Tex Appeal (15 page)

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re
willing
to wait?”

“That’s what I said.”

Macy slid off her stool and fisted her hands on her hips. “And you assume that once you’ve got your man, you’ll take up where we left off two months ago?”

Cade raised his wineglass in a little toast. “Works for me.”

“Why you—of all the—” She opened her mouth, clamped it shut, then jabbed a finger in his direction and tried again. “Let me tell you—you—”

If looks could kill, Cade figured he’d at least be on the injured list, and since he didn’t want to end up wearing linguine, he wisely bit back a grin. How could he have forgotten how cute she looked when her temper was on a roll? Her cheeks had turned a rosy pink and her green eyes were practically shooting out sparks.

He watched with admiration as she drew in a breath and ruthlessly reined that temper in. Lifting her plate, she carried it to the sink and turned the water on. It was only as she flicked the switch on the disposal that he allowed himself a silent sigh of relief.

“You know,” she finally said in a much calmer voice, “it’s a wonder you don’t have back problems considering the size of that ego you carry around with you. Why don’t you go in the other room and play with the TV and the remote while I load the dishwasher?”

That would be the wise thing to do. It was actually what he intended to do right after he cleared the island. In his mother’s house, everyone helped clear the table.

When he set his plate and the two wineglasses next to the sink, a fork clattered to the floor. They nearly bumped heads when they squatted simultaneously to pick it up.

When she lifted her face, they were eye to eye. Close enough that he saw her eyes darken to the color of a river running fast, and he was on the verge of being swept away by the current. Her scent invaded his system as he dropped his gaze to her mouth. Desire snaked into his gut and curled tight. To hell with the ground rules. He had to have that mouth.

She moistened her lips. “We should…”

“Yeah. We should.”

Their lips met and immediately fused together. Heat speared up—Cade wasn’t sure if it came from him or her. All that was certain was that it spread with the speed and ferocity of a wildfire as their tongues tangled.

Her taste—wild and erotic—poured into him, shimmering through his blood like a drug. How had he managed to stay away for two months? He had to touch her. Fast and greedy, he ran his hands up and rested them against the sides of her breasts. She rose up on her knees and pressed herself more fully against him.

“More. More.”
The words came out on ragged, desperate breaths as teeth nipped and scraped and blood thundered. This time when they drew apart to drag in air, Macy said, “I told myself I wasn’t going to do this again.”

“Ditto,” Cade muttered. Then he went very still. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No. Don’t you dare.” She dragged his mouth back to hers and fisted her hands in that tawny, silky hair. Heat streamed through her. Need, raw and primitive, pummeled her. And all she could think of was she had to have even more.

Frantic now, they grappled with clothes. He tossed aside her T-shirt while she struggled with his. Once he was free, she ran her hands up his back, absorbing the taut hard ridges of muscle, that smooth damp skin. Her own skin trembled as he freed her mouth and began to work on the front closure of her bra. She feasted on the hollow at his throat.

With a groan, he rose, hauling her up with him and pressing her against the end of the island. He pulled at the snap of her jeans. “Every time I’m with you, I want this. I want you.”

“I know. It’s crazy.” She spoke the words against his mouth. “And fabulous.” His body was marvelous, but it was his taste that created the perfect aphrodisiac. She simply couldn’t get enough of the flavors. Here was the hunger, the desperation that was such a perfect match to her own. She felt herself drowning in sensation with no thought of coming up for air.

Macy nearly cried out when he drew back to hook his thumbs in the waistband of her jeans and shove them down her legs. Then suddenly, he went very still. “Ohhh…” The word came out as a whispered moan.

“What?”

Straightening, he rested his forehead against hers and drew in a ragged breath. “I need a minute here.”

Seconds ticked by, and there was only the sound of their breathing.

“You’re not wearing any underwear,” Cade finally managed.

“I didn’t get to the laundry this week.”

His laugh was wry and hoarse. “If I’d known, the linguine would have gotten very, very cold.”

He ran his hands down her bare skin in one possessive stroke, then dug his fingers into her hips, lifted her and settled her on the island countertop.

“Hurry,” she said.

“Need to touch you.” He ran his hands up her sides, rubbed the rough pads of his thumbs over her nipples.

She arched back, offering more, and he took. When his mouth closed over her breast, the pleasure was so sharp, her need so urgent that she cried out. Wrapping her legs around him, she ordered, “Now.”

Drawing back, he kept his eyes steady on hers as he moved his hands slowly down her sides and hips until those hard wide palms rested on her thighs. Very slowly he slipped his thumbs into the slickness of her folds and drew them down, tormenting, teasing, opening her. Then he withdrew his hands.

“Don’t.” The word burned her throat.

“Don’t what?”

But relief was already streaming through her as she saw that he was dealing with his jeans and a condom.

She tightened her legs around him. “Don’t stop.”

“This time I won’t.” He gripped her hips and his eyes stayed intent on hers as he slowly pushed into her. When he finally filled her and she surrounded him, both of them stilled for a moment.

Finally, he said, “Now,” and he leaned forward to take her mouth with his. As the kiss deepened, slowly, surely, they both began to move.

W
HEN THE
alarm rang, Macy sat straight up in bed, slapped the buzzer off, then stared at the time. Seven. As she struggled to orient herself, her first clear thought was that she’d overslept. She only used the alarm as a backup. Her inner clock always woke her up at six.

Then she smelled the coffee. When she spotted the tray with a mug and a thermal carafe on her bedside table, she remembered exactly why she’d overslept.

Cade Dillon. Just thinking about him had her heart taking a little bounce. Up—and then down. Not good. She poured herself a cup and took that first bracing swallow of caffeine. Then she sighed and ran her fingers lightly down the carafe. First he’d brought her linguine and now this.

The man was definitely trouble. The pillow beside hers still carried the imprint of his head, and the bedclothes looked as if they’d been tied in knots. Macy’s lips curved. Considering what they’d done to each other in bed last night, it wouldn’t surprise her if they were.

She drank more coffee. No regrets. She didn’t believe in them. Nor did she believe in lying to herself. Life was too short. Besides, how could she possibly regret last night when she knew that she wanted to repeat the experience?

Plan A—the be-professional strategy—had definitely bitten the dust. So…Macy considered while she tapped her fingers on the side of her mug. So what? Climbing out of bed, she headed for the shower. She was a practical woman, wasn’t she? She still had options. Twisting the faucets, she turned the water on full-blast. If there was one thing she’d learned in life, it was there was always a plan B. Whatever mistakes you made, whatever dreams of happy endings might be ruined, you could always pick yourself up and start over.

Hadn’t her whole life been a testimonial to that? A lot of people had walked away from her and she’d survived. Her dad had left when she was ten. Then her mother had remarried and moved east when Macy had started at UT. She’d been pretty much on her own since then.

Satisfied that the water was hot enough, she stepped in and turned her face up to the spray. The important thing would be to keep a handle on reality. She and Cade were two adults who were very focused on their careers. She poured shampoo into her hand then rubbed it into her hair. Twice now they’d been thrown together, and once Leonard was behind bars, they would each go their separate ways. End of story.

The mistake she’d made the first time around with Ranger Cade Dillon was in thinking that he was different from the two other men she’d become involved with. That had been stupid. Her problem was that she always expected too much. And by and large, people disappointed you.

After shutting the water off, she pulled on a terry robe and toweled off her hair. Her best strategy would be just to enjoy what she and Cade could have together—a very temporary and extremely satisfying affair.

And there she had it—a very viable plan B. While she dressed, Macy ignored the little band of pain that squeezed her heart a little tighter and turned her attention ruthlessly to the day ahead.

T
EN MINUTES
later, Macy paused just outside the archway to her kitchen. Alan and Cade were sitting at the counter while Alan scribbled away on a piece of paper. For a moment, she was struck by the differences in the two men.

The contrasts went far beyond the fact that Alan was gay and Cade wasn’t. As usual, the always meticulously groomed Alan looked as if he’d just stepped off the cover of a men’s fashion magazine. His hair was perfectly arranged, his tan, Macy knew, came from a bottle and boasted an SPF of 45. His brilliantly white shirt and tailored black jeans provided eye-catching drama. Alan worked at attracting attention.

Cade didn’t. That glorious mane of tawny hair looked as though he’d finger-combed it after his shower. And his tan hadn’t come from a salon or a bottle. So where had it come from? Two months ago, the man had seemed to be chained to his desk at Ranger headquarters. Obviously, he must do something outdoors on the weekends. She shifted her gaze to the denim shirt and jeans; both were faded from many washings.

Nope. Cade Dillon was not going to set a new trend in men’s fashion anytime soon. But he didn’t have to because of the rangy, toned body the clothes covered.

And it wasn’t merely clothes and grooming styles that made the two men so different. Alan was always in perpetual motion. When he talked, he gestured with his hands. And even now, when he was silent, he was tapping his pencil on the list whenever he wasn’t actually writing.

On the other hand, Cade looked perfectly relaxed, one elbow resting on the counter, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and his bare feet crossed at the ankles. Just looking at those feet had lust curling in her stomach. She wondered why it was that bare feet were so sexy on a man. Or perhaps it was just Cade’s bare feet that she found sexy. Whatever it was, her throat had gone as dry as dust. If Alan hadn’t been sitting there at the counter, she would have jumped Cade again.

Macy reminded herself to breathe. Good thing she’d decided to terminate plan A and go with plan B.

“This is her schedule for the next four days,” Alan said. “I’ve marked off the things like the marketing and some of the deliveries that I can do without her.”

Macy dragged her gaze away from Cade’s feet and narrowed her eyes.
Her schedule?

They stopped talking the moment she walked into the kitchen. That together with the guilty expressions on their faces told her a lot.

“What about my schedule?”

“Nate brought us breakfast,” Cade said. “Have a donut.”

“You shouldn’t encourage her deplorable eating habits,” Alan scolded. “I brought yogurt.”

“She stockpiles those in the refrigerator,” Cade commented. “From the size of the stash and the number that have passed their expiration dates, I’d say she doesn’t eat many of them.”

Alan sighed. “Hope springs eternal.”

“Okay.” Macy circled the island and poured herself another cup of coffee. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me as if I wasn’t in the room. And I want to know what you think you’re doing with my schedule. Because if you—”

“Sorry.” Cade waved the box of donuts under her nose. “Peace offering.”

Since she was not the kind of woman who cut off her nose to spite her face, Macy climbed up on a stool, inspected the contents and made her selection. Chocolate frosted were her favorites. “Thanks,” she said around a mouthful, “but no peace until you tell me what you were plotting behind my back.”

“Alan gave me a general outline of your schedule yesterday. I just asked him to write out the details,” Cade said easily. “It’s very regular. You visit the market three days a week at the same time and you go to the same stalls.”

Macy licked frosting off her thumb. “Fresh ingredients are the key to good cooking.”

“You prepare and take meals to the same three clients on Mondays and Thursdays. Then you have several other clients who want meals on the weekends.”

Macy set down the last quarter of her donut. “We often deliver two or three days of meals at a time. That way, nothing has to be frozen. And I’m not going to stop doing that. Plus, we’re adding five new clients.”

Cade raised a hand. “I’m not asking you to stop. It’s just that the regularity of your schedule makes life very easy for Elton Leonard to get to you. I’m betting that he’s memorized your routine and that he even knows what routes you take when you deliver these dinners. You’re making it easy for him. I want to make it hard.”

Macy felt a little skip of fear shoot up her spine. Last night and this morning she’d been so focused on Cade that she hadn’t given much thought to the billionaire bank robber who evidently wanted to put a period to her existence.

“I can do the marketing and deliver the meals by myself,” Alan said. “We probably should consider letting me take over some of that permanently now that we’re picking up more clients. You’re going to have to spend more time meal-planning and cooking.”

Macy deliberated while she polished off her donut. “I won’t give up the marketing altogether. And I want to stay in contact with our clients.”

“I agree.” Alan nodded. “But you can do that once a week and let me handle the other two days.”

She met his eyes. “I’ll consider it.” Then she turned to Cade. “What else have you decided?”

“Leonard has been keeping you under surveillance. If, as I suspect, he was the one who pushed you into the street last Friday, it’s very possible that he didn’t want to kill you—that day.”

Macy set down the second donut she’d selected without tasting it. “He just wanted to scare me?”

“That, too. But Elton Leonard likes attention. We’ve known ever since he became our prime suspect in the ‘Clyde’ bank robberies that he doesn’t do it for the money. He does it for the thrill of outsmarting the authorities. Even when he cut your brake lines, he couldn’t be sure that you would die.”

“So he’s toying with me?” Macy asked.

“No, I think he’s toying with me,” Cade said. Rising, he moved to the coffeemaker, brought the pot back to the island and refilled their cups. “I’ve been chasing him for a while now. Do you remember the movie,
The Thomas Crown Affair?
”

“The Pierce Brosnan or the Steve McQueen version?” Alan asked.

“Either one. Thomas Crown stole that painting to prove to everyone—the museum security, the insurance agent, the police—that he could outsmart them. I think Elton Leonard fancies himself another Thomas Crown. He needs to prove to everyone that he can rob banks and get away with it. And now that he’s decided to commit premeditated murder, he wants the police and me to know that he can get away with that too. He’s been sending me cryptic e-mails for two months. The one he sent last week said, ‘When push comes to shove…’ Yesterday’s said, ‘Buckle up.’”

“He’s taunting you by giving you hints of what he’s going to do,” Alan said.

“Exactly. But not enough of a hint that I can do anything.”

Macy’s hands had grown so cold that she wrapped them around the mug to warm them.

Cade reached over and closed his hand around her wrist. “He’s not going to get away with it. So far he’s been one step ahead of us, but that’s going to stop right now. I’m going to be with you 24/7. Leonard is a meticulous planner, so we’re going to change your routine a bit and try to throw him off stride. When you don’t go to the market and you don’t make the delivery tonight with Alan, he’ll have to improvise, and we hope he’ll make a mistake. That’s what we want.”

Macy swallowed hard. “You’re not making me feel any better.”

Cade squeezed her wrist. “Whenever you do go out, I’ll be with you, and Nate and another Ranger will be following you. We’re going to get him.”

For a moment, as she met Cade’s eyes, Macy let herself believe that. After all, Cade
was
a Texas Ranger.

“Well…” Alan cleared his throat as he rose. “If you two will excuse me, I’ll just get my list and do the marketing.”

Macy slid off her stool. “I haven’t printed it out yet.”

“While you’re doing that, I’ll check in with Nate,” Cade said.

The moment that the front door closed behind Cade, Alan joined Macy at her desk. “Tell me everything. When I got here, Ranger Hunk answered the door in his bare feet and told me you were still sleeping. You’re always up at least an hour before I get here. Plus, there was no evidence the couch had been slept on. I want details.”

“There aren’t a lot. I just decided to have another temporary affair with Cade.”

“Temporary?”

She tapped keys and the printer whirred. “Yes. I’ve decided that I’m a temporary kind of woman. Men find me very easy to say good-bye to. My big mistake in the past was that I’ve always hoped for more. This time I’m going to be satisfied with what I can have—a very enjoyable time with Cade.”

Alan studied her. “You’ve discussed this with him?”

“No, but I’m sure we’re on the same page. Once he gets Elton Leonard behind bars, we’ll both go our separate ways. End of story.” She handed him the printout.

Alan folded it and tucked it into the pocket of his jeans. “That’s what you want?”

She beamed a smile at him. “That’s exactly what I want.”

Saying nothing, Alan turned and walked away. But he turned back when he reached the doorway. “Liar.”