Before The Night Is Over (16 page)

“
Do you want me to take Kimmy?” Kale asked.

Laurel wasn’t sure what to make of the homey, family feelings she got when Kale acted so much like a father, it scared her. “No, it’s fine. I’ve got her.” She turned to Natalie and Cade and said, “Thank you again.”

“
You are more than welcome, Laurel. Come out anytime and if you are in a spot without a sitter, call me,” Natalie replied, slipping her arm around Cade’s waist. “We’re on summer break at school so I’m free.”

“
I will.”

When they reached the side of Kale’s truck, he opened the door and Laurel slipped Kimmy into her car seat sitting behind the passenger seat. Within moments, they were on the highway headed back for town. The radio played a soft country tune she hadn’t heard before. In Los Angeles, she heard everything from punk rock, to hip-hop, to rap. She wondered if anyone in Montana listened to anything besides country, although, she kind of liked the change. Country had a much nicer sound and you could at least understand the words. She tapped her foot to the beat of the music and saw Kale shift his glance down to the floorboard and a small smile spread across his face.

“
What?”

“
Do you want me to turn it up?”

“
No. I can hear it and…” She looked back at Kimmy who had fallen sound asleep in her car seat. “Kimmy’s asleep. I don’t want to wake her. She can be a bear when she’s woken up.”

Kale laughed and she smiled. She liked his laugh, almost as much as his kiss and she really liked his kisses. His touch did wonderful things to her, too.

All right! Enough of those thoughts.

A few minutes later, they pulled down the long dirt road leading to his house and she sighed, wanting to escape his disturbing presence, but then again, she wanted him to hold her like he had earlier.

“
I probably have something in the house we can whip up to eat. I’m gettin’ kind of hungry. How about you?” he asked as he stopped the truck.

“
Yeah, I’m hungry, too, but I really should get Kimmy home. We’ve been out all day.”

“
Why don’t we put her down on the couch, grab some food and then you can run home? She probably won’t even wake up when you take her out of the car seat.”

“
Maybe. Sometimes she sleeps so sound, an atomic bomb could go off and she wouldn’t wake up, but other times, she wakes up at the slightest noise.”

He squeezed her fingers and brought them to his lips for a light kiss, before he said, “Good. It’s settled then. A little food will do us both good.”

“
I’m sure I could do without a meal or two. My activity level hasn’t been what it should be.”

One dark eyebrow shot up and a sexy little grin spread across his lips. “You look fabulous, but I’m sure I could help with a little exercise if you’d like.”

“
Do you think of anything beside sex, horses, cattle, and sex?” she asked, scooping Kimberly up in her arms and walking toward his house.

“
Not when you’re close by,” he replied, placing his hand at the small of her back and brushing his lips against her cheek.

The gentlemanly contact of his palm radiated heat through her middle and down her legs. Damn, the man’s touch had her thinking about hot sweaty sex and he did nothing more than guide her into the house.

Kale flipped on the lights and walked into the kitchen while she placed Kimberly on the couch. A handmade quilt lay over the back of the leather sofa. Laurel lifted it with one hand and softly spread it over her daughter. The multiple-colored pattern caught her eye as she smoothed her hand over the material, imagining someone so lovingly stitching it together.

“
My grandmother made it,” Kale murmured, coming to her side.

“
It’s beautiful, Kale. I can’t imagine the time and care she put into sewing it together.”

With a simple shrug of his shoulder, he said, “It’s something she loves doing.”

“
I’ve never learned,” she replied in a hushed tone, damning her upbringing that never included those small, domestic things. She could cook some, sew small things like buttons on, keep her house semi-clean, but she didn’t bake unless it came from a box, didn’t quilt or crochet and all of the sudden, felt completely useless as a woman.

“
I’m sure she would teach you if you’d like to learn.”

“
She lives here?”

“
In Red Rock, yes. She lives with my parents on their place outside of town.”

Grasping her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips and brushed a kissed over her palm. All ten toes curled in her shoes and the errant organ lying deep inside her chest, sped up to a pounding rhythm. The dark chocolate of his eyes looked straight into her soul and she wondered what he saw, the worthless woman when it came to anything domestic or the loving mother and good friend she tried so hard to be. Several black curls fell over his forehead and she couldn’t resist the urge to push them back into place. She lifted the hand he didn’t have in his grasp and pushed the hair back. The silky strand slipped through her fingers, tickling her hand.

His lips lifted in a small smile against her palm and his warmth of his breath over her skin, sent goose bumps flittering up her arms.

“
Cold?” he whispered.

“
No.”

With a small tug, he pulled her into his arms and wrapped them around her like he’d never let go, if she’d only ask, but she couldn’t—wouldn’t.

“
Have I told you how much I love all this red hair?” he asked, entwining his fingers in the strands lying over her shoulder.

Her lips parted but she shook her head.

He lifted a handful of her hair to his nose and inhaled. “Sweet pea.”

“
How’d you know?”

“
It’s one of my favorite fragrances. I have some planted on the side of the house.”

The question rolled off her tongue in an awed murmur. “You garden?”

“
A little,” he replied in a low whisper. “I do plant flowers in the spring.”

“
You’ll have to show me.”

“
Anytime, Red.” He stepped back, took her hand and led her into the kitchen. Both of his hands grasped her by the hips and hoisted her up onto the granite countertop of the island. After a quick kiss to her lips, he said, “What would you like to eat?”

I know what I want him to eat.

She roughly cleared her throat, trying without success to block the racing thoughts in her mind. “A sandwich is fine.”

“
Okay. I’ve got ham, roast beef and turkey.”

“
Roast beef would be great.”

“
Beer or soda?”

“
A beer would be good right now, but I probably should drink soda or whatever since I have to drive home.”

One dark eyebrow shot up as the words rolled from his perfectly kissable lips. “You can always stay here.” He stepped between her splayed thighs, bringing his erection in hot contact with her already weeping pussy, even though their clothing still separated skin from skin. “You know I want you, don’t you?”

Every muscle in her body went on high alert when his hands grasped her hips and pulled her closer, centimeter by agonizing centimeter.

Kale wasn’t a small man by any means and with her sitting on the countertop; they were in perfect alignment for some soul-shattering, orgasmic sex if she would just say yes.

Talking became impossible between her now parched lips. Her tongue swept out and attempted to wet the surface.

The scorching heat coming from his eyes did nothing to cool her off. When his head dipped and he captured her lips in a spell-binding melt-your-panties-kiss, she was lost. His tongue swept along the seam of her lips asking for her to open herself to him, give herself to him and ride the wave of desire he created every time she stood within a hundred yards of the devilishly handsome cowboy. With a tortured sigh, she complied and then whimpered when his tongue dove between her lips.

Tongues explored each other’s mouths with each sweeping touch—stabbing and retreating, dancing together like they’d done it their whole lives.

One palm cupped her right breast and she moaned into his mouth. His thumb rasped over the hardened nub and even through her shirt, she could feel the pressure of his finger.

His lips moved from her mouth, across her cheek and stopped at her ear. Rasping breaths and wicked slide of his tongue sent shivers down her spine and fire through her belly.

“
Please stay, Laurel,” he murmured against her neck.

Sinful nips of his teeth soothed by the hot, wet licks and the scrape of his whiskers over her flesh left her barely able to think past the rush of desire in her ears.

“
Food?” she asked, pulling herself together for a split second to try to bring the situation back under control.

He pulled away from her to stare into her eyes as longing raged in his gaze and confusion rippled across his face with a dip of his dark eyebrows.

“
Huh?”

“
Roast beef sandwich?”

The rush of need cooled slightly when his lips lifted into a devilish grin and he stepped back. “All right. I’ll feed you,” he replied, with a small chuckle.

Remaining on her perch, she watched while Kale whistled a soft tune and made sandwiches like a pro. Roast beef piled high, lettuce, tomato, cheese on a hoagie roll, completed the delicious looking delicacy of dinner he prepared.

“
Your food awaits m’lady.”

“
Oh, aren’t we the gallant one,” she replied, taking the hand he offered to help her down.

With plates in hand, he indicated with a nod of his dark head to the dining room table. After they had taken seats across from each other, they ate in comfortable silence, which astonished Laurel. The feelings this amazing man stirred, made her think of hearth and home, two kids, maybe three, a dog and a white picket fence. Something totally foreign to the liberated woman she thought herself to be.

Moments later, her cell phone vibrated and she wondered who it could be. There weren’t too many people who had her phone number.

“
Sorry,” she murmured, pulling her phone from her pocket and moving toward the window for some privacy.

“
It’s fine,” Kale replied, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“
Hello?”

“
Officer Hayes? This is central dispatch. The chief needs to speak to you immediately.”

“
All right. Can you put him on?”

“
Yes, ma’am. Hold the line.”

After several seconds of silence, a deep, rugged voice said, “Officer Hayes, this is the chief. We have a problem.”

“
Problem, sir?”

“
We’ve found another victim.”

Chapter Seven

Kale watched Laurel snap the phone shut and rub her hand across her face. “Somethin’ wrong, darlin’?”

“
Yeah. I have to go out again.”

“
What’s goin’ on?”

“
I can’t say specifically, but it’s police business and it has to do with the woman we found earlier.” She glanced at Kimmy still asleep on the couch. “God, I hate waking her up.”

“
Leave her here. She’ll be fine.”

“
I can’t expect you to watch her for the night, Kale. I should take her home since I have no idea when I’ll be back.”