by Huie,Melissa
Nature, my ass. I’m sure they stopped off for a quick romp in the woods. I grabbed my purse from the seat, slammed the door, and headed for the spacious front porch. The screen door did little to stop the sounds of Aerosmith from floating outside, bringing a little rock to the tranquility of the lake. I popped open the door and shouted my presence.
“You’re finally here!” squealed Megan, as she made her way over to me. Her gait was smoother than when I’d last saw her at her wedding, and her limp wasn’t as noticeable. But it shouldn’t have surprised me. Megan, despite her graciousness, kindness, and adorableness, was a fighter. And I was glad that we’d gotten to be as close as we were.
“Hey, momma. How’s it going? You’re looking great!” I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her tight.
“I’m good, I’m good. How are you, stranger?” she asked, her brown eyes shining. I pulled back and searched her face for any sign of distress or conflict, but her porcelain features were calm.
“I’m good, and ready for this weekend. I need to just veg for a moment, not have to worry about my phone or next shift, or flying off to God-knows-where.” I gave her a tired smile, and she squeezed my hand.
“I completely understand. And you totally deserve it, too. You’ve been going nonstop since I’ve met you!” Her eyes glinted with a hint of mischief. “So, go stake out your sanctuary. No one else has picked their room yet, so you may want to grab yours before the savages try to stake their claim.” She waved her hands to the wooden staircase.
“Thanks, chick. I’ll only be a minute.” I picked up my bags and walked up the beautiful staircase.
With knotted pine panels, exquisite skylight, and a stone fireplace, the house was the epitome of what a log cabin should be. I scoped out the three other rooms in question and planned my strategy. My hope was that I was the farthest away from Cole and Karla. I planned to sleep, and I sure as hell didn’t need Karla’s porn star moans and bed squeaking to keep me awake. I bypassed the room with the dual set of bunkbeds because the boys could sleep there, and took the room that faced the back of the house. With a fluffy down comforter and a blue gingham quilt on the brass full-size bed, and a spectacular view of the glistening lake, I knew I’d found my sanctuary. I dropped my bag on the wooden bench next to the closet and unpacked my gear. Extra ammo for my Glock went into the nightstand, clothes went into the dresser, and my toiletries went into the shared bathroom. Six people to one bathroom? Just like college. I rolled my eyes at the thought, then headed back downstairs to the massive kitchen.
Megan looked at home, rolling out dough and singing along with the radio. I took the glass of water with cucumber and lemon that she put on the counter for me, and turned to look out the back. Adrian, Sketch, Noah, and Shane were messing around with the ATV’s, making sure everything was in working order for the afternoon. I sipped my water and looked over at Meg. Even with her front covered in flour, she looked in her element.
“What the heck are you making?” I sat down at the kitchen island, where she was messing with the dough.
“We had leftover chicken from the other night, so I’m making a couple chicken pot pies for dinner tonight.” She rolled out another circle of dough and I shook my head.
“Megan Turner, you better not stay in the kitchen this weekend. This is a time for us to hang out and relax, not bathe yourself in dough and meat,” I scolded gently. She didn’t know how to relax, but then again, who was I to say anything?
She stuck her tongue out at me. “I promise, I’ll be social. I just don’t want to have to worry about dinner once we get back.”
“Trust me, we won’t starve. Cole has the cooler, and it’s filled to the brim with meats and junk food.”
Megan chuckled and placed the dough strips across the top of the two pie dishes full of vegetables, chicken, and creamy sauce. “So, what’s been going on? How’s work?”
“It’s going all right. It seems like there’s a dead end at every corner. We chased down a lead in Vegas this week, but we’re not any closer. Tommy went ghost, and no one seems to know where the hell he went,” I bit out. Between losing funding, and our best assets to other cases, and the lack of leads on anything, frustration on the case was mounting.
“Could someone have already taken care of him?” she asked, moving to the sink to wash her hands.
I fiddled with the red checkered placemat in front of me. “It’s possible. For all I know, another heir to the Cartel could have risen up to take control. We don’t know much about Christian Cruz’s family life. He had one illegitimate son. Who knows if there are more.”
Megan slid the pies into the fridge and started to clean up. “Not that I care about him, but whatever happened to Tommy’s mom, his sisters? Did they get rolled up in all this mess?”
I snorted. “His mom and her husband lawyered up before we even got to their brownstone in Manhattan. So far, nothing has come from their camp, aside from their lame attempt of disavowal.”
Megan rolled her eyes. From what she’d told me, Mr. and Mrs. Greene were nothing but rude and nasty to her while her and Tommy were engaged. She opened her mouth, but was interrupted when Shane walked in. At six-foot-two, two hundred thirty pounds, and former hockey player that just missed the pros, Shane was larger than life. With brown hair shaved close to his head, penetrating hazel eyes, and a body full of tattoos and piercings, he epitomized the alpha bad boy that girls read about in those smutty books. Fortunately for Megan, he’d only had eyes for her since the day they first met when she was sixteen.
Shane went right for Megan, ignoring the flour dusted on her hands and shirt, and wrapped her into a passionate kiss. I pretended to gag. As much as I adored the two of them, there was only so much PDA I could stand. Especially when I’m not getting any myself.
“Sorry, Kate. Didn’t see you there,” Shane joked with a shit-eating grin.
“Uh-huh. Take her to the bedroom, perv. We don’t need to see that,” I shot back, covering my eyes playfully.
“Good idea. Fix us some lunch, why don’t ya. We’ll need to refuel.” He picked her up like she was nothing but air, bridal style. “Oh yeah, Cole just pulled up.” And without a backward glance, he carried a giggling Megan off to the master bedroom down the hall.
If I wasn’t already used to their tendency to hump like rabbits, I might be slightly uncomfortable. I shook my head at the two lovebirds and wandered out to the front porch. Cole and Adrian were messing with the the gear, while Karla leaned against his truck, twiddling with her phone. The rest of the gear, including coolers, helmets, and their bags, all sat on the ground, waiting to be brought in. I groaned, my irritation level with the princess act at an all-time high. I stomped down to the truck and hefted the soft cooler strap over my shoulder, and grasped the larger blue one by the handles.
“Yeah, this place doesn’t have a bellhop. Unless you want spiders and shit getting in your bags, I’d suggest you bring them in,” I said dryly, then headed back into the house. Apparently, that snapped her out of whatever spell the phone had her under, and she looked up at me with her doe eyes.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Kate. I was trying to get ahold of my friend, Cami, who has a place down here, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re down here too. We were thinking we could get everyone together and…” she said in one breath, huffing and puffing under the weight of her luggage. I knew it was hers because Cole’s standard issue luggage was not pink and purple floral print. I ignored the babbling and brought the coolers into the kitchen.
“Where should I put my bag? I really need to take a nap. The trip was exhausting.” I rolled my eyes. I’m sure it was. Your head must have been doing a lot of work.
“Upstairs, first door on the right,” I called over my shoulder, and set to work on unpacking the perishables.
Twenty minutes later, I yelled to the boys outside that the food was ready. A stack of sandwiches made with Megan’s mom’s roast beef was piled high on the table, along with four bags of chips,
potato salad, and coleslaw and broccoli salad I picked up from the deli last night. The thunder of feet on the porch outside and the barking of two dogs had me staking out a chair quickly. I knew better than to get in between the guys and their meal. Megan and Shane ambled out, with the post-coital glow on their faces. I didn’t bother yelling for Karla. If she hadn’t heard me the first time, she would get the leftovers.
Somehow, I got stuck between Noah and Adrian, so I moved closer than necessary to Adrian, and away from Noah, practically sitting on Adrian’s lap. The smirk on Noah’s face said it all. He knew I was avoiding all physical contact with him. And hell, if I could do it the entire weekend, I would.
Everyone was digging into their food, when Megan finally asked, “Weren’t you supposed to bring someone? Was that Karla?”
I choked on my sandwich as Cole looked around the table. “She said the trip up was exhausting, Cole. What did you do to that poor girl?” I asked with a snicker.
He gave me an arrogant smile. “Definitely made the trip worthwhile, I’ll tell you that much.”
Megan stifled a gag. “She must mean something if Cole brought her up here. Is she your girl, Cole?” Her face was a mask of innocence, as that simple statement gave Cole hell for being whipped by a gym skank. Cole’s face turned bright red and he shook his head. He opened his mouth to answer, when Karla walked down the stairs and entered the fray. She took in the seating arrangement and plopped down right next to Cole, and leaned into his shoulder.
“You didn’t come upstairs, baby. I was waiting for ya,” she said in a breathy voice. I snorted and received a glare from Karla. Cole, as usual, wasn’t fazed.
“We were busy.” He shot her an annoyed glance and continued eating. Feeling the sting of rejection, she looked over at everyone and the spread.
“I can’t eat this. There’s nothing but fat and carbs. I’m really watching my figure. Is there anything else?” she asked, her voice full of phoniness. My inner spring of a temper coiled tightly, and I curbed the urge to drop my plate in her lap.
“Oh, let me find…” Megan started, and I held my hand out to her to get her to sit down.
“No, she’s fine,” I said to Megan, then turned to Karla. “Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge. If there’s anything special you need, the store is about 10 miles up the road.” Everyone became intent on their food, so they missed the glare I received from Ms. Happy-go-lucky. Well then, the gym slut has a temper, does she? I raised my eyebrow and gave her the universal look, telling her to bring it. She rolled her eyes and looked away.
After we finished up lunch, everyone went to change into their gear. I pulled on a pair of my oldest riding jeans, a tank top, a thin lined shirt, and my Carhart hoodie on top. I laced up my riding boots over my ankle and grabbed my purple helmet. As I was about to walk down the stairs, Karla joined me. With her skinny jeans and tank top that showed ample cleavage, along with a cotton jacket, she was nowhere near prepared for the trip.
“Are you going with us?” I asked incredulously, going down the stairs.
“Yep. I can’t wait to feel that baby between my legs. I bet it’ll get Cole hard as a rock,” she quipped, slipping on a pair of canvas tennis shoes.
“Ew. I didn’t need to hear that.” I fought the bile rising in my throat and changed the subject. “But unless you’re planning on changing into something that’s a little more suitable for riding, you’re not going.” We may have joked around and acted like fools, but safety was always our main priority. We never rode when we were drinking, and we sure as hell didn’t ride without the proper gear.
Karla actually stomped her foot in protest. “What the hell is wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“You’re going to freeze. We’re in the freaking mountains, and the temp is dropping rapidly. And you’ll more than likely get your foot ripped off because you need a heel to stay on the pegs. Didn’t Cole tell you any of this?”
She flipped her dirty blonde hair out of her eyes and snarled at me. “I’m fine. What the hell do you know, anyway?”
I put up my hands in surrender. “If you want to freeze your fake tits off, that’s fine by me, but don’t come crying to my brother when you can’t freaking walk because you wore the wrong fucking shoes.” I walked outside to the rest of the group, fuming.
“Cole, you better check your girl. She seems to think that riding is like a fucking fashion show.” He groaned and ambled back into the house, while I climbed onto my Polaris RZR White Lightening and turned the ignition. The rumble of the engine instantly centered me, but the trails were calling me. I looked around. Shane was helping Megan onto his Kawasaki. Adrian, Sketch, and Noah were also geared up and ready to go. The only ones we were missing were Cole and Karla.
Shane’s phone alerted him to an incoming text. “Let’s roll out. Cole’s staying here.” Of course he is. I fumed at the audacity that that chick had. I pulled my helmet over my head and adjusted my goggles. We had about four more hours of daylight left, and I intended to make the most of them. We followed the map, leading us into Garret County National Forest. The views going up the mountain trails were nothing short of spectacular. The autumn colors shone throughout the valley. One by one, we crisscrossed the mountain trails, going through streams and mud. We didn’t top more than thirty miles per hour, but I felt like I was flying. Nothing to focus on but the trail in front of me, and the sky above me.
We rode for three hours, finally racing each other back to the house, and totally covered in mud.
“I totally smoked your ass!” Adrian shouted out, pulling into the driveway.
Sketch skidded to a stop behind him. “Whatever, man. Not my fault a deer ran out in front of me.”
I shook my head as the boys squabbled like children and rolled my ATV over to Cole’s truck. The third gear was sticking, and Cole would have to look at it before we headed back out tomorrow.
“Was that your third gear messing up back there?” The southern drawl of his voice caused my stomach to tighten. He hadn’t spoken a single word to me since we arrived. Granted, I hadn’t been the most approachable, either.
“Yeah, it’s sticking.” I took my helmet off and set it on the seat. “I’ll get Cole to look at it tomorrow, before we go back out.”
Noah gave me a crooked grin. “You could always ride with me.”
I smirked at his innuendo. “I’m sure I could. But that doesn’t help me on the trail.”
He grabbed me by my waist and yanked me toward him. “Who says it won’t?” Pressed against him, even through the layers of clothes between us, I swore he could feel my heart pounding.
“So what are you saying? We have a quick fuck and you’ll let me ride your bike?” I teased.
His brown eyes hardened and his grip tightened. “When have I ever been quick, Princess? It hasn’t been that long. Do I need to give you a reminder?”
Reminder…like I need one. Memories were the only things that helped me late at night, with my vibrator in hand.
“As much as I would like to revisit old times, I’m going to head on in.” I gently pushed his chest back for him to let me go, but his arms remained around my waist.
“Princess, when are you going to let me in?” he whispered, his brown eyes searching mine.
The rare light of vulnerability in his gaze weakened my resolve. Loneliness was a bitch, and the craving for that connection with someone started to bloom in my chest. But I pushed those feelings down and steeled my nerves.
“You don’t know me, Noah. Trust me, this isn’t what you want.” I pushed on his chest again, and with a sigh, he let me go.
Chapter 7
Kate
I QUICKLY WALKED to the front porch and pushed open the front door. Cole was in the kitchen, drinking a soda.
“Why didn’t you come out?” I asked as I toed off my mud covered hiking boots, leaving them by the door.
He smirked. “Karla had other plans for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Since when do you
let pussy dictate what you do?”
Cole’s brown eyes threw daggers at me. “Since when are you so worried about what I’m doing?”
I shrugged. “Whatever. It’s your business. You came up to ride, not to bang some gym slut.” Damn, my bitchiness is in full force. “Okay, that wasn’t right. Sorry, Cole.”
He waved me off. “You need to get more sleep or get laid, because you’re grouchy as hell.”
No kidding. Seeing as how I didn’t plan on getting laid any time soon, a shower and a nap sounded heavenly. I climbed the stairs, my bones weary from riding, grabbed a set of clothes, and went into the bathroom I would be sharing with the guys. Thankfully, I got to it first, because I’d camped with Adrian and Sketch before. For such masculine guys, they sure did take a long time in the shower.
I turned the hot water on as high as I could stand it, and stood under the rainfall spray. As much as I wanted to clear my mind, his whispered words haunted me. Why don’t you let me in? The better question was why would I? I’d been burned too many times to trust anyone to the point of letting them in. Too many times I’d been let down. Too many times they’d left me high and dry. Too many times I had fallen apart and been left alone to pick up the pieces of myself. I didn’t need that bullshit in my life. Plus…say I was to get close with someone. That was a weakness, a vulnerability that I couldn’t have. In my line of work, I had a lot of enemies—enemies that would use anything and anyone against me.
I shook my head. It was better this way. I poured body wash into my hands and washed my body, letting the lime and coconut scent wash away my stress. My eyes closed as I caressed the flat planes of my stomach, then went lower. For a moment, I let the power of memories wash over me. The touch of his calloused hands gripping my hips when I rode him. The taste of his kiss when he pushed me up against the wall. My breath hitched and I leaned against the cool river rock wall. I rubbed the little nub with my thumb, while my other hand pinched my pebbled nipple. A small cry escaped my lips as the crescendo of arousal rose.
