In The Arms Of Danger

by Jaydyn Chelcee

“When did you get fluent in Pygmy?”

  Lacey boosted herself up on the edge of the big rock he’d parked her ass on earlier. “I’ve listened to you mumble it all day. It wasn’t difficult to learn.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  She kept crossing and uncrossing her bare legs. Every time she went through the little skit of cross, uncross, the shirt climbed a fraction higher baring more leg. She’d done it so many times now, it was up to mid-thigh. She didn’t seem to notice that a delicious amount of dewy skin was exposed to view. Or maybe she was getting a thrill out of torturing the hell outta him.

  “Jesus Christ, can’t you sit still? You’re worse than a Mexican jumping bean.”

  “Oh joy, it’s not bad enough you compare me to all sorts of insane animals, and a brainless ant, but now I’m some sort of worm in a bean. I’m sitting here minding my own business. Am I bothering you?”

  Cross. Uncross. More skin revealed, a little tug on the hem of the shirt that did absolutely nothing to slow the heat rushing to his groin.

  Hell yeah, she bothered him. Bingo. His cock twitched and rose majestically behind his zipper. The damned thing might as well stand up and howl the way it pounded the front of his pants demanding freedom. He choked on his coffee.

  Danger discreetly adjusted the front of his pants. All the little witch had to do was show a little leg, lick her lips and he turned to stone. All this togetherness was driving him crazy.

  “Where are you going?” she demanded as he leaped up and moved to the edge of the woods that surrounded their campsite.

  “I’m going to check on the horses and take a walk.”

  “I’ll go with you.’

  “The hell you will. Lady, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep that pretty little ass parked right where it is.”

  She settled said ass back on the rock. “Jeez, you’re such a bear. Drink some more coffee. Maybe it will soothe your surly temper.”

  Danger turned on his heel. Uh-huh. There was only one thing going to soothe his temper. He didn’t think she needed to hear that he wanted her flat on her back and his cock shoved inside her.

  “At least we’ll be warm and dry inside the tent when the next storm hits,” she shouted at his back.

  Uh-huh. And he’d be miserable lying beside her. He kept right on marching to the woods. Swear to God, if he felt her fingers heading south of his zipper, he was going to roll her beneath him and shove his cock so deep in her, she’d— what?

  Nothing. He wouldn’t touch her, not if she didn’t want him to, but damn, did she have to sit there so blithely unaware of what she did to him?

  After making certain the horses were secure for the night and giving them a drink from a nearby stream, he returned to the camp in a better frame of mind. Now, if Lacey gave him a little breathing room and didn’t resume that cross and uncross thing she did so well, he’d be just fine. He refilled his cup and settled back against the log.

  After he took several sips of the coffee, he allowed his gaze to roam over her. Oh, yeah, she was in a snit all right. She pointedly ignored him, her gaze rising to a place above his head. She eyed the forest behind him with acute interest, as if she’d never seen a friggin’ tree before now.

  The bruise on her forehead looked like crap. The grape colored flesh was still swollen. He wasn’t the best person to stitch someone, but at least her scar would be hidden by her hair. She must still have a headache because she kept rubbing her temples. He knew her inner thigh where the stitches were must be sore as hell because he’d heard every groan she gave astride Diablo today. It had to hurt like the blazes just riding astride, but she’d refused to ride sidesaddle or in his arms.

  “You want a couple of aspirins?”

  She shook her head. “No. I took some earlier.”

  She wouldn’t look at him. She’d barely spoken at all since he’d kissed her. Well, that was just fine with him. He didn’t give a good damn if she talked to him or not.

  “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

  “Why do you want to know about me?” She sounded as if he’d ask her to dissect a snake. Eyes remained above his head.

  “You don’t trust me.”

  “Where’s the chicken feathers? I’m sure you earned one with that guess,” she snapped.

  No eye contact.

  “Oh, right. You can sleep with me, ride behind me, wear my clothes, eat my food, but when it comes to trust, well that’s a thin concept.”

  “You said I haven’t slept with you.”

  No eye contact.

  “Near enough. And would you have the courtesy to look at me when you’re talking to me?”

  “Miserable man.”

  Eye contact.

  “Loco woman!”

  Her mouth worked but no sound came out.

  He lifted a brow. “Nothing to say?”

  Hell, he didn’t think she could be silenced.

  “I’m thinking. Please shut up while I do.”

  Danger grinned. She was the damndest woman he’d ever met. He shook his head and remained silent so she could think in peace and quiet.

  The mountains reached outward with invisible fingers, sending a chilly breeze racing through the campsite. It didn’t do a thing to defuse the tension between them. If she crossed and uncrossed her legs just one more time . . . well, he just might have to kiss her again.

  He snorted. Right. He hadn’t been able to get those damnable kisses he’d shared with Lacey off his mind. By God, he wanted to do it again. Taste her mouth again. Kiss her all over and leave her quivering with desire. He wanted her equally craving his possession, and he wasn’t sure she did.

  Yes, she’d kissed him back . . . but would she have kissed any man the way she’d kissed him?

  Take any man the way his mother had? This was the demon that rode on his shoulder, the trepidation he couldn’t let go, the fear that Lacey would go away after he’d given her his heart.

  Danger shifted and took another sip from the cup in his hands. His cock throbbed with an urgency that if he was standing would surely have him doubled over with the force of his need. His determination not to get involved with her had petered away like a wisp of smoke. She’d won him with one flash of those big gold eyes and melt-in-your-mouth kisses.

  The sad thing was he’d initiated the damn kisses himself. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her a moment longer or, more precisely, his lips off hers. He had only himself to blame for starting something that could never be finished.

  Damn fool.

  His sex continued to throb. Fire raced to his balls and settled in for a nice, slow roasting.

  Damn her.

  And double damn me for wanting her.

  Frustration gnawed at him. He’d had enough aggravation with her to last him a life time. The sooner he got Lacey out of his life—no—out of his town—better still—out of the state of Montana—the sooner his life would get back to normal.

  And as soon as she was gone, he’d find a willing woman and banish Lacey Weston from his mind. Forever.

  Darkness settled around them like a giant, thick blanket. No stars, a wisp of a moon that barely managed to filter a watery glow through the tumble of black clouds. Danger eyed the rugged mountainous terrain that rose like dark granite statues around them and wondered just how long it would take them to reach the Dancing Star.

  Scrub brush clung to every nook and cranny with steadfast tenacity. The prairie beyond the mountain range stretched endlessly, a vast land, rich with an abundance of animal life. Antelope, elk, moose, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep roamed the land, not to mention the bears, wolves and other wild predators. The wildlife in Montana was more varied than any other state in the lower 48. It was like a giant, natural, animal preserve, and he loved it.

  Once they left the shelter of the mountains and the trees, they would be vulnerable. Danger raked fingers through the dark tangled strands of his hair. He could see Lacey through the dancing flames of the campfire as she filled
her tin plate with a second helping of the canned chili he served tonight.

  The woman seemed to attract trouble like a damned magnet.

  ***

  Lacey watched Danger through the thickness of her lashes. He tied a red bandanna around his forehead and poured himself another cup of coffee. His third. Or maybe his fourth. She’d lost track. He seemed to inhale the damn stuff. She’d already discovered not to get between him and the first pot of coffee in the morning. He was wickedly ill-humored if he didn’t get the first cup.

  She’d never met anyone more addicted to caffeine. Lord save them if they ran out before they got to the ranch where he was taking her.

  Her heart thudded against her ribs as she remembered his kisses. She didn’t know when she had quit thinking of him as the enemy and started to accept the attraction between them.

  It had to have been after the kisses. Or maybe it was when he did the little striptease number and his obvious delight while doing it. God, he’d looked sexy as hell, handcuffed and wearing nothing but his underwear. She’d wanted to drag off the skimpy material that covered him and have her way with him right then. She’d known then if they’d met at another time, another place, she’d have fallen into bed with him in a heartbeat.

  Maybe it was the way he was gruff as an old bear, but his hands touched her only with gentleness. He’d cared for her, helped her with her personal needs, and yeah, sure, no doubt, he’d sneaked a few peeks of her body, but hey, he rescued her from the flood, risked his life to do so. That said a lot for the man. He was willing to die to save her.

  Her mouth tingled every time she thought about the way he kissed her. He’d fanned the simmering attraction she felt for him into a raging fire only he could put out.

  She’d known she was attracted to him, but she’d controlled it. In some animalistic way, she recognized the attraction and shied away from it. He was handsome, although not in the time-honored way. His face was far too craggy with rough, rugged planes and sharp, angular contours to be smoothly handsome.

  No, he wasn’t Hollywood handsome—until he smiled. Then his dove gray eyes glittered like precious silver. His face softened, transforming him into one hell of an appealing man.

  She had every reason to distrust him. Certainly nothing had changed. He wore a badge. The murderer had been wearing one, too. It had been too dark to tell for certain, but the man had long, dark hair. He was tall and the flash from the badge pinned on his chest had sent chills down her spine. And the killer knew very well she’d taken a couple of snaps of him.

  Danger had also tried to put her in jail. Why? Had he been trying to detain her for some unknown reason? She didn’t know and she’d been too scared to give it any thought. But one thing was clear, if he wanted to kill her, he’d had ample opportunity. He could have left her to drown and her death would have been declared an accident. She would trust him fully, except for the one tiny fact, the killer wore a badge. So if it wasn’t Danger, then it was someone from his office. A friend? A relative?

  Dammit, she wished these continued doubts would just go away. They robbed her of the fragile trust she wanted to give him. The man had taken care of her when she’d been injured. He deserved her trust, but she couldn’t afford to lower her defenses.

  In spite of the doubts and the simmering distrust, he touched her heart. She loved the cocky little grins he flashed her when he was amused, loved his confident swagger. Treasured the unexpected softness of his rare laughter and adored the way he reacted to the crazy things she did. The man would spend a lifetime getting over her throwing his gun at that rattler. His shocked expression would have won her an award if she’d been able to snap it.

  He stayed right with her when she played her trivia games. He was the first man who’d ever realized when she tossed out the bits of trivia she was really asking, ‘Do you know?’ and he did know. Her lips twitched. She’d promised herself she’d make his life a living hell if he came after her. To some degree, she figured she’d accomplished that, but things had changed now. She didn’t want to fight with him anymore.

  Instead, she just wanted to reach out and touch him. Hold him. She’d never wanted a man like she wanted Danger. The aching need deepened with every hour that passed and showed no signs of going away.

  Lacey frowned, wondering what kind of emotions and ambitions drove a man like Rimrock’s Sheriff Blackstone? He kept his inner most feelings deeply hidden. She couldn’t read the man or his emotions, and it irritated her.

  Something of her yearning must have been obvious to him for he shifted uncomfortably. Clearing his throat, he frowned fiercely at her, his eyes flashing with heated warning. “You keep looking at me the way you are, little cat, and I’m not going to be responsible for my actions. You’d best keep an eye out for other things.”

  She glanced quickly around.

  Danger shook his head and smiled. “Damn if you aren’t a skittish little thing, but you can’t ever tell where this killer might lurk.”

  “So you believe me? You believe I witnessed a murder?”

  “Didn’t say that.”

  “Could you?”

  “Could I what?”

  “Say it, just once.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t know if I believe you.”

  “But—”

  He held up his hand to stop her from speaking. “You’d be surprised at the games people play or how idiotic a hunter can be when he’s had a few beers under his belt or the taste of whiskey on his tongue.”

  “I thought I was on private land.”

  “Doesn’t mean people don’t trespass, honey, you did. And on this side of the creek, Jace can’t watch every inch of his land. I know you think you saw a murder, and if you did, I can’t imagine the killer hanging around this long just to get you. It’d make more sense for him to run.”

  “He might not think like you or I would think. Maybe he’s insane.”

  “Lacey.” He sighed. “He might be calculating, but I doubt he’s insane.” At her look, he sighed again. “All right. Even if he is insane, he’d be trapped on the other side of the creek. That’s the side you believe the murder took place. There are miles and miles between us and there. You were washed way down the creek, way past where you think you were camped. You’re lucky I was downstream when you came floating by me.”

  Lacey tightened her lips.

  “Look, I don’t think he’d linger around waiting for us.” Danger tossed the dregs of his coffee in the fire. The flames leaped in the early darkness with a sharp hiss. His face darkened, cold and slightly hostile. “I also think you have one hell of an imagination.” He stood up. “I’m going to have a look around. Stay put just in case I’m wrong.”

  “Are you ever wrong?” Sarcasm laced her words.

  “What do you think?”

  There it was again, that cocky grin that made her heart skip beats. Damn him. He had to have his pound of flesh. Always. “I think you’re probably always right,” she replied, certainty lacing her words as she stood up to join him, even though he’d told her to stay put. Again.

  Chips of rock burst in sharp slivers behind her, peppering her back and arms. For a second, she stared in stunned amazement at the droplets of blood on her arms before the sound of a second shot echoed. A third bullet whizzed past her ear thudding into the log Danger had been propped against.

  Lacey froze unsure which way to run, but suddenly realizing death was a certainty if she stayed where she was. She was a wide-open target for the shooter.

  The fourth blast echoed before firm hands wrapped around her and dragged her to the ground. Danger crawled over her, draping himself protectively over the length of her body. Folding his arms across her head, he shielded her from harm from head to toe.

  “Ohh,” Lacey cried out with the sound of the fifth shot.

  She hastily covered her eyes as dirt flew in myriad directions.

  Danger grunted. The hard body spread over hers
tensed. “That was too damn close.”

  Insistent hands pushed her closer to a large boulder as they scrambled for cover. Bullets rained down around them like balls of hail. The horses neighed wildly, frightened by the spray of bullets that peppered the ground and ricocheted off the big stones surrounding them. Pagan sprang from a nearby boulder, growled noisy protests and vanished behind a cluster of tall saplings.

  “Shit!” Danger yelled as another rain of shots rang out over his head. “Are you all right?”

  His voice was rough and sounded shaky to Lacey’s ears. He continued to push her until they were both on the other side of a string of giant-sized boulders. Protected by overhanging bluffs, they were secluded from the destruction raining down from overhead.