Smoking Hot

by Karen Kelley

“You’re beautiful,” he said, then closed his eyes and inhaled.

  “Apricot. Nectar of the gods.”

  She cocked an eyebrow, then strolled to the dresser. “Bath gel. Thrifty Market on the corner of Main Street. Dollar twentynine, unless I have a coupon.” She opened the bottom drawer, ignoring his quick indrawn breath as she dug around for a pair of panties. That was a dumb move, she thought to herself. She grabbed a lace-edged pair of sage green panties and quickly pulled them on, then shoved the drawer shut.

  With her back still toward him, she opened the top drawer and dug around for a bra. Her hand scraped across her .22 pistol as she hunted for a T-shirt, but she quickly dismissed the idea of removing one of her problems by shooting him. He might be able to help her. She didn’t know for sure. Besides, he was immortal.

  He would heal. She slammed the drawer closed, opting not to wear a bra.

  “Are you angry about something?” he asked.

  “No.” The one word came out clipped, betraying her emotional upheaval.

  He was beside her in an instant, pulling her against him. She inhaled his rugged scent, letting it wrap around her. She didn’t want to relax around him.

  “Tell me what’s bothering you,” he said.

  “Nothing. Everything.”

  “Last night?”

  She pushed out of his arms, needing to put a little space between them. She went to the closet and grabbed a pair of her jeans that were nicer than the jeans she usually wore to do chores.

  She didn’t try to figure out why she wanted to wear the black jeans that fit snug against her body. She pulled them on, sliding them up until they rested low on her hips. She wouldn’t try to figure out why she grabbed an olive green T-shirt that she knew looked good on her, and poked her arms through the armholes, tugging it over her head. When she turned around he was leaning against her dresser, staring. “What?” she finally asked.

  “You look hot.”

  “I have chores to do,” she mumbled and started past him.

  She must be losing her mind. Why else would she want to wear her good clothes to do chores? She grabbed her boots and a pair of socks. She had to move around him to get to the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was almost there, but he moved fast and blocked her from leaving the room.

  “What?” she asked again with more than a touch of exasperation, but she couldn’t meet his eyes.

  He lightly ran his fingers down her arm. She shivered.

  “What did I do?”

  She swallowed hard. What had he done? She couldn’t think straight when he was so close. She moved to the bed and sat on the edge as she pulled on her socks. The act of pulling on socks and boots worked to ground her in the reality of her life.

  “You took me to a place and made me watch those people,” she finally spat out, and knew that wasn’t what bothered her.

  “I didn’t force you.”

  “You should’ve asked before you took me there.” She clamped her lips together and tugged the first boot on with more force than she needed.

  “Would you have gone if I had?”

  “No,” she blurted.

  “But you enjoyed watching them have sex. The way the men touched her, touched each other.”

  Her movements slowed as images danced across her mind.

  Her stomach began to churn because she knew he was right.

  She’d enjoyed every second of it.

  “There’s nothing wrong with having needs.”

  She grabbed her other boot and glanced up at him. “Even perverted ones?”

  “It was consensual sex between three adults. Where was the perversion?”

  She yanked her boot on and jumped to her feet. “I don’t know! But you told me to watch, and I did. You told me to feel, and I did. You were on top, and I let you.” Her chest heaved as she tried to draw her emotions back under control.

  “That’s your problem? That you gave up control for a brief moment?”

  She marched toward him, but stopped when she was only a foot away. “Yes, that’s what pisses me off,” she snarled. “I never give up control. Never. You won’t trick me again.” She stormed past him.

  “But you enjoyed it, so why was it wrong?”

  She pretended she didn’t hear him. She kept walking until she was in the kitchen preparing the coffee pot. She dumped a scoop of coffee into the brew basket. She started to replace it, but at the last second dumped another scoop inside. She only hoped Dillon was gone when she turned around. She didn’t want to discuss last night with him. She gripped the counter, her knees growing weak just thinking about the way she’d responded.

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake!” she muttered, pushing away from the counter and striding out the back door. She let it slam behind her.

  Once outside, she continued down the steps and toward the barn.

  Visions filled her mind when she remembered what had taken place the last time she was inside.

  “Is no place safe?” She turned and went to the chicken coop.

  She hated chickens. They always pecked her. After opening the gate, she grabbed the basket and went inside. The first chicken

  glared at her. Raine glared back and reached beneath the feathery creature and grabbed the two eggs the fat hen was sitting on. She almost dared the hen to peck. The hen looked put out that Raine took her eggs, but she didn’t peck. Raine gathered twenty eggs from the sitting birds without a single injury. Maybe they knew she would have chicken and dumplings if they pecked her.

  She strode back toward the house and through the back door.

  She quickly scanned the room. No Dillon. Good. Maybe he would leave her alone for a while. The coffee was ready so she poured some into a cup and took a long swallow. She almost choked. Two scoops might have been a little too much. Definitely an eye opener.

  Someone knocked on the front door. She jumped, almost spilling coffee down her shirt. Some of the hot liquid sloshed onto her hand. “Damn it,” she muttered and turned the cold water on.

  The water cooled her hot skin. She let it run for a few seconds then inspected her hand. A little red but nothing more.

  The knocking started again. If that was Dillon she’d castrate him. She grabbed a dish towel and patted her hands dry. Her forehead wrinkled. Maybe she wouldn’t castrate him, but she could think about it!

  The knocking grew louder. “I’m coming!” She tossed the towel and hurried to the front door. She glanced at the clock as she hurried past. It was still early. Only eight. Who the hell dropped by at this time? She unlocked the door and flung it open.

  Her answer was standing on the front porch, eyes just as cold as when she first interrogated Raine. Now what?

  “I thought we could talk some more.” Emily Gearson smiled.

  Raine raised her eyebrows. “A girl-to- girl chat?”

  “You could say that. May I come in?”

  “Texas Rangers don’t have chats. They fish for answers and they keep baiting the hook until they find out everything they need to know. Come in if you want.”

  Emily opened the door and stepped inside. “I have a job to do. You can’t fault me for that.” She sniffed. “Is that coffee? The coffee at the café was pretty awful.”

  Those were the first genuine words that came out of the woman’s mouth, and Raine had to agree with her. The café in town had the worst coffee. She had a feeling they reused the coffee filters until they petrified. “I hope you like it strong.” She turned and walked toward the kitchen.

  Once in the kitchen, Raine brought down another cup. It didn’t match. The cups were gifts throughout the years. A birthday present from one of his cronies when Grandpa turned sixty that had Old Fart plastered more than a dozen times in different fonts and sizes. Raine’s fingers brushed against it, but she brought out a plain dark blue cup instead. She poured coffee into the cup and looked at the ranger. “Cream? Sugar?”

  Emily shook her head. “Straight up. Too many years on stakeouts. We always had coffee but never
enough cream or sugar. I got used to drinking it black.”

  “Back porch?”

  Emily nodded.

  It just seemed the safer thing to do. The ranger had been covertly looking around when they were in the house.

  “This is good coffee,” Emily said as she sat down. She took another drink and crossed her legs as she leaned back.

  They could’ve been two friends sharing the start of a new day. But they weren’t. The ranger might look relaxed, but Raine figured it was all an act. Two could play that game.

  “Why did you become a ranger?”

  Emily looked surprised that Raine had asked a question.

  “I grew up with tales of my great-great- grandfather the Texas Ranger,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “He lived in Tokeen for a while. The town doesn’t exist anymore, but the stories found their way down through the generations. I thought it would be cool if I followed in his footsteps.”

  Raine was surprised the other woman had opened up. Maybe

  Emily was a little surprised too, because she sat a little straighter and wore a grim look as though she might have somehow failed in her duties. Raine’s father once said never make an enemy out of someone if they’ll make a better ally down the road. Raine had a feeling she might need the other woman’s help someday.

  “It was the same for me.” Raine sat in the other rocker. “One of my favorite times growing up was stopping by my dad’s office when he was sheriff. He’d discuss case files— ”

  Emily raised her eyebrows.

  “Nothing specific. Generic stuff. Usually cold files. Then he would ask me to solve the case.”

  “Did you?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes. Sometimes not.”

  “What about the robbery? Are you going to solve that one?”

  “I don’t have much to go on. Everyone seems to think it was me and Grandpa.”

  “Was it?”

  “What do you think?” Raine countered, meeting the woman’s gaze.

  Emily studied her. “I’ll reserve judgment for now.”

  “That was noncommittal.”

  “I don’t like to accuse unjustly. I’m more of a know-all- the facts type of person.” She leaned back in her chair again. “If I find out you’re guilty, I’ll prosecute you to the full extent of the law.”

  “I would expect no less.”

  Emily’s gaze slowly scanned the area. “It’s nice out here. Peaceful. I would think it would be hard to let go of this ranch.”

  “I don’t plan on letting the property go. We may not be rich, but we get by. My grandfather is an honest man. There’s not a criminal bone in his body.”

  “Yet he was accused of stealing a horse,” she spoke almost to herself.

  Raine tensed. Of course she would know about that. “The charges were dropped.” She pronounced each word slowly and distinctly, forcing herself to keep her temper under control. Why did everyone keep bringing up the damn horse?

  “Just the same, it was a criminal act.” Emily brought the cup to her lips and drained the last of her coffee.

  “The owners were the real criminals for letting the poor horse starve. You could count the creature’s ribs.”

  Emily didn’t say anything as she got up, still staring at the landscape as though she found something of particular interest.

  “I can’t say what he did was right. He broke the law. But I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing, either,” she murmured.

  Raine stood. “Right or wrong, he’s not a criminal.”

  “I know,” she admitted. “But all the evidence points toward the two of you.”

  Surprise left Raine speechless. She never expected Emily to make a declaration like that.

  “What? I’m not stupid. I’ve read the files on your years as a police officer. I read back as far as when you went to high school.

  You might be a little unorthodox at times, but you’re honest.”

  She handed her empty cup to Raine. “Don’t prove me wrong. I really hate when I’m wrong.”

  Raine came to her feet, taking her cup. “You’re not wrong this time.”

  “I hope not.” She studied Raine for a moment. “You know, in another situation we might be friends.”

  Raine began to relax. Emily was down to earth, and against her better judgment, Raine was starting to like her. The woman had to have grit to be a Texas Ranger. She admired that.

  “You’re dressed differently,” Emily observed. “One might think there was a man you wanted to impress. But then, you’re not dating anyone around here, are you?” Her expression was puzzled.

  Raine couldn’t think of anything to say. She could argue the point, but Emily was already going down the steps and around the side of the house. A few minutes later, Raine heard her car start.

  Lying never sat well with her, and she was afraid that telling Emily she wasn’t trying to impress anyone, especially a man, would be a bald-faced lie and the other woman would know it. Sometimes it was better to keep her mouth closed. “I think she likes you,”

  Dillon said as he came out the back door.

  Raine whirled and threw the cup toward him. It hit him square in the chest. With a loud oomph, he doubled over.

  “Your reactions haven’t slowed since you’ve been on leave,” he gasped.

  “Damn it, don’t you know not to startle someone like that? If I’d had a gun I might have shot you!”

  “I’m immortal,” he said as he weaved his way to the chair and sat in it.

  “But you still feel pain.”

  He nodded. “For a bit.” He rubbed his chest.

  “Then you would think you’d learn not to scare people.” She hadn’t meant to throw the empty cup at him. “Are you okay?”

  He stretched his shoulders and rubbed his chest. “Did anyone ever mention you’d make a great pitcher?”

  She grimaced. “I took my softball team to state my senior year in high school. I was the pitcher. I had more strikeouts than any other team that year.”

  “I believe it.”

  “Does it still hurt?”

  His eyes met hers. “Not really.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Dillon continued to stare. She began to fidget.

  “What?” she finally asked.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  She rolled her eyes. “So you’ve told me.”

  “Because you are.”

  “Why are you here?” she asked, changing the subject. He made her uncomfortable talking like that.

  “I’m going to help you find the men who robbed the bank, remember?”

  “Like you helped me find them last night?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to call them back. She didn’t want to think about last night.

  “You’re blushing,” he said.

  “I am not. The sun’s up. It’s getting warm.”

  “You enjoyed yourself last night. Why are you so afraid to admit it?”

  Because then she would have to face the fact that she’d let him take charge for just a little while. He said watch, and she watched.

  He moved on top when they made love, and she let him. For just a little while last night, he was the one in control and it scared the hell out of her because she’d enjoyed herself. What would she give up next time? No, she didn’t want to think about it.

  She marched to the edge of the porch, but stopped before going down the steps and sat on the top one instead. “I don’t want to talk about last night.”

  “What happened last night?” Grandpa asked.

  Chapter 17

  Raine whirled around. Grandpa pushed open the screen door

  and joined her on the porch. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it might jump out of her chest.

  “Grandpa, you scared me!” She caught her breath, then stood on trembling legs. “What are you doing here? Did Emily see you?”

  And where was Dillon? He wasn’t sitting in the rocking chair. She frowned. He co
uld’ve warned her someone was coming. And why didn’t he warn her about Emily? Some guardian angel he was. Or was he? No, now that she thought about it, she didn’t think he

  was much of a guardian.

  “That Ranger lady was here?”

  “She just left.”

  He shook his head. “Nope, she didn’t see me. Just in case they have the ranch staked out, I came in from the back side. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

  Lady barked as she ran around the side of the house. She jumped up the steps and stopped beside Raine, resting her head on Raine’s knees.

  “She likes you.” Grandpa beamed.

  Raine patted the dog’s head, marveling at the beauty of her golden yellow coat. Then it hit her. “This dog isn’t a stray, Grandpa.”

  Grandpa looked down at his feet, refusing to meet her eyes.

  “I found her limping down the road,” he mumbled. “Sort of. Her foot was hurt real bad. I just made sure she got better.”

  “Grandpa, how could you?” If anyone got wind of this, they’d

  be in so much trouble.

  “I was real careful this time.”

  Her expression must have shown her shock because he backtracked fast enough.

  “I mean when I loaded her in the truck. No one saw me. I didn’t dog-nap her. She was hurt and she was going down the road, sort of.”

  “And she didn’t have tags?” she asked.

  Grandpa looked at his feet.

  “Oh, Grandpa.” They were going to jail. Sheriff Barnes would have no choice but to arrest them. He’d fold like a bad poker hand when they questioned him. It wouldn’t matter if they were abused or not. If he would steal an animal, why wouldn’t he go a step further and rob a bank?

  Something rattled in the kitchen. Raine froze. Had Emily returned? Maybe she’d only been trying to catch her and Grandpa together. Would she lock them up this time? She could feel the color draining from her face.

  “It’s okay, Raine.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “Tilly came with me. She brought over a breakfast casserole. Figured you were living off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and could use some decent grub. Brought stuff you could put in the micro— wave, too. I told her ’bout the angel helping you out, but I don’t think she believed me.”

  Why did her life always have to be so complicated? “You’re not supposed to be here. It’ll look bad if anyone catches you at the ranch.”