Dream Shadow (8 page)

Well, they had that in common. Brice watched her fingers as they brushed and smudged at her work. Standing on his porch while she occupied his living room was rather strange, but the woman didn’t suffer company well, and Brice wanted that sketch.

“You said she’d follow the trail.”

“I also told you to keep the kid. She’s a tracker, not an empath.”

The first man cussed. “I don’t need these hills crawling with search-and-rescue teams. My client wants to be able to pick her up and leave the Army thinking she went rogue. You promised you’d deliver.”

“I did. She walked right up to your duck blind. It’s not my fault your men let their guard down.”

The first man growled. “So what now? The client won’t pay up until we have her under their terms. That major is going to pull her out of here in a matter of hours.”

“Leave that to me. I’ll keep her here and find another way to get her to take our bait.”

The first man didn’t really believe him, but he would soon enough.

Action spoke louder than words.

Grace silently laid the paper aside. She wanted to walk, needed to walk. Her emotions felt drained and she needed the life nature could provide to renew herself. Her name was being carried on the breeze again, calling her to join the night. She slipped to her feet and silently made her way out the back of the house.

For a moment, she considered going back for the blanket but ignored the urge. There was something tantalizing about it, and that made her suspicious.

Grace loved the sound of the night. She listened to the song of the night birds as they called to their mates. The gentle brush of leaves as the wind moved them about. The smell of water came to her. Wherever there was life there must first be water. Grace headed to the water. She was rewarded with a small lake. It was very small, maybe only thirty feet wide, but to her it was perfection. Her eyes drank in the stillness. The moon was only a quarter full and the surface of the lake was glass smooth in the dim light.

Slowly wandering through the trees that surrounded the lake, Grace pondered her feelings. Things had changed once she had picked up the blanket. She stopped. That was what was really bothering her. There wasn’t a single trace of that second child anywhere in the cabin, only on the blanket. Something was odd. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.

She wanted to dig up whatever it was that surrounded this case. She even feared being pulled away before she finished her quest.

Which made her more suspicious. Maybe it was a result of letting herself get hooked by emotions, or maybe someone was playing her.

Having little to say over her assignments never really bothered her…until now. In fact, it was slightly amazing that she was walking through the forest and not across the landing pad on base.

She was sure Brice Campbell was behind her present reprieve. Jacobs got edgy when unfamiliar Army personnel wanted to question her. Civilians normally needed signed orders to get into the same room. Colonel Turvel was far worse. The man would see her sitting in a cell to make sure she wasn’t distracted by the outside world if he thought she wouldn’t outright rebel against such treatment.

So…just what was it about Brice that inspired respect in Jacobs? Their continued involvement with a civilian matter confirmed that fact to her. Otherwise, she would have woken up secured on base.

The Army moved her as they pleased, when they pleased. Colonel Turvel would be on the other end of Jacobs’s phone soon enough, demanding their return. Grace’s desire to stay would not be sufficient to change that order. Besides, she doubted anyone would ask for her opinion.

The wind shifted direction and Grace froze. A scent came with the wind. The wind shifted back, but she knew, just knew she wasn’t alone. She could not see them, but she was absolutely certain someone was there. And it wasn’t Jacobs.

The wind shifted again. The scent came with it. Recognition dawned, impacting her on a primal level. She had made the mistake of forgetting that this was his territory. Brice Campbell had tracked her down just like the predator she had decided he was.

Grace’s eyes picked up the shadow now. The wind shifted again, carrying a stronger warning. Wariness invaded her mind. She brutally pushed it away. The night was her sanctuary and she wasn’t going to let him invade it.

“Do you always disappear like that, or should I take it personally?” he asked mockingly.

“Feel free to take it personally.”

A sharp bark of laughter greeted her ears in response. Grace stepped back farther into the shadows. She felt more exposed facing this man than she could remember ever being before. “But more importantly, you should get the hint that I don’t want company.”

“That’s not true.” Brice considered her a second before closing the gap between them. Once again, she was on guard, only he didn’t seem to be in the mood to let her shut him out. “We established that last night.”

“What was established was that you seem to think I’m interested in you.”

Grace was literally shaking with the need to flee. He seemed to grow bigger and more menacing with each step. Oh, he wanted her to bolt and she knew it. That was the only reason she refused to give in to the screaming demands of her emotions. She would be the master of her body. It would not control her.

“You kissed me back, but I’m happy to repeat the experiment to see if the results match up.”

Brice moved the last step to bring their bodies into contact. It never happened. As he moved, she dropped to her knee and rammed herself into his hips. Surging up, Grace tossed his off-balance body right over her back. She twisted about to land a sharp blow to the center of his back. His breath expelled from his lungs, leaving him gasping for air on the forest floor.

Digging her feet into the soft earth, Grace made it just two steps before her ankle was pulled out from under her. Aided by gravity, she slammed into the blanket of pine needles that covered the forest floor. The sharp ends pricked the exposed surface of her face before Brice forced her onto her back and lowered enough of his body weight to ensure that she stayed there.

“Now…I believe we’ve been here before.”

“So you know I want you to get off of me.” Grace strove to force his body off of her own. Sensation was instant. Her nipples tightened with invitation. He cupped a single breast with a warm hand and gently rubbed the tight nipple through her clothing with his thumb.

“This says you want more than a kiss.”

“I don’t want you to touch me.”

“But you still enjoyed being kissed.” She jerked in response and tried to toss him off her again. She pushed him up but all they did was roll. For a moment, she sat on top of him, her ankles trapped beneath him. His face set into a frown.

“It’s not against the law, Grace. In fact, it’s rather normal.”

Letting her sit on top of him unleashed a new set of sensations. She realized how easy it might be to lean down and kiss him.

“I’m
not
normal.” And she didn’t want to be. Heat was erupting along every millimeter of her body. His hand was heavy as it gently cupped her breast. He continued to move his thumb in a lazy circle around the sensitive tip. Her opposite breast ached for the same treatment.

“Yes, you are.”

Brice traced one hand over the side of her face. “Your cheeks are hot with a blush again. Attraction between a man and a woman is as normal as it gets. All the training in the Army can’t dismiss it.”

He traced her lower lip with his thumb.

Her body jerked away from his, breaking the fragile contact.

He chuckled and tapped his own lips. “Kiss me Grace. You’ve been watching me all day.”

She had been. “I watch everybody.”

“Not the way you study me.”

A curl of excitement went through her belly, proving that part of her was happy to be found out.

He placed his hands on her thighs, rubbing them from her knee to her hips. It was such a simple touch, yet deeply sensual.

“Here’s your chance to touch what you’ve been watching.”

There it was again, that offer of choice. It was intoxicating and her logic didn’t hold up against its influence. She lifted her hands, hesitating for a long moment because she wasn’t sure how to touch him.

“Just follow your instincts.”

His voice was husky and like a melody she just couldn’t ignore. She reached for his chest and let her fingertips slide gently along the hard ridges. Time felt like it slowed down, allowing her to savor every moment. He made a low sound of enjoyment and stroked her thighs once more.

“Now kiss me.”

She stroked his lips instead. “Done asking now?” She almost didn’t recognize her own voice. It was far too sultry and feminine.

He pressed a kiss against her fingertips before rolling her back onto the forest floor.

“Yes,” he growled softly as he settled on top of her.

Sliding a firm hand over the smooth column of her throat, Brice tilted her head up so he might press a kiss against her lips.

Sliding along the contours of her mouth, he pressed further, seeking to taste her. Sensation crawled across her body, pricking her with its intensity. Each square inch of contact burned hotter as he continued his conquest of her mouth.

It was madness but she craved it.

Desires long suppressed defied her attempts to contain them. They burned their path across her mind, refusing to be held by the bonds of logic or will.

She kissed him back. Grace lifted her hands and spread them over his chest. She didn’t know how a man could feel so very good. Brice did. It was solid strength that made her body pulse. He trailed his hand down her neck toward her breast as Grace offered it to his touch. His gentle grip made her moan with the sensation.

“Do you like that?” Brice moved his hand over her breast as she arched her back. “Tell me you like my touch.”

Arrogance was written across his face. Grace struggled with her body’s demands as her pride insisted she resist his order. But she did like it. Her body seemed to need his touch. His hand became completely still, making her breast ache.

“Yes.”

His hand left her breast, making her shift in frustration. Brice pulled her shirt out of her pants, raising it to bare her chest. He settled his palm over her breast again with just her thin bra as a barrier. She arched, seeking a firmer touch. She seemed powerless to control the urge to get closer to his body. He gently stroked his hand over her bare midriff, moving upward to unhook her bra.

“I’ve wanted to taste you since I met you.”

Brice pulled the thin cotton bra away from her body and cupped the mound of her breast. The warm touch of his breath hit her nipple. She shivered, suspended in the moment. He hovered over the tender peak before he sucked the nipple into his mouth and groaned. His tongue immediately licked over the beaded tip as he pulled it farther into his mouth.

The pealing tone of an electronic paging unit broke through her intoxication. Her paging unit could issue several tones, the one that was currently filling the air demanded immediate obedience.

“Tell Jacobs to go to hell,” he insisted.

The pager was a harsh reminder of reality. Grace shook her head to clear it. A low growl came from Brice as he continued to roll her nipple between his fingers. There was a primitive edge to his face as he looked back at her bared breast.

“He’ll only come after me.”

Grace pushed against his chest with a single hand. It was a request to be released, one she wasn’t certain she wanted granted. But the pager continued chiming.

“I’ve got three minutes before we have company.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Grace surged to her feet the second Brice rolled away from her. Propping an elbow against the ground, he watched as she righted her clothing. She drew her face into a tight mask.

“Acknowledging attraction is useless. Even if the Army can’t stop it, they can certainly interfere. You’re a civilian and I don’t officially exist.” Depressing a code into her pager silenced the unit. Grace gripped her redemption in a tightly clenched fist. Brice climbed to his feet with a lazy ease that she knew was false. She slowly widened the gap between them.

“Goodbye, Sheriff Campbell.”

“Goodnight, Grace. The next time I catch you, I’ll make you feel even better.”

Casting one last look at him, Grace turned toward her unit’s aircraft. It was goodbye.

Grace struggled to bring her emotions under tight control before facing Jacobs. All she needed was for her C.O. to notice just how Brice was able to jerk her out of her tracks. With her recent run of luck, the giant might decide it was just what she needed.

Men were crude. Jacobs’s superiors already thought a good trip to bed would improve her attitude. Maybe that was true for men. Well, maybe it was true for women as well. She had to admit that she didn’t know.

But the sheer intensity of Brice Campbell’s touch shattered her control. She laughed as she pictured Colonel Turvel’s face when her efficiency rate dropped because she was mooning over the sheriff.