“It’s okay, Munchkin, we understand and so does Rick.” Sam leaned back in his chair, sighing with a rough breath. “Give him time, he’ll settle down.”
Marly nodded, then turned and followed Cade. Her petite body, dressed in clinging white silk gave her the appearance of an innocent seductress. She was soft spoken, gentle and too damned sweet for the life Sarah knew she lived. She wondered how the other woman did it and kept from being bitter, cynical.
“Miss Tate, we’ll be checking your ex out as well,” Rick told her, turning to her now. “Make certain he’s not a smoke screen.”
“The sheriff is doing that,” she protested. “He knows what he’s doing.”
“I’m sure he does.” Rick nodded. “But this way, I know it to the bone. It’s best for all of us.”
Sarah shrugged. He could beat a dead horse as long as he wanted to.
“I need to go home soon, get my clothes.” She turned to Brock. “If there are any left.”
“Let one of our employees handle that instead,” Tara requested. “Make a list of anything else you want right now and we’ll have it brought here. We need to keep everyone together for now.”
Sarah pressed her lips together in irritation. She was beginning to feel like a prisoner.
“It won’t last long, baby,” Brock promised her. “Whoever the bastard is, once he starts, he doesn’t take long to show himself.”
“And I want him this time,” Rick said, his voice hard. “Last shot boys, let’s see if we can’t get it right this time.”
* * * * *
Sam slipped from the house as darkness was edging over it. He ignored the edge of nervousness in the pit of his stomach, the anticipation that had his dick throbbing. He was horny, he assured himself. That was all it was. He could handle one little spitfire long enough to find out why the hell she had come back. He moved quickly across the back yard, heading for the small van parked past a cluster of shoulder-high boulders about two hundred feet from the kitchen door. He had waited as long as he could. His curiosity, his lust wouldn’t allow him to delay the confrontation another moment. As he neared it, the side door was pushed open, and Rick came out
of it growling.
“Tara finds out about this and she’ll kick your ass, cowboy,” he snarled. “I’ll watch out here, but you won’t have long.”
Sam grinned, tipped his hat and jumped into the van. The door was slammed shut then locked behind him.
The dim light from the camera monitors at the side of the van spilled a tenuous, soft glow through the darkened interior, enabling him to catch sight of Heather as she watched from the back.
“Rick’s not going to cover for you again, Sam.” Heather was sitting on the small bed at the side of the van, one slender, jean clad leg propped on the thin mattress as she leaned back against the van wall, her grin mocking. “And if I had known ahead of time you were coming, then I wouldn’t either.”
Her slender face, with her small pouty lips fascinated him. The slightly tilted green eyes, and slender arched brows all combined to create a fairy tale image that should have been dressed in gauzy silk, not jeans and a rough cotton blouse.
He wanted to tear her clothes from her body. He wanted to stroke her satin skin. He wanted to rage at her for making him feel again.
“Why the hell didn’t you come back?” He faced her, furious. A year. A damned year and he hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her.
She quirked a slender brow mockingly. Sam felt the blood begin to heat in his veins, his cock hardening to the point of pain.
“A blowjob does not a relationship make, cowboy,” she said sarcastically, her gaze flickering to the bulge that had grown beneath his jeans.
He remembered that sweet mouth, so small, so damned tight and hot. He clenched his fists as he stared down at her, fighting his needs.
“If I remember correctly, it was a hell of a lot more than a simple blowjob, sugar,” he bit out not wanting to remember, to ache for her mouth. “I do believe you screamed pretty damned loud while I ate that sweet pussy of yours.”
Hell yes, she remembered. Her nipples beaded instantly. She wasn’t wearing a bra beneath that damned shirt again. Did the woman ever wear a bra?
When he glanced back at her face it was to see the shy flush that stained it. She didn’t back down though. Her eyes met his, the forest green color darkening with her arousal. He remembered exactly what she looked like aroused, needing. His teeth clenched at the memory. He should have stayed away. He should have never come out here to her.
“Are you still a virgin?” He wanted to bite the words back the minute they were out of his mouth.
“Are you still fucking your brother’s lover?” she snarled back, anger brightening her eyes now.
She was a prickly little thing. Quick with her mouth, hot with her passion, and driving him crazy with her female stubbornness. Sam took a deep, hard breath then went to his knees in front of her. He had to touch her. She was temptation and one he didn’t understand, yet couldn’t resist. Her eyes widened, then she blinked when he did nothing more than watch her. He loved watching her. The shift of her expression, the anticipation in her eyes.