Guardian Cowboy

by Carla Cassidy

  “Do you guys know what’s going on?” she asked.

  Janis hesitated. “Yes, I know a few things,” she admitted. But without knowing specifically what Dillon was telling people, she added, “But I can’t talk about them right now.”

  “Oh, come on. You can tell me.” Annie leaned closer to her.

  “Annie, she can’t,” Sawyer said firmly.

  “Then at least tell me this...am I in trouble?”

  “No, not at all,” Janis replied. “Just go in and answer Dillon’s questions and you’ll be fine.”

  “Getting any vibes from anyone?” Sawyer leaned over and whispered as Annie went back to her chair.

  “Not really,” she replied.

  He rubbed her back and the only thing she knew with certainty was how much she appreciated Sawyer’s strength, his support, in all of this.

  Despite the lingering scents of fried food and the disinfectant James used to clean, Sawyer’s cologne was a welcoming, familiar scent that made her feel safe.

  As everyone else chatted with each other, Janis watched all the men carefully. Who in the room was not only an obsessive voyeur but also a potential killer? He had to be here. He had to have a key to get inside and that meant he had to be there right now.

  When James came out of the office, he was pummeled with questions by the others. He shook his head and moved toward the front door. “The chief said he’d arrest me if I said anything to anyone, so I’m out of here.”

  Dillon appeared in the office doorway. “Charles,” he said.

  And so the morning went, with Dillon calling people into the office. It was nearly noon when he was finished and he and Gary and Janis and Sawyer were the only people left in the bar.

  “I wish I could tell you I’ve identified the guilty person, but I can’t,” Dillon said.

  “There wasn’t anyone who appeared shady?” Sawyer asked.

  “Actually, there were a couple. James and Rusty,” he replied.

  Janis wasn’t surprised by him mentioning James, but she was completely surprised by him naming Rusty. Rusty Bratton was an older man who worked in the kitchen. He always had a friendly smile and was a hard worker.

  “Neither of them had alibis for the day Sawyer was shot. Both of them definitely appeared like they had something to hide,” Dillon said.

  “Did you talk to them about the peepholes?” Janis asked.

  “No, not specifically. I told them all that I want a written, detailed report of their activities for the past week on my desk by tomorrow morning.” Dillon frowned thoughtfully. “I didn’t want to tip our hand by telling them the peepholes had been discovered.”

  “I’m going to get Jesse St. John over here to fill the holes,” Gary said. Jesse owned a business of home repair and remodeling.

  Dillon frowned thoughtfully. “No, I don’t want the holes disturbed. I don’t want to show our hand to this snake.”

  “He’s worse than a snake,” Sawyer replied and rubbed his shoulder.

  “I’d like you to move back into the room in the next couple of days,” Dillon said to Janis. “I know it will be difficult, but if you aren’t there, then our perp won’t have a reason to sneak in here to look at you.”

  Janis’s stomach churned at the very thought of going back to that room. It had been her home, her security, but it would never be home for her again.

  “That’s a lot to ask of her,” Sawyer protested, his hand finding hers and squeezing tightly.

  “I realize that. But we’ll coordinate it so I’m hiding out in here during the nights.” He looked at Gary. “I’m assuming you wouldn’t have a problem with that.”

  “Not at all. Do whatever it takes to get the bastard arrested.”

  Dillon returned his gaze to Janis. “Then it’s all up to you.”

  “I’ll do it,” she heard herself say.

  “Are you sure?” Sawyer asked, his copper-colored eyes holding her gaze.

  She slowly nodded and then looked at Dillon. “I’ll do it because I want this person caught and jailed. If he isn’t peeping at me, then he’ll find some other poor woman to peep at.” An icy cold clutched her heart. “Just give me a couple of days at the motel, and I’d like you to take me off the work schedule for that time.”

  “That can be done,” Gary agreed.

  “What are you going to tell everyone as to why she’s out of the room now?” Sawyer asked.

  “Bugs,” Gary said. “I’ll take the time before she comes back to fumigate her room. We’ll tell everyone she was overrun by bugs.”

  “That will work,” Dillon agreed.

  “I’ll make sure everyone gets their keys back today.” Gary turned as Tanner came through the front door for the second time that morning.

  “Is it business as usual today?” he asked. “If so, then my shift already started.”

  Gary looked at Dillon, who nodded and got out of his chair. “It’s business as usual,” Gary replied. “Help me get these chairs back where they belong.”

  “I’ll help with that,” Sawyer said.

  Fifteen minutes later Janis and Sawyer were back in his truck. “How about we catch lunch at the café?”

  “That sounds fine,” she said, although her heart was still in her throat at the idea of going back to her room. How was she going to dress and use the bathroom knowing that somebody might be looking at her?

  “Janis, you don’t have to go back there,” he said softly, as if he’d read her mind. “We’ll figure out another way to catch him.”

  “Yes I do,” she replied. She clutched her fingers tight in her lap, not wanting him to see that they trembled with anxiety. “I want to know who shot you. I need to know who this twisted person is, and I think Dillon is right. This might be the only way to catch him.”

  She didn’t even want to think about what she might possibly endure in an effort to reveal a person who would kill to keep her all to himself.

  * * *

  “You look exhausted,” Sawyer said as they got out of his truck in front of the motel. They had just eaten a big lunch at the café where, thankfully, nobody had bothered them or asked them questions about what was going on at the Watering Hole.

  She got the motel room key out of her purse and unlocked the door. “To be honest, I’m totally exhausted. I didn’t get much sleep last night and I was so tense through the morning.”

  “Why don’t I get out of here and let you get in a long nap,” he said.

  Her eyes were dark as she held his gaze. “Stay with me for a little while? Hold me while I sleep?”

  “Darlin’, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” he replied. Well, truth be told, he could think of one thing he’d like to do, but she hadn’t invited him to make love to her. She’d merely asked him to hold her while she slept.

  “I’m going to change out of these jeans and put on something more comfy,” she said. She opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of gray jogging pants and a pink T-shirt. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the bathroom.

  He turned on the small bedside lamp and turned off the glaring overhead light. He then sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh. He hadn’t slept much the night before, either. He’d tossed and turned, worry for her keeping sleep at bay.

  He’d never known such admiration for a woman. The fact that she’d agreed to move back into the room in the bar had amazed him. Only an incredibly strong woman would make that choice.

  He turned as she came out of the bathroom, looking small and vulnerable in the sweats and the oversize T-shirt. He put his gun and his cell phone on the nightstand, stretched out on the gold bedspread and beckoned her into his arms.

  She turned off the bedside lamp and the room was lit only with stray beams of sunshine that danced in through a crack in the curtains.

  She crawled up next to him and c
urled herself so he could spoon her with an arm thrown over her middle.

  Her hair smelled like sunshine and flowers and her body fit neatly against his.

  He hoped like hell he could keep his lustful thoughts of her at bay, but he knew it was going to be difficult with her so intimately close to him.

  “Sawyer.” Her drowsy voice let him know she was on the verge of sleep.

  “Yes?” he replied.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “What are you thanking me for?” he asked.

  “For being you.”

  His heart swelled with a happiness he’d never known before in his life. And it was at that moment he realized he was definitely in love with Janis Little.

  It had happened so quickly, but it felt so right. She was the woman he’d been searching for to complete his life, to fill his future. The realization of his feelings for her filled him with awe. He wanted to wake her up right now and tell her how much he loved her, but he didn’t.

  He didn’t know what she felt for him. Oh, he knew he was her safety net for now. There was no question she trusted him more than anyone else in her life. But that didn’t necessarily equate to love.

  Besides, maybe what he felt for her was just a healthy dose of lust and, once that was satisfied, his feelings for her wouldn’t be quite as strong.

  In any case, now wasn’t the time to speak of his love for her. He would tell her how he felt about her when this nastiness was all resolved. He’d tell her when fear no longer darkened her eyes, when the relief of an arrest made their future happiness assured.

  All he had to hope for was that she had or would fall in love with him. That was his last thought before he drifted off to asleep.

  He awakened to soft, warm fingers dancing down the sides of his face. He opened his eyes to see Janis facing him, a soft smile playing on her features.

  Instantly blood surged in every vein in his body. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Just looking at her made him want her. He’d never had this kind of hunger for a woman in his life.

  “I didn’t know how long you wanted to sleep,” she said.

  “What time is it?” he asked.

  “It’s just after six.”

  “Whew, I can’t believe I slept this long.”

  She smiled. “We both must have needed it.”

  Her fingers once again stroked the side of his face, her eyes a deep caramel color that drew him in. He reached out and ran his fingers over her features like a blind man wanting to recognize...to memorize her.

  “Kiss me, Sawyer,” she whispered.

  There was no way he was going to deny her request. He leaned forward and covered her lips with his. As always, her mouth was warm and inviting and, within seconds, he deepened the kiss.

  His tongue danced with hers, instantly creating a flame deep inside him. She moved closer to him, her body pressed against his. She had to know that he was fully aroused. He couldn’t help the way his body reacted to hers. Still, she had only asked for a kiss and nothing more.

  As they continued to kiss, her breaths quickened, as did his own. Her hands tangled in his hair and he fought against a wildness growing inside him.

  His hands caressed up and down her back. There was nothing he wanted more than to take her T-shirt off so he was touching her bare skin. But he tamped down the wild desire.

  The last thing he wanted to do was to somehow pressure her to do something she wasn’t ready for. She had to have the lead and right now he would follow her anywhere.

  As the kiss finally ended, her eyes had darkened to the color of rich chocolate. “Make love to me, Sawyer.”

  His heart nearly beat out of his chest as he held her gaze intently. “Are you sure? Janis, I need you to be really sure that’s what you want.”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to make love with you, Sawyer.”

  Seeing the certainty that shone from her eyes, he gave in to the wild want that surged inside him. He kissed her again and this time when his hands caressed her back, they did so inside the soft cotton of her T-shirt.

  She stopped the kiss, sat up and pulled her T-shirt off all in one fluid movement. With the faint glow of the fading sunshine sneaking through the slit in the draperies, she looked so beautiful she momentarily took his breath away.

  “Now you,” she said and plucked at his T-shirt.

  He complied, taking it off and throwing it on the floor. When he kissed her again it was with her bare breasts against his chest. Her flesh was warm and her nipples were already erect, as if demanding immediate attention.

  “Oh, woman, what you do to me,” he said as he tore his mouth from hers.

  He rolled with her in his arms so that he hovered over her and his mouth latched onto one of her turgid nipples. She clutched at his shoulders as a low, sexy moan escaped her.

  He flicked his tongue over first one nipple and then the other, loving the taste of her and the sound of her pleasure. It didn’t take long for the rest of their clothes to disappear.

  Sawyer halted things only momentarily to pull the condom out of his wallet. He opened the package. When he was back in the bed, she took it from him and rolled it onto his hardness.

  Things were going too fast, he thought. He wanted to explore every inch of her, to discover exactly what she liked and didn’t like.

  But it was too late. They were already past the point of exploration. He hovered between her thighs and stared down at her. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks were flushed. Her dark hair was a small halo around her head.

  His love for her slammed into his chest, stealing his breath away even as he entered her. For a moment neither of them moved. He was lost in her warmth and it was only when she tightened her grip on his shoulders that he began to move his hips with hers.

  Slowly at first and then faster... More frantic, they moved together. All too soon his climax was upon him, surging through him with an overwhelming force.

  When it was finished, he held himself up on his elbows and looked down at her in dismay. “Uh...you didn’t...”

  “No, but it was still wonderful, Sawyer.”

  He rolled off of her, utterly disgusted with himself. “It was way too fast and I was selfish.”

  She laughed, a low, sexy sound. “Don’t beat yourself up. There’s always next time.”

  A new fire lit inside his stomach at the thought of making love to her again. He got off the bed and padded into the bathroom.

  Minutes later he was back in the bed with her, both of them still naked. He pulled her into his arms and stroked the silky strands of her hair.

  “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said.

  “What’s that?” he asked curiously.

  “The after-glow is almost as good as an orgasm. And you’re doing after-glow exceptionally well.” She raised her head to smile at him and changed her position so that she lay across his chest with her head propped up on her crossed arms.

  Instead of stroking her hair, he caressed her bare back. “I like to cuddle,” he confessed.

  “That’s nice, because I like to cuddle, too,” she replied. The smile on her face faded and her expression grew serious. “There’s something I want you to do for me, Sawyer.”

  “Anything,” he replied easily.

  “I want you to go home tonight and get a good night’s sleep. Then I want you to get back to your routine and usual hours working on the ranch.”

  He stared at her for a long moment. “For real?”

  “For real.” She sat up and pulled the sheet up to cover her bare breasts. “I feel safe here and Cassie will never consider you for the foreman job if you aren’t there doing your work.”

  “But I want to be here with you...for you,” he protested. He sat up.

  “And I know you’re here for
me,” she replied. “Really, I’ll be fine. You can come back here each night after your dinner. The locks on the door are good and I’m not going to open the door to just anyone.”

  The joy he’d been feeling a few minutes before deflated out of him. Surely, if she cared about him as much as he did her, she wouldn’t be kicking him out. Especially now, under the circumstances.

  “But if I don’t come back over until tomorrow evening, what are you going to do for food all day tomorrow?” He wasn’t sure what he’d expected of the night to come, but this wasn’t it.

  “I’ll have Gary bring me over a burger at noon and then, if you don’t mind, maybe when you get here we can go to the grocery store and I can pick up a few things to tide me over until I leave here.”

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked. He didn’t like it. He would prefer to spend every waking and sleeping hour with her to make sure she stayed safe. But he couldn’t force his will on her and he supposed she was as safe here as she could be as long as she didn’t open the door to just anyone.

  She hesitated a moment and then nodded. “I think it’s what’s best for both of us.”

  An hour later Sawyer was in his truck and headed for the ranch, but his heart was still in that motel room with her. He knew she was trying to do what was best for him in insisting that he do his daily work at the ranch, and that only deepened his feelings for her.

  But it also made him question exactly what her feelings were for him. If she was in love with him, then wouldn’t she have wanted him to stay through the night? Wouldn’t she have wanted to sleep in his arms?

  When he’d looked at her after making love with her, he’d seen his future. He’d seen himself sharing his life with her. He’d seen a house and babies and laughter. He’d seen morning coffee and a porch swing and the kind of love that would last a lifetime.

  What hurt his heart was the possibility that when she looked at him she only saw an easygoing cowboy to see her through the darkness that had entered her life.

  Chapter 9

  Janis sat in the chair near the door in the motel room, waiting for Gary to bring her lunch. There were only three people she would open the door for: Gary, Dillon and Sawyer. Those were the only people she truly trusted at the moment.