Night Thunder (22 page)

“Oh, I’m going with you all right. Count on that.”

“Actually, I am.” She smiled wanly. “After tonight, I’m glad to have some reinforcements. I don’t know who else might be out there looking for the diamond.”

“I have a proposition for you. Why don’t you let me drop you off at the courthouse and put you in protective custody? Just for the day. Then I’ll meet Ricky on Laramie Peak and—”

“No!” She bolted upright, her eyes wide with alarm. “Ty, you promised.” Her voice rose. “You can’t tell anyone about this. And you have to let me deliver it! I thought I could trust you—I haven’t trusted anything a man said since . . . since . . . well, for a long time now, but I trusted
you
. Don’t you dare go back on your word!”

“Take it easy. It was just a suggestion.” He eased her back down on the sofa and took a seat beside her. “I’ll keep my word, even though it’s against my better judgment.”

As her heartbeat slowed and the panic died down, Josy felt the tension slide from her body. She suddenly felt too weary for words.

“Okay, so now what?” she mumbled.

“Now we get some sleep. In the morning, I’m going to make a few phone calls. Maybe I can find out some background on what we’re dealing with.”

“But you can’t tell anyone about Ricky or the diamond.”

“I’ll just ask some questions. I have a friend from Philly who transferred to the NYPD a few years back when he married a girl from Staten Island. I’ll talk to him, but I won’t give anything away.”

“Okay.” She sighed, and offered him a tentative smile. “I trust you. I really do. It’s just—”

All at once her gaze clouded. “Is this going to cause trouble for you? You’re a cop—you’re helping me. And I’m involved in something that’s probably a felony—”

“
Probably
a felony?”

“Oh God. This could ruin your career, couldn’t it?”

“Let me worry about my career.”

“The last thing I’d want is for you to get fired or—my God, arrested—for helping me—”

“Hey, did anyone ever tell you that you think too much?”

“All the time.” She answered his smile with a rueful grin. “Don’t change the subject, Ty. I couldn’t bear it if after everything you’ve done—”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Yes, you have. You rescued me from that . . . that monstrosity up on Shadow Point. And you brought me here.”

She glanced around. “This is a wonderful cabin. I actually feel safe here,” she added, surprised.

“You are safe here. This place is pretty well tucked away and I made sure we weren’t followed. For tonight, you can sleep without any worries. I promise.”

“Thank you.” She leaned over impulsively and kissed his cheek. Ty felt her warm breath on his face and a surge of desire ran through him, like an electrical volt charging all his batteries at once. She smelled like flowers and woman and shampoo, and she looked sexy as hell in his robe. And more beautiful than he’d ever seen her with her damp golden hair tumbling around her face and her eyes soft in the candlelight.

Her gaze was locked on his. He wanted her with a ferocity that burned through his blood.

Something had changed between them.

She wasn’t holding back anymore, she wasn’t even trying to be aloof, to keep him at arm’s length and hide her secrets. The woman with him in the cabin now, looking at him with those beautiful searching eyes, was real and vulnerable and more desirable than any woman had a right to be.

“It’s almost three-thirty in the morning,” he heard himself saying in a hoarse tone. After what she’d been through tonight, it wouldn’t exactly be fair to push anything more on her. She’d want to sleep, he was sure of it, not to get involved in . . . whatever.

This isn’t the time,
his conscience told him, even though his body ached to touch hers.

“Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

“I know.” Josy nodded, yet her gaze still held his. “We should . . . go to bed.”

“We should.”

She knew she ought to look away right now, while she still could. But she had no desire to look away from him. Quite the contrary.

She had opened up her whole life to him tonight and he hadn’t judged her. He was going to help her. Emotions and sensations charged through her. Slowly, her hand crept up, touched his face.

Her heart was trembling and she couldn’t think of anything right now except how much she wanted him. Needed him.

Just for tonight.

“Take me to bed, Ty,” she whispered, and abandoned all caution as she kissed him softly on the mouth.

Chapter 22

THE CABIN ON BLUE MOON MESA WAS DARK BUT for the flickering flames of the fire and the single lamp on the table. There was no sound but the crackling of the logs and the small moans and greedy sighs of the two people locked in each other’s arms.

Josy was almost unaware of her surroundings. They simply didn’t matter. Ty did.
This
did. This warmth and pleasure that shivered through her as Ty took the kiss deeper, and wrapped her in his arms.

She clung to him, tasting him, breathing him in. She welcomed the smoothness of his tongue, the feel of his hands skimming over her body.

She clung to him as his hand slipped inside her robe, cupped her breast. Her nipple tightened into a taut peak at the teasing strokes of his thumb. He did this until her head fell back and a moan escaped her throat. Then they were caught up in more long, dark, swirling kisses, and Ty parted the robe, sliding it off her bare shoulders with ease.

It fell in a heap to the floor and she stood naked before him, all smooth pale curves, golden curls, and big green eyes glimmering in the firelight.

“My God, Josy, you’re beautiful.” He caught her to him and his hands roamed her body, igniting wildfires everywhere he touched. Need ached through her and she tore at the buttons of his shirt, yanking the ends of it from his trousers.

“You are, cowboy,” she whispered against his lips. All the while her hands worked frantically, dragging the shirt down the slope of those broad, powerful shoulders and tossing it aside.

Then her hands explored that broad bare chest that was lightly matted with dark hair, and all the while he was kissing her mouth, her jaw, her throat—hot, hungry kisses—and then his mouth trailed down to her breasts.

Slowly, his tongue circled a nipple. Half crazed, Josy groaned with pleasure and grabbed onto his arms, hanging on for dear life as delicious sensations swept over her and she felt herself going under.

“Ty,” she breathed in a hoarse, desperate voice totally unlike her own, and heard him chuckle thickly.

Then his mouth closed over her nipple and she gasped. She plunged her hands through his hair and held on tight as he nipped and licked and suckled her.

A fire built inside her as he moved to her other breast.

More, more, more . . .

She gave herself up to the storm of pleasure and when he scooped her into his arms and carried her naked into his bedroom as if she weighed no more than a wisp of silk, she was as flushed and hot as a peach split open on a grill.

He kissed her lips as he lowered her onto the bed with its black and green comforter. Very gently he set her down and leaned over her, gazing into her brilliant eyes.

“You all right, Josy?” He kissed the bruises Dolph had put on her arms. “I’d never want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t. You won’t.” She drew him down to her, her fingers gripping his belt buckle.

“Just don’t stop now, whatever you do,” she breathed as she loosened the belt.

His stomach was so lean, so hard. All of him was hard. He took off his boots, and together they got rid of his pants, then she pulled him down on her, her soft mouth locking on his. A few hours ago she’d thought she was going to die. Now she had never felt more alive.

“Make love to me, Ty,” she whispered as he nibbled at her shoulder. “Don’t stop here or I’ll never forgive you.”

“Does it look like I’m stopping?” Grinning, he returned his attention to her swollen mouth and kissed her more deeply than she’d ever been kissed. He knew exactly how to drive her crazy and when his big hands finished tormenting her breasts some more and slid down her thighs, she quivered all over.

His smile was deep and hungry, dark with the longing for her.

“We don’t have to rush this, Josy. We have all night,” he said. His fingers stroked the soft curls between her legs, enjoying her quick intake of breath.

But the words cost him. So did the waiting. He wanted her so badly it hurt. His muscles were clenched, his heart pounding, and he felt like a fever was rushing through his blood. She was exquisite and the touch of her fingers on his flesh burned his skin and made him taut with need. But he went slowly, deliberately, taking raw male pleasure in the touch and scent of her, in the arousal that glazed her eyes.

“I don’t think . . . I can wait all night,” she gasped, as her fingertips rubbed his nipples, her body starting to arch against him.

“Damn, I can’t either.” He grinned and gently chewed the corner of her mouth, then dropped his head once more to her throat.

By the time he’d stroked a finger inside her and found her slick and ready, their bodies were both gleaming with sweat and Ty’s muscles were almost painful with built-up tension.

Josy was utterly beautiful and deliciously sexy and it was all he could do to enter her slowly, to force himself to hold on awhile longer. He filled her slowly, watching her eyes turn a dark wild green, listening to her rushed breathing.

He moved gently inside her, and made love to her slowly, until her back arched and her legs wrapped around him and her entire body strained against him. Then his thrusts intensified and a raging savage pleasure tore at him as they rocked together, panting and needy, their bodies joined in sweat and fire. Time spun away as they bucked and danced and galloped together, becoming one—one heart, one soul, one body, fused in a shattering, pounding heat.

They climaxed togther in an explosion of senses almost beyond what they could bear.

As the storm crashed and broke and ebbed, he rolled off her and pulled her into his arms. Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths, his heart still thundering.

She was exquisite, both elegant and wild, turning him on in a way he’d almost forgotten. Making love to Josy had completed him in a way none of his casual emotion-free flings with women, or occasional nights with hookers, ever had.

He’d almost forgotten how it felt to hold a woman he cared about, to watch her eyes as she came while he was inside her.

He stroked Josy’s hair, pushed himself up, and leaned over to kiss her. Her face was flushed, glowing, but she looked exhausted. And yet, she was smiling up at him, more beautiful than ever.

“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re never going to get any sleep,” he chuckled, and gently kissed the tip of her nose.

“Promise?” She wound her arms behind his head and pulled him down to her.

“Whoa, baby, careful what you wish for,” he chuckled, his hands stroking her beautiful breasts.

“Forget it. I’m tired of being careful,” Josy whispered back. “I’m going to wish for the moon and the stars.”

“Might as well add the sun while you’re at it. It’s going to be morning soon.”

“Bring it on.” She buried her lips in his neck as he snuggled down beside her. She felt wonderful and dreamy, almost drunk. She knew she should stop talking, but she couldn’t help it.

A combination of sated satisfaction, pent-up tension, and exhaustion from the entire night seemed to loosen her tongue.

“Give me ten minutes and I’ll be good to go again,” she murmured, vaguely aware that he laughed as if from a great distance, and that he was lightly fingering her hair, gently rubbing her shoulder . . .

She dropped like a rock into sleep.

Ty studied her face in repose. That fine-boned, elegant face, the long lashes sweeping against her skin. Silken hair spread on the pillow.

His chest tightened. Josy Warner was in a lot of trouble. Someone was trying to kill her. She’d aided and abetted a fugitive.

And what they’d done tonight might make things tougher than ever for her. At the very least, more complicated.

His mouth twisted into a frown. Reality slammed him in the stomach.

He should have kept his distance. He shouldn’t have given in to the chemistry between them. He cared about her, but something told him she cared more. More than he could give.

Josy was a loving, giving woman, loyal to a fault, with a heart as big as the whole state of Wyoming. And for all her sophistication, she’d want more than just fantastic sex. A lot more.

She’d want a relationship. A home, the kind she’d missed out on growing up. Children. The whole nine yards.

Pain wrenched at him. He’d tried that once. If it had been going to work, it would’ve worked with Meg. He didn’t think he could risk it again, loving someone that much, wanting their child that much, losing everything . . .

That part of him had died with Meg. Maybe he should have explained that to Josy before they’d slept together. But she was a big girl. He hadn’t made her any promies or declarations. He hadn’t once mentioned the
L
word.

He just hoped she didn’t expect love.

He could only love Meg. He hoped like hell she realized that. Maybe he ought to have spelled it out . . .

He fell back on the pillow and forced himself to get some sleep while he could. Tomorrow he’d have to try to keep Josy alive—both of them alive. And then he’d have to deal with the rest. He’d back off subtly. Let her down as gently as he could.

And hope to hell she saw it the same way he did.