Bombshell - Men of Sanctuary Series, Book Three (11 page)

“That night was the last time I spoke to either of them.”

“Dear sweet Christ, Mac, I’m so sorry. I had no idea … .”

“I left the SEALs when that tour was finished. I’d gotten real close with my Navy recruiter. He came to me with a list of possible employment opportunities in the law enforcement sector. I hooked up with the gig up here, took my tests, aced the job. End of story.”

“And your brother?”

“Bradon? Don’t know, don’t care. I speak to my folks, and my other two brothers.

It took them a while, but they finally learned not to bring it up. That’s it, in a nutshell.”

“Does Keek know?”

“No. Why should she?”

“Mac, I’m—”

Conversation ceased abruptly when they heard the buoy bell on the back door clang twice, to indicate the door had opened, then closed. The cat strolled into the kitchen with the nonchalance only a feline can manage, tail straight up in the air, then made a beeline for Lorelei’s lap.

Adam placed a platter of thick French toast coated with slivered almonds on the table, accompanied by a large ramekin of his homemade raspberry honey butter. He settled in a chair. “Clever cat. Opens and closes doors.”

“Yeah, well, teach the clever cat to be a better watchdog, will ya?” Keko walked into the kitchen behind Callie, pulled out a chair, slumped into it.

Mac, touchy after his confession to Lorelei, didn’t bother to hide the agitation in his voice.

“What’s wrong? Where did you go? Why did you leave the lodge without telling someone?”
Someone like me, someone who thought you were still in your damned room. What
was wrong with staying in my bed?

“Okay, Columbo, just why would I need a bodyguard when we’re surrounded by security central? Or, perhaps you’d prefer to glue a GPS chip to my ass?”

Mac ignored her sarcasm and turned terrier. “Keko, what happened?”

“Some dude named Bobby Black Crow scared the hell out of me, that’s what happened.”

Adam and Lucian rose at the same instant as Mac.

Lorelei placed the cat on the floor, stood as well, held her hands up. “Hold on, boys. Let’s find out what happened before you charge down the warpath, with guns blazing.”

Mac leaned toward Keko, hands flat on the table. His pulse revved up, his muscles twitched for action. “Did he threaten you?”

“No, of course not. Nothing like that. He told me to give you a message.”

Lucian exhaled in relief, threw in a question. “Which
you
, exactly?”

“Sheriff MacBride. Although I suppose you all need to hear it. Mr. Black Crow said to tell Sheriff MacBride that he saw sign that there’s been someone hanging around Smitty’s place, just outa reach of the Fibbies. He said you could pass it on to whoever needs the intel.” She looked like she had something else to say, but pursed her lips together before more words escaped.

“The three of you are on Black Crow’s short list of good guys, in case you ever wondered.” Keko gulped a mouthful of coffee from Mac’s mug, made a face. “Yuck, no milk.”

She turned to Lorelei. “He also said that you’d field dress him before his carcass went cold, if he pissed you off.”

Lorelei sat down again, retrieved the cat, laughed until tears fell. “Is that what he said? Good to know.”

* * * * *

“I thought you were driving me to Smitty’s. I don’t recognize these roads.” Keko considered. “Not that I’ve been here long enough to recognize much.”

Neither of them mentioned the discussion over breakfast; the tense mood continued after MacBride volunteered to drive her to Smitty’s.

She grabbed the
oh-shit
handle over the passenger’s side door, although she’d already made sure her seat belt was securely fastened. MacBride maneuvered the big truck with care, but the ruts were unavoidable.

MacBride finally spoke, but he seemed distracted, like he had something else on his mind.

“I need to stop by my place first, grab fresh clothes. I didn’t plan on staying at the lodge last night. Usually carry a duffle with a change of clothing, but forgot to repack my kit. It’s not that long a detour. Didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Since I seem to be a captive audience, I suppose not.” Keko realized she sounded snarky. “Thanks for the ride.”

MacBride grunted.

Despite the bumps and ruts, the trip provided enough visual interest to prevent her from staring at him. The woodlands and meadows eventually gave way to small neat houses surrounded by small neat yards, enclosed in fences made of neat white pickets or neatly peeled logs.

They pulled into the driveway of a log and stone ranch house with a porch that wrapped around the front and left side. On the right, an enclosed breezeway connected the house to a three-car garage.

Logs. Stone. Big garage. Definitely a guy thing
.

That the yard and the flowering borders were orderly, trimmed, and free of weeds came as somewhat of a surprise.

Not such a guy thing
.

MacBride must have noticed the direction of her glances.

“Don’t get all excited. I’m not Harry Homemaker. I pay a high school kid to take care of the property. He’s a real go-getter, has his own little landscaping business that he does after school, plus weekends.”

She felt heat rise to her cheeks over his mindreading skills.

“I figured it wouldn’t do for the sheriff to live in a dump like trailer trash.

Community spirit, hiring a local teen, and all that.”

“I see. Well, it looks very nice.”

He shifted the SUV into park. “Care for the short, guided tour? It will take only a few minutes to pull my stuff together.”

She hesitated for a split second, but he caught it.

“I thought you might like to see how bachelors live who don’t own a massive lodge and thirty-five hundred acres.”

Surprised, she turned to him. “Thirty-five hundred? As in, three thousand, five hundred? Acres?”

“Yep. That’s how much ground Sanctuary covers, at least at the moment. Adam plans to expand. There’s a tract of five thousand acres butting up to their property, and probably more is available.”

“Yikes.”

“Exactly.” He walked around to the driver’s door. “So, are you coming in?”

This isn’t a good idea. I know this isn’t a good idea. I may trust him, but I sure as shit
don’t trust myself
.

“Okay. Sure. Of course.”

He unlocked the front door, then led her into a surprisingly bright interior. With an open floor plan, the large living room sported autumn colors based on a deep cream background, mostly reds and browns with splashes of gold here and there. Gold- and cream-striped drapes covered wide windows, autumn harvest area rugs were scattered on the floors. The deep red leather sofa, love seat, and side chairs surprised her.

“Nice job. This place looks great.” She meant it. The house radiated comfort and warmth.

“I can’t take credit. One of Lucian’s sisters, Julia the designer, took pity on me.

Begging and groveling on my part finally persuaded her.”

Keko laughed. “I can’t imagine you either begging or groveling, but apparently whatever you did, worked.”

“Updated kitchen and bath, three bedrooms. Nothing fancy, but it’s home.”

“Three bedrooms?”

“Yeah. Master bedroom, guest room, office.”

“May I see?”

He looked surprised, but his features lit up. “Yes. Of course.”

The office was masculine, with dark woods, chrome, and glass, cabinet-style file drawers, built-in bookshelves. It was surprisingly neat and organized.

The guest bedroom had more browns and greens than the living area, with a wide leaf and vine motif area rug anchoring the king-sized bed. On all the walls, watercolors of sunlit ponds and subdued meadow scenes balanced the heavy colors.

“Well done. Really. A calm room, quiet.”

The master bedroom could have fit two king-sized beds with ease. To Keko’s surprise, soft shades of plum, orchid, and fuscia dominated the room. Area rugs in patterns of darker plum and black covered sections of the wide plank floor. The furniture was plain, Shaker style, in black.

“Oh, wow. This is awesome. Lucian’s sister did—”

Keko turned toward MacBride to finish her comment, only to fall into his arms.

Oh crap, I knew better than to get out of the truck
.

“MacBride, I don’t think this is … .”

“See, there you go again. Thinking. You think entirely too much.” He leaned down to kiss her, captured her mouth with his own. Like smooth chocolate, she melted against him. “That’s it, let your body think for you.”

“I have work waiting. So do you. Important work.”

“And we both have good people on the job. The work will wait a bit longer.”

A soft groan escaped her throat as his hand slid down to her crotch.
Damn it to
hell, how does he do this to me?
Her legs spread wider and her hand pushed his fingers tighter against the clothing that covered her sex.

“MacBride, don’t stop.” She pressed forward against his hand.
Please don’t stop! I
need you.

He did stop, though, long enough to peel the clothes off her body, then lift her onto his high bed. He stripped quickly, his clothing landed in a pile next to hers. He joined her on the wide mattress.

When their skin touched, she opened her thighs for him, but he lay beside her instead. She arched against him. “Come to me.”

”
Shh
. Let me take care of you.”

He aligned his body next to hers. His right hand began to play her like a precious viola, his fingers stroking, touching, caressing her torso until she lifted her hips to urge him to go further, faster.

“Easy, baby, let me take my time. No need to rush.”

Her eyes closed, her neck arched back. She moaned.

He slid his hand between her thighs, into her warmth, her wetness. Rather than penetrate her, he trapped her labia between his fingertips and palm. He rolled her flesh, then gently tugged at the lips of her pussy, first together, then separately.

“MacBride, you’re driving me crazy. Do something!” She writhed, tried to entice him to mount her.

“Slow down, baby. All in good time.”

He moved away, stretched far enough to reach the drawer of the nightstand.

When he returned to her, his fingers were slick with lubricant. She groaned and spread for him, anticipating—but he held back. Using slow circular motions, his fingertips spread the lubricant from the top of her mons to the tight rosette of her ass. Without entering her, his fingers danced over her hypersensitive skin, sliding between the crevices of her labia and buttocks.

Frustrated, she grabbed his hand, tried to direct him back to her pussy.

“Not yet, baby. You’re not ready.”

“For fuck sake, I am
so
ready!”

“Not yet.”

When she whimpered, he finally plunged his fingers into her, alternating the number of digits as he slid in and out with maddening slowness.

She clutched his arm, tried to force him to fuck her faster.

“Is that what you want, baby? Harder and deeper? Tell me.”

“Oh yeah, yes, please,
yess
!”

He covered her sex with his palm, massaged her in firm circles, then penetrated her with two stiff fingers as deeply as her body would allow.

Keko howled and writhed, grabbed his hand, pumped her hips. “Oh God, yes, do that, bring it, bring it,
kee
rist in heaven I need to come!”

He pumped into her, alternating with two and three fingers, gently twisting his hand as he pleasured her. His mouth sought and found her breasts, her nipples. He suckled her softly, then with more vigor.

“MacBride, damn it, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna … .”

“Not yet, baby, we’re not done yet.” He pulled his fingers away, to her cry of frustration, then, without warning, turned her over onto her stomach.

“What are you …?”

He reached between her thighs from the back, worked his fingers into her pussy again. She immediately pumped her hips against the mattress, against his hand.
So close,
so close … .

He moved away and returned with the bottle of lube, dripping the wonderful slippery stuff down the crevice of her buttocks, down to her pussy. Working his fingers deeply, he then pulled them out so he could massage her with his closed knuckles.

“Fuck, damn it, MacBride, I need you. You’re making me crazy! I need your cock now, baby,
now
!”

“Oh yeah, you’ll have a cock.” He pulled her hips up so she was on elbows and knees. “You’ll have it, baby.”

She felt him move around again, then he massaged more lube on her warm sex.

He spread her labia with one hand; she felt a hard blunt object against the opening of her pussy. She didn’t know what it was, just knew that it wasn’t his cock. She became quite still as she tried to get a grip on what he was doing.

Before she could give voice, the crown of the dildo slid into her, followed by the shaft. He slowly pushed the entire length into her, then held it still until her flesh adapted. The different sensation coerced her, and she was
so
close to the edge. She began rocking her pelvis, carefully, signaling him to thrust the dildo in and out.

MacBride knelt behind her as if he would take her doggy style, but continued to fuck her with the firm, flesh-like toy. He reached under and fondled her breasts and nipples, which made her wriggle and writhe beneath him.

Her voice deepened from whimper to breathy. “I want you, MacBride, give me your cock. You promised.”

“I will, darlin’, I will.”

He shifted again, reached under her hip, pumped the dildo into her with his left fist. He pressed his thighs tightly against her. It took her a moment to realize that he’d gone from smearing the slippery lube along the crevice of her buttocks to pressing a fingertip against the rosette of her ass. He didn’t wait for discussion or permission—

already impaled with the dildo, her body slammed her brain into overload as his finger pushed fully through the tight ring of flesh.