* * *
NOAH COULD SEE SHE WASN’T happy with his suggestion. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes dilated. Her movements were jerky, her body obviously filled with adrenaline and righteous anger. Tough. He wasn’t happy with her right now, either.
“You did question him, right?” she asked. “You said you were going to.”
“Didn’t I tell you I’d handle it?”
She blinked at his gruff tone. “Sorry,” she murmured. “But you had to know he wasn’t telling you the truth.”
“Alana. I have no proof. It’s your word against his.”
The way she looked at him made Noah’s gut tighten. It was as if he’d disappointed her on purpose. He felt like the most incompetent sheriff in the country, and all because of a pair of accusing brown eyes. Didn’t mean he wasn’t still pissed. He didn’t need her shooting her mouth off in front of everyone. She might be good at her job, but so was he.
Standing out here wasn’t helping anyone, though. “Let’s go back to the house. Have some coffee. Talk it through. Maybe there’s something we overlooked, some little thing that seemed inconsequential but might not be.”
She seemed to deflate, as if someone let all the life out of her like air from a balloon. “Fine. I can call the bank. I was just killing time until you got off work.”
He pulled his cell out of his pocket and pressed speed dial for Roy. As soon as his deputy answered he said, “Take over, will ya?”
“You bet, boss.”
Noah disconnected and walked her down the street toward privacy. With every step, the gap between them widened. She had been on fire facing Gunderson, her back straight, her intention to decimate the old man clear. It filled Noah with alarm, because he should have been there to stop things before they got started. But there was also part of him that wanted to shake her. If those mixed feelings weren’t screwed up enough, he’d also experienced a weird kind of pride in her strength.
It wasn’t just the loss of her personal belongings that had her making quiches and wearing Sunday panties. She might as well have landed on the moon. Blackfoot Falls wasn’t big enough for the likes of Alana Richardson. New York barely was.
She sure as hell wouldn’t ever be satisfied with a two-bit lawman like him. He was the very definition of a vacation fling. The minute she saw this town in the rearview mirror, he’d be a minor footnote never to be looked at again.
Noah wasn’t sure why that hurt as much as it did, especially considering he hadn’t ever thought of her as someone to keep.
After closing the door behind them, he led her into the kitchen and started preparing a new pot of coffee.
She sat down and stared at the wall.
“You want to take me through it?” he asked.
“No.”
He stopped counting scoops and turned to her. “Why not?”
“His word against mine.” She met his gaze. “I told you everything. The theft took less than a minute. I didn’t leave a single detail out. If you can’t find a witness, there’s nothing left to do. It’s as simple as that. Once I have money, I’ll figure out a way to replace my ID so I can catch my plane home. It’s all pretty simple, really. And for the record, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to step on your toes by getting into it with Gunderson.”
“Alana—”
“It’s okay,” she said. She took in a breath, then let it out, and by the time she inhaled again, she was smiling a little. “It’s more than okay.” She stood up and walked to him. “Weighing the two things, I think I’ve come out ahead.”
“You lost me. What two things?”
“Losing my luggage. Meeting you.”
He slid a gaze over her face, down the front of her shirt, then returned to her eyes. Dammit, he wasn’t going to ruin the time they had left. He abandoned the coffee for a much better idea. Taking her hand in his, he led her out of the kitchen into the living room. He meant to head straight back to the bedroom, but she bumped her hip against his, and that stopped him. But only for a moment as he went for his buttons. “Have I mentioned that you look nice?” He stripped off his uniform shirt and threw it on the couch.
* * *
ALANA BLINKED. “WHAT ARE YOU doing?” Something was different about him. Different from when he’d been home earlier. Different from a few minutes ago. He seemed totally relaxed, yet full of purpose. Every ounce of his attention was on her and nothing else. This was the man who’d nearly had her begging last night. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Despite a few rough patches, today is turning out to be pretty damn sweet.”
“I’m happy for you. And in a minute, the rest of the block is going to be thrilled.” She nodded past him with her chin. “The curtains are open.”
He unsnapped his jeans, then nonchalantly pulled the curtains shut, while she decided to go with the flow. She hadn’t lied to him. He was the best vacation she’d ever had, and she’d do it all again. Except she’d have worn more comfortable shoes.
Damn, he had a great chest. Perfectly defined back. Broad where he should be, narrow where he shouldn’t. And his butt… She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “You trying to get out of eating that quiche?”
“I’m in the mood for something else,” he said, advancing toward her slowly.
Excited to see what he’d do, she didn’t move. Just stood there, unsteady from her heart slamming against her breastbone, and growing damp between her thighs.
He stopped in front of her and nudged her chin up. “You’re short without those heels.”
She could argue the point, but she had something else in mind. Raising herself on tiptoes, she bit the tip of his chin, the feel of his slight stubble sending a shiver down her spine.
Noah’s mouth brushed hers, and then he slanted his head and kissed her gently, so gently that she wasn’t aware he’d teased her lips open until his tongue touched hers. He swept inside, tasting and probing, while he unfastened her Levi’s. They were a size too big, and with a couple of wiggles the jeans fell to her ankles. She stepped out of them as he pulled off her T-shirt.
Her breath caught when he reached inside her panties. She instinctively squeezed her thighs together, but he’d already slid his fingers between her lips. “We’re standing in the living room,” she said, clutching at his arm.
“Jesus, you’re so wet.” His voice came out in a ragged breath. “Take off your bra.”
“We should go—”
“Please.”
The tone of his voice made her quickly unfasten the clasp. Pushing back her shoulders, she let the bra fall to the floor behind her. He entered her with two fingers, and she bucked against his hand.
He kissed her hard and drove in deeper, while rubbing her sweet spot with his thumb. She didn’t know how much longer she could stand there—her knees were weak, her legs starting to wobble. Abruptly, he withdrew. A whimper of loss had barely escaped her when he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the couch.
Laying her gently against the cool leather, he followed her down, teasing one breast, then the other while he pulled off her panties.
“Your jeans…” she whispered.
“Not yet.”
Now it was her turn. “Please.”
He didn’t comply, only lifted his head, his mouth curved in a sly smile full of wicked intentions. It should have infuriated her, but all she wanted to do was beg. Plead with him to get naked and stretch his body over hers, push himself inside her.
Alana gasped. “Did you get condoms?”
His eyes briefly closed and he shook his head. “We won’t do anything risky.”
“But I want you inside me,” she said softly, miserably aware that she sounded like a petulant child.
“Trust me.” Holding her gaze, he ran his palm over her hip, down the side of her leg, and then circled his hand around her ankle and brought it to his lips.
He kissed the inside, then worked his way to her knee and onward, pressing his hot damp mouth to the sensitive skin of her inner th
igh. She tensed, and he finally broke eye contact to focus on what he was doing to her.
For a few seconds, shyness suffused her in a warm flush she seemed helpless to stop. Totally atypical for Alana, but then she’d never had a man stare at her in the bold, sexy way Noah was as he coaxed her lips apart.
He brushed his fingers over her, then raised his gaze to hers again. “Don’t look so worried.”
“I’m not…I’m just…” She breathed in deeply and managed to smile. “I’m not.” She could scarcely explain that she’d never been with a man like him before, not even in college during her short rebellious streak.
The guys she’d been with were more like her—daring enough but not too reckless, smart, armed with an Ivy League education and certainty about their future. They’d probably turned out like the men she occasionally dated now, with their expensive haircuts, designer suits, enough assets to subsidize Brooklyn. When the pricey clothes came off, sex was okay, but sleeping with those men was never anything spectacular.
Now that she thought about it, sex was more like a polite business deal—short, civilized, to the point. But with Noah?
Looking into his handsome face, those smoky blue-green eyes that were too sexy for his or her own good, Alana found her entire body trembling. He was just so damn…male, and much more physical than she was used to. He didn’t hesitate to take what he wanted from an amenable partner.
And confidence? Good God, he had that to spare, whether he was wearing worn jeans or nothing at all. Without question he was the one in charge, and that should’ve irritated her, maybe even thrown her off track a bit. Definitely not turned her on, made her ache and burn so hot she thought she was losing her mind.
He stroked between her thighs and lazily met her gaze. Those eyes alone could make a woman fear she’d teetered too close to the edge. That one misstep could bring doom.
“Sure wish I knew what you were thinking,” he said, his lips quirking in a slow smile.
“Right now my brain is mush.”
“Mush is good.” He put his mouth on her, and she arched off the couch, gasping.
While he used his tongue and teeth to drive her crazy, he cupped a breast and kneaded the sensitive flesh. Her nipple was unbearably tender, so she flinched a little. His fingers stilled, withdrew.
Alana pulled on his forearm and forced his hand back to her breast. Felt his smile blossom against her, then the long glide of his tongue, which made her shudder.
The sensation was like an electrical current. She grabbed the back of the couch, disoriented, surprised that she was coming so quickly, shocked at the intensity of the climax that broke over her in wave after unrelenting wave. Instinctively, she tried to get away, evade his insistent tongue, but he had a firm grip of her hips, and she convulsed again, over and over, until she thought she just might die from it.
Noah was breathing hard when he finally lifted his head, his mouth damp, his nostrils flaring, his eyes nearly black. And his chest—his strong, broad chest with its light sheen of sweat—heaved with every deep breath he drew. God, how she wanted him inside her. This so wasn’t fair.
“Come here,” she whispered, opening her arms to him.
“No.”
“Noah.” She lowered her gaze to the swell of his fly and threw his own words back at him. “Trust me.”
He caught her hand, kissed her palm. “We’ll go get condoms.”
“Yes, later.” She curled up to a half-sitting position, and with her free hand rubbed his fly.
“Jesus, don’t.”
“Take off your jeans.”
His hooded eyes were practically slits. “Alana…”
“Do it.”
His big body shuddered and he slowly did as she asked. He pushed the jeans down his lean hips, and freed from the denim, his arousal thrust into her waiting hand.
* * *
“SHE’S GONNA WHIP YOUR ASS again, Calder.” Leaning against the wood-paneled wall and grinning, Trace McAllister tipped a bottle of beer to his lips.
Noah scoffed. “I let her win the first game.”
Cole and Rachel laughed. They were brother and sister, but couldn’t have looked more different. Cole had dark hair and dark eyes, while Rachel was fair-skinned with a thick auburn mane and green eyes. Then there was Trace with his brother’s sable-brown hair and eyes like his sister’s.
Alana hadn’t met Jesse, the middle brother, yet, or their mother, but she had a feeling she’d like them as much as she did these three. Fifteen minutes after she and Noah had arrived at the Sundance, she’d felt as if she’d known them forever. Rachel had apologized profusely for the mix-up with the reservations, which was nice, but not necessary. Alana hadn’t missed the curiosity on all their faces, which she’d expected. But they couldn’t have made her feel more welcome.
Three guests of the ranch had been sitting on the porch of the large house, bantering with the hands, when she and Noah had driven up in his truck. The women’s stunned glares watching him take her hand weren’t unexpected, either, but Alana had enjoyed that. She’d nudged him and asked if she was supposed to be his bodyguard. He’d only grunted, then given her one of those sexy looks that said he’d make her pay for that remark later. Worked for her.
She watched Noah line up his shot now, and sincerely hoped that he did win this one. Letting him beat her wasn’t an option. He’d know and he wouldn’t like it.
Sitting on the comfy black leather couch near the fireplace, Rachel waited until Noah pocketed the six ball and said, “Sorry, guys, I have to go make nice with our guests. I should’ve asked, though, have you eaten yet?”
“Yep,” Noah said with a straight face. “We had quiche.”
Trace snorted. “You had what?”
“Quiche.” Noah repeated the lie and met her eyes, his filled with devilish amusement.
Cole rubbed the back of his head and tried to hide a smile.
Rachel didn’t hold back. After a good chuckle, she asked, “Does that mean you want leftovers? We had pot roast.”
“Yes, ma’am. Bag ’er up.” Noah took another shot and missed, then muttered under his breath.
“I’m out for blood now, mister.” Alana patted him on the butt as she slipped around him to gauge her next move.
Rachel had already walked out of the room, but Alana didn’t miss the look that passed between the two brothers. She didn’t care what they thought, only because it clearly didn’t matter to Noah. Cole was his best friend.
In fact, he was the keeper of the condoms. That was the main reason she’d agreed to get dressed and come to the Sundance, or else she might’ve been tempted to handcuff Noah to the couch. But now she was really glad she’d come. She loved meeting his friends and seeing how the McAllisters served as a second family to him. He was so comfortable around them, and so was she. It made her a little sad that she didn’t have anyone like them back in New York. Her fault entirely for focusing all her attention on work, but still.
She leaned over the table, lining up the fifteen, and sensed Noah behind her. Not touching her, but he was there; she confirmed it with a glance over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” He checked out her ass, then raised his gaze and gave her an innocent smile.
Trace laughed. “I hope you wipe the floor with him. The bastard always beats me two out of three and I’m damn good.”
Alana darted another look at Noah. Maybe she was the one being played.
“There you are.” A pretty brunette stuck her head in and smiled at Trace. “I thought I heard your voice. You ready?”
His confused expression gave way to awareness. Whatever they had planned, he’d obviously forgotten. “Be right there.” He waited until she left, and muttered, “Hell,” then drained his beer and headed toward the door. “Nice meeting you, Alana.”
After he’d disappeared, Noah grinned at Cole. “The kid’s still burning the midnight oil?”
“He’s cooled it some. If Rachel closed shop for the w
inter, it would be fine with him. Maybe he’d get some rest.”
“You could all use the break, I suspect,” Noah said, and Cole seemed hesitant to react, probably because Alana was supposed to have been a guest. “At least you met Jamie. Is she coming back for the holidays, or are you going to L.A.?”
Pretending she wasn’t listening, Alana took her shot and missed by the skin of her teeth. She wanted to know who Jamie was, but decided she’d ask Noah privately. She wasn’t even sure why she cared. This thing between her and Noah was a one-off. What happened here in Montana would stay in Montana. Forever. There was no other way.
She swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat, and stood back for him to take his turn. The bastard ran the rest of the table without a single pause between shots, except to wink at her.
15
LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING, WHILE Noah was working, Alana walked over to the Watering Hole to visit Sadie. The bar wasn’t open yet, but Sadie was putting up last-minute Halloween decorations, and Alana had promised to give her a hand.
“Hello, stranger,” she said when she opened the door. “Hurry on in before the booze hounds come sniffing around, trying to get me to open early.”
Alana glanced over her shoulder. “Who?”
“Avery and his sidekick. Gotten so I hate seeing his dilapidated rust bucket coming down Main. The old buzzard does nothing but complain ever since the Sundance opened.” Sadie turned the dead bolt, then walked ahead, her limp noticeably improved. “Heard you were out there with Noah on Monday.”
Alana shook her head. The Blackfoot Falls rumor mill was truly impressive. “We were, and I met the McAllisters. They were great. Although I didn’t meet Jesse or their mother. Your leg seems better.”
“Yep, saw the doc today and even he thinks there’s hope for me yet.” Sadie grinned and slid her bulk onto a stool at the bar in front of a box of decorations. “I also heard you stopped in here Monday, checking up on me.”
“I was very pleased to hear you took time off to rest your leg.” Alana peered into the box before taking the stool next to Sadie. “You’re starting late. Halloween is in, what, two, three days?”
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