Rick stopped and looked back with hooded eyes.
Longing swelled within her, and something else. Something that made her want to tell him what his thoughtfulness did to her, how it made her desire him more than ever. But she only said, “Thanks.”
“Get some sleep, honey.” And then he was gone, closing the door behind him.
For a long time, Lani remained awake, but the nightmare didn’t haunt her as she feared it would. All she could think about was Rick.
Chapter Eleven
Rick spent a frustrating day chasing dead-end leads, finding himself no closer to learning the identity of either Gordo or
El Torero
. By the time he’d exhausted his last resource, orange and pink streaked the western sky, the sun sinking behind the Mule Mountains.
And he was late. Marnie and Stan Torres had invited Rick’s family and Lani to dinner. Marnie had promised to make her wicked chili con carne, homemade flour tortillas, and flan, a Mexican custard, for dessert. But Rick just wasn’t up to socializing, even though he hated to miss the chance of being around Lani.
Dead tired, Rick stopped by the Torres’s ranch to make his appearance and his excuses. Sadie and Chuck were there when he arrived, but he didn’t see Lani or Trevor. Sadie let him know that Trevor had come down with a stomach bug that afternoon, and Lani had volunteered to stay with him.
Only the porch light was on when Rick finally made it home, and the house was quiet, save for crickets chirping and Roxie sniffing her greeting. Absently, he scratched the dog behind her ears, feeling a surge of disappointment that Lani had apparently gone to bed. He’d hoped to spend a few moments with her—hell, more than a few moments.
Not that he was able to get to sleep right away after being near her. Warmth seeped into his blood when he remembered last night. He’d gone to Lani to comfort her, and when she’d calmed down, she’d reached for him with desire in her eyes and passion in her soul. Had he been a fool for turning away from her?
No, as much as he wanted her, he could never do that. When she came to him for more than petting and sexual play, it would be with a clear head. It would be because she wanted him. Last night could’ve just been a reaction to the adrenalin pumping through her body after her nightmare. No greater aphrodisiac than adrenalin.
Rick kicked off his dusty boots by the front door and tore off his socks, then put his gun in the cabinet. He’d spent the day researching files, watching surveillance tapes and talking on the phone, and hadn’t come in contact with any UDAs, but he still wanted a shower.
In the kitchen, he washed his face and hands in the sink, before giving Roxie a bowl of dog food and water. He made himself a sandwich with Sadie’s homemade bread and leftover ham, and scarfed it down along with a glass of orange juice.
When he finished eating, he went to the bathroom but found the door locked and heard water running in the tub. So, Lani wasn’t asleep after all. What would she think if he slid into the bathroom and offered to join her? Would she welcome him? He shook his head and smiled. Just maybe.
He checked on Trevor and found the boy fast asleep, then went to the laundry room and stripped off his clothes, then headed to Chuck and Sadie’s bathroom to take his shower.
After a nice hot shower, Rick felt more than refreshed. His blood boiled and his cock made the thick terrycloth towel around his waist stand at attention. The tile felt cool under his bare feet as he headed toward his room, wondering if he should knock on Lani’s door.
But when he reached the hallway, Lani was there. His pulse picked up and his gut tightened. She stood in the doorway of Trevor’s room, a soft smile on her face. Only light pouring from her bedroom lit the hall, but it was enough that he could study her.
Heat pooled in Rick’s groin as he watched Lani, his arms aching to draw her close, aching to touch her face, aching to stroke her body. She was beautiful. Her skin pink, the ends of her hair damp. And of all things, she wore his faded bathrobe.
She turned away from Trevor’s room and froze.
“Hello, Lani,” Rick said softly.
“Rick.” She hugged the robe tighter. “I thought you’d be going to the Torres’s.”
“Too tired.” He smiled and leaned against the doorframe of her room. “At least I was.”
Lani wiped a tendril of damp hair from her face, her chocolate eyes drawing him closer. “I was just checking on Trevor.”
Rick struggled to stay put, to keep his hands away from her. “How’s he doing?”
“His fever’s down.” She glanced in the boy’s room, then back to Rick. In the background, he heard country western music playing on Trevor’s radio.
Her gaze darted to Rick’s bare chest, as if she’d just noticed he wore only a towel. She blushed as she looked back to his face. “I’d better let you get to bed.”
She brushed past him, into her room. Her soft body slid by him as silken as a caress, the fragrance of her warming him like whiskey in his veins. And god help him, he followed her.
“Lani.”
The Victorian lamp bathed her in a rose glow, her hair glittering in the gentle light like strands of finest gold. As she turned back to him, she made a soft sound and bit her lip.
“Are you all right?” Rick reached for Lani and pulled her to him. She buried her face against his bare chest and slid her arms around his waist. She fit against him perfectly, the top of her head just reaching his chin. He stroked her hair down to the damp ends, and then again.
A deep breath, and then she shuddered. “You smell so good.” His chest muffled her voice.
“No, darlin’ it’s you. Honeysuckle and soap.” He smiled. “You look sexy as hell in my robe.”
Lani lifted her head and the sensual glitter in her eyes made him want to take her right then and there. “When I took a bubble bath, I forgot to bring my clothes into the bathroom. So I borrowed your robe from off the door hook. Do you mind?”
“Never.” He gave a wicked grin. “But I envy all those bubbles, touching you, covering every inch of your body. And right now I envy my bathrobe even more.”
She caught her breath, her eyes growing wide and her lips parting.
Her mouth looked so inviting, so delectable. He lowered his head and brushed her lips with his. Lani wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Long and tender, her tongue teasing him with cat-like strokes. He answered by deepening the kiss, delving into her until his head spun and she had completely intoxicated him. He was drunk with the taste of her, the smell of her, the feel of her.
Rick gritted his teeth, his body rock hard against her feminine softness. She trembled in his arms and he pulled away. “I’m finding it tough to control myself around you.”
She drew him back and melded her body to his. “You taste like orange juice, and something more.” She kissed him again, and trailed her lips over the stubble on his chin, down to the hollow of his throat. “Man. You’re all man.”
Fire burned within Rick, desire so fierce it shook him to the soles of his feet, nearly knocking him on his ass with its intensity.
His breathing grew ragged as he captured her mouth with his. God, but she tasted good. Her lips, so soft and sweet, tore away at his resolve. “Lani. Honey. I don’t know if I can take much more of this. I’m about to throw you on that bed and take all of you.”
“Please,” she whispered, nuzzling at his ear. “I want those fireworks you promised me.”
Rick squeezed Lani to him. “Are you sure? Very sure?”
His words made her even more confident in her decision. Like a light shining into a darkened room, she realized it was what she’d wanted all along. She didn’t just want kisses and almost-sex. She wanted all of him. She wanted him so deep inside her that she could feel him everywhere.
He wasn’t James. Rick would never hurt her. And even if it didn’t last, she needed Rick with a desperation that almost frightened her.
She nodded, her heart pounding, her throat tight. “I want to be with you more than anything.”
“You’re trembling.” He stroked her cheek, then slid his fingers into her hair. “Are you afraid?”
“No. It’s just that I…I’ve never been with anyone other than…him.” She brushed her lips against Rick’s neck. “He never made me feel the way you do. Never.”
“Lani,” he whispered. “There’s never been a woman I’ve cared more about than you.”
“Please.” She stroked his face, his stubble coarse against her palm. “Be with me.”
“Don’t move.”
Rick pulled away and left the room, and she felt alone. Naked. Like a part of her was missing. In moments, he was back. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a box onto the nightstand, and shut and locked the door.
“Condoms,” she murmured as he brought her into his arms. Embarrassment burned her cheeks for never having thought of needing them. But at the same time she marveled at the man in her arms. After leaving James, she’d stopped taking the pill, not planning to have sex with any man. And there she was, wanting Rick so much she could hardly think straight.
He pressed his lips to he forehead. “Second thoughts?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I want you so bad I’m shaking.”
“Same here.” He laughed, low and sensual. “And that’s never happened to me before.”
She melted against him, breathing in his utterly male scent and running her hands through the hairs curling on his chest. He felt so solid, so good beneath her palms.
A flash of reality struck Lani and she tried to step away. “Oh, my god. What am I thinking? Trevor is down the hall.”
He kept her caged in his arms, nuzzled her hair and chuckled. “Why? Do you make a lot of noise?”
She flushed. “No—I—”
Rick trapped her mouth in a slow, sensual kiss that burned Lani to her soul. Her knees gave out, but he was holding her tight to him.
After devouring her lips, he lifted his head and gave her a lazy smile that sent heat flushing over her anew. “You’re warm, sweet, passionate and sexy as hell.”
Pleasure tingled within every nerve in her body. He made her feel so alive, so wanted, beautiful even. She glanced at the door. “What about Trevor?”
“The kid sleeps like a rock. His radio is on, and his room is all the way down the hallway.” Rick caressed her shoulders through the robe, the heat of his hands warming her. “As long as we’re discreet and keep the door locked, I don’t see a problem.”
He hooked a finger under her chin and smiled. “Have you changed your mind?”
She shook her head. “No. I want you.”
“Good, ‘cause I sure wasn’t looking forward to a cold shower.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head. “I’ve never tasted anything as good as you.”
He traced his tongue along her bottom lip, and then the top, a slow, sensual tease. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she felt like she would never breathe again. Their tongues met, flicking, dancing, and she wanted more of him.
With a groan, he lifted his head and pulled at the neckline of her robe, baring her shoulder. He caressed the naked skin. “What’re you wearing under there?”
His feather kisses continued from her neck down to the rounded softness of her shoulder, bringing another moan to her lips. She found it almost impossible to speak. “Absolutely…nothing.”
“Show me.” Rick’s voice was so husky, as he nuzzled her neck, it sent thrills skittering in her belly.
“Wait.” She put her hands on his chest and glanced at the Victorian lamp. “We need to turn off the light.”
“No. I want to see you.” His gaze searched her face. “Every last bit of you.”
Lani’s cheeks heated and she tried to push away. “But I—” She dropped her eyes. “I’m not thin and beautiful.”
“How could you think that?” Puzzlement and wonder crossed Rick’s features when he lifted her chin with his finger and forced her to look at him. “You’re perfect.”
He slid his hands down her, alongside the curve of her breasts to her waist, and over the flare of her hips. She gasped as he cupped her rear, his hands warm through the robe. “I love to look at you and your curvy body. You’re so sensual. So gorgeous. I’ve been dying to touch you everywhere. Every inch of you.”
When she opened her mouth to protest, he put a finger to her lips. That simple touch, the way he traced her lips, undid her. Senses reeling, she shivered as Rick ran his finger over her chin down her neck, then between the swell of her breasts until he reached the tie.
One tug, and the robe fell open. Lani’s nipples tightened, the air cool, but her body burning hot for him. She wanted to pull the robe around her, to cover her body, but he pushed it down her arms to land in a puddle at her feet.
“Beautiful. So incredibly beautiful.” He caressed her with his gaze, taking in all of her from her swollen lips to her bare toes. She trembled, then caught her breath as he cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over her nipples. “Tell me, Lani. Do you blush everywhere?”
She flushed with heat and he gave a soft chuckle. “I knew it. Your entire body turns that pretty shade of pink.”
Lani wrapped her arms around his neck. “Shut up and kiss me, cowboy.”
Rick pulled her to him, his chest hair tickling her sensitive breasts. They kissed with such urgency and fervor that she was drunk with the taste of him, the smell of him, and she wanted more. But he teased her, slowly relishing her body. He trailed his tongue down her neck, settling in along her collarbone, before beginning the leisurely descent to her breasts. She had to fight from crying out as he circled first one nipple, then the other. He took one in his mouth and tugged on it, driving Lani out of her mind with wanting him.
When he lifted his head, he gripped her buttocks with his hands, pressing his cock hard against her belly.
“Damn. What you do to me,” he groaned as she moved her lips to his chest. She licked his flat nipples as he’d done to hers, then nipped at him, while running her hands over the soft hair of his muscled chest to his hard abs. She couldn’t help herself—she wanted to eat him whole, to touch every inch of his body. He caught his breath as her hands neared his hips, where the hair disappeared in a V into the towel.