“Like that’s a prize?”
Nate slipped his arm around Jade’s waist, “So testy. Relax. Have a drink on me.”
Something had caught Nate’s attention, and from the corner of her eye, Jade saw Nicolette heading toward the women’s restroom. She glanced down at Nate’s feet. He was still wearing the sneakers he had on earlier. “So what happened to those beautiful Prada hiking boots of yours?”
“Liked those, huh? I didn’t want to look like a clodhopper out on the dance floor.” His arm tightened around Jade, and then it occurred to her that maybe she could catch her fly more easily with honey than vinegar. Since Nicolette was out of sight, she let Nate get cozy.
Feeling her soften, Nate fingered the collar of her shirt, his hand drifting to the topmost button over her cleavage—which he deftly undid. “See? We can be friends.”
Jade did her best to smile sweetly, “Okay, maybe I’ve been a little uptight and taken it out on you.”
Nate leaned in so close to Jade’s ear that his lips brushed her skin, “What you need is someone to properly appreciate those fantastic breasts of yours.” His hand sneaked into Jade’s shirt, and his lips trailed down her neck in boozy kisses.
“Is that so?” she murmured. How could Nicolette stand this guy? Still, she played along.
“I could rock your world.”
“That wouldn’t involve black powder and a pipe, by any chance, would it?” Jade felt Nate freeze, and that moment of hesitation screamed “guilty conscience” to her.
Before she could say anything else, though, Nicolette’s voice hissed at her accusingly.
“How could you, Jade? Isn’t Harlan enough for you?” Nicolette ran toward the door as Jade tried to untangle herself from Nate.
“Nicky! Wait! It’s not like that!”
By the time Jade pushed through the crowd and ran into the parking lot, Nicolette had vanished. Jade knew that Nate had driven her to the bar, so Nicolette didn’t have a vehicle. Where could she have gone?” Jade frantically scanned the parking lot, but Nicolette was nowhere to be found.
***
After calling Wilson to explain the situation and leaving several messages on Nicolette’s cell phone, Jade had little choice but to head back home. She knew that she and Nicolette would eventually get things sorted out once Nicky cooled off, and in the interim, she had to accept responsibility for making a poor choice in her interrogation techniques and pissing off her friend. Mostly, though, Jade was furious at the way Nate had played with Nicolette’s head, making her feel like she should put up with his bullshit. And Jade was annoyed with herself for not being any closer to catching whoever was causing problems for the Winters. Her gut told her that Nate was involved, but while he seemed to have means and opportunity, she couldn’t figure out his motive.
Jade opened the door of the Bronco so Sargent could hop out, and then the sight of Harlan’s pick-up truck threw the issue of her love life into high relief. Part of her wanted to curl up in someone’s arms and tell them about her day, but the face that she pictured belonged to Conall, not Harlan. Hesitantly, she pushed through the old screen door.
Sargent bounded into the house, mauling Harlan, who was sitting on the couch with a beer, watching an old John Wayne movie. He laughed as he rubbed the hound, but his face quickly sobered when he saw Jade’s expression.
Harlan patted the couch next to him, “Rough day?”
“Rough? I guess. Weird? Definitely.” Jade flopped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. “I’m a small town deputy. I pick up drunks for urinating in public, or put the fear in kids who knock over mailboxes. Now we’ve got exploding meth labs and bombs under people’s porches. Maybe it’s time to think about a new career.”
“No way, you’re a great cop. You’ll figure it out.”
“Along with having no suspect, and Nate ‘I’m an asshole’ Vanderville touching my boob, I’ve managed to piss off Nicolette for the trifecta.” Jade pulled the band out of her ponytail and fanned out her hair. “I’m sorry to come in moaning and groaning, how’s your Dad doing?”
“They’ll probably discharge him tomorrow.”
“At least that’s good news.” Jade smiled at Harlan, and suddenly, it was clear to her. She adored Harlan, loved him, in fact—but as a dear friend, and nothing more.
“Want me to get you a beer?” Harlan asked.
They needed to talk, Jade knew, but at that moment, all she wanted was a long hot shower. Jade patted his knee, “I’m going to go take a shower.”
Harlan sat back on the couch and lifted his beer in acknowledgement, “Then I’m going to see if John Wayne is ever getting this girl back home.”
The hot water pounding on her tense shoulders felt good, and for a few moments Jade let go of the wolf problem, and wondered how to make things right with Nicolette and Harlan. But her mind kept straying to thoughts of Conall, and she imagined him in the shower with her. Her nipples tightened involuntarily at the thought of his strong hands on her soapy body, his hard cock pressing against her. She felt his fingers gently searching the place between her legs that made her gasp, and his lips hungrily catching hers. She leaned against the tile, letting the spray of the water arouse her, and pictured her hand on Conall’s undoubtedly beautiful cock, guiding him inside her. But before she could complete her fantasy, she heard the sound of the doorbell. She sighed in frustration, one hand trailing across her sudsy breast.
Then it hit her: what if it was Nicolette? Hurriedly, Jade rinsed off, desperately hoping it was her friend. She quickly wrapped her wet hair in a towel, and threw on her bathrobe, but when she emerged from the bath, it wasn’t Nicky at the door. It was Conall.
Harlan held the door open, but Conall remained on the stoop. Both men looked a little shocked to see her clad in pink terrycloth, her face a rosy glow to match. She had the uncanny feeling that Conall knew exactly what she’d been envisioning between them, and when her eyes dropped she could see a promising bulge in his jeans. It was just her luck, Jade thought. The moment she got her feelings about Harlan sorted out, Conall shows up—and to all appearances, she and Harlan were having an intimate evening. Suddenly Jade was self-consciously aware of her bare legs in the short robe, and she tried to pull it tighter around her.
Conall seemed flustered, Jade thought, as if the presence of another man was inconceivable, or at the very least, terribly confusing. Maybe he had been reading her thoughts.
Quickly the Irishman composed himself, his eyes fixed on some spot on the carpet, as if he wished to relieve Jade of her discomfort, or perhaps, Jade thought, he merely wanted to avoid adding fuel to her fire.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your evening, I know it’s late. But some things have happened that Deputy Lundgren should know about—and I’m very concerned for your friend.”
“Please come in, Conall.” Jade desperately wanted to explain away Harlan’s presence, but instead tried to focus on the seriousness of Conall’s face. Then it hit her. How did Conall know where she lived? Before she could ask him, though, he held out a scuffed-up wallet.
“I found this on the road near where I’m staying, not long ago.”
“On the BLM land?” Harlan asked, and Conall nodded his assent, then handed Jade the wallet.
Dumbly, Jade stretched out her hand and took it. She didn’t need to open it to know to whom it belonged; it was the Dooney and Burke she had splurged on for Nicolette’s 30th birthday. There was no sensible reason for Nicolette to be on the BLM land at that time of the night, especially after leaving the Crystal Spur the way she did. Someone had to have snatched Nicky from the parking lot, but who? Who? Who? Her jaw set with determination as she looked into Conall’s smoldering amber eyes. A sense of well-being washed through her, the same comforting feeling she had when she dreamt of the wolf sleeping next to her. The Irishman nodded slightly, and at that moment Jade understood: it was time to let the dogs—or maybe the wolves —out.
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK THREE: Luck of the Irish - Volu
me 3
***
Luck of the Irish
***
“I—I’ll go change.” Jade tried to sound authoritative despite the self-consciousness she felt standing in front of both Conall and Harlan. She did her best to look dignified as she raced to her bedroom, which wasn’t an easy task considering she was dressed in nothing but a fuzzy pink bathrobe and a towel turban on her head. As she passed the open bathroom door, she glanced at her uniform piled in the floor, but opted instead for a favorite pair of jeans and a grey ribbed turtleneck that put her curves to much better use. Her lightweight hiking boots were quickly extracted from the clutter of shoes at the bottom of her closet, and she got her heavier deputy’s jacket out, the one with the fake sheepskin collar. Her wet hair was a problem, Jade realized, but she didn’t want to take time to blow dry it. Instead, she briskly rubbed it with a towel as best she could before yanking her ash blonde tresses back into her habitual ponytail. Next, she rifled through a basket containing a random mixture of hats, scarves, gloves and mittens, rejecting her bright red ski toboggan with the tassels on the top, and pulling on a sleek knit cap in dark green. Her badge went on the outside of her jacket, and the outfit was completed as she clipped her gun holster around her shapely hips.
By the expression on Harlan’s face, Jade realized the transformation must have been extreme. Conall, for his part, gave little of his thoughts away, but Jade could see a small crinkling at the corners of his eyes as they narrowed ever so slightly. His head bobbed in subtle acknowledgment, and Jade could feel her lower body tightening in response. Her nipples hardened involuntarily, and the delicious sensation between her legs made her want to rub her body against Conall’s. It occurred to her that he might be entirely capable of giving her an orgasm without even touching her. She swallowed at this realization and tried to push away the gentle waves of sensation beginning to build and wash through her. Thankfully, Harlan broke Conall’s spell.
“You look like a total badass, Jade.” Harlan nodded as he gave a short, appreciative laugh, and Jade couldn’t help but be reminded of Nicolette saying almost exactly the same thing earlier that day at the Sheriff’s Department.
“Wait ’til you see me with my shotgun. Then I definitely look like a total badass.” Jade tried to interject a note of levity, knowing that she couldn’t let her fears for Nicolette—or her attraction to Conall—seize control of her. She had to keep a clear head and a steady hand.
Conall paced a little in her small living room, and Jade couldn’t tell if it was because he was restless and wanted to leave, or if it was because Harlan’s presence was inhibiting him in some way. Sargent trailed behind Conall, as if the dog sensed something that the humans in the room couldn’t, and Conall periodically scratched him behind his floppy ears.
Harlan gave another small laugh, “Wow, Sargent really likes you.”
The Irishman rubbed Sargent’s head in response, but Conall’s eyes found Jade, rather than Harlan, as he spoke, “I’ve always had a knack with man’s best friend. Me da used to say I could read their minds.”
“What about humans, can you read their minds?” Jade asked, her voice a little husky with the memory of her shower fantasy.
A little smile curled Conall’s sensuous lips, “Sometimes.”
Jade could feel herself being bewitched by Conall’s charm and sharply reminded herself that not only was Nicolette potentially in danger from whomever she was with, but that the temperatures were rapidly dropping.
Motioning the two men toward the door, Jade voiced her concern. “We need to go. When Nicolette left the Crystal Spur, she didn’t have a coat, and the temperature is doing what it does best this time of year in Wyoming—dropping quickly and unexpectedly. If she’s outside somewhere, the elements could hurt her before anything else has a chance.”
“Take some things to warm her once we find her,” Conall said.
“You seem awfully certain we’re going to find her,” Harlan countered, a note of suspicion coloring his voice as if the idea of Conall somehow being in on the plot had just occurred to him.
Jade gave Harlan a hard look, “Of course we’re going to find her, but not if we stand around my living room all night.” She grabbed Nicolette’s wallet, “I’m hoping Sargent can get her scent off this and help us track her.”
Harlan shook off his misgivings about Conall, “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll take Sargent in my truck.”
As Jade grabbed a blanket, some mittens and her ski toboggan, she called back to Conall, “You can take us to where you found the wallet, right?”
“Aye.”
As Conall climbed into the passenger seat of the Bronco, Jade looked around for his jeep.
“Where’s your vehicle?” She could almost hear the wheels spinning inside his head as he paused with his hand on the door. Collecting himself, he pulled the door shut after him, with a deliberate motion.
“I came on foot.”
“You came on foot?” Jade looked at him skeptically as she turned the key and the Bronco rumbled to life.
“Aye.” Conall didn’t seem inclined to explain further as he turned to face forward with a click of his seatbelt.
Jade knew that at ten minute miles, it would still take almost an hour and a half to get to her place from the BLM land, and Conall hadn’t even been breathing hard when he showed up. “How is that even…?”
Conall cut her off, “Leave it be, Jade.”
By the tone of his voice, Jade could tell that Conall would not tolerate any more probing on the topic. She didn’t know if his harshness made her want to fight or flee or…fuck. She blinked a little as she tried to stop her mind from wandering to the powerful muscles under the wax jacket he was wearing with the collar flipped up. He hadn’t bothered to zip the hip-length coat, and the belt hung askew at his sides like an invitation. She could feel her mouth grow moist at the thought of untying the light woolen scarf knotted rakishly around his throat, and pulling his simple collarless shirt over his head. His jeans were tucked into an almost knee-high pair of Dubarry country boots, but Jade could easily picture herself up to the challenge of getting both his boots and pants off in a hurry.
“There’ll be time for all that later, Jade.” Conall reached across and caressed her leg. “I promise.”
Jade’s eyes grew wide, and she stammered as she tried to find her tongue. Conall could read minds.
“Shhh. We need to focus on finding your friend. Somehow I think it’s the key to all the trouble around here.”
Jade nodded wordlessly and focused on driving. They were both silent as she coaxed the rattletrap Bronco toward the hills. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she could see the headlights of Harlan’s truck close behind her and realized that at some point, she still had to talk to him about her feelings, or lack thereof. Suddenly, a deer appeared from nowhere, leaping in front of the vehicle, and Jade braked and swerved, knowing that a full-on impact would not only probably kill the deer, but could also disable the vehicle or worse. The truck’s wheels scattered gravel in all directions as she skidded onto the shoulder of the road. She fought the urge to brake harder or to overcorrect her steering, fearful of locking the brakes or even flipping the top-heavy vehicle. The deer scampered on, unscathed, and she smoothly brought the Bronco back onto the road. The only indication of the near collision was the flutter of her heart beating much too fast.
Conall made no comment, but reached over and smoothed his hand over the top of her head in a comforting gesture. Then, like an avalanche, the reality of possibly losing Nicolette hit Jade. Nicky was her best friend; the friend who helped her survive the terrible loss of her parents, the friend who had listened to her secrets since they were ten years old, the friend she had hurt with her clumsy attempt at getting information from Nate Vanderville.
“Have you ever lost someone close to you?” Jade’s voice was almost a whisper as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“I’ve lost almost everyone close—my parents, my si
ster,” Conall’s voice faltered, “the woman with whom I thought I would spend my entire life.” Jade turned her head to glance at Conall, and even in the darkened interior of the Bronco, she could see his amber eyes: bright, luminescent, liquid. He smiled sadly, “So aye, I understand, it’s a terrible thing to lose the ones we love. Death is a cruel master whose timing we can never fathom.”
“I can’t lose Nicolette.”
“What we want and what happens in life can be two different things.”
“I didn’t want to hit the deer, and I didn’t.”
“Aye. Perhaps it was your skill, but perhaps it was fate, or the hand of God. I didn’t want Riona to die, but she did.” Conall laughed a short, harsh laugh. “But perhaps that was just the luck of the Irish. We may be the most tragic people on this green earth.” Conall turned away from Jade to stare out the window, and Jade could feel him pulling away from her. “I’ve been a lone wolf for quite a long time now. Perhaps you would be advised to keep your distance so me luck doesn’t rub off on ye.”
The closeness they had felt a few moments before seemed to vanish. Maybe, Jade thought, loss had made Conall too damaged to form a lasting connection. Maybe this thing between them was sexual tension and nothing more. She thought of Harlan on her couch asking about her day, and her affection for him seemed more real, more sensible, than the swirl of confused emotions aroused by this handsome stranger who plainly knew that he could get her out of her knickers. What did she really know about Conall, anyway? Harlan was, as Wilson had pointed out, a good man. The one thing she did know was that she wasn’t going to tolerate any pessimism about them finding Nicolette. Then it hit her: in their rush out the door, she hadn’t notified Wilson as either the Sheriff, or Nicolette’s father, that she was missing. And she hadn’t called anyone else for backup. Conall and Harlan were clearly making her crazy.
Broken Wheel Wolves: Boxed Set (The Complete Collection, Books 1-6) (Werewolf Romance - Paranormal Romance) Page 6
