Wilde One (19 page)

“Geez, Griff.” She braced her feet. “All of a sudden you’re in a hurry?”

“It’s dark enough now I can’t see our tail, which means he won’t be able to see us if I can put a little distance between our cars. I’d love to ditch the jerk.”

“Who do you think it is?” Her hand paused above Rocky’s back then resumed stroking.

“I’ve no idea, but the car Marietta was driving this morning was red. The one following us is black.”

“It isn’t likely she switched cars. Cloverdale doesn’t even have a rental agency.”

“Good to know.” They drove at a speed well above the limit for several miles. When billboards announced a chain motel five miles ahead, he grunted in satisfaction. “We’ll stop there.”

“Thank God.”

“This is it.” Minutes later he took the exit ramp, made a quick left turn down a side street, pulled over and turned off the headlights.

Ainslee twisted in her seat. “I think the motel is farther up ahead.”

“I know, but let’s see if our shadow noticed we took the exit.” When headlights flashed on the access street, he cursed under his breath. But the vehicle that sped by was a pickup, not a sedan. “Sweet, I do believe we ditched him.”

“Then let’s go get a room. I don’t know why I’m so tired when you did all the driving today, but I am.”

Room?
He liked the sound of the singular noun. Of course her speech about being tired might be Ainslee’s way of telling him to keep his hands—and other body parts—to himself. He flipped on the headlights and his blinker. Only one way to find out.

Fifteen minutes later he unlocked the motel room door and held it open for her as she coaxed the dog inside. Rocky growled at a wicker trash basket before cautiously sniffing the edges of the floral spreads covering two full-size beds. When Griff had suggested a king would be more comfortable, she’d hunched one shoulder and told the clerk the doubles were just fine.

Question answered. Message received.

He dropped his duffle bag on the beige carpet. She set her overnight case on the end of one bed. Silence filled the room.

Ainslee avoided his gaze. “I’d like to take a shower. Do you mind if I go first?”

“Of course not.” He picked up the remote and turned on the TV perched on a shelf bolted to the wall. An all-news station blared. “I’m sure there’s a ballgame on I can watch.”

Her glance in his direction registered a hint of uncertainty. Probably because his tone had been sharper than he’d intended.

He forced a smile her way. “Or something.”

With an answering curve of her lips, she grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom. The door clicked shut with a snap.

Dropping onto the nearest bed, he turned down the volume on the TV then flopped backward and closed his eyes. What did he expect after the way he’d behaved? He sure as hell couldn’t complain anymore about Ainslee building expectations around him. Her independence shone like a beacon in the night.

Isn’t that what he wanted? No more clinging vines? A strong, self-confident woman? Not even a chance that what happened with Johanna would ever be repeated? He ran a hand through his hair then opened his eyes when the mattress dipped beside him. Rocky eyed him steadily and curled his lip before turning in a circle to settle into a ball.

He let out a sigh. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she leaned on me a little.”

The dog twitched, kicked his hind legs to move a little farther away, then presented his tail end.
Terrific.

The shower turned on. Griff’s attention riveted to the closed bathroom door. He couldn’t stop himself from conjuring up images of Ainslee naked beneath the spray, water sliding over her smooth skin, the curve of her breasts… With a grunt, he levered off the bed to pace the small room. He’d lose his mind if he didn’t get the hell out of here. “Up, Rocky. Let’s take a walk.”

Apparently recognizing a word that captured his interest, the dog lifted his head. When Griff picked up the leash and shook it, Rocky stood then leaped to the floor. After snapping the lead to his collar, Griff grabbed the key card he’d tossed on the counter by the coffee pot then left the room.

Stars dotted the sky in a kaleidoscope of light. The swish of cars and occasional roar of a big rig out on the freeway assaulted his ears. Voices and the bang of a garbage dumpster lid echoed from behind the diner half a block away. Beyond the motel, grassland stretched into the darkness. He headed toward the open field, hoping he wouldn’t break an ankle in a gopher hole. After stumbling around in the dark for a half-hour to give his libido a chance to cool down, he turned back. Surely Ainslee would be out of the shower and dressed by now, ending his torture.

As he neared the motel parking lot, Rocky growled. With a series of earsplitting barks, he lunged against the leash, pulling Griff in the direction of the SUV. A shadow moved, then sprinted away, heading down the street toward a pair of gas stations. Griff put on a burst of speed—until the dog sat down and refused to move. Given a choice between leaving the mutt and catching the fleeing figure… He let out a string of oaths as the man disappeared into the night.

“I hope you’re happy?”

Rocky stood and turned back toward the motel, tail waving. Picking up his pace when the dog seemed eager enough to accommodate him, he hustled back to the parking area and circled the SUV.

“Oh, my freaking God!”

“Griff.” Ainslee’s voice came out of the darkness. A moment later she appeared around the side of the building. “I went looking for you when you were gone so long. What’s wrong?”

He squatted next to the front passenger-side wheel. “Some moron slashed your tire.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wish.” He glanced over his shoulder as she hovered behind him. “I saw someone near your car and chased the asshole for a couple of blocks. He got away, thanks to your dog. Rocky stopped running, and I didn’t want to leave him wandering in the street.”

She scooped the mutt into her arms. “He isn’t exactly built for speed. Did you get a good look at the guy?”

“No. One stinking light on the other side of the parking lot doesn’t exactly illuminate the area, and he kept to the shadows. From the person’s size, I could tell it was a man—or one hell of a big woman—but I couldn’t make out any details.”

“Big, as in Parnell Jones tall?”

“No, probably more my height.” He rose to his feet. “Damn, why would someone slash your tire?”

“Maybe he would have destroyed the other three if you hadn’t caught him in the act.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and shivered despite the warm evening. “Another attempt to scare us off?”

“I imagine so. I’m sorry I didn’t run him down. We could have had him arrested and collected for the damage. Tires aren’t cheap.”

“At least I have a spare that matches the others. We can drive on it until we get to a town big enough to possess a tire store.”

“In the morning, I’ll call the garage we use in Cody and have someone hunt down a matching, used tire. With luck, we’ll be able to pick it up by the time we get there.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and ushered her toward the motel room. “I’ll change the flat in the morning when I can see what I’m doing. No point screwing around out here in the dark.”

She leaned against his side. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone since I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to change the tire on my own. I tried once before when I had a flat and couldn’t get the lug nuts off.”

“They’re usually a bitch. You know what?” He swiped the keycard and opened the door.

“What?”

“You’re resourceful. You would have managed just fine, but I’m glad I’m here to help.”

“I am, too.” She followed him inside, set the dog down then wrapped her other arm around his waist. “Thank you.”

He hugged back. “You’re welcome.”

She pressed her cheek against his chest. “I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.”

“Can’t.”

She tilted her chin to glance up. “Why not?”

“Because we have to call the cops. A slashed tire is vandalism. We need to report it.”

“What about the rock? And the bullet? Attempted murder seems slightly more serious than vandalism, and we didn’t call about those incidents.”

“Depends on your point of view. I doubt your local sheriff in Cloverdale would have been too concerned if I’d told him someone threw a rock at me.”

“Even if it was with a slingshot?”

“We couldn’t prove that, Ainslee. As for the
bullet
, I still think it was probably from a pellet gun. We’ll mention both incidents. We can’t keep ignoring the fact that someone is obviously on a mission to stop us from getting to the treasure first.”

“I know.” She let out a sigh then pulled away. “All right, let’s make the call and get it over with.” She checked her watch. “With any luck, we’ll get to sleep by midnight.”

* * * *

Ainslee shut the door behind the police officer and leaned against it. “At least he was cute.”

Griff rolled his eyes. “I wonder if the kid is even legal to drink.” He dropped onto the end of one bed. “I don’t think he was too impressed with our conspiracy theory.”

With a sigh, she pushed away from the door to sit beside him. “Yeah, he seemed pretty convinced it was some homeless nut job still on the loose who’d broken into a couple of other cars in the area.”

“Except in those cases, the guy took valuables he found in the vehicles. This was pure destruction of property. Why choose our SUV if he didn’t have a personal agenda?”

“I agree it’s all a little too coincidental.” She toed off her tennis shoes. “Right now, I don’t even care. I just want to crash.”

“Go ahead. I still need to take a shower.”

After he disappeared into the bathroom, Ainslee stripped off the jeans and sweatshirt she’d put on earlier to go looking for Griff and pulled an oversized T-shirt out of her bag. Nothing sexy. Just because she’d been feeling a little nervous about someone following them and hadn’t wanted separate rooms didn’t mean she intended to sleep with him.
Does it?
She shook her head. “Nope, not going to happen.”

After turning off the lights, she stepped over Rocky then climbed into bed. Stretching out on the cool sheets, she released a long breath. Were they fools to keep searching for new clues? Should they do as the crazy-ass whack job following them wanted and simply give up? If it were up to her, she might just cave in and quit. No unknown treasure was worth serious injury—or worse. But she suspected Griff wouldn’t back down, and she had no intention of leaving him alone without backup. No, they’d see this adventure through together, and then…who knew.

The shower turned off. She rolled to her side facing away from the bathroom and drew her knees up to her chest. A few minutes later, the door opened. Griff stumbled and swore.

“You okay?”

“Kicked the trash basket. Sorry I woke you.” His voice was low, resonating deeply.

“I wasn’t asleep yet.”

The other bed creaked. Covers ruffled. “What the hell?”

In the dark, Rocky growled.

“Uh, will he bite me if I kick him off the bed?”

Ainslee grinned. “I’m not sure. He was on the floor the last time I saw him. You could always share.”

“Good idea, but not with the dog.”

The mattress dipped. She sucked in a breath as his warm body slid in behind her. “Griff.”

“We’re just going to sleep. I know you’re tired.”

He wrapped his strong, bare arms around her, pulling her against his naked chest, then rested his chin atop her head.

Her heart fluttered and raced. “Are you wearing anything?”

“Boxers. Want me to take them off?”

“No.” Her voice squeaked.

“Kidding.” He cuddled closer. “Go to sleep.”

Slowly she allowed herself to relax.

“Ains?” His breath brushed her ear.

Her back stiffened. “What?”

“Once the treasure hunt’s over, I understand we have different agendas, but I’d like to work something out so we can still see each other.”

“You don’t have to do me any favors. Right now, I’m not sure where my life is going.”

He tightened his arms. “I’m trying to do
me
a favor. I want to keep seeing you. I mean it.”

She squeezed her lids shut. “If you think I’ll have sex with you just because—”

“Do you really believe I’m that big of a sleaze ball?”

“No.” She steadied her voice. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” He loosened his grip and stroked her hair. “It’s been a long day. Go to sleep.”

Ainslee drifted off, only to wake at the first hint of dawn. She stretched and turned, pressing her nose against firm flesh, and breathed deeply. Griff tightened his arms around her, one big palm cupping her butt beneath the T-shirt. An insistent prod pushed against her stomach.

Marginally more awake, she peered up at him in the faint light. Still asleep. Not that his body seemed to realize—or care. He’d obviously fallen asleep with sex on the brain, and nothing much had changed since then. She had two choices. Try to slip out of bed without waking him, or enjoy being surrounded by his warmth. She picked option B and settled in, eyes drifting closed…

Something tickled her neck. She reached up, and her fingers slid into silky hair. Lips nuzzled against her breast, pulling one tip into a warm, wet mouth. Her core tightened and throbbed as she opened her eyes.

A green gaze met hers from below the bunched up T-shirt, glazed and slightly desperate. “I’ve always had a hard time with self-control. I’ll stop now if you want me to.”

Did she? If he quit what he was doing, she just might die. In response, she wrapped her legs around his hips and pushed against him. “Don’t stop.”

“Oh, thank God.” His lips went back to working their magic.

Ainslee closed her eyes and floated on a wave of feeling. Cloth ripped. Her panties, she assumed since they were whisked from between them. Another rip. This time a foil packet as he pulled away for a moment. Then he was back, kissing her like he didn’t intend to stop. When he pushed inside, filling her, she let herself go on a moan of pleasure. He slid her T-shirt over her head as his hard, bare chest pressed against her breasts. When his lips returned to her mouth for a long, drugging kiss, she never wanted to let him go.