by Rachel Lee
His hands went immediately to her feet, pulling off shoes and socks, then to the clasp of her pants. In no time at all, he had stripped her bare.
Her eyes fluttered open and she saw him standing there, looking down at her. She read pleasure on his face, as if he liked what he saw, and somehow it prevented her from feeling anything but delight in being so exposed to him.
Then his fingers flew to his shirt, working buttons until he could toss it aside. For the first time she saw his powerful, naked chest and arms. He gleamed almost like bronze in the morning light, and she had some hazy thought of gods and statuary when she saw how perfect he was.
Then he reached for the snap of his jeans, and she listened to the sound of the zipper opening, the ratcheting sound somehow the most exciting one in the world at that instant.
He bent, and when he straightened, she could see him in every detail, the way he could see her. He was gorgeous. Perfect. She hardly even noticed the dimple near his waist, nor the shiny smoothness of a small patch of scar tissue.
And his manhood. He was big and hard already, and some little voice in her head wondered how this union could even be possible, but it was drowned swiftly in new sensations as he dropped beside her and half covered her with his body, beginning to worship her with his mouth, starting at hers, and working his way slowly down, finding sensitive places she hadn’t dreamed existed, from the side of her neck to the hollow of her throat.
She shivered with longing and reached for him, needing to give him all that he was giving her.
A small, smothered laugh escaped him, and he rolled back. “I’m all yours,” he said huskily. “Learn me the way I’ve been learning you, if you like.”
She most definitely liked.
More emboldened than she’d ever felt, she rose on her elbow and began tracing his planes and hollows, learning what could make him groan and, better yet, what could make him writhe.
His skin proved deliciously smooth to her touch, warm and almost satiny. Running her hands over his shoulders and chest was a sensual delight unlike any of her imaginings. When her own needs demanded she move on, she discovered the tiny, hard points of his nipples, and from the way he reacted she guessed they were as sensitive as her own.
Surprised, wanting to make him feel what he had made her feel, she leaned forward and lapped at them like a cat. A shudder tore through him, a groan escaped him and she knew an instant sense of feminine power. This large, strong man could respond helplessly to her. The feeling was heady.
Her courage grew and she dared to give a gentle nip to those hard little points. From the way he stiffened and groaned, she knew he loved it.
But there was more to learn, and now that she felt secure in herself, she moved her hands lower, across his smooth belly. She felt the dimple and the scar tissue, and for an instant she almost snapped out of her mood. He’d told her he’d been shot. That must be what it was.
Something warned her not to let go of the moment. Questions and talk were for later. For now all that mattered was wringing every bit of pleasure out of this incredible sharing.
She dropped a kiss on his belly, loving the sound that drew from him. And there was more.
* * *
If he’d ever felt this suspended on the welder’s arc of need before, Buck couldn’t remember it. Haley’s explorations, so innocent yet so provocative, were driving him nuts. It was all he could do to hold still and submit to her wishes, to wait for her to find whatever she wanted and needed, to learn him as he had already learned her.
He knew the delightful secrets waiting for him between her thighs and forced himself to be patient. This was her first time, he reminded himself, and she needed to dictate the pace.
The thought almost vanished when all of a sudden she wrapped her hand around his staff. His entire body jerked with hunger and pounding need. Damn, he didn’t know how much self-control he had left.
“How...?”
He barely heard her whisper. It took a moment to penetrate. Dimly he understood her question, and reached down to guide her hand, showing her how to stroke him, how to lift him to insanity.
What he would have given to have her put her mouth on him there, but he didn’t suggest it by word or deed. Too soon, he thought dimly. She was a virgin. Some things needed to wait...
Then shock hit him. He looked down and saw her drawing his staff into her warm, wet mouth. Her tongue ran along him until he thought he would explode. Excruciating pleasure zapped him, and he endured as long as he could before finally, gently, lifting her away before he lost it.
He drew a couple of deep, shuddering breaths, hanging on, barely.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“God, no! It’s too good.”
He absolutely loved the smile that tipped the corners of her mouth when she heard that. She started to lower her head again, but he stopped her.
“Just a second,” he insisted. “Just a second. This is one thing we’re doing together, at least this time.”
She pretended a pout, but when he nudged her shoulder, she rolled back. Then he turned, pawing on the floor for his jeans, and pulled out a foil packet. He held it up, letting her know.
He tore the packet and began to roll the protection on, letting her watch, letting her learn. Then he turned again and leaned over her, sprinkling kisses on every part of her he could reach.
“I might hurt you a little,” he warned.
“I know.”
Okay, then. He devoted himself to arousing her to a fever pitch, sucking her breasts, stroking her between her legs until she was wet and her hips were heaving to meet his hand. Her response inflamed him to the very same heights of need.
Only then did he rise over her and settle between her legs. Taking as much care as he could, he parted her widely, then positioned himself. With one long thrust, he drove home.
He felt her stiffen, heard her gasp. He stopped immediately. “Haley?”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Then her arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer. He began to move inside her, cautiously at first, but her response was so clear.
She was riding the wave with him. Higher and higher they rose, until they reached the crest. Everything inside him seemed to explode, as if all that he was jetted into her.
He heard her cry of completion at almost the same instant. It drove home to his soul.
* * *
She lay there surrounded by him, by his arms and his legs, cradled in strength, and all she wanted to think about was their lovemaking, as if by replaying it countless times in her head she could engrave every detail in memory.
She felt so good, so replete, so relaxed, and even that minor moment of pain had vanished so quickly it had left no lingering ache.
She could have lain there forever, reliving the past hour, reveling in it. She didn’t want to move, she didn’t want to think about anything else. She had found heaven in his arms, and she clung to it.
Eventually Buck stirred. He kissed her gently, brushing hair back from her face. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“Like I’ve been to paradise.”
He smiled and kissed her again. “Me, too. And I’d love it if we could just stay here forever.”
She heard the but without him speaking it. They didn’t have that kind of luxury, not with all that was going on. She knew that, and felt a little silly for having wished it. Unfortunately, she knew that reality vanished for no one.
He rose and went to the bathroom. She lay in the bed, knowing she needed to get up, needed to clean up, needed to face whatever this day would bring. The memory of White Shirt, as Buck had dubbed him, came back to goad her.
La-la land was not a safe place to go right now.
He emerged from the bathroom, bent to sprinkle kisses on her and grabbed his clothes. “I’m sorry, Haley. I need to call Gage. Once we get this settled...”
She nodded, accepting the implied promise, but not believing it. Once this was settled
there’d be nothing to keep them together. They’d each go back to their separate lives.
But she’d always have this memory. Always. And if that was all she ever had, she was determined not to regret it.
He went out to the other room. She climbed out of bed and headed for the shower. She supposed under other circumstances there might have been some pillow talk, but these weren’t other circumstances. Buck was worried for her. Frankly, she was more worried for Buck.
Since the moment he’d told her that one of his bosses might be in on this, she had known in her heart of hearts that he was probably in a lot more danger than she could be. She was nobody, after all, and while Buck kept harping on all the reasons he was worried about her, she knew that Buck was the one they must consider a real threat. He was a former cop of some kind. She was just a waitress who might or might not have seen something.
When she emerged showered and dressed, Buck was still on his phone, and making a fresh pot of coffee. She sat at the table, looked at all the food, and realized she was ravenous. The eggs were beyond hope, but the rolls weren’t, so she dug in. A slice of cold ham provided a tasty accompaniment.
“Okay,” Buck said finally. “See you in a bit.”
He joined her at the table and offered her fresh coffee. She accepted gratefully.
“Gage is going to help us out,” he said.
She almost questioned the us part, but then realized that was ridiculous. This might not be her investigation or her case, or anything approaching it, but she was in it up to her neck. “How?”
“He’s got Identi-Kit software we can use to put a face on White Shirt.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. Some of the local cops are going to be helping.”
She looked up from her roll. “Why? I thought you didn’t want them.”
“I didn’t. Not at first. But this thing is snowballing. Gage is going to pick just a few people he’s sure can keep their mouths shut and we’re going to give them White Shirt’s face. And...well, they have to get involved now. The tox screen came back. Ray was poisoned.”
The roll fell from Haley’s fingers as shock drove her stomach down to her toes. “So it’s true,” she whispered hoarsely. “It’s true.”
“I’m sorry, but yes. It wasn’t just a crazy accident.”
“So they really will murder.” She stared blindly, seeing nothing, only now facing how much she had refused to believe that someone she might know had committed murder.
What kind of mental game had she been playing for nearly a week? Acting like she was in a play rather than reality? Pretending to think there was a possibility that Ray had been murdered but absolutely believing he hadn’t been? Role-playing? Total denial?
“Haley, nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed.” She focused on him. “Everything. We’ve been talking about it but I’ve been acting as if, if you get my meaning.”
“I think that’s normal.”
“No, that’s delusional. I’ve been play-acting.”
“This would be more than most people could take in if they haven’t dealt with it before. Babe, there’s a point at which the mind just balks. Some things take time to process, that’s all.”
She shook her head, looked down at the roll, then reached for her coffee instead. She was relieved to see that her hand didn’t tremble. “Reality-check time.”
“You’ve been taking a helluva big reality check since this began. Cut yourself some slack, Haley. The mind isn’t a bunch of computer circuits that operate in a logical, linear fashion. It has its own methods of dealing with things and absorbing them. I’d be shocked if you hadn’t had trouble with this.”
He glanced at his watch. “Do you know a guy named Ransom Laird?”
“Sort of. He has a sheep ranch up north of here. And his wife is a novelist.”
“Well, we’re going to meet him at the library in a little bit.”
“Why?”
“To talk to me about alpacas.”
She knew what that meant, and another stone fell into her stomach. Claire. Claire had poured Ray’s coffee. Claire had talked to White Shirt for no good reason that she could figure out. Claire had tried to find out what Buck was doing here. She didn’t know what would be worse, learning Claire was involved or that the Listons were. Either answer would transform her world forever.
As if it hadn’t already been shaken to its foundation. Ray was dead. Murdered. And they needed to find out who had done it.
That was enough of a shake-up right there.
* * *
Miss Emma, as everyone had called Emmaline Dalton since she’d become librarian nearly thirty years ago, greeted them warmly. A lovely woman in her late forties, she was blessed with a warm smile. She took them to a private reading room. “Ransom should be here soon,” she promised.
Apparently Gage had told his wife something about what was going on, at least a small part of it.
“Gage’s wife is a beautiful woman,” Buck remarked, as if he could sense Haley’s nervousness and sought to relax her.
“Yes, she is.”
Ransom arrived then, a guy in his fifties with blond hair and a beard, both silvered a bit with gray. He introduced himself to Buck, gave Haley a quick, friendly hug and sat at the table with them.
“Gage said you want to know about alpacas.”
“I want to know a little more than that,” Buck said frankly. “Like what Murdock Bertram is doing with them and could they be causing financial problems.”
Ransom sat back, frowning thoughtfully. “I take it this is some kind of investigation?”
Buck nodded.
“I’m won’t ask questions then. Just understand I don’t know Bertram well. We’ve talked a few times about his alpacas. They’re very expensive alpacas.”
“Why would he want to do that?”
“Championship stock is worth a lot of money, as much as fifteen thousand or more per animal. It really comes down to the quality and color of the wool.”
“So he could make a lot of money?”
“Eventually. If you want championship stock, the outlay is huge. Growing a herd can take years, because alpacas seldom have more than one kid at a time. For most people, it’s a loss for a long time before you see any profit.”
“So,” Buck asked, “if you had to judge, would you say Bertram might be financially strapped?”
“I don’t have access to his books.” Ransom stroked his beard. “Looking at it from the outside, though, I can’t figure how he’s paying for all those alpacas. I know how well I’m doing with my flocks and I can extrapolate. My guess is he’s gone into debt to buy those animals.”
* * *
“I saw at least four alpacas in his barn,” Buck said after Ransom left. “There may have been more, but I didn’t get much of chance to look.”
“Four alpacas at about sixty thousand dollars?” Haley’s tone was utterly disbelieving. “Possibly more? I always knew he was better off than a lot of folks around here, but not by that much.”
“So a minimum sixty-thousand-dollar investment in a handful of livestock, which strikes me as a hairy bet. I’d rather put my money in the stock market. And given that losing a single animal would put you down, I’m not sure you’d get very good terms on a loan. So what do we know now?”
“That Murdock Bertram is buying very expensive alpacas.”
“And that a fellow sheep farmer doesn’t seem to think it’s a very wise bet. Which is not to say it couldn’t turn out okay. And for all we know, Bertram had that much in savings or something.”
“It’s possible. But maybe he suddenly came into some money, too.”
Their eyes met and held, and Haley felt an irrepressible shiver of sexual excitement, even though this was exactly the wrong time.
“Ah, don’t look at me like that, babe,” he said softly, reaching out to stroke her cheek lightly. “We’ve got life-and-death stuff going on here. Much as I want to drag you to m
y cave right this minute, I can’t.”
She understood, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. She restrained a sigh and asked, “What’s next?”
“We wait. Gage should be here soon.”
“Why don’t we just go to his office?”
“High profile,” he answered. “He can come here to visit his wife without raising a single eyebrow.”
She should have thought of that, but her thinking seemed to be a bit scattered this morning. “What’s Gage coming for?”
“He’s bringing a laptop with Identi-Kit on it. We’re going to try to give a face to White Shirt.”
Now this was more like it, Haley thought. After days of struggling around blindly, they at last seemed to have a real plan.
She still found herself shying away from the news about Ray having been poisoned. The shock of that still rippled through her, and she felt the stirrings of denial trying to take root. No way was she going to allow that now.
Things had gotten too dangerous. For her, for Buck, it didn’t matter. She could no longer even remotely pretend that murder wasn’t in the equation.
Chapter 13
It took an hour with the Identi-Kit, as Gage had to make frequent adjustments, but finally when he turned the screen toward her she gasped. “That’s him!”
Gage smiled and saved it. “There we go, then. I’m only giving this to a few of my deputies, so don’t expect immediate results.” With a nod, he left.
She and Buck lingered a while in the reading room to ensure no one might even remotely think they had been here to see Gage.
Just as they decided they could leave, Buck’s phone rang. He pulled it out and frowned. “My boss.”
Haley immediately froze and waited.
“Yeah, I’m about to take my lady to lunch,” he said. A pause. “Look, your shipments aren’t my problem. You already told me they’re not my problem. Fine by me. No, I won’t come back early. I told you, I met a lady.” Another pause. “Then fire me. I can drive for someone else.”
