A Perfect Storm (36 page)

And where the hell had she gotten that swimsuit?

More than anything, he wanted to stuff her back into her discarded shorts and T-shirt and haul her off somewhere, out of view of the others. He did not want everyone else seeing her. Sure, he trusted the other men, otherwise he wouldn’t even consider working with them.

And he wouldn’t have allowed them to butt in on his relationship with her.

They wanted him to commit to her.

He knew Arizona deserved more.

But his arguments about her age, her past, had sounded as hollow to him as they had to Dare and Trace and Jackson. In fact, Jackson had stalked off in annoyance, and Trace had given him a pitying look before walking away.

Only Dare had remained, telling him what he already knew: that fighting his feelings was useless.

Spencer had dissuaded him the only way he knew how, by bringing up his deceased wife.

He’d no sooner said the words, than he wanted to see Arizona. He needed to hold her, to talk to her, to…what? Value what time he had left?

Shit.

Even knowing it was his bad mood driving him, he rocked the dock with his heavy footfalls. With silky menace, he asked, “Am I interrupting?”

Laughing, Chris stood and stretched with a complete lack of concern. “You guys have selective memory about my sexuality whenever you choose to play caveman.” He shook his head. “It’s pretty hilarious.” He turned, went to the end of the dock and jumped in.

Arizona chose to watch Chris instead of looking at Spencer. He stepped closer and only when his shadow fell over her, did she finally turn her face up to meet his gaze.

God Almighty, she looked like temptation. The bright sunlight glinted in eyes so blue, they matched the clear sky, emphasizing the contrast to her naturally darker skin. As he stared down at her, she pulled away the band that held back the mass of her long hair. It fell free around her shoulders.

It seemed impossible, but every minute around her made him want her more and in more ways. Physically, yes. He couldn’t look at her without getting a jones. But it was so much more than that.

So much more than he could handle in a crowd.

“The others will join us soon.” Spencer crouched down in front of her. Her gaze went to his bare chest, his abs, over his thighs. “I need to get in the water, honey.”

She licked her lips. “You don’t want to wait a bit?”

“I would have.” He eyed the swell of her breasts above the bra top. Could a woman be more stacked, more lush? He shook his head. “Seeing you in that suit changed things.”

She touched a hand to his chest hair. “Okay.” Concern about the swim kept her from commenting on his obvious interest. “I guess I’m ready.”

He knew he was. More than ready, in fact. Damn, but this wouldn’t be easy.

She was nervous enough without his lust, which, considering the setting and circumstances, was inappropriate in the extreme. Doing his best to keep his attention on her face and off her body, Spencer said, “How about I get in first, and you can climb down the ladder next to me?”

She lifted a hand to shield her eyes. “You’re going to dive in?”

Pausing, he tried to figure the direction of her thoughts, but he just didn’t know. He went with the truth. “Probably.”

Her small but proud shoulders squared. “Then I will, too.”

Before today, he might have tried to talk her around. Not anymore. With every minute, he better understood her. The will that drove her was the same will that had allowed her to survive. Her pride was important to her, so that made it important to him, as well.

Best to just get it over with.

Dread of something was often worse than the actuality. Once she was in the water, held close to him, she’d be fine. She would realize there was nothing to fear, not with him nearby.

She would trust him.

Without another word, Spencer nodded, then stood, went to the end of the dock and dove in. Chris floated on his back, probably to give them privacy; he paid no attention to Spencer.

Looking up at Arizona there on the edge of the dock, he waited.

At this time of the day, the sun backlit her body, showing off every shapely curve as she folded her shirt and shorts and put them on a bench. As if preparing for battle, she came to the edge of the dock and stood with her feet apart, her arms loose at her sides, her hair cascading down around her shoulders and over her breasts.

The black two-piece fit her to perfection, and kept his gaze riveted. He didn’t rush her, but neither could he take his eyes off her.

When she heard the others chatting as they walked down toward the dock, she firmed her mouth, took three quick, deep breaths—and made a clean dive into the lake.

* * *

“M
ESS
THIS
UP
, and I’ll kill you.”

Quin tamped down his defiance in favor of survival. Not for a second did he doubt the truth of those words. He’d seen evil, plenty of times.

This was something more. “She said she would be there tomorrow.”

“She better be.”

Knowing he’d done all he could, he licked his lips and tried to still the quaver in his voice. “Where is Joel?”

“Forget Joel. We don’t need him.”

Please, please don’t let Joel be gone for good.
“He won’t be back?”

“Maybe later, I don’t know.” He paced, saying almost as an afterthought, “You should be worried about your sister.”

That jolted him. “I am. Very worried.”

He smiled, and the smile turned into a laugh that quickly faded. He waved a hand. “She’s safe.”

That sounded like the truth; Quin prayed it was so. But he just didn’t know. From one second to the next, lies mixed with reality, and madness overshadowed sanity.

His stomach growled and cramped, and he pressed a fist to his guts.

“You’re hungry! Of course you are. It’s been forever since I’ve fed you.” Like he would a pet, he rubbed Quin’s head. “I’ve been so excited with the thought of getting Candy back. She ruined everything, you know? It was all part of her plan. She’s not like the others. She duped everyone. Probably even you, right?”

Knowing better than to disagree, Quin nodded—and he prayed for the food. He needed his strength to get through this.

His survival depended on it. His sister’s well-being depended on it.

Candy…well, she would hopefully fend for herself, because he had nothing more to give.

* * *

T
HE
SECOND
A
RIZONA
’
S
HEAD
cleared the water, Spencer drew her in close, their bodies touching at the waist, his legs moving to keep them afloat. “Okay?”

Water spiked her dark lashes and left her hair slicked back to show off high cheekbones. He could see the fear in her eyes and the resolve to ignore it.

She gave a jerky nod. “I’m fine.”

“You’re beautiful. And amazing.” He kissed her, soft and quick, feeling the chill in her full lips. “Sexy.” He kissed her again, lingering a little this time. “Incredible.” One more kiss, longer, deeper. “Hot…”

“You’re nuts.” She snickered while treading water, and her feet bumped against his.

Her laugh felt like the greatest gift ever given to him. “You really are okay?”

“I promise I won’t freak out and drown us both.”

“I’m glad.”

Voices carried as Jackson and Alani walked onto the dock. Trace dove in, followed by Priss. Molly sat on the end and let her feet dangle. Dare tossed in a float and then jumped in next to it.

“They actually think this is fun,” she whispered, and her fingers dug into his shoulders.

“Let’s go over this way.” Holding her waist with one hand, Spencer used his free arm and his legs to move them to the other side of the dock. It wasn’t really private, but it kept her from getting splashed.

Someone turned on a radio; conversation and laughter filled the air around them.

Once his feet touched bottom, Spencer stopped. He smoothed back her hair, brushed her cheekbone with his thumb. “Feel good?”

Surprised, Arizona nodded again. “It isn’t too bad.”

“No?”

“Not with you.” She draped her forearms over his shoulders, leaning into him. “Did the others…you know. Ask questions?”

He knew exactly what she meant. “They’re concerned for you, that’s all.”

Her nose touched his chest, and she nuzzled against him. “What did you tell them?”

“That you were the strongest woman I know.”

She gave a strangled laugh before she tipped back her head to smile at him. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. And that’s what I said.” Without really meaning to, he let his hand drop to her behind. “They’re not stupid, honey. More than most, they understand what you went through, and why some things will be difficult for you.”

“I guess.” She glanced over at Jackson when he did a cannonball into the water, making the women screech and Chris laugh. “That’s what they think? That it’s just…difficult?”

Actually, they’d recognized more than Arizona did herself. “Like me, they think you’re pretty amazing.” He kissed her temple. “I gather you impressed them with your ability.”

She shrugged. “Compared to them—”

“That’s not a fair way to judge, and you know it.” He waded farther to the side of the dock, opposite of the boathouse. The others couldn’t see them now, but they had no real privacy, not for what he wanted, what he needed. “They’re in a skill set unlike any I’ve ever seen.”

Arizona looked around at the quiet cove. “Know what I’m thinking?”

“I know what I’m thinking.” He softly kissed her neck, her shoulder. If he could distract her from her nervousness about the water, that’d have to be good enough.

“I’m thinking that you’ve helped me conquer a lot of stuff.”

If only that were true, maybe he wouldn’t feel so damn tortured now. He caught her face, and, after a hungry kiss, he leaned her back in his arms. God, he wished he’d been there with her when she’d needed him the most. But he couldn’t give himself too much credit. “You faced all the hardest battles alone—and that says a lot about you, Arizona.”

“Maybe.” Tightening her hold, she again tucked her face in close to his neck. “Some stuff, though…it’s harder.”

“I know, and I’m sorry I wasn’t out there with you.” He hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry that I walked off and left you alone.”

“Because Jackson played around and I panicked?” He felt her smile against his skin. “Not your doing, Spence. But, hey, thanks for covering for me with the caveman routine.”

No reason to explain that it wasn’t all feigned. Though he knew it was irrational, he didn’t like seeing other men touch her. “You liked that, did you?”

“Yeah, I kind of did.” She looked up at him, her gaze too serious, too solemn.

“We could work on that, you know.” Spencer breathed in the scent of her sun-warmed skin, felt the way her firm body aligned with his own, and he concentrated on not reacting physically. “With me getting on top of you, I mean.”

For a second or two, she looked incredibly sad—before she forced a smile. “Are you trying to dodge my turn at controlling you?”

Oh, hell. The water wasn’t cold enough to keep his erection at bay. With sizzling visuals in his mind, he looked at her mouth, leaned down—and icy water doused his head.

He glanced back.

Only a few feet away, Chris grinned at him. “Break it up, you two. This is a public area.”

Spencer bit off a groan. Beyond Chris was Jackson. Alani, floating on a raft, had joined them, as well.

Dare was climbing the ladder up the dock, where Molly waited for him.

“We’re going for a ride,” Priss announced from the boat. “Will you guys join us?”

He wanted to refuse, but Arizona whispered, “Finally we can get out of this stupid water.”

He had no real choice but to nod. “Sure, why not?” As he slogged through the water to the rock retaining wall, he whispered to Arizona, “But only if you wrap up in a towel or something.”

“All the women are in swimsuits,” she pointed out.

Spencer glanced around. True enough, and while the women were all physically different, they were each attractive—but they weren’t Arizona. They could have been buck naked, and still they wouldn’t affect him the way she did.

“Somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter.” Spencer snatched up a towel and bundled it around her. Chris mocked him with a grin, but Jackson gave him a salute as he did the same with Alani.

Dare and Trace ignored them as they helped their wives into the boat.

Soon, Spencer thought. Soon he’d get her back to his place, and then he’d show her just how different she was. And after that…he didn’t know.

Luckily he still had time to figure it out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

P
ARTICULAR
IN
HOW
he did things, he worked late to ensure he had everything prepared.

Curtains at the front windows hid the empty interior; Clever Candy wouldn’t know that “Harry’s Hocks” was abandoned until it was too late. She wouldn’t realize that it would be her temporary holding place, a place for her to adjust to her new circumstances.

He checked the restraints he’d fastened to a grommet screwed into the floor in the back room. With both feet planted, he tugged, pulled.

It held secure.

“Good. Very good.” He repositioned the mattress. She’d be able to recline comfortably even with her hands restrained. “Put clean bedding on that mattress.”

Quin did as told, tucking the soft white sheet around the flat, twin-size cot mattress.

“Pillow and blanket, too. All the comforts of home.” He laughed. “I know she likes whiskey. But what else?”

Quin shrugged tiredly. “Water? Cola?”

“We’ll get both. Keep them in a cooler with ice.”

“All right.”

“Go back outside now. Wait at the bench.” He paced the floor, peered out the window cautiously. “She is a very clever girl. Very clever.”

“You think she will come early?”

“To check us out? Definitely. The question is when.” He turned to Quin. “But you will play your part, and you will do nothing to alarm her.”

“Yes.”

“Talk to no one else. No one.”

“No.”

“Christ, your parroting is getting on my nerves. Go, then. Sleep out there if you want. I don’t care. But wait there until she comes.”

Quin looked toward the door. “It is dangerous?”

His eyes narrowed. “More dangerous if you mess this up. Do you understand me?”

“I understand.” And with that, Quin shuffled out, his feet dragging, his shoulders slumped.

Yes, it had been a long day filled with preparations. But he was far too excited to sleep. The men he’d hired would show up first thing in the morning, just in case she caused any problems.

In case she didn’t at first understand her good fortune.

After that…she’d be his. And nothing, no one, else would matter.

* * *

I
T
WAS
NEARING
MIDNIGHT
by the time they got home. Arizona had been too subdued, almost as if something had happened.

But what?

After the dip in the lake, she’d seemed to genuinely enjoy herself, especially during the boat ride. Like the ultimate free spirit, she’d turned her face into the wind, closed her eyes and relaxed.

Later she’d laughed as Jackson rode on a tube behind the boat, getting bounced over the wake and waves. And Chris had impressed them both with his slalom skills, cutting sharply over the wake as if born in the water.

Afterward, there’d been quiet conversation around a bonfire, with the night insects buzzing and the occasional splash of a fish in the water. A million stars had filled the sky, making the night magical.

During the visit, Arizona had insisted on taking several photos with her new camera. Before they left, she’d hugged each of the dogs, the cats, and then suffered through the human affection, too.

Jackson, especially, had held her overlong, talking quietly to her until Spencer wanted to flatten him.

Only when Chris had given him a laughing shove had he realized how he’d glared at them. Arizona, with her sullen silence, had given nothing away, so he could only guess what Jackson had discussed with her in such depth.

Something about her goodbyes bothered him. They had seemed too permanent, as if she didn’t plan to see any of them for a long time. In the normal course of things, she was not a huggy type of woman. Most times, she shrugged off emotion as if it made her uncomfortable.

On the ride home, they listened to the radio, both of them mellow from all the sun and fresh air. At times, he’d thought Arizona dozed. But then she’d sigh, or yawn, or stretch, and he knew she was lost in thought.

“Tired?” Spencer asked after parking his truck.

“Relaxed.” She smiled at him. “I feel almost as boneless as I do when you have sex with me.”

That left him mute with arousal.

Not Arizona. “Do you mind if I leave my gifts in your truck for now?”

So she was tired. “I could carry them in.”

She shook her head. “That’s okay.” Holding her sandals in her hand, she opened her door and got out. “It’s late. We can get them tomorrow.”

“All right.” And though his suspicions grew, he couldn’t put his finger on the reason why.

As they went up the walkway, she glanced at Marla’s place several times, and when Marla peeked out the window, Arizona lifted her hand in a wave.

Not a “gotcha” wave but more like a genuine greeting.

Marla dropped the curtain without reciprocating, and that made Arizona sigh. “She’s so hung up on you.”

“I don’t think so, but if she is, she’ll get over it.” Marla was not a woman to pine long for a man, and she wouldn’t waste her time on a lost cause.

Spencer was lost. So damn lost that he didn’t know if he was coming or going anymore—all because of Arizona.

He didn’t understand her. Nothing new in that, though. He could spend every day with her for the rest of his life, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever completely know her.

Finding that a disturbing thought, he unlocked the front door and stepped inside. He flipped on a light.

Dropping her shoes by the door, Arizona took one of his hands in both of hers and started backing toward the bedroom. “So, Spence. Are you going to keep me in suspense?”

He knew exactly what she meant, but she’d gone so long without asking, he decided to tease her. “About what?”

“Don’t make me force it out of you.” Once in his bedroom, she stepped up close and went on tiptoe to twine her arms around his neck. “Not when there are other things I’d rather be doing to your big gorgeous bod.”

So up front and honest in her desire; he’d accomplished that much, anyway. He liked it. He liked her.

Probably too much.

Was Dare right? Should he look at things from a different perspective?

Arizona bit his bottom lip. “Spill the beans, already. Are you joining up with the guys or not?”

He clasped her waist. “I told Trace I’d think about it, and I will.”

“Oh, come on.” She leaned in and took another soft bite, this time on his chest. “You know if you’re in or not.”

“And you care…why?” He liked her in this playful mood. But hell, he liked her when she was prickly and when she was obstinate, and when she blustered with bravado, too. “Because of the money?”

“Pffft. Get real.”

But he was half serious. On a bounty hunter’s pay, he lived a frugal lifestyle, not at all as posh as the others. Their homes were like vacation destinations. Dare had more than one boat, each probably costing twice what Spencer had paid for his truck when it was new. Jackson made enough that he wanted to give Arizona a house for her birthday.

They could all retire now and be set for life.

But Spencer knew they wouldn’t. In fact, they wanted to expand their enterprise—with him.

“You don’t like the idea of financial security?”

“Sure, I guess.” Grumbling, she left him to sit on the side of the bed. “But apparently, if Jackson gets his way, I’ll already be a homeowner and stuff. What else would I need?”

She wanted so little from life. Did it truly not matter to her at all? Hands on his hips, Spencer dropped his head. “I don’t know.”

“About their offer?” She studied him. “About what you’re going to do?”

“There’s a lot to consider.”

“I know.” She smoothed a hand over the blankets to keep from looking at him. “Like whether or not you want to be stuck that close to me, right?”

Ah, hell. What could he say to that? It definitely factored in—but as an incentive. A dangerous incentive.

At his hesitation, she went on, saying, “I mean, Jackson is all into claiming me as a little sis, and the other guys…they’ve sort of accepted me.”

“They’ve
totally
accepted you.” Spencer needed her to understand that and to believe it.

“Yeah.” She looked up at him. More sun colored her nose now, as well as her shoulders. “And the women…I think I scare them a little, and they pity me, but they’re nice enough.”

Spencer sat beside her. The bed dipped, and her hip pressed into his. “You’re wrong. They’re in awe of you, they told me so. They admire you, same as I do. And yes, they’re sorry for what happened to you, but they know it hasn’t slowed you down. If anything, it’s made you stronger.”

“Yeah, right.” She folded her hands between her knees and swung her bare feet. “So strong, I’m afraid of a lake.”

God, she’d become so precious to him, in such a short time. Spencer brought her chin around. “So strong that, afraid or not, you got in the water.”

“Only because you were there with me.”

That soft admission leveled him. He whispered back, “You’re so strong that it scares the hell out of me.”

“Why?”

Because he
had
to, he kissed her. Short and sweet and nowhere near satisfying. “I know there’s no reining you in, much as I’d like to.”

Looking far too serious, she said, “You realize that, do you?”

“I also realize that you’re not a woman to sit on the sidelines, and I’m doing my best to accept that.”

Breathing a little faster, she touched his chest. “I don’t mean to make things difficult.”

“I know.” Slowly, he went to his back on the bed. “Why don’t we put this conversation on hold for a while?”

Her beautiful blue eyes shone with a smile. “Got something else in mind, do you?”

“Definitely.” He stacked his arms behind his head and got comfortable. “You want your turn at controlling things? Well, I’m more than ready. I’m already hard thinking about it.”

“Yeah?” Luckily for him, she put aside the seriousness of their talk in favor of lust. “Well, all right, then.”

As she crawled up over him, resting full on him until she covered him as much as she could, Spencer breathed in the scent of her skin, her hair. With his nose near her neck, he said, “You smell so good.”

“I should probably shower.”

“No.” Hell, they’d been in the sun all day, in and out of the lake, wind-burned by the boat ride. “You smell earthy, and sexy, and it turns me on.”

She rubbed against him. “I love how you smell, too. So good, I could just eat you up.” She followed up those provocative words with a lot of openmouth kisses on his throat, down his chest.

Sitting up on his thighs, she said, “Off with the shirt.”

“All right.” Leaning up as much as he could, he reached back to snag a handful of the shirt, then jerked it over his head.

“There you go,” she whispered and spread her hands out over him, exploring his clenched abs, down over his hip bones…down to his erection.

Spencer bit off a groan.

As she moved off him, she ordered, “Lift your hips. I want to lose these shorts, too.” She looked at him, her gaze bright. “I want to be able to get to you.”

His chest expanded, his hands curled into tighter fists, and he raised his hips.

Having Arizona undress him was a unique pleasure. She rushed, rough in her urgency, and the second she had his shorts off, she stopped to stare.

It wasn’t easy, not when he wanted her so much, but this was her time, and he wouldn’t rob her of it. “You want to take off your clothes, too?”

“Sure, why not? Just remember to keep your hands to yourself, okay?”

Gently, watching her as she stripped, he whispered, “Whatever you say, baby.”

She went still, then grinned. “I like the sound of that.” After literally tossing her clothes away, Arizona asked, “Where do you keep the condoms?”

“Nightstand.” He was strung so tight, talking wasn’t easy. “We don’t need it yet, though.”

“I don’t want to have to fumble for it.” She set the box out, then turned back to him. “Open your legs a little.”

Damn. She’d taken right to this. Spencer opened his legs and immediately felt her hands coasting up his calves, then the insides of his thighs.

“You are so powerful.” She sat between his legs and leaned forward to explore his chest, down his ribs, his abs. “But you would never hurt me.”

“Never,” he reiterated.

“I know it. I mean, I
really
know it.” Her long hair teased over his skin when she kissed his throat, across his shoulders. “I think that’s why I can be with you. I mean, I trust Jackson, and still I freaked out today.”

God, he wanted to hold her. “I’m sorry—”

“Shh.” She licked his nipple, then took a soft love bite of his pec muscle. “I think, if it was you, I’d be okay. For whatever reason, you’re special.”