“We’re great.” Abby stepped back and reached for the baby carrier her husband held. “And this is Sarah.”
Shea looked down at the tiny baby who slept in the carrier. Her face was red and scrunched, and her hands were tightly closed into fists. “She’s beautiful,” she said with awe. “I got your note, but I never thought I would get to meet her so soon.”
“We figured two-weeks-old was old enough to pay her first visit to Cameron. And we wanted to spend some time here.” Abby turned to her husband and they exchanged an intimate look. “Back to where it all started, you might say.”
Shea turned to Jesse. “I’d like you to meet two friends of mine,” she said. “This is Abby and Damien Kane, and their daughter Sarah. Abby and Damien, this is Jesse Coulton.”
Shea glanced back at Jesse, and was shocked to see the flash of recognition in his eyes. When she looked at Abby, the other woman was smiling politely at Jesse. But Damien had tensed slightly, and for a moment Shea thought she saw an unspoken message flash between the two men.
Damien relaxed the next moment and nodded to Jesse. “Nice to meet you, Coulton.”
Jesse stood up and extended his hand. “Same goes, Kane.” He shook Abby’s hand, too. “Beautiful baby you have there, ma’am.”
Abby melted in another smile, and for a few moments they talked about Sarah. But when Abby and Damien moved away to a booth on the other side of the restaurant, Shea saw Jesse’s eyes follow them for a moment.
“Do you know the Kanes?” she asked casually.
His startled gaze flew to her face. “Of course not. Why would you think so?”
“You looked surprised to see them. Almost as if you knew them.”
“I’ve never seen them before in my life.” He shrugged. “Kane reminded me of someone I knew once, but I was mistaken.”
An uneasy, unsettled feeling swirled in Shea’s stomach. “He’s an FBI agent.”
His gaze flickered toward the Kanes again. “What’s the FBI doing in Cameron?”
She wondered if he realized how he’d tensed when he glanced at Damien and Abby. “Damien has a house here. He met Abby when he was protecting her and her nieces on a case. They fell in love and got married afterward.”
He glanced over his shoulder again at the other couple. Shea saw how rigid his muscles were, and confusion swirled inside her.
“That sounds like a good story.” Jesse’s voice was without inflection.
“It is. I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
Their food arrived then, and neither of them said anything while they ate. Jesse didn’t turn to look at Damien and Abby again, but Shea could feel the tightness in the air between them. The intimate, private bubble that had surrounded them earlier had shattered, and now she wanted nothing more than to return to the ranch. At the ranch, at least, nothing from the outside world could affect what she and Jesse had together.
As soon as he’d finished eating, she said brightly, “Ready to go?”
Jesse leaned back in the booth. “You sound like you’re in a big hurry. I thought the whole idea was to get away from the ranch for a while.”
“We’ve gotten away, and now I’m ready to go back.”
Mandy had left the check on the table, and Jesse pulled out his wallet and placed some money on top of it. “Why don’t we take a walk around Cameron before we head back? You can show me the sights.”
“All right.” Anything would be better that sitting here in Heaven on Seventh, feeling the tension swirling in the air around her and wondering why. “Believe me, it won’t take long.”
As they walked out of the restaurant, Shea watched to see what Jesse would do. But he didn’t look behind him, didn’t give Damien Kane another look. It was as if the other man didn’t exist.
Once they were on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, she felt the tightness in his muscles ease. The atmosphere lightened, and Jesse moved closer to her as they headed toward Main Street. But she noticed that his attention wasn’t focused completely on her. He was alert, looking around at the buildings and cars they passed. It was almost as if he was cataloging everything he saw.
“I like Cameron,” he finally said as they turned a corner and started down Main Street. “I can see why you’re so attached to it.”
“It looks like you’re memorizing everything about the town,” she said lightly.
He shot her a startled look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve never seen anyone look a place over so carefully. I’ll bet you could tell me every car and building we’ve walked past.”
He shrugged. “It’s like the bird-watching, I guess. I like to know as much about my surroundings as I can. I want to know where I am.”
She felt him relaxing, and as they moved down the street, he edged closer to her until their arms were almost brushing. His heat chased away the chill from the air, and she pushed her concerns out of her head. Maybe Jesse had had a run-in with the law when he was younger. Maybe that’s why he was nervous around Damien. It didn’t matter, she told herself fiercely. She knew what kind of person he was.
But a kernel of doubt nibbled at her peace of mind, leaving her confidence slightly shaky.
Jesse slowed down and touched her arm. “Is the newspaper office still open?”
She glanced across the street and saw the lights on. “It looks like it is. With Carly away, their hours aren’t always regular, but if the lights are on, someone must be there.”
“I’d like to get a copy of the town paper,” he said. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not.”
Just as they started across the street, the door to the sheriff’s office opened and Ben appeared in the door. “Hey, Shea. I was going to give you a call later. Do you have a minute?”
She looked at Jesse. “Why don’t you meet me back here?”
He nodded. “Fine.”
Shea turned and walked into the office with Ben. “What’s up?” she asked.
Ben led her to her brother’s office in the back of the building, then shut the door. “I have some information you might be interested in.”
Her heart began to pound, but she said lightly, “Must be top secret.”
He smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes. “I just didn’t want anything to get around Cameron. You know how the walls have ears in this town.”
It had to be about Jesse. A fist-sized lump of fear swelled in her throat. “What’s going on, Ben?”
“I wanted you to know that I ran a police check on your new employee.”
She wanted desperately to ask him what he’d found, but instead she glared at him. “I told you that wasn’t necessary.”
Ben was unmoved. “I think it was. And if your brother was here, he’d do the same thing.”
She scowled, trying to hide her fear. “All right. Since you went ahead and treated Jesse like a criminal, you might as well tell me what you found.”
“Absolutely nothing,” Ben said slowly.
For a moment Shea didn’t understand. Then a wave of relief crashed over her. She gave Ben a cocky grin and said, “You mean he’s not a serial killer who’s going to murder all of us in our beds?”
“This isn’t a joke, Shea,” Ben said sharply. “You’re isolated out there on the ranch with him, and there’s no one to protect you. What if he did have a criminal record? What if he wasn’t as innocent as his references make him appear?”
“I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty good judge of character,” she said lightly. “Now you’ll have to believe me.”
Ben looked down at the papers on his desk, and his mouth thinned into a narrow line. “I’ll save this for Devlin. He’ll want to see it when he gets back in town.”
“Thanks, Ben. I do appreciate the trouble you went to.” She smiled at him again, generous in her relief. The meeting with Damien Kane had disturbed her, but now she could brush her fears away. “You’re a good friend.”
Ben watched her with dark, somber eyes. �
��I hope you know what you’re doing, Shea.”
She opened the door to her brother’s office, then turned to look at him. “Don’t worry, Ben. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.
She laughed and headed for the door of the office. Before she could open it, Jesse walked in, a folded-up newspaper under his arm.
“I see you found a paper,” she said, moving toward him.
“Yeah. Are you finished here?”
“All set.” She moved past him onto the sidewalk, then said, “Are you ready to head home?”
“I’m ready.” His eyes gleamed down at her, sending her an unmistakable message. “Let’s go.”
She moved closer to him as they hurried back to the truck her earlier fears erased. “You won’t believe what Ben wanted”
“What was that?” he asked. He stayed as close as he could without actually touching her. Shea felt her skin heat and her blood begin to pound.
“He wanted to tell me that he’d run a police check on you.”
“Good for him. I’d do the same thing if I was in his shoes.”
Surprised, she swiveled around to face him. “Aren’t you angry that he invaded your privacy?”
“Hell, no. I told you before, you’re a woman living essentially alone. You can’t be too careful. I’m grateful someone is thinking.”
She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “I told Ben that I’m a good judge of character, and this proves it. He told me your record was spotless, by the way.”
Jesse felt her hand slide against his skin, curling into his arm, and tried to fight the rush of need that swept through him. He had to keep his head, at least until they were out of Cameron.
“What would you have done if it hadn’t been spotless?”
Her hand tightened on his arm for a moment, then she relaxed. He could feel her smile next to him. “I know who you are today, Jesse, and that’s all that matters.”
She was too damn trusting for her own good. A shame he’d never felt before swept over him as he thought of how he was deceiving her. “You scare me sometimes, Shea.”
Her low laugh rippled over him, making his heart flutter in his chest, turning the semidarkness of dusk into a screen of privacy. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and dive into her goodness, her trust. He wanted to forget why he was at her ranch, forget about his job and the way he was betraying her, forget about everything but Shea.
But he couldn’t. So he gently detached her hand from his arm and put a step between them.
“Now you’re scaring me,” she said. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want you to be the subject of the town gossip,” he said. “That’s what’s wrong.”
“I don’t care if everyone knows how I feel about you,” she said, and her voice was fierce.
He wanted to shake her. He was doing his best to protect her from the talk that would erupt after he left, when the people of Cameron found out who he was, but she wouldn’t cooperate. Finally he sighed and took her hand. “You’re going to age me at least ten years,” he said.
She was going to do more than that. If he wasn’t very careful, he was going to leave a piece of himself behind when he left Cameron, Utah. But he couldn’t step back from Shea now. It was already too late. All he could do was hope that she wasn’t doing anything illegal, hope that he could get out of town before he stole her heart as well as her trust.
As they drove home down the dark road, the silence in the truck hummed with tension. Shea had reached across the seat to take his hand, and their fingers clung together on the rough upholstery. He felt her need in her trembling touch, and he was certain she could feel his.
He didn’t know how much longer they had together. Seeing Damien Kane in Cameron had shaken him. He’d been afraid that Shea would spot his discomfort. She was too sharp not to notice the signs. But she hadn’t said anything, so gradually he’d relaxed. And he sure as hell wouldn’t go back to Cameron until Kane was gone. He’d never worked with the other FBI agent, but he’d met him a couple of times. He didn’t want to take any chances with Shea’s intuition if they ran into the Kanes again. And he intended to savor every minute he had with Shea. Because he never knew which moment would be the last.
Neither of them spoke on the drive home. Their joined hands said everything that needed to be said When he parked his truck, he turned to her in the darkness. “What do we do now? Do I kiss you good-night at the door?”
“If that’s what you want.”
Even in the dim light he saw the uncertainty in her face, and cursed himself. He wanted her so badly, and she responded to him so fiercely, that he’d forgotten Shea’s essential inexperience. And since she never played games, it was a good bet she didn’t know how the sexual ones were played.
He reached over and pulled her close. “You know that’s not what I want. What I want is to spend the night with you, in your bed, and sleep is the last thing on my mind. I was trying to be a gentleman and give you a choice.”
Her face relaxed and she curled her arms around his neck. “Then I guess I must not be much of a lady. I would have followed you to your cabin if I had to.”
His arms tightened around her for a moment, and as they clung together in the cab of the truck, he knew he needed to leave. He’d lost all his objectivity about this case and about Shea McAllister, and he should take himself off the case.
But he couldn’t do it. Tomorrow, he promised himself. Tomorrow he’d start looking for more evidence. And if he couldn’t find any, he’d tell his boss that there was no case. But tonight was his and Shea’s.
He kissed her gently, trying to control the fire that raged through him. Her mouth was eager on his, open and trusting, and a spasm of tenderness moved through his heart. He didn’t deserve anything from Shea, but he wanted her desperately.
“Why don’t we go into the house? This truck isn’t what I had in mind as a final destination for the night,” he whispered.
She drew back to look at him, her mouth curving into a smile. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“I thought you had figured that out already,” he said, his hands pulling her close again. “But it looks like I’m going to have to explain it to you.”
He nuzzled her ear, telling her exactly what he wanted to do to her. He felt heat flooding her face, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she turned and fused her mouth to his.
When he pulled away he was shaking. Taking her hand, he slid across the seat and opened the door on her side of the truck. “I won’t be responsible for my actions if we stay in this truck a minute longer.” His voice was thick in his throat, and desire was a fire raging uncontrollably through his blood. “Let’s go.”
She slid out of the truck before him, still holding his hand. Her face was stark in the moonlight, and he saw the need in her eyes. What kind of miracle was Shea? For some reason, she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
The ranch was dark and quiet as he hurried her into the house. There was a light on in Joe, Dusty and Levi’s cabin, but only the porch light and a light in the hall burned in the house. Not even Buster greeted them when they slipped through the door.
He led the way up the stairs to her room. When he stepped through the door, he felt like he’d come home. A part of him whispered that he belonged here, belonged with Shea, but he refused to listen. He couldn’t let himself be seduced by his own needs. When she found out who he was and what he wanted from her, she would be the first to tell him to go.
So he’d take tonight, and as many other nights as they had together. And he’d show her how special she was, how beautiful. His mind veered away from the other things he wanted to tell her.
Their clothes slipped away noiselessly, falling into a heap on the moonlight-dappled floor. He was already hard and aching for her, but when she turned to him in the moonlight, her skin gleaming like satin, her face eager for him, he almost lost control.
“Do you
have any idea what you’re doing to me?” he muttered, reaching out to skim his hand down her cheek.
“I hope it’s the same thing you’re doing to me.” She covered her hand with his, then turned her head and kissed his palm.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Covering the distance between them, he pulled her close and fused his mouth with hers. He felt her skin heat, her heart pound next to his, and her arms came around him and held him with a fierce possessiveness.
She wasn’t going to make it easy for him to go slow tonight. And suddenly he didn’t want to go slow. He wanted to take her in a rush of heat and passion, to make her his, and only his. He wanted her to remember him, and remember this, for the rest of her life.
Sweeping her up into his arms, he dragged the quilt off the bed, then laid her down. Her breasts brushed against his chest, making him tighten with a need that was almost painful. Ignoring the rhythm that pounded in his blood, that demanded release, he bent to kiss her. When he took one nipple in his mouth, she strained up to meet him, tangling her legs with his. And when he touched her other nipple, she moaned his name, tightening her hands on his back until her nails dug into him.
Desire was a beast with sharp talons that clawed at him, filling his mind with one driving need. But he clamped down on it, forcing it back into hiding. Tonight was for Shea, and he was determined to give her as much pleasure as possible. Trailing kisses down her stomach, he gloried in the way her muscles jumped under his mouth. And when he slid between her legs and swirled his tongue over her, he listened to her moan his name with fierce satisfaction.
“Jesse! What are you doing?” She tangled her hands in his hair as she drew her breath in sharply.
“I’m loving you.” He suckled her gently, then watched as she peaked and came apart in his arms.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Twining his fingers with hers, he slid inside her, then started to move. He felt her body clench tightly around him, felt the shudders of another climax as he finally loosened his hold on his own control. And as his body convulsed in a mind-emptying release, he felt the spasms sweep over her again.
When the haze of numb satisfaction began clearing from his mind, he realized he was still lying on top of her, crushing her down into the bed. Shea’s arms were wrapped tightly around him, as if she were afraid he was going to sneak away from her. Even when he rolled over, she didn’t let go. She sprawled on top of him, her wavy hair almost white in the moonlight, and he never wanted to let her go.
The Fugitive Bride Page 16
