed hard. “But I failed.”
“You couldn’t have stopped him. You’re lightweight, he’s not. Plus, he had adrenaline and drugs on his side.” Derrick flipped on his blinker and turned onto a side road. “I’ve had enough of this.”
“Where are you going?”
“Taking you somewhere safe, then I’m going after that SOB. I’m going to find his sorry ass, bring him in and make him look you in the face and tell you this was his fault, not yours.” He drove up a winding dirt road, deep into the mountains.
Laramie mulled over his words as they climbed further into the mountains. Was it possible she hadn’t failed Julie? If Derrick didn’t blame her, could they be together for more than one night? Could she hope for more?
Her mind spun at the implications of Derrick’s words. Although part of her wanted to forgive herself for letting Julie down, she knew she wouldn’t be able to if she didn’t protect Derrick from Lawrence. She touched his arm. “Please don’t go after him. The cops believe us now.”
“You can’t talk me out of it.” He put his hand over hers. “I’m tired of watching you suffer.”
“I’ll suffer more if something happens to you.” She dug her fingers into his arm. She had to say it, to make him understand. “Don’t you get it? If something happened to you I couldn’t stand it.”
“Nothing’s going to happen except that your brother is going to pay for his sins.”
She wasn’t getting through. She had to say the words. Maybe then he’d get it. Taking a deep breath, she blurted it out. “I love you.”
For a minute, he didn’t respond, and she feared he struggled with a way to let her down easy. But he surprised her. “I think I loved you from the minute I saw you hanging from that cliff. You looked so scared, but you were strong and brave. Your courage dented my heart.”
“Dented?” She smiled, thinking of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.
He turned off the road and angled the rig into a grove of pine trees. After shutting off the motor, he turned toward her. “My old heart was pretty closed off after what Cheryl did, but you made a dent in it.” He paused and played with the wrap on the steering wheel. “Okay, pierced.”
Never in a million years would have Laramie believed this gruff cowboy
had poetry in his soul. Maybe not exactly the kind some women read in books, but all the same, his words touched her heart. She sat up on her knees and cupped his face with both hands. “I love you so much, Derrick.”
“I love you, too.” Their lips touched, would’ve turned into a deep, lasting kiss, but he pulled back and reached for the door handle. “I’ve got to take care of the animals before I can’t walk.”
She jumped out her side and met him at the trailer. Together, they tethered the horses to the trailer and fed them. Derrick opened cans of dog food, poured it into bowls and placed them by the truck. All the while Laramie’s mind focused on the events of the last week. In the space of a few days, her whole life had changed. She had lost Julie, lost her brother, but gained a new love. One to fill the aching gap. She leaned against the trailer and looked at the stars. “Miss you, Jules. I hope you forgive me.”
Derrick placed his hands on her shoulders. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Cold?”
“No.”
“Tired?”
“No, but you must be all of those things.”
He gently spun her around. “I’m fine.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. Leaning her head against his chest, she listened to his heartbeat. Solid. Strong. Like the man himself. “Make love to me, Derrick.”
He scooped her up and carried her to the trailer door. She took one hand from around his neck and opened the latch. The front part of the trailer was a RV, complete with kitchenette, tiny bathroom and a queen-sized bed. Derrick maneuvered through the dark with ease, placing her on the mattress. He turned around and made a quiet comment to the dogs outside, then closed the door and locked it. He kicked off his boots and came toward her.
Laramie reached for the little light beside the bed and the cabin lit up with a soft, golden glow. Keeping her eyes on his, she knelt and tugged her T-shirt over her head. Still holding his gaze captive, she opened the front clasp on her bra. Normally, she was a little shy with a lover, but she trusted Derrick like no other. Reaching up, she slid one strap off her left shoulder, then the right. Bare from the waist up, she dropped her hands to her sides. Her skin got goosebumps and her peach-colored nipples hardened.
Derrick took a step forward until he was at eye level with Laramie. He glanced down and her breasts plumped in response. With a stroke so light it felt like a feather, he smoothed his palms over both breasts. Laramie let her own gaze drift down to watch his large, calloused hands cover her. His dark, tanned skin contrasted with her pale tone.
The pleasure was nearly unbearable, and she sighed.
This was where she belonged.
She lifted her hands and placed them on his hips. Already, his erection strained his worn Wranglers. Moving her hands, she undid the top button and then slid the zipper down. Frustrated by the material of his shirt keeping her from touching him, she reached up and popped open the snaps of his western shirt. He shrugged out of the blue plaid, letting it drop on the floor.
Mimicking his lead, she caressed the tip of his penis with silky strokes. The texture under her fingertips fascinated her — soft, yet when she pressed a little, hard and unyielding. A drop of moisture appeared and she dampened in response.
Unwilling or unable to wait for her to finish taking off his jeans, he shoved them down and stepped out of them. When she reached for him again, he caught her wrists. Bending forward, he kissed her. Under his searching lips, hers opened eager to taste him. His searching tongue left her shaking, wanting.
Releasing her hands, he reached between them and freed the buttons on her jeans. Covering his hands with hers, she helped him push them past her hips. Still kneeling, they piled around her knees. “I’m caught,” she whispered.
“Yes, you are.” His voice was gruff with desire. “Lie back.”
Awkwardly, she bent back at the waist, her feet tucked under her behind. Again, scooping her up, he placed her on her bottom with her feet dangling off the edge of the bed. He tugged off her boots, tossing them over his shoulder. They hit the wall with a resounding thud. Her jeans slipped off her legs, landing on the floor in a heap.
Sitting in front of him, she reached out and ran a finger from his navel toward his chest. She splayed her hands across his nipples, loving the feel of them. His hair tickled her palms, and she slid her hands down catching on narrow hips.
With awareness tingling in every pore, Laramie didn’t think she could endure any more, but his hands smoothing up and down her thighs enticed her to open them. She dug her hands into his hipbones as he slid closer to her center with each stroke. Slick now, she tugged his hips toward her, but he stood still.
“Lie back.”
He placed a hand on her stomach and eased her onto her back. With her legs dangling off the bed, she was completely exposed, open and vulnerable. Slipping his hand down her heaving stomach, he paused, just at the top of her pubic bone. For a minute, he waited.
She quivered, knowing he was looking at her most private place.
When he bent his head and tasted her, the air rushed out of her lungs so fast she felt dizzy. Sensations like she had never experienced whipped through her like a flag on a windy day. His warm, moist tongue moving in and out of her and over her tender nub caused her to curl her fingers into his soft hair. She wanted to scream; she couldn’t breathe. She wanted to beg him to stop; she wanted him to go on forever.
Her belly tightened, her breasts felt like they were on fire.
It was too much.
The pleasure turned to unbearable torture. Her skin was so sensitive even his hair rubbing on the inside of her thighs scratched like sandpaper. She tightened her legs, tried to push him away. He scraped his teeth over her clit, and the pain transformed, hurling her into ecstasy like she had never experienced. Spasm after spasm gripped her body, until she arched her hips, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. She cried out, not knowing what she said. Somewhere she let go of his hair and seized the blankets with a death grip.
Still shaking, it barely registered that he poised himself between her trembling legs. Until he smoothed a thumb over her drenched pleasure nub. A delayed shock rocked her, and she moaned.
He bent forward and kissed her. The taste of her own sweet-salty flavor was not unpleasant.
Opening her legs again, she beckoned him to enter her.
Placing his hands flat on either side of her, he moved forward, the tip of his erection against her soaked opening.
With slow, careful moves, he entered her body. Until she feared she couldn’t take any more. My God, she knew he was large, but this? He pushed in so deep until she didn’t know if she could handle another moment.
“You okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Her hand smoothed over his bunched back and ass muscles, marveling at the strength of him. His chest hairs tickled her sensitive nipples, and they peaked in response.
She caught his bottom lip in her teeth and lightly nipped it.
Sliding his hands under her bottom, he lifted her, changing the angle of his entry, and suddenly all their pressure points meshed. He began to rock his pelvis, and her hips instinctively caught his motion.
Turning her mouth to his neck, she licked and sucked until she felt him begin to tremble much as she had earlier. A small flicker of delight grew in her belly, building with each thrust he made into her body.
The pressure began to expand, filling her.
She marked him with her mouth, bruising his skin.
She dragged her nails across his back.
“Sweet lady, stop,” he moaned. His breathing grew ragged, and she knew he was close. Even if she had wanted to, Laramie couldn’t have quit then. The power she held intoxicated her more than any drug ever could, and it fueled her on until they breathed as one, bodies crashing together. “Laramie.” He cried out, his body jerking as he reached his peak.
His warmth flooded her, sending her body into another series of spasms that left her shaken by their intensity. She lay still, wra
pped in his embrace. Even though he was heavy, his weight pressing on her didn’t bother her.
“I’m too big.” He rolled over on his back, pulling her halfway on top of him.
She giggled. “Obviously not.”
“Nasty girl.” He kissed the top of her head. “I didn’t hurt you — ”
She played with his chest hair. “Of course not.”
“I’ll never hurt you.” He sounded so serious she had to tip her head back and look at him. His mood had turned intense so fast it startled her.
“I know.”
“No matter what happens, I want you to know I love you.”
She shivered, and it had nothing to do with desire. “I love you, too. Nothing’s going to happen to either one of us because the cops will have Lawrence in custody any minute.”
His grip on her tightened. “Just remember.”
Chapter Nineteen
Derrick waited until Laramie was safely asleep before slipping out of her arms. While dressing in the dark he took one last look at her. Never in a million years would he have believed she would mean so much to him in such a short amount of time.
He couldn’t lose her.
If he didn’t protect her, no one would. When the cops hadn’t gone after Lawrence last night, Derrick knew it was up to him to stop him. He’d lain awake after their lovemaking, deciding how to best go about it.
After picking up his rifle, he signaled her dogs inside the trailer and closed the door behind him. As quietly as possible, he saddled the black mare. With a final glance over his shoulder, he rode away with Turbo on his heels.
He blocked his mind from worrying about what Laramie would think when she woke without him. He had no choice but to leave her for a while. Brendan and the other cops might be after Lawrence today, but Derrick had firsthand knowledge of what the man was capable of doing. As he angled up the mountainside, following a faint deer trail, he stayed out of sight as much as possible. Making sure his rifle was loaded, he had added a box of bullets to his saddlebags. With two bottles of tepid water and a day-old sandwich on the other side, he’d be fine.
