Kohana was already there when they walked in. Her eyes seemed to know where to look and went directly to him. She thought she saw a flash of pain deep in his gray eyes, but then they became as unreadable as a smooth, gray stone.
Garrick broke the silence by walking to Kohana and holding onto Cora’s hand to bring her with him. “It’s great to see you here.” He grinned at Kohana. “I’m sure you remember Cora.” Garrick pulled her to his side.
“Hello, Cora.” His velvet-edged, strong voice sent a ripple of awareness through her body. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest.
“Good morning, Kohana. I understand you found the men looking for me when you arrived last night. Thanks.” To her ears her voice sounded stifled and cold.
“You’re welcome. It’s my fault your life was disrupted. I’m glad I could help return it to normal.” His eyes flashed with a glint of amusement.
Damn him. He knows the effect he’s having on me. Cora deliberately turned from him and went to the counter to help Heather with breakfast. “What can I do?”
“I’m almost ready, but I’d appreciate it if you’d fill the coffee cups on the dining room table.”
Cora took the full pot and walked into the other room. She heard the men talking and relaxed slightly. She’d just finished filling the first cup when he walked in.
“May I help?”
“No, I can handle it on my own.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you when I left.”
“Are you?” She swung around to face him and snapped, “You didn’t appear to be at the time. You never looked back.”
“If I had I might never have gone.”
She glared at him. “Did you find the world traveling was as exciting as you’d hoped?”
“At first, but over the years I’ve learned how much you can’t change and how bad parts of our world can be. So I saw the beauty and the beast. Haven’t you ever wanted to leave here, meet other people with different customs?” He leaned down and looked into her eyes.
She lowered her thick black lashes so he wouldn’t see how his closeness rattled her. “I have gone on vacations.” She didn’t tell him many had been to poor countries where the people needed physical therapy. She loved volunteering her time and working with them and the others who traveled with her. “I’ve always been glad to come home.” She finished filling the cups and returned to the kitchen.
“We’re ready,” Heather said. “You men be seated. Cora and I will bring the food.”
There were platters of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and one with a mixture of bacon and sausage. Cora sat between Beck and Garrick. Kohana got the chair across from her and grinned.
She pretended not to notice and kept up a conversation with everyone, but Kohana. Later she never remembered what she ate, but the food was heavy on her stomach.
Once during the meal, Garrick put his hand on her leg and whispered in her ear, “Take a breath, sweetheart. Relax.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” she murmured back to him.
When they’d finished, Gavin stood and started cleaning the table. He looked at Kohana. “Why don’t you and Garrick go to town and talk with the sheriff? See if he’s heard about the men in Atlanta.”
“Good idea.” Garrick got up. “How about you, Cora? You wanted to know if the police had arrested the others so you can get back to work.”
“I’ll come, but I’ll drive my own car. Then if it’s safe for me to return to work, I can go to the hospital and start making appointments.”
“Beck, why don’t you come with us, too,” Garrick said. “You and I can ride in the truck and Kohana can enjoy a ride in Cora’s 1994 Corvette.”
“You have a Corvette?” Kohana asked.
Cora couldn’t stop her smile. “I bought it about ten years ago.”
“I’d love a ride in it. If you don’t mind.”
She frowned at Garrick and him. They’d got her in a corner and everyone was waiting for her answer. Refusing to look weak, she nodded at Kohana. “Sure, why not.”
“Come on with us,” Garrick said to Kohana. “I’ll take you and Cora to get her car, and then I’ll return to pick up Beck.”
“I need to help Heather clean up,” Cora said.
“Go on. I have two strong men to help me. And Gavin is very good. I’m training Beck,” she said and grinned at him.
Garrick led Cora out to his truck and helped her into the front seat. He went around to the driver’s side.
“Scoot over,” Kohana said in his deep, sexy voice.
“There’s a backseat.” She glared at him.
“I like the front.” He swung in and she quickly moved to the middle.
“I don’t like this little game you two are playing,” she said as they drove toward Garrick’s house.
“No game, sweetheart. You and Kohana need time to talk privately. Take it slow getting to town.” Garrick stopped and dropped them off.
Cora watched as he drove out of sight. She had a key for the front door, and Garrick had purposely left the garage door down. They had to go inside the house and out the kitchen to get the car. She led the way and stomped across the living room, through the dining room, and into the comfortable kitchen.
Kohana strolled behind her looking at the rooms as he walked. “I like the house, and this is a great kitchen. Do you cook?”
“I can, but I don’t often. I work long hours, and I do a lot of volunteer work.”
“You sound like a busy lady.” He sat in one of the chairs by the table. “Could I have a cup of coffee?”
“We’ll be late meeting with the others.”
“It won’t matter.”
She started to say no, hesitated, and then poured out the old coffee, washed the glass coffee pot, and started a fresh batch.
“What is there for us to talk about?” she asked, joining him at the table.
“You must have questions. I do.”
“I won’t answer any I don’t want to.”
“That’s fair. Have you been happy?”
“Of course. I have family and friends, and I love my job. Besides my physical therapy, I work with young children and teenagers as a volunteer.”
“Why didn’t you marry?”
“It certainly had nothing to do with you.” She thought of her father always saying her nose would grow long if she lied. The flash of memory almost made her smile.
“I didn’t expect it did,” Kohana said softly.
“Why did you keep my necklace and wear it?” she asked.
“Because I couldn’t forget you and it grounded me.”
“What do you mean?” She wrinkled her brow in puzzlement.
“Many of the men in my trade float around from job to job without any base. Many of them get careless and die or get hurt. But when I was at our base camp, I’d put on the necklace. It reminded me of you, my family, and Triple Creeks Township, and that when the day came for me to quit, I had a spot in the world where I belonged.”
“Did you think I was just sitting at home waiting for you?” she snapped.
“No. I envisioned you with a husband and three or four kids. I knew returning and seeing you married would hurt me, but I would deserve it.”
The coffee was done. Cora looked in the cabinets and found two mugs with lids. She filled them, turned off the coffee pot, and handed one mug to Kohana.
“We can drink this on our way.” She started toward the kitchen side door. He stood and took hold of her arm.
“Let me go.”
“Are you afraid of me?”
“Of course not.”
“Then can you relax, and see if we can talk normally like two old friends who haven’t seen each other in a very long time?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “We were much more than friends and it causes complications.”
“I won’t ask to be more than a friend unless you let me know you want our relationship to go further.”
She opened the kitchen door and went out t
o stand by the side of her car. “Are you home to stay?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Then we’ll be casual friends, nothing more.”
“We’ll see,” he said.
She started to speak when he interrupted her. “May I drive? This is a great car. I like the blue color.”
Cora handed him the keys. “Don’t drive too fast,” she warned.
“I’ll be careful.”
She watched him slid his tall, lean body into the driver’s seat, which he had to move back. He put the convertible top down. “Get in,” he motioned to her.
“Give me a second to fasten my hair into a ponytail.” She found a rubber band in her purse and quickly fixed her hair. Then she pushed the button to open the garage and Kohana backed out.
She closed the garage door and checked that the kitchen door and front were locked. When she joined Kohana, he took off.
The wind blowing across her face and hair and the sunny sky above relaxed her. For a minute she forgot all her antagonism against Kohana and enjoyed the ride.
Cora glanced at him. He’d tied his shoulder-length black hair with a rawhide tie. His profile accented his high cheekbones and Roman nose. The faint scars on his face only added to his mystique and made him look sexier. He had a strong jaw and his black eyelashes were long enough to make a women envy them.
He’d become a man since he left. His shoulders were wider and his body more muscled than the tall, slim young man who’d gone off to see the world.
“Do I pass the test?” Kohana drawled.
“What test?”
“You’ve been sizing me up for the last mile or two.”
“I hadn’t realized how much you’d changed until I sat back and looked,” she said. “You’re bigger, and stronger looking.”
“I had to stay in shape for the work I do.”
“Are you glad you spent these years without a home?”
“It’s been a crazy life, but it fit me for the time being.”
“You got beat up pretty bad. I noticed the scar across your left cheek and the smaller one on your right forehead. They’re healing well. Your black eyes are an interesting yellowish color.”
“I had a good doctor who took care of my face. Does it take away from my beauty?” he asked tongue-in-cheek.
“I imagine the ladies will find you more mysterious and interesting and rush to get your attention.”
He laughed, deep and hard. Cora caught her breath, remembering the sound.
Kohana glanced her way. “You must be good for me. I hadn’t laughed like that in years.”
“Triple Creeks Township may be good for you, not me.”
“We’ll see if you’re right or I am,” he said and winked. Then he concentrated on the road and driving her car.
Chapter Eight
When Kohana and Cora walked in the sheriff’s office, Kel was on the phone. Garrick and Beck sat in front of his desk. Garrick jumped up and gave Cora his chair.
Kohana watched the interaction between his friend and Cora. A flash of jealousy stabbed him in the gut when he saw the sweet smile she gave Garrick.
“Kohana, someone wants to talk with you.” Kel handed him the phone.
“Hi, Kohana, what in the world are you doing in South Dakota?” FBI agent MacMurra asked. “I thought you’d just been released from the hospital.”
“I was and came straight here. This is my hometown, and I have friends who’ll put me up while I’m healing. Did you get the rest of the guys?”
“We did. They were surprised when we barged in on them. They didn’t have time to react.”
“Great, then the danger is over. I have a lady here who’ll be glad to hear you have them.”
“Yeah, but I’ll let you know if any make bond. I don’t think the judge will let them out. Still, you never know. By the way, Flint Rikward, one of my former agents, is living in Triple Creeks Township. If you need help, you might ask him to join you.”
“We’ll be fine now that all these guys are locked up. But call if that changes. By the way, why don’t you and Jack come for a visit? I’d bet you’d like it.”
“It’s too tame for me. But I’ll tell Jack about your offer.”
Kohana ended the call. “As you heard from my end, they got the other members of the gang, and unless we hear different, it’s all over.”
“Then I’m ready to go home and back to work.” Cora smiled at the group.
“Not just yet,” Kohana said. “We want to know the judge isn’t letting them out on bond. It won’t take long to hear. The judge will see them this morning.”
“I agree,” Garrick added. “We’ve kept you safe this long. We’ll act on the cautious side and continue to guard you.”
“I guess I can continue my vacation until Monday. But I want to stop by my house and check it,” she said.
“We can check it and go by and say hello to my parents,” Kohana said.
“Do they know you’re in town?” Cora asked.
“I told them the basics of what was going on. They came to see me in the hospital.”
“If you all don’t mind, I have a business to run here.” Kel grinned at them. “You can visit outside. I have to get the guys we jailed last night to court in an hour. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“Thanks, Kel.” Beck waved as he ushered the rest of the group outside. “I have to get back to the ranch so Gavin can get to work. Garrick, are you riding with me?”
“Sure am. I’ll be right there.” He hugged Cora. “Have a good day. See you two at the house this evening.”
“Do you want to drive?” Kohana asked.
“You were having so much fun, go ahead and drive.”
He opened the door for her and walked around the car. “Which is closer, my parent’s ranch or your house?”
“I’m just outside of town. We can stop and then go on to your folks’.”
“Tell me where to go,” he said and started the engine.
It didn’t take long to get to her home. “Turn right, there’s my place.”
“You have a pretty, little house.”
“I didn’t need much. It’s perfect for me. I’m close to my work, and I have a large yard. I garden and grow my own vegetables and flowers. I’m very content here.”
He parked the car and she got out with her key in her hand. She was obviously anxious to be inside.
Kohana walked in behind her. “It smells like you, roses and vanilla.”
* * * *
Cora twirled around to look at him. With his tall physique, he managed to make her small living room appear tiny. “You remembered my fragrance?” She’d been shocked by his words.
“I never forgot you. Some nights while I sat in the woods waiting for something to happen, I’d let my mind wander a bit. I’d see you laughing at my corny jokes, dancing close at the school prom, and I’d recall how you smelled, the softness of your skin, and the silkiness of your long hair. You helped me get through unbearable nights from having to stay in one position too long and being bitten by numerous insects.”
“None of that seems very pleasant, and yet you say you liked the job.”
“Most of the time it was action packed with the adrenaline flowing.”
Shaking her head Cora started toward the hallway. She walked through each room checking for any problems. Lastly, she inspected her kitchen.
“You don’t have a cat?” Kohana asked.
“No, why?”
“I’d always heard old maids had a cat or two.”
“Old maid.” She heard her voice go up an octave. “Is that how you see me? Many women who have a career prefer to not marry. They are not known as old maids, but as independent women.” By this time she realized she was shouting at him, and he was laughing.
“I knew that would rile you,” he managed to say between laughter.
“You make me so mad.” She pushed him and started hitting him on the chest and shoulders.
He grabbed
her hands and held them at her back, bringing her body close to his. She kicked his shin.
“Damn, that hurts.” Then he looked into her eyes.
She lowered her gaze to keep him from seeing the tears, but he let go of one hand and tilted her chin.
“Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m not going to accept that for an answer.”
“You broke my heart, you jerk. And then you come back all smiling, and you act like we’re friends and you’d just left yesterday. I have a life. I don’t need or want you.”
Desire shimmered in his dark-gray eyes. “You may not need me, but you want me just as much as I do you.” He swung her into his arms and took long strides back to the hallway.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to make love to you.” He carried her into her room and put her feet on the floor by her bed.
Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her hard.
She gasped, and he slid his tongue in to taste and caress her. Her tongue dueled with his. While he kissed her, he unbuttoned her blouse and let it slip to the floor. Then he unsnapped her bra and cupped her soft, full breasts in his hands. She sighed and cuddled closer to his hard frame.
Kohana pulled back from the kiss and stared at her. His gaze moved from her face, to her neck and shoulders, and finally to her breast. His intentness felt like a brush of his hand caressing her. It’d been that way between them from the first time they’d made love on her nineteenth birthday. Whenever he touched her, she wanted to move closer.
His fingers rubbed across her nipples, and his hot mouth kissed all along her neck. A delicious heat spread from his mouth to her core. He moved down and kissed her midriff.
“You have such silky, soft skin,” he mumbled against her body. When he touched the snap on her jeans, she placed her hands over his. He looked up.
“Do you really want me to stop?”
Cora looked into the face that had haunted her dreams so many nights. She licked her dry lips and saw the flash of desire change his darkened eyes to a shiny metallic gray.
She wanted to say, “I don’t think I can bear it if you love me and leave me again,” but she didn’t. Her hunger for him was too strong. Her desire for him went too deep.
Bold Bodyguards [Triple Dare County, South Dakota 8] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 7
