Heart of Rockies 03 - More Than a Feeling (26 page)

And she couldn’t hold it back anymore. The force of the orgasm seized her abdomen, echoing through in her euphoric trembles. His body rocked and swayed as he moaned her name, but his arms held her strong and tight, which was good because she was spent, draped over his upper body like a rag doll, body still reveling in the aftershocks. The water ran down her back, warm and tranquilizing.

“Damn, I wish I didn’t have to go to work.” Sawyer’s chest heaved against hers, exuding the same exertion that had drained her. He carefully set her feet back on the floor and kissed her forehead, her nose, and her lips with a tenderness that prompted happy tears. She’d never belonged to anyone, not this way. Not all of her. She’d never given all of herself to anyone.

Sawyer gathered her into his arms, holding her like he’d held her all night. “Can I make you some breakfast?”

She quirked her lips at him. Just like a man to think about food right after sex. “I’m pretty sure your pancakes won’t blow my mind the same way this did.” She latched her hands behind his neck and gazed up at him, still under the spell of her body and heart harmonizing with his. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk to the kitchen,” she said honestly.

He laughed and swept her into his arms, flicking off the faucet, stepping out of the shower, and somehow snatching a towel off the hook. “You don’t have to walk.” He carried her into the bedroom and gently set her on the mattress. “I can bring you breakfast in bed.”

She propped herself up on her elbows while he conducted a visual inspection of her body.

“What I have in mind has nothing to do with breakfast.” She glanced at the clock. “Far as I can tell, we have exactly forty-five minutes before you have to be at work.” Her voice purred as it never had before, and her blood had already thickened into honey again. “I think we should make the most of it.”

“You have the best ideas,” Sawyer uttered in that alluring gravelly tone. Then he sank to the bed and pulled her body over his.

Heart humming in a new rhythm, she lost herself in the feel of his warm skin against hers, in the way his lips erased every thought.

He’d introduced her to this new world of sensual intimacy, and now she never wanted to leave it.

M
aybe I could call in sick,” Sawyer suggested, dragging his feet in front of the door.

Ruby took the opportunity to admire him in his uniform again, all strong and crisp and noble.

“Officer Hawkins,” she teased. “The community needs you out there. There’s no playing hooky so we can stay in bed all day.”

“Who said anything about bed?” he asked, coming at her. “I was thinking the table…couch…kitchen counter…” His hands captured her waist and he pushed her back against the wall, kissing her until her fists had rumpled his pressed shirt.

Lordy, was she glad he wasn’t treating her like a fragile artifact anymore. Stepping away from him, she smoothed his shirt. “I’ll see you in nine hours.”

His lips pouted. “That’s a long time.”

Tell her about it. But she opened the front door and walked out onto the porch anyway, since it was obvious he wasn’t going to be first. “You have to go to work,” she reminded him.

Besides that, she had to get home to poor Nellie. She couldn’t bear the thought of the dog being lonely, wondering if she’d been abandoned.

“Fine.” Sawyer shuffled reluctantly onto the porch behind her, sliding his arms around her, pulling her against the solid wall of his chest. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, only for a second, letting the feel of his strength and tenderness soak into her body.

A car engine startled her eyes back open. She recognized Paige’s silver truck right away. Sure enough, it stopped right in front of the cabin. The window rolled down.

“Well, well, well,” Paige called. “What do we have here?”

Uh-oh. Busted.

Quickly, Ruby wriggled away from Sawyer and planted one last kiss on his lips. “Work, buddy. Now.” She gave his ass a hearty slap. “You’re already late.”

“I’ll see you later?” he asked, then kissed her before she could answer right away.

Her face felt neon, seeing as how Paige was right down on the road, watching everything. “Yes,” she promised. There was a going away party for the kids later that evening. And, while the thought of saying good-bye to them hurt, she wouldn’t miss it. Not for anything. “I’ll see you at the party.”

“Maybe after the party, we could get takeout?” he asked hopefully. “And go back to my place?”

Despite the surge in her body, she simply shrugged. “Maybe.”

“I’m happy to make it worth your while.” One side of his mouth turned up in a grin, and she knew he’d make good on that promise. He’d made everything worth her while four times this morning. The aftereffects still shivered through her.

“Trust me. It’ll be the best takeout experience you’ve ever had.”

She laughed and followed him down the steps, knowing there was no way to avoid a conversation with Paige.

“I’ll be thinking about it all day,” he promised.

Shaking her head at him, she waved. “’Bye Sawyer. See you tonight.”

With a silly grin on his face, he trotted to his SUV while she headed over to Paige’s idling truck, ready to face the music.

“So…” Paige’s arms were already draped over the open window. “It’s eight o’clock in the morning. You’re standing on Sawyer’s porch.
Kissing
him. On your day off.” She tapped her finger against her chin as though considering all the facts.

“What’re
you
doing here?” Ruby asked, giving a change of subject her best shot. She wasn’t exactly ready for the world to know about her and Sawyer.

“Helping out on the rock climb with the kids.” Paige stabbed a finger into Ruby’s collarbone. “What were
you
doing in
there
?” She pointed at Sawyer’s cabin with a smug grin.

“We were…discussing some things.” That’s how it’d all started, anyway.

“Your shirt is on backward,” her friend informed her.

She looked down. Sure enough…

Her cheeks tingled too much to battle the sheepish smile. What could she say? She’d probably be smiling all day. For a year…

“Holy Mona Lisa!” Paige slapped the steering wheel. “I knew it!” She leaned out farther and lowered her voice, thank the lord. “Did you tell him everything? About your ex?”

She should’ve. She knew that. Eventually she’d have to tell him she was Kate McPherson, but he’d been so angry when she was talking about Derek. Though he’d tried to hide it from her, he looked like he could kill someone. His face had turned to stone. His eyes had been narrow and dangerous. “I didn’t tell him everything. I’m afraid of what he’d do.”

Her friend’s face sobered. “Yeah. Sawyer wouldn’t tolerate that kind of thing. And he can definitely be a badass when he wants to be.”

“Exactly. And I don’t want him to find my ex.” It wouldn’t be that hard. Sawyer knew where she’d lived. Derek was a cop. She had not doubt that Sawyer would be able to track him down.

“You have to tell him everything eventually,” Paige said quietly, like she hated to relay bad news.

“I know. I will.” After some time had passed. After his anger had faded and she could be sure he wouldn’t try to hunt Derek down.

“You can always change your name if you don’t want the guy to find you,” Paige said thoughtfully. “I know people who’ve done it. Had a friend who smoked a lot of weed back in college. She changed her name to Mary Jane.”

Ruby laughed. Paige was always good for a laugh. “That definitely wouldn’t fit me.” But maybe she’d look into legally changing her name eventually. She was kind of attached to Ruby now. It seemed to fit her better.

“I’m texting Avery,” Paige informed her, digging her phone out of a small backpack. “We’re having a girls’ night tomorrow. Got it?” In her trademark frenzy, she didn’t give Ruby a chance to disagree. “Because I want to know exactly how that shirt ended up backward.” Paige sent the text with dramatic stab of her pointer finger and tossed her phone aside. “But right now, I’ve got to get down to the climb site and set up.”

“Got it.” A girls’ night sounded great. She actually wouldn’t mind reliving the morning of passion with Sawyer. Not that she’d give
all
the details away. But she’d definitely be reliving it for a long time.

“Oh, and, Ruby…” Paige slipped the truck into gear, her eyes serious again. “Just make sure you tell him everything soon. Okay? Before things get too serious. Kaylee lied her ass off for a long time. He won’t take it well if he finds out you didn’t tell him.”

“I know.” She’d tell him as soon as it was safe. But for now she would keep things this way.

As long as he didn’t make an issue out of finding Derek she could stay in Aspen. She just had to convince Sawyer that finding her ex wasn’t worth the fight.

“Well, someone’s sure been chipper today,” Vicki commented from behind her desk.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Sawyer insisted, filing the last of his paperwork. Okay, so maybe he was grinning like a shot fox. Whistling, too. He couldn’t help it. For only getting two hours of sleep, he sure had a lot of energy, thanks to Ruby. He had a hard time wiping that just-got-laid grin off of his face.

A wave of heat rolled through him. God, that woman. She’d given him a hell of a lot to think about today. The shower. The bedroom. The best couple of hours of his life. And he’d get to see her in…he glanced at the clock…approximately twenty minutes. Not that there’d be time to re-create what had happened this morning. No, this little meeting was all business. Knowing that the kids were heading home tomorrow morning, he figured they had one more shot to bring up the thefts, and he wanted to do it before the party. No sense in bringing down the mood when the kids were supposed to be enjoying their last night at the ranch.

So he’d called Thomas and Ruby and asked if he could swing by after lunch. He’d been surprised that Ruby was open to the idea, though she’d made him promise to keep it short and sweet. They didn’t have much of a window with the kids packing up and everything. Which meant he’d better get over there.

“I’m headed out, Vicki.” He snatched his keys off his desk.

“See ya, Hawkins,” she called. But then her eyes narrowed. “By the by, have you made any decisions about sticking around?”

The shock must’ve shown on his face because she laughed. “No such thing as secrets around here, doll.”

“No, I guess not.” Especially when she bribed Chief with a latte every morning.

“So?” she prompted, palms tilted. “I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”

He busted out a laugh. There was a lie if he’d ever heard one. He knew exactly why there were no secrets around this place. Before anyone else could hear her yapping, he walked over to her desk. “When I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know,” he lied. That honor would belong only to Ruby. And he’d tell her soon. Not like the decision felt that difficult.

After he’d seen Kaylee, he realized he didn’t have to leave. Didn’t matter where he went, the grief would follow. That’s what he needed to work on. And he knew it’d be a process, but he also knew he wouldn’t have to go through it alone.

Vicki frowned. “Fine. Just give me enough time to plan your welcome back party, will you?” she sassed.

“You got it,” he said, heading for the door before she could read anything into the look on his face and use her women’s intuition to figure it out on her own. He didn’t need any rumors flying until he’d made things official. He still had to politely inform the Denver precinct that he wouldn’t be coming. And then there was the whole business of finding a place to live. He couldn’t mooch off his cousin forever.

But there’d be time to figure all of that out later.

As he trotted across the parking lot, he shifted his thoughts to the kids. The short drive over didn’t give him time to script out exactly what he wanted to say, but it didn’t matter. This time he wouldn’t rehearse. He’d simply speak from his heart and leave the rest up to them. That’s what Ruby had advised him to do and he knew she was right. So wise, that woman.

On the phone she’d admitted that it was strange the thefts had started after the kids had arrived at the ranch. Between that fact and a hunch that wouldn’t leave him alone, he was pretty sure one of the kids had stolen the money. He’d place his bets on Javon.

If this meeting went well, hopefully they’d find out soon.

He parked the Tahoe outside the lodge and hurried across the parking lot.

Ruby met him near the front doors. The sight of her in those cut-off shorts and a fitted V-neck stalled him. God, she was stunning.

“Good day on the job?” she asked, pulling him in with that small, secretive smile. And yes, they did share a couple of secrets.

Grateful no one else was around, he pulled her into his arms. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”

She smoothed her hands over his uniform shirt, eyes dancing. “I’ve been a bit distracted myself.”

She knew exactly what to say to get him going. “When can we be alone again?” he asked, flashing back to earlier that morning.

“Hmmm…” Her folded lips teased him. “I’m busy tomorrow night. What about Friday?”

“I don’t know if I can wait that long.”

She relented with a lengthy sigh. “I might be able to make tonight work.” She tugged on his shirt. “As long as you wear this.”

“You’ve got it.” He lowered his mouth to hers, tasting the sweetness of her lips. Only for a second…

She eased her head back with an apologetic smile. “We’d better get in there. They’re waiting for us.”

“Right. Yes.” Somehow he had to concentrate, even with the heat that woman generated inside of him.

A soft smile plumping her lips, she took his hand and led him through the doors and into the sitting room where everyone had already gathered.

They sat around the coffee table playing an intense game of Uno.

“Hey, gang,” he called over the squeals and arguments.

Some of the noise quieted.

“Sawyer!” Brooklyn popped off the couch and ran over, throwing herself against him in a fierce hug.

“Uff,” he grunted, exaggerating a stagger until she started to giggle.

“Sit by me,” she begged, leading him to the couch. He sat down, and this time he didn’t dread what was coming. He cared about them. They had to know that. If they didn’t, he’d make sure they knew it today.

“What’s up, Hawkins.” Javon high-fived him across the coffee table.

“Why are you wearing your uniform?” Neveah was the only one who looked him over with blatant skepticism.

“Just got off my shift,” he said casually. “Thought I’d stop by before the party tonight.”

“And we wanted to have another chat,” Ruby added, nodding him along. She’d told him on the phone that she’d volunteered to help the girls pack up their things and she wanted to have it done before the party.

“A chat about what?” Brooklyn asked, peering up at him with those round, angelic eyes.

“Well…” Sawyer glanced at Ruby, who stood behind Javon’s chair. She smiled, staring back at him with confidence.

“We still haven’t found the money that went missing,” he said carefully. “Or Avery’s bracelet.”

Silence fell. He felt Brooklyn’s shoulder tense against his arm.

“I’m not here to accuse anyone,” he said quickly. “I only wanted to say that I know each of you now, and…” Damn, he hadn’t counted on getting a little choked up. Though he was tempted to, he didn’t clear the emotion out of his throat. They needed to hear it. They needed to know that they mattered to him. “You guys are amazing. Each one of you is smart and kind and strong.”

Tears slipped down Ruby’s cheeks. He blinked hard so he wouldn’t give in to the same fate. Emotion was one thing, but crying? He couldn’t do that. Especially not in his uniform. “I know you’ve had it rough. You’ve had to overcome so much.” More than any child should have to. “And I know that sometimes, when you’re afraid or not sure what’ll happen in the future, it’s easy to make a bad choice.”

“Have you ever made a bad choice?” Brooklyn asked.

He coughed out a laugh. “I’ve made a lot of bad choices.” Though he wouldn’t expand on his wild high school days. Didn’t want to give the kids any good ideas.

“Even though you’re a cop?” Neveah demanded.

“Even though I’m a cop,” he confirmed. “We all make mistakes. Making a bad choice doesn’t make you a bad person.” He snuck a glance at Javon, who’d looked down to stare at his hands. “All that matters is what you do to make it right.” He glanced around the circle at them, careful not to keep his eyes on one face for too long. “We’re here for you. All of us, me and Thomas and Ruby and Bryce.”