Maddie snagged her coffee cup and stuffed a tip into the jar on the counter. The bruise on Nikki’s face from two days ago had a green tint to it now. Huh. They both had battle scars. At least Nikki was back to work.
Bringing the steaming cup to her nose, Maddie inhaled deeply. She didn’t like to drink coffee at night, but she had to finish grading final papers and after a long day of digging, she needed the fix.
Damn that Scott. Since he’d showed up in town, her caffeine intake had doubled. He never failed to agitate her, leaving her either hot and bothered or royally pissed. Between that and the coffee, she tossed and turned all night.
Maddie glanced around the empty shop before asking Nikki, “How are you?”
“Okay, I guess. I’m kinda worried about my brother, though.”
“What’s up with Zach?”
Nikki shrugged. “He’s out of jail and—”
“What? When did this happen?”
“A couple of days ago. He got out early, but he wouldn’t tell me why.” She frowned. “He met me outside of town to give me money for rent until I can get my finances together. I’m not supposed to tell anyone I saw him, but I trust you.”
“Well, it’s nice he’s helping you out, but why all the secrecy?” Maddie set her cup back on the counter.
“He said he’s working a dangerous job, and I shouldn’t come anywhere near him. What if he’s doing something illegal?”
Maddie cocked her head. “That doesn’t sound like him. He never even committed the crime he went to jail for. I think you need to trust him.”
“I don’t really have a choice. I hope he doesn’t go after Eric.” Nikki touched her bruise. “Zach saw my face, and I’ve never seen him so angry. Thought he was going to pull a Maddie. You know, find Eric and punch him out.”
Maddie pursed her lips. It hadn’t been her finest moment. “I didn’t plan to, but he deserved it.”
“Eric might not see it coming. I didn’t want to share anything about my family with him, so I never mentioned Zach. Guess the fact I didn’t want Eric to even know about my brother should have been a clue we weren’t going to last.”
“At least you know it now and aren’t with the asshole anymore.”
“I just hope Zach lets it go. He can’t afford to get into trouble, and I don’t want to be the reason he ends up back in jail.”
Nikki would be crushed. Maddie tapped her cheek with a finger. “If he got out early, maybe he ratted on someone and worked a deal. He could be trying to protect you because those guys have friends on the outside.”
“Anything’s possible. I wish I knew.”
The front door opened, and a couple entered the shop. Maddie picked up her coffee. “I’d better get going. I’m glad he’s out, anyway. Keep me posted, and let me know if you need any help with your new place.”
“Thanks.” Nikki waved a hand. “I’m all set for now.”
Maddie slipped past the customers, stopped in the doorway, and frowned. Eric, that degenerate loser, cruised past in his truck, turned into the bank entrance across the street, and drove around the back.
Probably depositing money from the sale of the artifacts he’d dug up. Her pulse spiked. Scott should have at least interrogated him. Maybe he could have found out where the thieves had stashed the goods. By now, whatever Eric had dug up would be sold and gone like everything stolen from her storeroom.
Speak of the devil, Scott drove by and also turned into the bank lot. He continued around to the back of the building. Maddie cocked her head. Eric’s truck hadn’t come out the other side yet. The ATM machine was in the front. It was seven o’clock, and the bank closed at six.
She opened the café door and strolled down the sidewalk past her car. Nerves jittered in her gut. Something wasn’t right. Stopping behind a large oak, she peered at the far corner of the parking lot across the street. Her breath caught at the sight of Eric’s pickup parked next to Scott’s Impala.
Eric stepped out of his truck, a shoe box in hand, and glanced around. He scurried over to Scott’s car. The driver’s side window lowered, and Eric leaned down. He opened the box lid a few inches, as if to show Scott what was inside.
Scott took the box, and Eric stood back, a satisfied smile on his face that quickly fell. His shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. After a moment, he shoved a hand into his pocket and drew out a wad of cash. Lips pressed together tight, he thrust the money through the open car window.
The little bit of coffee in Maddie’s stomach threatened to come up. Scott on the take. No way. He had let Eric go last night, but the man she knew would never accept a bribe. Yeah, not any more than he’d turn her to putty in his hands, make promises, and then leave her cold.
Again.
She could figure out Stonehenge easier than him. Much as she’d like to march over and smash both their heads together, she held back. Maybe all the time Scott had spent working with criminals had rubbed off and he’d turned dirty. It went against every fiber of her being to believe it, but hard to deny the proof right in front of her. She broke out in a cold sweat.
Eric got into his truck and drove away. Maddie strode down the sidewalk to her car and yanked the door open. She set the coffee in the cup holder and took a deep breath. Sure, Scott had changed since his stint in Mexico, but she’d chalked it up to grief and guilt over the loss of his brother. This was a whole new side of him. She clearly didn’t know Scott anymore and owed him nothing. He’d compromised the illegal digging at her site by letting Eric go, and he sure as hell had played her yet again. To think she’d almost slept with him last night.
Maybe she should turn him into Chief Lee. The tribal leaders would want answers.
First things first. She still had Victor to deal with, and the field survey needed to produce some finds. What could have been in the box? She shook her head and started the engine. Too many questions.
When she got to her apartment and opened the door, Lucky went wild, chasing his tail as he turned in circles. “I know how you feel, buddy. I’ve been chasing mine all day, too.”
At least this guy in her life was consistent and genuine. She took him around the back of the building to do his business, her mind on Scott. His betrayal cut to her core. As much as she’d like to go to the chief, she needed to hear the words from Scott. Let him lie to her face. If he could do that, she’d turn him in.
She rounded the building, unclipped Lucky’s leash, and stopped cold.
Scott stood in front of her door, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, holding what appeared to be the same box Eric had given him.
Lucky bounded up the steps and whined, leaning against Scott’s legs.
No denying the dog loved him.
Same as her, despite everything, damn it all.
Scott knelt and gave the mutt a one-armed hug as Lucky frantically licked his face.
Maddie climbed the stairs, her heart beating double-time as always when around Scott. He straightened when she reached the top of the steps. “Can I come in for a minute?”
She eyed the closed box and unlocked the door. Too angry to speak, she entered the apartment and waved a hand for him to follow. After a deep breath, she turned to face him, her insides quivering. Even as pissed as she was at his betrayal, she wanted him, and hated herself for it.
He handed her the box. “I’m really sorry about the looting. I’m not sure if any of these are salvageable, but I was able to recover them.”
She set the box on the table and opened the lid. Inside were pieces of clay pots, broken arrowheads, and bone shards. Her spirits sank. For dating, they might have significance, but nothing was fit for display at the proposed museum. Hard to say what condition they might have been in prior to being dug up, but based on her excavation results, she’d bet some of them had been intact.
“Where did you get these?” She swung around and thrust her hands on her hips.
He met her gaze with a cool, steady one. “This is an ongoing investigation, so I can’t divulge that, but I wanted you to have them.”
“Nope. Not acceptable. Give me an answer.” The man was good. Not a trace of guilt on his face. No wonder he’d stayed alive undercover.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.” He took a step toward the door. “I only came to drop them off.”
“Like hell.” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare leave. Not until you tell me the truth.”
“Let it go, Maddie.” His eyes darkened.
“Like you did Eric?”
Scott shook his head. “We’re not having this conversation.”
“Why, Scott? Because you’re in bed with him?” She moved closer, so she was right in his face. “I guess if I hadn’t shown up at the site, you could have screwed me over twice. First by giving Eric a get-out-of-jail pass, and then by coming here to literally do it. Do you even have a moral code anymore?”
“Stop it. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then tell me the goddamned truth.” Tears burned her eyes.
A vein on Scott’s forehead pulsated. He stared down at her, his mouth shut tight like a closed gate to stop any words he might utter.
She waited him out. Refused to look away. Truth or lie, she wouldn’t give in until he talked. “I want an answer. Why did you let Eric go?”
“I can’t tell you. You need to trust me on this.”
“Trust you? You’ve got to be shitting me.” She jerked her hand away from his arm. “I’m done. You don’t have the balls to tell me the truth, so I’m turning you in to the chief. Citizen’s arrest or whatever the hell you call it.”
Scott jerked his head back. “What are you talking about?”
“You, Eric, I saw the whole thing. This box, the money he gave you at the bank.” She shoved his chest. “You make me sick. To think I believed in you while you were running around behind my back taking bribes from looters.”
Fuck. Scott exhaled a long breath. “It’s not what you think.”
“Well, then, you’d better explain because nothing could be worse than what I think, and don’t you dare lie. I’ve had it.”
“Sit?” He gestured to the couch.
Maddie sat, back rigid. “Talk.”
He took a seat beside her. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you leave me no choice. I’m not a dirty cop. I’m not even a cop. I’m still a DEA agent working undercover.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“It’s complicated. I’m on a DEA case, and I have to play this role. Obviously, no one can know.” He scraped a hand across his chin. “We’re on the same team. Nothing made me sicker than letting that asshole go last night, and I know I hurt you, but I was trying to protect you. Keep you out of all of this.”
He wasn’t on the take. A huge weight lifted. So that’s why he’d gone cold on her. “Does anyone know about this besides me?”
“Only Lee.” He placed a hand over hers. “It’s why I was so insistent on keeping my past quiet.”
“I wish you would have told me. We could have saved a lot of—”
“I don’t make the rules. People die if things get fucked up. It’s not a game.”
She swallowed. “Of course not. But with Eric, why are you pretending—”
“Anything more I tell you can put you at risk. Please, trust me?”
All along, he’d been looking out for her. That explained the brush-offs. He couldn’t allow himself to get close. Everyone knew Eric was a meth head, so Scott was probably trying to follow the drug trail and would have lost his lead if he’d busted Eric. It made sense.
She met Scott’s gaze. His eyes were wide open and honest.
He squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry about your artifacts. I promise, Eric will be arrested and charged for the crime, but not yet. I still need him. The looters destroyed or threw away anything else they dug up. The asshole gave me this box and said it was all he had left. He tried to convince me it was worth something.”
“It is, but not much.” She took a deep breath. Finally, the truth. “Thank you for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone.”
“I shouldn’t be talking to you about this, but if you’d gone to the chief, he’d have to report it to the DEA. With the operation compromised, I’d be reassigned. Everything my team has worked for would be lost.”
“Really? Just because I know you’re still DEA?” Maddie shook her head.
“Yes. This case is high-profile and extremely sensitive. What you know paints a target on your back. I’m serious, Maddie. Don’t underestimate it.” He squeezed her hand again.
He’d risked his career confiding in her. “I…don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say. You had every reason to doubt me.” His sad half-smile made her chest ache.
“So the other night, you were really going to come back to me?”
He stiffened. “Yes, but it was a bad idea. This is too dangerous now. You’re too close to the fire with Eric involved.”
“I’m not afraid of him, and it wasn’t a bad idea.” The Scott she’d fallen in love with two years ago sat beside her, and she wouldn’t let him go. Noble, selfless, fighting to stop the evils of the world. He’d sacrificed so much. She slid closer and placed a hand on his chest. His heart thumped hard beneath her fingertips. “Don’t leave me hanging again.”
He brushed back a strand of her hair and traced a finger along her cheek.
Her body shivered at his touch. “One night. You’re here. Nothing’s going to happen to me.” She took his hand in hers. “God, I’ve missed you so much. Go back to your job tomorrow, but if you want me anywhere near as much as I want you…”
There. She’d said it. The next move was his. And time had never moved slower as she waited for his response.
The heat in his eyes ignited a slow burn inside her. She knew that look. She loved that look. She craved that look. The look that made her feel like she was a hot fudge sundae in the hands of a starving man.
His finger, still on her cheek, sent a tingle of awareness through her body. His gaze held her captive as ever so slowly, he lowered his head and mere inches from her mouth, whispered, “Just for tonight.”
“Yes.” The breath she’d been holding whooshed out. God, yes.
He drew her onto his lap, and his hot mouth took hers. She crushed herself to him, lacing her fingers through his hair. At last, together. Both wanting the same thing.
He groaned and deepened the kiss, tasting of peppermint and promise.
His tongue explored her mouth while he tugged at the hem of her shirt. He broke the kiss to yank the T-shirt over her head, and then trailed hot kisses from the base of her neck to the tip of her bra. Thank God she’d worn the lacy, black one today. Every fiber of her being yearned for him, and only him. He’d trusted her, opened up at last, and she wouldn’t hold anything back.
His warm breath brought goosebumps to her flesh as he muttered, “Your skin’s as smooth as I remembered.”
When he sucked a nipple through the thin fabric of her bra, she arched her back and whimpered. Leaving the bra on, he slid the lace down to expose a breast and tugged at the peak gently with his teeth. She writhed in aching need as her sex grew damp. It might have been years since they’d done this, but he knew exactly where to touch, how to stroke her, and what turned her on. And selfish as it sounded, she reveled in the fact that neither of them had been with anyone else since he’d left. They belonged to each other.
Scott undid the button and zipper on her jeans and slid a hand inside. He found her sweet spot with this finger, and she sucked in a breath.
Oh yes. Right there.
“Too many clothes.” He lifted her off the couch and stripped her jeans off. “We need to take this to the bedroom.”
He picked her up, carried her to the bed, and set her down on the side. “Take your bra and panties off. I want to watch.”
This kind of bossiness she didn’t mind. His eyes followed her every movement as she slowly slipped them off. He took a deep breath, pulled a condom out from his wallet, and tossed it on the nightstand.
She glanced up. “Wait. Aren’t we going to—”
“Not yet. You deserve more.” He eased her shoulders back. His gaze traveled over her naked body. “You’re so beautiful. Even more than I remembered, and believe me, I remember a lot.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” He slid onto the bed next to her. “Memories of you got me through the hard times.” He brushed back a stray curl from her cheek. “No matter what happened, no one could take those away.”
A lump formed in her throat. He hadn’t forgotten her or what they’d shared.
“But I don’t want to talk about Mexico.” He threaded his fingers through her hair. “In fact, I don’t want to talk at all.”
He covered her mouth with his. A small moan escaped from somewhere deep inside, and he brought the kiss to the next level when she opened her mouth for him. His warm, hard chest pressed against the side of her breast. She explored the contours with her hand, kneading the strong muscles. So hard, so fit. From his broad shoulders to his lean waist and lower, she had her own living, breathing statue of David.
He ran a finger down her stomach, stopping just short of where she ached for him to touch. Her body quivered in response. This was Scott. Adoring her. Worshiping her. Putting his own needs aside, which were obvious from the bulge in his jeans.
She reached down between them and unsnapped his pants, breaking the kiss. Breathless, she tugged at the waistband. “Take these off. I want to feel all of you.”
“Won’t have to ask twice.” He shifted back and yanked the pants off.
He sprang free, and she bit her lip. She’d forgotten that every aspect of Scott was larger than life. Well, not forgotten, but chosen not to remember. When she reached a hand out to stroke him, he captured it and brought her fingers to his lips. “Not yet.”
Eyes intent on hers, one by one, he took each finger in his mouth and sucked it. She swallowed hard. The tease of his hot tongue against her fingertip made her long for him to lick other places. As if he’d read her mind, he released her hand and kissed her shoulder, working his way up her neck to her ear. With a featherlight touch, he smoothed a hand down the side of her body. Her nipples puckered, begging for attention.
“You, Maddie. It’s always been you.” His warm breath tickled her ear, causing another round of goosebumps. And her name from his lips, spoken so reverently, floated through her body, a soothing balm. Her entire being hummed for him. They’d declared this to be a one-night thing, but her heart had other ideas, and come tomorrow, she might regret it, but tonight she would take in all that was Scott.
He brought his hand up to cup her breast and shifted positions to suckle the other one in his mouth. Flicking his tongue over the taut peak, he teased and tugged first one, and then the other until she trembled under the assault.
Her legs shook, and her body tensed. He’d brought her to the brink with his words, his touch, and those eyes that bored into her soul. Remembered every nuance of her.
“Now, Scott, now.” She gripped his shoulders.
“Yes.” He grabbed the condom from the nightstand, sheathed himself, and climbed back onto the bed. Braced on his elbows, he hovered above her, the tip of his hard length pressed against her entrance.
She spread her legs wide and reached for him, cupping his ass. Eyes wide open, he held her gaze when he entered her. Inch by inch he filled her. Scott inside her, where he belonged, where they fit each other perfectly. Her body welcomed him, wet and ready as he pushed in and out, deeper and faster.
She dug her fingernails into his back and squeezed her eyes shut. He pumped harder, thrust after thrust as their hips moved in rhythm, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. She let the last wave take her over and cried out as he stiffened with his own release.
A floodgate of emotions poured through her body. How she’d missed him. Dreamed and waited for him, and now she was in his arms again. He rolled to the side and slid an arm under her neck. She cuddled against him, her cheek pressed to his hard, slick chest.
“You make me crazy, Maddie.”
She raised her head to gaze up at him. No words came to mind because none existed to describe the feelings he evoked. And the tender look in his eyes melted her heart. She nuzzled his neck and sighed, content for the first time in two years.
He brushed her hair back and kissed the top of her head. His soft caress meant more than the hot sex, if that was possible. If she never had to move again, she’d be happy. He stroked her back, and she wallowed in the soft sensation. Whatever happened tomorrow, tonight she had her dream.