Wild Borders (3 page)

“Law enforcement,” he replied with a shrug.

Surprised, Lani blinked. “And here I thought you were a cowboy.”

He smiled. “Grew up on a ranch, but following in my folks’ footsteps never appealed to me. As a kid I always wanted to be the good guy tracking down the bad guys.”

“I’ll just bet.” Her mouth quirked as she imagined him on a white horse, tracking down desperados.

Lightning flashed outside the plane and her heart dropped. She turned away from Rick to glance out the window. Another flash illuminated the swirling mass of a thunderstorm.

The plane bucked and dropped, then leveled out, shooting her stomach straight to her toes. She gasped and clutched the armrests, her heart pounding so loud she thought it would jump out of her chest and the cowboy next to her could lasso it.

When Lani had looked to the window, Rick took the opportunity to study her. What was it about the woman that interested him, more than anyone else he’d met?

Was it her velvety brown eyes? The way she blushed? When he’d embarrassed her, every bit of bare skin that he could see had gone pink, from the V of her blouse, to the tips of her ears. He wondered if the rest of her turned that attractive color.

What would it be like to kiss those full lips?

As skittish as she seemed, he’d probably have better luck kissing the old lady on his other side.

Lightning lit the sky outside and Lani gasped as the plane dropped and shuddered. She turned from the window to face forward, her eyes scrunched tight, her face as pale as his mom’s lace tablecloth.

Over the intercom a man’s voice drawled, “This is your captain. Y’all sit tight with your seatbelts fastened until we ride out this storm.”

Poor kid
, Rick thought as he studied Lani.

He couldn’t stop himself. He eased an arm around her and pulled her head to his chest. She remained rigid, trembling. In a few moments, he felt her relax. A bit.

“Everything’ll be fine,” he whispered into her hair, and squeezed her cold fingers within his warm grasp.

His gut tightened at the smell of her and the feel of her soft body in his arms. Somehow he felt like he knew her. That he’d always known her.

The plane bounced and rattled among the turbulence, and she pressed her face closer. Tears soaked his shirt, and he fought the urge to slip his fingers into her hair.

Why was she so terrified?

He moved his thumb over the back of her hand and noticed a band of pale flesh against her skin, where she must’ve worn a wedding ring. A broken engagement? A divorce?

The rest of the flight to Tucson was one of the roughest he’d taken. The thunderstorm raged and turbulence tossed the plane like a toy caught in a dust devil. But Rick found himself glad for the storm, glad for the excuse to hold the young woman that he barely even knew.

A sensual caress, a deep passionate kiss…the cowboy touched Lani in ways she’d never been touched before. His slow hands were intent on exploring every inch of her naked body. He cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples while he slipped his tongue into her mouth. The way he used that tongue amazed her. He tasted all of her as he moved from her mouth, along the column of her throat to her nipples and then on down the flat of her belly to her mons. He focused on pleasuring her like she’d never been pleasured before. Then the cowboy rose up between her thighs, his cock at her entrance ready to thrust into her—

Lani woke to a whisper in her ear. “We’re here, Lani. We made it.”

Disoriented, she blinked, then heat burned through her when she realized she had her head against the cowboy’s chest. Her face flamed at the thought of what she’d just dreamed—about a total stranger who she happened to be sleeping on. She’d never had an erotic dream like that one, and it unnerved her.

When she pulled away from Rick, she couldn’t think of a thing to say.

How could she have let a stranger hold her to begin with? But it had helped calm the terror that churned inside her like an earthquake in the heart of San Francisco.

James had never held her.
You’re being stupid
, he would say.
Get over it
.

But not this man. Rick didn’t even know her, and yet he held her as though he truly cared.

“Such a sweet couple,” the wispy lady croaked from the other side of him. She reached across with her frail hand and patted his, still covering Lani’s. “You two remind me of my Wilbur and me. Sixty years of marriage and still dancing.” She gave a watery smile and eased herself up to enter the aisle.

Rick grinned and Lani wanted to drop through the floor of the plane.

She ducked and reached under the seat in front of her to grab the laptop bag. When she looked back, her eyes kept going up, traveling those long legs in snug Wranglers and good lord, that very nice package… Her cheeks burned again at the turn of her thoughts.

He put on his cowboy hat and allowed her to go in front of him in the aisle. What did he think of her after that terrifying plane ride? Did he think she was some weepy woman who couldn’t take care of herself?

Why did she care what he thought?

While she exited the plane onto the ramp, Rick strode at her side. “How long’ll you be here, Lani?”

The way he said her name sent shivers throughout her. A gentle drawl, a husky tone.

“Three weeks.” She chanced a look at him and saw his smile, a smile that caused something within her to burn. An ache, a wanting.

She didn’t tell him that she was considering moving to Tucson. Too many memories shrouded her in the Bay Area.

As he stood next to her at the baggage drop, Lani tried not to think about the effect he was having on her. She was afraid he’d felt it too, and that was dangerous territory she had no intention of exploring.

With relief, she saw her bags tumble down the slide to the conveyor. She snatched them one at a time and set them on the floor beside her. She turned to face Rick, and saw him grabbing his own suitcase.

“Thanks.” She took a deep breath and met his intense blue gaze. “It was nice of you to—to—well, help me make it through that flight.”

“Any time.” In one swift movement, he gathered her two hefty suitcases along with his own and made it look like he was carrying a couple of hatboxes.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, hands on her hips.

“Helping you to your cab.” He managed a small bow and sounded quite gallant.

“I can carry my own bags,” she insisted to his retreating back.

But when they reached the security checkout, she presented her luggage ticket stubs and then trailed after him into the evening thunderstorm. The clean smell of rain hit her as thunder rumbled in the distance. An odd thrill tingled within her at the tension in the air. She loved thunderstorms—as long as she was safely on the ground.

He didn’t stop until he reached the line of cabs and handed the driver her belongings while she stood under the awning. Rain rolled off his cowboy hat onto his shirt as he held the cab door open for her. “Where’re you headed?”

“Tucson Grand Hotel,” she replied as she dodged into the pounding rain and pushed her laptop case and purse into the cab’s backseat.

Wrinkling her nose at the smell of stale cigar smoke, she scooted over the cracked vinyl seat, to the far side that had fewer tears in it. She wiped raindrops from her face and pushed her damp hair behind her ears.

Rick leaned in the cab door. “I’m staying the night at the Grand, too. Mind if I get out of the rain and share your cab?”

He was already soaked from the storm, and she hated to see him get any wetter. In fact, the thought gave her a little thrill. “Sure,” she replied and then bit her lip as he disappeared again and she felt the trunk of the cab being slammed shut.

As the cab driver hopped into the front seat, Rick climbed in the back seat next to Lani. Her pulse rate picked up and she knew she should have told him to get his own taxi. Spending any time with a man who made her feel like taking a chance on romance was definitely not a good idea.

The cabbie pulled into traffic as Rick set his Stetson on his knee and studied the woman next to him. Lani was biting her lower lip, looking like she was having second thoughts about sharing the cab.

“I’m having breakfast at the Grand in the morning,” he said, trying to set her at ease. “Otherwise I’d head home tonight.”

Lani jumped as lightning split the sky, the crack of thunder not far behind.

“Scared of thunderstorms also?” Rick asked, hoping she’d need a shoulder to lean on.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m just not used to them.”

He smiled. “If you’re frightened, you could hold my hand again.”

She pursed her lips, and he felt desire burn in him. So soft, so inviting, those lips.

“Listen, Rick.” She hesitated. “You were kind to me on the plane. More than kind. But I don’t let strange men hold me.” She turned to the window, where he could see streetlights blurring in the rain.

“Lani,” he said. She turned back with obvious reluctance. “I have no doubt that you would’ve made it through that flight without me lending a shoulder. There’s nothing wrong with being insecure sometimes. We all are.”

Sighing, she stared at her lap, reaching for her ring finger as if to twist a band no longer there. She thrust her hands to her sides and looked at him. “Someone always told me how weak I was for my fear of flying. He even knew what had happened.”

The cab lurched to a stop in front of the Grand, and before he had a chance to respond, to ask what kind of jackass would say something like that to her, she flung open her door and darted out to the curb, into the rain. He followed, banging his forehead on the doorframe, and uttering a curse that was sure to turn Lani’s pretty ears blue.

By the time he managed to get his bulk out of the cab, she’d stuffed bills in the cabbie’s hand and was hauling her suitcases through the impressive doors of the Tucson Grand. Rick shoved his fare at the driver, grabbed his own bag and followed. He couldn’t help but admire Lani’s curves and the toss of her head. In a matter of a few strides, he’d caught up to her at the registration desk.

She tapped her nails on the marble countertop in a nervous rhythm that reminded him of rain falling on the cab’s roof.

The clerk typed in a command and studied his computer. “Ah, yes.” He handed Lani a key card. “Room 1110.”

Rick moved beside her. “Wait for me and I’ll help with your bags, darlin’.” “McAllister,” he told the clerk.

Lani frowned. “I’m not your darlin’, cowboy. I can handle my own bags.” She walked toward the elevators, across the acres of industrial carpet. But he had no doubt his ruse would get the results he wanted—at least with the clerk.

“Wedding jitters,” Rick said to the young man, who gave a knowing grin.

“Hmm, let me see here, Mr. McAllister. Good. The room next to your fiancé is available. Room 1108.”

Chapter Two

“Come on, come on,” Lani muttered, tapping her foot, anxious for the elevator to arrive before Rick caught up. Something about him was starting to wear down her defenses and she couldn’t afford to let that happen with any man. No matter how kind and attentive he might be.

No such luck. The doors opened, and Rick darted in before they had a chance to close. It was a slow elevator, taking its sweet time to head up the eleven floors.

“Have dinner with me tonight.” He smiled and she noticed a dimple in one cheek.

Lani’s body heated and her nipples tightened beneath her blouse.
Why not? Why not spend one evening in the company of an attractive man?

She gritted her teeth in an effort to fight off her attraction to the cowboy.
I’m not ready. I need more time.

“It’s just dinner between two new friends,” Rick said, as if reading her mind.

The elevator groaned to a stop and the doors opened.
It’s only dinner
, her thoughts echoed. What could happen?

Definitely not a good idea. There was no room for someone as handsome and charming as Rick McAllister in her life.

“Thanks, but no.” She gathered her bags and stepped into the hall that had the same peculiar odor that all older hotels did. Like ancient carpet, mothballs and freshly laundered linens. It didn’t surprise her that he followed. He was as tenacious as San Francisco fog.

“How about I make you a wager.” He hooked his thumb in his belt loop. “I’ll guess something personal about you, and if I’m right, you have dinner with me. If not, then I’ll eat by my lonesome.”

She sighed and stared up at the popcorn ceiling, then shook her head and looked at Rick. “All right.”

“If I’m right, you’re having dinner with me.”

Lani smiled despite herself. “Yeah, yeah.”

He took her hand, and that strange energy jolted her at his touch, sending vibrations straight to her toes. His hand was much larger than hers and his callused palm was rough against her soft skin. She shivered and felt an ache between her thighs at just his mere touch.

“You’re afraid to have dinner with me,” he began, “‘cause you just went through a rough time. I’d say you’re divorced and your ex-husband was a real jackass. You deserve better, Lani.”

A chill pebbled her skin and she snatched her hand away. “How did you know?”

With one finger he pushed up the brim of his Stetson, and grinned. “I won the bet.”

Anger burned away the frost of her surprise. “How did you find that out?”

Rick gave a gentle smile that had the odd effect of relaxing her. “I noticed that you still have a line from where you wore a wedding ring, so it couldn’t have been too long ago. You talked about a real idiot who treated you poorly, and you shy away from me like a horse spooked by a rattlesnake.”

She took a deep breath and gripped her laptop bag tighter. “You figured it out just from that?”

“Like I told you, I’m in law enforcement. Figuring out clues is part of what I do.” Rick’s expression took on a more serious look. “I’ll behave. Promise.”

“I must be out of my mind.” She shook her head and sighed. “All right. But it’s not a date.”

Rick strode to the start of the hallway, then stopped before the first door. “I’ll meet you in fifteen minutes. I’m starving. Those dang airplane peanuts just don’t tide me over.” He stuck a key card into room 1108 and was through the door before she had a chance to reply.

Slick. He even managed to get a room next to hers. She stood before her own door and groaned. Should she take her bags downstairs and demand another room?

Instinct told her that he wasn’t the type of man who would hurt or take advantage of her, and with the exception of the mistake she’d made with the man she’d married, her instincts were normally right on. She could always change her mind and ask for a different room if she felt it necessary.

And since Rick was in law enforcement, he spent his time protecting people.

Maybe she should ask to see his badge.

Despite her many misgivings, fifteen minutes later, Lani was ready. She’d managed to blow dry the rain from her hair, curl a few wisps with the curling iron and touch up her makeup. She’d changed out of her wrinkled blouse and skirt into a pink sundress and sandals.

When she was dressed, she dabbed honeysuckle perfume at her wrists and throat. Like the color pink, the scent made her feel feminine. James had hated it, and hated her in pink.

She wore pink and the honeysuckle perfume as often as possible.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Before she opened it, she took a deep breath and checked the peephole. It was Rick, and if that skewed image of him held true, he definitely looked too handsome for his own good.

When she swung the door open, she saw that he looked incredible in his black cowboy hat, his white teeth flashing against his deep tan, his navy shirt enhancing the disturbing blue of his eyes.

“Beautiful.” Rick’s gaze ran the length of her, and she blushed. “Do you like Mexican food? They serve the best enchiladas north of the border in one of the restaurants downstairs.”

She smiled despite the melting sensation in her bones. “Love it.”

As he escorted her to the restaurant, she was intensely aware of him. What was it about him that sent jolts of hunger through her every time they touched?

When the hostess showed them to a corner table, Lani was surprised when Rick pulled out her chair before taking his own seat. James had never done those small gentlemanly things. She’d never considered it necessary, but she found the gesture touching coming from Rick. He seated himself, and then took off his hat and set it on the chair beside him.

Her stomach twisted. She hadn’t been on a date since college.

No. It wasn’t a date. Just dinner with a man she’d never see again.

When Lani finished studying the menu, she saw Rick watching her. He gave her a slow, sexy smile that made her heart stop, and she almost forgot to breathe. To her relief, the waiter arrived to take their order.

“You ought to try one of their margaritas,” Rick suggested. “They’re wicked.”

She nodded. “Frozen with salt on the rim.”

“
Gracias
.” The waiter hurried away with their orders.

The restaurant had the perfect atmosphere for a casual evening out. Mexican hats, serapes and decorated gourds adorned the walls, the floor a dark
Saltillo
tile. Mariachi music played in the background, and Lani found herself tapping her toe to the beat.

“You live in San Francisco?” Rick asked, drawing her attention back to him.

Lani tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “All my life. What about you?”

“I’m an Arizona native. A rare breed. Most folks you meet around these parts are from anywhere but here.”

The waiter returned, placing a basket of chips, pots of salsa, and large margaritas in front of each of them.

“Goodness. It’s enormous.” She sipped her drink and smiled. “Delicious.”

He took a swallow of his. “One of these things equals two and a half regular ones. It’ll knock you on your ass if you’re not careful.”

Lani laughed and dipped a corn chip in salsa. “Were you on a business trip?”

Rick put a handful of chips on his plate. “Visiting my sister and her kids. I don’t get to see them much, so I try to get out there at least once a year.”

As soon as she bit into the corn chip, she knew it was a mistake. Her mouth flamed and her eyes watered. She grabbed her margarita and drank it, trying to cool the burning sensation.

“Careful,” he said. “You’ll be dancing on the tabletops if you drink that too fast.”

Lani set the drink down and tried ice water instead, but her mouth still felt like it was on fire.

“Should’ve warned you about that salsa. Chips with salt might help.”

She fanned her warm face as she ate a plain chip with no salsa. “I’ve had hot sauce before, but nothing like that.”

Trying to get her mind off the fire burning in her mouth, Lani asked, “Were you with your sister at the Chinese restaurant?” Immediately she regretted opening her big mouth and admitting she had noticed him, and asking a question so personal that it might make it look like she was interested in him.

“So you do remember.” Rick smiled. “Her name’s Callie and she’s a pistol.”

“Uh, yeah.” Lani pretended nonchalance. “My friends and I have
dim sum
there regularly.”

It wasn’t long before the waiter arrived with their combo plates of enchiladas, tacos, refried beans and Spanish rice. Everything tasted fabulous, but there was so much food that Lani was only able to eat half of what was on her plate.

While they ate, she was surprised at how much she wanted to know about him. Definitely not a good idea. She purposely steered clear of personal topics, and was glad he didn’t press her. He answered questions about Tucson, the best tourist attractions, and those frequented by the locals. She didn’t bother to tell him she would be leaving Tucson in the morning.

In turn, he asked her about living in San Francisco. They talked about the areas he’d visited around the city, and she shared her favorite places.

Lani enjoyed how Rick focused on her when they spoke, like he was intent on hearing every word. The way his eyes lit up when he laughed. The infectious grin that held a bit of the devil himself in it. She enjoyed being around him too much, and had to remind herself that there was no room for a distraction or complication in her life like Rick McAllister.

“I’d better get to bed.” She drained the enormous margarita and wondered at her reluctance to part with him. “I have an early appointment.”

He agreed and called for the check. After they split the bill, which Lani insisted on, she stood and realized that he’d been right—drinking the entire margarita had been a mistake. Her head spun, and when Rick laced his fingers with hers, she didn’t object—she was afraid she might fall. The feel of his hand sent tremors throughout her body, enhanced by the mellow, tipsy feeling the drink had given her.

On the elevator ride up to their floor, Lani’s legs wobbled and she found herself leaning too close to Rick. She knew she needed to put distance between them, but when they reached her room, he took the key card from her hand and opened the door.

“Can I come in?” he murmured. “Two minutes.”

“Okay.” Where did that come from? Her heart pounded out a staccato that she could almost bet he was able to hear.

“I want to see you again.” Rick flicked on a light as he drew Lani through the door, and it slammed shut behind her.

Her throat tightened and went as dry as the Arizona desert. “I—I…”

But her words vanished, her mind blank, as Rick took her face in his palms and captured her gaze with his.

“Rick, I—” But she no longer knew the meaning of up or down, and she melted against him, wanting him. His earthy scent intoxicated her, filling her senses, confusing her beyond the effects of the alcohol.

“Darlin’, what you do to me,” Rick said against her lips. “Let me taste you.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

He brushed his lips over hers. Just a whisper kiss. The light touch of his lips and the feel of his calloused fingers on her skin made her nipples pebble and her mons ache. A wave of longing crested, then crashed within her soul.

She pressed herself closer to him and heard a soft moan.

Coming from her.

The tip of his tongue outlined her bottom lip, a feather caress that sent desire spiraling within. She parted her lips and his tongue met hers, a velvet softness that she savored like golden honey. “You taste so good,” he murmured.

Citrus from the margarita was still sweet on his tongue and she wrapped her arms around his neck as their kiss deepened. She smelled the light apple fragrance of his hair, and slid her fingers into the soft strands, knocking his cowboy hat off.

With a jolt, Lani became aware of Rick’s erection against her belly. A voice inside her shouted, telling her she couldn’t go any farther. Not with someone she barely knew. But her mind and body refused to listen.

As if he heard her thoughts, he let out a ragged breath and stepped back, putting distance between them—leaving her feeling cold and empty. Alone.

Rick traced one finger along her cheekbone and she shuddered with longing. “Say you’ll see me again.”

He looked so handsome, his chestnut hair in disarray, passion in his eyes.

“I—I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” It took all her willpower not to throw her arms around him and tell him to spend the night. She had never been with a man other than James in a sexual way, and it frightened her how much she wanted Rick.

Right here. Right now.

Rick caught both her hands in his. “Have breakfast with me.”

She shook her head. “I have a meeting, and then I’m going out of town.”

He brought her hands to his mouth and trailed his lips over her knuckles, sending shivers throughout her, those intense blue eyes never leaving hers. “How do I reach you?”

Trying to regain even a modicum of self-control, Lani freed her hands and smoothed her hair. “I’ll sleep on it. If I see you before I leave, I’ll let you know.”