CHAPTER 14

After sleeping most of twelve hours with the only interruptions to feed Melody and to eat a little something herself, Susannah woke up rather the worse for wear. But it didn’t matter.

The aches in her bones, the slight deafness, the itching wound under the bandage on her forehead…none of it mattered. She was back in a place where people cared about her.

Not only did they care but they’d actually worried about her when she’d left. They were worried enough to come after her. She tried hard but couldn’t come up with any other time in her life when she’d felt so welcome.

It was killing her to know her time here was growing shorter. Only a matter of a couple more days, not even a week, and then she would have to take Melody and disappear. Otherwise, the Devotees would get to her—somehow.

And people would be hurt in the process—people like Nathan. He’d been the biggest worrier. She’d seen it in his eyes when he’d listened to her story.

He cared. He really cared.

She still wasn’t entirely positive that he was in love with her, but the fact that he had worried and wanted to protect her made her feel all warm inside. Wishing she wasn’t so much in love with him, she could see that the only thing for her to do was to leave him. He would be safe.

Her life would never be the same after this—after him. That was for sure. But perhaps if she left soon, he would be able to move on to have a good life without her. Maybe he could forget and find someone to love who wasn’t so screwed up.

That thought made her queasy. The idea of Nathan with someone else was heart wrenching. But it was far better than having him hurt due to her hanging around too long.

She just needed to force herself to make plans for where to go and what she and Melody could do with the rest of their lives. It would not be easy, but it had to be done.

Crawling out of bed, she checked on the baby and was surprised to find Melody already awake and quietly lying in her crib, looking around. “Good morning, Miss Sunshine. You look happy. Are you glad to have Mama home?”

Melody made a gurgling noise that sounded like “ah-goo.”

“Very nice, sweetheart. Just wait until I tell Nathan that you’re already making real sounds. He’ll be so happy.”

Susannah checked Melody’s diaper and reached for a dry one. Her little girl was almost six weeks old now, and she watched her mother’s every move intently, following her with big curious eyes.

She smiled down at her precious baby while finishing her change and she was surprised when Melody smiled back. That should have pleased her even more. And as a proud mama, she was happy. But despite her joy, big sloppy tears began running down her cheeks.

Without Nathan, she would have no one to share all the small milestones her child reached, no one to share the anxiety when worrying about her little girl as she grew. The loneliness became overwhelming.

Dumb. She wiped her eyes and sniffed the tears back. She’d been alone virtually her entire life, even when she’d been surrounded by family or a supposed lover. It shouldn’t bother her in the least to continue on that way. In fact, now she had someone. She had Melody. The two of them would be the family she’d always wished she’d had.

And she had better get busy with finding a way for the two of them to survive.

She scooped up the baby and strolled to the kitchen, trying to memorize every wall photo and floorboard on the way. This place would have a special space in her heart, and she wanted to remember it and Nathan always.

“There you are.” Maria’s smile was so big it covered her whole face. “Are you hungry?”

After returning to the ranch yesterday, Maria had shoved food at her every hour or so until it was bedtime, claiming she looked hungry. “I think I’m still full from yesterday, thanks. I’ve never seen so much food at one time. It was all great. But right now I’d love a cup of tea or decaf if you’ve got it.”

“Coming right up.”

“After that, will you be able to take a quick trip into town?” The deep voice from behind her sent shivers down her spine—very pleasant shivers.

“Good morning, Nathan.” She turned and he was there.

He bent and kissed Melody on her forehead. “Good morning to two lovely ladies.” As he was straightening, his lips came within a millimeter of hers, and she held her breath, hoping for her own kiss.

Smiling, he gave her a peck on the cheek. Then a slight frown crossed his features.

“I know going back to Cold Plains today may be difficult,” he began, “but Ford would like you to point out that warehouse you told him about. We’ll stay on the outskirts of town and should have no trouble keeping away from most of the Devotees.”

“Have they caught Jonathan yet?”

“Not yet. But Ford wants all the evidence he can gather when they do.”

“Okay. But Melody has to stay here. Just in case.”

Nathan nodded. “Of course.”

“The baby smiled back at me when I smiled at her this morning.”

“Really?” Nathan held his arms outstretched. “Let’s see if she’ll do it for me.”

She turned over her little girl and watched as he began cooing at the baby. Her heart thumped and ached. Here she was, once again wishing for a lifetime with this man—wishes that were as worthless as a snow shovel in the desert.

Nathan tickled Melody under the chin and smiled at her. The baby smiled right back and made a “goo-da” sound.

“Look at that,” he said with amazement. “She’s trying to talk.”

“Oh, shoot.” Susannah couldn’t stand here and watch while the two people she loved more than anything grew closer, knowing they would soon have to separate. “Excuse me a moment.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll be right back.” She made a dash for the bedroom before the waterworks started again.

This was crazy. She was such a wimp. How was she ever going to leave this place and keep her head high when the time came?

* * *

Ford brought his cruiser out to the ranch to pick them up for the run into town. Nathan was grateful for the small attempt at disguise for Susannah’s sake. The trip was quick and relatively painless.

Susannah pointed out the pine tree she’d stood beside while she watched the warehouse. Ford took a line of sight measurement and then about two dozen photos. When he was done, he mumbled something about needing to find a reasonable judge to issue a search warrant for the place.

When they returned to the ranch, Maria had the table set for a four-course midday dinner and insisted they eat every bite. After all the food, Susannah asked if she could visit with Sara for the afternoon. And as much as he wanted to spend every waking moment with Susannah himself, how could he say no?

He needed to ride out and check on Mac and the men anyway. It had been a couple of days since he’d turned the reins over to Mac, and he was sure all would be running smoothly. Still, he would feel better if he saw for himself.

A few hours later, his cell rang. When he answered, it was his old buddy Hawk on the line with real FBI business.

“Thought you should know the Wyoming Highway Patrol stopped Miller just outside of Green River. They have him in custody in Cheyenne. There’re a couple of things I’d like to talk to you about if you have a moment.”

“Give me a half hour, and I’ll meet you at the ranch office. I’ll tell security you’re expected.”

They clicked off and Nathan headed back, wondering what Hawk would say.

* * *

“How long can you keep up this much security?” Standing outside near the office, Hawk asked the question as he gestured to the ranch hands who had escorted him in from the highway.

“As long as it takes.”

“Better make that sooner rather than later, bud. You need to move that gal and her baby off the premises. At least for the next few months.”

“What do you know?”

“I know Samuel Grayson is getting antsy. Somehow he seems to know the law is closing in on him. And having one Devotee try to kill another hasn’t helped. If anything, he’s tightening up his security and becoming more paranoid.”

“Have you found out anything about Miller’s background? Who the hell is that guy?”

“First off, it seems Miller is not his real name. His fingerprints say he’s a guy named Winchester with U.S. Navy SEAL training and a demolition specialty. But he was busted out of the service for a fragging incident. He tried to kill a senior officer. Unfortunately, he escaped the brig and went on the run. He thought becoming a Devotee would make a great place to hide out—until he got greedy for power.”

“So he never was a true believer?”

“Nope. But then I’m not so sure Grayson believes that crap he spouts, either. And that Miller-Winchester dude is not the only Devotee who’s handy with weapons and ready to use them under Grayson’s orders.”

“What is the FBI really doing about Samuel—secretly?”

Hawk sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We’re running a task force from nearby. Intend to nail that creep.”

“Nearby? Where?”

“A cabin in the woods.” Hawk grinned. “I’ve got three agents with cabin fever on my hands. But we’re making a little progress. I’ve decided our best bet is to find a Devotee who can get us inside information. Someone like Susannah Paul, for instance.”

Nathan opened his mouth to tell him what he thought of that idea, but Hawk cut him off. “Down, boy. She can’t go back there now, I know. But I’m still looking for one of them who’s becoming disgruntled.”

“I want to help. I have exit counseling training that might be useful.” Wow, where had that come from?

Hawk shook his head. “Your job is to take care of the residents, both human and animal, here on the ranch. All of your people need to stay away from Cold Plains and the Devotees. Send your men to Laramie for supplies. Besides, Nate, you have too many responsibilities right here. What we’re doing is far too risky.”

Despite his initial frustration, Nathan quickly had to admit Hawk was right. If he was free to do whatever he wanted, he would be whisking Susannah and the baby off to safety and certainly not running to a cabin in the woods to join the fight.

Life wasn’t always fair.

“One last thing, bud. I will say this again because it’s important. Get that woman and her baby off this land and send them far, far away. Now. Within the next forty-eight hours. Having them here may become a huge distraction that Grayson can’t ignore, and I can’t battle a deadly distraction right now. I want him quiet and unsuspecting while we run this sting.”

Nathan nodded but didn’t say a word. He knew they were out of time. But damn, how could he possibly stand to send them away when he’d only just discovered how much he loved them both?

* * *

Another day was gone too soon, Susannah thought with a heavy sigh. Everyone was already in bed. The house was dark and silent.

Not really hungry or in pain, she just couldn’t sleep. She stood, vacantly staring at the inside of the refrigerator, daydreaming about Nathan.

She hadn’t had time to be alone with him at all today, and he had headed off right after supper. But she was well aware of how short their time was and knew he felt the same. She could feel the tension between them growing.

This afternoon, she had sought out Nathan’s brother and begged him to speed up his search for somewhere she and Melody could go to be safe. She fervently hoped it would also be a place where she could earn a living for the two of them.

Derek had looked at her a little oddly but then said he’d been tracking down a place and he’d tell her all about it tomorrow. She had a day, maybe two, left. It had been everything she could do to gaze at Nathan over the supper table and not explode in tears.

And now she wanted him so badly she was becoming detached—unfocused. Her body craved his touch. Her mind felt desperate to hear him speak.

“Still hungry?”

She spun to the sound of his voice, hoping she was not dreaming. She was hungry for something, all right.

“I just can’t sleep.”

“Me neither. Are you in pain?”

Shaking her head, she poured herself a glass of cold water and shut the refrigerator door. “I feel remarkably better. Maybe tomorrow Dr. Black can come out and remove the stitches.”

The water trickled down her dry throat, but she still felt hoarse and tense. Just look at the man standing there…gorgeous…rugged and so sexy he made her whole body hum.

Naked to the waist, his jeans were unbuttoned and the zipper halfway down. The stubble on his jaw was dark and made him look almost dangerous. Her mouth watered. Her fingers flexed, compelled to touch. She put the glass down before she dropped it.

His eyes darkened, and she knew he was thinking the same thing. He wanted a kiss and probably a lot more. This desperation could be cooled only one way. But she was terrified to move—frozen to the spot from fear he would turn her away.

They both knew she would be leaving soon. And Nathan was not a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy. If it came to that, neither was she—except she needed one more stolen night with this man.

He shook his head slightly as though he was arguing with her or maybe with himself. Then he said softly, “I need you. Now.”

Thank God.

He moved closer—close enough that she could feel the heat of his hard body just inches away from hers.

But the nearer he came, with that special look in his eyes, the more her body turned to mush. Her bones liquefied, and she could barely hold up her head.

Reaching out to steady herself by hanging on to him, she opened her mouth ever so slightly. Trying to drag in desperately needed air without letting him know, she thought she might die in another moment if he didn’t hurry up.

Just when she was sure he would never make a move, he murmured, “I…” He looked so frustrated and annoyed that she almost stepped back. “I can’t be gentle tonight. I need you—too much. Is that okay?”

“Very okay.”

She barely had the words out of her mouth when he scooped her up and turned, dashing down the hall to the guest bedroom. He kicked the door closed behind him and lowered her feet to the floor. But she couldn’t have moved if her life depended on it.

Apparently neither could he. He leaned in, pinning her to the door, and opened his mouth over hers, taking this seduction to another level. It was a level they’d never reached before…to something so hot that it sizzled and burned and nearly choked her with all the female hormones raging through her body. She felt her own climax beginning and forced it back. Not yet, please not yet.

Never breaking the kiss, he ripped at her nightgown and panties until they were mere shreds on the floor. As he lowered his jeans, he managed to touch her everywhere. Desire burst through her veins and rocked her backward.

Moments later, he reached the spot between her legs and groaned. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

With both hands, he held her bottom and helped her into position. Hot, wet and light-headed, she wasn’t sure how this would work, but she didn’t care.

He pushed her back against the door and entered her in one quick thrust. She tilted her hips, and he drove deeper. Her head was swimming as she held her breath.

“Don’t move,” he said through gritted teeth.

She understood the sentiment and would’ve loved to comply—to make this go on and on. Trying to still, she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

His jaw was tight, his eyes were half-closed. His face full of desire—for her—was a sight she would love seeing again and again.

But this was her last chance, her last opportunity to revel in the feel of him inside her and focused solely on her pleasure.

“Susannah,” he breathed.

That clinched things. It was impossible not to grind her hips against his. She felt her own body betraying her—her internal muscles tightened around him, pulling him in.

He grabbed her around the waist and began to drive into her, moaning and cursing under his breath with the effort to hold back. But it was too late for that.

In a blur of thrusts, deeper and deeper, he plastered himself to her. Someone screamed. Her? And she called his name. Begging, pleading, she reached for that edge and dragged him along with her.

The climax hit her like a tornado, whistling in her ears like a marching band and surging through to her core, shaking her to her soul. It took her to that elusive spot…to the stars.

He bent his body and brought his mouth down on hers, swallowing her gasps and cries. With one last thrust, he brought his head up and growled, low and deep.

His climax took her over that edge again, and she joined him in one last drenching explosion.

For moments afterward, they tried to catch their breaths. She knew she couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. But she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay right here, sweaty and out of breath, forever.

“Wow,” she finally whispered against his neck. “That was…that was…”

“Amazing,” he finished for her. “I can’t believe I never even made it to the bed.”

“Didn’t hear me complaining.”

Carefully backing up, he shifted his hold on her and carried her to the bed. As he laid her down on her back, he murmured, “Give me another shot at doing it right?”

She’d give him another shot—or twenty or maybe a whole lifetime.

How was she ever going to manage her life from here on knowing what she knew now? They were so good together. They were perfect, in fact.

Swallowing the first sob, she smiled up at him. “We have all night.”

It was their last night.