Danger and Desire: A Romantic Suspense Anthology

by Kimberly Kincaid

  She slipped the figurine into her apron pocket and stepped from the alcove. Her gaze immediately landed on Brad, who’d twisted in his seat, clearly anticipating her reaction.

  In that moment, she was Eliza Schuyler meeting Alexander Hamilton’s eyes across the room for the first time. Helpless.

  She bit her bottom lip to contain her smile, and her body flooded with a wild, tingly feeling as Brad smiled back, his handsome face lit with a heat that was just for her.

  She could swear the room froze in time for the space of a heartbeat as their gazes held, then he turned back to the men at his table, and sound and motion resumed at the same frenetic pace as her beating heart.

  After years of publicly lusting after him, she had to admit keeping whatever this was between them a secret was an extra delicious pleasure.

  She felt a little drunk with it as she filled her tray with drink orders and returned to the floor. She paused to chat with a group of young men from Texas who wanted to know what winter was like in Tamarack. She pointed to the wall of photos, indicating the aurora borealis shots she’d taken in February. “It’s spectacular. If you can deal with dark and cold.”

  By the end of the conversation, she’d sold two framed photos, a half dozen postcards, and had another marriage proposal, which was a good sign for the coming tip.

  She scanned the tables and caught Nate’s beckoning wave. She wove between customers and, when she reached the table of operatives, planted herself next to Brad, standing a bit closer to him than she would usually, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to feel his body heat. To smell him. “What do you need?” she asked Nate as she fondled the owl in her apron pocket, then pulled it out so Brad could see, the object hidden from everyone else in the room by the table on one side and her body on the other.

  “What nights are you working this week?” Nate tilted his head toward the wall of prints. “When you’re less busy, I want to place an order.”

  “I’m working the next three nights. After that, I need to check my schedule.”

  “No need. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

  “I will too,” Brad said.

  She’d hoped he’d say that. “Great. I’ll bring the albums.”

  “How many proposals is that tonight?” Colin asked, nodding toward the table of men she’d just left.

  She pinched one eye closed as she counted. “Three. No. Four.” She flashed him a smile. “But you’ll always be my first love, Kevin. I mean, Colin!” She winked at him.

  He laughed. “Eh, just get us another pitcher and I’ll be happy.”

  “Deal. Anything else?”

  “Nothing for me,” Brad said. “Driving.”

  “I’m driving too,” Dev said. He nodded to the others. “Last pitcher is on me.”

  She filed away the fact that Brad wouldn’t be in the same car with the others, and turned to return to the bar to get drinks for the three who weren’t driving. Charlie was busy mixing drinks for a group seated at the bar, so she pulled the pitcher herself.

  The shift had flown by, as it always did when she was busy, but at the same time, there had been an added thrill with having Brad here. It was different from when she’d served him before. She felt less nervous tension. She was relaxed and happy, but there was also a feeling of anticipation that waiting on him had lacked in the past.

  But why anticipation? Nothing more was ever going to happen between them. They weren’t going to have sex. Not now. Not ever.

  But there was a carved owl in her pocket that suggested otherwise.

  A hand-carved owl wasn’t a kiss-off. A hand-carved owl told her he’d been thinking about her. Thinking about that night as a family of owls hooted and she explored his body with her hands and mouth.

  She wanted to finish what they’d started.

  She delivered the pitcher and checked on her other tables, delivering checks and clearing glasses. The crowd had thinned as the first bus would be heading back to the compound in thirty minutes and soldiers who wanted souvenirs from their Alaskan adventure were out on Main Street shopping at the tables set up in front of the few local shops. The market would remain open until midnight, taking full advantage of the long daylight as they were just days before the solstice.

  She returned to the kitchen to grab to-go boxes for one table, and when she returned, her Brad radar alerted her to the man’s absence. She felt a stab of disappointment. Had he left? He had his own vehicle, and the table had run a joint tab, so there was no need for him to stay to pay the check.

  Well, it had been fun having him in the bar tonight, and she’d just have to be thankful it hadn’t been awkward and accept this new normal in which she knew his body, but didn’t get to touch him again.

  Her joke with the drink had worked, and Charlie had chosen to comp the drinks, even though Jenna had offered to pay for them. It had been a win all around, and now she could start researching what the next post-training cocktail would be.

  Several empty tables were littered with dirty glasses and plates, and she headed to the service area to grab a bin to collect the dishes. Her gaze went to where she’d found the owl earlier, and this time, she spotted a sticky note with a simple line drawing of an owl and an arrow pointing to the short corridor that led to the restroom, business office, and storage rooms.

  She shouldn’t follow his trail. After all, he was the one who’d set the rules. She was merely respecting his boundaries. But he’d carved her an owl. She should probably thank him for that. And she needed to tell him what Godfrey said today.

  She glanced at her tables. They were all set with checks and drinks as needed. All but two barstools were empty, and her boss was deep in conversation with Doc Larson, the in-house physician at Raptor, who also saw patients in town in a pinch. “Charlie, mind if I take five?”

  “No problem,” he said with a wave, his focus on the doctor.

  She plucked the note from the counter and stepped into the dark corridor. Charlie’s locked office was the first door on the right, while the public restroom was on the left. Farther down was a curtained vestibule that held cleaning supplies, and beyond that was the door to the liquor storage and wine cellar.

  She headed to the vestibule and brushed aside the curtain. As she stepped through, hands surrounded her waist and pulled her to a thick chest even as he pressed her back to the wall. She knew it was Brad from the smell of his skin and the way just being near him always made her belly flutter.

  He buried his face in her neck and said against her skin, “Seeing you wearing these sexy shorts with your midriff bare and not touching you has been killing me all night. Do you have to be so wildly hot?”

  She couldn’t help but grin. Oh yeah, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She really shouldn’t be letting him touch and kiss her, but she wanted this moment too much. It was glorious.

  She bit his earlobe and whispered, “It hasn’t exactly been easy for me to keep my hands off you either.” She cupped his cheeks and lifted his head, then brushed her lips over his. “Thank you for my owl.”

  “You’re welcome. I heard you went back to see them today.”

  “I did. Thank you for that too.”

  “I wish I could’ve gone with you.” His lips trailed along her neck and collarbone.

  She needed to put an end to the kisses, but damn, she didn’t want to. There was a delicious thrill to be sneaking around. Keeping secrets. To have him at last.

  “Isabel went with me. Godfrey and Chase showed up.” She would wonder why she always called Godfrey by his last name, but usually used first names for the other operatives, except she knew it was because there was nothing friendly about handsome Ted except his looks. She preferred the distance using his last name provided.

  Brad’s lips left her skin, and he raised his head. She couldn’t see his eyes in the dark storage space, but from the sudden tension in the body pressed to hers, she knew something she’d said concerned him.

  “That wouldn’t be an accident. T
here was no reason for Godfrey to be in that area today.”

  “I didn’t think it was random either. He…threatened the owls. He said I need to get Isabel to back off, and it would be a shame if something happened to the owls.”

  Brad let out a low curse, then pulled her to him, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I’m so sorry. I’m trying to do something about Godfrey. He’s getting out of hand.”

  “He pulled me aside when he said it. Neither Chase nor Isabel heard him.”

  “And the odds that all three baby owls survive to fledge is slim. So if one doesn’t survive, it’s not like you could prove it was him.”

  “Yeah. I thought the same thing.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on him. Promise me you’ll call me if he bothers you again?”

  She pulled back and gave him a look, glad that her eyes had adjusted to the dark so she could see his features now. “How can I do that when you haven’t given me your number?”

  His lips curved in a sexy smile. “You don’t have my number, kitten?”

  That wasn’t technically true, but he didn’t need to know that. “How could I?”

  He leaned down and kissed her. Fully, this time, his tongue slipping between her lips, filling her mouth with his taste and heat. Making her hungry for so much more. He raised his head and said in a husky voice, “I’m going to fix that.”

  “Oh yeah? You think I’m going to give you my number?”

  His hand slid under the waistband of her denim shorts, followed by her silk panties, and cupped her ass. She was pressed to him, his thick erection a hard ridge against her bare belly. She rocked into him, her skin rubbing against his cotton slacks.

  He let out a low groan. “God, kitten. You’re killing me.”

  “You set the rules.”

  “Because I’m a fool.”

  “Yes, you are.” She rose on her toes and kissed him gently on the lips. “I need to get back to work.”

  “Meet me. Tonight. In the owl meadow.”

  She was so damn tempted. But in the end, sex would only make his departure harder. At least now, she could enjoy these last days or weeks. Secret kisses that went nowhere might be exquisite torture for them both, but it was the only way to protect her heart. Plus, she was the one walking away, leaving him wanting more, not the other way around.

  She kissed him one last time then slipped from his arms. “No,” she said, and left the alcove.

  Chapter 8

  Brad went to the roadhouse more nights than not the following week. It was like a compulsion he couldn’t stop. They had a break between trainings, and knowing he was on short time, he didn’t want to miss a minute of Jenna’s sassy smiles or sultry looks.

  He and Nate had ordered their prints, but then the next night, he told her he wanted to see her owl photos. She’d brushed her lips over his in the storage closet and said, “The owls are only for me,” then left him with the mops and brooms.

  It had become a game, him trying to get her alone in the storage alcove for steamy kisses she couldn’t resist, followed by him begging for her phone number. His ploys only worked when she wanted them to, which was about half the time, but she always refused to give him her number.

  Stolen kisses in a closet. He really was back in middle school. But she clearly enjoyed the game, and after years of being pursued by her, it was his turn to let her know how much he wanted her.

  And damn, it was a lot. His need for her was as vast as the forest and mountains that surrounded their tiny town. He was determined to make love to her at least once before he left Tamarack. He would give her everything he’d held back for the last three years. Worship her as she was due.

  He became proficient at drawing and carving owls to a degree he’d never imagined. He went to visit the birds and left his gifts in the trees, treasures for her to find, if she bothered to look.

  And apparently, she did, because one night, he arrived in the roadhouse to see her wearing an owl pendant he’d painstakingly carved. That night, she went to the alcove first and sent him a text to come find her.

  How had she gotten his number? Not that it really mattered. He was just thankful she did as he made a beeline for the alcove that had taken on a key role in his fantasies.

  The scent of cleaning supplies had become an aphrodisiac by his third visit to this space. Now he stepped in, and the pine scent mixed with lemon was lost as he took in Jenna in a sexy purple halter-topped sundress, with the owl he’d carved in the deep V of the neckline.

  She was so achingly pretty, and sexy beyond compare.

  Without a word, he lifted her and pressed her back to the wall. Thanks to the wide, flowing skirt of the dress, she was able to wrap her legs around his hips, allowing his hard cock to press against her center as he took her mouth in a carnal kiss he’d been saving for days.

  When he raised his head, she looked up at him, a little stunned, and said, “Wow.”

  “There’s more where that came from.”

  She laughed.

  He pressed his forehead to hers and laughed with her. God, he was turned on by her, but this, the laughter, was another layer that filled him with warmth. “How did you get my number?”

  She gave him a small smile. “I don’t want to tell you.”

  “Now I really want to know.”

  She bit her lip and cast her eyes upward as if seeking strength. “About a…year ago? You called the bar to set up a private party for your team and left your cell number for the confirmation.”

  He grinned. “You’ve had my cell number for that long?” He dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “You’re adorable.”

  “I think the word you mean is pathetic.”

  “Oh, kitten, no. You are the sexiest woman I know, and I’ve been a fool for far too long. The best part about the party for the team was knowing I’d see you that night. You’ve been the best part of all my days since I arrived in Alaska.”

  He hadn’t planned to say those words. Didn’t even realize the truth of them until they came out of his mouth. But they were a fundamental truth of his life since moving to this wild, beautiful, and brutal place. He’d never once visited Tamarack without hoping he’d run into her. She was the little surprise thrill he’d get in the grocery store or the library. She was the reason he went to every community theater production and convinced Falcon team to volunteer for the car wash fundraiser.

  The only place he could count on seeing her was the roadhouse, and there was nothing more disappointing than showing up on her night off.

  “I want you, Jenna. I have from the very beginning. But I was convinced I couldn’t make a relationship work and didn’t want to ruin the thrill of seeing you.” It was past time he admitted that to himself and to her. “I’m leaving as soon as I can wrap things up with the team. I’ve got a job lined up in Oregon. Any chance you’d consider…?”

  She cupped his cheeks. “No, Brad. You had three years to convince me you’d be worth moving for. Now I need to stay for my dad. His Crohn’s disease is getting worse, and he needs my help to manage it. Left to his own devices, he won’t stick to the diet that works best for him.”

  “It’ll be a lot easier to manage his illness in the Lower 48.”

  “My dad will never leave Tamarack, and the only doctor he’ll see willingly is Doc Larson because he comes to the house and acts like it’s a social visit, so that’s a no.”

  She wouldn’t leave. He wasn’t willing to stay.

  “I want to be with you. Inside you. Once. Before we say goodbye.” Before she could answer, he kissed her. His tongue plundered her mouth. His hips thrust against her hot center. She kissed him back and rocked her hips in response. Her fingers threaded through his hair. And she made the soft sound deep in her throat that had led to his nickname for her.

  “Give me one night, kitten.” The words were a soft murmur against her lips. “Let me kiss you and touch you and make you come so hard, you can’t think. Give me your body so I can make you come over and over and
over.”

  “That’s a pretty cocky statement.”

  “I already made you come twice with just my fingers. Imagine when I get my cock and tongue involved.”

  “Okay, it’s a fair boast. Once only? Then goodbye?”

  “Not once. One night. Twelve hours.”

  “Twelve hours? You are cocky.”

  “I’ve been waiting to be inside you for three years. Twelve hours won’t be enough.”

  “Your place is out and so is mine. We can’t go to the motel, or everyone in town will know. And I don’t need all of Tamarack pitying me when you leave town.”

  Brad’s belly lurched at the idea of her being sad. He never wanted her to be sad, and yet in this, he would be the cause.

  “And I want a bed and electricity and hot and cold running water,” she added, bringing his attention back to the issue at hand.

  He pondered their options and an idea formed. “I have a place we could use.” Then he frowned. He needed to make sure the cabin was clear. “Not tonight, though. I need to make arrangements.”

  “When, then?”

  He considered his schedule. “We’ve got a training starting next Wednesday, but I have the day before off. How about Monday night?” The roadhouse was closed on Mondays.

  She nodded. “Monday to Tuesday works for me. I’m going to need food and condoms. And fizzy water. It’s important to stay hydrated.” She frowned. “Did we just make some sort of sex pact?”

  He grinned. “Yes. I believe we did. Twelve hours only. I will provide you with food, condoms, fizzy water, and multiple orgasms.” He kissed her neck. “Wear the owl pendant. I wish you could wear this dress—you look amazing tonight—but there will be a little hiking involved.”

  She slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his slacks and wrapped her hand around his thick erection. She stroked the length of him, and with her lips a hair’s breadth from his, she whispered, “For twelve hours, this will be mine, Brad Fraser. All mine.” Then she smiled. “It’s entirely possible you’ll never be the same again after that.”