Leather, Lace and Rock-n-Roll (12 page)

Rachel gave him a weak smile, squeezed the
coat tighter around her, and then glanced back at the area where
Hawke’s house had begun to take shape. Absolutely nothing had been
spared by the angry flames.

“Oh my God.”

Rachel flinched at the sound of Cameron’s
voice beside her. She tucked several pieces of hair behind her ear.
“At least it was just the frame.”

Cameron nodded. “Yeah, but still, who in
their right mind would do something like this?”

Rachel could only shrug.

“And how did they get in here?” Cameron
demanded.

Rachel paused to analyze Cameron’s comment.
An iron privacy fence surrounded the neighborhood. The only way in
was either through the front entrance and past a security officer
or over the top of the fence.

“I suppose they could’ve climbed over,”
Rachel mumbled.

“Maybe.”

Rachel stole a glance at Cameron, dressed in
a cute yellow sundress and matching sandals. She groaned and pulled
Rick’s coat closed.

Cameron tapped her on the shoulder. “Care to
explain why your jacket has Martinelli on the back?”

Rachel swallowed hard and opened the coat.
“When the dispatcher called me, I hurried over.”

Cameron giggled. “You forgot your shoes
too.”

Rachel looked down at the bedroom slippers on
her feet, the ones with yellow smiley faces all over them. She gave
Cameron a sideways grin. “I told you, I was in a hurry. I see you
took time to dress.”

Cameron grunted. “I didn’t have a choice. The
booming voice on the other end of my phone call told me to quote,
Get dressed and get the hell over here so you wouldn’t be alone,
end quote.”

Rachel bit her lip to stifle a giggle.
“Max?”

“The one and only. It’s probably only a
matter of seconds before he blows in here.”

Rachel glanced at the now scorched area.
“Surely they can clear this out tomorrow.”

“Um, Rachel.” Cameron waved a hand in front
of Rachel’s face. “Does Hawke know about you and Rick
Martinelli?”

“No, we didn’t discuss past relationships.”
She shrugged. “Besides, his list is longer than mine.”

“Yeah, but he’s not walking toward you with
one of his conquests, just yours.”

Still distracted by the ashy carnage in front
of her, Rachel didn’t bother to respond. Her relationship with Rick
was the furthest thing from her mind. Until Cameron spoke
again.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. August.”

Rachel moved her gaze to focus on the three
men who now stood next to her. Max appeared his business-as-usual
self. Rick shook his head at Cameron’s introduction. Hawke appeared
very interested in Cameron’s greeting.

He raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Mr. August?”

After a few awkward seconds of silence, Rick
cleared his throat. “That would be me.”

Instinct told Rachel she should explain
before the conversation took a dangerous U-turn, except just as she
opened her mouth, Max folded his arms across his chest and took
control of the conversation.

He turned to Cameron. “Does your mother know
you look at that stuff?”

Someone sucked in a short breath. Someone
else, most likely Rick, muffled a curse.

Cool as a cucumber, Cameron just grinned. “I
only read the articles.”

Rather than stop right there, Max poked
Cameron again. “Care to share what you’ve learned?”

Rachel placed both fingers to her temples.
“Stop! Please. Nobody reads anything like that.” She turned to
glare at Cameron. “At least I don’t think so. Rick volunteered to
pose for a fireman calendar.”

Obviously amused, Hawke grinned. “What about
the other eleven months?”

“My crew,” Rick mumbled.

Rachel gave an impatient huff and desperately
tried to redirect the conversation. Especially since Hawke now
stood beside her and she couldn’t help but picture him oiled and
glistening. “Max, what about the fire?”

“The investigator will call me tomorrow.
Everything’s still too hot to search.”

Although disappointed, Rachel already
suspected as much.

“Okay, then.” Cameron jingled her car keys.
“Since we’ve all discussed my reading preference and the fire is
out, I say we all call it a night. Besides, Rachel’s not dressed
for conversation.”

Rachel groaned. “Thanks, Cameron.”

Hawke’s eyes widened. “You’re not?”

“I left in a hurry.” Rachel folded her arms
across the front of Rick’s coat.

Max shook his head and followed Rick back
toward the fire engine.

“Want me to follow you home?” Cameron twirled
her keys around her fingers.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”

Cameron looked at Hawke then back at Rachel.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Come on,” Hawke said from beside her, “I’ll
walk you to your car.”

Rachel felt Hawke’s hand press against the
small of her back. Even through the heavy, thick coat, electric
shocks of desire ran the length of her body. She led him across the
cleared area planned for the house and into a clump of trees where
she’d parked her Mercedes.

Hawke stopped and looked around the grassy
area. “How’d you get in here?”

Rachel pointed at a thicket of trees opposite
them. “There’s a gate on the other side. Originally, I toyed with
the idea that this might make a good point for a private entrance.
Now I’m convinced.”

“You really thought this out, didn’t
you?”

“Apparently not.” The realization that
someone might have entered the property through this entrance
didn’t make her happy. “Why would someone do this? You have any
enemies?”

“Probably,” he said without hesitation, “but
maybe it’s not actually arson. The fire chief told Max this is the
first fire they’ve had in this addition.”

“Rick’s hardly ever wrong,” Rachel
mumbled.

Hawke leaned against the driver’s side door
and shot her that sexy smirk again. The one that made her think
naked. “You seem to have a lot of faith in Mr. August.”

Rachel entertained the thought of telling
Hawke about Rick, but then decided against it. She was too
distracted to explain. How could one man make her wiggle with just
a look? “We’ve been friends a long time.”

Her heartbeat gave a hard thump and she
braced herself for his interrogation, readily prepared to tell him
only what was necessary. Instead, he reached out, grasped the front
of her coat, and pulled her against him. Her heartbeat kicked up a
couple more notches.

“So, since you’re parked in the middle of
these trees, why don’t you slide out of this coat and I’ll return
it on my way back to the Suburban?”

Rachel opened her mouth, fully intent on
issuing a polite
thanks-but-no-thanks
, and then the finely
strung threads of her restraint snapped.

“I don’t have much on underneath,” she
whispered.

He raised a hand and caressed the side of her
face with his knuckles. “Show me.”

Empowered by his touch, Rachel knew she was a
goner. Suddenly, nothing mattered more than pleasing the man in
front of her. No more denial, no doubt, no regret.

She took a small step backward, her body
cursing the separation, and unbuttoned each button of the coat.
Once open, she shrugged each shoulder. The coat fell to the
grass.

She stood morbidly still, watching him scan
the length of her body now clad only in a white silk nightgown that
barely touched the tops of her knees. His eyes glowed like
fireflies in the darkness.

“C’mere, baby.”

Rachel returned to the circle of his arms and
thought she might possibly combust. Even the summer night breeze
that moved the silk against her torso couldn’t cool her. Braced
against her car in the moonlight with his shirt fully open this
time, Hawke posed as her own personal Adonis, poised for her touch.
She rested her hands against the corded muscles of his chest and
hoped that touching him would take the edge off her desire.

Her breath hitched when he ran his palm under
the edge of her nightgown and up her bare left thigh until he
rested his hand at one hip.

“If I would’ve known you’d come dressed like
this, I’d have started a fire days ago.”

His familiar rasp started a needy ache
between her legs. God, his voice did things to her. His fingers
began a circular motion on her abdomen. Butterflies danced under
her skin.

Rachel couldn’t even put two words together
to formulate some sort of response, all too aware that his touch
made her very, very stupid for the moment. Then his lips touched
the sensitive skin of her neck and all conversation escaped her.
She released a groan and pressed herself tighter against him.

The hard length of him stretched against her
stomach and suddenly she couldn’t get close enough.

She moved her hands from his chest, feeling
her way down his abdomen and across the carved indentions of his
obliques. Desperate to feel what she already knew to be pure
temptation, she tucked her fingers into the top of his jeans,
making sure to press herself against his thighs as she grazed the
tender skin beneath.

Hawke released a muffled curse and reached
between them to pop the top button of his pants as he nipped the
top of her shoulder. Rachel let a smile split her lips, encouraged
by his obvious desperation. She pushed his hand to the side and
moved hers inside his pants to squeeze the bulge between his legs.
He groaned and thrust his hips into her touch.

His reaction set her body ablaze and her
breathing became labored.

“Hawke,” she panted, “touch me.”

He lifted his lips from the top of her
shoulder and moved them to the tender skin behind her ear. “Tell me
where, sweetheart.”

His lips continued their assault on the
pleasure point behind her ear and she stood, melting like a stick
of butter, attempting to decide which body part he should touch. A
decision she couldn’t possibly make at this particular moment.

“Somewhere,” she said over a sigh.

He gave a low, husky laugh and moved his
hands from her midsection to slide each spaghetti strap of her gown
down each shoulder until he exposed the tops of her breasts. Hawke
placed a soft kiss on her lips, cupped a breast in each hand, and
then licked over the swollen rise of flesh. Rachel gasped, pressed
herself further into his touch, and tightened her hold on his
shaft. Determined to make him as crazy as she, Rachel stroked the
length from top to bottom and back again.

A low, feral growl left his lips and he
released her long enough to unwrap her fingers. “Easy, honey.”

He placed her hands back against his chest
and then eased the silk from her breasts until her nipples stood at
attention, begging for his touch.

“Beautiful,” he moaned.

Rachel gasped when he bent and took one
nipple in his mouth. Pure brazen wanton desire took control of her
body as his tongue swirled over the tender flesh. She began to
tingle between her legs. She wound her fingers through his hair and
urged him to take more of her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears
and her head spun until she thought she’d leave the ground. And
then the tingling turned into vibration.

Rachel couldn’t have stopped if her life
depended on it. Her body and the song it now sang belonged to
Hawke.

He placed a tender kiss on the peak of one
nipple then took the other between his lips. The vibration now
became a full-fledged hum and all she could do was hold on. Several
short whimpers left her lips and she tightened her hold on his
hair. Fireworks exploded behind her eyelids and she struggled to
breathe.

Hawke raised his head and gave her a very
heated, testosterone-injected smile. “Did you just …?”

Much too satisfied to deny her reaction, she
released a contented sigh. “Oh yes I did.”

Before he could answer, the sound of someone
clearing their throat broke the tender moment. Rachel’s eyes
widened and time stood still. She glanced down at her now naked,
extremely sensitive breasts and then back up at Hawke.

Hawke pulled her flush against him. “I’ll be
right there, Max.”

Rachel released a whoosh of air from her
lungs. Only Max. This time. Still somewhat hidden in the shadow of
Hawke’s body, she replaced the straps of her nightgown on her
shoulders and eased her breasts back inside the silk.

“You know,” she said into the stillness,
“only ten percent of women ever experience that particular
sensation. You’re very talented.”

Hawke laughed softly and planted a kiss in
the valley of her cleavage. “Come to the hotel with me,” he said
against her heated skin.

For the first time in a very long time,
Rachel wanted to kick caution in the teeth. Her body screamed for
her to agree. Her heart assured her it was safe with Hawke. And
then the mad scientist in her brain took control.

“Not this time,” she whispered.

Hawke lifted his head. “No?”

She shook her head and struggled for the
right words. “I’m just not ready.”

His lips twitched. “I’m pretty sure you’re
more than ready.”

Rachel gave a half laugh. “Yes, well, I think
we both know that’s true, but I’m not sure spending the night with
you is a good idea.”

He placed one hand on her hip and gently
tapped her temple with his free hand. “Whatever you’re fighting in
there is extremely annoying.”

“Tell me about it,” she mumbled.

“Okay, so if you won’t put me out of my
misery tonight, will you at least let me take you to the hospital
gala?”

Rachel frowned. “How do you know about
that?”

“I have a ticket.”

“How do you know I do?”

He cocked his head to one side but didn’t
answer.

“Max,” she murmured.

Hawke drew her into his arms and kissed her
forehead. “Say yes, Rachel.”

She gave him a gentle smile and traced the
edge of his jaw with her index finger. “Yes.”