by Cassie Miles
Every time a microphone got stuck in his face, he offered a variation on that theme: We’re all cooperating. Everything is under control. We should be wrapping up our investigation any day now.
He recognized the woman reporter with bright red lipstick; she had to be the Lipstick Lady blogger who had embarrassed Saida. He couldn’t let her libelous comments pass. He crossed the carpet and stood before her.
“Put down that microphone for a minute,” he said. “I want to talk to you off the record.”
She flashed a grin. “Whatever you say, Wolfman.”
“You do the Lipstick Lady blog, right?”
“Right. Have you read my work?”
“I have,” he said, “and I’d advise you to check your facts before you write. Nobody likes a bully.”
Her bravado crumpled. “It’s my job to be outrageous.”
“You can do your job without hurting anybody.”
He turned his back, but she grasped his arm. Her voice was hostile. “So, is it safe for me to say that you and the princess are hooking up?”
“If we were, and I’m not saying we are, it would be something good and special. And private.”
“Oh, my God.” She gasped. “You’re sexy and sensitive.”
Saida appeared beside him. “Back off, Lipstick.”
“Princess.” The microphone was back. “Do you have a comment?”
Saida looked up at him. “I believe Sheriff Wolf has said it all.”
She took his arm and moved toward the entrance. “Did you mean that? About you and me being special?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
When they finally got inside the ballroom, he encountered about three minutes of calm—enough time to notice the chandeliers, the glow of an ice sculpture and the clink of champagne glasses. There was a dance band and a few couples were gliding across the floor.
Maggie popped up beside him, beaming. “This is awesome.”
Her lipstick was already gone, and a chunk of hair had come loose from the up-do. He thought she was adorable. “You’re awesome.”
She opened her tiny purse to show him her cell phone. “Do you think it’s okay if I take pictures? I’ve never seen an ice sculpture of a Brahma bull. And I think I spotted that movie star who has a ranch in the Tetons.”
“Pictures are fine,” Saida answered, “as long as you don’t sell them to the tabloids.”
Jake’s momentary respite ended when Saida directed him toward a group of men in tuxedos. “Oil company executives,” she explained. “It’s time for me to work the room.”
“Being here is a job for you,” he said.
“Of course. I’m the ambassador for Jamala.” Her smile faltered at the edges. “I wish Amir could be here.”
“Your brother would be proud of you.”
She reached up and patted his cheek. “Lipstick was right. You’re sexy and sensitive.”
“And I’m carrying a gun.”
As the evening wore on, they drifted into different groups. He was consumed by a crowd of politicians and higher-ups in the law enforcement community. Many of them he’d met before and they’d barely taken notice. Now, they were all over him. The media coverage of the COIN crimes had gotten national attention, and people wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t make Wyoming look like a primitive backwater.
He talked to the head of the FBI in Cheyenne, the state attorney general, a senator and a state representative. He met the governor and his wife.
Finding Oscar and his wife was a definite relief. Saida joined them and did a fist bump with Mrs. Oscar before they settled into girl talk about their respective jewelry.
Oscar pulled him aside. In a low voice, he said, “I like this princess of yours.”
“She’s not mine.” Not yet, anyway.
“Did you notice that Virginia Maddox is here?”
Jake had recognized Big Burt’s wife. A small, mousey woman who he knew to have a sharp tongue, maybe she was more shrew than mouse. “She’s not real fond of me. I doubt she’ll even say hello.”
“That’s when you send in the princess,” Oscar said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, every man in the room wants her and every woman wants to be her friend.”
That sounded like a plan to him. But before he went back to investigating, he had a different idea. How many times in his life would he be at a ball? “Let’s take our ladies and dance.”
The band was playing a slow tune with a waltz beat that suited Jake very well. He knew how to dance. Growing up with three sisters, he’d been recruited to act as their partner at an early age. Confidently, he took Saida’s hand and led her to the floor.
As he held her, she tilted her head and gazed up at him. Her caramel eyes slanted like an exotic cat, no doubt a trick of makeup. And her knowing smile was suggestive enough that his mind conjured up the possibilities of what might happen after they left the ball. They had adjoining rooms at the hotel. Maggie would be going home with Oscar and his wife. Callie had informed him that she’d be staying with someone else in town.
Her body pressed lightly against his. He took the lead, and she followed so gracefully that her feet didn’t seem to touch the floor. The music buoyed them. They were dancing on a cloud in their own private world.
“You’re good,” she said.
“Surprised?”
“Not really. A lot of athletes are good dancers.”
He hadn’t thought of himself as an athlete in years. “The Lakers?”
“Terrible dancers,” she said. “They’re too tall.”
He swept her in a twirl that flared her skirt. This should have been an opportunity for him to talk to her about Virginia Maddox, but he couldn’t think of anything but Saida. She filled his senses until he was overwhelmed.
When the song ended, they politely clapped. She asked, “What were you and Oscar talking about?”
“Virginia Maddox. Oscar thinks she has a connection with Dormund.” He gave her a thumbnail sketch of Virginia wanting to divorce Big Burt and using Dormund to investigate her husband. “Virginia won’t talk to me.”
“I’ll take care of it,” she promised.
Given his druthers, Jake would have spent the rest of the night with her, dancing and standing close enough to smell the fragrance of her perfume. He would have been content to simply stand and stare dumbly at her.
One of the oil execs she’d been talking to earlier approached and asked her to dance. She twirled away in the arms of another man. Saida was in her element, the belle of the ball. This was a world she occupied gracefully, a world that was uncomfortable for him.
In the later part of the evening, he found himself talking basketball with one of the senators and a rancher from Casper. The senator suggested that Jake might consider running for office, and the rancher agreed. “It’d be good to have an Indian in politics, but I don’t know if you can really represent all the people of our fair state.”
The senator corrected, “You ought to say Native American. Is that right, Jake? Is that what you like to be called?”
The tinge of prejudice was subtle but apparent. He could have told them that he was born Arapaho and grew up on the rez, that he went to University of Wyoming and worked as a cop in Cheyenne. His life was about more than where he was born. “You can call me sheriff. Excuse me, gentlemen.”
He saw that Maggie was getting ready to leave with Oscar and made sure that she was safely on her way. Callie had already departed.
That left the princess. Extricating Saida from the grasp of investors and execs wasn’t easy. At first, she’d charmed these men with her beauty. Now, she was talking business.
He could see the benefit of the hours she’d spent with the COIN princes. Her comments were intelligent and educated. He grinned to himself. That’s right, boys. She’s more than a pretty face.
Saida was the whole package, and she made her departure gracefully and politely. Finally, they headed out the side door to the limo.
Sp
rawled in the backseat, he exhaled in a whoosh and pretended to mop his brow. “That was work.”
“I can’t wait until Amir is back. He should be having these conversations.”
“You did good. The boys from COIN were smart to use you to make these contacts. You’re like a secret weapon.”
“That’s me. The stealth bombshell from Jamala.” She scooted across the seat until she was right beside him. “And what about you? I kept hearing your name being whispered.”
“If I don’t get things cleared up in Wind River County, you’ll hear my name, all right. All those people will be calling for my head.”
“Which reminds me,” she said. “Virginia Maddox.”
He wasn’t anxious to get back to the investigation, but it couldn’t be helped. “Did she know Dormund?”
“Mostly she talked about how her husband had tons of assets and accounts that are completely hidden. Before she divorces him, she’s got to find the money.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder and adjusted his arm to wrap around her shoulder. They fit together so nicely, so neatly that he wanted to just hold her.
With reluctance, he asked, “Was Dormund the private investigator who was digging into Big Burt’s accounts?”
“She didn’t hire him directly. He’s on retainer for the firm that’s handling her divorce. She spoke to Dormund on the phone. They talked about race horses.”
“Did he find the hidden accounts?”
“According to Virginia, Dormund was a total failure.”
There must have been a reason Oscar pointed him in this direction. Jake flipped the situation upside down and took another look. “Maybe Dormund was a total success. Maybe he located some of the places Big Burt has been hiding his money.”
“Race horses,” she said. “Raising and breeding those animals can be a money pit, especially if they lose.”
Jake knew that Maddox had taken in a lot of money in bribes when he was sheriff, but no one had been able to prove impropriety. He could have masked his cash flow in race horse investments. “If Dormund contacted Big Burt and told him what he’d discovered, that would be a motive for murder.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said. “That motive has nothing to do with the COIN nations, and it doesn’t explain why Dormund tried to kidnap me.”
“But it’s something to consider.”
She swiveled around in the seat so she was facing him. Her slender hand caressed his cheek. “There’s something else I’m considering.”
He turned his head and kissed her hand. “So am I.”
“It has nothing to do with COIN or the ball or even the investigation.” Her eyes teased. “It’s about you, Jake.”
“I think we’re on the same page.”
He glanced through the window. Couldn’t this limo go any faster?
Chapter Twenty-Two
At their hotel, Saida and Jake stood in the hallway outside their separate rooms. She inserted her key card in the lock, and pushed the door open. They hadn’t discussed the sleeping arrangements, but—as he had said—they were on the same page. Tonight, they would share a bed.
In her room, she found the dress Maggie had worn, neatly draped over a chair. The jeweled shoes were tucked beneath it. On the dresser was a note that read “Thank you, dear Saida, for tonight. I felt like a princess. Maggie.”
Saida was touched. Maggie was like the younger sister she’d never had. No matter what happened between her and Jake, she’d stay in contact with this woman.
But not tonight. Saida was extremely glad that Jake’s sister was staying with Oscar and his family instead of here at the hotel. Callie had also made other plans. The room was free. The rest of the night belonged to her and Jake.
Kicking off her high heels, she crossed the carpet to one of the queen-size beds and pulled back the tan-and-ivory patterned spread. These linens weren’t as luxurious as those at the Wind River Resort, not that it mattered. She didn’t require a five-star hotel room. Still, she wanted everything to be perfect for Jake. She might even call room service and order fresh strawberries and chocolate.
She heard him tap on the door to their adjoining room, and she dashed toward it. Her palm rested on the door, anxious to throw it open. At the same time, she had preparations. “I’m not ready.”
“I don’t mind.”
She had plans for what would happen. In her suitcase was a magnificent silk and lace negligee in a mysterious midnight-blue. “Be patient.”
“Why?”
“I need to wash my face and comb my hair and change out of this gown.” She’d like to take a bath and use that scented oil that made her skin feel so soft. And there really should be music. “You’ll simply have to wait.”
“Nope,” he said. “Can’t do it.”
“Jake, don’t be silly.”
“Saida, don’t make me shoot the lock off this door.”
“You wouldn’t.” Would he?
“Probably not. I could pick this lock.”
“All right.” She unfastened her side of the lock and stepped back.
Through the open doors, they stood, staring at each other. Two people from opposite sides of the world with very different lives, they never should have met, never should have had anything in common. But she knew that this tall, dark man was her destiny.
He crossed the threshold into her room and pulled her into an embrace. His kiss was hard and demanding, and she forgot all the lovely preparations she had intended. There was no need for fancy nightgowns and strawberries to fuel their passion. From the first moment they met, she knew that Jake was immune to flirting.
He saw what he wanted and he took it. Right now, he wanted her. And she was willing. She pressed so tightly against him that she couldn’t breathe. It didn’t matter. She didn’t need air. Only him, his touch.
His caresses stroked the length of her body from her shoulder to her bottom. He trailed kisses down her throat toward her breasts. His hands slid down her thighs. He stopped. Suddenly. “What’s this?”
Breathing hard, she separated from him. “I told you I needed to get changed.”
“What are you wearing?”
Pulling up the long skirt of her gown, she showed him a fitted sheath with a six-inch blade. “You didn’t expect me to go to the ball unarmed, did you?”
“It’s sexy. Do you have any other weapons?”
“I couldn’t wear my gun. It would have ruined the line of my dress.” Though she was dizzy with passion, she forced herself to step away from him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to change into something more comfortable.”
“Princess, you don’t need clothes.”
“Nor do you.”
“No problem.” He threw off his jacket.
“Shirtless,” she murmured. That was the way she liked him. Quickly, she unbuttoned his shirt and tugged the sleeves from his shoulders. She loved his lean, muscular chest. His flesh was warm and beautiful.
He caught hold of her hands. His gaze swept the hotel room. “Come to my room.”
“Why?”
“For one thing, you’ve got a lot of girly stuff in here. For another, my bed is bigger.”
She was convinced. Taking his hand, she went into his room where the king-size bed awaited.
He unzipped her dress. The fabric fell and puddled on the floor. The lace of her strapless bra squeezed against her taut nipples, and she was relieved to be free from that constraint. She wore only her panties, her necklace and her makeshift tiara.
Before she knew what was happening, he’d lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed. In a move that would have been appropriate if they’d both been circus acrobats, he lowered her onto the sheets and dropped beside her. In an instant, he tore off his trousers and his howling wolf belt buckle.
His naked flesh pressed against hers. His legs tangled with hers. His fingers caught in her hair. He slowed the pace of their lovemaking, teasing her with fiery caresses and kisses until she couldn’t stan
d it anymore.
“Now, Jake.”
“Is that a royal command?”
“When I’m with you, I’m not a princess. Just a woman.”
He groped for the bedside table and showed her a stack of condoms. This time, he’d come prepared. And she was ready for him.
THEY SPENT THE NIGHT making love and sleeping in each other’s arms. Saida couldn’t remember a time when she’d been so happy, excited and content. Being with Jake fulfilled her on levels she didn’t know she had.
In the morning, they had to rush to make it to their private jet by eight o’clock. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten ready in ten minutes. She’d had plans for breakfast, wanted to treat him with Vietnamese coffee and croissants. Such planning, she realized, was subject to change when she was with Jake. He was the most spontaneous man she’d ever known.
As they fastened their seat belts for takeoff, she said, “You surprise me. You seem to be so methodical, but that’s not really you.”
“It’s not?”
“You’re wild.” As wild and untamed as the wind in the rugged mountains, he was a force of nature.
“Not usually,” he said. “There’s something about you that lights my fuse.”
When she first looked him up on the internet, she never thought they’d be so good together, so very complementary. It just might be possible for their two worlds to unite.
But probably not. She sighed, reluctantly returning to reality. She hadn’t come to Wyoming to meet the man of her dreams. There was something more important. “When we find Amir, everything will be good.”
“We’ll find your brother.”
He’d made that promise before, and she clung to it. If Jake said he was going to do something, he did it. She had to believe that he would bring Amir back to her.
During their flight, they had coffee and sweet rolls. She went into the bathroom to apply makeup but left the door open. “I still haven’t reached Granger at that phone number.”
“I know.” He stood in the doorway, watching her. As she touched her lashes with mascara, he said, “You don’t need that stuff. You’re beautiful without it.”
