Layers Crossed (10 page)

“Yes.”

“It’s
beautiful. And so peaceful.”

“Thank you. It
definitely is different than New York.”

Wow! I wasn’t
sure I could find words eloquent enough to describe this property
and do it justice. And in my mind, more questions began to spill
over. How could someone as young as Eric afford this? From the
background check I’d done on him, I knew he was only two years
older than me. Looking at the land stretching out in front of me, I
couldn’t believe how quiet and peaceful it was, and I immediately
felt my shoulders sink lower as I wondered what it would be like to
live like this, so far away from people. I couldn’t imagine not
having a friend like Grace living just a few floors below me, or a
family within an hour’s drive. Although Eric’s parents didn’t live
that far away, it still seemed like they could have been on the
other side of the country. Standing here, for that brief moment, I
wished I could stay at this ranch instead of the motel.

“Wait, you are
going to take me to the motel, aren’t you? You know I can call a
cab if it’s an issue.”

Eric simply
laughed, shaking his head and murmuring under his breath, “A
cab.”

“What?” I
asked.

“You’d have to
wait quite a while for a cab around here. Mr. Carlton’s old Buick
doesn’t go faster than thirty miles per hour, and that’s when he’s
sober enough to drive.”

“There’s only
one cab?”

“If you call
it a cab. He just drives people to places when they can’t get
there. But don’t worry, I can take you to the motel if you’d like,
Emma. That is, if you want to sleep with bed bugs and God knows
what else, then you’re more than welcome to. But I promise my bed
is much more comfortable.”

“You want me
to stay here?”

“Of course. I
wouldn’t have it any other way. Seeing how your brothers were ready
to hang me if I let anything happen to you, I’d prefer to have you
within sight at all times.”

“I can take
care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt
that. All right. Let me give you another motive then.” Eric stepped
closer to me. His voice lowered, charged with the yearning of a man
who was on a mission. I watched his chest rise and fall in slow
motion. He was so close, the heat beaming off his body wrapped
around me and the smell of his morning aftershave and a little bit
of sweat filled me.

“I want you
like I haven’t wanted a woman in my life, and at this point I
couldn’t stand being away from you for a moment. I understand
you’re working and need space. I’ll keep my distance for now. But
once you’re done, all bets are off, Emma. You will be mine. Please,
stay with me.”

He gently
kissed me and pulled away.

My heart
nearly jumped out of my chest. How was I supposed to reply to that?
Eric’s forward yet gentlemanly nature somehow took away all those
witty words that usually came out of my mouth.

“Now, let me
show you to our bedroom.”

“Our?”

“It’s mine,
but since you’ll be using it, it’s yours. Making it ours.” He
grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sleeping somewhere else.”

“Too bad.”

Eric halted
mid-step.

Crap! Did I
say that out loud?

“It is, isn’t
it? Look at it this way. The better you’re able to concentrate and
find Huntz, the quicker I can give you all the attention that you
deserve. And believe me, I want to give you all my attention,
Emma.”

“That’s very
forward.”

“I don’t play
games. And I hope you won’t either.”

For the first
time in my life, I didn’t want to play games either. I’d had enough
of the cat and mouse chase with men I was so used to. I loved
Eric’s determination and confidence. And most of all, I loved how
much I wanted to learn more about this cowboy. There weren’t enough
dates I could have with him that would have bored me. I wanted to
know what he liked to eat, about his favorite games as a child, how
he got that scar in his brow and whether beyond Huntz he had any
fears. I’d seen the way his temple twitched at the mention of
Huntz’s name. It took all my strength not to kiss it and ease
Eric’s pain. I’d do anything to erase that dreadful past, but I
couldn’t. Instead, I’d do everything in my power to give him the
kind of justice he sought, and once the bastard was behind bars,
I’d soothe his agony with my kisses, until he could only remember
my mouth grazing all over his skin, his abs, his chest.

I followed
Eric inside the house, which reminded me of one of our family
cottages up in Colorado, and my cousin Gabe’s home in Austria’s
Alps, except this one appeared a bit smaller and it was a bungalow.
Wooden beams stretched across the wall, exposed joists supported
the roof, and right smack in the middle of the house was a
fireplace, splitting the family room and the dining area in half.
Beyond was a kitchen that opened up onto a wooden patio. The open
concept of the home with country tones and artifacts filling every
nook and corner felt warm and inviting. It gave the home more
interior space than I would have thought from the outside. Fluffy
blankets spread across the two couches and chair. Fat pillows lay
in one corner of a room, right by a basket filled with books, all
spread over sheep skin. The smell of vanilla candles and farm air
filled me as I felt a slight tug at my hand.

“This way,”
Eric led me to the right side of the house where he opened the
bedroom door.

A standard
king-size bed was the focal point. A rocking chair was set in the
corner of the bedroom with a dresser right beside it.

“The sheets
are fresh. Please make yourself at home. This is not a five-star
hotel, but I hope it’s sufficient for what you need. I’ll freshen
up and go make some food. We can visit Ogden after we eat.”

Was he
kidding? This was the best hospitality I’d had in a long time. No
hotel host could have been as personal or kind as Eric had
been.

“Great, thank
you.”

“And if you
need anything, Emma, don’t be shy.”

What I really
needed now was Eric on that bed. I’d been curious about those
muscles hidden underneath his shirt since the evening we’d met at
the strip club. Now that I’d felt his pecs with my hands, I
couldn’t wait to see those jewels decorating his nipples. A Cowboy
with piercings – that must be a first! But something inside me
snapped. I’d never been this quiet or timid in my life. I didn’t
think this could actually be happening to me. Shy had never been
part of my vocabulary, but with Eric at my side, I was beginning to
feel more embarrassed about my usually bold ways each minute. What
was happening to me?

“Thank you. I
shouldn’t be long.”

Once Eric
left, I released a long held breath and sat on his quilt-covered
bed. The bounce lifted me up a couple of times, and I lay back on
the bed, thinking about how many times Eric had slept here, and
whether he did so naked. I swept my hand across the bed and flipped
on my stomach to smell the bouquet of farm scents mixed with fresh
soap.

I quickly
changed into a fresh shirt and jean shorts, getting rid of my
somewhat conservative clothing, and joined Eric in the kitchen. I
froze midway, and with my mouth open stared at the nakedness in
front of me.

Eric was
preparing food behind the kitchen counter, and seemed to have lost
his shirt. I bit my lip, concentrating on his chest sprinkled with
a dust of dark hair on his pec. I regarded his arm and the
intricate detail of a horse on his shoulder. The design weaved down
to his wrist in patterns of horseshoes, cowboy boots and hats, so
beautifully connected by patterns and lines – I’d never seen
anything this beautiful in my life. My gaze drew lower. I so hoped
he still had his pants on, but I couldn’t see beyond the half wall.
He was the epitome of perfectly sculpted body. And I was right. Two
barbell piercings decorated his nipples. I felt my own buds pebble
at the sight. Memories of the hard muscles I’d felt against me as
he hovered above me on that plane, teasing me with his abrasive
front, were all rushing back at once, slamming into me as if it was
him, taking me all over again. Heat flew through me body, settling
deep in my belly as the need to have that overwhelming feeling of
being taken swept through me. Before he noticed me, I watched him
chop vegetables and pour lemonade into two glasses. The smell of
broiling meat in the oven wafted through the room as Eric bent over
and removed a pan full of chicken wings, setting it on top of the
stove, and finally catching my stare.

“You look
hungry.” The tease rolled off his tongue, and my knees buckled.
Taking a hold of the kitchen bar stool, I replied, “I am. Is it
customary to cook naked in these parts of the country?”

“No, but I’m
afraid I’m a klutz in the kitchen and spilled sauce on my shirt.
Didn’t get a chance to get a fresh one from my bedroom and didn’t
want to intrude on your privacy. Why don’t you grab the plates, and
I’ll go get dressed?”

Crap!
I
shouldn’t have said anything. I’d prefer if he remained
half-dressed all the time – better yet, undressed.

Eric returned
to the kitchen a few minutes later. We ate the delicious brunch,
and given that his collection of appliances lacked a dishwasher, I
helped him wash the plates.

“So, what’s on
the schedule, Cowboy? I’d like to get to Ogden as soon as
possible.”

“The town’s
about a half hour drive from here. I can get some supplies while
you look around town. We can go see my parents tomorrow.”

“Good, I have
a lot of questions about the farm and Huntz and the day of the
kidnapping.”

“Wait, you
can’t mention him to them. Neither Huntz nor the kidnapping. In
fact, you can’t say what you do.”

“You want me
to lie?” I showed him my crooked smile, mocking him.

“Shouldn’t
that be one of your specialties at this job?”

“It’s a
specialty, all right. Growing up with two over-protective brothers
I had to fib a bit to have some kind of a life. Why do you not want
me to say who I am?”

“They blame
themselves that Huntz was never caught, and that my sister moved
away because of it. They’ve been through enough. I don’t want to
stir up all those painful memories.

“How are you
going to explain my presence, then?”

“Easy.” He
strolled toward me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me
to his side. “From now on, you’re my girlfriend.”

C
HAPTER
10

Eric

By two o’clock
we were headed to Ogden. Emma kept reading something on her tablet
as we drove, once in a while breaking her concentration when my
truck hit a deeper pothole.

“Not the
smooth asphalt you’re used to.”

“Yeah, I’m
afraid a few more of these and I’ll puke.”

I laughed.
This girl was all business and proper one moment, and then country
within hours of arriving. The boots she wore surprised me. Maybe
they were part of a past Halloween costume get-up she’d packed.

“Where’d you
get those?” I asked.

“It’s for the
strip club. I wear them sometimes on the stage.”

I hit my foot
on the brakes, jolting us both forward and looked over to the side.
Emma simply fluttered her lashes before bursting out in
laughter.

“You’re
kidding?”

“Of course I’m
kidding. Come on, Cowboy. Do you honestly think I’d been there more
than once?”

“There are
other bars…”

“Eric, snap
out of it. I promise I’m kidding. Grace got these for me last fall,
and I’ve never had a good place to wear them to.”

I breathed out
with relief. The thought of Emma dancing in nothing else but the
boots, and all those men admiring her body, had not only infuriated
me, but also sent all the blood rushing south. No one had ever kept
me on my toes as much as she did. What would she say next? That
she’d danced as part of a showgirls act in Las Vegas? This time the
image was a bit more appealing because at least the showgirls had
some attire to cover themselves. I’d been to Vegas once, with a
buddy of mine I hoped to see today. It had been a long time since
we’d talked, and we had some catching up to do.

I eased my
foot and started rolling forward again. “Why don’t you tell me the
kinds of dares Grace conned you into, and the bets you’ve
lost?”

“First of all,
no one has ever conned me into a dare. Grace just knows what I need
to feel alive. Why do you need to know?”

I thought
about how I could make her feel so alive. I’d rejuvenate her body
with my mouth and hands. It’d be like an adventure I’d never get
tired of.

“I just don’t
like surprises.”

“That’s only
because you haven’t had the right kinds of surprises, Cowboy.”

“I’m afraid to
ask you what the right kind of surprises are.”

Emma leaned
her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. A soft
smile surfaced on her face as she said, “Ones that you cannot wait
for. They tickle you in your stomach when you get a hunch, because
you sense a change in the air of excitement and anticipation.” Her
head jolted up and she looked at me, her eyes wide now as if she
were experiencing Disneyland for the very first time. “I get that
feeling when I’m onto something with a case. It’s the surprise
you’re never expecting, like unwrapping a Christmas gift and
finding someone bought you two puppies instead of one.”

She smiled as
if she were reliving a memory. That smile on her face could have
melted Mr. Freeze’s stone-cold heart. Yet there was a fraction of
sadness in those small corners of her beautiful eyes as well, and I
wondered why.

“Is Grace
taking care of your dog?” I asked.

“How do you
know I have a dog?”

“I saw him
running around the back, and Jack told me it’s yours.”