Playing For Keeps (Montana Men) (40 page)

“What
did Rafe say about us still being married?”

“He’s
upset, naturally,” she said, trying to ignore the way her breasts tingled. She
prayed her nipples didn’t harden because she was wearing a T-shirt and there
was no way Danger would miss her body’s reaction to his. “We thought,
believed
we were married. Now it seems
we’ll have to wait until a divorce takes place between you and me.”

“I
don’t want a divorce.”

Lacey
jerked. Her heart sank to her knees and blood rushed to the tips of her
nipples
making them tingle. “Danger
—
”

“Don’t
leave me. I love you, Lacey. I know I did and said things that hurt you, but I
love you. Stay with me. I swear I’ll do better this time, if you’ll give me
another chance. I’ll do everything within my power to make you happy.”

That
was all it took. Her breasts swelled, her nipples burst into rigid little tips
and poked against the material of her shirt. She folded her arms across her
breasts. “I can’t. I can’t stay. Don’t do this to me.”

“You still love me. I know you do. I see it in your eyes.
And crossing your arms over your breasts doesn’t stop me from knowing you want
me too.”

“Danger…”
Her lips trembled. She gripped her forearms tightly, but still, tears filled
her eyes.

“You
love me,” he said softly. “God, Lacey, I’m fighting for my life here,
our
life. You can’t marry him, not when
you’re still in love with me. Give us a second chance.”

“I
can’t!”

“Why,
for God’s sake? You don’t have to rush into a divorce or into a marriage with
Rafe.”

“I’m
not rushing, but I can’t be your wife.”

“Well
you sure as hell can’t be his wife when you’re still in love with me.”

“I
didn’t say I was still in love with you.”

“You
don’t have to. I know you, Lace.”

“You
see what you want to see. I can’t remain your wife, Danger.”

“Why?
I made mistakes. Christ, I know I made them, but damn it, I love you. You might
not admit it, but you love me, too. Marriages have rocky patches. God knows
ours was fucking filled with boulders, but we have to try, Lace. It’s worth a
try.”

“I
can’t. You don’t understand. I can’t be your wife.”

“Give
me one good reason why you won’t give us another chance.”

“I
can give you several, but the most important one is…I’m pregnant.”

Danger sat there staring at her, his eyes brimming with
tears. “Pregnant?” His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. “Shit.” He
rubbed an unsteady hand across his mouth. He puffed out a long breath and
stared at her.
“Fuck!”

Lacey
clenched her hands together. She couldn’t go through his anger and hostility,
his accusations again. Her heart simply wouldn’t hold together. She felt as if
it was barely glued in place. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, feeling as if her
entire world was crashing down around her shoulders—again.

He
pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, towering over her. Lord, hadn’t he
always towered over her head and shoulders? Quickly, he circled the desk and
knelt in front of her. She braced herself for his anger.

“I
don’t care if you’re pregnant, baby,” he said softly. “I might wish the baby
was mine, in fact, I do wish it was mine.” He cupped the sides of her face.
“I’ve come a long way this past year. Believe me, I’ve learned from my
mistakes. I want you, Lace. Do you understand? I don’t care anymore that
another man touched you or that you’re carrying his child.” He hesitated, then
clasped her hands. “Well I care, but…Lace? Please? Please stay with me. We can
make our lives together work. I know we can.”

She
made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. At that moment, she thought
her heart might shatter with the pain, regret and loss. Gently, she pulled her
hands free and rested them on top of his bowed head. “Once, I would have given
anything to hear those words from you.”

He
lifted his head and swallowed hard. “But not now?”

“No.
Not now,” she said in a soft tone. “We went down a road, you and I…and
somewhere, we took a wrong turn.” Her voice quivered. Lacey drew a deep breath
and slowly exhaled. “I’m sorry, too, for everything we lost, for not realizing
I was losing you until I’d already lost you, but I’ve started a new journey.
Rafe and I…” She shrugged. “We might not have what you and I had, but we’re
good together. You and I, we only cause each other pain and sorrow. You have to
let me go. My life’s with him.”

“You love me,” he said, his voice cracking. “How can I let
that go?”

“Yes, I love you, but it’s not enough. It wasn’t enough
before. Was it? We have to let go. Rafe’s a good man and he loves me. This is
his baby. I can’t, I won’t hurt him.”

Danger nodded. His breath escaped on a ragged note. “I
know he’s a good man. He’s always loved you, Lace, from the moment he saw you,
he loved you. I always knew that and it scared me deep inside, because I
knew…somehow I knew, he loved you better than I did.”

“Danger…”

“Oh, God, Lace,” he said, his voice bleak. “He loved you
better then, but not now. Not now. I’m so sorry I pushed you away.”

“It wasn’t all your fault. I should have fought harder for
you,” she said sadly. “I have to go. Rafe’s waiting outside for me.”

Danger rose to his feet. Stepping back, he held out his
hand to her, and helped her up from the chair. “If you ever need me, I’ll be
there.”

“I know.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Take care of
yourself, Danger.”

“You, too. I’ll…uh…” He paused and cleared his throat.
“I’ll send the divorce papers as soon as I can,” he said, gently squeezing her
hands.

“Thank you.” Her breath caught on a hitch. “Be happy.”

“Lace…wait!”

She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder. “I
dare not,” she whispered, and turned the door knob.

Chapter Thirty-Four

There is only one happiness
in life
—
to love and to be loved
.

~George Sand

West of Denver

Duel’s Cabin

February 20, Friday

Ninety hours after the assassination…

Flayme
adjusted the hot water and let the soothing heat pour into her bones. After
last night, she didn’t think she’d ever get warm again. The only time she felt
half way normal or safe was when she was in Duel’s arms, his body locked inside
hers and him rocking them to the ultimate high.

She
might feel half frozen, but her heart was filled with happiness. The cowboy
loved her. She couldn’t help wondering how she got so lucky, but she wasn’t
going to question the richness of her life. Happiness was both giving and
receiving love. She felt very blessed.

The
shower door opened and closed, tugging her away from her thoughts.

“Mind
if I play with you?” Duel drawled huskily. The soft gold in his eyes flashed,
flirty, yet somehow smoldering with promise as he edged her into a corner.

Her
gaze settled on his crotch. “That depends.”

“On
what?” He moved closer.

“On
what toy you’re going to share with me.”

He
wrapped a meaty fist around his hard cock. “I’m very willing to share this
little guy.”

“Little
guy?”
She laughed. There was nothing small about Duel anywhere. The man was a walking
billboard of masculinity, raw sex, and a killer smile. A wide, furred chest,
bulging biceps, and powerful thighs completed the hot picture of her man.

He
was a great kisser, and the way he claimed her when he made love to her turned
her insides to mush. The
little guy
wasn’t too bad, either. Long and thick and God, when Duel entered her, she
always felt stuffed. Duel Remington made her complete.

“Come
here, you.” He pulled her against his chest and cupped her bottom. Her nipples
tightened instantly. Duel’s brows rose. “Anxious ladies you got there.” He
grinned. “Almost as hard as my cock,” he teased. Bracing himself with one hand,
Duel lifted her. “Wrap your legs around my waist, doll baby, and hold on tight.
We’re going for a ride, sweetheart.”

She
looped her arms around his neck and tightened her legs around him. Duel lowered
her slowly onto his cock, pushing inside her, through the tight layers of
muscle, impaling her. He rocked his hips, thrusting inside her in a slow,
steady rhythm, that grew faster and harder with each thrust She clawed his
shoulders and moved her hips, taking him deeper.

Flayme
shuddered. Multiple orgasms slammed into her, exploding through her body hot
and fierce. Duel followed her over the edge. Breathing hard, he reached behind
her and turned off the water. Remaining inside her, he stepped out of the
shower and backed into the bedroom.

“Where
are you taking me?” she whispered, pressing kisses along his jaw.

“To
Paradise.”

The
bed was only a few steps away, but she didn’t think they’d make it there. When
he turned and pressed her back against a wall and took her hard and fast, she
knew he felt the same driving force of need she felt.

Flayme
screamed her pleasure as his powerful strokes slowed to a teasing momentum that
had her begging him to move faster. She lost count of how many times he took
her over the edge with those long, slow strokes that both tormented and gave
her pleasure. Crashing and rising, they rode the waves of their body’s intense
release. She felt as if she was freefalling, tumbling through the heavens, only
to crash back to Earth, replete at last.

“I’ll never get enough of you,” Duel whispered, kissing
her mouth. “I could eat you up and still come back for more.”

She
didn’t know how much time passed before he finally carried her to the bed.
Flayme snuggled close, resting her head on his chest. “The way we’ve been going
at each other, if someone wanted us dead the last couple of hours, we would
never have heard them come in,” she said.

He
grinned. “Sweetheart, I know how to take care of you. I set the alarm before I
ever came upstairs. I wouldn’t leave anything to chance where your safety’s
concerned.”

Duel
rolled away, grabbed his jeans and pulled them on. Socks and boots followed and
a shirt.

“You’re
going somewhere?” Flayme scooted to the edge of the bed.

“Yeah.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “I’m going to do a perimeter check. Stay up
here. The front door will lock behind me. Don’t open it for anyone but me.”

Flayme
grabbed her clothes and started dressing. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,
sweetheart.”

“But
—
”

“You’re
the target.” He grabbed her by the upper arms. “Listen to me, if anything
happens, no matter what it is, you don’t open the door downstairs. Understand?”

Flayme
suddenly felt more frightened than ever before. “But…couldn’t whoever might be
out there just break in the door or break the glass and come in?”

“No.
The door’s reinforced steel. The windows are shatter and bulletproof. By the
time someone could get in, help should be here.”

“Were
you paranoid when you built this place?”

Duel smiled and kissed her again. “Nope. All the safety
measures came later. You aren’t the first person to be here whose needed
protection.”

In spite of him insisting he’d be all right and for her to
remain upstairs, Flayme followed him to the front door. “Be careful.”

He pulled on the leather fringe jacket from the hall
closet and grabbed his Glock off the stand by the door. Jamming his Stetson on
his head, he grinned. “You got it, doll baby. Save my place beside you in the
bed. I’ll be back in a sec.”

With that, he eased out the door and she keyed the alarm
behind him. Flayme paced the length of the room. She hated that he risked his
life for hers. If she died, what would the world lose? Nothing.

But if he died—she drew a deep breath. If he died, the
world lost a man who’d willingly endangered his own life to save others. He
saved lives all the time. Not her. She’d never done anything important. The
world needed men like Duel Remington, but it could sure survive without her.

Flayme paused to nibble on her thumb, then glared at it.
Damn, she barely had a nail left. She’d chewed it to the quick. She ran over to
a window and searched the edge of the woods, but she didn’t see him anywhere.
Damn it! Where was he?

Her heart raced. Terror gripped her insides. Cold sweat
popped out above her upper lip. Her stomach recoiled. Nausea bubbled. She slid
a hand across her belly in a protective gesture old as time. She did it
automatically, without thought.

Flayme looked down, surprised to see where her palms
rested. Duel must be right. She’d never had such a queasy stomach before in her
life or felt so fiercely protective of a life she didn’t even know for sure was
growing inside her. She shook her head. Unbelievable. She had no proof, yet
somehow she knew without a doubt she was pregnant.

Did women really get nauseated from the moment they
conceived? She’d heard some did, but she’d never believed it—until now. Maybe
she wasn’t pregnant. Maybe the nausea was
 
brought on and compounded by her nerves and fear that something bad
could be happening out there to the man she loved. A wave of tenderness swept
over her at the thought of his child growing inside her. The odds of her not
conceiving over the last couple of days and nights were pretty slim. Lord knew
they’d taken plenty of chances.

Flayme moved closer to the window and stared out,
searching for some sign as to what was happening. Nothing. Everything was
still. Too still? It’d be dark soon, another thirty or forty minutes and
another day ended.

Duel emerged from the edge of the woods and relief rushed
over her. Thank God! There he was safe and sound and coming back to her.
Happiness swelled inside her. She’d never loved the way she loved this man.

He looked up, all his concentration on the cabin and she
wondered if he was looking for her, then he spotted her, and she knew he’d been
doing exactly that—looking for her. She waved, laughing. Joy bubbled over like
champagne from a newly uncorked bottle. Hurry, she thought. Hurry back to me.

He was close enough now for her to see the silly grin
plastered on his face. He waved, stopped and looked back over his shoulder
toward the trees one last time. Then he faced her again, that goofy smile on
his face.

One minute he was standing there grinning, the next, the
oddest look spasmed across his face. His big body jerked, and he fell to one
knee. What?

Crack!

The report of the gunfire came seconds later and she knew—
what.

Duel’s body jerked a second time and he went down,
sprawling on the ground in a tangled heap.

Crack!
The
report of the second shot echoed across the mountains just like the first one
had done and shattered her hope, her dreams.

For a moment, Flayme stood there frozen, her body and mind
numb.
Noo!
It happened so quickly,
his smile fading into shock. His body half spinning, blood spraying through the
air like tiny particles of red dust dancing in sunlight—only there wasn’t any
sunshine left in her life. Of a sudden, her world had turned gray and bleak and
empty.

“Noo,”
she
screamed. “No-no-
no!”
Flayme ran to
the door, but she couldn’t see the damn numbers on the keypad through her
tears. It took three tries before she keyed the alarm correctly. All the while,
her heart raced. She thought if he was dead, there’d never be warmth in her life
again, that everything would remain frozen and lifeless. Flinging open the
door, she raced to Duel. Dropping to her knees beside him, she slid an arm
beneath his head, lifting his face to her. “Duel! God, oh God. Don’t be dead.
Please don’t be dead.” Her voiced quivered with terror. Her body trembled. He
was so still. Cherry red blotches stained the virgin snow around him, somehow
obscene and so offensive she wanted to scream. “Open your eyes, Duel, talk to
me.”

To her amazement, his eyelids flickered open, but she
wasn’t sure he was actually aware of her beside him. His face looked pale, his
lips colorless.

“Go,” he whispered on a strangled note. “Get…inside.”

She laughed. She cried. Tears choked the back of her
throat. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Go!”
he ordered.
“Now!” He tried to sit up but fell back. “Sonofabitch shot me. Go, baby.”

“No! I can’t leave you here. I can’t. I
won’t!
Please. Let me help you up.”

“I can’t,” he muttered. “Can’t…move.”

“You can’t move? Why? Why can’t you move?”

“Can’t…feel…my legs.”

“Oh, God, Duel. You have to let me help you.”

“Listen…to…me.” He coughed and a crimson stream trickled
down the side of his mouth. “Get…in…cabin. He’s…coming, baby.”

“Duel, please
—
”

“Damn it!” He coughed spraying blood in a fine mist.
“For…once, do…as…I say. Get…inside.”

Flayme nodded. Tears rolled down her face. Her hands were
wet and slick with his blood. She rocked back and forth on her knees. “I hate
you for making me do this.”

“I…know. Go.”

She got up.

“Stay…low,” he said urgently.
“Low!”

Flayme dropped to the ground and crawled to the cabin
steps. Crouching, she crossed the porch and slammed the door behind her. Keying
in the alarm and lock, she slid to the floor and drew her knees up close.
“Don’t let him die,” she whispered in a shaky voice. “Don’t let him die.”

Burying her face against her knees, she sobbed. She’d
never felt such terror, not even when she was being shot at had she felt the
way she did now. She was a coward, she thought, angry with herself. Here she
sat bawling while the man she loved lay wounded and helpless, willing to die
for her. She could do no less for him.

Raising her head, Flayme swiped away the tears. She’d left
him lying there, defenseless. How could she leave him lying there in the snow,
the cold, bleeding? He would never have left her. She cupped a hand across her
eyes and sobbed. She had to help him. Somehow. “There must be a way.”

Dropping her hand, and desperate, she looked around, her
mind wild. If he lived, if they both survived this, how could he ever forgive
her? How could she ever forgive herself? The answer to that was simple. He
wouldn’t. And she couldn’t.

“Oh, God.” She mopped away her tears on her shirt sleeve
and waited for the sound of a gunshot. Waited. Waited. Where
was
he? The bastard. What was he waiting
on? Then it dawned on her. The assassin was waiting on her. Waiting for her to
make a move or come out and die. Frantic, her gaze settled on the crossbow on
the wall.
Yes!

Flayme leapt to her feet and rushed across the room.
Lifting the bow off the wall, she grabbed the quiver of arrows and raced to the
sliding doors that opened onto the back deck. From there, a wooden ladder built
against the slanted side of the roof led to the top.

The wood shingle roof lay buried under a half-foot of
snow, making it impossible to hurry. Hurrying was treacherous as she quickly
learned when she slipped on a patch of ice. Flayme tried to catch her balance,
but fell. Landing flat on her stomach, she slid back to the edge of the roof.
“Shit!”

Settling on her butt, she eyed the jagged tear on her
forearm. Crimson liquid slid down her arm and dripped off her elbow. Nausea
slapped her with a one-two punch, making her lightheaded. She lowered her head
between her knees and dragged in several deep breaths. At last, the dizziness left
her and she was able to look at the wound without swooning or throwing up.