Nauti Intentions (17 page)

She looked up at him, watching his jaw tighten, the look of brooding lust he shot her from the corner of his eye.

“Oh, I have no doubt you’l keep up,†he promised her with a wicked smile as he pul ed into her driveway.

Pul ing to a stop, he slid the truck into park and turned off the ignition. Then he surprised her. He didn’t just get out of the truck. He cupped her neck

in that way that sent tingles of pleasure racing through her, made her feel feminine and sexy, and lowered his lips to hers.

His kiss wasn’t hard and deep. It was gentle, and hungry. His lips worked over hers, slanted over them, while his tongue pushed into her mouth and

stroked against hers.

And oh God, it was so hot she felt blistered. She felt need shoot through her system like an intravenous drug, straight to her heart, then between her

thighs, fil ing her sex with melting warmth.

“Christ, you make me hot,†he growled into the kiss. “If I make it up those stairs without fucking you, it’s going to be a damned miracle.â€

Then he surprised her again. He moved from the truck, pul ed her across the seat, and lifted her against his chest.

“Legs around me,†he groaned as he wrapped one arm beneath her ass and held her to him. “Hel . If I don’t at least feel you, I won’t

make it.â€

Her legs wrapped around his waist. His hard abs flexed between her thighs as he slammed the truck door closed and moved for the stairs.

“People wil see your truck in the morning,†she reminded him.

“Fuck ’em.â€

A surge of emotion at the words caught her off guard. He wasn’t worried that others would know . . .

“Zeke and his deputy are picking up the truck later anyway.†She crashed. Like a bal oon slowly deflating, Janey felt the joy that had surged inside

her recede.

She was so stupid. How insane to let herself believe anything but the truth. She buried her head against his neck, though, her lips moving on his flesh

until, before she knew it, Alex pushed her against the side of the building, halfway up the steps, groaning.

Only then did she realize she was biting him. Biting his neck, sucking at it, marking him as the pain rose inside her like a tidal wave threatening to

destroy her.

She marked him as he gripped her hips and thrust against her almost violently. The wedge of his cock beneath his jeans was hard and thick, pressing

into her as she cried out against the tough skin of his neck.

His hand held her head to him. His breathing was hard, fast, his hips grinding against her as she held on to him.

She couldn’t let him go. She had to hold him. Needed to draw a part of him into her, to leave a part of herself that he could never be rid of.

“You’re kil ing me.†He bent his neck for her, giving her what she needed for long moments before pul ing her head back and glowering down

at her. “If I end up fucking you on these stairs, I’l spank your ass for pushing me that far.â€

“Be careful, Alex. I might enjoy it.†She stared back at him fiercely. “We could try it and see.â€

He turned, holding her against him, and moved up the stairs fast. He was one raging hard-on. His dick was the only thing that mattered at this point, and

it was demanding, desperate.

If he didn’t get inside her, he just might end up coming in his jeans, and if that happened, then he was definitely going to spank her.

He shoved the key into the lock, only barely noticing that the cat wasn’t around. It must have eaten its fil earlier. Then he pushed into the apartment

and came to a hard stop.

Violent fury poured through him.

Turning, sheltering Janey, he ducked back out the door, slamming it behind them.

“Alex?†There was fear in her voice as he held her to him and al but ran back down the steps and to the truck.

“Get in.†He shoved her back into the truck as he tore his cel phone off his hip and dug into the backseat for the Glock he carried.

He checked the clip quickly before snapping it back in place.

“Zeke.†For the second time that night the sheriff answered his cal .

“Get to Janey’s apartment. There’s been a break-in and there’s a note on her kitchen table. Nothing was touched by us. I walked in,

then pul ed back.â€

“On my way,†Zeke informed him. “I’m cal ing the Mackays, Alex. Sorry, man, they’l kil me if I don’t.â€

“Hel ,†he swore. “And they can’t seem to keep their wives at home. It’s like cal ing the farce squad.â€

Zeke’s hard laugh was amused and dangerous at the same time. “I’m heading your way. Stay covered. You should see my lights in

seconds.â€

Zeke disconnected as Alex flipped the phone closed and leaned his head against the frame of the truck. He felt like pounding his forehead into the

metal.

“We’re in trouble.†Janey sighed.

Alex lifted his head and stared back at her quizzical y.

“I just left the hickey from hel on your neck, Alex; there’s no way Natches can miss it. There’s no way anyone could miss it.†And she

sounded damned pleased over it.

It stil burned. His dick stil pounded with the burn.

Hel , he should have just fucked her in the truck. At least then, when Natches kil ed him, he’d deserve it. Or at least, deserve it more.

Grinning, he arched his brow and drawled, “You’re next.â€

But it didn’t ease the fear from her eyes, or the rage burning in his gut. A second later the flashing lights of the sheriff’s cruiser and two of the

city’s finest pul ed into the parking lot.

Zeke and four officers exited the vehicles. The four officers, weapons drawn, started around the building as Zeke moved up to him.

“Dawg cal ed in. They left the girls with Ray. The boys are heading in, though. We’l wait for them before we head up to the apartment.â€

“Her alarm hadn’t been tripped,†Alex told him, noticing the glance Zeke made to his neck, the slight widening of his eyes. “Don’t

start, Zeke.â€

“Fuck. I hope those boys ain’t armed.†Zeke shook his head as he glanced in the cab of the truck.

Alex had felt Janey move into the driver’s seat; he could feel her against his back, peeping over his shoulder to watch the sheriff.

“I might have branded him, Zeke.†There was a smile in her voice, despite the tension.

Alex could hear the fear in her tone as wel . She was trying to cover it, to push it back, and that just pissed him off more. She shouldn’t have to feel

the need to hide her emotions, her fears. She should be safe, secure.

“Yes, ma’am, you did.†Zeke nodded. “Do you think I can keep Natches from shooting him long enough to search that apartment

upstairs?â€

The joking was light, a tension easer, an attempt to stil the fear Alex knew Zeke could see in her face.

“Sure. Natches isn’t stupid. He just likes to play dumb sometimes.â€

Alex turned to her at the hint of tears in her voice.

“Hey. Stop worrying. It’s going to be okay.â€

“Of course it is.†Her smile was too bright, her eyes too green.

“Sweetheart, you start crying on me, and we’re going to have problems. I don’t have anyone to shoot yet.â€

Her smile trembled. “Don’t worry about me. Crying isn’t something I do very wel .â€

But she turned her head, sliding back into the seat and moving back to the passenger side.

Alex whispered a curse. “I’l murder the bastard, Zeke.â€

The sheriff shook his head. “Don’t tel me about it, okay? I’m the one with the badge. Some things I might not need to know.â€

“It’s clear, Sheriff.†One of the officers moved around the building. “We have the front and back entrance secured. We’re ready to

move inside.â€

“Let’s check the restaurant first. Work our way up.†Zeke looked into the truck. “You have the key, Janey?â€

She shook her head. “I left those keys upstairs. Al I have is the house key.â€

Zeke grimaced.

“Natches has the keys. He carries them with him al the time. Just in case,†she told them. “If he’s on his way.â€

The sound of the Harley racing through the streets could be heard.

“Sounds like him,†she muttered.

Janey clenched her fists, grit her teeth, and forced the tears and the fear back into the dark, lonely hole where they couldn’t feed, where they

couldn’t build. She could feel herself shuddering on the inside, freezing. So cold that even when she wrapped Alex’s coat around her, she

couldn’t get warm.

She wanted to curl into a corner alone and scream. She wanted to hit. She wanted to howl out at the pain and find something to untie the knot of horror

growing inside her.

This shouldn’t be happening. She should be able to live in peace now that Dayle and Nadine were dead. She shouldn’t have to be afraid

again, shouldn’t have to fear for those she cared about.

She shouldn’t have to leave the town she loved to protect those who meant the most to her.

She pressed her knotted fists into her stomach as Natches moved up to Alex and the sheriff. Her brother’s voice was hard and cold now. It

wasn’t angry; he wasn’t acting the fool as he had at the bar. He was stone-cold serious, and the gun she glimpsed shoved into the holster at his

side assured her of it.

Minutes later, Dawg and Rowdy were joining them, both of them armed as wel . They weren’t joking around. They were stil considered agents,

attached to the Department of Homeland Security, owing to their participation in the investigation that had revealed Dayle Mackay and Nadine Grace as

members of a domestic terrorist group.

“Janey, I’m locking you in the truck.†Alex turned back to her. “Keep the doors locked, no matter what. Do you know how to use a gun?â€

She nodded bleakly. “I know how to shoot.â€

He reached over, popped the glove box, and drew out another, smal er automatic handgun. He checked the clip, then shoved the gun into her hands.

“Use it if you have to, honey. You hear me?â€

She nodded again, then turned to him. “Be careful, Alex. Please.â€

“Always,†he said softly.

He moved back, hit the lock on his door, then slammed it closed. She watched them as they moved to the office entrance. Two officers were at the

back stairs as the sheriff moved into the restaurant with Natches, Dawg, and Rowdy.

It was too dark back here, she thought. Too many shadows. Too many places for someone to hide. The officers left outside were cautious, wary. Their

hands rested on the butts of their weapons as they watched, in different directions, their bodies tense and prepared.

Janey wanted to curl into the seat and just escape. Like she had escaped the day Nadine had touched her. She wanted to burrow into her own mind

and pretend none of this was happening. But Alex and Natches were in there. Once again, someone else was protecting her; they were putting their lives

on the line while she sat safely along the sidelines.

As she sat there, she heard a distressed feline wail. The officers jerked, turning toward the Dumpsters that sat along the fence on the opposite side of

the truck.

“Fat Cat.†She jerked the door open as an orange blur jumped from the ground into the truck.

He was wailing and meowing plaintively as he tried to burrow beneath Alex’s coat.

Janey slammed the door closed and relocked it, then wrapped her arms around the heavy cat and stroked his fur.

“Where have you been, bad cat?†she whispered as he meowed again, a sound of mingled anger and fear. “Are you okay?â€

She ran her hands over him, but nothing seemed hurt. He huddled at her side beneath the coat, his head sticking out, his topaz eyes glaring up at her.

“I know, I’m late. I’m sorry. Bad mommy, huh?†She stroked his head, almost smiling mockingly at her own words. “It’s okay.

I’l give you extra hamburger tonight. How’s that?â€

As though he sensed the little reward, he laid his head on her lap, but his heavy body stil trembled. Fat Cat didn’t like strangers in his territory

evidently.

As she stroked him, she watched Alex, the sheriff, and Natches move from the office and head up the stairs to the apartment. They spoke briefly to the

two officers; Rowdy and Dawg were stil in the restaurant for some reason.

She stared at Alex as he moved behind the sheriff but in front of Natches, to the smal landing. The door opened, a thin wedge of light spil ing from

inside.

That was what she hadn’t seen earlier. There was a light on inside the apartment. And Janey had been careful not to leave any on when she left.

“Who was here, Fat Cat?†she asked the feline quietly, stil stroking his fur as she fought the panic trying to rise inside her.

She was shaking as hard on the inside as the cat was on the outside. And she was horribly afraid that her insistence on staying here, in Somerset, was

going to end up hurting someone other than herself. Natches or Alex would end up hurt. Or both. And she didn’t know if she could live with herself if

that happened.

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Alex shoved the Glock into the back of his jeans, propped his hands on his hips, and glared around the room after they’d finished checking the

apartment. Natches and Zeke were reading that letter, again. Alex didn’t need to read it again. He’d had enough of it when Zeke first unfolded it.

The filth in it was enough to make a grown man sick.

More of the same bul shit with a little addition about corrupting good patriotic men. Give him a fucking break.

The officers with Zeke were finished dusting for prints, and Dawg and Rowdy were giving the restaurant a last check before col ecting Janey and