All That Matters (12 page)

“Appreciate your checking it out, though,” he said, making sure to keep a safe distance between him and Faith’s irate daddy. The last thing he wanted was another bloody nose.

“If you hadn’t abducted my daughter, none of this would’ve happened.” Lionel shook his beefy fist at Buddy Lee. “The deputy has something to say about that, too.”

“Hold on, there, Mr. Morgan,” Buddy Lee’s hands shot out defensive-like, and he backed up a step. No way was he gonna be accused of kidnapping. “There was no abduction and you know that.
 
Faith and I got married legal. By a minister and everything. We told you and
Miz
Morgan about it right after the ceremony.”

The deputy stepped between the two men, facing Buddy Lee.
 
“Did you force Faith to marry you, Walker? Mr. Morgan says she was missing on Thursday night. Know anything about that?”

Buddy Lee’s mouth dropped open. “Do I look that stupid?”
 
Probably not a smart question.
He started over. “Look, Elroy, Faith’s an adult. She doesn’t even live with her parents, so how could she be missing from there?”

From the corner of his eye, Buddy Lee saw Scooter shuffling forward from the back of the room. Hs silence so far had been an unexpected blessing, but now it looked like that silence was
fixin
’ to be broken. Buddy Lee shot his friend a warning look, but Scooter obviously missed it.

“Aren’t you gonna tell ‘
em
about the car cover being moved and all, B.L.?”

Scooter’s question grabbed the deputy’s attention right quick. The banker’s eyes lit up like headlights on high beam.

For a second or two, Buddy Lee harbored a serious thought about permanently silencing his friend.

“What’re you talking about, Craddock?” Deputy Pike demanded. “Why didn’t this come up in last night’s search and investigation?”

Scooter ambled closer, loose-limbed and looking like he knew a secret. “Well,” he drawled, “I thought Walker here just forgot to cover the car in his hurry to start on his honeymoon.”
 
He rolled his eyes in a ‘you-know-how-that-is’ look and grinned.

Buddy Lee wanted to punch his lights out. Seriously. There was just so much he was prepared to take from his friend. Hell, he didn’t need any more help to hang himself. He just hoped the noose didn’t get any tighter before he figured out this mess.

F
aith woke up to a room filled with darkness. Disoriented, she sat up in bed, and blinked to adjust her eyes to the shadows. It only took a moment to assess her surroundings.
 
Buddy Lee’s bed. A tiny thrill raced through her, accelerating her pulse rate.

She slid from the comfort it offered and smoothed the sheet she’d wrapped around her while she slept. Still warm from her own body heat, the bedding held Buddy Lee’s scent as well as her own, even though he hadn’t slept there since their wedding. The heady combination caused erotic sensations to blossom beneath the warm surface of her skin, and she placed her hand on her abdomen, reflecting on the tiny life beginning there. A life she was responsible for. She’d asked Buddy Lee to share that responsibility, too, but now she wondered if she’d made the wrong decision.

A sense of apprehension washed over her at the enormity of her action. Could the two of them honestly convince the community of Buddy Lee’s part in this scheme? What was going to happen as time passed and her pregnancy didn’t show as it should?

And most importantly, was it fair to expect Buddy Lee to keep up the pretense until the baby was born? What if he wanted her to leave before that blessed event occurred? After all, he’d already done his part by giving her and the baby his name. She wouldn’t blame him if he had second thoughts about staying.

They hadn’t actually discussed the future, either, even though she was aware he’d tried to bring it up. She’d dodged the issue on purpose, something she’d always been good at when she didn’t want to face facts.

The frightening thought of facing Royce and his threat of revenge made her cringe. Maybe Buddy Lee thought he could handle those threats, but she didn’t like the odds. She’d never intended for him to get hurt. Couldn’t bear it if he decided to leave. Suddenly it was important to make certain neither of those events happened, and the reason she wanted him to stay took her by surprise. Could she really be in love? With Buddy Lee? She tucked the unexpected realization away in her mind to examine later.

Halfway to the door, she changed her mind and went to the closet instead. After a quick inventory of Buddy Lee’s meager wardrobe, she took a faded plaid cotton shirt from a hanger. In the dresser, she found a pair of knit
shorts
with a drawstring waist she could pull tight enough to keep from falling off. Garments in hand, she headed for the shower. She wanted to be ready for some serious conversation when Buddy Lee came back. If he came back.

H
e hadn’t meant to be gone so long, but after taking time to inspect his shop, plus all the
backin
’ and
forthin
’ with the sheriff and Faith’s daddy, he had given in and let Scooter talk him into sharing a beer back at his friend’s double-wide. Now it was after nine, and he was sure Faith was wondering if he’d skipped out on her. Not that he would, but tonight he’d just needed to put some space between them and try to get a grip on this dilemma he’d gotten into.

He hadn’t dared tell Scooter the whole crazy story. That would’ve been like buying a full-page ad in the newspaper. But he needed to bounce some ideas off his friend just the same. Scooter had first-hand access to most of the town’s gossip, and if Royce Webb was involved in anything crooked, sooner or later Scooter would know about it.

Buddy Lee desperately hoped Faith was still sleeping but when he opened the back door, he heard water running in the shower. Shit. His chances of avoiding her now were zip.

Too antsy to go to bed, he sprawled on the sofa in front of the television, but instead of turning it on, he stared at the blank screen and let his own fantasies play across the thirteen-inch imaginary stage. Man, oh man, they wouldn’t go away. Faith in the shower. Naked and wet. Slick, fresh-smelling skin all rosy and glowing. Soft curves. Tempting. He closed his eyes.
 
Yeah, he could see her now. A floor board squeaked. His eyes flew open. He could see her NOW!

“
JeezLooeeze
, Faith!” His heart slammed into his ribs.

There she was, standing right in front of him, her delectable curves barely hidden beneath a pair of his old knit shorts and one of his well-worn shirts. The sparkle in her eyes held the familiar glint of mischief he remembered so well. Her hair was still wet, a tangled riot of cinnamon curls just begging for his touch.

“I, um, didn’t think you’d mind if I borrowed some clothes,” Faith said, padding barefoot across the room. “It was easier than digging through my suitcase.” She gave a little shrug.

Next thing he knew, she was sitting beside him, her warm, damp body pressed against his. Her extremely sexy, just-showered scent shot through his bloodstream like high-powered rocket fuel, revving his personal engine at full throttle. No amount of self-control could keep him from reaching for her. And claiming her mouth.

“Faith,” he groaned when she placed her hand on his chest.

“I really want to kiss you.”

“I know,” she whispered, scooted closer, and lifted her face to meet his gaze.
 
“I...I want that, too.”

His heart tumbled into her hands.

He was so close to exploding from sheer happiness, he wondered if kissing her would ever be enough.

The kiss started out hot, wet, and open-mouthed, escalating with dangerous speed to something incredibly frightening—and wonderful.

Oh, man, I’m in deep trouble here.

Deeper than he’d ever been, because Faith was kissing him back, slipping her hands under his shirt while her tongue did wild things in his mouth. Before he knew it, he was flat on his back with those sweet curves covering him like a heated blanket.

Did she realize what the hell this was leading to? Fate had to be playing some kind of crazy trick on him, because he could swear Faith was trying to seduce him. And if she kept on touching him like that, he was gonna give as good as he was getting. Oh, yeah. Real soon.

“B
uddy Lee,” Faith murmured against his mouth, “do you want to, um...?” She wished she was better at this sort of thing.
 
Convincing him she was willing to be a true wife wasn’t as easy as she’d expected, but she was determined not to make him regret one minute of his decision to help her and her baby. Ever.

She knew being with him would be different than being with Royce, but she hadn’t counted on the overwhelming intensity of what she was feeling. Hadn’t even known it existed until now. She’d never realized passion could be expressed with gentleness. With Royce, there’d only been roughness.

Yet when she kissed this man who’d been her friend for years, whose concern she’d taken for granted, fireworks went off in places so highly sensitive she was ready to burst into flames. Just a touch—a single kiss from him, and she sizzled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. When he held her in arms so strong and gentle, she felt totally cherished and protected in a way she’d never known. This was beyond the limits of everyday friendship. More than mere sexual attraction, too.
 
The depth of her feelings for him astounded her. Buddy Lee was
more
than a friend.

She wanted
—
no, needed—to show him how she felt. He was her hero and deserved whatever she could do to make him happy. And she wished with all her heart that her baby was really his.

“Faith.” He groaned her name. “
Honeygirl
, we have to stop. Now.”

His muffled protest hummed in her ear, his hot breath stirred newly discovered cravings of her own. Realizing he was the only one who could satisfy those needs simply added to her unsettled state. She wanted more of whatever was beckoning just beyond her reach. And she wanted it from
him
. Now.

“Why?” she whispered, kissing him hungrily before he could answer. “I’m already pregnant. Don’t you want me, Buddy Lee?”

“Aw, sweet Heaven, Faith,” he gasped after she gave him another mind-blowing kiss. “I want you so bad I ache, but what about the baby? I don’t want to do anything wrong.” His breath was ragged, hoarse. “You sure this is what you want,
darlin
’?”

At the sweetness and devotion in his voice, she nearly wept. Passion and desire rocked through her entire body, and the sudden dampness between her thighs both shocked and excited her.

Her fingers worked to unbutton his jeans, trembled as she slid the zipper down and gazed into his desire-darkened eyes.
 
”It isn’t wrong. We’re married, remember? And yes, I want this.”
 
His jeans hit the floor. His shirt followed, leaving him wearing only his boxers. She stopped his weak objection with another deep kiss.

Without breaking their lip-lock, she wiggled out of her own shirt and heard Buddy Lee’s sharp intake of breath when she took
  
his hands and placed them on her bare breasts. Pleasure did a slow-dance through her nerve endings as he massaged their sensitive peaks with his work-roughened palms.

Bodies naked from their waists up, they strained to touch, to feel, to absorb. His arousal pushed against her thighs, hot, hard and demanding. She straddled him, the thin fabric of their remaining garments proving no barrier for the powerful need rocking them both. Within seconds, his boxers and her shorts joined the growing pile of discarded clothing.

“Oh, God, Faith, you are so beautiful.” Buddy Lee could barely speak around the emotion clogging his throat.

He held her tenderly, slowly taking her heavy breasts in his mouth and tugging at their sweetness one at a time until she trembled against him and begged for more. Easing one hand between their bodies, he found her wet and hot, so ready for him he nearly lost it right then and there. But when he would’ve turned her over and pulled her beneath him, she shook her head.
  
His breath jammed in his throat.
Oh, please, don’t change your mind now,
darlin
’.

“Let me,” she murmured, slowly lowering herself onto him until the full length of his rigid erection was buried deep within her welcoming softness.

Ah, God! He didn’t dare move, just lay there surrounded by her pulsing heat while she kissed him senseless. The torture was exquisite.

Nothing in his lifetime could’ve prepared him for the way his heart filled with love for this woman. With desire. With hope that his love might be returned. She was his world—and he wanted to be hers.

Gripping her buttocks, he held her motionless until he could no longer resist the temptation to thrust his hips upward.
 
Her cry sounded like a shout of triumph as she matched his moves with a sensuous undulation designed to drive him over the edge.

In desperation, he claimed her mouth and kissed her deeply as their bodies drove into each other with a passion neither tried to subdue. He could barely control the blinding explosion hovering on the edge of his sanity.