by Debra Webb
He’d been angry at first when she told him that Katlin was his daughter. How else was he supposed to react? Then things had gotten a little crazy and there’d been no time to dwell on it. After he’d had a chance to think about it he realized that the deception was no one’s fault but his own. Now he knew why she’d made him promise that he’d keep looking for her child no matter what he discovered. But what he had really discovered was the depth of his own faults.
Fear had prevented him from allowing this very kind of connection to anyone…even to Melany. He wouldn’t risk losing someone who meant that much to him. He’d seen too much. His mind simply hadn’t been able to wrap around the concept of taking that kind of chance. But he’d lost Mel anyway and he’d definitely loved her.
Still did.
He’d left her with no choice. He’d been so adamant about not wanting children that she’d felt she had no other alternative. The Pill had failed. That much she’d told him sometime during this night. The pregnancy was a surprise and complication to her at the time, but, unlike him, she had welcomed the risk…the possibilities. With good reason she had felt that he wouldn’t respond the same way. So she’d let him off the hook. She’d left without saying a word about the child she carried.
His child.
How could he blame her for what she’d done?
He couldn’t.
Somehow he had to make the past up to her. If she would allow him to.
His weary gaze roamed the beautiful features of her face. The bandage near her hairline made his heart twist with remembered horror. The bedside lamp cast a soft glow over her and the child nestled against her chest. The little girl—his little girl—was so beautiful. Just like her mother.
He’d wanted to hold her again but she’d had enough trauma in her life the past few days. He could hold her more later, when she’d gotten used to him. But he yearned to now. Though he hadn’t known of her existence until a few days ago and hadn’t known she was his until a few hours ago, the urgency to touch her…to protect her was overpowering. The sweet relief in Mel’s voice when she’d called her friend Rita to relay the news had undone him even further.
Coffee. He needed coffee.
He didn’t want to sleep until Mel was rested and awake. It was that whole protection thing he knew. He wasn’t about to risk letting down his guard and losing the child he’d only just found. Or the woman who would own his heart until eternity.
In the kitchen, he poured water into the coffee-maker and dumped fresh grounds into the drip basket. He punched the appropriate buttons and the machine went to work.
“Ryan.”
He turned at the sound of Mel’s voice. The smile that stretched across his face was automatic. He’d seen her like this so many times before…when they were together. Standing in a nightshirt looking at him with her hair tousled and her skin flushed from sleep.
God, she was so damned beautiful.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” He should have stayed out of her room and let them sleep, but he’d needed to be close to them and drink in the wonder of it all.
She shook her head and folded her arms over her middle. “You didn’t. A dream woke me.”
He frowned. “A dream?”
She moved over to the counter near the sink and leaned against it. She nodded. “I was dreaming of a big old house with lots of children running around in it.”
Her voice remained soft and just a little thick with sleep, but her eyes glittered with something else.
Desire, he realized with a jolt.
“Where was this house?” He moved toward her, the step more instinct that conscious action.
She shrugged and the nightshirt slipped off her shoulder, bearing a creamy expanse of delicate flesh he yearned to touch. “I don’t know. But it felt like home.”
“Lots of children?” he encouraged as he took yet another step.
She nodded. “At least four.”
The final step he took put him toe-to-toe with her. “But we only have one and we don’t have a big house.”
She looked up at him, uncertainty in those green eyes now. “But we could have a big house,” she offered cautiously. “We could be a family…if we can get beyond the past.”
His gaze locked on those lush lips and he had to dampen his own. “The past is gone…over. All we have is now.” His eyes lifted to meet hers. “And forever. If—” he hesitated as he searched those emerald depths that had filled with such hope “—you can forgive me for being a fool.”
“I’ve already forgiven you.” She reached up and touched his face. Just a simple caress but her touch set him on fire. “Can you forgive me for doubting the man I knew in my heart you were all along?”
“Never happened,” he murmured.
“Then I’d say we have an agreement,” she whispered back.
He smiled and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m kind of new at this stuff,” he said softly. “Is there any chance our daughter will sleep for a little while?”
“I put her in her crib and closed the door,” she said silkily. “We can take this negotiation to the bedroom, if you’d like.”
“Eventually,” he murmured thickly. “But at the moment I have plans for an appetizer that starts right here.” He nibbled that silky shoulder. “Right now.”
He kissed her lips.
Mel melted against his chest, desperate for his touch. How she had missed this man. Those firm lips and that bold tongue teased her mouth playfully. She buried her fingers in his hair and pulled him more firmly against her.
Using his good arm he helped her up onto the edge of the countertop and burrowed between her thighs, spreading them until his hips rested firmly against her mound. Instinctively she pressed against him. He groaned a savage response. A sigh echoed in her throat, allowing him to feel as well as to hear her approval.
He stopped kissing her long enough to tug her nightshirt up and off, revealing her unrestrained breasts. For a while he simply looked at her, seemingly content to study the curve and shape of those aching mounds. She wanted him to touch her…to take her into his mouth.
As if he’d read her mind, that hot, wicked mouth closed over one taut nipple. He suckled and nibbled while she writhed uncontrollably. He took his sweet time, then justly pleasured the other breast. She wondered vaguely how she would ever last…she wanted him so desperately. It felt so good to have his mouth on her breasts…his hands sliding over her skin. Her body threatened to erupt into climax even now.
Unable to stand anymore she reached for the closure of his trousers. The belt and button out of her way, she slowly lowered the fly over his hardened flesh. A tingle shimmered through her at the thought of having him inside her. She remembered well what a good lover he was.
He lifted her slightly from the counter and dragged her panties to her thighs. Her bare bottom settled back onto the cool surface as he slid her lacy underwear all the way down to her ankles and then off. He tossed them aside and, while she watched intently, unbuttoned his shirt so slowly she wanted to scream with frustration.
The shirt drifted to the floor, leaving that broad, muscled chest naked. He kicked off his shoes and shoved the trousers she’d unfastened to his feet, then kicked them aside, as well. She looked pointedly at his briefs and he shucked those next.
It was her turn to revel in the sight of pure male beauty. He was big and hard…for her. His body was as perfectly lean and sculpted as it had been two years ago. Her gaze bumped into the bandage on his arm and she winced.
“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.
“I don’t know,” he said bluntly. “The only thing I know right now is how much I want you.”
She opened her thighs wider in blatant invitation and he moved toward her. She had always loved the way he moved. So sleek and fluid. So incredibly sexy.
At over six feet, his height was perfect for what came next. He wrapped her legs around his waist and nudged her intimately. She gasped at the contrast of cool counter ben
eath her bottom and hot, hard steel parting her desire-swollen channel. He groaned a primal response.
“I’ve never stopped loving you, Melany,” he murmured, his breath ragged with the effort of holding back the instinct to thrust.
She looked into those blue eyes and smiled. “Show me.”
He eased into her an inch or so. Her eyes closed and her head fell back to rest against the cabinet as she savored the ecstasy of the sweet, stretching sensation. It had been so long…two years. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to allow another man to touch her.
“You’re so tight,” he whispered, surprised.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “There hasn’t been anyone since you, Ryan. I never wanted anyone else.”
He eased his hips forward another fraction. Her breath caught. Fire erupted low in her belly and she knew instantly that she would come before he was fully inside her.
“Hurry, Ryan,” she urged, her fingers digging into his shoulders. She wanted him deep inside her when the explosion started.
With one powerful flex he filled her. Her concentration fragmented as wave after wave of sensation washed over her, centering on her innermost core.
He grunted savagely, holding still while her feminine muscles stretched and throbbed around him, rhythmically squeezing his thick sex, accommodating his grand size.
“Tell me,” he growled, the sound guttural and breathless.
Ryan wanted desperately to know that she felt the same way he did. He needed to hear the words. His entire being stood on the precipice of tumbling headlong into orgasm when he’d scarcely gotten inside her and, yet, his heart wouldn’t stop aching for the words. Had he not been ready to scream with release he would have laughed. The ruthless, determined and overconfident Ryan Braxton had his Achilles heel.
Melany.
And the child they had created together.
Those lovely green eyes opened to him, still glazed with the thrill of release. Her lips curled ever so slightly and she whispered the words he wanted to hear so badly.
“I love you, Ryan. I won’t ever stop.”
Before he plunged to his own climax, he kissed her. Not a gesture to make up for the past…a kiss filled with promise for the future.
Their future.
As a family.
EPILOGUE
Victoria flipped through her schedule for the day. It was light. Too light. She preferred to keep busy. She glanced at the stack of messages left over from the day before. Lucas had called. But she hadn’t called him back.
She seemed to be having more and more difficulty recently getting through the days, connecting with those who knew her best. It didn’t make sense. But, deep down, she actually knew it did. Leberman had gotten close…too close. He’d almost taken Lucas’s life. Could have, in fact. That didn’t make sense, either. Why would he go to such lengths to develop such an elaborate set up only to walk away without killing her or Lucas? The very people he loved to hate.
He’d already killed her husband…and her son, she was certain. That old hurt welled inside her. No matter that eighteen years had passed, it still pained her to think of the loss. This case with Melany Jackson down in Memphis had reminded her, oh so sharply, how vulnerable she still was to the hurt.
Lucas had his people tracking Leberman, or at least trying to. No one knew exactly where he was. No one would until he was ready to make his presence known. Leberman had had the same training as Lucas…the same as James Colby. He knew how to lure his prey. How to go in for the kill. He was playing a game. Had been for all these years. He’d taken her husband and her son. What else did he want?
The agency, she felt confident. But there was more. He had plans. Plans that had been nearly two decades in the making. He hadn’t passed on the opportunity to kill Lucas on that island a few months ago for no reason. However, they would not know his plans until he chose to reveal them.
Victoria slammed her fist down on her desk. She was sick to death of living with the threat of that devil. She was sick of living in the shadow of the past period.
What had she done to deserve this pain and suffering?
It was past time she rose from the ashes of her past and forged ahead with a future. One that included Lucas. They had a right to be together. She’d mourned James and little Jimmy long enough.
She swiped viciously at a lone tear that escaped her tight rein on her emotions. She was not looking back any longer.
A light tap on her door dragged her back to the here and now. “Yes?” She smoothed a hand over her hair and squared her shoulders. It was past time she proved her mettle.
Simon stepped into her office. “Good morning, Victoria.”
“Good morning, Simon.” She indicated one of the chairs in front of her desk. “You have an update for me this morning?”
“Yes.” He settled into one of the upholstered chairs. “Ryan called. They found the child last night. She’s fine.”
Thank God. Victoria produced a tremulous smile. “That’s wonderful news. Will Ryan be staying in Memphis for a while?”
She knew that he’d had a past relationship with the woman in the case.
“Yes,” Simon confirmed.
That was good as well. Ryan Braxton was a fine man, he deserved to be happy. Didn’t everyone?
“Excellent.” Victoria sat up a little straighter. “Would you like to begin the morning briefing a little early?” Since Ian was on vacation with his wife and children, Simon was her second in command.
“Actually I wanted to discuss a personal matter with you.”
“Certainly.” He looked so serious. Surely all was well with Jolie. She’d moved to Chicago last month so that she and Simon could start a family.
“Ryan Braxton built a reputation in the Bureau for finding missing children. He was the best at one time. Considering the situation in Memphis, I’d say he likely still is.”
A finger of dread nudged Victoria, elevating her senses to a higher state of alert.
“He has offered to look into your case,” Simon went on, bringing to fruition her worst fears. “He may find something others missed. Trent Tucker has asked to be involved, as well.”
Victoria went stiff with an emotion she could not name. It took several seconds for her to regain the ability to speak. “I appreciate Trent’s and Ryan’s kind offer, but it’s been eighteen years. I don’t see the point. My son isn’t coming back.” When Simon would have argued, she raised a hand to stop him. “I don’t want to discuss it further, Simon. I’m putting the past behind me.” She leveled her gaze on his. “Starting now.”
Later, after the daily briefing, Simon left Victoria’s office, concern mounting inside him. It wasn’t like Victoria Colby to give up on anything, even an eighteen-year-old case. He’d noticed her odd behavior of late, as if her attention were divided, splintered. And then, the other day she’d fainted. The doctor had recommended an extended vacation. Simon was pretty sure she’d made no plans to take his advice thus far.
It was time to call Lucas.
Simon strode straight to his office and put the call through. Victoria wouldn’t like it, but he would just have to risk it. When he heard Lucas’s familiar growl on the other end of the line, Simon didn’t mince words. “Lucas, I think Victoria is in trouble.”
“More than you know,” was Lucas’s startling response.
His tension climbing another notch, Simon waited for the man to explain.
“We’ve confirmed that Leberman has come up for air. We can’t pinpoint his location. He moves too often and too quickly. But he’s back. I don’t know what he’s got up his sleeve, but you can rest assured it involves Victoria.”
“And you,” Simon interjected.
“And me. I don’t know why the bastard let me live the last time, but the one thing I can say without doubt is that it could only have been because he had a grand finale coming.”
“You think he may be readying to unfold that finale?” Simon definitely did not like t
he sound of this. He would be putting through a call to Ian immediately after this one. He hated to interrupt the man’s vacation, but this was far too pressing to wait.
“Who knows with that sick bastard?” Lucas admitted. “There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to what he does. But I’m not willing to sit back and pretend he’s no real threat. He has an agenda and he has a time line. We just don’t know what either is.”
“What do you want me to do?” Simon readied to take down any necessary notes.
“Keep a close eye on her. I already have two of my men assigned to maintain surveillance, but the more the merrier. I’ve got to have additional intel before I put together a team and a strategy. But there’s one step that is crucial before we can go forward.”
“What’s that?”
“I have to convince Victoria that she should go away with me. I want her hidden where Leberman can’t find her. I’m not willing to take the risk that this time might be the time in that psycho’s perverted plan.”
“I have just the leverage you can use,” Simon said knowingly. “The order came from Victoria’s personal physician.”
“I’m all ears, Mr. Ruhl.”
“The prescription is simple—Victoria Colby needs to take an extended vacation.”
“And I know just the place,” Lucas said with finality. “Now I just have to convince her to go.”
Simon knew Lucas Camp was a bit of a legend, he just hoped the man possessed the power to move mountains. Moving Mt. Everest would likely be easier than persuading Victoria Colby to do something that wasn’t on her agenda.
All Simon could do was wait…and watch every move she made.
