Within His Sight

by Denise A. Agnew

  She sank onto a barstool. “Good. Thanks.”

  Silence stretched as he watched her, and Mary didn’t know what to make of his probing expression. “You’re staring, Hard Man.”

  He blinked, then gave her one of those smiles that melted her core. “I can’t help it.” He wandered around the counter and stopped next to her. “When you lost your towel…”

  She covered her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t do that on purpose.”

  “I was coming to ask you if you wanted coffee or not.”

  She peeked between her fingers. “Instead you got an eyeful.”

  “Not as much as I’d like.” His voice dropped to a sexy as hell rumble. “But I’m not taking advantage. Not now.”

  She lowered her hands. “I’m okay.” She was half convinced.

  He crossed his arms. “I’m not sure you are.”

  The coffee post sputtered continuously as the yummy smell filled the air. “Why?”

  “Because I’m sure as hell not.” The uncertainty in his voice surprised her. “When we heard DK say he wanted us to take him down, and he had that gun to your head … the incident commander knew we had to take the shot.”

  A horrible queasiness overcame her. “I thought, more than once, that I was dead.”

  He touched her hair, his stroke reverent. “When I heard that first gunshot when I was on the phone with you, I couldn’t think of anything but getting to you. It scared me shitless.”

  The sincerity, the aching desperation in his voice floored her. “Really?”

  He drew her off the stool and into his arms. “Really.”

  His arms were strength, but not only in a physical sense. She glimpsed a desperation and sincerity in his eyes she hadn’t witnessed in a man before. As if he understood what she’d experienced in a way far more heartfelt than the average person might.

  She eased back from him, afraid of what she felt, and even more afraid of what she didn’t feel. “I know what I want.”

  His gaze trapped hers. “What?”

  She drew in a huge breath. “I need to feel grounded. I’m just confused and uncertain.”

  “About everything?”

  A tiny smile managed to form on her lips. “I’m not sure what I feel. I’m scattered.”

  “Torn?”

  “That describes me perfectly.”

  After the coffee machine beeped that it was finished brewing, he headed around the counter and set to work pouring coffee in two utilitarian white mugs.

  “Cream or sugar?” He held up the fat free cream carton.

  “Cream only.”

  He ignored the sugar as well, adding a generous portion of cream to his mug. He held her coffee out to her. “Ready to eat?”

  “You go ahead. I don’t know if I can.”

  He cracked a lopsided smile and headed for the fridge where he’d stored the meal. “Come on. You gotta eat or my feelings will be hurt. I bought a feast here.”

  “Okay. You’re right.” Her stomach growled. “I’m hungry, as you can hear. My stomach is so tight, though. It feels funny.”

  “Just eat a little. Sit right there and relax. I’ll heat this stuff up.”

  She managed a grin of her own as he tossed dishes into the microwave. “Why, Banovic, I never realized you were so domestic.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “I think I would. What other secrets are you hiding under all that cop gear?”

  Oh, hell. I can’t believe I said that. He’s going to think I’m hot for his body.

  Well, okay, I am.

  His irreverent expression as he placed a plate and utensils in front of her made Mary wonder if she’d insulted him again. God, her brains were mush.

  “Eat, Wickes. You’re delirious.”

  She sipped the excellent coffee with the reverence reserved for special champagne. “I think maybe I am. I don’t like that.”

  “You’re always in control, aren’t you?”

  He’d said it before. He hit too close to home, and part of her resented that. Another part wanted him to know her inside and out, to share all the things she’d never shared before this moment.

  “Yes. I’m still in control now.”

  “That’s what we all think. Until the shit hits the fan.”

  She absorbed his wisdom. “You’d know, right? You’ve been in hairy situations before.”

  “Depends on your definition of hairy. There’s light fuzz and there’s gorilla.”

  She laughed.

  He placed containers of food in front of her. Before long he pulled up a barstool next to her and they ate in silence for some time. Within a short time they’d demolished half the food with gusto.

  “Have you ever experienced anything like this before?” she asked. “I mean … exactly what happened today?”

  “Not exactly.”

  As she stared into the creamy depths of her coffee, she said, “Have you ever seen anyone shot or had to shoot someone?”

  “I’ve been a cop ten years and I was a marine for eight years. I’ve seen people shot more than once.”

  “Were you in the first Gulf War?”

  “Missed it. But I didn’t miss this last war. I’m in the reserves. You know, the whole weekend warrior thing.”

  “And you went to Iraq?”

  “Two tours in Afghanistan.”

  “I know this is a weird, maybe even a stupid question. Was it awful?”

  “In its own way, yeah. Big time.”

  “What did you do there?”

  “I was a forward observer. Some people call it a fire support specialist.”

  “You had to kill.”

  “Yeah. I’ve called in fire on the enemy plenty of times. I told others where and when to kill. One time, me and three other guys were pinned down by sniper fire. One man was badly injured, and we thought he was a goner.”

  “But you saved him?”

  “We did, but then…”

  A cloud passed over his expression, and she had to ask, “What happened?”

  “Shit happened.”

  At first, she thought he wouldn’t explain. He gazed at her steadily. “It took twelve hours before we escaped from our little piece of hell.”

  She knew there was more to the story, but she held back from probing.

  “That was the day my fiancée was killed. On my first tour in Afghanistan. Gloria Jean Franklin. She was named after Marilyn Monroe.”

  “Oh, my God. Was she in the military, too?”

  “No. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time at a convenience store in Denver. A real son of a bitch came in who wanted some quick money. He was also off his anti-psychotic drugs. He took hostages. When the SWAT team came he didn’t even negotiate. He shot her in the head before they could intervene.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Dace. I’m so sorry.” The information sank into her stomach like a lead ball. “So you understand more than anyone what I experienced today.”

  He covered her fingers and squeezed gently. “Yeah.”

  “Today, when DK was holding us hostage, that was a return to a nightmare for you.”

  “That. And more.”

  “Perhaps you’re as confused as I am.”

  Understanding dawned over his handsome face. “You could say that.”

  Her heart ached, and she wished with all her heart he’d never know such pain again. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through that. That you lost someone you loved.”

  “Thanks, Mary.”

  Silence gathered around them for a while until she spoke again. “As a cop, have you had to shoot someone … to see someone shot?”

  “Gold Rush and the county are pretty darned small. Most of the city police and the county sheriff’s officers haven’t even shot back at someone.”

  “Have you? You didn’t today.”

  “I haven’t shot at anyone since I’ve been a cop. Not even with the SWAT. Today was about the most traumatic incident we’ve had since I�
��ve been on the team.”

  “Are you still in the reserves?”

  “Yep. They could call me up again, but right now…”

  She stared at her food. “Are you worried you’ll be sent back to war?”

  He finished chewing before he said, “I can’t afford to think that way. It would take up too much brain power and energy I need for doing my job and enjoying my life.”

  She finished eating, her mind whirling with questions. An annoying throb started in her temples. Time passed in silence as they put away leftovers and placed dishes in the dishwasher. When they pushed away from the sink, she noticed the snow hadn’t tapered. “If this keeps up, you’ll be stuck here.”

  He looked out of the window above the kitchen sink and put away the last dish. “I’m not leaving.”

  She leaned her hip on the counter and crossed her arms, not knowing what to think. “You’re not?”

  He mimicked her stance. “Nope. Unless I get a SWAT call, I’m off for the rest of the evening. I’m not leaving you here alone.”

  “What if I want to be alone?” She rubbed her forehead.

  He frowned. “You okay?”

  “I have a headache.”

  Dace drew nearer, his gaze caressing. “Turn around.”

  “Why?”

  “Trust me.”

  “Those are dangerous words, Marine.”

  When his hands cupped her upper shoulders, he leaned in and whispered into her ear. “You have no idea.” He rubbed her neck with soothing touches. “You’re tense. Maybe you should have taken a hot bath instead.”

  “Maybe.” She sighed as his fingers wove magic. She turned toward him, needing to see his face.

  Dressed in his cop getup, Dace was an amalgamation of male energy and unusual vulnerability that intrigued her beyond all measure. Touching him ignited feelings both dangerous and delicious. His eyes glittered with heat and arousal. For a time she couldn’t say what she wanted or how she wanted it. She waited for what would come, unsure and yet open, wanting to know all of him in any way she could.

  “Mary?”

  “Yes?”

  “Today wasn’t just horrible because it reminded me of Gloria. It was beyond that. Beyond awful because it was you held hostage. It was the worst nightmare I’ve ever had come to life.” He brushed his fingers lightly over her cheek. “I see you bruised emotionally like this, and it’s all I can do to stay calm. I’m jumping out of my skin here. I want so damned badly to fix it for you, and I can’t.”

  She met Dace’s eyes and felt as if he’d tapped into her soul, her secrets. His head tilted to the side a bit, and as he moved closer, inhibitions fell away. His gaze cruised from her eyes to her mouth and lingered. Mary’s skin tingled with awareness, her heartbeat quickening.

  “Tired?” he asked.

  “Yes and no.”

  She licked her lips and his gaze followed. “You want to talk some more?”

  “Not sure that I do.”

  His mouth was so close now, his eyes smoldering. “Before today you wanted to leave the sheriff’s department.”

  “I still do.”

  His fingers slipped into the hair at the back of her neck. “But not tonight.”

  Heat flared low in her belly, a desire stronger than anything she’d experienced with another man. The delicious rumble in his voice seduced, and she answered without hesitation. “No. Not tonight.”

  As he kissed her, she fell into the sweetness and went straight under.

  When he anchored her to his hard chest, his mouth twisted over hers in hungry demand. His erection pressed her stomach, and that impressive length heated her loins and built an ache that demanded completion. Involuntarily she moved, eager to feel his hard chest rubbing over her nipples. Her grip on his shoulders tightened. God, she ached to get closer. He groaned into her mouth and plunged deeper.

  Oh, yes, men had kissed her on a mission to seduce her into bed. They’d almost all failed. They hadn’t made her heart pound, her blood pour with raging violence through her veins, her breath catching, her body trembling with a crazy fever.

  They hadn’t kissed her like … this.

  Sweet, hot arousal blossomed and spread outward. Her breath caught as his kiss tossed her straight into a fiery storm. Desire engulfed her like an unforgiving wave. She never expected to experience sexual tension as tight, as drawn to a fine point as she did with Dace. Though he’d kissed her before, now it felt new and explosive. She pressed into his solid chest, into his hips. His touch seemed to find all of her at once, lingering over her back, her waist, her arms, as if he searched for a singular answer only his touch could discover. Fingers combing through her hair, thumbs brushing over her cheeks, he held her steady for his tender inspection.

  He drew back long enough to whisper against her mouth. “I’ve wanted to do that for six months. Ever since the first day I saw you.”

  She drew back enough to see his eyes examining her, taking her in with a concentration that wore down her defenses yet another notch. “The first day we met?”

  “The very day.”

  “Dace, what’s going on here … it isn’t just lust, is it?”

  “God, no. When I thought I might lose you today, it scared me more than anything I’ve ever experienced. Anything.”

  A wave of delight and comfort came to the surface inside her. Being with Dace filled a space she hadn’t realized needed fulfilling.

  Her fingers threaded through the short-cropped hair at the back of his head. He explored her everywhere. Cupping her ass. Her shoulders. Skimming up her side until he almost touched her breasts.

  As he kissed her again she knew they wouldn’t stop with mere touches and a few kisses. Each kiss came at one new angle and then another. He tasted her with ravenous hunger, as if he couldn’t get enough. With the natural flow of passion, she touched his jaw and felt the rasp of his five o’clock shadow. She lingered, tracing the small indent in the middle of his chin, then down to his strong throat. I need to know him. Really know him. He scooped her up with a palm beneath her ass cheeks, and her legs went around his waist. His cock pressed into her secrets, and she moaned into his mouth at the keen pleasure.

  He broke the kiss. “I want you.”

  His words, so low and husky, drove her over the edge. It frightened her and thrilled her to the core, and she drew him in for another kiss. They broke away only long enough to find the bedroom.

  *

  Dace thought he’d found heaven. He tumbled them onto the queen-sized bed. Mary’s legs parted and left their grip on his waist. His breath came out in puffs as arousal sharpened his alertness and desire cracked through him like lightning. He drew back long enough to strip off his boots, and then she pulled him down into her arms. He kissed and nipped her throat, his desire riding him hard. Mary wasn’t far behind, and when he felt her gliding touch over his cock, he jerked in response. Jesus. That felt fantastic. He would burst like a school boy any minute. He’d never felt this compelling desire to take, to possess, to reveal his need for her with primitive action and words, but he understood she needed reassurance. If things had gone terribly wrong today, he wouldn’t have her in his arms right now, and that made him want this moment to never end.

  “Please, Dace. I’m aching. I’ve got to have you now.”

  Mary’s plea, so soft and yet demanding, broke his resolve to take this slow. She worked open his shirt and slid her fingers over his undershirt. He levered upward long enough to strip off his shirt and toss the undershirt aside.

  Nightfall provided the darkness that added to their intimacy, but soft light from the hallway gave some illumination to the room. Immediately her gaze assessed him as she ran her hands over his pecs, teasing his nipples with her palms. He groaned. She lingered over each stomach muscle until he thought he couldn’t take it a second longer. Though she’d said she wanted him now, her touch teased and stroked.

  He reached for her hands and brought them up over her head, holding her wrists with one h
and. She twisted under the gentle bondage, and he swooped in for another kiss. Her mouth flowered open for his tongue, her taste lush and delicious. God, he wanted her. He needed to touch her everywhere, but didn’t think he could wait a moment longer to explore her hidden secrets. His cock ached for release.

  Dace released her long enough to reach down and slip off her shoes. Then he worked her pants off her hips, dragging her plain white cotton bikini panties down and off her legs. He tossed them the clothes over the side of the bed. He reached for her top and helped her unzip it. She undid her bra and revealed small, full breasts topped with large, honey-colored nipples beaded in arousal.

  Without hesitation, he cupped her breast and leaned forward, sweeping a long, languorous lick over the nipple. “God, honey, these are sweet.”

  She cried out and her body arched as she clasped his head to her breasts. He sampled each one, decorating with swirls and licks, his mouth sucking until her nipples stood hard and desperate for more. To add to the torment, he sucked one nipple while plucking steadily at the other with thumb and forefinger. He worked downward, nibbling and exploring her ribs, her flat belly, caressing subtle curves along the way. Mary urged him with gasps, moans, and soft entreaties for more. He tested the warm flesh between her legs and found her hot and wet. He gently pushed two fingers inside and caressed. She gasped and writhed.

  “Oh, Dace. God, that feels so good. Please I can’t stand this.”

  He smiled. “Tell me what you want.”

  “You.” Her words came in pants. “Inside me.”

  Dace groaned in frustration. “Damn it. I don’t have any condoms.”

  She cupped his face, and he saw trust in her eyes. “It’s okay. I’m healthy, and I’m on the pill to regulate my periods.”

  His breath puffed out. The thought of being deep within her and coming inside her body sent his hormones into a hot rage. “I’m healthy, too.”

  “I trust you.”

  His fortitude broke into a million pieces. As he kissed her again, she worked at his belt, tearing it open and undoing his pants in record time. Before Dace knew it, his cock was in her hand. She stroked and stroked again.

  He grabbed her hand. “Now?”

  “Now.”

  Her plea broke his control. Dace shoved his pants down his thighs, off his legs, and tossed away his socks. He came down on top of her, glorying in the sensation of yielding female flesh. The feel of Mary beneath him blew his mind. Her slim body, so fragile yet strong, drove him to the brink of an extraordinary madness. She drew her legs up to embrace his hips as his cock touched her wet folds.