A Kiss in the Dark (3 page)

The knowledge thrilled her.

Terrified her.

Caused her heart to slam against her rib cage so that she was sure he would hear its betraying rhythm. “I’m fine,” she finally managed, hating the way her voice sounded breathless, even to her own ears.

“Where are you staying?” he asked. “Mozelle or Cumberland?”

Lacey looked at him blankly. “Are those hotels? Because I checked and—”

Cole laughed softly again. “No, ma’am, those are towns. The closest ones with decent hotels, at any rate. Unless you’re staying with friends here in the Gap?”

Lacey peered at him suspiciously. “Just how close are those two towns?”

Cole shrugged. “Well, they’re in opposite directions from here, but I’d guess they’re both about an hour away.”

Lacey gaped at him. “You’d be willing to drive me all that way?”

He turned to her then, surprise evident on his face. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

Lacey stared at him for a long moment before dragging her gaze away. Of course he was willing to drive her that far. He probably thought he’d be well rewarded for his efforts. After all, she’d done nothing but ogle him since she’d first laid eyes on him. For a moment, Lacey battled with herself, torn between doubt and anticipation, because a part of her wanted him to want her. But she didn’t want him to think she was an easy conquest.

His lips tightened before he returned his attention to the road. “I see. You think I’ll want some sort of payment in return for the lift.”

“No—” Lacey began, ready to deny what she had, in fact, been thinking.

But Cole held up one hand, forestalling any further words. “It’s okay,” he said. “Because you know what?” He slanted her one long, meaningful look. “You’re right. I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.” He gave a low, self-deprecating laugh. “Hell, it’s been the single thing on my mind since I first saw you.”

Lacey’s breath hitched. His husky confession caused a liquid heat to slip along the underside of her skin, and her pulse began a heavy, languorous thudding. She focused on the dark road, watching as the truck swallowed up the pavement, unable to think of an appropriate response.

“However,” he continued easily, “I don’t need to use coercion or guilt to get a woman to sleep with me. It’s either completely mutual, or it doesn’t happen. So you can relax, okay?”

Relax? Was he kidding? Lacey thought she might spontaneously combust. Of course he didn’t need to use coercion—he was the kind of guy women fantasized about. Not only gorgeous, but considerate, too. In that moment, she made up her mind. Her friend Julia was right; she’d denied herself for way too long, always putting the needs of others before her own, always conscious of what her mother might think. But out here, there was just her and this man. She was only going to be in Black Stone Gap for ten days. Why shouldn’t she do as she pleased? Lord knew when she’d have another opportunity.

She glanced over at Cole. “I’m actually staying here in Black Stone Gap,” she ventured, “so you won’t need to drive me too far.”
To collect your reward.

He tilted her a questioning look. “Oh, yeah? Where?”

“The Blackwater Inn.”

“What?” He bit the word out, his face incredulous.

“There were no other hotels,” she said defensively. “The Blackwater Inn is a little grungy, but otherwise it’s fine.”

He gave a snort of disgust. “Yeah, if you’re an itinerant coal miner or a horny barfly.”

Lacey looked at him in dismay, recalling the men she’d seen at the motel earlier that night. “I did try to make other arrangements, but there wasn’t anything else even close.”

Cole ran a hand over his hair. “Hell,” he muttered. “If anyone sees you, every guy who’s staying there’ll be panting at your door. I’ll walk you to your room. Once you’re inside with the door locked, you should be okay.” He shook his head again. “The Blackwater Inn?”

When they pulled into the motel several minutes later, Lacey saw that the bar across the street was doing a brisk business. The parking lot was completely full and the overflow had spilled into the motel’s lot. As Cole parked the truck, the door of the bar opened and a man and woman lurched outside, briefly illuminated by the shaft of light from inside the establishment.

Hanging on to each other, they made their way across the darkened street. As they approached the Blackwater Inn, they stopped to exchange a deep kiss. They swayed, stumbled, and then laughingly broke apart to stagger over to one of the guestroom doors. Lacey watched as the woman fitted a key into the lock. The man was groping her from behind. He bent his head and nuzzled her neck even as one hand snaked around to fondle a breast. The woman laughed again and they all but fell through the open door. Lacey caught a glimpse of the two coming together for a passionate embrace before the man kicked the door closed with one booted foot.

Lacey found she couldn’t look over at Cole. The raw sexuality she had just witnessed too closely mirrored the fantasy she had briefly entertained about him.

“C’mon,” he muttered. “Let’s get you to your room.”

Opening his door, he slid out and stood back to wait for her. Copper drew his head in from the passenger window and flopped down on the seat once more, staring at them with an expression that stated clearly he was accustomed to being left in the truck. Cole retrieved her gear from his lockbox and indicated she should precede him.

“I’m in the back,” she said, aware of his eyes on her as she led him around to the rear of the building. A group of men had pulled several of the plastic patio chairs around a small table on the walkway and were playing cards. Beer cans littered the grass and cigarette smoke hung heavy on the humid air. They paused when they saw Lacey, and the nearest one leered appreciatively at her from over the rim of a beer can.

“Evenin’ boys.”

Cole’s voice was cordial but cool as he hefted Lacey’s presentation case over one shoulder and took her elbow with his free hand, propelling her along. Lacey cast a wary look at the men, noting the sullen, almost defiant manner in which they watched her. Despite Cole’s casual attitude, she sensed he was on full alert, every muscle in his lean body tightly coiled. He was staring at the men, his eyes challenging them to say something, anything. Two of the men mumbled a greeting and one by one they lowered their eyes beneath Cole’s unwavering glare.

“I’m in here,” Lacey said when they reached her door. Would he expect her to invite him in? Or would he simply say goodbye? She glanced up at him. He was so close that one small step back would bring her smack up against that tautly muscled chest. He was crowding her, his larger physique shielding her from the nearby men.

“Get your key out and open the door.” His voice was low in her ear, brooking no argument.

Turning the knob, she pushed the door open, startled when he hustled her inside and closed it behind them. In the sudden and complete darkness of the room, her chest constricted and she couldn’t control her suddenly rapid pulse or the perspiration that popped out along her hairline. She closed her eyes and dragged in several deep breaths, telling herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She heard Cole set her cases down on the floor. When he flipped on the overhead light, she blinked and exhaled in relief, and then sank down on the edge of the bed. Cole opened the door an inch or so and examined the broken deadbolt, testing it. Then he fingered the dangling chain.

“This lock is broken.” He slanted her a questioning look. “Did you realize that?”

Lacey swallowed, momentarily unable to form a response. She thought she’d gotten a good look at him in the truck. She’d thought him gorgeous then, but by the glaring light of the overhead fixture she realized she had been wrong. The man wasn’t just gorgeous.

He was magnificent.

His face was a masterpiece of lean, chiseled features paired with a sensuous mouth. For an instant, Lacey imagined feasting on those lips with her own. His blue eyes were fringed with thick, dark lashes and his short hair was a deep, rich brown. His skin was bronzed by the sun and his arms were an incredible mix of bulging muscles and lean sinews. Her hands would probably be incapable of spanning those impressive biceps. When he wasn’t smiling, like now, he had a decidedly dangerous aura. In the confines of the room, he seemed inordinately large. Lacey should have been nervous, but she wasn’t. She’d been an apt self-defense pupil, and if things began to turn sour, she was more than capable of defending herself.

“Yes.” She nodded. “I notified the front desk, but apparently there aren’t any other rooms available.”

Cole closed the door with a click and took several steps into the room. His gaze swept over the gaudy bedspread and stained carpeting, missing nothing. “It’s hot as hell in here.”

He was right. Fine beads of moisture had gathered on Lacey’s skin and her sundress clung damply to her. In the confined room, the heat was suffocating. “It’s just for one night. I’ll find something else in the morning.”

Cole looked doubtfully at her as he fiddled with the thermostat. “I doubt you’ll survive a night in this furnace.” He flicked the wall thermometer in disgust. “Looks like the air-conditioning is on the blink.” He moved to the window and Lacey watched with renewed interest when the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunched with effort as he tried unsuccessfully to raise the sash. After a moment, he stepped back. “Unbelievable. I think they’ve permanently nailed it shut.”

He turned to look down at her, his expression inscrutable. Lacey smoothed her skirt down over her knees and tried not to think about the fact that she was alone in a motel room with an absolutely mouthwatering man. Any fantasy she might have harbored about him had been completely dashed the moment he stepped through the door. He was obviously disgusted by the seediness of the room, and the temperature alone was enough to wilt any blossoming desire. She steeled herself for his departure, unwilling to examine why she felt so depressed at the prospect of his leaving.

She’d been ready to take the plunge with this guy, to step out of her comfort zone and do something thrilling and naughty. The realization that she’d be spending the night alone in this tawdry motel room was a complete letdown. But she could at least accept the inevitable with good grace. There was no way she would let him see her disappointment.

“Well.” She pushed to her feet and stood by the door, her hand on the latch. Outside, she could hear raised voices as an argument broke out among the men playing cards. She forced a brisk, businesslike tone to her voice, but found she couldn’t meet his eyes. “Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

There was silence, and when Lacey finally looked up, it was to find Cole standing with his hands braced on his hips, watching her with a bemused expression. He dominated the small room. Lacey’s eyes traveled slowly up the length of his body, noting how the black T-shirt emphasized the taut flatness of his stomach and the muscled planes of his chest. There was a light sheen of sweat on the strong column of his throat and she imagined tracing her tongue along that slick skin.

“You don’t actually think I’m going to leave you here, do you?” he asked.

Now it was her turn to look bemused, even as her pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”

Her eyes widened when he turned and scooped her discarded pantsuit from the back of a chair where she had tossed it. He folded it neatly in half, dropped it into her open suitcase and flipped the case shut.

“There’s really only one thing to do.” His mouth curved in a rueful grin. “I’m taking you home with me.”

3

L
ACEY
WAS
CERTAIN
he had to be kidding, but there was nothing humorous in his manner as he zipped her case shut, hefted it neatly in one hand, and stepped toward the door.

“Wait a minute.” Lacey threw up a hand to forestall him. “You can’t be serious.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Cole’s voice was low. “You’re definitely better off staying here. I’m sure those men out there will be more than happy to take care of you tonight.” He stabbed a finger toward the commotion outside. “From the sound of things, they’re well on their way to getting completely messed up. If I leave you here, how long do you think it’ll take for them to decide you’re fair game? Hmm? Do you really think you’re safe in this room?”

Lacey was silent. He had verbalized what she had been thinking. But to go home with Cole? Did she dare? Because she’d be lying to herself if she believed nothing would happen between them. Even now, the tension in the room was almost palpable.

“Look,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “I know what you’re thinking.” Reaching into his back pocket, he produced a slim wallet, flipped it open and extended it toward her. “Here’s my I.D. If you want to take a look and then call somebody to let them know who you’re with, go ahead.”

Glancing at him, Lacey took the proffered wallet and looked down at the I.D. beneath the plastic protector. It was a Virginia driver’s license with a Norfolk address. The photograph had captured the incredible blueness of his eyes. She tried not to stare.

“You’re not even from around here,” she said, handing him the wallet. “Were you planning on driving back to Norfolk? That’s what—five hundred miles from here?”

Cole pocketed the wallet, frustration evident in his expression. “I grew up here in the Gap, but I moved to Norfolk after I got out of school. My family has a place not too far from here, and everyone in town knows who I am. You’re safer with me than you are here.”

Lacey didn’t know about that. Her intentions where Cole was concerned could be classified as anything but
safe.

He looked expectantly at her. “Okay? Are we good? Now can we please get the hell out of here before we both suffocate?”

He was right. The heat in the room was oppressive. Still, Lacey hesitated. Once she committed to going with him, there would be no turning back.

Seeing her misgivings, Cole sighed, put the suitcase down and spread his hands out in a supplicating gesture. “Look, you’re going to have to trust me on this one, okay? I promise, you’re absolutely safe with me. I’m staying just a couple of miles from here and there’s a separate guest suite so you’ll be completely private.” He gave a small snort of laughter and muttered an expletive beneath his breath. “I’ll even go spend the night at Sully’s if it’ll make you feel better. But there is no way in hell you’re staying here tonight, okay?”

Lacey had the distinct impression that if she refused to go with him, he’d throw her over one broad shoulder and haul her bodily out of the room. She knew instinctively he wouldn’t hurt her, would even put himself in harm’s way to protect her. It was herself she didn’t trust. Just the thought of being alone with this man for an entire night caused her body to react in a way she was unfamiliar with. Her knees felt shaky when she looked at him. There was a fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach. She’d never been so acutely aware of her own body before.

“Okay,” she said, before she could change her mind. “I’ll stay at your place, but just for tonight.”

“Good.” There was no mistaking the satisfaction in his voice.

Lacey followed him outside, unwilling to look at the men as they passed, aware they had ceased arguing the moment she and Cole had emerged from the room. But when one of the men abruptly stood up, shoving the flimsy chair back and nearly upsetting the makeshift card table, Lacey understood why Cole had deliberately positioned himself between her and them.

“Hey, baby,” the man crooned, “why you want to go with him, eh?”

“Yeah, stay wi’ us,” slurred a second man. “We’ll show you a good time…a
real
good time.”

Lacey edged closer to Cole’s protective bulk.

“Don’t worry,” he said in a low voice, “they’re not coming near you.”

Lacey looked at the men and knew it was true. While they might muster enough courage to throw comments at hers and Cole’s retreating backs, they didn’t have the guts to confront the hard-eyed man who propelled her along with one hand at the base of her spine.

Copper lay panting on the seat where they had left him, and now he thumped his tail lazily in greeting. After stowing her gear in the back, Cole started the truck and swung out onto the road. The dog made no move to clamber to its feet and hang its head out the window, as if the heat had finally sapped what remained of his energy. Instead, he gave a jaw-splitting yawn and dropped his head onto Lacey’s thighs with a contented huff of breath.

Lacey snatched her hands from her lap and looked down in consternation at the animal. “Well, he certainly isn’t shy,” she remarked with a laugh. Her hands hovered uncertainly over the dog. “Will he mind if I pet him?”

Cole gave a laugh that was half groan, and eyed the dog with something like envy. “Are you kidding? He thinks he just died and went to heaven.”

Smiling in spite of herself, she tentatively stroked the animal’s head and ran her fingers over his long ears. “He’s so soft,” she murmured. “What kind of dog is he?”

“He’s a bloodhound.”

“Like the kind you see in movies, tracking escaped criminals?”

Cole laughed. “Yeah, except Copper’s never had that particular honor. He’s retired now, but when he was younger he had no problem tracking down kids and hikers who’d gone missing in the hills around here.”

“Really!” Lacey was impressed, and gave Copper a generous scratching behind his ears to show it. “What a good boy. I hope you got an extra treat and a nice, long tummy rub for that.”

Cole laughed, a warm sound that caused Lacey to smile back at him. “What’s so funny?”

He hesitated, then impaled her with the full heat of his aquamarine eyes. They locked gazes briefly before he returned his attention to the road. “I was just thinking,” he murmured, “what an incentive that would be for the local search-and-rescue team. Coming from you, that is.”

“What would be?”

Cole slanted her a swift glance. “An extra treat and a tummy rub. Their success rate for rescues would be about a million percent.”

Lacey’s breath hitched. She stared at his profile, unable to rid her mind of the images his words evoked. Images of her hands stroking over the taut hardness of his stomach, and lower.

She cleared her throat. “Do you happen to know the team?”

“Yeah. But forget about getting an introduction.” His mouth tilted in a small smile. “They’d eat you alive.”

Lacey laughed softly. They could try.

“So,” Cole said, changing the subject, “where are you from and what brings you to Black Stone Gap?”

Lacey couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice. She was born in West Virginia, less than three hundred miles from Black Stone Gap, but she and her mother had moved to New England after her father’s death.

“I’m from New Hampshire,” she answered, “and part of the reason I’m here is to work with the Black Mountain Search and Rescue Team.”

There was a momentary stunned silence, and then Cole laughed ruefully. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope.”

“Don’t tell me—you’re here to demonstrate the GPS units.”

“Right. But how did you know that?”

Cole looked at her. “Sully mentioned something about it earlier tonight. Bringing the rescue team into the twenty-first century is big news around here. Their equipment is all but obsolete, and I understand they’re pretty excited about the new devices. But I thought the company was sending a man.” His gaze skimmed briefly over her, missing nothing. “And, sweetheart, you’re a far cry from that.”

Lacey felt herself go warm beneath his regard. “There was initially some talk about sending one of our sales reps out to demonstrate the GPS units, but I volunteered.” She sensed his curiosity. “I’m here on other business, in addition to showing the rescue team the benefits of the handheld units.”

“I see.” There was a pause. “Does Cyrus know about this?”

“Who?”

“Forget it. If he did, he’d never have allowed you to stay at the Blackwater Inn. He’d have insisted on putting you up at his place.”

“Oh, you mean Sheriff Hathaway. I was planning to talk with him in the morning and see if he could recommend somewhere else to stay.”

Cole gave a short laugh and his voice was like rough sandpaper. “There is no other place to stay, unless you don’t mind driving an hour or so each way. Even Cyrus lives a good ten miles outside of Black Stone Gap.”

Lacey digested this in silence. She didn’t want to stay an hour away, didn’t want to traverse the winding mountain roads each day. She’d stay with Cole tonight, but even if they ended up in bed together, she couldn’t assume that he’d want her living with him for the entire time she was in Black Stone Gap. That would just be awkward.

Cole swung off the main route, and they made their way up a steeply winding road, pressed close on both sides by dark forest. Twice, the headlights of the truck reflected the glowing eyes of some woodland creature before it darted into the dense underbrush.

Suddenly, they emerged into a clearing and Cole drew the pickup truck alongside a large log cabin. Lacey had envisioned him in a mountain cabin with fur-strewn floors, but even her imagination couldn’t have created this charming structure, perched on the mountain crest and bathed in moonlight.

She peered through the windshield, taking in the sweeping porch that surrounded the house, the soaring stone chimney and dramatic windows. It may have been constructed of logs, but the architecture was pure elegance.

“This is your home?” Lacey couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

“Well, it’s more like the family retreat. I share ownership with my siblings.” He opened his door and looked over at her. “Don’t worry—they’re not here now. We sort of take turns coming out here. C’mon in and make yourself comfortable.”

Before she could respond, Lacey’s cell phone rang. By the time she fished it out of her bag, the ringing had stopped. “Wow,” she commented, reading the signal bar, “you get really good reception up here.”

“One of the many benefits to living on top of a mountain.” He smiled. “I’ll wait outside for you.”

Lacey scrolled through her missed calls and saw that her mother had tried calling her eleven times. She sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk to her right now, but she knew her mother would fret until she called. She answered on the first ring.

“Lacey? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is great, Mom. Really.”

“I’ve been trying to call you for hours. Why haven’t you answered?” Her mother’s tone was reproachful.

“The cell phone reception is terrible, Mom. But I made it here safely and I’ll be meeting with Sheriff Hathaway in the morning. Please don’t worry about me. I’m
fine.
”

“Give me the name of your hotel so I can reach you on their phone.”

Lacey hesitated. There was no way she could tell her mother the truth about where she was staying. “It’s called the Blackwater Inn, in Black Stone Gap. But I’ll hardly be there, Mom. Why don’t we just agree that I’ll call you each evening?”

“But what if I need to reach you? I need to be able to reach you, Lacey.”

She suppressed a frustrated sigh. “Then by all means try my cell phone, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll always be able to get through, or that I’ll answer.” She glanced out the window to where Cole sat on the bottom step of his porch, scratching Copper behind his ears. “Look, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Good night, I love you!”

She closed the phone, pushing down the guilt she invariably felt after talking with her mother. Then, just in case her mom decided they hadn’t finished their conversation, she turned the cell phone off. Sliding out of the truck, she walked toward Cole, watching as he stood and gathered up her cases. Copper stretched lazily before plodding his way up the steps to the porch.

“Did you grow up here?” Lacey asked. “I mean, in this house?”

Cole snorted. “Not likely. My folks had a ramshackle house at the bottom of the hill, on the main road. My younger brother owns a timber-frame company. After Dad retired, we pitched in and had this place built for him and my mom.”

“Are your parents…?”

“Passed away, yeah. They had a few good years here, though.”

He spoke matter-of-factly, but Lacey thought she detected a note of regret in his voice. “You said you don’t live here year-round.” She turned to stare at him in bemusement. “Why not?”

Cole gave a shrug as he preceded her up the steps. “I couldn’t wait to get out of Black Stone Gap. I found work in Virginia, and I didn’t look back.”

Lacey followed him onto the wide porch, waiting while he opened the door. “So what brings you back now? Are you on vacation?”

“Actually, I came back because I got laid off from my job over in Norfolk, but was fortunate enough to find work here in the Gap.”

Something in his voice caused Lacey to glance sharply at him, but his expression was carefully blank. She didn’t know Cole at all, but she guessed it must be difficult for him to admit that he had been laid off.

“What kind of work?” she asked, but she suspected that she already knew.

“I got a job at the Black River coal mine.”

Lacey shouldn’t have been surprised, since the coal mines were probably the largest employer in the region, but she hadn’t envisioned him as a miner. Although, she acknowledged reluctantly, beggars couldn’t always be choosers. He probably knew people who worked in the mines; may even have asked them to pull a few strings in order to get him a job. But she couldn’t stop her imagination from conjuring up images of Cole, buried beneath hundreds of feet of earth. She shivered.

Leaning forward, he thrust the door open, leaned in to flip on a light switch, and then stood back to allow her to enter.