Cole acted out of pure instinct, tearing down his driveway after Dani. Damn, the woman could run in heels. Luckily, his long legs carried him fast enough to give him an edge and he caught her, wrapping his hand around her arm before she could open the car.
The instant he touched her, he knew he’d made a colossal mistake. He knew it all the way down to the soles of his feet. There was too much fire between them. Always had been and probably always would be. Sure, that had been years ago, and a lot had changed since then, but he should have known better. Still, he couldn’t let her run off like this.
“Dani, don’t. Please don’t leave. It’s okay to still be mad.”
She whipped around, sending a trail of her sweet perfume straight to his nose. How could he have forgotten how beautiful she was? Glossy black hair, fiery brown eyes and red lips that could make a man forget what exactly he’d come for. “I do not need your permission to be mad. I’ll be mad for the rest of my life if I feel like it.”
One thing was for sure—Cole was sorely out of practice in the art of taming Dani. “I know. I’m sorry. You’re right.”
She tried to wrestle her arm from his grip, but that bit of friction between them—warm skin against warm skin—sent a flood of memories through his brain. Dani had always done this to him. She’d always brought everything back to life. He’d just forgotten how good it felt to have a taste of it.
“Let me go.”
He did as she requested, but she didn’t move. She didn’t immediately reach for the handle on the car door, and Cole decided to take that as a good sign. She wasn’t running again. Not yet, at least. “Please come in and have one drink. I want to hear about New York. I want to know what’s going on in your life.”
“Maybe I don’t feel like telling you.”
“Good God, you are stubborn.” He shook his head. “Probably why I could never quite get you out of my system.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m dead serious. I wasn’t kidding about the scotch, either.”
She looked away, and the moonlight caught her profile—an adorable nose that turned up slightly at the end, dark hair blowing in the breeze across her creamy skin. For what felt like the millionth time, he wished he hadn’t had to push her away nearly six years ago, but he’d had no choice. Life and death had been hanging in the balance. Her whole future opened wide, and his narrowed to a narrow and finite point.
“I do need to use the restroom,” she muttered, seeming embarrassed.
“Perfect. Come on in.”
He tentatively placed his hand at the small of her back to usher her up the driveway, but she was walking a pace faster. “I wasn’t kidding. I drank an entire bottle of water on the way over here.”
Cole laughed and jogged ahead, taking the porch steps in two long strides and opening the door for her. “You know where it is.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I do.”
He watched her as she walked down the hall, wondering once again if he was seeing things. Dani was in his house. Wearing a dress that hugged every glorious inch of her, especially his favorite parts—her hips, her butt, her breasts. Basically, everything that was lush and round and good for sinking his fingers into. When Sam had told him a half hour ago that she was back in town, he certainly hadn’t thought she’d turn up on his front porch. It was like fate was delivering him a gift he had no idea what to do with.
There was no telling how long Dani or her lovely dress were going to stick around. His gut told him he’d better make this good. He hustled into his grand but comfortable living room, with high wood-beamed ceilings and seating for at least twenty people for the rare times when he decided to entertain. He turned off the flat-screen TV above the stacked stone fireplace and switched on an antique bronze craftsman lamp to cast a warm glow, making the room feel cozier. More intimate. He put on some soft music and lit a candle. Hopefully Dani wouldn’t use that open flame to set his house on fire. He was straightening the throw pillows on one of the leather sofas when she appeared.
“Company coming over?”
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t make the place presentable?”
“I don’t know. What kind of gentleman would you be?”
The question was so heavy with innuendo it could’ve broken a bone if dropped on his foot. “On the rocks, right?”
“Good memory.” She breezed past him and took a seat.
“I only poured you one of these at least a hundred times.”
“Probably more like twice that.”
“Sometimes we drank beer. Or wine. There was a lot of wine.” The undercurrent was that there had been an awful lot of good times between them. Fun times. Celebratory, joyous times. Birthdays. A few anniversaries, even.
There was a lot of history between them, and he knew he had no business dredging it up. Not tonight. Possibly not ever. Especially not about the reasons he’d had to break up with her. Still, she’d always been his biggest weakness. A drink for old times’ sake wouldn’t hurt.
He walked over and handed her the drink. She took it from him, their fingertips brushing just enough to send a jolt of electricity zipping up along his arm. She was as sexy as ever, even when she was mad. Maybe especially when she was mad.
“Tell me about New York.” He took the seat right next to her on the couch. Some habits were impossible to break. Sitting with her like this made him want to put his arm around her, pull her close and kiss her. He needed to feel her soft lips against his and taste everything he’d missed over their years apart. The realization made it nearly impossible to sit still, let alone seem relaxed.
She sat a little straighter. “It was great. I did well for myself. Well enough to buy a house out in Pine Valley.”
“Did you take up golf? That’s a neighborhood for hitting the links or raising a family. That doesn’t really seem like your speed.” Maybe she’d changed more than he’d bargained on.
“It’s beautiful out there, and it’s a gated community. I like feeling safe. Is there anything wrong with that?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Nothing at all.” He took a long sip of his drink. “I guess your success explains the zippy little death trap you pulled up in.”
“A woman is entitled to buy a sports car.”
“Absolutely. Just be careful. One run-in with a semi and you’ll end up in traction. Or worse.”
“You’re one to be giving lectures on driving. I seem to remember you wrapping your squad car around a tree and nearly killing yourself.” A dark shadow fell across her face as she turned to look at him. “That’s what started the trouble between us, remember?”
He’d walked right into that one. He needed to avoid subjects that could eventually lead to the stupid things he’d done. “I’m not talking about me. And you don’t see me driving around in a roller skate.”
“It’s a Porsche. And it’s fun to drive. You should try it some time.” She shot him an all-knowing look that made his pants feel a little too tight. “So, she probably shouldn’t have said anything, but Megan told me that you’re working on the investigation into her brother’s murder.”
He nodded. “You know, Megan’s been through the wringer. It’s hard for me to blame your best friend for wanting to tell you everything. But yes, we are keeping a very tight lid on things until we can catch Rich.”
“So you think he’s still here in Royal? Hiding out? Lurking in the shadows?”
“I do. There’s a lot of money that’s gone unaccounted for and we know he’s not about to walk away from that. The man has no fear. He’s proven that he will do anything.”
“I still can’t believe he stole Will’s identity, embezzled all of that money, and then went and married Megan.” She shuddered. “It’s so scary. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. I just wish there was something I could do to make it better.”
“That’s my job. But don’t worry. We will catch him.”
“Good.” She knocked back the rest of her drink and gently set the glass on the table.
“One more?”
“I shouldn’t.” She looked right at him, her tempting lips within striking distance. He couldn’t think of a time he’d wanted to kiss her more, not even the very first time he’d done it, when he was a young Texas Ranger and she was a brand-new chef. Back when their whole lives were stretching out before them and the future seemed ripe with possibilities. “But it’s just too delicious to say no.”
“That’s my girl.” He berated himself as soon as the words came out of his mouth. That’s what the old Cole would’ve said. The Cole who’d broken her heart to save her. He got up from the couch and poured them both another drink before sitting back down. Hopefully she hadn’t noticed what he’d said.
“It’s been a long time since you called me that.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.”
She took the glass when he offered it to her. “It’s okay. It was actually sort of nice to hear.” She laughed quietly. “I don’t know exactly how pathetic that sounded, but I’m guessing pretty darn pathetic. That’s what happens when you go for years being single. You end up a total sucker for sweet things guys say.”
His ears perked up at that. Not only was she still single, she’d been that way for a while. He knew he shouldn’t take any encouragement, but now that he had a drink under his belt and she was softening her hard exterior, it was impossible not to want her and feel as though he had a chance. “Apparently the men of New York don’t know a good thing when they see it.”
Her eyes raked over his face. That hot, seductive look made him want to dig his hands into her hair and taste her lips. He wanted to unzip that dress, touch every inch of her silky skin, and get lost in her for hours. “A few have a clue. They just don’t manage to have a clue for very long. That’s the problem.”
“Anybody serious?”
She arched an elegant brow. “You really want to know?”
“I really want to know.” Except he didn’t. The thought of her with another guy made him want to put his fist through a wall, even when he’d willingly given her up.
She took another sip of the amber scotch and cradled the glass in her hand. “One guy lasted a year. Another chef. Celebrity chef, actually. I doubt you watch the Food Network, but he has a bunch of shows. Taylor Blake.”
Cole didn’t watch the Food Network, but he’d have to be living under a rock to not know Mr. Blake. He was a big figure in the world of barbecue championships, handsome as a male model and knew his way around the kitchen. He also happened to look quite a lot like Cole. Apparently Dani had a type. “I know exactly who that is.”
“Oh. Well, it was a long time ago now. He came close to popping the question, I think, but it didn’t happen. Too many career aspirations between the two of us.”
Dani had always had big dreams. She’d come from very little and had always been determined that wouldn’t define her. Her lofty goals were part of what had made Cole end things with her, even though they were also much of what had attracted him to her. He couldn’t guarantee her he’d be around long enough, and he never wanted to hold her back. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not really.”
“I’m not sure what that means.”
“It means I’m not sorry you’re single.” The words escaped his mouth before he realized what he was saying. He needed to ride the brakes right now, not rev the engine, even if Dani did make his heart pound in his chest and everything below his waist flicker back to life. He was in the middle of a case, back to putting himself in danger. She’d hated it when he was a Texas Ranger, running around and catching criminals. Now he was back at it as a private investigator.
But that was part of who he was—he’d always had a strong sense of right and wrong and a fierce desire to set things straight. This thirst for justice was fed when Cole was twelve and his parents had some trouble with several ranch hands that were not only stealing from them, they were committing robberies in Royal. The Texas Rangers had solved the case and recovered his parents’ losses. In their cowboy hats and holsters, Cole had thought the Rangers were everything he wanted to be—strong, resourceful, and dedicated to seeing that justice was served.
“You’re drunk,” she said.
“No. I’m not.”
She laughed that breathy Dani laugh. “I sometimes think you like to argue as much as I do.” She angled herself toward him and flashed her big brown eyes, biting her lower lip. It felt like an invitation, but he wanted a little more. One more sign. “I sort of missed it. I have yet to meet another man who will stand up to me.”
“Is that what you want? Is that what you need?” His pulse was thundering in his ears as he waited to hear her response. He was really hoping for I need you. Right now. Right here.
“Now where’s the fun in telling you what I need, mister? I’d rather keep you guessing. I think I’ve earned the right to do that.”
But he did know what she needed, and what she wanted, at least when it came to the physical. That part had never been a problem between them. In fact, it had always been perfect. Consequences be damned, he decided to dip his toes in this hot water, even if he might end up getting scalded. He lowered his head, eyes open to watch for punches launched, but all Dani did was shake her head.
“You’re going to kiss me?”
“Right now.” He moved a little closer.
“Right here?”
“Unless you tell me to stop.” He was inches away, so close that he felt her warm breath on his lips. Her beautiful skin was calling to him, begging for his touch.
“I suppose one time couldn’t hurt.”
Dani sealed the deal before he could do it. Cole clamped his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him. It only took a second until she was bending into him, angling her neck for a deeper kiss. Her lips parted and her tongue sought his. That was all the encouragement he needed. He leaned back on the couch, pulling her with him, until her beautiful body was stretched out over the length of his.
She pulled away for an instant, breathless. “What are we doing?”
“I think you know exactly what we’re doing.” He hoped like hell she wasn’t about to change her mind. He never knew with Dani. He kissed her neck, which was a bit of a low blow. He knew exactly how much she loved it.
Dani groaned her approval. “If this happens, it doesn’t mean anything. Not a damn thing, okay?”
Maybe Dani really was a gift delivered by the universe. If he could have her one more time and go back to his miserable life later, it would be the best of both worlds. For both of them.
“I promise. This doesn’t mean a thing.”
* * *
The heat from Cole’s body was making it impossible to think straight, but Dani did manage one salient thought: if she was going to have a meaningless hookup with some guy, Cole was her best choice. There was nothing to lose. Everything had already been lost.
He dug his fingers into her hair, deepening their kiss. Of course she was going to respond in kind. He tasted of her favorite scotch. She’d forgotten how good he was with his tongue. He was bringing to life parts of her that had practically closed up shop. He drew a line down her spine but kept going, tugging up the hem of her dress, dragging his knuckles along the backs of her thighs. The air was cool against her skin when he had the fabric up around her waist, but then his fingers slipped into the back of her panties and the heat spiked again.
He was hard between her legs. Even through his jeans she could feel how badly he wanted her. It felt like some small measure of revenge to grind against him, knowing she was frustrating him. Unfortunately, her own dissatisfaction was gaining speed.
Cole shifted up onto his elbows, and Dani reared back her head.
“Let’s sit up,” he said, his voice a sexy rumble. “I want to get to the rest of you.”
“Of course.” She hopped up and Cole straightened to sitting.
He curled his finger. “Come here.” His voice was low and rough.
It sent a thrill right through her, but she shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Don’t tease me, Dani. You’ll kill me.”
“As appealing as you make that sound, I want what I can get out of this, too.” She planted her hands on his thighs, leaning forward and letting him get an eyeful of her cleavage. Then she lowered herself to her knees.
Cole untucked his soft, plaid shirt and tore it open. Thank goodness for pearl buttons. Dani sucked in a gasp when he rolled himself out of the sleeves. How she’d missed his broad chest and the patch of sandy-brown hair. She spread her hands across his firm pecs, loving the way his chest rose beneath her palms. She trailed a finger down his centerline, stopping to trace the contours of his abs. A woman could get lost following those lines. Dani had, many, many times.
When she reached his belt buckle, the metal clattered. She unbuttoned his jeans and drew down the zipper. Cole raised his hips and let her tug his pants down his legs. She placed her elbows on his thighs again, leaning forward and touching him through the fabric of his black boxer briefs. He closed his eyes halfway and dropped his chin to his chest, a deep groan escaping his throat. She loved feeling how hard he was from her touch. She loved knowing that she could still do this to him after all this time.
She pulled the waistband down and took him in her hand, lowering her head and drawing only the tip into her mouth. She stroked and sucked, swirling her tongue round and round. He dug the fingers of both hands into her hair, curling them into her head, raking them through her tresses. She wasn’t about to let him reach his peak this way. She just wanted a reminder that she could drive him crazy if she wanted to.
She gently released the suction of her lips. His eyes opened only partway as he looked at her. “You are wearing entirely too many clothes.”
She stood and Cole scooted to the front edge of the couch, bracketing her legs with his knees. She looked down at him, watching as he untied the bow at the side of her wrap dress. The reaction he had when the dress fell open was so good she almost wished she had a camera to capture the moment. The lust in his eyes? The craving? It was off the charts. The bra and panties she’d opted for, made of the finest French lace, were clearly adding to the appeal. Dani loosened the other tie and let the dress fall to the floor.
Cole rose from the couch and stepped out of his boxers. He was towering over her, even when she was still wearing heels. All that hard manly muscle pressed against her was enough to send her over the edge. She’d forgotten just how easy it was to want Cole Sullivan.
He wasted no time reaching around and unhooking her bra and dragging it down her shoulders. He gripped her rib cage with both of his hands and rubbed her nipples with his thumbs, sending a ribbon of pleasure shooting down her torso and into her thighs. He lowered his head and drew one firm bud into his mouth, swirling his tongue in circles. She watched him as he nearly sent her over the edge with the simplest touch.
She placed her hands on his waist and felt the raised skin of the scar along his right flank. He jumped a bit and so did she. They looked at each other and she saw it in his eyes—an unspoken acknowledgment of their traumatic past. The accident. The breakup. Everything that ushered in the last five years, one of the most difficult periods of her life, despite the beauty of becoming a mother. This was a mistake. She could not let Cole in. Not like this.
She pushed away from his chest and scrambled around, plucking her clothes from the floor as humiliation washed over her.
“What are you doing? Do you have some place you need to be?” he asked gruffly.
“This is a mistake, Cole. A huge, massive mistake.”
“You need to work on your pillow talk.” He was just standing in front of the couch—completely naked, no less.
She was not going to let visions of his physique get in the way of her quick escape. She grabbed her fancy undergarments from the floor. What had she been thinking putting these on when she got dressed? She knew where she was going. Cole didn’t deserve French lace. He didn’t deserve to see her in a potato sack, as far as she was concerned. She gave him everything once—her heart, body, and devotion. He threw it all away.
A bundle of clothes in her arms, she tore off down the hall to the powder room she’d used when she first arrived. She couldn’t even look at her own reflection in the mirror. She was too embarrassed and furious with herself. She’d probably spit right into the glass. She sat down on the toilet to pee and stepped into her panties. So much for telling Cole to stay away—she’d swung in the opposite direction, let him take off her clothes and climbed right onto his lap. How dumb could she possibly be?
A knock came at the door. “Dani. Come on. Stop being so dramatic.”
Speaking of dumb, what was Cole thinking, accusing her of being dramatic? “Go away. Go upstairs to your room or something. I don’t want to see you again.” She flushed the toilet to drown out anything he might say in response. Unfortunately it didn’t work.
“I want to make love to you, Dani.” His voice was louder now, like his forehead was pressed against the door.
“No. You want sex. It was supposed to be a meaningless hookup. Remember? You promised me this would mean nothing.” Now that her bra was hooked, she made quick work of wrapping herself up in that stupid, stupid dress. She was going to have to throw it away or drop it at the dry cleaner’s and never pick it up.
“Come on. Are you just going to leave me like this?”
Dani grumbled and made a cursory glance in the mirror, just to remove the smudges of mascara from beneath her eyes. She didn’t want him to see her looking like a raccoon. “I’m coming out.”
“Good.”
She stormed right past him, down the hall and back into the living room to locate her shoes. “This was wrong...coming here was a huge mistake. I don’t ever want to see you again. I don’t want to talk to you. Nothing.” She worked her feet into her pumps and made the mistake of looking at him. He was standing there in nothing more than his boxers, still sporting the erection that she was not going to make go away.
He flinched at her words, but they were the only thing that made sense to her right now. “That’s a tall order. You just moved back to town. We’re bound to run into each other.”
Of course that had been exactly Dani’s thinking when she’d come over here. Now it didn’t seem like such a convenient argument. “You do your Cole Sullivan things, running around catching bad guys and raising cattle with your big perfect family, and I’ll do my thing. Hopefully we won’t see each other at all.”
She marched to the front door and breezed right through. She would’ve closed it right behind her if Cole hadn’t stuck his leg in there and muscled it open. Down the driveway she raced, but she could sense Cole behind her. Get to the car. Just get to the car.
She opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat, but this was one hell of a time to have long legs and be driving a convertible. She had to contort her body to get into it.
“Dani, stop.”
“Cole, have you lost your mind? You’re out here in your underwear.”
“Do you honestly think I care about that right now? You come to my house all hellfire and brimstone, and I kiss you and you melt right into my arms. What is going on? I thought this could just be two friends having fun. Getting reacquainted. Apparently not.”
“You act like you did nothing wrong, Cole. You broke up with me, remember?”
“You don’t know everything.”
She turned the key and revved her engine. “I know enough. Good night, Cole.” The car jerked ahead a few feet when she let go of the clutch, but then it stalled out. “Dammit,” she mumbled under her breath. So much for her dramatic exit.
“Guess I’ll see you around town.”
“I hope not.” She turned the key and the engine purred back to life.
“It’s a small town, Dani. You can’t hide from me forever.”
His voice faded into the black night as Dani sped away, cursing herself for coming out here. Kissing Cole Sullivan and letting him take off her clothes had been a mistake. Granted, loving him had been a bigger one. With two little boys at home relying on her to have her act together and give them a stable life, it was a mistake she couldn’t afford to repeat.