Trina had a bad feeling Gabe would think she was a flake. Yes, no, yes, no. Bungee cord bounces in the messages she had been sending.
But he didn’t even hesitate. He exploded into motion, his chair clattering back, and he reached her in two strides. She expected to be grabbed, for him to take powerful, sensual control immediately.
Instead, he cupped her face in his broad palms and bent his head slowly. His gentle kiss came as a surprise. His mouth brushed hers. He nibbled a little. His tongue stroked the seam of her lips.
Through the fog in her head, Trina realized he was giving her time. Waiting for an answer.
What do you really want? Why did you change your mind?
She’d changed it because she didn’t want to miss something amazing out of fear.
She pushed herself up on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck and nipped his lower lip sharply.
A groan rumbled out of his chest, and yes, he took charge, because that’s who he was. Didn’t mean she couldn’t kiss him back with everything in her. One of his hands gripped her hip while the other wrapped the back of her head so he could angle her to find the best fit.
And the fit was amazing. Perfect. His neck was thick and strong, his entire body powerful. That body was so close she could feel the vibration of his heartbeat. When he breathed, her nipples tightened.
The kiss went on and on, until the rest of the world might as well not have existed. He was everything. Trina heard odd sounds, and distantly knew they came from her. She wanted to climb his body, and was practically en pointe in her effort to get higher. She must have raised one of her legs, because he made a guttural sound, shifted so that he could grip both of her thighs and lifted her. She squeaked, wrapped her legs around his waist and held on.
Somehow he walked and kissed her at the same time. And they said men didn’t multitask as well as women. Here was an exception. The way she felt, Trina wasn’t sure she’d have cared if he had banged her into a wall or the staircase banister, but that never happened. At the foot of the stairs, though, he stopped. When his mouth left hers, she rubbed her cheek against his rough jaw, then did some experimental nibbling.
“Trina.” That deep, dark voice felt as good as his hands on her.
She licked his neck, tasting soap and salt.
“Trina.” This time he shook her.
Dazed, she tipped her head back to see a look of pure desperation on his face.
“Do you want this?”
Want this? She was on fire. No, bad analogy. Fire hurt. This was...hunger. An aching kind of pleasure. She tried to rub herself against him.
“To hell with it,” he muttered, and started up the stairs. Once he stopped to kiss her, swore when they swayed and wrenched his mouth away. Reaching the top, he strode down the hall.
Trina felt a momentary jolt at the sight of the guest room door, standing open the requisite four inches. What if Chloe saw...? But Trina didn’t hear anything from within. Or without. Gabe had the ability to walk silently, even carrying her. He got her through his bedroom doorway without a single bump. He must have nudged the door with his booted foot, because it closed quietly behind them.
Enough light from the hall reached into his bedroom for her to be able to see fierce need on his face, so far from his usual, carefully assumed lack of expression that her meltdown accelerated.
Beside the bed, he lowered her slowly to her feet. After sliding down his body, she wasn’t so sure she could stand, but she managed. Lucky, because he used the opportunity to first rip the bedcoverings back and then strip her with astonishing speed.
“You, too,” she whispered, and he paused long enough to let her pull his shirt over his head, baring that broad, muscular chest.
He knelt to take off her shoes and pull her jeans off. Trina braced herself by resting her hands on his shoulders. Except that wasn’t enough. She kneaded, felt the ripples of reaction quiver through his strong body. And then he surged up, laid her back on the bed and planted a knee between her thighs.
He reached out a long arm and flicked on the bedside lamp. Trina blinked in the sudden light, not sure she liked being so exposed...except the look in his eyes was reverential.
“You’re as beautiful as I thought you’d be,” he murmured in the voice that reminded her of her first impression: the rumbling purr of a big cat.
“You are, too.” She flattened her hands on his chest, then moved them in circles. The dark hair beneath her palms was surprisingly soft. He jerked when she found his small nipples. Swore when her hands stroked downward, following the line of hair to the waistband of his jeans.
When she lifted a hand to cover the hard ridge beneath the fly, he straightened away from her. “Damn. Give me a minute.”
He had to sit on the side of the bed to remove his boots. She happily explored the contours of muscle on his back, flexing with his every movement. Socks went flying. He stood and shed jeans and shorts. And then, finally, he came down on top of her and went for her mouth again.
They discovered each other’s tastes and textures. He sucked on her breasts until her hips rose and fell. The frustration of being able to feel him between her thighs drove her crazy.
Trina moaned and dug her fingernails into his sides. “Now. Please, now.”
He swore some more, and for the first time displayed clumsiness as he fumbled for the drawer of his bedside stand and found some packets. He tore one with his teeth, covered himself and without an instant of hesitation, pressed into her.
She pushed herself up to meet him. Gabe muttered something under his breath, covered her mouth with his again and set a hard, fast rhythm that was exactly what she needed.
Not until she imploded and cried out did he let himself go.
* * *
IN THE AFTERMATH, Gabe didn’t want to move. Ever again. But damn, he must be crushing her. Reluctantly, he rolled, taking her with him. She ended up with her head on his chest, her hand splayed over his heart and one leg draped over his.
Holy hell, he thought dazedly. He liked sex, missed it during intervals when it wasn’t possible. But what he and Trina had just done? The equivalent of an explosion versus him stubbing his toe.
Of course, he knew why that was. He’d never before felt more than attraction and mild liking for a woman he took to bed. Trina was different. So many unfamiliar emotions churned in his chest, he envisioned those pictures he’d seen of hurricanes taken from the space station. The relentless force spinning, unstoppable by human hands. The layers upon layers that made up the monstrous power unleashed by nature. The still, quiet eye at the center.
He clenched his teeth together. Man, what was getting into him? This was ridiculous. Okay, he felt more for her than he’d ever let himself feel for any woman. After struggling to come up with a label for one component, he finally did. Tenderness. That was something he’d lived his entire life without.
The respect...that was what he had for his teammates. Men who had proved themselves, who had his unshakable trust.
He lifted his head from the mattress so he could see her face, but he discovered hair that looked more than ever like melted caramel blocked his view.
Trina Marr, he thought, suddenly uneasy, could be trusted. She’d committed herself to Chloe, and would do anything for her. She wasn’t the kid’s mother, but she acted as if she was.
Except he, of all people, knew mothers weren’t always trustworthy.
With no inner debate at all, he realized there wasn’t any chance this woman had that flaw.
In fact, she was unnervingly like her brother in some respects. The steady gaze that saw deeper than he liked. The stubbornness, the courage, the determination that kept her going no matter what flew her way.
Damn. He was scaring himself. This thing with her couldn’t go anywhere. He’d be back at Fort Benning in no time, training for the next operation in some hellhole. She’d...fade in his memory. She had to, or he’d be in deep trouble.
She stirred, puffed out a breath that fluttered her hair and reached up to push it away from her face. “Wow,” she mumbled.
A smile tugged at his mouth. He liked that he’d left her befuddled. It almost made up for his confusion.
He let his hand wander now, exploring the long, taut line of her back and the delicate string of vertebrae. All of her bones felt fine to him, almost fragile compared to his.
Hard not to remember how easily his had shattered. Hers...no. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
“How do you stay in such good shape?” Probably not the most romantic thing to have said, but he was curious.
Her nose scrunched up. “Gym. Self-torture.”
He laughed. “You could find a sport you enjoy, you know.”
“Oh, I have. I do. I love riding, and swimming is okay, but the most effective is the elliptical and the treadmill. I’d probably run outside, but around here it’s either too hot or too miserably cold. Not much in between.”
“Ever tried racquetball?”
“I don’t like things flying at me.”
They had something in common; Gabe definitely didn’t like bullets flying at him.
He chuckled, rubbed his face against her head to feel the sleek silk of her hair and decided not to ruin a good moment by worrying. He could enjoy, couldn’t he?
Except she sighed, a puff of air he felt on his chest, and said, “I should go back to my bed.”
Gabe quit breathing, just held himself still. “Why?”
“Chloe will be scared if she wakes up to find herself alone.”
“She’s used to being alone in bed for a couple of hours before you join her.” What was he arguing for? Her to stay the night? To keep this casual, it would be better if she didn’t.
Trina was quiet for a minute. “Can I ask you something?”
Immediately wary, he said, “Is this a ‘get in my head’ question?”
“Well, kind of. No, more me wanting to know you.”
Because of Joseph, he knew quite a bit about her childhood. The loving parents, the tight family. His past was a blank to her.
“You can ask,” he said after a minute.
“Do you have family? People you stay in touch with, who worry about you?”
He didn’t talk about this. But... Trina was different.
Throat tight, he said, “No.”
“I guess I knew that.” She sounded sad.
Was he going to do this? “Never even knew who my father was,” he said hoarsely. “My mother was an addict. She died when I was five. I barely remember her.”
“I’m so sorry.” She turned her head enough to press a kiss to his chest. “I don’t suppose you were adopted.”
“No.” He hesitated. “A rancher took me on as a foster kid when I was fourteen. I stayed until I graduated from high school. He was a quiet guy. I thought he needed some extra labor. But...”
“But?” she prodded, when he didn’t finish.
“He died when I was in my early twenties. Left me the ranch.” Gabe stared up at the rafters. “It wasn’t a huge place, but it had a year-round creek running through it. Two neighboring ranchers bid each other up, and I came out of it with enough money to let me pay for half of this place, when the chance came.”
“You didn’t expect anything from your foster father.”
It wasn’t a question; she knew. But he shook his head anyway. “No. I wish I’d known—” His throat seized up.
“That he loved you?”
Had he? Gabe still didn’t know.
He felt something warm and...wet? She wasn’t crying, was she? He touched her face to find she was.
“I haven’t been a kid for a long time, Trina.”
“But you intend to stay alone, don’t you?”
A spasm seemed to close his throat completely, when he should be saying yes. Reminding her that this was recreational sex. But somehow he couldn’t speak at all. Which was fortunate, because for the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure what he’d have said. What he thought was, That’s what I always figured.
Past tense.
He was stunned to realize that the unexpected, unwelcome feelings he had for this woman had him in a tighter grip than he’d imagined. He wanted her to worry about him. He wanted to know she was waiting at home for him. And this felt like home: him, her, the ranch, his cabin...and Chloe.
In a panic, he stayed silent. Instead, he rolled on his side and kissed her, until neither of them could think about past or future. Only now.
* * *
TRINA WAS SOUND ASLEEP and really wanted to stay that way, but the mattress bobbed like a wave-tossed boat. She groaned, pried open her eyelids and found Chloe jumping on the bed about a foot from her.
“Go ’way,” she mumbled.
“Uh-uh. Gabe says to tell you it’s breakfast time.”
Trina whimpered and buried her face. Chloe kept bouncing.
Well, at least she wasn’t mute and sad. Why wasn’t she, given yesterday’s terrifying events?
Probably, Trina realized, because she hadn’t really known what was happening. Chloe had to have heard the gunshots, though. Was there any chance they hadn’t triggered panic because whoever killed her family had used a silencer?
Sad to say, Trina realized, she was definitely awake. “Okay, okay.”
Once Chloe was satisfied that Trina was really getting up, she scampered away. A shower mostly finished the job. When she got out, though, she saw herself in the foggy mirror and froze. Grabbing the hand towel, she swiped at the glass and kept staring. There were an awful lot of...not bruises, but red spots. Probably from Gabe’s stubble, she thought in chagrin. At the time, it had felt good.
So good, in fact, that her whole body tingled as she remembered their lovemaking.
Even the weight of his silence after her question didn’t squelch the tingles.
Trust, she reminded herself. He had talked to her. And he hadn’t said, Yeah, I’m a loner. His silence gave her hope she could change his mind.
And wasn’t that typical female idiocy, believing she could change a man? But that wasn’t it; she liked him, could even love him, exactly the way he was. If only...
She made a horrible face at herself in the mirror and got dressed.
When she went downstairs, Gabe gave her a hard, searching look that she returned with a feeble smile. Creases formed on his forehead.
She ate the pancakes he put in front of her, and produced a short grocery list for him when he reminded her that he was going shopping. Since he’d shopped Saturday, she didn’t need anything, but it wouldn’t hurt to have him pick up some fresh veggies, not to mention milk. They were going through an awful lot of it.
Chloe watched them. “You don’t hafta work?”
Trina did a little better with this smile. “Nope. I’m taking a vacation.”
The little girl brightened. “Can I ride Mack today?”
“Yep,” Gabe promised. “Later. I have to do errands this morning.”
“We could ride and then you could do errands,” Chloe said slyly.
He laughed, came around the breakfast bar to swing her in the air. Depositing her back on the stool, he said, “Good try, but no.”
“Well, poop.”
He only laughed again, kissed Trina on the cheek and left, after extracting a renewed promise that they stay inside and not answer the door. Fingertips pressed to the exact spot on her cheek that he’d kissed, she watched as his truck passed the cabin, then turned toward the ranch proper rather than the highway.
He was on his way to borrow yet another pickup truck from a ranch hand, and presumably took along another of those burner phones he’d bought as if every man kept a selection on hand.
Because while he did intend to grocery-shop, he also planned to call Risvold.
Trina’s skin felt too tight the whole time he was gone. What if someone came to the door? What would Detective Risvold say after Gabe told him about the ambush?
Would Gabe want her to spend most of the night in his bed again?
At six minutes past eleven o’clock, Trina saw the borrowed truck pass out on the ranch road. Not that she was watching or anything. But thank goodness, he’d only been gone two hours.
A few minutes later, he returned in his truck. She hovered in the kitchen, waiting for him. He walked in the back door laden with bags from a grocery store and Target, and glanced around. “Where’s Chloe?”
“Living room. She loves those puzzles you bought.”
His smile formed lines in his cheeks. “I noticed.” He hefted one of the bags. “Four more.”
After he plopped them down on the counter, Trina delved into the bag and saw, in delight, that his choices were perfect. The one on top was a unicorn. But, bless his heart, he’d also bought a puzzle with pirates, one with an animal alphabet and a barnyard puzzle.
“Thought we’d go for the dinosaur puzzle next time, and maybe the big trucks.”
How could he possibly believe he shouldn’t have a family, that he wouldn’t make a wonderful father?
After thanking him, she asked, “Did you reach Detective Risvold?”
Gabe went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water before he pulled out a stool and half sat, one foot braced on the floor. “No, I talked to Detective Deperro instead. Risvold was out. Deperro seemed a little less...aggressive.”
“I had the same impression. Did you tell him about the ambush?”
A glint in Gabe’s eyes, he said, “I didn’t share every detail, but yes. I said two vehicles, four men, tried a pincer move on us. They barricaded the highway, shot at us. I’d swear he was genuinely stunned, although he could have been playing me.”
“Did you give him the license plate number?”
They’d talked about this before he left this morning. He had a friend who was a cop in Portland, and Gabe had intended to ask him to run the number.
Gabe’s forehead furrowed, but he said, “I’m not sure I would have if it had been Risvold, but...yeah. Doesn’t mean I won’t tap my friend, too. We can call this a test. In fact, I’ll call Alan this morning.”
Trina told him her speculation that Chloe hadn’t actually heard gunshots when her parents and brothers were killed.
“Not a silencer, a suppressor,” Gabe said absently. “That’s a good thought, although I’m not sure knowing one way or the other helps us identify the killer.”
“Most normal people wouldn’t have one. In fact, aren’t they illegal or something?”
“Not in Oregon, although theoretically you have to get BATF approval to buy one.” He paused, interpreted her expression accurately. “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “Do you have a permit for that handgun?”
“Don’t need one in this state. For concealed carry, you do.” His lips twitched. “I haven’t bothered yet. I’m not spending that much time here, and until I met you, I didn’t have any need to carry a weapon at all.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said brusquely. “Truth is, I was feeling pretty damn useless until you came along.”
Trina blinked at that, and wasn’t surprised when he turned his back to put groceries away. The conversation was over.
Her temper spiked. No, it wasn’t. “What did Detective Deperro say?”
Gabe dumped several plastic bags with vegetables into the refrigerator and closed it before facing her again. “He wanted to know who I am. Swore he wasn’t trying to track down you and Chloe.”
She snorted, sounding an awful lot like his horse.
“He didn’t say much, but his frustration came through loud and clear. I didn’t get the feeling he’s happy with how the investigation is going. Or not going. I asked about the random guy wandering through the neighborhood. He told me straight-out that they’d never taken that seriously.”
“Then why did Risvold try to feed that crap to me?” she exclaimed.
“Because he didn’t like the idea of you expecting information to go two ways?” Gabe suggested. He leaned against the counter and crossed his booted feet at the ankles. “I’m damn sure he didn’t want you to know if they were looking at Pearson or anyone else close to the family.”
“I’ve worked with children involved in a criminal investigation twice before. That detective trusted me enough to be frank. Of course, being a woman, she probably doesn’t have the same territorial issues.”
Gabe grinned, startling her into instant, intense awareness of him lounging there not three feet from her. Even with that big body ostensibly relaxed, she didn’t make the mistake of believing she could catch him off guard. Nope, she’d seen a demonstration of how lightning fast his reflexes were.
“You might be right,” he said, the smile lingering on his mouth. For a moment, they just looked at each other. Then he pushed himself away from the cabinet. “Hey. Come here.”
She sneaked a peek toward the living room. “I should check on—”
“Can you hear her?”
“Hear?” She concentrated. He was right—Chloe was singing softly to herself. Trina smiled and stepped forward into his arms, which folded around her. Splaying her fingers on his chest, she said, “She’ll be in here any minute demanding to ride your horsie, because you said ‘later’ and it is later.”
He laughed, and nuzzled her cheek. “Sure, but she isn’t here yet. And why waste an opportunity?”
He captured her mouth and made good use of their time.