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  Chapter Eight

  A nightmare jolted Evan wide awake. Or maybe that was thunder. Rain pummeled the roof. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, his heart still pounding. Nope. Definitely a nightmare. Silently, he slipped from his bed and drew on sweats and tennis shoes. Michelle was in the guest bedroom; she’d be safe with Wolfe in the house if Evan took a run.

  Raider had called earlier from a burner phone, having to whisper but needing to make sure Michelle was okay. Once Evan had reassured him, he’d said that Wolfe might be a little off, but he was a dedicated soldier and excellent backup and Evan could trust him.

  Evan trusted Raider’s judgment, always had.

  He quietly made his way down the stairs and out the front door, shutting it quietly and hurrying almost eagerly into the rain. The water drenched him, instantly cooling the unreal desire he’d been fighting since seeing Michelle again. He stretched his torso one way and then the other.

  “I was going running, too,” said a low voice from near his truck.

  He moved forward. “Wolfe?”

  “Yeah.” Water ran down the soldier’s hard face, and his eyes glowed with torment. “You need to run?”

  Evan took in Raider’s friend, noting his quick breathing and dilated pupils. “Not as bad as you seem to. Nightmares?”

  “Always.” Wolfe looked back at the quiet home. “You think they ever go away?”

  “Probably not, but I think they get easier to live with,” Evan said, his senses on alert. “Running helps.”

  Wolfe nodded. “Yeah. I run a lot.” He turned back around. “I can stay on the porch to protect her while you go.”

  She was Evan’s to protect. “No. You go ahead.” He pointed toward the trees. “There’s a nice trail along the river where you’ll find some peace.”

  Wolfe’s smile lacked humor. “There’s no peace, man. But I do like a good run. Kat and Roscoe are sleeping in my room and will be fine, although make sure your booze is locked up.”

  He’d already taken care of that. “Have a good run.”

  “Thanks.” Then Wolfe was gone. Silently and surprisingly fast.

  Evan shook his head and moved up the stairs and out of the rain, slipping back inside the house.

  Michelle hovered at the bottom edge of the carpeted stairs, looking delectable in a pink tank-top and matching shorts. “I heard voices. Is everything okay?” Her hair was mussed and her eyes sleepy, and she was the most desirable woman he’d ever seen.

  “No. Hasn’t been since we broke up.” His hair dripped water onto his bare chest, but he didn’t care.

  Her chin lifted. “Evan.”

  It hurt to be around her and not with her. It was that plain and simple. “I went outside to go running, but Wolfe beat me to it. Go back to bed, Peaches. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  “What if I want to talk now?” She reached out, her palm caressing across his upper chest, spreading droplets of the rain.

  Heat slammed into his balls. “I don’t want to talk.”

  She took the last step down and placed her other hand on him, looking up. “I don’t want to talk, either.”

  Blood roared through his veins, pounding in his ears. Was she saying what he thought she was? “What? Why?” Now he couldn’t even speak in complete sentences.

  “I can’t sleep, either.” She leaned in and kissed his chest. “Last night. That kiss. It was good, and I want to know if my memories are real. If we feel as good as I think we did.” She wiped water down his bare arms, tracing each ridge and valley of his biceps. “I’ve wondered all of these years. Haven’t you?”

  “Yeah.” This was too good to be true. But if he had her and she left him, it might kill him. Death might be worth it, though. He brushed his knuckles along the smooth line of her stubborn jaw. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to fight this any longer. I think about you a lot and I dream of you sometimes.” When she decided to be honest, she opened herself with a vengeance, always had. It was one of the things he loved about her. “Being with you the last few days has brought everything back, and well, I just want you.”

  “I want you, too.” For more than one night, but he didn’t want to push her again.

  Her smile was stunning. “I know, Evan.” Levering herself up, she nipped his collarbone, her lips soft and her teeth sharp. “I learned to take what I could with you a long time ago, and right now, we have this night and maybe a few more. Staying apart when we don’t want to is silly.”

  His body rioted; he tried to concentrate on her words, but they blurred together. There was only her soft touch on his skin. He ducked and swept her into his arms, carrying her quickly up the stairs, her soft laugh tunneling inside him and landing in his heart, where she’d always been. He walked by Wolfe’s open door, where the dog was lying in the entry, nose on paws, eyes somber. Waiting for Wolfe? Or judging Evan? Evan grinned and kept going, carrying Michelle into the master bedroom to set her gently on the bed.

  “I’ve missed being carried by you,” she said, her eyes luminous in the darkened room.

  “Any time,” he said, meaning it.

  She reached for him and pulled him down. “Thank you for coming for me when I needed help.”

  His bare chest met her hardened nipples, and he groaned. “Tell me this isn’t a thank-you.”

  She grinned. “Please. I’m not that grateful.”

  Thank God. He kissed her, letting her sweet taste go right to his head. “It’s been a while, Peaches.”

  She tugged her hands through his wet hair, spraying water. “Is that your way of saying we’re going to go fast this time?” Her voice had dropped to breathy, brushing across his skin.

  “I’ll make sure you’re ready,” he promised, kissing down her neck to lick the hollow of her collarbone.

  She moaned and tugged his hair back, shooting erotic pain down his spine. “Honey? I’ve been ready since you burst through my door the other night.”

  * * *

  Michelle had completely lost her mind, but nothing inside her cared. She was in a cozy home in the middle of the woods during a storm with Evan Boldon for the night. As much as she’d like to blame her actions on inevitability, the truth was she wanted him. Always had and probably always would.

  Why not take the moment and hold it close for years to come?

  His easy grace lifting and carrying her up the stairs to the bedroom emphasized their differences, only increasing her desire. He was all strength and muscle, and she was definitely soft. She’d never been a small girl, but he made her feel feminine, even delicate. Protected and cared for.

  There was nothing wrong with enjoying that feeling.

  Until it was swept away by a more powerful force when he set her down and kissed her. Then there was only Evan. The hint of wildness always in him was fully unleashed in the bedroom, engulfing her in a fire just as hot, if not hotter, than it had been before.

  Kissing her deeply, he somehow managed to grasp her hips and move them both farther up the bed until her head rested on a pillow. He kicked off his shoes and they thumped on the floor. She ran her hands along his shoulders and arms, wiping away the rain and humming at the feel of solid muscle warming her palms. There were new scars, some long and some round, that she’d explore later. She wanted to know everything that had happened to him the last six years. Everything.

  He released her mouth, pressing kisses along her jaw to nip at her earlobe. “Ah, baby. I’ve missed you,” he rumbled.

  Her blood heated and her nipples hardened. “Me too.” She dug her nails into his shoulders, gently scraping down his marvelous chest. So much power right above her.

  He grinned and yanked off her top with one smooth motion. His eyes flared and hunger replaced the amusement. His touch was gentle as he brushed his fingers across her breasts, sending tingles straight to her core. “I’ve missed these.”

  Even aroused, laughter bubbled through her. “You can’t miss breasts.”

  “Wanna bet?” He ducke
d his head and captured one nipple in his heated mouth, flicking with his tongue.

  Electricity jarred through her and she gasped, arching against him. “Okay, maybe you can,” she murmured, her eyes shutting from the raw pleasure.

  He chuckled, the vibrations spreading beyond her chest.

  It was almost too much. She reached down and shoved at the waistband of his sweats, pushing them down as far as she could. He lifted and helped her, pushing them all the way off. As he settled against her, his cock hard and throbbing against her core, her eyes almost rolled back in her head.

  Thunder ripped apart the sky outside and rain smashed pine needles into the windows, not coming close to matching the storm brewing inside her.

  She needed him. Now. “Evan,” she murmured, scraping his flanks, his superb ass.

  “I know.” He kissed his way down her heated abdomen, his thumbs smoothly removing her panties. He kissed her right on her clit.

  She couldn’t breathe, so much need swept her. She craved. “Evan. I don’t need—”

  “I do.” He licked her, knowing exactly how much pressure to apply. His tongue was rough, and when he slipped one finger inside her, she detonated as if she’d been on edge for a week. The orgasm hit hard, rolling through her, stealing her breath. She stiffened and let the energy take her, closing her eyes against the onslaught of scalding pleasure.

  When she came down, he chuckled against her, his breath warming her even more.

  That was so fast, it was almost embarrassing. But she didn’t have time for awkwardness. Right now, she was empty, and she needed him. She grabbed his ear and tugged him up, reaching down for his length. Holy crap on a double cracker. She hadn’t enlarged him in her memories.

  The guy was huge.

  She stroked him, and he jerked against her hand. “What’s the hurry?” He sounded pained.

  God, he felt good against her hand. “We can go slow later,” she whispered, licking along his strong jugular.

  “Good plan.” He reached to the side and pulled open the bed-table drawer, smoothly extracting a condom. A quick rip with his teeth, and he freed it, reaching down to put it in place.

  She widened her trembling thighs and curved her hands over his broad shoulders, waiting until he paused, his blue-green eyes devastating. “You sure?” she asked before he could.

  His lips curved. “Yeah. You?”

  “Definitely.” Oh, it was probably a mistake, but who cared? This felt right and incredibly good.

  He entered her slowly, stretching her, giving her time to take all of him. She sucked in her breath several times when pain and pleasure mixed, completely overtaken by him. Finally, a zillion years later, he was fully inside her. Filling her completely, beyond what she remembered.

  Balancing himself on his elbow, he pulled out and gently pushed back in, hitting so many nerves on the way she could only gasp.

  “You’re ready,” he murmured, reaching down to grip her hip.

  Anticipation licked through her with heated flames. She nodded and lifted her knees, allowing him to go even deeper. He groaned and then started to move.

  Hard.

  Fast.

  Wild.

  Evan took her, pressing her into the bed, kissing her deeply. She kissed him back, caught up in the vortex of passion he created so easily.

  Sparks uncoiled inside her, and she fought them, wanting this to last forever. He shifted his hips, caressing her clit, and she cried out, falling over the cliff as the entire room flashed bright and then went dark. The waves ripped through her, raw and deep, taking her breath as she tightened around him, prolonging her ecstasy until lightning flashed behind her closed eyelids.

  He pounded harder, his face a fierce mask, making it last even longer, until she went limp with a soft sigh.

  His head dropped, he pressed a hard kiss to the crook of her neck, and then his powerful body shuddered as he came.

  Whoa. She gentled her hold and caressed his back, her eyelids growing heavy.

  He withdrew and did something, she didn’t care what, with the condom before gathering her close and cuddling her to him.

  Words. Should one of them say something? She could barely think much less speak.

  His phone buzzed, and it took a moment for her to recognize the sound.

  Swearing softly, he grabbed it from the table. “What?” he barked. “Shots fired? You sure?” He listened. “All right. I’ll be there in a minute.” Kissing her softly on the head, he rolled from the bed to get dressed.

  “Shots?” She sat up, her brain still fuzzy.

  “Yeah, baby. It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure Wolfe is here and then I’ll run in to work.” He quickly dressed and then was gone.

  She shivered in the chilly air and pushed her way beneath the covers. He might not be a marine any longer, but he was a cop, and that was a dangerous job, even in a small town. Could she handle the uncertainty this time? Was there a “this time”? She’d promised him a night, and he hadn’t pushed for more.

  Her body felt satiated and sore already, yet she wanted him again. The door opened a crack and a plaintive meow echoed before Kat leaped onto the bed and tiptoed his way up her chest to rub against her chin.

  Surprising tears pricked her eyes. She sniffed. “You know? I’m thinking of getting a cat.”

  The kitten purred.

  Chapter Nine

  Evan stared through the jail bars of one of three cells in the basement of his station, beyond pissed. “You two assholes have no idea what a problem you created for me tonight.” Yeah, he’d seen the panic in Michelle’s eyes. Why had he said “shots fired” out loud?

  Ezekiel Devlin shuffled his size fourteen feet and hitched up his overalls, his eyes bloodshot and his thick gray hair mussed up. “Ah, shit, Sheriff. We’re sorry. We was just goofin’ around.”

  His twin brother nodded from his seat on the bench and then belched, smoothing down his gray flannel shirt. “We got into the moonshine a little bit, and then it was just a contest. I won.” He rubbed his square jaw, the liver spots on his hand darker than they had been the year before. “Nailed that old birch tree like it jumped in front of me.”

  The two farmers were usually well behaved, but once in a while, they were just morons. Evan snarled. “How many times have I told you not to fire your shotguns within city limits?” True, they had been in the forest, but there were still homes nearby, and the young Jordan family, a mile away, didn’t need to hear shotguns being fired in the middle of the night.

  “Twice,” Ezekiel muttered just as Sonny said, “Five times.”

  Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m gonna let Louise charge you two this time.” The prosecutor had mentioned wanting to really teach them a lesson last time.

  Sonny’s eyes widened. “Come on, Sheriff. We only aimed at a tree that was almost outside of city limits, which aren’t designated well, anyway. We’re sorry we interrupted your night with your new lady.”

  Ezekiel nodded. “Heard that Michelle is a real looker. You could go back to her now. It’s barely light outside.”

  For Pete’s sake. There were no secrets in a small town, were there? Giving the men another look, he turned and strode up the steps to the main hallway, where he entered his office and sat at his desk. He liked his job, and it wasn’t usually dangerous, but as a cop, there were always risks. More and more people visited town, drank, and floated on the river in the summer, and he’d busted several with drugs the previous year.

  He’d dated a psychologist briefly once, and she’d said he had a protector’s nature, whatever that was. Probably meant he was supposed to be a marine or a cop; he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

  Could Michelle handle the risk now? If not, could he find another calling?

  Not that she’d agreed to anything more than a few nights. Apparently they had a talk coming, because guessing wasn’t his style. First he had to figure out exactly what he wanted and what to say. He glanced at the cell phone on his desk and then
dialed, figuring if Raider couldn’t talk, he wouldn’t answer.

  “Hey, brother. You okay?” Raider answered on the first ring, the Southern accent he allowed few people to hear in full force.

  “Yeah.” Relief filled Evan. Raider’s last year at Miss A’s had been Evan’s first, but they’d bonded quickly and stayed in touch regularly. “Sorry to bug you when you are undercover. Is it okay to talk?”

  “Yep. I’m here at the office briefly but need to go back under tomorrow. Things are fine. What’s going on with Michelle?”

  Evan gave him the lowdown. “So Jayleen is out there, causing problems, and I don’t know who’s after Michelle yet.”

  Raider sighed. “I’ve had my guys trying to track Jayleen, and so far, no luck. My unit here isn’t exactly in the good graces of the HDD, so I’m sure it’s not a priority.”

  Evan had heard they were the misfits of the HDD, which he kind of liked. “I appreciate the attempt.”

  “I’m making the offer again, brother. You have a job here if you want it,” Raider said. “It’s exciting, which you like. We never know what’s going to happen next.”

  “That’s not me anymore, Raid. Plus, you wouldn’t believe the excitement here.” Somewhat true.

  Raider cleared his throat. “Well? Why did you really call?”

  Evan winced. “Michelle. I mean . . .”

  “Be square with her. You’re both all grown up now, and either it’ll work or it won’t. Depends how bad you two want it,” Raider said.

  Good advice, but not a lot of help. Fine. Evan could figure this out on his own. “By the way. Wolfe? Just how nuts is he?”

  Raider chuckled. “The jury is out on that one. He’s solid, and if you get in a bind, the guy can fight.”

  Well, at least that was something.

  “But,” Raider finished, “he’s a total hound dog, and if you leave him alone with Michelle, he’ll definitely make a move.”

  Wonderful. Just wonderful.

  * * *

  Michelle walked down the warm steps in her bare feet after having dressed in comfortable jeans and a pink sweater. Her hair was in a ponytail and she’d put on light makeup in case Evan had returned. The smell of coffee drew her to the kitchen, and she poured a cup before heading out to the back deck. The sun sparkled on the bluish river and was starting to dry the grass.