She breathed in deeply and snuggled against him. “Do you have to work today?”
“Yep,” he said regretfully. “I do.”
Her disappointment came out in a heartfelt sigh.
He smiled and kissed the side of her forehead. Her hair caught on his chin, and he winced at the amount of rough stubble covering his jaw.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” she asked, her fingers brushing his nipple. “You’re the one who has to work.”
“I only woke up a few minutes ago.”
“Because I’m crowding you.” She tried to move away, but he tightened his hold.
“Stay. I’ll go back to sleep.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
With a contented purr, she drew closer again, her soft cheek pressed to his chest, her warm breath fanning his nipple, and dammit, his cock twitched. He wouldn’t do anything about it, just keep still, wait to hear the low, even sound of her breathing. Then maybe he could turn his head and get a glimpse of the clock. For all he knew he had to be up in half an hour. Hard to tell this time of year. It was dark when he got out of bed and dark when he returned home in the evening.
Not today, though. Without compunction, he planned to cut out early and take her to the Sundance for a horseback ride and a few games of pool. After he called Rachel, of course, and explained what was what.
He’d known when he accepted the job that people would expect him to be available 24/7, that there would be some who’d want to deal only with him. That was the nature of being a small-town sheriff. But this week, the citizens of Salina County were gonna have to get used to calling the deputies. Because he had every intention of spending as much time as he could with Alana.
She shifted restlessly. “You’re not sleeping,” she whispered.
“Apparently, neither are you.”
“What are we going to do about that?”
Smiling, he cupped her breast. Her nipple was already hard. He was halfway there himself. “Any ideas?”
She shivered against him. “I might have one,” she said, sliding her palm down his belly.
“Oh, hell.”
Her hand froze. “Um, okay.”
“I just remembered. We used my last condom.”
“You only had three?”
“Yep.” Sighing with disgust, he stared glumly at the ceiling.
“Where do you usually buy them?”
“Not at Abe’s or the Food Mart, that’s for sure.”
Alana lifted her head and grinned. “I bet everyone in town knows you’ve had sex already.”
It struck him that enough light was seeping through the blinds that he could actually make out her face. He turned to glance at the clock. How could it be 7:20 already? “Sure, okay, let’s go into Abe’s together later and pick up a box.”
She lost the smile, seemed to be considering the option, then said, “Ew.”
Noah chuckled. “Tell me about it.”
“Where do you go to buy them? The next town?”
“I don’t recall. I’ve had quite a dry spell.”
“Right,” she drawled, and wrapped her fingers around his cock. “With all those cute young things staying at the Sundance? You should see the reviews…. Hey!” She squirmed, laughing and trying to fight off his marauding hand.
Damn reviews. They were downright embarrassing.
“Don’t start something we can’t finish,” she warned, a sly smile tugging at her lips as she found his cock again.
“Plenty of things to do that won’t require a condom.” He nuzzled her neck, and her slight gasp reminded him how badly he needed a shave. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t stop.”
He ran the pad of his thumb over her soft, pale skin. “I’ll hurt you.”
“I’m tough. I can take it.”
Noah lifted the hair off her neck and gently rubbed her nape. She wasn’t as tough as she thought she was. She could put on quite a show when she set her mind to it, and she didn’t lack confidence, but tough…? “Actually, I have to get ready for work.”
“No. Really?” She peered over him at the clock, affording him an enticing view of her breasts. “I thought it was the middle of the night.”
He dipped his head for a taste. A swirl of his tongue, and she blossomed in his mouth. Wrong thing for him to do; in a minute it would be hell forcing himself out of bed, which would threaten his plans for later. Grudgingly, he lifted his head. “I’m coming home early. I thought we’d go out to the Sundance this afternoon.”
“Why?” She blinked, then recoiled. “To get rid of me?”
So she’d had second thoughts about her vacation plans, too. “What do you think?” He slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a long, leisurely kiss. When his cock got too interested, he broke off. “I want you to meet the McAllisters. They’re like a second family to me. And I keep a horse there. Do you ride?”
She nodded. “Plus you said they have a pool table.”
“You are a hustler.”
She grinned and traced a seductive pattern on his chest with the tip of her finger. “And maybe one of the brothers has a few condoms you could borrow?”
Noah laughed. “Yep, thought of that, too.”
“Good.” She kissed his jaw, and he heard the rasp of her teeth against his stubble. “I’m tempted to keep you in bed, but I really want you home early.”
He briefly closed his eyes when she kissed his right pec, then swiped her tongue across his nipple. So much for his resolve. “A few more minutes won’t matter.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when his cell phone rang.
“No way,” Noah muttered, skimming a hand down her back.
“Could’ve been worse.” She looked up with a resigned expression. “At least we weren’t interrupted last night.”
“There is that.” He squeezed her ass, then rolled over and grabbed the phone off the nightstand. It was Roy. “What’s up?”
“You alone, boss?” the deputy asked.
Noah frowned at the odd question, and swung his legs to the floor. “Yeah,” he said, the hairs on the back of his neck standing. He sent Alana a smile of apology and headed out of the bedroom.
“I just got to the office and there was a fax waiting from Potter County. They caught the guy Moran was looking for outside of Billings.”
“Good.” Noah relaxed, stopping near the bathroom door to intercept Dax, who’d rounded the corner and was charging down the hall. “You didn’t have to call for that.”
“Yeah, I sorta did.” He paused, clearing his throat. “The woman is still unaccounted for, but the guy confirmed they had a falling out and they split up late Thursday night. The jerk’s a real prince. Left her stranded at a rest stop with only her purse, and now he’s giving her up in exchange for leniency.” Roy paused again. “The thing is, boss, he’s pretty sure she was headed this way.”
13
NOAH FELT AS IF HE’D RECEIVED a blow to his chest that knocked the air from his lungs. But the shock didn’t last long. He stood by his instincts, but had to go by the book, anyway. “Okay,” he said slowly, “so we still need to be on the lookout for her.”
“Boss,” Roy said, the reluctance in his voice akin to someone admitting to the dentist he needed a tooth pulled. “You gotta consider she might already be here.”
Noah scrubbed his face, fully aware of what his deputy was getting at and how much he hated being the messenger. Did the whole friggin’ town already know Noah had a thing for Alana?
What was wrong with him? Of course they did. And of course people were going to gossip, no matter what. The fact was, he needed to finish this investigation. There wasn’t a choice involved.
He’d signed up for this. No matter that he knew better. He knew Alana. Her showing up was a coincidence. Not even that, because all kinds of women had been coming to stay at the Sundance. And the story about her stuff being stolen… There had been some thefts in the county….
He just had to figure o
ut how she’d been robbed on Main Street with no one seeing a thing. It made no sense.
“Boss, you there?”
“Yeah.” Noah grabbed Dax by the collar. “I’m trying to get this mutt out the back door.” Buck naked, he half walked, half dragged the dog through the kitchen. “You talk to Gus or Danny yet?”
“Only Gus. So far none of the folks he’s interviewed remember a thing, and he hasn’t noticed any strange single women passing through. The Sundance guests show up in groups.”
“She might not be alone. The woman’s a con artist. We can’t discount the possibility that she sweet-talked her way into hooking up with another guy.” As he said that, alarm bells went off in Noah’s head and his stomach turned. Jesus, was he being a sucker? No, he knew better. “I’ll be in around eight. Hey, any chance the suspect they caught has a picture they can send us?”
“Sheriff Moran didn’t say, but I’ll give him a holler.”
Noah disconnected the call and wrestled Dax outside. The dog wanted to be fed, and he would be in a minute. Noah had something else to do first, something he wished he didn’t have to do.
Glancing at the clock, he quickly calculated the time in New York, then punched in the number for directory assistance. He paced to the hall while he waited, making sure Alana was still in the bedroom and couldn’t hear him, and hoping like hell she had a landline in her name. She’d mentioned she had a housekeeper. Even if the woman didn’t answer, hearing Alana’s voicemail greeting would do a lot to ease his mind.
He found a listing for Alana Richardson in Manhattan and waited while the operator connected him. After the fourth ring, he expected to be switched to voicemail.
A woman answered.
He cupped a hand over his mouth and the receiver, while darting a glance toward the hall. “Alana Richardson, please.”
“She’s not here,” the woman said. “This is her housekeeper. May I take a message for her?”
“Will Alana be back soon, or is she out of town?”
“Ms. Richardson will be away for the rest of the week,” the woman said pleasantly. “She’s in the Caribbean.”
Noah took another look down the hall, as if that would help. “Are you sure?”
In response to his unintentionally harsh tone, there was a long pause, and he knew he wouldn’t be getting any more information out of the woman. “May I ask who’s calling?” She didn’t sound friendly now.
“There’s no message. Thanks.” He disconnected the call and exhaled sharply, wondering what the hell that was about. There had to be a reasonable explanation, but it seemed as though Alana was determined to make his life as difficult as possible. Where the devil was her luggage?
His phone was set up to block his number and identity, not that he thought the housekeeper would be forthcoming with a Montana county sheriff. He toyed with the idea that Alana Richardson’s identity had been stolen, but that didn’t feel right, either. It was, however, possible.
Didn’t mean he believed it.
Last night at supper with his parents…the conversation on their ride home…the intimacy they’d shared in his bed…nope. It was a mess, for sure, and he’d have to keep his mind open even when it was uncomfortable. But he was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of things. He’d been a damn good cop in Chicago, on a fast track to making detective, and he was a damn good sheriff. His gut had never let him down.
He listened for sounds from the bedroom. He couldn’t hear anything—for all he knew she’d once more fallen asleep. But he didn’t have to see or hear a thing. The knowledge that she was in his bed, naked, was enough to mess with his ability to think. What he needed to do was to get out of the house. Go to the office. Make sure his head was clear before he did anything else. He still had to talk to his other deputy, and the possibility that the suspect had avoided Blackfoot Falls was very real.
Coffee was tempting, but he decided he’d wait and get a cup at the office. No way around returning to the bedroom for his clothes before he jumped into the shower. Maybe he’d be lucky and she’d have gone back to sleep. Then he could leave her a note, because he just wasn’t up to putting on his poker face.
He filled Dax’s food bowl and left it outside the door. Before making the trip down the hall, he called Roy back. “I need you to do something for me,” he told the deputy. “I’ll be leaving here in about twenty minutes, but I want someone sitting on the house as soon as I leave.”
After a telling silence, Roy said, “Huh?”
Noah had to smile. “You,” he said, deciding not to bring in the other deputies on this one. “I want you to sit at the corner, not in a marked vehicle, but in your own truck, and watch the house. If Alana leaves, I want you to follow her.”
“You mean tail her,” he said excitedly.
“Yep, Roy, that’s what I mean. Don’t let her see you. Can you do that?”
“Sure, boss.”
“And can you keep your mouth shut about this?”
“Who am I gonna tell?”
Noah let out an incredulous laugh.
Roy sniffed, making sure Noah knew he was offended. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“Not even Gus or Danny for now.”
Roy hesitated, but didn’t question the order. The deputy loved to think he was Noah’s right-hand man, and that inclination toward self-importance was what Noah was counting on to keep this quiet. “You got it. Where are you gonna be?”
“Working. Call my cell if there’s anything to report. We clear?”
“Yep. I’ll go bring my truck around. Wait…what if she tries to leave town?”
Noah winced at the thought. He plowed a hand through his hair and shook his head. “You call me. Then you stop her.”
“Stop her. Right.” Roy’s voice cracked, and then he disconnected.
Noah went to get ready for work, certain his deputy was going to have a pretty boring day, undercover.
* * *
THE BRIGHT SUN WAS TRYING TO seep through the blinds. Noah’s side of the bed was cold, and Alana knew he’d left. She wasn’t sure how she knew, she just did. Still groggy, she squinted at the alarm clock. Seeing the red digital numbers spurred her awake. She’d never slept until ten-thirty in her life. Maybe when she was a kid, but she doubted Eleanor would have allowed such a thing even then.
Well, now Alana knew for sure Noah was gone. He would’ve let her sleep while he went to work, and she’d be surprised if he hadn’t left her a note. Anxious to see what he’d written, she slipped out of bed, then checked the top of the dresser before pulling on a T-shirt and padding down the hall. She made a quick bathroom stop, the linoleum floor cold beneath her bare feet. Shuddering at her terrifying reflection in the mirror, she turned away and thought about collecting her stupid high heels from her room, because the kitchen floor would be equally cold. But she was too giddy over looking for his note. God, she’d never been this ridiculous, even in high school.
The piece of paper was on the kitchen counter next to the coffeepot. It said he’d gone to work. He’d left his cell number if she needed him, and had signed it simply “Noah.” Alana stared at the impersonal lines and wondered why that should hurt her. What had she expected? Or more to the point, had the right to expect? They had talked this morning, after all. And he was coming home early so they could go to the Sundance. Quite a concession for him, she suspected.
She studied the carefully printed phone number, tempted to call just to get a fix on his tone of voice. Reason won out and she set the note aside. She was being silly. He’d probably been late leaving for work, and she was lucky to have gotten a note at all. It was just that last night had been incredible, like nothing she’d ever experienced. Never had she let herself be swept away as she had with Noah.
Normally, she liked being in control, in every aspect of her life. It gave her comfort and security. But last night, God, all she’d ever known or thought she knew about herself be damned. Noah could’ve led her off the Brooklyn Bridge and she would h
ave followed with bated breath. Right now she should be scared to death that she could be so weak. Instead, she watched the clock and calculated how many hours it would be before she’d see him again.
Oh, what the hell, this was her vacation—and a much better one than a stay at the dude ranch. Alana was allowed to be silly and fanciful. Five minutes back in her office and this would all go away. In a month, she’d barely remember Noah’s name. Except damn, the man could kiss. Not to mention his other talents.
Shaking her head, she checked the coffeepot, smiling when she saw that he’d already measured out grounds and left water in the unit, ready for her to hit the on button. After getting it started, she heard Dax scratching at the door, and let him in. With big moon eyes, he gazed at the treat jar.
Alana laughed. “One. That’s all you’re getting.” She fished out a Milk-Bone, waited until he sat, and then held out the treat.
After he took it and scampered off, she got out a mug. Drumming her fingers on the counter, she watched the coffee drip into the carafe. It was going to take forever. She should probably shower while she waited. Although she was in no hurry, because except for a trip to the bank she didn’t have a single thing to do today. Maybe after the Watering Hole opened she’d go check on Sadie. In the meantime, she could finish the book she’d started on Saturday.
Her eyes were drawn inexorably to the phone. She really, really wanted to call Noah. Not just to hear his voice, not at all. She had a perfectly good reason. If she knew when he planned on coming home, she could be ready. Maybe she could even have dinner waiting before they went to the Sundance. Snorting, she tapped the back of her head against an upper cabinet. Her, cook? That could end a perfectly terrific vacation fling very quickly.
Although she had made a passable quiche once in college…knowing Noah, if it didn’t turn out, he’d appreciate the gesture. Alana opened the refrigerator and found he already had some of the ingredients. She’d have to pick up the rest; maybe she could do that on her way back from the bank this morning. She wished Noah could go with her, because she doubted the local bank had handled many wire transfers, and she’d probably have to wait for her money.
Own the Night Page 14
