by Angi Morgan
“So, what is your favorite star?” he asked, closing his eyes and enjoying her fingers lightly massaging his scalp as she liberally put gel on every strand. He couldn’t look.
“Wolf 359. Isn’t that an awesome name for a star?” She took the tube a second time. “Just a bit more. Your hair’s really thick and wavy.”
He was dang lucky he’d put his pants on quickly. If he hadn’t...
“See?”
All he could see was the roundness of each breast under the thin layer of hospital garb.
“All you have to do is squeeze some on your hands and rub it around like this. Then it should stay looking deliberately messed up all day.” She wiped her hands on his towel and admired her handiwork. “That will look much better later when it’s dry.”
She twisted one last piece of hair and placed her hands on his shoulders. It seemed like the most natural gesture in his memory for his fingers to move and span either side of her waist. Drawing her closer to him was just as easy.
They were forehead to forehead. Her slow, warm exhale smelled sweet like the cola she’d insisted on before the officer had arrived. She’d called it her wake-up drink of choice. He, on the other hand, loved coffee and lots of it.
Concentrate on the job. What job? All he had to do was hang around here, keep her in sight till she was someone else’s problem. Maybe even escort her home.
“I’m not a rule breaker, Andrea.”
“Then why are your hands still around me?”
Kissing her was destined as soon as she’d told him they’d never get along. “What’s about to happen probably shouldn’t. But you won’t find me apologizing for it later.”
“You better not, Pete. Bad first kissers don’t get a second chance.”
He liked her. A lot. Too much. Too fast.
He leaned his lips to touch hers for the first time. Soft and wet, they parted just enough to encourage him. His hands spread up her back, noticing the firm muscles.
There wasn’t anything between them now except a thin layer of cotton. He stopped himself from getting the shirt out of his way. This was their first kiss but sure didn’t feel like it.
Their lips slid together, teasing, seeming to know their way without conscious effort. A perfect fit? Practiced. Confident.
He wanted his hands to wander but forced them to stay put. Andrea’s arms encircled his neck, shifting her body next to his. Her tennis shoes snuggled next to his size-thirteen feet. That one layer kept him both sane and drove him crazy at the same time.
He wanted it off. Wanted her bare skin under his flesh. Wanted to forget exactly where they were and remember everything much too late.
The attraction turned to mutual pure hunger and he liked her even more.
Chapter Six
Maybe it was defying her father, the Commander. Maybe it was a bit of the rebellious daughter in her that forced the need to push him at every turn. Or maybe she saw something in this man that she recognized as rare. A part of him that was wise beyond his years.
Attraction or defiance. It didn’t matter for Andrea. Not at this moment. She was totally enthralled by Pete’s kissing abilities. Something she hadn’t experienced in a long time, if ever.
“Did I pass?” he asked when they came up for air, continuing small kisses and nips down her neck.
“I think you’ve earned a second audition.” She tilted her head back to give him better access.
A few light touches of those incredible lips across her shoulder where the large scrubs top fell to the side and then he stood straight. She was close enough to notice the tiny gold flecks in his dark brown eyes. Hard chest, hard shoulders, hard biceps. This man was all man, yet playful. And those dimples were just killer.
She liked him. He was perfect for her plan to ignore her father.
“And just when is this second audition to take place?” he asked, his voice rich with the desire displayed in his eyes.
“How long does it take to get back to the observatory?” She had to entice him into taking her home.
“I thought you were ordered to stay put?” His hands slid under her loose top, warming her bare back and exposing her belly as the top inched higher.
“Technically, but I’d be safe with you. We came to an understanding.” She did a little of her own exploring, dragging her nails across his well-sculpted muscles.
“I think you may have gotten the wrong impression about me.” He gently circled her wrists with his fingers and returned their hands to their sides.
“Why do you say that?” Andrea painted the words with innocence.
He took a couple of steps backward and opened the door. “Honey?”
“Yes, Pete?”
“Did the Commander leave any parting words?”
“You mean when he said, ‘I expect my daughter to be here when I return’? That’s pretty much everything.”
When Pete smiled a really healthy smile that made it all the way to his eyes, he had dimpled cheeks to match the one in his chin. She truly was a sucker for dimples. He let the door close, crossed his arms and leaned that bare back against the gray paint. “So he’s your father. How did you understand those specific instructions to include a drive up the mountain?”
“Are you going to let him order you around? You aren’t in the Navy. Technically, he doesn’t have any jurisdiction. He’s only here because I’m involved.” Her dad was assigned to the Customs and Border Protection Office, reporting directly to the DHS. He had every right to ask the local sheriff for cooperation in a case. But he hadn’t. And forcing her to stay at the county jail wasn’t about any case. It was about controlling her life.
“To use a word you seem to love—technically he’s with Homeland Security. I haven’t been filled in yet, but he does have some authority around here. Your dad wants you to stay put and be safe. My dad wants me to stay put and see that you are.” He pushed off the door, twisted the combination on a lock and lifted the latch of a locker. He pulled out a crisply starched uniform shirt and shoved his hands through the sleeves.
“Your jerky movements may be revealing your true feelings. Or they could be showing me your true nature.”
“Maybe I just failed the second audition.” After turning his back, he pushed the tail of his shirt inside his pants.
“I know my rights. You can’t keep me here against my will. You certainly can’t use the excuse her daddy made me do it. It will all be on you when I sue the county.”
“At the moment, I’m too tired to care. I’ve gone without sleep for a couple of nights and haven’t had the privilege of napping like you. So let me spell this out real plain like. You have two choices. Spend your time here in protective custody locked in a cell or walk down the street and have breakfast with me. Simple. You choose.”
“You won’t change your mind about that audition?” She added a wink, teasing him.
“I’m too hungry to change my mind.” He stretched his neck, swiveling his head from side to side.
She made a grand gesture to follow him. “Lead on.”
“Be right there. I walk better in my boots.”
If she could get through the door before he buckled his gun around his hips, she might have enough of a head start to ditch the impromptu bodyguard her father had assigned. Then what? Downtown wasn’t filled with public transportation and there certainly wasn’t a taxi waiting on the corner.
The heavy door to the restricted area slammed behind her. She’d at least wait in the comfy chair in his office. Getting far away from his dimples seemed a good idea. The more he smiled at her, the more she was willing to change the venue of his audition.
Who was she trying to fool? Pete had already passed any audition with flying colors. She had one more Saturday night in West Texas and hoped this was the last time she thought about being bored.
Before she could sit, the restricted door slammed again. Pete scooted through, one boot on and one boot in his hand. With the office door open, she could watch his head turn, s
earching and landing on the receptionist.
He looked straight at her, let out a deep breath, showing his relief, and pulled on his second boot. “Good. I’m too tired to run.”
“Don’t get comfortable. There’s been a disturbance near Doug Fossen’s place. A burning vehicle on the side of the road near the state park.”
“That’s Davis County jurisdiction. Give Mike Barber a call.”
“They know that but think you need to see it.”
“Send Griggs, then.”
“He hasn’t reported in this morning and they’re asking for the sheriff. That’s you.”
“What the...” He took a piece of paper from the woman. She looked a lot like the receptionist who had been at the front desk when they arrived. “Honey, please call Peach and see if she forgot to give me a message about Griggs.”
“Pete, you know she didn’t forget. I can get Joe to write Griggs up if you don’t want to do it. But right now we have a problem at the Fossens’.”
“I have babysitting duty.”
Andrea stuck her head out the office door. “Don’t mind this baby. I can sleep in that nice jail cell you suggested. I’m sure the Commander would prefer me safe and sound, guarded by a senior citizen.” She nodded toward the receptionist. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Honey said, bringing the ringing handset up to her ear. “Presidio County Sheriff’s Department.” Honey wrote more notes. “We’ll get someone out there shortly, Mrs. Fossen.” She waved the slips in the air.
“I’m not heading anywhere, Honey. I smell a mess brewing and there’s no way I’m taking anyone with me on a call.” Pete reached for his hat on a nearby desk. He almost shoved his hair off his forehead. He stopped, tapped the styling gel now hardened in place and then scratched the bridge of his nose.
“Sounds like you need to get a move on.” She raised her wrists to him. “Do your duty, Sheriff Pete. Lock me away.”
His moment of indecision played on his handsome face. Then it was chased away with confidence. “Honey, get my dad or somebody from the accident last night on the radio.”
“Yes, sir,” the receptionist said.
“I’m not doing it. Send Dominguez and Hardy.” He muttered something under his breath. “Come on, Andrea.”
“Mind if I take the jacket from your office?”
“It’s not my office, but I’m sure the sheriff won’t mind.”
With Honey answering the ringing phone and Pete rubbing the bridge of his nose, she walked to the coatrack in the corner. All the framed pictures on the wall were of Pete growing up. There was no mistaking the cleft in his chin or the tall, lanky frame. They were snapshots from his life of sports, school and graduation. One caught him shoving his hand through his hair and setting his hat on his head.
“That one’s my favorite. He looks so uncomplicated, don’t you think?” Honey stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her Davis Mountains souvenir T-shirt.
“I imagine he’s rarely uncomplicated.”
“You’re a smart woman for picking up on that so quickly. He went for breakfast or he’s using you as the excuse to fill his belly. We didn’t get to officially meet earlier. I’m Honey, part-time dispatcher and unofficial receptionist around here. You met my sister, Peach, when you arrived earlier.”
“You look alike.”
“Don’t tell her that.” Honey laughed. “Do you have everything you need?”
“Yes, thanks. Sorry if the Commander offended you earlier. I wish I could say he was stressed and this wasn’t his usual behavior, but today is just business as usual. I love him, but sometimes he’s rather rude.”
“I totally understand, sweetie. I hope you like breakfast burritos. That’s just about all Pete ever has time to grab from that café.” Honey crossed her arms over her heaving bosom and planted herself in the middle of the doorway.
“Anything’s fine. Some of these pictures are really good. Have you known them long?” She quickly received the message that Pete had gone to the café alone and she was staying put. She might as well glean useful information about her adversary.
“Pete’s worked with his dad since he was— Actually, I can’t remember a time Pete wasn’t here in this office. The sheriff prior to Joe paid him to empty the trash and sweep up as soon as he could hold a broom.”
“Was his mom behind the camera in all these?” Andrea pointed at the wall, noticing that there weren’t any with women.
“No. One of Pete’s parents was a second cousin or something to Joe. They died and Pete came to live in Marfa. Poor man never considered marrying, but adopted a three-year-old without missing a beat. Peach and I moved here close to the same time.”
“I’m glad Pete found someone and things worked out for him. And thanks. I would have really stepped in it asking about his mom if you hadn’t shared.”
“The whole community’s been contributing to that wall. He’s like one of our own, you know.”
“I sure didn’t want to spend all morning locked in that cell. Maybe we should go back to your desk.” She got close enough to hug Honey—even though that was the furthest thing from her mind. She gestured to move out of the room, and then it hit her. “I get it. You’re supposed to watch me until Pete gets back. Aren’t you?”
Honey smiled, crossing her arms and planting her large frame in the doorway. “He reminded me that it’s part of my job responsibilities designated under ‘other.’ I offered to get his breakfast, but he said he needed a break. Sorry, but you aren’t going anywhere until Pete comes for you. He’s smarter than he is cute.”
“Ha, he is pretty darn cute. This doesn’t have anything to do with him. Not really. I’ll lose two years of work if I’m here when the Commander comes back. He’ll haul me to Austin or worse, DC. I’ll be unable to finish my thesis and...” Trying to talk her way out of the office wasn’t working. “You don’t care one rogue meteor what this is going to do to my life.”
This couldn’t be happening. She only needed six more days.
“Take a seat, Miss Allen.” Honey crossed her arms and stood as straight as her aged body would allow. “I do know that caring about prisoners is not in my job description.”
For a split second she considered making a run for it out the restricted door through the back exit. But there was nowhere for her to go. Staying with Pete wasn’t a bad idea. He was the only one who could solve her current problem. She had to avoid her father and stay in West Texas for at least six more days.
Chapter Seven
“I can’t be here when my father comes for me.”
“You won’t be. Let’s go.” Pete waited for Andrea to follow, cell phone still to his ear.
“Some days are busier than others. Enjoy your ride.” Honey answered her ringing phone.
He escorted Andrea to the Tahoe without any instruction. She hopped in and quickly dropped her head against the headrest, closing her eyes and looking completely relaxed.
Pete knew different. He recognized the compliance she thought was necessary until she could talk herself into a different position.
Pete tapped his smartphone and left another message for his dad. “We didn’t finish our conversation. Be prepared. I’m dropping Miss Allen off with her father and returning with you. I will lock you up to make you rest. Honey’s plumping the pillows in the holding for you. No scene or I swear you won’t like being cuffed and thrown into the backseat of your old service vehicle.”
He disconnected, debating the logic of moving his witness. She was safer here, in a building filled with law enforcement officers. Yet Commander Allen had been adamant when they spoke. His daughter would be brought to him at the Viewing Area immediately. A chopper was on its way to airlift them home. The directive had included instructions not to inform Andrea where they were heading or why.
Prisoners were kept better informed than this guy treated his daughter.
“When did he call?” Andrea asked as soon as he sat behind the wheel. Questioning arched brows, in
nocent open eyes and an impish suggestive grin—she looked totally in control.
“Who?” That wouldn’t fly. She knew that he knew who she was talking about.
“The Commander. I’ve seen the look of having to swallow his orders many times.”
“What you witnessed was me leaving a message for my dad.”
“Oh.” She looked at him and then her chin went up a notch with her aha moment. “You aren’t denying that the Commander called.”
“No, I’m not. Why do you call him Commander?”
“I’ve always addressed him by his rank. Well, at least since I was a teenager. It was easier. He answered to it faster when we were in a crowd and he’s never seemed to mind. Since you aren’t sharing our destination, I suppose he told you not to tell me. Afraid I’d pitch a fit or something?”
“He didn’t mention fits of any sort. In fact, he didn’t explain his reasoning with me at all. He seems very concerned about your safety. Why is that exactly?” It had to be finding that man from the desert. Whoever he escaped from—that didn’t take a genius to determine—knew he’d made contact with Andrea and they thought she knew something. Including her father.
“I don’t know what you mean. I spent all of five minutes in his presence. How does that make him appear concerned?”
“We can skip all the tippytoeing around.” He took another look behind them and yet another along the horizon, searching for he didn’t know what. “Your father asked me to bring you to the accident site. I disagreed. If men are after you, then you’re much more vulnerable alone with me in this vehicle. Doesn’t matter that it’s only nine miles to their location.”
“Did he mention why he wants me there?”
“To leave.”
Either Andrea had seen or heard something from her passenger or these men were so well connected they knew she was the daughter of the man investigating them. That would account for a DHS impostor trying to remove her from the hospital.
Her fingers curled into her palms. “I’ve said this before, but I’m an adult and he has no right—”
