Chapter Thirteen

Okay, now this was just plain nuts. They were far from alone in the huge building and anybody could walk in to see them sucking face like a couple of teenagers. So, would Louie back off? Not a chance. She returned his passion and upped the ante. His lips were sweet against hers, the taste of his sweat salty against her tongue.

Her face was flushed and her breathing ragged when Paul pulled away. She could have gone on kissing him like that for hours.

"I'm s-sorry," he stuttered. "That was out of line."

"Are you really sorry?" Louie raised an eyebrow.

He blinked and then smiled. "No."

"Me either." She returned the smile and took him by the hand, leading him back to the office she sat in the first day they'd met. They'd have privacy there.

With his skates on, Paul towered over her. Once they were in the office with the door shut, he pulled her into his arms again, his body hot and sticky. He smelled all man. "I'm glad you're here."

"Back at ya." She kissed his neck. "Mmm, salty."

A growl sounded low in his throat, like the one she'd heard under the stars and it made her pulse roar. "You're dangerous." His words were muttered against her ear, his breath hot.

"Well, I do carry a gun."

"It's not your gun I'm worried about."

She leaned away from him and studied his face. "I worry you?"

She hadn't stopped to think about how she might be affecting him. So far she'd been focused on her own feelings, how strange it was to be hot and bothered for a man she knew little about, though she'd spent more than a few minutes googling him and the reading was quite interesting. That was just the press and she knew better than to use that as measuring stick for the real man.

He let her go, walking to the battered sofa where he sat and began to take off his skates. His eyes were focused on his feet. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not."

"Well, that's just about as clear as mud." She went over and sat next to him on the sofa. Maybe she'd gone too far, but he'd initiated the kiss. All she'd done was reciprocate. Right?

"What brought you here?" he asked.

She could lie and make up some excuse about needing more information on James. It would save face in many ways except it wasn't true. She wanted to be up front with Paul. Honesty was important.

"I came to see you."

"Why?" He dropped the skates to the floor with a loud thud. He turned to look at her, his brilliant green eyes focused on her face. She had absolutely no idea what was going through his mind at the moment.

Damn, but he was handsome. She was surprised some supermodel hadn't snapped him up years ago. What he saw in her was a mystery. Louie was a long way from supermodel and could never compete at that level. Not that she was ugly. She was confident in her own style and look; it worked for her without requiring too much effort on her part. She just wasn't a beautiful woman and never would be. Not to mention primping wasn't exactly her style. Way too much work when she could be doing something far more interesting.

She looked over at Paul now and wondered what she should tell him. She started with the truth so she might as well go for it—balls to the wall as Chris loved to say.

With a breath, she said quickly, "Because I was afraid you'd leave for Canada and I might never see you again."

He reached out and touched her hair. His eyes became soft, and Louie decided she'd never seen a more beautiful man. "You will see me again."

"Promise?" Her voice was a husky whisper.

He pulled her to him and kissed her. "Promise."

She was breathless a moment later when she came up for air. She laughed lightly. "You'd think we were both about seventeen."

He kissed her lips, her cheeks, her eyes. "I don't know about you but I feel like I'm seventeen again. Even with everything horrible that's happened, the second I touch you, nothing else matters. You make me feel hope."

She ran her hand against his cheek, liking the way fine stubble tickled her palm. "This is crazy, you know."

"Yup." He pressed his body against hers, and she could tell exactly how he was feeling. "Crazy."

She put both hands on his chest and pushed herself back. "I am not doing that here."

"You were game up there in the deep, dark forest." His eyes were sparkling.

She schooled her features into her I-mean-business expression. "Yes, well, I have a perfectly good bed at home and the next time you want to jump my bones, you can plan on doing it there."

"How does half an hour sound?" He winked.

She tingled from head to foot at his suggestion and hoped she didn't flush a telltale red all over. She didn't need to broadcast her willingness any more. She leaned into him and kissed him quick. "Make it an hour."

He groaned. "I don't think I can wait that long."

"All the better."

Louie jumped up and hurried to the office door. She blew him a kiss. "You have one hour."

* * * *

He had plenty of undisturbed time to go through her desk. The office was as empty as the parking lot had been when he let himself in. No one would be the wiser and he'd be all the better informed. He needed to know what Russell did. After he finished going through her records, he left everything as he found it. Gloves made certain he didn't leave fingerprints.

The search of her office and files didn't turn up much. Good for him and good for her. The less she knew, the longer she'd stay alive. Still, he had to be certain. There was far too much at stake to let anything slip at this point.

What he didn't like was the fact she not only had the files for James McDonald still on her desk, but she'd also pulled the files on her brother. Right next to those two were photocopies of the police reports on Kendall Stewart. She wasn't closing things out like she needed to do if she wanted to stay alive.

Not that he was all that surprised. Louie Russell rarely did what she was told. Rumor had it that while with the Spokane Police Department she caused more than a few ruffled feathers with her no-nonsense style and refusal to bend to pure politics. It was probably a good thing she'd switched careers. In the long run, she may not have made it within a system that clung to its politics with such feverish dedication. She was a rogue, an individual with a strong sense of right and wrong. It was all black and white for Russell. There was never any gray.

He understood that in the real world there was much gray. He was one who embraced that shadowy land falling somewhere between right and wrong where he felt most comfortable and most at home. She'd never be able to understand and it really was a shame. She could be valuable in his business if she'd open her mind to the possibilities it presented. The real world was far more gray than black or white. She refused to grasp that reality and wishing otherwise wasn't going to change her. That was why he was here now. She must be watched and possibly stopped at the same end of the barrel that had been pointed at her brother's head.

If she was to stay alive, somehow she'd have to be guided away from pursuing the McDonald issue any further. She didn't need to stick her nose in where it wasn't needed. Besides, plenty of police were on the case. The thought of everyone looking for him, the mysterious gunman, made him smile. Even with the ballistics matches that had been made, they'd never track it back to him. So beautiful and so entertaining.

He'd planned to use an untraceable rifle on McDonald and then decided what the hell. Much more fun to use Old Faithful on number three. The games were the best part of the chase for him, and he took his fun wherever he could find it. Everything he did had to have an element of entertainment or what was the point? A person only went around one time, and he had every intention of making his go-around enjoyable.

Then there was the urge to put holes in chests or the occasional forehead. Hey, once a trained killer, always a trained killer. That urge wasn't something a person took on and off like a jacket. Once that particular coat was on, it was on for life. Sorry if folks didn't like it, but they were the ones who'd made him this way, so they'd just have to find a way to live with it. He sure had.

Still, he liked Louie and didn't want to have to exercise his considerable skill on her tasty little body. Few women held a candle to her either in looks or brains. Such a waste if he was forced to put her down. She could handle a gun as well as any man he'd ever run into, and that meant a great deal to him. Guns were the most alluring lover he ever encountered. He'd been entranced as a young man, and they'd never lost their luster in his heart. Unlike most people, guns were dependable. They never argued, they never aged, they never failed.

Now that James McDonald was in cold storage, the immediate pressure was off. He'd been the last link to big trouble, and probably the most dangerous. Not because he was vicious or threatening; just the opposite. McDonald had been a threat because he'd been both honest and stupid at the same time. Rather odd considering his decision to join in a criminal endeavor. He'd been a naive drug runner whose heart wasn't in it. He wanted the easy money. They all wanted money. Who didn't?

What James hadn't wanted was the criminal persona and the violence that always lurked just beneath the surface. What he came to find out, as did all who put their toes into this particular pool, was that he couldn't have one without the other. When he tried, the price was very high. He wasn't able to swim. McDonald drowned.

He, on the other hand, found a way to reconcile the whole mess within his own heart. Sleep came quite easy and untroubled. Any doubts he had about the business and what he'd become had been managed a very long time ago.

When there was nothing left to read, he clicked off the reading lamp on the corner of Russell's desk and left her office. She'd never know he was there, never realize he'd been through every paper and file in her office. He was good. He was very, very good. If anyone harbored doubt, all they had to do was ask him.

The door closed with a quiet snap and the room was thrown into blackness. He turned in the hallway between the two offices and stopped short, halted by a presence he hadn't expected.

His heart lurched. A woman stood in the doorway, a tiny dark shadow against the golden glow filtering in from the parking lot lights. Then, as he got a good look at the other visitor, a smile crept up his face.

"Tsk, tsk." He moved slowly toward the old woman.

She backed away from him. "She'll know." Meg's voice trembled.

"Not if no one tells her," he said smugly.

Her small hand was on the handle of the outer door. "I'll tell her. I already left a message for her."

"Now that's a shame."

"I'm not scared of you." She stood tall and proud, her hand dropping away from the door. "I've faced worse than you."

He smiled and closed the distance between them with two steps. His hands circled her thin neck. "Oh, I doubt that."

* * * *

The thought she was going nutso flashed through Louie's mind more than once during the drive home from the arena. Talk about throwing herself at a man. She'd all but thrown Paul on the floor of his office and ripped his clothes off. The only thing that had held her back had been the thought of her nice, comfortable king-sized bed. After the night under the stars, she was ready for something a little more refined. Beautiful as the forest had been, bed covers and a mattress had such a nice ring.

At the same, she was also ready for more than the wildness they'd shared with nature as the backdrop. Her heart thumped and she clutched her steering wheel as she recalled the fever that seemed to have gripped both of them under the dark sky with the twinkling stars. She'd never felt that before. She'd never shimmied out of her clothes in the wide-open like that before, let alone even felt like doing it. But with Paul, she hadn't been able to get out of her clothes fast enough, even surrounded by pine trees and tiny forest dwellers.

She rushed home, jumped in the shower and then slipped into a flowing cotton dress. She smoothed it over her hips once, twice, three times. She was as nervous as if she were a virgin bride awaiting her brand new husband's arrival. Pacing in front of the window, she kept glancing out at the road, lights of the occasional car hitting the window and then passing by. What seemed like an eternity later, a pair of headlights pulled into the driveway and then switched off. She smoothed the dress once more before she went to the door and opened it.

Even in the twilight of the early evening, Paul looked good. The sun was low over the mountains to the west lighting up the sky in brilliant ruby and deep sapphire hues, Louie's favorite. The backdrop, combined with his red hair and green eyes, made him look like something out of an Allan Ramsay painting. His strong Scottish heritage showed in his face and body. Had he lived a few centuries earlier, Paul would have been a fine subject for Ramsay.

His eyes seemed to light up when he looked her over. Probably the dress. People didn't see her in one very often. She'd never been the girliest of girls, and dresses were more a necessary evil than a staple in her wardrobe. Right now, she was glad she'd slipped it on. She liked the look in his eyes, which sent a warm shiver through her whole body.

"Come in." She stood back and motioned him in. Lordy, he not only looked good, he smelled great.

"Hi."

Ah, a man of few words. Talking could be so overrated at times. Her body buzzed, and she was about ready to jump out of her skin if he didn't touch her soon. So much for cool, calm and collected Louie Russell, Bail Enforcement Agent extraordinaire. How about jumpy and more accurately, horny Louie Russell, woman.

He seemed to read her mind because he kicked the door shut with one foot and grabbed her at the same time. She was crushed against his chest in the blink of an eye. His mouth crushed hers and he thrust his tongue inside in a wonderfully erotic kiss that had her quivering inside. Oh, he'd so read her mind.

"Bedroom?" he asked, his lips still touching hers.

Louie pointed behind her without moving her mouth away while staying tight against his hard, lean body.

It happened so fast. One second they were in the entry and the next they were in her bedroom with clothes flying in all directions. So much for the pretty dress. Just the look on his face alone was worth the price of the lovely little thing. She'd have to remember that in the future. Presuming, of course, that there was a future in store for them.

That thought was the only blight on the frenzy that took hold of them. She didn't want anything to break the mood and pushed the disturbing thought away. It had no business in the here and now. All she wanted in this moment was the beautiful man who was about to make love to her. Sometimes all that was really important was the moment. She learned five years ago that a wise person seized the opportunity when it came because without warning it could all be gone.

His lips met hers once more and the thrill that raced through her body was exhilarating. In a flash, everything came roaring back: the passion that had begun beneath a star-lit sky, the emotions bottled inside her for so many years, and the need for a man's touch. No, that wasn't entirely correct. It was the need for his touch. For Paul McDonald's touch.

The palms of his hands slid to her breasts and he cupped them, one in each hand, his thumbs rubbing over the tender nipples that responded by springing up hard and wanting. His eyes, no longer emerald but now dark and smoky, held hers as he stroked again and again over the hardened nubs. It made everything inside her go warm and soft.

Louie ran her hands up his hard chest, rising up slightly on her toes to kiss him. When he moaned into her mouth, she smiled. Good to know she wasn't the only one holding on by a thread.

"You're driving me crazy," she said against his lips.

He buried his hands in her hair and pulled her head back until they were once again staring into each other's eyes. "And you're driving me wild."

"Oh," she breathed. "I like wild."

He let go of her hair, his hands drifting down her back until he gripped her ass, pulling her hips close to him. His cock, hard and hot, pressed against the tender flesh of her stomach. She definitely wasn't in this alone. Her legs quivered and for a moment she thought her knees might buckle.

Any reserve she had, and it wasn't much to begin with, evaporated when he dropped his head to take a nipple in his mouth. The heat of his tongue against her skin had her shaking all over. He bit her nipple, not hard enough to hurt but enough to start a firestorm in her body. It was more than she could take and still she wanted more.

"Paul," she said on a sigh, her hands now on his ass urging him even closer. The feel of his body against hers was intoxicating. She moved against him, her hips shifting, rubbing.

A husky sound from deep in his throat was the only warning she had before they fell to the bed, a tangle of arms, legs, and lips. It all became blurred then, flesh against flesh, heat and growing desire. His lips met hers in a kiss so hot it singed. Then his lips moved to her neck, her shoulder, her breast and stomach. Finally, his kisses trailed down from her stomach to the soft curls between her legs. When his tongue invaded her hot, wet center, her hips lifted to his mouth. He licked, kissed and teased until she thought she'd fly apart. Just at the edge of coming, he slowly kissed his way back to her lips.

"You're trying to kill me, and I think it's working."

He smiled against her lips. "You taste as sweet as you smell."

The scent of her was on him as he kissed her deeply, his tongue dancing with hers. It was exciting. It was special.

With a move that even surprised her, Louie flipped Paul onto his back and deftly mounted him. She cried out as her body filled with him. He reached out to hold her hips as she moved on him, the feel of his cock sliding in and out, amazing. Slowly she rocked, taking every stroke into her moist folds. She wanted to make it last all night and yet with every stroke, the fire inside her body grew hotter and more demanding. She didn't know how much longer she could hang on and judging by the tension in Paul's body, he wasn't far behind.

All of a sudden, she cried out as everything in her body tightened. Paul's hand moved to her clit and he fingered it gently as she came in an explosion of sensation. A moment later, he tensed, pumped harder and came with shuddering moan.

She dropped her head to his chest as his arms came around her. His heart beat quickly against her ear and she dropped a kiss to his chest, licking the salty taste of sweat from her lips.

Louie wasn't a kid and she'd been around the block a time or two, yet as she rolled off of him to lie back damp and sated against the rumpled sheets, the realization it'd never been like this before hit her. Something in Paul touched a place no one else had ever even gotten close to. She absolutely hated the term soul mate and yet right now, she wondered if there was more truth in the theory than she'd ever believed.

She was breathing hard and her words were little more than a whisper. "I've never felt like this before." She hadn't really intended to say it out loud and now feared he'd bolt.

He didn't. Instead he rolled on his side and propped his head on one hand. With his other hand, he brushed the damp hairs from her face. His breathing was as ragged as hers. "It's never been like this for me either."

She looked away. "You're just saying that to make me feel better. I've seen pictures of you with models and actresses." Recalling pictures of him in newspapers and magazines with beautiful women smiling up at him, actually made her heart ache.

He laughed and kissed her hair. "No doubt you have, along with a couple million other people."

How could Louie ever compete with women like that? She wasn't beautiful, model-like, or famous. She'd have to be happy with the little time they had together before their real lives intruded once more. He'd go back to his hockey and his fame; she'd go back to obscurity and the hunt for her brother's would-be killer.

Paul turned her face with his finger until she looked at him. His green eyes had gone soft. "This is special, Louie, whether you want to believe it or not."

Her eyes filled with tears and it made her want to scream. She wouldn't melt, she just wouldn't. "I'm not like those women."

He laughed and the sound was gentle, happy. "Thank the good Lord for that."

She cocked her head and studied him. His lips were full and just a hint of reddish stubble darkened his face. God, he looked good. "I don't understand."

Pulling her into his arms once more, his body was hot and hard against hers. "You're the most wonderful woman I've ever met. You're fearless and powerful."

"Thanks for the compliment. I sound like your friendly neighborhood Amazon."

His arms tightened. "You didn't let me finish. You're also beautiful and intelligent and everything a guy hopes for and rarely ever finds."

"Beautiful?" Was he blind?

"Beautiful." He kissed her softly, his tongue parting her lips, searching, tasting.

Okay, so maybe he was blind, but what the hell, blind was good. Her hands moved down his body to his hips and she drew him close. Plenty of night left to make memories, and she wasn't going to think about tomorrow. For now, she'd take what he was offering and treasure it.

* * * *

Paul stood at the kitchen sink, still naked, drinking a glass of water and staring out the window. He'd left Louie dozing in her bedroom down the hall, her dark hair splayed against the pale linen of the pillowcase, her skin flushed in the creamy moonlight spilling through the window over the bed.

After making love a second time, much slower than the first frenzied rush to pleasure, she'd drifted off to sleep while he'd laid there watching the play of moonlight on the ceiling. As comfortable as he was with Louie's head on his shoulder, her breathing easy and steady, he'd been unsettled. So much so, he'd finally slipped out of the bedroom.

It wasn't just the beautiful woman who filled him with a hot rush of desire that had him so restless. No, it was a little bit of everything. Emotions were coming at him from all directions. Emotions he never saw coming. After their night under the stars, he'd realized how different it was with her. Even so, he wasn't prepared for how she touched his heart. He hadn't foreseen a woman like Louie walking into his life, especially now.

What he'd really like to do was go back into the bedroom and make love until both of them were so exhausted they couldn't move. Except that fantasy was too far out of reach because life wasn't going to be stalled. Soon, he'd have to leave her side to take his brother home.

How many times had he prayed for Jamie to end the constant chaos he created? Too many to count. Well, it was over now. Paul had never dreamed the solution to Jamie's errant ways was at the end of a rifle.

He finished the water, set the empty glass on the counter and turned to walk back to the bedroom. The house was dark and peaceful, the quiet broken only by the slight hum of the refrigerator. The hardwood floor was cool on the soles of his feet. A very faint scent of cinnamon floated through the air.

In the bedroom doorway, he paused and leaned against the frame. Louie shifted a little, stretching her long smooth legs like a cat. Everything about her was magnificent from those shapely legs, to her flat stomach and sensual lips. He'd seen a great many beauties in his time but not one could compare to the woman on the bed. She was beautiful and sexy in a way that none of the others could match. She made his blood roar.

In fact, the blood was roaring right now and as he watched her sleep, his cock hardened. From the first sweet taste of her lips, he'd been hooked. She made him horny with little more than the twitch of a toe. Soon, he'd have to leave but right now, he had plenty of time for love.

Paul slid back onto the bed next to Louie and ran his hand down her smooth hip. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then licked her ear. He loved the way she smelled and tasted. Her body quivered beneath his hand as he stroked her skin, and he smiled.

"Hummm," she purred. "Can't a girl get some sleep without being mauled?"

He licked her ear again, nipping at the tender lobe. "The girl can sleep on her time. Right now, it's my time."

"Pushy." She rolled over and put her arms around his neck. "I guess I'm just a sucker for pushy men."

"My good luck."

She pulled his head down and kissed him, urging his lips open with her tongue. He obliged. The taste of her was intoxicating, and he loved drinking her in. With one knee, he nudged her legs apart. Rising on his hands, he slid slowly into her wet heat. His gaze intent on hers, he watched the emotions cross her face as he moved in and out with agonizing slowness. In her eyes, he saw everything he felt in his heart and in that moment realized through the tragedy that was his brother's life and death, something beautiful had been born.

Putting lips against hers, he murmured, "Thank you."

* * * *

When he left her in the early hours of the morning, Louie wondered if she'd ever see him again. She kissed him goodbye and watched as he backed his car out of the driveway. As he'd walked out the front door, his eyes had been filled with sadness and her heart ached for him. She knew what it felt like to lose a brother. Though Chris was still alive, it didn't count for much. His heart continued to beat strong and steady while his mind was locked away in a silent prison. She could visit him, touch him, and talk to him, and still he was lost to her. Now, Paul was leaving to bury his brother and the grief it brought had to be deep and painful.

As he'd made love to her the last time, he'd been incredibly tender. Nothing was rushed and they came together with a sweetness so intense it had brought tears to her eyes. It was more than thinking of it as making love, it actually felt like love. Who would have guessed?

She wanted to believe that she'd see Paul again and yet no promises were made, not in the throes of passion, not in the calm afterward. She couldn't bring herself to ask and he didn't offer the words she'd wanted to hear. Of course, to be fair, he left her bed to take his dead brother home. He might have had something else on his mind.

Still…

Louie stood at the window wrapped in her old terrycloth robe until his car's taillights disappeared down the street. Outside the air was cool, a light rain giving the still dark morning a misty glow from encroaching sunrise and dimming streetlights. She loved her home and her neighborhood, yet all of a sudden it somehow seemed gloomy and lonely. She pulled her robe tighter, pushing away the chill that crept up her back.