Shadow of Doubt

by Abbie Zanders

  “On it,” Mad Dog said with a grin. With his hand on Kate’s lower back in a blatant show of possession, he guided her out of the room.

  “They seem awfully anxious to be rid of us,” she commented.

  He suspected he knew Sam’s motivation. She was playing matchmaker, and Sandy was her willing accomplice.

  “Ulterior motives,” was what he said.

  She laughed. “Right. Recipes and websites.”

  Close enough.

  He took her around the property, down by the lake, and through the woods to a clearing he’d found. The sun was shining, turning the landscape into a sea of frosty white diamonds; the air was brisk and invigorating.

  His favorite part? Hands down, being with Kate.

  Thanks to the comm sets he’d grabbed on their way out, they were able to talk over the sound of the machines. He was also able to hear her delighted whoops when they opened throttle and went all out. His girl was something of a daredevil, he discovered. And yes, she was one hundred percent his girl. He was certain of it.

  At one point, she asked him where he stayed, so after he showed her everything there was to see, he took her to his trailer.

  “This is where you live, huh?”

  “For the time being. Eventually, I’ll have a cabin like Smoke and Heff, but it’s not a priority.”

  It was a trailer, so it took all of about thirty seconds to show her the whole thing. She paused in the bedroom and did a gradual one-eighty until she was facing him again. She had nowhere else to go. The narrow hallway was only big enough for one person, and his shoulders practically brushed both sides.

  “I like it,” she said, looking up at him with those pretty blue eyes, cheeks made pink from the cold and wind. “It’s cozy.”

  A sudden, powerful urge rose up inside him, and he instantly realized his mistake. Having Kate there, in his personal space, alone, summoned up all kinds of wicked imagery, none of which was conducive to his slow-and-steady plan.

  “Can I get you something to drink? Are you thirsty?”

  Her eyes blazed. “You could say that.”

  Shit. He backed up a step. “Kate ...”

  She blinked. “I thought maybe you brought me here, so we ...” She exhaled and slightly shook her head, focusing her gaze on his boots. “Wishful thinking, I guess. I’m sorry. Water. Water would be great, thanks.”

  “Kate, look at me.”

  She shook her head again. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted slightly. It gutted him that she thought he was rejecting her.

  “Fuck, Kate. I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”

  “What if I don’t want you to be such a gentleman?” she whispered.

  “You need to be sure. Once we do this, there’s no going back.”

  Fire flashed in her eyes. “So you’ve said. And I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, you are.” The words came out sounding gruffer than usual as he released the tight rein on his control and moved forward, crowding her until the backs of her legs hit the bed.

  Yes, he’d wanted to take things slow but not at the cost of her doubting what she meant to him.

  He pushed lightly on her shoulders until she sat and then loomed over her until she was forced to lean back on her elbows. He caged her to the bed with his arms.

  “One last time. Are you sure this is what you want?”

  She nodded.

  “Words, Kate. I need to hear you say it.”

  “I’m sure. I want this. I want you.”

  “Then, grab something and hold on, baby, because I’m not going to stop unless you tell me to. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  Her hands went around his neck and gripped his hair. He kissed her lips, her jaw. She lifted her chin, making it easier for him to blaze a path down the delicate column of her neck. She smelled so fucking good. Like snow and vanilla and fucking his.

  One hand kept a firm grip in his hair. The other moved over his shoulder and down along his side until she was able to slip it under the fabric. He hissed; the feel of her fingers and the scrape of her nails exploring his bare skin was like pouring gasoline on the fire already racing through his veins.

  “Take it off,” she commanded, tugging impatiently at his shirt.

  He pulled back enough to oblige.

  Her eyes glistened, and she licked her lips. “Even better than the pictures.”

  “Your turn,” he growled, his voice thick with lust and want.

  She grinned and pulled at the hem of her top, revealing lush, full breasts barely contained in white satin and lace, leaving him salivating like the mad dog he was. Before he could fully process that, she reached behind her and undid the clasp, removing her bra and tossing it off to the side.

  “Fuck, Kate.”

  He wasted no time in coming over her again, filling his large palms with her gorgeous breasts. His mouth followed shortly after, pressing open-mouthed kisses to her fragrant skin, flicking one diamond-hard nipple with his tongue before sucking hard and then repeating the process with the other.

  She arched up, pulling him closer, begging for more.

  He could stay there for hours, but the feel of her nails digging into his shoulders accelerated his timeline. He worked his way down her gorgeous body, pressing kisses over her belly until he reached her jeans. Intent on his task, tugging them down the moment she lifted her hips.

  Then, he was on his knees, wrapping his hands around her ankles and pulling her to the edge of the bed. She rose up to watch as he kissed the inside of one thigh from her knee to where she really wanted him and then repeated the same on the other side. He could feel her heat, scent her desire, as her impatience grew.

  Her fingers tangled in his hair again, scraping her nails against his scalp as she guided him where she wanted him to go. She knew what she needed and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. It was so fucking hot. He didn’t have to worry about reading and interpreting signals, which meant he could let her direct him so he could concentrate on giving her pleasure.

  The moment his lips touched her petal-soft flesh, she made this sound—something between a moan and a scream—that reached right down into his fucking soul. His balls tightened, and his dick throbbed, wanting in on a piece of that.

  Later. At that moment, taking care of his girl was his sole priority.

  He flattened his tongue and stroked along her slick folds, and then he rimmed her entrance and teased her with little stabs. Every time he felt her getting close, he changed his methods, wanting to take her even higher. When her legs were shaking and her breath was coming in heavy pants, he slipped one finger inside her and sucked on her tight little nub.

  Within seconds, she screamed his name and came all over his mouth and fingers.

  He brought her down with gentle kisses and strokes, and then he crawled his way back up her body. He made a brief stop at her breasts, taking a moment to worship them again before pressing a light kiss to her lips.

  “Wow. Did I actually scream, or did you put the television on at some point?”

  He grinned smugly. “You screamed.”

  “Huh. Well, thanks for that.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Pretty sure the pleasure was all mine.” She raised her head, glanced down at his body, and frowned. “You still have your pants on.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if I didn’t, I’d be inside you right now.”

  She rolled her hand in a circular motion. “Kind of my point.”

  He shook his head. “Not today. Today is about you.”

  She gaped at him, incredulous. “Let me get this straight. You just went down on me, not as foreplay, not as an I did you, so now, you do me gesture, but simply because you wanted to please me?”

  He nodded.

  “Who are you?” She was teasing him, but the answer was clear.

  “I am the man who will always put your needs above my own, Kate. Now, get dressed. We’ve got people waitin
g on us.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kate

  Kate’s body was still humming when they walked into the main building a short while later. Of course, the first thing they did was check in on the dogs. Sam was sitting on the floor, petting Mama Dog, while the puppies napped nearby. All, except for one, that was, who was snuggled in Doc’s lap.

  Sam and Doc were the only ones in the room. They were engrossed in watching a movie on the mounted flat screen. Kate saw a young Sean Connery and recognized the flick at once.

  “You’re watching The Molly Maguires?”

  Sam paused the movie. “Yes, it’s one of my favorites. Doc’s never seen it though, and since he’s really into the local anthracite history, I thought he’d enjoy it.”

  “You are, huh?” Kate asked, Mr. O’Farrell immediately coming to mind. “There’s an elderly gentleman on my Meals on Wheels route who actually worked in the mines. He has wonderful stories. Would you be interested in talking to him sometime?”

  Doc’s eyes lit up. “That would be great, if you think he’d be okay with it.”

  “Are you kidding? I think he’d love it. He doesn’t get many visitors these days. I’ll ask him on my next run, okay?”

  “Thanks, Kate.”

  “So, did you have fun today?” Sam asked.

  “Best day ever.” She grinned, avoiding looking at Chris. The snowmobiling had been fun, but what had happened afterward was awesome. “It’s been years since I’ve been snowmobiling. I forgot how much fun it was. Did the dogs behave? I notice Duke’s not here. I hope he didn’t give you any trouble.”

  “None whatsoever,” Sam replied with a grin of her own. “Duke went outside with Steve a while ago. I think they’re buddies now. As for the others, they’ve been perfect angels. Have you thought about what you’re going to do with them once they’re weaned?”

  “No. I know I can’t keep them all, but I want to, you know? I guess I’ll have to make do with placing them in good, caring homes when the time comes.”

  “I don’t think finding someone to take them is going to be an issue. They’re adorable!” Sam rose to standing and handed Doc the remote. “Well, enough puppy playtime for me. Dinner isn’t going to make itself.”

  Kate thought about what Chris had said about Sam wanting more recipes. It was the least Kate could do, especially since Sam had been kind enough to give her a few amazing hours alone with Chris—not once, but twice. Besides, Kate needed to focus on something other than climbing Chris like a tree and repaying his generosity with some of her own. The fact that he didn’t expect it made her want to do so all the more.

  “Want a hand?”

  “I would love one,” Sam said.

  “You don’t mind, do you?” she asked Chris.

  “Not at all.” His casual tone was at odds with the way he looked at her.

  There was a new intensity that hadn’t been there before. It thrilled her.

  Kate followed Sam to the kitchen area, expecting to see other people in there and finding none. “You’re not doing this all by yourself, are you?”

  “Sometimes, we have some part-time help, but it’s hard to come by. Matt won’t hire anyone under twenty-one, and most of the townspeople older than that already have jobs.” Her lips turned downward. “As for the ones we do get, well, they don’t tend to stick around very long. They’re usually nosy Neds and Nancys who are more interested in satisfying their curiosity than actually working.”

  “That’s a shame.”

  “It really is,” Sam said, offering a sad smile. “Thank God Sandy decided to stay. She’s a huge help. The guys pitch in, too, when they can, but sadly, there’s not a chef in the bunch. What we really need is someone willing to work full-time. I’m a good manager, and Sandy knows her way around a restaurant, but neither one of us is very creative when it comes to cooking, I’m afraid.”

  Kate accepted the apron Sam had held out to her and helped her pull several large packages marked ground beef out of the large commercial side-by-side fridge. “What are we making?”

  “I don’t know. Meatloaf?”

  Kate thought about that for a moment, her mind automatically pulling together ingredients. “I’ve got a great recipe for that. Super easy, super fast, and super delicious.”

  “Sounds perfect! Tell me what to do.”

  She was in culinary heaven. The Sanctuary kitchen had so much counter space, not to mention top-quality appliances. As they gathered ingredients and implements, Sam told her that Matt had made the kitchen and dining room a priority for renovations. Hearing that raised him another notch in Kate’s eyes. She’d always been a firm believer that the kitchen was the heart of any home. That was where people felt most comfortable, where they shared space and talked about anything and everything.

  An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Sam told her a little more about Sanctuary and what Matt was trying to accomplish, and Kate brought Sam up-to-date on some of the recent happenings in town. It was very relaxed, very pleasant. While chatting amiably, they prepped a savory meatloaf, scalloped potatoes with a cheddar-and-sour-cream sauce, roasted herbed green beans, and even a quick blueberry crumble.

  “Honestly, Kate, I’m in awe,” Sam said when she slid the last dish into the oven. “You pulled that together off the top of your head?”

  Kate shrugged, but inside, she was beaming. “I like to cook.”

  ~ * ~

  Everyone complimented them on the meal, which made her already-great day even better. She was flying pretty high when it was time to pack up and head home.

  “I’ll talk to my dad about digging up some old pictures and revamping the store’s website,” she told Sandy on the way out.

  Sandy had shared some of her ideas over dinner, and they were wonderful. She wanted to focus on the history of Handelmann’s Hardware and the fact that it had been a staple of Main Street for over a hundred years.

  Also, Kate wanted to see her succeed. Graphic design was clearly her passion, and seeing her doing what she loved to do lifted Kate’s spirits as well.

  “Thanks,” Sandy said, leaning in to hug Kate. When she did, she dropped her voice, so no one else could hear. “And just in case you were wondering, it’s totally worth it.”

  Kate didn’t think she was talking about revamping the website.

  As Kate and Chris headed back down the mountain toward Sumneyville, she felt a level of contentment she hadn’t felt in ages. Part of it could be attributed to what was quite possibly the best orgasm she’d ever had. The man knew how to use his tongue and fingers to provide maximum satisfaction. Bonus: he also responded well to physical cues and didn’t seem to mind her boldness in letting him know what she wanted. Some guys took personal offense if a woman tried to nudge them in the right direction, viewing it as an insult. Not Chris. In fact, Kate thought he liked it.

  The rest of her contentment came from the feeling of being accepted and appreciated. Not that most people weren’t nice to her, but when they were, it was usually because she’d done something nice for them. True, she had helped with dinner, but they’d been kind and welcoming before that, too.

  The hardest part of the day was having to say good-bye to Chris. After they got the dogs back inside her house and situated, their good-bye kiss lasted close to half an hour. There might have been some heavy petting involved, too, but once again, Chris applied the brakes before Kate could coax him into something more.

  The good news was, she thought she was wearing him down, chipping away at that steel-reinforced self-control he had. She did so enjoy a challenge.

  Their make-out session might have gone even longer if her house phone hadn’t started ringing. She’d turned off her cell phone for the day, knowing, if she hadn’t, her mother and sister would have been calling and texting all day. To say that they weren’t exactly thrilled with her choice to forgo yet another family dinner to spend the day at Sanctuary was an understatement.

  The ringing stopped and then started up again almos
t immediately. The house phone was one of the really old models, so she didn’t have it hooked up to an answering machine. Ninety-nine percent of the calls were telemarketers or robocalls anyway, but she liked the security of having a landline, just in case.

  “You should probably get that,” Chris said, sighing and leaning his forehead against hers.

  “I know, but I don’t want to.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose and reached for his coat.

  “Text me later, okay?”

  “I will,” he promised.

  “And, if you want to include another picture, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

  He chuckled. “Same.”

  Kate watched him get into his truck and drive away, the sense of loss even greater than before. When he left, it felt as if he had taken a part of her with him, too. Saying he completed her seemed like such a romantic cliché, but she was beginning to understand what that meant.

  It didn’t matter that they hadn’t known each other long. What mattered was how she felt when she was with him.

  She went into the kitchen to make some tea and summon the courage to turn on her cell phone and check her messages.

  Her mother had been beside herself all week, telling her a hundred reasons she shouldn’t spend the day at Sanctuary, ranging from, “What will the neighbors say?” to, “A man can only be pushed so far.”

  Kate knew the “man” she had been referring to was Luther. In her mother’s mind, he was the perfect husband. Strong local roots, Hollywood handsome, well-liked, had his own successful business—even if that business had been handed to him on a silver platter. She couldn’t understand why Kate wasn’t falling at his feet in gratitude that he’d chosen her.

  Which was pretty insulting and kind of hurtful, really.

  When Kate had tried to explain that she didn’t love Luther, her mother’s response had been, “Life isn’t a romance novel, Kate. Be smart. Make good choices.”

  When Kate had told her she didn’t think a man who cheated was a good choice, she’d said, “It’s not like you have a lot of options.”

  Funny, how Luther had said something so similar.