Hawk and the Cougar (6 page)

She blinked. “You’re married?”

“Was,” he said. “I told you, I’m not an asshole. We’re divorced.”

“Divorced? What woman would divorce you?” The words were out of her mouth before she realised it.

“I divorced her.” Hawk grinned. “But I like the way you think.”

Liz wasn’t sure whether to feel weariness or just plain curiosity. Curiosity won out. “Why did you divorce her?”

“Let’s just say I took fidelity more seriously than she did.”

This time, Liz couldn’t stop her mouth from falling open. “I don’t believe you.”

He lifted a brow. “Are you saying women are incapable of being unfaithful, or is it that men are incapable of being faithful?”

What woman in her right mind would look at another man with him around? How could she possibly have the energy? The glimpse Liz had got of his character said he was a good man, and his lovemaking… What had been wrong with his wife?

Liz gave him a soft smile. “I’m saying I’m sorry. Divorce is a terrible thing.”

“Sometimes it beats the alternative.”

The words were lighthearted, but Liz didn’t miss the hint of pain.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Me?”

“Emma’s father?”

Liz grimaced inwardly. Turnabout was fair play. “He left when she was three.”

Hawk frowned. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. He decided a wife and a child weren’t what he wanted.”

Disbelief crossed Hawk’s expression, then he snorted in disgust. “He discovered that a little too late. I’m sorry, Liz.”

She smiled. “Sounds like we’re both sorry.”

His mood didn’t lighten. “Maybe, but he had a daughter to consider. I can deal with the fallout of my mistake. Kids change everything.”

Her heart warmed. He would make a good father. When that time came, he would understand. “A mother doesn’t sleep with her daughter’s professor,” she said in a quiet voice.

A smile touched his mouth. “Dinner. That’s all I’m asking.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t take more,” he said with startling honesty. “Hell, look at you. What man would turn you down? But what I’m saying is, I’ll settle for dinner—tonight.”

“It won’t end there, and you know it.”

He studied her. “Sounds to me like it’s
you
who doesn’t think it can end there.”

Liz racked her brain for a response, but he saved her from the embarrassment of an answer he was sure to see straight through.

“Come on.” He started them toward the rise. “It’s getting dark. Let’s get back to town. I know this great place.” She started to argue, but he cut her off. “Don’t worry—it’s an overly crowded cantina on the west side. There isn’t a private corner in the place where I could get my hands between your legs.”

Butterflies leapt into a riotous dance inside her stomach at the memory of his hands between her legs, his mouth… How would she get through dinner without excusing herself to go to the ladies’ room, to relieve herself of the pressure building in her pussy?

Chapter Six

They crested the rise, and the instant before Hawk caught sight of the two flat tyres on the Land Cruiser he sensed something was wrong. Liz gasped, and he grasped her arm, bringing them to a stop.

Hawk cursed. How had he missed hearing a vehicle pull up to their cars after the kids had left? Easy. He’d been so focused on Liz that a Mack truck could have rumbled past and he would have missed it. He scanned the area. The Chevy sat parked twenty feet beyond the Cruiser. No other cars were within view of the old road or the desert beyond. It was unlikely anyone would be hiding around the cars, but who the hell knew what these crazy assholes would do?

He dropped to a squat and looked beneath the Land Cruiser, then across the open space to the truck. No one hid beneath the two vehicles—and the truck’s four tyres were okay. He didn’t like that. Whatever they’d done to the old Chevy wasn’t obvious, which probably meant the slashed tyres were an afterthought. An afterthought motivated by a reason he felt certain he wouldn’t like.

Hawk rose and started to tell Liz to stay put while he investigated, then realised, if anyone came up over the slope while he was at the cars, he couldn’t get to her before they did.

“Come on.” He started them forward. When they reached within twenty feet of the Toyota, Hawk stopped. “Wait here.”

“But—”

“Let me take a look.”

Her lips pursed, but she nodded.

“Don’t move,” he emphasised.

“I promise.”

He handed her the cooler he carried and silently cursed the worth of her promise and depth of his stupidity. After he’d delivered her safely home, he planned to find Vance Reid and beat the shit of him.

Hawk approached the Land Cruiser. He looked inside, found nothing, then went around the truck and looked inside the cab. As expected, empty. He finally motioned Liz forward, then strode back to her car, where he squatted beside the front tyre and ran his fingers along the gouge on the lower section of the rubber where it had been slashed with a knife.

Liz set the cooler on the ground and knelt beside him. “My God.” She touched the hole, her long, slim fingers pale against the dark rubber.

“Yeah.” Hawk rose and went back to his truck.

He opened the hood and scanned the engine. Nothing obvious was out of place. He knelt on one knee, braced a palm on the ground and looked under the car. A dark circle stained the desert floor beside the passenger-side tyre. He lowered himself onto his back and scooted under the truck near the stain. As suspected, fluid dripped from a cut brake line. Hawk grasped the fender, pulled himself out and stood.

“What do you think happened?” she asked.

He considered lying, but she wouldn’t be fooled by a sugar-coated answer. Only he didn’t have to tell her that her slashed tyres were a message concerning her. His only living family was his grandfather who lived on the reservation. Vance Reid didn’t have a big enough army to get to him, and Hawk’s friends could take care of themselves as well as he could. Hawk’s jaw tensed. He’d finally given Reid what he’d been after for the last three months; a way to get at him.

“They cut my brakes and slashed your tyres,” Hawk said.

“Your brakes?” she burst out.

“Did you bring a cell phone?” he asked.

“Sure. But there’s no service out here.”

“Let’s take a look.”

He followed her to the Land Cruiser. She opened the driver’s side back door, then swung to face him. “My purse is gone.”

Hawk nodded. “I would have been surprised if they’d left it.”

“You don’t have a cell phone?”

“I hate the things.”

She looked nonplussed. “You’re kidding.”

“I used to have one and couldn’t get a damn bit of work done on a dig.”

She glanced around. “Why do all this then leave? That doesn’t make sense.”

But it did. It made more sense than anything else they’d done so far.

* * * *

Panic rose like a tsunami.
Get a grip,
Liz mentally ordered. But the command didn’t stop the tremble that rocketed through her body. Hawk pulled her close and she allowed herself to relax against his solid body. The steady beat of his heart lulled her rampant pulse into a manageable rhythm as he stroked her hair. Tears threatened, but she bit down on her lip. The last thing he needed was a hysterical female. And she had no intention of giving Vance Reid the satisfaction of reducing her to a blubbering mass.

Liz wrapped her arms around Hawk and released a slow breath. A stirring against her abdomen confused her for a second before she realised the growing bulge would be a full-blown erection in seconds.

She straightened and looked up at him. “How can you…?”

He gave a half laugh. “It’s not difficult with you, sweetheart, but we’ll save it for later.” One hand slid around her neck, while the other held her tight. He pressed a chaste kiss against her forehead, then pulled back. “I’ll make this up to you when we get home.”

Her stomach flipped and she could only nod.

Hawk released her. “It’s fifteen miles back to 87, too far to walk on this old road at night.” He glanced east. “Even with a full moon on the way.” His gaze came back around and locked with hers. “You game for a night under the stars?”

Her heart did a double take, but to her surprise she read only concern in his eyes. That made her legs gel even more. A night under the stars with a Native American warrior who intended to protect her? Who was going to save her from him?

“What time will your students return tomorrow?” she asked.

“Katie will be here by nine a.m.”

“That’s not too bad,” Liz said. “Emma will be worried sick, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m sure Katie will have a phone.” She gave him a recriminating look.

He shrugged. “This’ll teach me.”

“What time is it?”

He glanced at his digital watch. “Seven-thirty.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and Katie will be early.”

He nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling she’d be a lot luckier if Katie were late.

“Where did you leave the cooler?” he asked. “We’ve got plenty of food and water left.”

“The other side of the car,” she replied in a voice that, thankfully, didn’t crack. She fetched the cooler then crossed to the truck, where Hawk was retrieving a sleeping bag and blue jean jacket from behind the seat.

“You really come prepared,” she said.

“The desert gets down in the forties this time of year. Without a coat and water you can be in trouble before you know it.” He paused and looked over his shoulder at her. “We’ll be all right.”

The knot in her stomach tightened when he pulled a rifle from behind the seat. Hawk shut the door and faced her.

“Were you expecting trouble?” she asked.

“I always keep a rifle on a dig. There’s not much danger with a big group like today, but I spend a lot of time on digs alone. Mountain lions can be aggressive.” He extended his hand in invitation. “The Toyota will be more comfortable than my truck. We can put the backseat down.”

She entwined her fingers in his and he led her towards the Land Cruiser. The casual clasp of his fingers, warm and sure, sent a frisson of awareness through her. Had it been so long that any touch from a man was so noticeable? She had to get a grip. It would be easy to get carried away with a middle-aged fantasy that ended up making a fool of her—and getting her
and
Emma hurt. Hawk had made it clear that he wanted her, but he was grown up enough to put aside his sexual advances. They had to get through this night and get safely home tomorrow.

Five minutes later, Hawk had the seat down and the sleeping bag spread out across the Toyota bed. He motioned Liz in, and she ignored the idea that he was watching her ass as she crawled inside.

“Why leave us here like this?” she asked as he closed the door behind him.

He scooted back to where she sat. “Another warning.”

He stretched out kitty-corner on the sleeping bag and pulled her against his chest. The moon that lifted over the orange tinged horizon joined forces with the scent of earth and unique masculine smell that was him, and her pussy tightened. The arm wrapped around her lay heavy across her waist. A quiver radiated through her stomach. Liz willed herself not to melt against the muscled expanse pressed close to her breast.

“This is low-key compared to last night’s warning,” she said, in a voice she prayed didn’t give away the desire that throbbed between her legs with every beat of her heart.

He was silent, and she was sure he could feel her nipples hardening against his chest. How long before he caught scent of the moisture dampening her panties? How long could she resist?

“I meant what I said. I’m not going to risk Emma’s relationship with you.”

“I won’t change my mind about being her advisor,” he said.

“What?” Liz shoved up onto an elbow so that they made eye contact in the dusky moonlight. “You’re going to be her advisor?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

Liz shook her head. And Emma wouldn’t. She would give up his support before hurting her. Liz hadn’t considered the possibility that Emma would find a professor willing to advise her so early in her education. Her throat tightened. Emma’s upset hadn’t just been teenage embarrassment. Had she already gone too far?

“This is too big for me to jeopardise,” she said.

“The only person who can jeopardise Emma is herself,” he said, “and that’s only if she doesn’t do the work. I can’t see her doing that.”

“When things end between you and I—”

“You’ve already made up your mind?” he cut in.

“You have to admit, the chances of a long-term relationship between us are slim.”

“I’ve seen worse odds.”

Liz nodded. “Maybe, but I’m not willing to gamble with my daughter’s future.”

He laughed. “You have nothing to say about it, sweetheart. It’s a done deal.”