Surrender to Temptation (26 page)

Philly was inside the birthing stall. The mare still acted like any typical mother-to-be, restless and eager to have her baby. She turned to leave and saw Chase lugging evening horse feed, his muscles flexing under the T-shirt. Like this land, he was breathtaking and inspiring. When he bent to pick up the bucket of feed, she allowed herself a drool moment.

“Are you going to keep watching me or are you going to help?” he asked, a sexy smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

“Can’t a girl have a moment?” She closed the gap between them. “Where’s everyone?”

“Winston and Lex are out riding. Tucker and Mac went to get Buttercup from Dean’s place.”

No wonder the horse trailer was gone. Nikki grabbed the bucket of grain. “Aren’t we bringing the horses in tonight?”

“No,” Chase said. “It’s getting too hot for them to be outside during the day. From now on, they stay in the barn during the day and sleep outside, except Philly. She needs to stay in the birthing stall. She’ll only come out when we muck it.”

Nikki was dying to ask him why he’d e-mailed Keira. It was obvious he had no feelings for her. After finishing with the horses, he stopped her by the barn door. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing,” Nikki said too quickly.

He chuckled. “I know you, sweetheart. You’ve been giving me side-glances and chewing on your lip. I know what that means, so out with it.”

Nikki blew out air. She felt like a fraud for putting off telling him about his sister while demanding answers from him. “I was just curious about Keira and her presence here.”

Chase smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his arms. For a moment, he studied her face. “I thought I needed closure and contacted her, but I now know that I don’t need to talk to her. She and I are done. You and I, on the other hand—”

His cell phone went off.
He and I what?
Nikki wanted to ask, but his attention was already on his cell phone.

“It’s Tucker,” he said and lifted the phone to his ear. “Is everything okay? Yeah, he’s expecting Wind Dancer tomorrow, so you two will be heading to his place first thing in the morning.”

She tried to slip out of Chase’s arms, but his grip tightened.

“We’re not done talking,” he whispered.

“I know. I’ll be in the house.” He let her go and went back to his conversation with Tucker, but she could feel his eyes on her.

CHAPTER 18

Instead of eating in the dining room like the night before, they ate on the patio. Dinner was relaxing. Perhaps the fact that Keira wasn’t around was part of it. She’d hit the bottle when they’d returned from South Creek Ranch and had kept at it until she’d fallen asleep downstairs.

“She’s going to have a nasty hangover when she wakes up,” Lex had told Chase. Then he carried her to her room and left aspirin and water by the bed.

Watching his brother interact with his workers was interesting. But then again, that was part of Lex’s charm—the ability to make anyone feel at ease. Chase caught his brother studying Nikki with an indulgent smile. He liked that the two of them had hit it off.

It was time to lay his heart at her feet because he loved this woman. Loved her with every breath he took. When he caught her yawning, he knew it was time to break up the party. Mac and Tucker had a long drive ahead of them tomorrow. They were taking Wind Dancer to Duncan’s.

“She is a keeper,” Lex said when everyone was gone.

Chase knew he was talking about Nikki. “Mrs. B? I know. You can’t take her back.”

Lex chuckled. “Don’t lose her, brother. No matter what happens or what you learn after your talks with Keira.”

Chase grinned. “Nikki has nothing to do with my past.” He bid Lex goodnight and headed upstairs to Nikki.

She was in his room, getting ready for bed. She wore another one of her skimpy nightgowns and was humming a tune. One of those country songs she’d been singing with Tucker yesterday. The light from the bedside lamp displayed her lush body to perfection. Like always, she didn’t wear anything underneath the gown.

His entire body burned at the sight of her. He closed the gap between them and pressed against her back, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. She turned into his arms and smiled.

That smile still packed a punch. He studied her face and saw beyond her beauty to the woman she was. And he wanted that woman with him always.

“What is it?” she asked, touching his face.

Chase’s eyes were focused totally on her. Not her lovely figure or her beautiful face, but everything that made her special. She was strong, dependable, and honest. He would trust her with his life, and it was time he let her know it.

“I love you, Nikki Savoy,” Chase said.

Nikki gasped, a myriad of emotions chasing each other across her face—surprise, uncertainty, fear. The latter didn’t make sense.

“You have nothing to be afraid of, love. It may seem like a short time to fall for someone, but I have. I’m not asking you to love me back, but I hope you will give me the chance to show you how great we can be together.”

“Oh, Chase.” She laughed, her eyes watering. “You don’t have to give me a chance or a reason to love you, because I already do. With all my heart. And we
are
great together.”

He laughed and kissed her.

She cupped his cheeks and created space between their lips. “Not so fast. There are so many things about me that you don’t know—things that could destroy what you feel for me or make you doubt my love for you.”

He caressed her cheek. “I love what I know about you, babe. I love your essence. I love the way you fill my arms and the way I feel when I hold you. I love kissing you and making love to you. I love the way you laugh and the way you make me laugh. I love your zest for life. I love working by your side. I love the way you care about the people around you and make them feel special. I even love it when you scold me for being such an arrogant fool.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Nothing could ever make me doubt your love. In fact, it humbles me that you love me.”

“How can I not love you? You’re wonderful in every way.”

Chase’s heart slammed hard against his chest. It felt wonderful to hear her words. They filled his insides. The mess with Keira and Deanna shouldn’t stop him from seizing this moment with Nikki. Besides, the present had nothing to do with the past, and he meant to keep it that way. With Nikki, he was starting fresh. He could be himself and not worry about being betrayed. She didn’t have to tell him that he could always count on her love, total devotion, or honesty. He just knew it.

Pulling her tighter in his arms, he bent his head, kissed her shoulder, and nibbled along her neck. Her scent filled his nostrils, and he knew he wanted to make love to her, to possess her, and seal their commitment to each other.

“I want you,” he said.

“Then have me,” she said, tracing her tongue along his jaw, then chin, and down to his neck. He shuddered as she unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands along his abs. She pulled the shirt off his shoulders, dropped it on the floor, undid his pants, and slid her hand in to stroke him. “You feel so good.”

He savored her touch, then shuddered again when her tongue darted along the seam of his lips and begged for entrance. He opened his mouth, welcomed her, and moaned at the way she stroked his tongue with hers. The taste of her. Her scent. He was barely hanging on to his control tonight.

He lifted her up and placed her on the edge of the bed. She smiled at him, the smile both seductive and trusting. It lightened his heart and made desire curl in his gut. He finished getting undressed as she removed her nightgown and bared her body to him.

Body burning, Chase stood between her legs and nudged them farther apart. His breath caught. He would never get enough of staring at her. He dropped on his knees, kissed her one knee then the other, and worked his way up.

“Your scent drives me crazy,” he growled, nuzzling her thighs.

She cried out as he took her in his mouth. Eyes closed, savoring Nikki’s moans and the tremors shooting through her, he loved her with his mouth until she shuttered with release.

His hands shook slightly as he rolled on protection. He wrapped her legs around his flank, and in one powerful thrust, drove himself inside her. Her moans of pleasure mingled with his as he pushed her fast and hard. Her long legs wrapped around his waist, and she writhed and met his thrusts.

Her passionate scream fueled his desire. He was lost in her heat, but he showed her with his hands, his mouth, and with each stroke and groan that she was his—his anchor, his everything.

“Nikki,” he groaned as the pressure mounted. He ground his teeth, wanting to stave off his own orgasm until she came again.

“Yes?” she moaned, rocking hard and drawing him deeper as her legs rose higher.

He found her hands and trapped them with his. His thrusts became more forceful as her moans filled the room and her movements grew wild. Her eyes rolled in their sockets, her cries combining with her nether muscles clenching around him and triggering his own release. Chase reared up and shouted her name, helpless to control his responses or how she made him feel.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Chase whispered a little while later. He was lying on his back, cradling her in his arms.

“Why?” Her arms were still wrapped around him.

“I didn’t mean to be rough with you.”

She kissed his chest. “I once told you there was nothing you could dish out that I couldn’t handle, cowboy.”

He laughed. He didn’t want to leave her side, yet he knew he had to. “I have to go, love,” he whispered.

She leaned back and studied him with liquid gold eyes. “Where?”

“To watch Philly. She might go into labor tonight. I have the first watch. Winston will take over at one. Tucker and Mac can’t stay up late tonight. They are taking Wind Dancer to Duncan’s and need their sleep.”

“Is it far?”

“Four-to-five hour drive. They leave at dawn. I love you.” He kissed her again and rolled off the bed. He headed to the bathroom to take care of the condom. When he returned to the bedroom, she was wrapping a sheet around her. “Where are you going?”

“Going to my room to change. I’ll watch her with you. And don’t bother arguing. I know fun ways of making time pass quickly.”

He laughed. God, but he was crazy about her. “Do you have warm pants and a warm shirt? Sweats?”

She shook her head.

“Borrow mine. They might be longer and wider, but they’ll keep you warm.”

She joined him in the walk-in closet, and he watched her choose a pair of sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt.

“What?” she asked. “Do I look like a clown?”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He planted a kiss on her lips. “You’d never look like a clown. I just like the idea of you wearing nothing under all that.”

She grinned. “That’s what I was thinking, too.”

They crept downstairs, so as not to wake up their guests, and headed to the barn.

***

It was almost nine when Chase woke up. They’d gone to bed at three, giving Winston plenty of snooze time. Nikki had been right. Time had passed faster with her around talking—when not making love.

Careful not to wake her up, Chase removed his arm from under her neck. She was sleeping on her tummy, her head to one side, her arms and legs extended like a spider’s legs across the bed. Usually, one of her legs would be over his hips and her arm across his chest. She was such a bed hoarder.

Chase knelt beside the bed and stroked her cheek. He’d never get tired of touching her, loving her, sleeping with her, and waking up in her arms.

She murmured something and pressed her face into the pillow. He smiled. It still amazed him that she was his—this stubborn, strong, and wonderful woman. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and headed to the bathroom.

He went to the barn first. Tucker and Mac had already left with Wind Dancer. Philly was still not in full labor. Starting to worry, Chase called Dobbs, the young vet his uncle had recommended, before heading back to the house to shower and eat breakfast.

Mrs. B had eggs, sausages, and toast set out on the dining room table. Chase wasn’t sure whether his brother and Keira were up or not, but a horse was missing, which meant Lex was probably out riding.

Chase’s phone went off just as he started on his breakfast. It was Ken. “Morning, detective.”

There was silence, then, “Am I talking to the right guy? You sound… different. Happy. Did your mare deliver?”

“No. Any time now.”

“What happened between yesterday and today?”

He’d claimed the woman he loved. “Did the lead pan out?”

Ken chuckled. “Yes, it did. We got him. I’m looking at deleted e-mail exchanges between Finch and Keira Higgins. Some were from before the fire, but the interesting ones were after the fire. She knew he started the fire. Check your e-mail.”

Chase left the dining room and headed to the den. “So she was going to let Deanna take the fall for it.” He couldn’t believe he almost married a lying, immoral woman. And he’d always thought he was a good judge of character. “Have you talked to the Fire Marshal?”

“We’re planning to send what we have. Do you mind if we use Eddie? He made some contacts after Ashley and Ron’s mess.”

His cousin Eddie used to be with LAPD but was now co-owner of FMC with Lex. He’d helped Ashley, another cousin, and her husband, Ron, catch an arsonist. “I don’t mind. Anything to wrap this up. So what was Keira’s connection to this Finch guy?”

“He is her ex-fiancé. His family owns Ace in Glendale. Have you heard of it?” Ken asked.

Chase entered the den. “I have. Anyone in the restaurant industry has.”

Ace was a family-owned restaurant and banquet hall on East Broadway in Glendale. The place served authentic Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine and had been named one of the top restaurants in
Zagat
&
Los Angeles Times
.

“Ace hosts a lot of social and corporate events and is very successful,” Chase added. “It explains why the guy had known his way around my restaurant’s kitchen and maximized the damage the fire caused.”

“Patrick, or Ace as Keira calls him, is the only son of Patrick Finch Senior,” Ken explained. “All the articles she’d written about the restaurant are glowing, so this wasn’t about bad reviews. This was old fashion love gone sour. She broke up with him just before the two of you started dating. To make things even more interesting, Deanna’s sister sent us her laptop and we hacked it. Deanna had been exchanging e-mails with Finch. In the last five e-mails from Ace, he asked her to meet him at your restaurant for a private dinner. That’s why she was there that night.”

“Why at my restaurant?” Chase booted his computer. He wasn’t really in the mood to read Keira’s e-mail, but he hated to be blindsided. “It was a ruse, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. We compared e-mails from Finch’s database to Deanna’s and Keira’s. The e-mails came from Ace, although they were signed Chase. To Deanna, the two of you were exchanging love notes via e-mails. Since the little lady had a crush on you, she went.”

“Thinking she was coming to have dinner with me,” Chase murmured. “He was using her to cover his tracks.”

“And setting her up to take the fall for the fire,” Ken said. “And Keira knew what he’d done because he bragged about it. They both deserve to go down. We also found a recording of him at a gas stop from that night. He’d stopped to buy gas
and
pain meds. Do you want us to give Deanna’s family the news?”