Her head was tucked under his chin and she was facing him, his arms tight around her. He smelled so wonderful, felt so great in her arms…and he was good and naked, his early morning erection pressing against her belly. She wished she was as bare as he was but she was still wearing the skirt and peasant blouse they’d bought yesterday, and no underwear.
Lani sighed.
A girl could get used to this.
Fascinated by the hair curling on his chest, the powerful muscles of his arms, the scent of him, the taste of him—she slid her hands across his skin and kissed his warm flesh until he stirred and woke.
Rick gave her a sleepy grin. “Now this is one hell of a way to wake up.”
“Mmmm-hmmm.” Lani’s tongue circled his nipple and the tiny nub tightened. She smiled and moved her mouth to his other nipple and she teased it just as slow and deliberate.
He rolled her onto her back in a swift movement that took her breath away. He braced himself above her, his hands to either side of her breasts. For a moment she just stared up at him, his sleep tousled hair and morning stubble making him even sexier.
“You’re so beautiful.” His face was intent as his gaze raked over her. “Waking up with you is the best thing I can imagine.”
Before Lani could respond, he pulled down the rumpled peasant blouse and dipped his head to lick first one nipple and then the other. She gave a little moan as she reached for his cock, needing to feel its rigid warmth in her hand.
In her.
Still bracing himself on one arm, Rick reached for her skirt and she released his cock to move her hands to his shoulders. He pulled up her skirt around her waist and his eyebrows rose when he saw she wasn’t wearing any underwear. “If I’d known you were naked beneath your skirt, I’d have taken advantage of you yesterday.”
Lani gave a soft laugh. “Well take advantage of me now, cowboy.”
In moments he had sheathed his cock with a condom from the nightstand.
“Spread your legs wider for me, honey.” Rick held his cock, ready to penetrate her, as she opened her legs as wide as possible.
In a single thrust he buried himself deep within her. Lani groaned and slipped her hands beneath his arms to hold onto his back. As he moved in and out of her, she dug her nails into his back and it seemed to spur him on. Harder. Faster.
Her senses whirled and everything blurred around her. Warmth pooled in her abdomen and grew, larger and larger until her orgasm exploded within her. Rick continued pumping in and out of her and then he came with a low rumble that sent aftershocks through her.
With a sigh of contentment, he rolled onto his side, still locked with Lani, her leg hooked over his thigh.
“A guy could get used to this,” he murmured as he kissed her forehead. “Real quick.”
Later, after Rick got up to get ready for work, Lani dressed and joined him and his family at breakfast. As she was picking at her slice of French toast, Lani’s thoughts turned toward her feature, and to her interview with John Stevens.
Should she mention the recording to Rick? Or was it nothing?
Maybe he’d think she was overreacting, but her gut told her differently. She trusted her instincts—at least when it came to reporting.
When he carried his empty plate to the kitchen, she followed.
She slipped her own plate into the dishwasher beside his. “Have a second?”
Smiling, he tweaked a strand of her hair. “Always for you, darlin’.”
“I interviewed John Stevens at his ranch a couple of days ago.”
Rick wrapped the strand of her hair around his finger. “I’ll bet Bull had something to say. He lost a big chunk of cash due to illegal immigrants.”
Lani explained how she’d left the room when Stevens took a call, but she’d left her recorder on, and how she’d transcribed her notes afterward. “His conversation was in Spanish, but I understood a name. At least I think it was a name.”
As Rick raised one eyebrow, she continued, “I’m sure he was talking to someone named Gordo.”
She winced as his finger tugged a bit too hard on her hair. “Sorry,” he murmured and caressed her scalp. But he looked distracted, like wheels were churning in his mind.
He moved his hand from her hair and settled it on her shoulder. “Where’s the tape?”
Lani led him to the office and gave him the cassette. While he listened to the one-sided conversation, she chewed the inside of her cheek, wishing she’d taken Spanish instead of French in high school.
“Mind if I take this?” he asked when he clicked off the recorder and popped out the cassette.
She nodded her agreement. By the look in his eyes, she didn’t think it would have mattered if she’d refused. He was taking it regardless.
He slid the tape into his shirt pocket. “See anything or anyone out of the ordinary while you were there?”
“No.” Lani started to shake her head then paused. “Wait—when I was leaving, this guy was driving a van loaded with people up to the ranch and he almost ran me off the road.”
Rick narrowed his gaze. “What did he look like?”
“Early forties, Hispanic, handle bar mustache. Big guy.” The man’s image came easily to her. “I remember because he swerved so close and I was angry that he almost hit me.”
“Fits,” Rick muttered. “On the tape Bull was talking to someone on a cell phone who was on his way to the ranch.” He gave Lani a quick kiss and headed out the door. “Don’t mention this to anyone, all right?”
“Okay.” But he was already gone.
When Rick made it to the Border Patrol station, he found Miguel Martinez at the water cooler. “Hey, Mikey. Got a minute?”
Miguel waved Rick to his office, then shut the door behind them. The Special Operations Supervisor was below average in height and had a slim build, but he had a presence that filled a room and commanded respect. “What’s on your mind?”
Rick paced around the cramped office. “As you know, a couple of names keep popping up. One is Gordo, the other
El Torero
. From the information I’ve gathered, Gordo is head
coyote
, but Torero runs the show.”
Miguel scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Just got in some surveillance today. We think we’ve made Gordo—a guy named José Hernandez.”
Miguel gave Rick the description and Rick whistled through his teeth. “Good news and matches what I came across.”
“As far as
Torero
…” Miguel shrugged. “Nothing solid.”
“I think I have a line on
Torero
.” Rick dragged his hand over his face and through his hair. “I need surveillance set up on John Stevens.”
“The cattle baron and former sheriff?” Miguel dropped into his chair and looked at Rick like he’d lost a cog. “He’s funding the campaign for Eduardo Montaño, the man most likely to win the election for U.S. Congress. And Montaño’s running heavily on his immigrant platform.”
“I’ve got proof.” Rick sat heavily in the seat across from Miguel.
Miguel frowned.
Rick ran over the recorded conversation. “The tape only has his side of the conversation, but it was enough to convince me that Gordo was on his way across Sweetwater. And when Lani Stanton was leaving the property, she saw a man who meets the description you just gave me.”
With a sigh, Miguel said, “Doesn’t make sense. Stevens hates smugglers for what they’ve done to his herd.”
“He’s been pretty bitter about it. Maybe he’s found a way to recoup some of that cash.”
Miguel shook his head. “What else have you got?”
Rick rattled off the rest of the information he’d gathered, including the scrap of paper with
Toro
written across it and the toothpick amongst the garbage he’d noticed when he found the dead informant. “Stevens’s nickname is Bull, so
Toro
could refer to him. And the man’s always chewing on a toothpick.” He paused. “I’ve got a gut feeling about this, Mikey.”
Miguel stared at the ceiling before returning his gaze to Rick. “I trust your instincts—they’ve never failed you before. But we’ll need to keep this quiet. If it gets out that the mayor’s being backed by a smuggler, all hell will break loose.” He pushed a frog paperweight along the edge of his desk. “Montaño’s probably the most popular man in this town. Hell, one of the most popular men in the whole damn state. Loads of connections. Running for Congress.”
“Yeah, I know.” Rick stood and hooked his thumb in his belt loop. “But if Stevens is our man, we need to put him away.”
Nodding, Miguel shoved the paperweight to the back of his desk. “You bet.”
Rick turned on his heel, walked out of the office, and almost ran into Sal.
“What’s up,
compadre
?” Sal asked, falling into step beside Rick. “You don’t look like a guy who just spent the weekend with one gorgeous woman.”
Pushing open the front door of the station, Rick stepped into the hot July sunshine. “I think I’ve made
El Torero
.”
“Yeah?” Sal nudged the brim of his hat up and scratched his head. “Who?”
“John Stevens.”
Sal narrowed his gaze. “You gotta be kidding.”
“Nope.”
“Well, if that don’t beat all.” Sal checked his watch. “You up for some dinner?”
Rick shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ve got something I need to take care of.”
Chapter Sixteen
After he visited a jeweler in Douglas, Rick headed home, smiling as he thought about Lani. He’d found the perfect ring to give her, and had left it at the jeweler’s to be sized. Now he just had to find the right time to propose.
Lani was still gone on an interview when he arrived at the ranch. Rick took a quick shower, then went in search of Trevor and found his son in the windbreak. The boy was digging in the rich soil beside the playhouse.
“Dad!” Trevor jumped up and hugged Rick with his dirt covered arms before going back to his Tonka trucks and a giant mound of earth. “I’m building a city around a mountain made of gold, and digging a swimming pool with the backhoe behind this stick house that’s really made of gold, too. Wanna help?”
Rick crouched beside his son. “What do you want me to do?”
Trevor pushed a bright yellow truck over to his dad. “You run the dump truck and I’ll fill it full of dirt with the backhoe.”
Memories of his own childhood came back in waves as he spent time with his son. When he was a kid, he would dig in the dirt, build forts in the mesquite bushes, or ride his bike. His biological father had never taken the time to play with him, and by the time Rick was Trevor’s age, his dad was long gone.
The day Rick had learned Lorraine was pregnant, he vowed he would be there for his child. As often as possible, he would be at Trevor’s Little League games, school recitals, 4-H competitions and birthdays. He would take him to the county fair, play catch and play in the dirt. He’d hoped to have more children, brothers and sisters for Trevor, but he’d never found a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Until Lani.
“Say, Trev. What do you think of Lani?” Rick asked as he guided the truck to the mountain of dirt and dumped its load.
“She’s cool and lots of fun.” Trevor used the little backhoe to dig more earth and lifted it into the back of the dump truck when Rick had pushed it in place. “When you’re not here, sometimes she plays games with me and I show her all kinds of stuff.” He looked up at Rick and squinted. “Can we keep her?”
Rick chuckled. “That’s a great idea. But I think that’ll be up to Lani.”
Trevor jumped up and brushed his dirty hands on his even dirtier jeans. “Let’s ask her.”
“Now hold on.” Rick grabbed the boy’s arms. “Don’t say anything to Lani, okay?”
“Why not?” Trevor frowned. “I want her to stay here, with us.”
Rick paused, trying to think of a way to explain it to his son. “She lives where Aunt Callie does, which is far away.”
Trevor scrunched his eyebrows as he thought about that. “In Sanfrisco?”
“Yes, San Francisco. That’s Lani’s home, and she may want to go back there when she’s finished with her job here.”
“We could ask her to stay with us.”
“But what if she misses where she lives?” Rick asked. “She might not like living here, so far from her home.”
“Oh.” Trevor eased off his dad’s lap and stood. “What should we do?”
“Leave that up to me.” Rick patted Trevor’s shoulder. “Lani’s supposed to be here another week, so for now, promise that you won’t say anything about keeping her, yet. Okay?”
His son had a dejected look. “If she leaves I’m gonna really, really, really miss her.”
Rick stood and hugged his son. “Yeah. Same here.”
* * * * *
With the aid of Marnie Torres as interpreter, Lani spent the afternoon interviewing two illegal migrant farm workers. The men explained how poor their families in Mexico were and how the money they earned in the U.S. helped to keep their relatives from starvation.
Lani learned from their point of view how badly the smugglers treated them, yet the men were willing to accept it as a means to sneak into the U.S. and better their families’ lives.
When she finished the interview, Lani thanked the men and Marnie, and headed back to the ranch in the waning light. The sun was setting low behind the mountains, crimson and tangerine streaking across the western sky. Her customary energy had vanished and she felt so tired that all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. Hugging Rick.
While she drove, gentle warmth filled her as she recalled waking up in Rick’s arms that morning. She couldn’t get enough of the man.
That was going to make it all the harder when it was time to go back to San Francisco.
Lani sighed and tried not to think about leaving him, but it was impossible. Less than a week now. Just days until her flight was scheduled to depart from Tucson. Originally, she’d considered changing her flight to stay and interview for a position with the Tucson magazine. But now she wasn’t sure she could be that close to Rick, and not be with him.
One day at a time. She would cherish whatever time she had with him, and then get on with her life, no matter how lonely that life would be without him. It took some effort, but she reminded herself again that she wasn’t ready for a permanent relationship. Her heart and soul had been so badly bruised by her ex-husband and her hard-hearted father that she couldn’t help but think that Rick was too good to be true.
It was dark when she drove up to the ranch. Her pulse picked up when she saw Rick’s truck parked in the driveway. She couldn’t help but feel like she was home. And that these people were family. The thought surprised her. No place had truly felt like home since her family was taken from her.
Thinking that way was only going to make things harder when she left.
Roxie bounded up and greeted Lani when she climbed out of the SUV, and she scratched the dog behind her ears. Roxie proceeded to slobber all over Lani’s shoes and jeans as she returned the greeting. There was just enough light from the porch that she could make her way to the house.
Lani caught her breath as a shadowy figure stepped out from behind the vehicle. When she realized it was Rick, her muscles went limp with relief.
“Rick,” she murmured, hand to her pounding heart.
“I missed you,” he said as he drew her close. His arms felt so good around her, she never wanted to leave his embrace.
“You scared me,” she said against his chest, her heart still pounding. She poked him in the ribs with one finger. “Don’t do that.”
Chuckling against her hair, he said, “I came outside so that I’d be able to kiss you without an audience.”
“I’m glad you did.” Lani reached up and brushed her lips over Rick’s. “Just don’t sneak up on me again. Got that, cowboy?”
“Uh-huh.” He grinned against her mouth. “What do you say to a little walk in the dark?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, and what do you have in mind, mister?”
With a roguish grin, Rick took her hand. “I want to take advantage of you.”
A low thrill skipped within her belly as he led her into the dark windbreak and past Trevor’s playhouse.
Lani’s panties grew damp and excitement flowed in her veins at just the thought of what Rick had in mind. But before she realized it, they were approaching his plane. She tried to stop, fear overwhelming her and replacing her arousal. “I can’t.” She shook her head. “Not in there.”
Rick gently pulled her toward the plane. “We’re not going to fly anywhere, honey. I just want someplace where I can have you all to myself.”
Taking a deep breath, Lani forced herself to go forward, telling herself it was all right since they were going to remain on the ground. Just the warmth of Rick’s big hand covering hers helped to calm the fear churning in her belly.
When they got to the plane, Lani’s heart was pounding like mad, but she let Rick help her into the back and she settled herself on the edge of the seat like she might bolt at any moment. It was a little four-seater, not a six like—
No. Don’t think about it, Lani.
When Rick climbed in he shut the door behind him. He sat in one of the back seats and pulled Lani onto his lap. For a long time he held her, just kissing her hair and hugging her close. She smelled that peculiar odor that small planes had along with dust, night air and Rick’s comforting smell.
Gradually the fear eased and Lani relaxed. Instead she focused on Rick’s erection pressed against her rear. He felt solid and real against her and he smelled so good, like testosterone and his own elemental scent. The fact that they were in a small plane didn’t seem to matter any longer as she focused on the man who held her so tightly against his chest. She felt safe and secure and she knew that he would never let anything happen to her.
Rick felt Lani’s body relax, and he squeezed her tighter to him.
She turned her face to his and lightly kissed his mouth. “I’m all right now,” she murmured as her lips brushed his cheek. “And I want you. Right here and now, I want you.”
He trailed his thumb across her lower lip and smiled. “Let’s get you out of those jeans.
After she kicked off her shoes, Lani sat on the floor and Rick helped her shimmy out of her jeans and underwear. She tugged off her blouse and tossed her bra aside. In the dim light from the half-moon he could see her voluptuous shape and he couldn’t wait to get inside her.
Rick unzipped his jeans, releasing his erection. He was still sitting on his seat and Lani rose up, sliding between his thighs and grasping his cock in her small hand. She lowered her head and gave a little sigh as she slipped her lips over the head of his cock. She clenched one hand in his jeans while using the other to stroke his erection while she applied light suction with her mouth.
A groan rose up from Rick as he slid his hands into her silky hair. “You go down on me so good.”
Lani merely replied with, “Mmmmm.”
Rick groaned again and clenched his hands tighter in her hair. “Your mouth feels so hot and wet on my cock. And what you do with that tongue of yours…
damn
.”
When he was so close to coming that he almost lost control. He held her head still as he pulled a condom out of his pocket. “I’ve got to fuck you now,” he rumbled and pulled her away from him. In the dim light pouring into the plane, he could see her satisfied smile. The little vixen enjoyed getting him off, but he liked to fuck her even more.
He sheathed his cock and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up and over his erection. She sank down on him, his cock sliding into her hot silken core.
“You feel incredible.” Lani couldn’t believe how she just couldn’t get enough of this man. She braced her hands on his shoulders as he gripped her hips and moved her up and down. “I love it when you’re wearing all your clothes—your jeans and cowboy hat—and I’m naked and you’re—you’re…”
“Fucking you?” Rick said with a teasing sound to his voice.
Heat rose to her cheeks and she nodded. “Yeah.”
“What about making love to you?” he murmured, and more heat flushed over her.
She didn’t know how to respond, so she just rode him harder. Her breasts bounced and Rick licked her nipples and gripped her ass, guiding her along even faster.
Everything around Lani blurred until she felt as though she was flying—that the airplane was gliding and she was riding it out in a storm. But she wasn’t afraid, she was safe with Rick.
Higher and higher she soared until she came with a shuddering cry that echoed in the small plane. Rick continued to raise her up and down on his cock and she held onto his shoulders for support, too boneless to guide her own moments.
Several more thrusts and Rick groaned and climaxed, his cock throbbing in her channel. He held her still for a few moments, riding out his orgasm until he was spent.
With a soul-deep sigh, Lani relaxed against his chest, her naked breasts pressed against his shirt, his cock still deep within her. “Ready for another round?” she murmured, and Rick laughed.
“Anytime, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head. “Any place.”