Kade: Armed and Dangerous (15 page)

Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, Kelsey took a deep breath. It was only lunch
with Kade, for goodness sake. Not a date.

Sheesh.
She’d let the man give her an orgasm last night by sucking her nipples.

Then she saw him walking toward her on the sidewalk. His sexy smile. His walk, so
fluid and powerful... No man should be allowed to be that gorgeous.

Lust. Pure and simple. She lusted after the man.

Another deep breath and then she grabbed her purse, got out of the SUV, and joined
Kade where he waited in front of the cafe.

“Hello, darlin’.” Kade smiled down at her, his azure eyes caressing her with a glance.
He didn’t even have to touch her, and she felt like she’d been kissed.

“Hi.” Her voice was breathless and she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

He opened the door to the cafe and motioned her in, his hand at her elbow. Delicious
smells of barbeque and hot biscuits enveloped Kelsey as soon as she entered. It was
a narrow room, one wall lined with floor-to-ceiling photos, posters, and playbills
of Marilyn Monroe. The other wall was complete with a bar and glass-fronted display
cases filled with pies and cakes.

They were silent as they waited for the host to seat them, but Kade’s nearness drove
Kelsey wild. All she could think about was last night, his kisses, his body pressed
against hers, the way his mouth felt on her, and his promise of fireworks. No doubt
in her mind that he could give her that and more.

She was so deep in thought about him that she almost jumped out of her skin when the
host spoke, asking where they would like to sit. Warmth crept up her neck as she realized
Kade was watching her, and she wondered how obvious her expression had been.

When they were seated in a booth, they took a few moments to examine the menu. Kelsey
chose grilled chicken, and Kade ordered barbequed spareribs.

“How was your interview with Dee?” Kade asked when the waiter left.

Kelsey turned away from the picture of Marilyn that she’d been studying. “Dee’s terrific.”

“I’ve known her since I was a kid. We saw each other off and on at events around the
county. She was into barrel racing and I was into calf roping.”

“You were into rodeo?”

He smiled. “I owe a lot to the junior rodeo circuit for helping me get through my
shyness when I was a boy.”

“You? Shy?” Kelsey raised her eyebrows. “Never.”

With a shrug, Kade said, “Let’s just say that I could hardly look a person in the
eye, but that club helped me to gain some confidence and believe in myself.”

Kelsey rested her elbow on the table, her chin on her palm. “You surprise me.”

“I’m full of ‘em.” He folded his arms and leaned forward. “Just try me.”

The waiter arrived with their drinks, saving Kelsey from yet another blush. She squeezed
lemon into her iced tea and added a packet of artificial sweetener.

“That stuff’ll—”

“Kill me. I know.” Kelsey smiled and met his gaze. “You told me the same thing on
the plane about my diet soda.”

By the look in his eyes, she was sure he was thinking about that first night they’d
kissed. She still couldn’t believe she’d kissed a man the same night she met him.
But, well, it had been Kade. In her heart, she knew that dinner and kiss would never
have happened with any other man.

Kelsey rested her chin on her hand again, studying Kade’s handsome face and his brilliant
blue eyes. “What was your childhood like?”

He shrugged. “Not much to tell. I grew up around here and had a pretty good time.
My biological father took off when I was younger than Trent, so there were some tough
years.”

Kelsey’s soul twisted at the thought of Kade, young and fatherless. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Kade smiled and squeezed her free hand. “He wasn’t much of a father. Mom
met Chuck a couple of years later, and when I saw how happy he made her, I was all
right with it. As far as I’m concerned, Chuck is my dad.”

“Did you play sports in school, other than calf roping?” Kelsey asked.

“In high school I was a decent linebacker,” Kade said. “Also did pretty well in right
field on our baseball team.”

“I bet you were more than pretty good.” Kelsey could just imagine him in those tight
pants that football players wore.
Nice.
“After high school?”

“I headed off to the University of Arizona.” Kade shifted in his seat and leaned one
forearm on the table. “I wanted to go into law enforcement, and while I was in college
I decided to get on with the Border Patrol. I trained at FLETC after graduation, and
later was stationed along the Texas border. That’s where I met Trent’s mother.”

“Your son is precious,” Kelsey said. “You’re fortunate to have such a great kid.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I am.”

Kelsey returned his smile. “And he’s lucky to have you as a father.”

The waiter served their lunch, and they ate while they talked. Kelsey told Kade what
information she’d gathered so far on the problems with illegal immigration, and he
ventured his opinion on a few issues.

As far as Kelsey was concerned, their lunch was over too soon and Kade had to get
back to work. He walked her to the SUV, and as she opened the door he said, “Thanks
for having lunch with me.”

“Thanks for asking.” Then, surprising even herself, Kelsey reached up and brushed
her lips over his. “Later, cowboy.”

Before he could react, she turned away, climbed into the vehicle, and shut the door,
her lips tingling from the brief caress. He just smiled and watched her drive away.

Late-afternoon sun peeked through the monsoon-darkened sky as Kade reached the offices
of
The Douglas Herald.
The newsroom occupied the bottom floor of one of the town’s oldest buildings. Smells
of ink, newspaper, and stale coffee overpowered the dingy lobby.

“Kade. Long time no see,” said Patti Duarte, the paper’s combination office manager/columnist.
She stood up, her blond ponytail bobbing as she bounced toward the front counter.
“Where ya been hiding out?”

He leaned against the counter. “Looks like you’ve been keeping this place above water.
And looks like you’re about to pop. I didn’t even know you’re expecting. Congratulations.”

Patti, who had always reminded him of a pixie, patted her enormous belly. “Thanks.
Twins, can ya believe it? I look like I’m about to explode, but we’ve got another
two months.”

Her blue eyes sparkled, and her cheeks seemed full and shiny. That old saying about
pregnant women was true. They did have a special glow to their faces. For one strange
minute, he pictured Kelsey, her belly large with his child, her features as radiant
as Patti’s.

He shook his head, pushing the vision to the back of his mind. “Twins. Bet Paul’s
as proud as a rooster at the crack of dawn.”

Patti snorted. “He’s scared shitless.”

“Can’t say that I blame the guy.” With a laugh, Kade nodded to the back room. “That
new reporter here? Gerald Spitz?”

“You mean you’re not here to see little of me? Hold on, let me get him.” Her ponytail
bobbed as she disappeared through the doorway. Within a minute, she returned. “Come
on back and meet God’s gift to the newspaper business.”

Kade raised his brows. “God’s gift, huh?”

Patti rolled her eyes. “Thinks he is. Every time AP picks up one of his stories you’d
think he won the Pulitzer.”

“Miss working with Gerardo?” Kade asked.

“You betcha.” Patti led Kade into the back room, past an ancient printing press to
a man sitting behind a computer at one of three metal desks. “Gerald, this is Border
Patrol Agent Kade Owen. Kade, this is Gerald Spitz, editor-in-chief and reporter extraordinaire.”

Patti winked at Kade as she left the room, and he held back a grin.

“Pleased to meet you, Agent Owen.” Spitz didn’t offer his hand. Instead, he made a
show of tossing his head, flipping his dark hair from his face.

“Uh, yeah. My pleasure.” Right off, Kade didn’t like the guy. Something about the
arrogant look in Spitz’s brown eyes made him wary. Still, he had to get what he came
for, so he stuck out his hand and forced a smile.

Spitz gave Kade a limp handshake. Soft and damp. No calluses, no weathering.

“Have a seat.” Spitz pointed to one of two vinyl chairs in front of his desk. “What
can I do for you?”

“Thanks.” Kade settled into the chair. “Gerardo was a good friend of mine. Thought
I’d come in and get acquainted with you.” Spitz gave Kade what amounted to a patient
father-speaking-to-child smile. Only this father was about ten years younger than
Kade. “But you have another reason for being here as well.”

Might as well lay it on the table.

“No wonder you’re such a good reporter, Spitz.” Kade let his expression go serious.
“Let’s get to it. One of your sources gave you a big story on the life of an undocumented
alien, and he mentioned a coyote named Gordo.”

Spitz tossed his hair back again and smirked. “I don’t reveal my sources, Agent Owen.”

Kade nodded, trying to maintain his cool. “I understand what you’re saying. Any source
of yours that I might talk to would never be connected with you.”

“I don’t reveal my sources.”

“Hold that thought, partner.” Kade leaned forward in his chair. “While it’s real good
of you to stand up for your journalistic ethics, I want you to sit back and think
for a moment. Think about all those good people crossing the border and dying. Dying
‘cause some bastard coyote doesn’t give a damn about them. Some bastard that’s stealing
from, beating, raping, and murdering these folks.”

Spitz shifted in his chair. “I have my professional integrity to consider.”

“It’ll remain intact.” Kade didn’t blink as he stared the man down. “Give me a name
and no one’ll be the wiser.”

“Like I said, my integrity is on the line.” Spitz’s eyes shifted to the doorway and
back to Kade.

Kade spread his hands on Spitz’s desk. “Consider this. How can a man look in the mirror
and know he could’ve saved lives, but left them dangling for his own gain?”

Spitz’s eyes narrowed, and his lips thinned. “Why do you give a rat’s ass?”

Kade gave the reporter a level stare. “Tell you what, Spitz. I don’t give a damn what
you think of me. What does concern me is day after day these coyotes get away with
murder. But my conscience is clear, and I don’t lie awake at night, because I know
I’m doing all I can to save lives. It’s not enough, but I’m trying.” Kade got to his
feet. “How well do you sleep at night?”

Spitz didn’t move. “I sleep fine.”

“Uh-huh. The next time you get to write a story about some poor man, woman, or child,
dead at the hands of a coyote, you think real hard if something you can tell me might
have saved their lives. Or many lives. And ask yourself if you’re not just as bad
as the man who killed them.”

Spitz’s lips thinned, but he said nothing.

Kade pulled his business card out of his wallet and tossed it on the reporter’s desk.
“Call me if your conscience gets the better of you. I can find my way out.”

A couple of hours later, after stopping at the station to shower in the locker room,
Kade reached the ranch and his temper had cooled. He noticed Chuck’s truck was gone,
but Sadie’s SUV was parked in the driveway.

When Kade walked in the door and kicked off his boots, he smelled something great,
like Italian food. Tomatoes, basil, and oregano. He headed to the kitchen and smiled
when he saw Kelsey. Her back was to him and she was wearing a pink blouse, a short
little skirt, and was barefoot. She stood at the range lifting the lid off a pot,
then turned off the flame beneath it. She looked good there, like she belonged.

He walked up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist. She gave a little
yelp and whirled around, brandishing the pot lid. She held her other hand to her heart.
“Don’t do that.”

He took the lid from her and set it on the counter. “I should’ve learned by now that
you’re pretty dangerous to startle.”

“You’d better watch yourself, cowboy.” Her voice was low and breathless, her eyes
wide.

“I’d rather watch you.” Kade studied Kelsey’s lips and braced his hands on either
side of her, pinning her against the counter. “Where is everyone?”

“I think they’ll be back from Tucson in an hour or so.” She glanced at the stove,
then back to him. “I’m making angel hair pasta for dinner. With garlic bread and steamed
broccoli.” She sounded a little nervous as fast as she was talking. “The sauce is
done, and I’ve got everything else ready to throw together once they get here.”

He didn’t take his eyes off her lips. “I’m hungry.”

She waved one hand, shooing him away. “Don’t you have to take your shower or something?”

“Didn’t do any fieldwork,” he murmured. “But I took a shower in the locker room.”

“Oh.” She would have been happy to volunteer to soap his body all over...

“Let’s start with dessert,” he said, his lips inches away from hers. Kelsey caught
her breath, then swallowed. “Dessert sounds good.” She gave a surprised yelp as Kade
grabbed her around the waist and set her on the countertop, away from the range top.

***

Her pulse raced as he pushed her skirt up around her waist. Thank goodness she was
wearing her nice silky pink panties and not cotton grannies. “What are you doing?”

“Sampling dessert.” He hooked his fingers onto the sides of her panties and looked
at her, waiting for her to tell him to stop.

Kelsey worried her lower lip as she stared at him. Why not? Why not enjoy what he
was offering?

Yeah, when it came to Kade she was a total goner.

Instead of answering aloud, Kelsey braced her hands on the countertop and lifted her
hips.

Kade gave her that slow, sexy smile that made her insides melt. He pulled her panties
down her thighs, then gradually eased them over her legs and ankles, teasing her with
every deliberate movement. Just the way his fingers caressed her legs as he brought
the panties down was enough to make her ache from her nipples to the juncture of her
thighs.