Chapter Ten
Chase couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of Raine pressed against him at the firing range had his mind racing. Her earthy scent had lingered on his clothes. Even a cold shower couldn’t make the thought of drinking that scent in go away. He threw back the covers and went to check on Elmer.
“Hey buddy. You couldn’t sleep either?” Elmer hopped around his cage and wiggled his whiskers at him. “I’ve got a woman on my mind. Be glad you aren’t interested in the ladies anymore. Be real glad.”
The office might give him a place to go. At least he could check out the cameras again. Raine had felt so good leaning into him. He didn’t want to let her go, but figured he’d look like a real prick if he didn’t release her hands when the gun was empty.
What was she doing now? Was she thinking about him too? Would she let him kiss her and touch her, and make her cry out for him? He needed to stop thinking about her underneath him. He’d end up with a hard-on that would require emergency medical care.
He pulled up the security feed. All was quiet. The phone on the desk rang. He swiped it off the cradle. “Shepherd.”
“It’s me,” Deke said. “Sorry to call so late. I took a chance you couldn’t sleep. You never could.”
“Like you.” He laughed. How many all night stake outs had they done together? Only Max would nod off like a baby and have to be shaken awake.
“I ran that missing persons you wanted. I can’t find any reports of a missing woman in her late thirties accompanied by a nine-year-old boy. It’s one or the other, but not both. Sorry, man.”
He hoped for any kind of lead to tell him more about what Raine was running from. He couldn’t help her if he didn’t know what he was up against. If her troubles were too big for him, he’d get Deke and Max to take care of her. His feelings were picking up speed and running off the track. He barely knew her and he wanted to keep her safe. He rubbed a hand over his face.
“Can you do a check on someone for me?”
“The whole works?”
“Yeah, just don’t get caught doing it.”
“You know me better than that. I run everything from my home stuff. I’m not stupid enough to use company equipment and info for personal reasons. I’m thinking about following in your footsteps. The team isn’t the same without you. I’m getting tired of the job. I want a life and a woman waiting home for me.”
The late hour made Deke sentimental. “You want to talk about it?” They had shared a lot of stories on those late night stake outs while Max slept. He’d told Deke about his wife leaving and taking their daughter. That night was the closest he ever came to crying. Not because Denise didn’t love him, but because she waited to leave until he was on a job and disappeared without so much as a warning. He had had only two hours before he needed to get on a plane for another assignment. He couldn’t chase them down, and when he did Denise made it clear he was no longer Jenna’s father. Deke sat there and listened, never mentioned it again, and never rubbed his nose in it.
“Nothing more to talk about. Who do you want the check on? I’ll start it now and maybe have something for you by tomorrow night when we get there.”
He took a deep breath. No going back after this. If she ever found out what he did, she’d hate him. She had her secrets and she wanted them quiet. “Raine Kennedy.” He spelled her first name out.
“I’m on it.” Deke ended the call.
He stared at his phone instead of going back to bed, but he knew sleep wouldn’t come. He dialed Raine’s number and waited for her to answer. “Are you sleeping?”
“You can’t sleep either?” Her voice drifted to him like a song.
His core heated up. “Meet me on your front porch?”
“Already there.”
He raced down the steps, shoved his feet into his boots, and yanked his coat off the hook. Sure enough, she stood on her porch this time in her coat, and a knit hat with a fluffy pom-pom pulled over her ears. She looked so damn cute, and when she turned at the sound of his footsteps against the frozen ground her smile stretched wide. His heart nearly stopped.
“Hey,” he managed because he didn’t trust himself to say much more.
“The house was closing in on me. I needed some air.” She banged her booted feet on the cement. “What was keeping you up?”
Thoughts of her wrapped around him. “I’ve never been much of a sleeper. I’m lucky if I get three or four hours.”
She tilted her chin up at him. “What’s going on between us, Chase?”
“You like getting right to the point.”
“Tell me I’m wrong. That you don’t feel what I feel when you’re inches from me.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from pulling her toward him. “You’re not wrong.”
“I can’t get serious with anyone. I have Landon to think about, and I’m not sure Silent Water is our last stop. I like it here, and I like knowing my neighbors.” She looked up at him. Even in the dim light of the front porch he could see the red bloom up her neck and onto her cheek. “But what I want doesn’t always factor in.”
“You can set the pace to friendship if that’s all you want.” He still couldn’t quite get his head around the fact this woman had turned his attention. Plenty of women had crossed his path, and some he’d taken to bed, but no one had his pulse racing the way this woman did. He’d settle for friendship if that was all she was giving, but he wouldn’t like it.
“Do you want to come inside? It’s freezing out here. Landon is out like a light. We won’t wake him.” She turned not waiting for his answer. She stepped through the door and left it open for his entrance.
He hesitated for only a second. The open door had to be an invitation to more than friendship. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. The fire was on its way out. A chill had touched the air, and the room smelled like wood smoke.
“Would you like a glass of wine? I picked up a bottle tonight. It’s the cheap kind. All I could afford.” She shrugged and grabbed two glasses.
He took the wine from her and poured them each a glass. He didn’t know much about wine. He couldn’t tell a seven-dollar bottle from a seven hundred dollar one.
“Thanks again for today. I really appreciate it.” She rubbed her finger along the top of the glass.
He didn’t know what he was doing there. Coming over had been a mistake. Sure, he wanted to see her, to touch her, but he couldn’t get involved with her and she had just said as much to him. She didn’t appear to be the kind of person who would settle for a one-night stand, and he was pretty sure if they slept together he’d want to do it more than once.
“I can arrange for another lesson.” He put the wine down untouched. “Look, Raine, I’m sorry about coming over here so late. I should let you –”
“Chase, shut up and kiss me.” She rounded the counter and threw her arms around his neck.
He gripped her waist and pulled her against him. Her mouth opened to his and he wasted no time tasting her. Their tongues darted in and out. She licked his lips, and he let a moan slip.
She eased away from him. “Do you like that?”
Did he ever.
****
Raine wanted to touch him everywhere. Her skin was on fire and had been since the shooting range. He’d smelled so good standing behind her with his hips pressed to her back. She had to use all her self-control not to jump him then. But the second he called her tonight, she knew. He’d felt their heat too.
She ran her hands up the back of his sweatshirt, and his muscles flexed against her touch. He was strong, and solid. His took his lips from hers and began kissing her neck. His scruffy beard tickled her sensitive skin. “Mmmm.”
“Should I keep going?” He said against her neck.
She laced her fingers into his hair. His lips trailed down to her collar bone, and his hands pressed against her belly. She needed to get closer.
“Could we get rid of this?” She tugged at the bottom of his shirt.
He stepped back but stopped. “What about Landon? What if he comes out?”
“He won’t. Once he’s down he never comes out.”
He pressed his lips together. “There’s a first time for everything, and I don’t want his first time to be me half-dressed in his kitchen with my hands all over his mother.”
Her heart swelled. His first concern was her son and not for his needs. She placed a hand on his cheek. He held it and kissed her palm sending sparks across her already hot skin.
“I can go home if you think that’s best.” His voice was low, and husky.
She took him by the hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom. Inside, she locked the door. The only light in the room filtered in from the moon and the sheer curtains on the window. She needed nothing more. His tall frame was a silhouette against the moonlight like her own personal bodyguard.
Nothing about this town or this man made sense. She hardly knew him but did know he kept his feelings close to his chest. He had secrets of his own, and two people getting involved with something to hide was bound to blow up in their faces. Still, she couldn’t stop from walking across the room to where he stood with a wide stance and a devilish grin on his face. He lowered his head to meet hers, and his lips were on her again sending all the heat from her veins straight to her most sensitive spot.
“Please, Chase, take off your shirt. I want to feel all of you.”
He stepped back and ripped his shirt over his head. His chest was chiseled with a scar under his right collar bone. She traced a finger over the puckered skin, but he took her finger and sucked on it. Her knees buckled. He replaced that finger with the next keeping his intense gaze locked with hers.
She took her free hand and dragged it over his pecs and traced the thin line of hair leading to the top of his jeans. She tugged at the button. “I think I need some help.”
He released her and kicked off his boots sliding his pants down before stepping out of them. She held her breath. His erection was incredible like the rest of him.
“Is it in bad taste to say wow?”
A smile played on his lips. “Not at all and thank you. Now, how about you?” He wagged his finger up and down.
He placed his hands over hers and helped her lift her sweater over her head. His large hands sought out her belly and then her breasts cupping one then the other. He rubbed his thumb over the lace of her bra making her nipples hard. She pressed into his hand wanting more of his touch.
“I think I’m on fire,” she said.
He kissed the space between her breasts and with a skilled hand unhooked her bra pushing it off her shoulders. “Talk about wow.” He took her right breast into his mouth and teased her with his tongue.
“Chase.”
“Hmm?” He lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist moving his mouth from one breast to the other.
“I’m not like this, you know.”
His head snapped up. She regretted the words instantly. “Not like what?”
“I don’t normally sleep with a man I hardly know.”
“I realize that.” He returned to sucking on her nipple.
Her insides were melting. “How?”
“I’m a pretty good judge of character.” He scooped her up and placed her on the bed. Since she was wearing leggings, he had no trouble scooting them down her legs.
He propped himself up on his elbow. “You’re beautiful.” His finger traced circles around her belly button. “Could we do away with these?” He tucked a finger under the side of her thong.
“Please.” Her words were breathless.
His hands found the inside of her thighs. She thought she would explode. “Chase, please, touch me.”
His mouth was on hers, and his fingers found the liquid heat of her center. He slid a finger into her core and she moaned. “Yes, like that.” She moved her hips to the rhythm of his touch lifting her hips to get closer to him.
She wrapped a hand around his desire wanting to feel him hard and full inside her.
“You’re driving me mad, lady. I’ve wanted you to touch me like that for days now.” He growled against her neck.
She stroked him relishing in the enjoyment she was giving him. When she couldn’t take another minute of the torturous pleasure she said, “now. Please. Chase. Now.”
He slid on top of her brushing her damp hair away from her face. He rested between her legs but did not move. “I don’t know what is happening between us, Raine, but I know I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you.”
She traced the gray hairs on his chin. “I feel the same way. I mean wanting you more than any other man. Not another woman. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Nerves made her ramble. Who wasn’t a little nervous right before sex with the hottest guy she’d ever been with?
He laughed and nibbled at her ear.
Without another word, he entered her drawing her to the center of the heat. Her whole body burned, and as they rocked together she thought she’d turn to ash by the time they were done.
He pulled out just a little surprising her but drove into her again with more intensity. Her body convulsed with waves of relief crashing against her over and over. “Yes, Chase. Oh, yes.”
His body shuddered with hers. He squeezed his eyes shut at the last second until she could no longer feel the wash of his release inside her.
He rested his forehead against hers. “That was amazing.”
“It certainly was.”