Ultimate Kill (Book 1 Ultimate CORE Trilogy) (CORE Series) (6 page)

As she sliced into the pepper, she tried to come up with something else to say. She’d originally figured he’d shown up in Woodbine with an agenda. But after learning about the private investigation firm he now worked for, she’d dismissed that idea. Working for CORE, not having to shoulder the responsibilities as a county sheriff, had given him the opportunity to find her. But again, why now? What had motivated him to come here today? Why hadn’t he married and started a family like his brothers?
 

The knife caught the tip of her finger. Wincing, she quickly grabbed a paper towel and applied pressure to the small cut.

He took her hand. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She ignored her throbbing finger and stared at him. “Why did you come here?”

“I wanted to see you,” he said, his dark eyes on hers.

“Why now?” she asked even though she’d told herself she wouldn’t. The warring emotions, the longing, the regret were too much to bear. Before she allowed herself to let him back into her life, even for just the weekend, she needed answers. Leaving Jake the first time had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Missing him, wishing their lives could have taken a different course, second-guessing her choices, she’d cried herself to sleep for months. She couldn’t go back to those dark days. Not again.

Keeping the paper towel around her finger, he curled his big hand into hers. “I needed to know you were happy,” he said, his eyes earnest, honest. “Are you?”

No
. “I am,” she lied and mustered a smile.
 

“Good.” He cupped her cheek. “I also missed seeing your face.”

Tears clouded her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She touched his strong jaw. “I’ve missed seeing you, too.”

“Don’t,” he said, and brushed her tears away with his thumb. “I hate it when you cry, especially if I’m the one causing it.”

She let go of his hand and hugged him tight. In an instant he cocooned her in his embrace. Their bodies molded together with familiarity and comfort, as if time and distance had never separated them. She didn’t want to let him go and worried if she did, she’d find herself alone in the kitchen grasping at the misty veils of another dream.
 

And she was tired of dreaming, of living in the past, of wishing for a different present and future. She’d suffered a burden she hadn’t deserved and wanted happiness, even if it lasted for only a weekend.

Pulling back, but not letting go of him, she met his questioning gaze. Her body immediately responded to the heat and intensity in his eyes. Desire swept through her and settled in her core. “Since you’re staying the weekend, you’ll need a place to stay.”
 

“I saw the Rainbow Lodge on my way into town,” he said, the hunger in his eyes nearly taking her breath away.

“It’s a decent place, but why not stay here.” Her dormant sex came alive and a throb built between her thighs. “I have a spare bedroom.”

Jake shifted his gaze to Naomi’s lips. The urge to kiss her, strip her naked and bury himself in her heat made him hard, tense. He slid his hand from her lower back and gripped her hips. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

A small smile curved her mouth. He glanced away and met her gaze. Damn, he’d missed looking into her bright blue eyes.
 

“Why not?” she asked.
 

Why not?
Because he wanted them skin to skin, chest to breast. He wanted to pretend he didn’t know about her lies. That she was simply Naomi McCall, his lover, best friend and future. Not a mystery woman who hadn’t existed until eight years ago.
 

He’d come here with the intent to put the past to rest. Instead he’d discovered his love for her hadn’t died. He knew in his gut he couldn’t sleep in the same house without wanting to be with her. He didn’t trust himself where she was concerned. From the moment they’d met he’d wanted her. She’d allured him, drawn him in with her smile, those beautiful blue eyes and sexy curves. But what had attracted him the most was her personality. The night he’d met her, he’d just come off a short tour in Iraq. Within minutes of talking with her, the fighting, the fear, the anxiety that came with war and conflict had been replaced with a quiet peace. And as their relationship had developed, he’d craved not only her touch, but her soothing words and her nurturing yet pragmatic way.
 

He’d missed her so damned much. Although he could survive without her and had for the past five years, he didn’t know if he could handle being under the same roof as her. Despite the time they’d been apart, despite the lies, he still wanted her.

Holding her hips, he pressed her against his erection. “This is why I’m better off staying at the Lodge.”

Her eyes darkened and she slid her gaze to his mouth. “I think that’s exactly why you should stay here,” she said, meeting his eyes again.
 

Wrong
. Maybe a weekend of hot sex wasn’t a big deal to her. She’d had no problem walking away from him before and he doubted she’d have a problem doing it again. For him, though…

Despite his body’s reaction to her, he hadn’t come here for sex and knew it would only complicate their already complicated relationship. How could he be with her again and walk away? How could he taste her, touch her, feel her heat wrapped around him and not want more? He’d spent years pushing her from his mind. He’d tried to find a woman who could replace Naomi and what they’d had together. On both ends he’d had no success. She’d never been far from his thoughts and no woman could compare to her.
 

With reluctance, he let go of her hips and took a step back. “Maybe you’re right,” he said even though he had no intention of staying. While he wouldn’t take her up on the offer to use the spare bedroom, he also wasn’t ready to leave yet. He wanted to continue hanging out at her house, have dinner, pretend they were still a couple.
 

God, he was pathetic. Naomi was a walking, talking lie. He should hate her, confront her about her past, shout out his resentments. But he couldn’t. Until he’d seen her in the school parking lot, he hadn’t realized how empty his life had been without her. He hadn’t realized how much he still loved her.
 

Fucking pathetic
.

Rather than dwell on his idiocy, he moved back to the counter and resumed helping with the salad. “Tell me about your job at the school,” he said deciding a change of subject was the best plan. While he wouldn’t stay at her place, he knew in his gut he could be easily swayed. Naomi had a way of seducing and coaxing him into just about anything. He’d have to keep reminding himself why he’d come here in the first place, that their relationship was nothing but one lie after another.
 

That she’d left him.
 

“I love working with the kids,” she said, pulling burger patties from the freezer.
 

As they finished the salad and later grilled the burgers, she talked about her job and told him some damned funny stories about the kids. While they ate, he asked her more about the area she’d chosen to live in and kept the conversation light and focused on her. Not them. Not the past. Tomorrow he’d hit her with all the unanswered questions that had been taunting him. Her bullshit excuses for leaving him, if she was really an only child, born and raised in Pittsburgh like him and, damn it, her real name and why she’d kept her identity secret from him.
 

When they’d finished eating and had cleaned the kitchen, she suggested they move into the living room. As he followed behind her, he tried to keep his eyes off the sexy sway of her hips and the tempting curve of her rear. But couldn’t. He also tried to stop his mind from wandering to the past, to those unanswered questions. But couldn’t. He also couldn’t stop thinking about her offer to stay the night at her house.
 

Seriously fucking pathetic
.

What the hell was wrong with him? He’d been a badass Marine, a kick-ass sheriff and planned to be both as an investigator for CORE. All of these confusing thoughts and emotions were pissing him off. Instead of dwelling, he should be acting. Demanding answers.
 

He took a seat at the end of the couch. She settled next to him. Close. Too close. He caught the swell of her breasts as she shifted her arm over the back of the couch. Remembered how they’d felt in his hands, how her nipples had responded to his touch. Shit. So many memories. Spreading her legs, dipping his head, tasting her, making her come alive.

His dick throbbed. His head ached from thinking too damned much. He wanted to stay and lose himself in her body. He wanted to run before he did something stupid.
 

Scrubbing a hand down his face, he quickly stood.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her brow furrowing, her eyes questioning and uncertain.
 

“It’s getting late,” he said.

She glanced at the clock on the mantle. “It’s only eight-thirty.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been up since dawn.”

Understanding softened her face. “Well, in that case, let me make up the bed for you. There’re towels in the bathroom linen closet, shampoo—”

“Thanks, but I’m going to head out. I think it’s best if I stay at the Lodge.”

She looked away. “I see.”

“Do you?”

Standing, she moved toward the door. “Yep.”

In a few strides he caught up with her. “You sure about that?” he asked, snagging her arm and turning her until she faced him.
 

“Didn’t I just say—”

“Yep.”

She pulled away but he kept her near him. “Whatever, Jake. I’m not going to play this game. You don’t want to stay here, then don’t.”

“Oh, I want to stay,” he said, crowding her until she backed against the closed door. Sliding his hand from her arm, he cupped her breast. “But I don’t want to stay in the spare room.”

She grabbed a fistful of his shirt. “So don’t,” she said, her voice low, breathy and sexy as hell.

His erection swelled. He had to leave. Now. “And then what?”

A slow, sexy smile tilted her lips. “Has it been that long?” She let go of his shirt and ran her hand down his chest until she reached his belt buckle. “I’m sure there’re a few things I can do to refresh your memory.”
 

When her palm grazed his erection straining against his jeans, he grabbed her hand, then the other and pinned her against the door. “I’ve been living on memories for five years,” he said, his voice rougher than he’d intended. Damn, he wanted her. But not like this. Not a quick fuck for old times’ sake.
 

“Funny, earlier I was thinking about making new ones,” she said, her eyes matching her seductive tone. She pulled against his grip, causing her breasts to thrust forward. “I’ve missed—”

He crushed his mouth against hers. He didn’t want to hear what she’d missed. Him? Them? Sex? It didn’t matter. At this point he wasn’t sure what to believe, he couldn’t be sure if the words coming out of her pretty mouth were lies, the truth or a variation of both. He’d kiss her hard and fast and walk away. Tomorrow they’d discuss the past and put it to rest. As for tonight, he had no plans on making any new memories that would only—

She opened her mouth and slid her tongue along his. His body switched into overdrive. Need rushed through his veins.
 

Screw it.

Releasing her hands, he tangled his fingers through her hair and grabbed a fistful. He held her head still and assaulted her lips. His conscience warned him to back off, that he was being rough. That he was doing the exact opposite of what he’d planned. But he couldn’t stop. He’d missed the taste of her, the feel of her body against his. She cupped his jaw with one hand and palmed his erection with the other. He’d missed
her
, damn it. Needing more, needing his conscience to shut the hell up, he pressed her against the door, ran his free hand down her sexy curves and lifted her leg.
 

Moving her hand from between their bodies, she held onto his ass, pushing him closer and settling her heat on his thigh. She rotated her pelvis and sighed against his mouth. He should make her come, he
could
make her come, remind her what they used to have together and leave her wanting more.

He tore his mouth away. Breathing hard, he stared into her eyes. They glittered with desire, with the same need pulsing through his body. With trust.

Damn, he was an asshole and a selfish bastard for wanting to make her want him, when all he craved was her and the love they used to have. Knowing now was the moment to end a kiss that could go further than he’d intended, he ignored the rational side of his brain, gripped her hips and moved her along his thigh.

Her breath hitched as she kept her eyes on his. Aware of what she liked, he slid a hand under her shirt and pushed the material up her torso. Hot pink lace covered her breasts. Aching to taste her, he gave the lace a tug and exposed one taut nipple. With his eyes still on hers, he dipped his head and took what he wanted. Ran his tongue along her nipple and kept her heat pinned against his thigh.
 

She shoved her hands through his hair, gripped his head and forced his mouth away only to kiss him again. Scorching hot, deep and demanding,
she
was the one who took and tempted him. She ground her pelvis against his thigh, untucked his shirt and ran her hands underneath along his bare skin. He wanted to be skin to skin but knew that wasn’t an option. If he allowed this so-called kiss to go that far, it might cloud his judgment and make the questions he’d demand answers to that much harder to ask. But he could leave them both satisfied and not in a way that would make him out to be a total jackass.