by Judy Duarte
Taking care with her and the bandage, Brad wrapped it over and under and around her wrist. Although he did it methodically and expertly, she noticed every graze of his thumb, every touch of his eyes on her, every change of expression on his face. There were tiny lines around his eyes. His black brows drew together once when the bandage buckled, but then he smoothed it and finally attached the small metal clasp.
“There you go.” His words were light, but when his gaze held hers there was no lightness there.
“Emily,” he murmured as he leaned forward.
She loved the sound of her name on his lips. She loved his claiming purpose as he stood and then pulled her up, too.
When his arms wrapped around her, he said, “I don’t understand this chemistry between us any more than you do.”
What made them want each other? What made her eager to catch a glimpse of him? What made her want to feel him inside her again? She knew this could only be temporary. She absolutely knew it.
Yet sometimes it simply didn’t matter. His kiss was possessive and took her breath away. Brad took her breath away.
Totally engrossed in their kiss, Emily jumped when the phone beside her bed rang. Brad ignored it. He knew Tess always answered it. His hands were under Emily’s top now, and she anticipated the feel of his fingers on her breast. It was a delicious anticipation. Their bodies weren’t quite touching, and she wanted that, too. She wanted everything from Brad.
She was pulling his shirt from the waistband of his jeans when there was a knock on her door. “Miss Emily?”
Brad swore, rested his forehead against hers and then leaned away.
“Yes, Tess?”
“Telephone. She says she’s your sister.”
“How does she know you’re here?” Brad asked, his voice deep, desire still simmering in his eyes.
“I called home after we arrived. When they can’t get in touch with me, they worry.”
Instantly she guessed that was a foreign concept to Brad.
His face was unreadable now as he tucked his denim shirt back into his jeans and then went to the door. “You’d better get that. Until you’re ready to go, I’ll talk to Tess to see if she has those notes for me on her daughter.”
Then he was leaving Emily’s room and she was picking up the phone, hoping the sound of her sister’s voice would bring her back to the real world, remind her that she was Emily Stanton, secretary, that Brad was her boss. When they got back to Chicago, nothing would be the same as it was here in Thunder Canyon.
Chapter Nine
When Emily skipped breakfast on Thursday morning, Brad wondered why. Her wrist seemed to be better. She’d taken off the bandage now and was using it normally. But she’d been quiet the past couple of days and he was concerned about her. Did she just want to go back to Chicago and her life? Did she want to get away from the tension between them as they slept in their rooms at night? He was aware of her, just a bathroom away, and that awareness gave him insomnia, as well as dreams he couldn’t act on.
For the past two days he’d tried to learn everything he could about Tess’s daughter. He’d made calls to contacts on the West Coast and he’d made local calls, too. But Annie Littlehawk’s best friend hadn’t wanted to talk to him. In fact, she’d hung up on him. He wouldn’t stop there, of course, but he would give her a few days to think about it, to think about helping him in the search. At the moment he felt stymied on all fronts, waiting for Tildy Matheson to return, waiting for the mayor to return. Today he’d decided to see what all the fuss was about at the Queen of Hearts mine itself.
Since Emily hadn’t appeared at breakfast, he went looking for her and found her in her bedroom working on her laptop at the small reading desk.
“Still organizing notes?” he asked after he’d knocked on the door and she’d called for him to come in.
“Not for the case,” she said with a frown.
He saw numbers on the screen and joked, “That looks more like a budget.”
Smiling, she turned away from the computer. “It is.”
“Yours?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
She seemed deflated somehow, and that wasn’t like Emily. Their last kiss had put another wall between them, had warned him again to keep his distance, had made him search out ways to work alone instead of working with her, but he realized he still cared what she was feeling way too much.
“What’s wrong, Emily?”
Avoiding his gaze, she looked as if she was about to brush off the question, but then her shoulders squared and she pushed her chair back. “Lizbeth called me on Monday.”
It was the call that had interrupted their kiss that could have led straight to the bed. “Bad news?”
Emily pushed her hair behind both ears, as though somehow straightening it could straighten out her life. “She was supposed to graduate this month.”
“And now she’s not?”
“She wants to change her major and go another year.”
Beginning to see where this was headed, he took a step closer. “If she does that, you won’t be able to start school.”
“Not for another year.”
“There’s no way around it?”
After Emily glanced at the computer screen again, she shook her head. “Lizbeth already has more school loans than I’m comfortable with. She’ll be paying for them the rest of her life. She’ll have to try to get more financial aid, of course. I can’t subsidize the whole year. But before she started, I told her I’d help her as much as I can, and I can’t go back on my word.”
“Even if that means putting your life on hold again?”
“Even if it means that.”
Her expression was so troubled, he asked, “Something else is bothering you, isn’t it?”
Standing, she avoided his gaze and went over to the window that looked out over fenced-in grazing land. “I’m wondering when it is going to be my turn. And that makes me feel so selfish.”
Emily was probably the most unselfish person he’d ever met. “You expect too much of yourself. Blazes, Emily, you’ve been putting your own life on hold for how many years now? Resentment has got to go along with that no matter how much you love your sister.”
Her eyes glistened as she murmured, “I don’t want to resent it. I don’t want to be jealous of Elaine finding a career and Lizbeth looking for hers. If I give, I want to give freely…with no strings and no regrets.”
That’s exactly how she’d given herself to him. But he was afraid she did have regrets.
In the course of their conversation, Emily had wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive posture, as if she expected judgment from him.
He crossed to her and gently clasped her shoulders. “You’re Lizbeth’s sister, not a saint. Don’t beat yourself up for being human.”
Dropping her arms to her sides, she sighed. “I was just trying to figure out if it was possible for me to go to a community college and at least start that way since my budget’s going to be tight.”
Before he realized what he was saying, he offered, “Let me pay for your college courses.”
Emily’s eyes went wide and she looked at him as if he’d suggested she do a striptease for him. “You can’t do that.”
He took a light tone with her. “Yes, I can. I’ll be investing in your future.”
Pulling away from him, she went and stood beside the desk. “I can’t take your money, Brad.”
“You haven’t given this enough thought.”
“It only takes three seconds to realize it’s a bad idea. I don’t know when I’d be able to pay you back. What if I leave Vaughn? Besides, I don’t want to feel like I’m taking something from a man who—”
“A man you slept with?”
Her cheeks reddened. “Yes. I just can’t do it, Brad. Things are complicated enough.”
“Complicated how?”
When she didn’t respond, he demanded, “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours, Emily.”
His suspicion that she’d been avoiding him was confirmed. “Maybe we should alternate breakfasts so neither of us goes hungry.”
If he’d been hoping for a smile, he didn’t get one.
“What do you want to do about it?” he asked seriously. “I can finish here in Thunder Canyon myself if you want to go home.”
“I won’t leave a job unfinished,” she protested. “That’s not the way I am. I want to know who owns that mine as much as you do. And I want to talk to Tildy Matheson. I think that will be fun. It’s just—”
“It’s just that you don’t want to be in the same room with me.”
Her lashes fluttered down and then she said very softly, “I want to be in the same room with you too much.”
If he took her into his arms then, he could kiss her and maybe even lead her into bed. But that would confuse her even more and confuse him, too. They were in a world away here, but what would happen when they returned to Chicago?
He wouldn’t take advantage of Emily. He wouldn’t pretend they had somewhere to go when they didn’t. She was the kind of girl who deserved a house in a neighborhood that had block parties. She deserved a princess-like wedding gown and a man who thought highly of marriage.
Moving toward the door and away from her was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. For whatever reason, Emily Stanton was like a shooting star that had exploded into his life. He didn’t want either of them to get any more burned than they already had.
At the door, he stopped. “I think we both need an excursion.”
Now her lashes came up and she lifted her gaze to his. “What kind of excursion?”
“We need to see this infamous gold mine that could put this town on the map. I also want to visit Annie Littlehawk’s best friend. Do you want to go with me?”
She seemed to give the idea much thought. They’d still be together and that sexual hum between them would be ever present. But they would have the mine and Renée Bosgrow to focus on.
A smile finally spread across Emily’s face. “That sounds like a great idea.”
“How soon can you be ready to leave?”
“I’m ready now.”
Ten minutes later they were in the SUV, driving down Thunder Canyon Road. They were heading toward the access road to the mine when Brad’s cell phone rang.
“Vaughn here,” he said as he kept his eyes on the road.
“Brad, it’s Suzette.”
The artificial sweetness in her voice turned his stomach. “You should be talking to my lawyer, not to me.”
“Look, sweetheart, maybe the lawyers are the wrong way to go.”
His jaw clenched when he heard the endearment. “Your lawyer started this whole thing.”
“I realize that now. But I understand what this must be doing to your reputation.”
“It’s not doing anything to my reputation, Suzette. I’m not even in Chicago.”
“Not in Chicago? Where are you?” Some of the sweetness had left her voice.
“I’m on a case, and in a minute or so the static is going to interfere with our signal. So you’d better tell me why you called.”
“I just wanted you to know we can settle this whole thing without the DNA testing or results.”
“I had the DNA sample taken before I left Chicago.”
There were a few moments of hesitation and then she went on. “Even so. You know those results can prove you’re the father.”
He was about to protest heartily when she continued. “I’m sure we can come to an equitable settlement so you don’t have to go through the embarrassment of the whole process.”
“There won’t be any embarrassment for me. I know what the results are going to say, and I have no intention of settling—not now, not later.”
“But, Brad—”
Brad didn’t know if the mountains were interfering with the signal or the weather or simply the particular location he was driving through. But one moment she was there, the next moment she wasn’t.
After a futile, “Hello? Suzette?” and no answer, he reclipped the cell phone onto his belt.
Knowing Emily had heard every word, he glanced over at her. “She wants to settle.”
“And you don’t.”
“That’s right.”
He’d discovered that the man Suzette had lived with ever since Brad and she had broken up had gambling debts. He had a feeling Suzette had been bankrolling her boyfriend and now her modeling money had run out. He wasn’t going to be a ticket to the easy life for the two of them.
After his call, Emily went silent. Brad wished she could trust him, could trust his word. But after what he’d let happen in the cabin, he could see why she was still in doubt. The thing was, the situation with Emily had never happened to him with another woman. He’d never before felt that overwhelming desire not only to be intimate with but to protect and look after a woman. He didn’t understand the inclination at all.
Following directions Caleb had given him, Brad veered onto the gravel road that led to the mine. It had obviously not been used much until the past few months. It was rutted, uneven and felt like an amusement-park ride as they bumped over it.
As he rounded a pile of boulders Caleb had given him as a landmark, he spotted the mine entrance cordoned off by yellow tape about a quarter mile down the road. No Trespassing signs were posted, and Caleb had told him the police did periodic drive-bys.
Brad slowed to get a good look around. Seconds later a shot rang out!
Brad braked fast, rocking them both against their seat belts.
“What was that?” Emily asked. “A backfire?”
Another shot broke the air and grazed the hood of their car. Brad no longer looked around for explanations. In a sputter of mud and a skidding U-turn, he headed for the way they’d come.
When he pulled over after the next bend, Emily asked, “What are you doing?”
“Sit tight,” he ordered. “Keep the windows closed. If you see anyone, if anyone approaches you, hightail it out of here.”
“And what are you going to be doing?”
“There’s a pickup parked near the mine entrance. I’m going to get the license number. No one shoots at me and gets away with it.”
“You’re crazy!” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t go back there. You could get hurt.”
He saw worry in her eyes for him again, and in spite of the situation it made him smile. “I’ll be back. Five minutes tops.”
“I am not sitting here alone. I’ve been stranded in a cabin in a snowstorm, rescued by helicopter, shaken up by a horse and now shot at. That’s enough for me. It should be enough for you.”
Cupping her chin in his hand, he kissed her hard. “I’ll be back.”
Then he left the keys in the ignition, locked the door and ran to the side of the road under the cover of firs.
As Emily sat waiting, she tapped her foot, peered in every direction and constantly looked over her shoulder. She should drive off and leave Brad stranded here, but she’d never do that. In fact, if she found out he was in trouble, she’d drive right into it.
Each minute ticked by slowly. She counted them until finally Brad was running toward the SUV and knocking on the window for her to let him in.
She leaned over and unlocked the door.
Climbing inside, he started up the SUV and drove them as far as Thunder Canyon Road. Then he pulled over again and took hold of his cell phone.
In the next few minutes, he called 911 and told the dispatcher what had happened, giving him the license number of the pickup truck. After also giving the authorities his name and cell number, he ended the call.
Glancing at Emily, he asked, “Are you okay?”
No, she wasn’
t. Each one of his kisses affected her more than the last. Each touch of his hand, each one of his smiles, made her heart turn over. But she wouldn’t let him know that. She wouldn’t let him know she wanted her dream with him.
“I’m fine. But do you think we can stay out of trouble for the rest of this trip?”
At her tone, he laughed out loud. Then he undid his seat belt, leaned close to her and kissed her.
Brad’s kisses were never the same, and this one was no exception. After his lips brushed over and pressed to hers, she parted her lips. But he didn’t take advantage of that. Instead he nibbled at the corner of her lip, then ran his tongue over her upper lip, and she felt as if she’d melt into a puddle on the car floor.
Her moan must have told him that because she heard the low growl in his throat. She saw him prop his arm on the back of the seat to take some of his weight as he leaned in. She could feel his body heat and his desire as well as his hunger. It didn’t scare her; it made her want. She wanted Brad again in a way that was so elemental, she didn’t even understand it. She wanted Brad in a way that would fill up her life and fulfill her dreams. She wanted Brad…and she wanted more. Although she’d given him the impression she wanted to return to Chicago, she liked being here with him. She more than liked being here with him.
When his tongue finally slid into her mouth, she pressed against him with a yearning that had never been a part of her before this trip. She might have fantasized about Brad, but the reality was so much better than any fantasy. The reality was more than she’d ever imagined.
Her jacket was unzipped, and Brad’s hands slipped underneath it. She could have protested. She could have shifted away from him. But that was the last thing she wanted to do. Her minutes with him were precious. His touch was something she’d never forget. When his hand moved over her breast, she could recall vividly every moment of their time in the cabin. One afternoon had been so erotically sensual, she didn’t know if anything could top it. One night had been so safely protective, she never wanted to forget it, either.
Did Brad act like this with the models, actresses and account executives he dated? Was she only a diversion because they were away from the city?
