Her cheek lay against his hard, muscular chest. “I feel it, too.”
He tucked a finger under her chin and angled her head until she looked up into his handsome face. Bending forward, he captured her lips with his own. Without hesitation, she opened for him, inviting him to deepen the kiss. And, oh my, did he. His tongue tangled with hers, licking caressing, tasting. The room spun away, leaving her in his arms, protected, desired. And when at last he lifted his head, they both panted as though they’d run a marathon.
He eased away, his fingers still tangled with hers. “We should eat this food you brought before it gets cold.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re not?” His bright blues darkened with lust.
“Not for food.”
Maybe it was too fast. Maybe she shouldn’t. But the second she’d laid eyes on him, she’d known he was the one for her. Okay, not outright, but on a deeper level, she knew. Being with Jamie? Nothing felt more right.
He pressed his lips to hers again, his tongue swooping in, demanding she respond. Molding against him, she met him stroke for stroke. God the guy could kiss! Her panties threatened to go up in flames any second.
When they broke apart, any lingering doubts she may have had vanished.
“You mentioned something about a bed?” She dotted kisses along his jaw, enjoying the slight roughness of the stubble there.
“I did, didn’t I?” In the next breath, he scooped her off her feet and headed toward a door near the back of the kitchen. “It’s upstairs.”
“You shouldn’t carry me. I’m too heavy,” she said as he marched up the stairs.
“No you’re not.” He nuzzled her neck. “You’re perfect.”
Somehow, he got the upstairs door open and strode inside, kicking it shut behind him. A soft glow came through the mini-blinds hanging in the window behind the couch, illuminating the living area. He crossed the space, approaching another doorway. Just inside, he used his elbow to turn on the light. A king-size mattress lay on the floor. He set her on her feet.
“I guess my use of the word bed might have been a little exaggerated. I’ve only been here a couple weeks. Arrived with a duffel bag of clothes and not much else.” His hands glided onto her hips and tugged her against him, tight. “Maybe you’ll stick around, help me spruce the place up?”
“I don’t know.” She gazed up at him through her eyelashes. “I start a new job tomorrow. I’ll be pretty busy.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I heard your boss is a real hard ass.”
She giggled, and he took advantage, dipping his head and capturing her lips with his. Fingers delved beneath her blouse, slipping up her side to cup her breast. When his thumb brushed over her nipple, an electric thrill shot through her straight to her core, and she arched toward him.
“Lily.” He tugged at the hem of her shirt. “Let me see you.”
She slipped her cross-body purse strap over her head, let the bag holding a few personal items, her ID, and her pistol drop near the wall then held her arms up while he stripped her blouse off. She’d worn a mint-green satin bra and matching panties just in case he’d taken her up on her dinner invite and they ended exactly where they were now. His gaze lowered, lingering on her breasts. Doubts waylaid her. Did he like them? Were they too big? Too small?
“Beautiful.” He bent and sucked on one nipple through the fabric, and electric tingles shot from the tip he tortured straight to her core.
She speared her fingers into his short dark hair. “Jamie.”
His fingers made quick work of the button and zipper at her waistband then his palms skated over her hips to cup her bottom, giving a gentle squeeze. He moved his head to her other breast, sucking and nipping the tight bud through the thin satin fabric. After a few moments, he lowered to his knees, tugging her pants down as he left a trail of open-mouthed kisses leading to her belly button. He helped her off with her boots followed by her jeans then sat back on his heels and stared at her.
Self-conscious as his hungry gaze raked her from head to toe, she moved her arms to cover herself.
“Don’t.” Reaching out, he grasped her hand, lowering it to her side and leaving her exposed. “You’re beautiful. I could stare at you for hours.”
A large part of her wanted to laugh. No man had ever told her she was beautiful—not as believably as he just did. Most said she was pretty or cute. More than one said she’d be even prettier if she lost ten pounds. She studied Jamie’s face. Could he mean it? Did he really think she was beautiful? He certainly made her feel that way.
“Turnabout’s fair play.” She gestured in his direction.
Without further encouragement, he reached behind his head, grabbed the collar, and tugged his shirt off, tossing it near her purse. He rose to his feet, kicked off his shoes then shoved his jeans down his long, muscular legs, and kicked them aside.
Boxers. She’d wondered what he wore beneath his pants. And the thin cotton fabric did nothing to hide his massive erection. She licked her lips.
Two long strides and he held her in his arms. “Lily.”
He kissed her mouth, her jaw, the side of her neck, and she shivered with the goose bumps his assault created. His large hands stroked her back, one going low with fingers dipping beneath her panty line, the other releasing the hooks holding her bra in place. He pulled her flush to the hard planes of his body then knelt and lowered her to the mattress, her bra disappearing somewhere along the way.
He palmed the sides of her breasts, pushing them closer together, and, dipping his head, he laved one nipple while his talented fingers teased and toyed with the other. Then he switched to the other breast. She stroked her fingertips over his muscular shoulders and back, loving the feel of him. Her body heated and tightened at the same time, setting up a delicious longing only he could satisfy.
He moved lower, kissing and licking as her went. He stripped off her panties then parted her thighs and moved between them as he continued his lavish adoration. More open-mouthed kisses on her tummy before pausing to swirl his tongue in her bellybutton. She shivered. Down, down…. Oh, yes!
He nuzzled her mound and inhaled. “You smell so good.” He swiped her opening with the flat of his tongue. “Taste good, too.” Then he set about teasing her clit with his tongue and teeth, sucking and nipping.
Higher and higher she spiraled, release just inches from her grasp. “Jamie, p-please!”
His rough chuckle vibrated against her opening, and then he lifted his head, his bright blues eyeing her up the length of her body. “Please what?” He lapped at her entrance.
She fisted the sheets. “Please, please!”
“Let you come?” He flicked her clit with his tongue, creating delicious tingles that teased her with what could be.
“Yes, that!” She thrashed her head from side to side. Couldn’t he see how desperate she was, how close to release?
“Say it, sweetheart,” he drawled. “Tell me what you want.”
“P-please make me come!”
A long deep lick, and she flew. The world spun, and lights flashed behind her eyes as her body bucked against his mouth and her back arched off the mattress. Shudders assaulted her. Every inch of her skin burned for him. Every nerve ending fired, vibrating with her release.
As she slowly fluttered back into reality, she glanced down, meeting his gaze where he rested his head on her thigh, staring at her.
“God you’re gorgeous when you come.”
Good Lord. No one had ever told her that—not that she’d been with a lot of men. Still, it was such an intimate thing to say. But instead of rolling away in embarrassment at him seeing her most vulnerable, out-of-control, sexual self, she sat up and tugged him to her, kissing him hard on the mouth, tasting the slight tang of her essence on his lips—another first for her.
“I want you, Jamie.” The confession came out on a moan. “All of you.”
Reaching to the side, he snagged his jeans and her purse came, too.
&nbs
p; Ker-thunk.
The sound of steel hitting hardwood drew her focus. Oh no! Her Glock lay on the floor next to the wall. A bucket of ice water dumped on her head wouldn’t have shocked her more.
Jamie stared at her weapon, his eyebrows crushed together, forehead furrowed, string of three condom packets in his grasp. He turned to her, blue gaze searing right through her. “Lily?”
She gaped. “I, uh…it’s for protection.” Not a lie. It’s for his protection.
He nodded, his focus shifting to her gun. His jaw worked as though he chewed on her explanation.
He thinks what’s between us is real. But how can it be when I can’t tell him everything about me. At least not until the mission is completed. And that could be six months! Jumping to her feet, she grabbed her jeans and shimmied into them.
“What are you doing?”
“I, um….” She snatched her shirt and tugged it on.
“Lily?”
Bending, she scooped up her Glock and purse then tucked her weapon safely inside—along with her bra and panties. She slung the long strap over her head.
Jamie dropped the condoms on his jeans and pushed to his feet. “Lily, what’s going on?”
Oh, how she wished she could tell him. She picked up her boots, forced her feet into them, and strode to the door. He followed her out of the bedroom, snagging her hand and whirling her toward him before she could head down the stairs.
He stood there, in all his naked glory—and Good Lord above he was glorious—holding her hand while confusion danced across his face. “Are you in trouble? I can help you.”
“No. Nothing like that.” Except she was in trouble—her heart was anyway. Because every second she stood here with him, he owned more and more of it.
“Then what?”
“I….” She bowed her head, squeezed her eyes tight, and willed the tears not to flow. How had she fallen so hard, so fast, and so completely? Nothing made sense.
“Look, sweetheart. Let me get some clothes on, and we’ll set down and talk about it. Whatever’s going on, we can work it out.”
She took a breath, willed her expression to smooth, and lifted her head. “Okay.”
“Wait right here.” He turned and hurried back to the bedroom.
The second he disappeared, she rushed down the stairs, through the shop, and out the front door, the damn bell jingle-jangling overhead, announcing her escape. Outside, she raced to her car and drove off….
Her heart broke as the lies and half-truths followed, her past chasing her like the hounds of hell.
Chapter Nine
Two days. She’d been gone for two days. And, desperate to find her, Jamie scoured all of Cedar Valley. He’d traced her to The Black Bear Lodge only to learn she’d checked out. Her rental had been turned in.
Crazy as it sounded, he got up early that first morning. Showered, shaved, dressed, he stood downstairs, coffee brewing in the kitchen, hoping against hope she’d show up for work. He needed answers.
But Lily Vaughn had vanished.
For two damn days.
Why did she leave?
In addition to the gut-wrenching worry over her safety, his heart ached as though someone had slammed a sledgehammer against his sternum. He could hardly breathe. Where had she gone? What had he done wrong? Why did it hurt so bad?
Because you love her, Jamie. You didn’t even realize she’d taken your heart until she walked out the door.
This morning, he stood in the kitchen, drinking coffee and licking his wounds. No sense going out into the shop. She wouldn’t be there. Wouldn’t be standing at the door, waiting for him to let her in. No, today he would throw himself into re-opening Desserts du Jour.
He spent half the morning online, ordering furniture for the shop. Not the typical cliché table and chairs, but couches, loveseats, coffee tables, and big comfy chairs. He also purchased a stereo system so patrons could enjoy the latest tunes while they ate pastries and cakes. And he ordered two restaurant-quality coffee makers and a high-end espresso machine that would arrive early next week.
That afternoon, he sat at the prep counter, studying Aunt Bethany’s baker’s bible. He rolled out dough, added butter, sugar, cinnamon, and a few other ingredients before rolling it up into a long log. He then took a big knife and clipped off pastries in one-inch increments, lining up the first cinnamon rolls he’d ever made from scratch on a cookie sheet to go into the oven.
The trip he made to Sacramento had proved more fruitful than he could’ve imagined. Actually, he hadn’t imagined. He’d been focused on trying to impress Lily. But once word got out that Desserts du Jour had its cases loaded with baked goods again, people had dropped by the shop. After two days of disappointed potential customers, he decided he had two choices—make another trip to Sacramento to buy more confections or bake them himself. Because, seriously, if he couldn’t follow his aunt’s recipes, what was the point of reopening the shop?
So, the day before, he’d made another trip to Sacramento. Not to buy baked goods, but the flour and butter and myriad other ingredients required to create his own. The used Camaro, loaded to the ceiling, purred all the way home to Cedar Valley. But, instead of continuing to tax his main form of transportation, he considered requesting regular deliveries—if he could match his Aunt Bethany’s fame.
He tucked two large trays into the oven and set the timer. Returning to the notebook, he gathered the ingredients to make the icing he would spread on top. Once he’d mastered the cinnamon roll, he’d move on to bear claws—the firehouse a ready source of sales. Then muffins and cookies. After that, cakes.
Six weeks remained until his cousins’ double wedding. Kat and Brigit had loved the cakelettes he’d made. All he had to do was transpose that to a larger scale. All he had to do was figure out how to decorate them. All I have to do is not disappoint them, so I’ll keep the design simple. Less is more, right?
And one way or another, he’d learn how to make icing roses. Lily had made it look easy.
He gritted his teeth. Pushed down the images of the blonde who plagued his dreams, day and night.
He’d figure it out. Either way, his heart would ache.
***
Five days later….
Lily replayed the scene in Jamie’s apartment for the millionth time and came to the same conclusion—she’d panicked. Plain and simple, a rookie mistake—one Lily had never made in the field. She’d faced down mob leaders, murders, drug lords, and never once flinched. Under normal circumstances, if someone had discovered her gun, she would’ve had a half dozen plausible excuses sitting on her tongue. But, lost in Jamie’s adoration, she’d been caught off guard. Drawn a blank. Then came up with a weak excuse. Panicked. And run.
Lily sat in the SUV, slumped low in the seat, her hair shoved up under a ball cap. She’d parked on the opposite side of the street and a block down from the bakery. Far enough Jamie wouldn’t pick her out, but with a clear view of the shop. Her breaking heart didn’t give her an out to ditch her Omega Team assignment. She would watch over Jamie MacKay and protect him, even if she had to sit in this SUV every day for six months.
So far, she’d followed him to Sacramento—twice—where he’d stopped in several stores and loaded his Camaro with supplies. She’d also stood out of sight while deliveries were made around back. Two UPS trucks unloaded furniture and several boxes, and a restaurant van delivered what looked like coffee makers and some shiny metal machine along with more boxes. Out front, locals had wandered inside, exiting with a pastry box, a bear claw in hand, and smiles on their faces. Seemed Jamie was doing just fine without her.
Too bad she wasn’t doing so great without him.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. At least Will had taken the hint and let her do her job. She hadn’t seen him since the day she drove off and left him standing on the sidewalk. As it should be.
After checking her watch, she pulled out her cell phone and tapped the autodial on the screen, just as she’d do
ne at this time every day since she’d installed herself in this SUV. Two rings later, a familiar voice answered.
“Anything yet?” she asked Jacquie, Omega’s computer guru.
“Nothing.” The clacking of computer keys came over the cell line. “We’re only a little over a quarter of the way through the photos.”
Lily sighed.
“Something will pop,” Jacquie assured her.
Not soon enough. And even when it did, it wouldn’t undo the damage already done between her and Jamie. How she missed his smile, the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at her. The way he made her feel…beautiful. She’d never find that again.
Drama much, Lily? Geez.
Okay, maybe there was another guy out there who would think her beautiful. But how long would it take to find him?
And who was she kidding? She didn’t want another guy. She wanted Jamie.
But did he still want her?
The thought that he might not ripped at her lungs, stealing her breath.
“Lily?” Jacquie’s voice on the cell jerked her from spiraling deeper into her painful worries.
“Yes.”
“Are you all right?” The woman’s concern telegraphed across the line.
“Yes. Fine.” Lily cleared her throat. “Just keep the search going. The sooner we find this guy, the better.”
Chapter Ten
One week later….
On the bakery rooftop, Jamie sat in a chair and unpacked his drone. He’d decided to take his lunch break and fly today. The replacement parts had at last arrived in the mail—extras of everything just in case the quadcopter required future repairs—and he’d spent several hours the night before piecing it back together. After checking the system to make sure everything worked properly, he’d slipped on the goggles and lifted virtually into the air. Familiar elation swam in his chest. Been too long.
He flew over the town, cars rolling up and down the streets. Mr. Penny standing in his shop doorway. Firefighters washing the fire truck out in front of the firehouse. Kids on bicycles zipping around the people walking along the sidewalks—
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