Tex Appeal (18 page)

“Please what?”

This time she felt his breath right at her core. The blast of pleasure that shot through her was so intense she was sure it must have liquefied the chocolate tattoo. His tongue pierced her then, and the instant contraction of her inner muscles told her that her climax was close.

Then suddenly, he withdrew. “I forgot about the rules for a minute. I’m supposed to remove the whole tattoo first, right?”

“Forget the rules.”

As if that was all that he was waiting for, Cade rose. She heard him zip down his jeans and the tearing of the wrapper on the condom. Then he was stretching her and filling her at last.

And she was so hot, so tight, so ready for him that Cade very nearly came on that first thrust. She was close too. He could tell by the way she pulsed around him. He gripped her hips to hold her perfectly still, intending to keep them both right there teetering on the brink.

“Now, Cade—right now.”

His body betrayed him, moving of its own accord, thrusting in and pulling out. Each time he seemed to thrust deeper; each time she gripped him more tightly, making it harder for him to withdraw. Even when he did, he knew that he was leaving parts of himself behind.

The moment that he felt the first ripple of her climax, his own slammed into him with a force that made his vision gray. All he could do was to cry out her name as he thrust into her one last time and shattered.

C
ADE READ
the new e-mail message for the third time: Now you see her…

Now you don’t. The rage and frustration he was feeling was exactly what Leonard wanted, so he willed the emotions away. A cool head was essential if he was going to protect Macy. Checking, Cade saw the message had been sent at 8:00 a.m.; he and Macy had been out riding.

Just as they’d gotten back, Nate had arrived with Alan, and Cade had escaped to his office to go over the report Nate had brought. His hunch that Leonard might be working at the TV station hadn’t panned out. All current employees had been there for at least ten months. The other possibility was that Leonard had an informant—someone on the inside who was feeding him information.

And that someone would be working as part of the crew today. Cade was betting on it.

“Earth to Cade Dillon.”

Cade swiveled his chair around to see Nate standing in the doorway.

“I brought you coffee and company,” Nate said as he entered the room.

“I thought you were on kitchen duty.” After taking the mug, Cade stretched out his legs.

“It’s getting crowded. First Dix arrived. I didn’t think that old geezer ever left the stables.”

Cade studied the drawing. The street was the obvious spot, but one thing Cade was pretty sure of—Leonard wouldn’t go for the obvious. And that wasn’t the only problem. “Even with a diversion, I can’t figure out how he’ll get near enough to snatch her.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

As he continued to study the sketch, Cade wished he felt as confident as Nate sounded.

S
HE WAS
a natural in front of the cameras. Cade stood in the archway to his kitchen, flanked by his mother on one side and his two sisters on the other. Nate and Alan stood on either side of Macy, just out of camera range. Cal stood on the other side of the island behind the lights, keeping his eyes on the crew.

Everyone had their attention totally focused on Macy. There was a natural and engaging energy about the way she talked and smiled at the camera that drew people in.

Since the cameras had started rolling, she hadn’t once given any indication that her life was in danger.

“She’s amazing,” his mother said in a low tone.

Cade couldn’t have agreed more.

Macy looked right into the camera and held up three fingers. “To grill a perfect steak, first you need to preheat the grill until it’s smokin’ hot. Number two, place the meat on the surface.”

A cameraman moved in for a close up as she set two steaks on the grill. Steam rose and a sizzling sound filled the kitchen.

“Step number three—don’t touch the steaks until it’s time to turn them. Four minutes on each side for medium rare, six for medium, and eight if you like your steaks to taste like shoe leather.”

Someone on the crew chuckled.

She winked into the camera. “If you’re tempted to touch them, find something else to do with your hands until it’s time to turn them.”

The premise behind her sexy Valentine’s Day Supper was to create an easy to prepare menu to make with your lover. Her suggestion that to add a little extra “heat” to the meal, the chefs might try working in nothing but their aprons had the whole crew breaking into laughter.

“I like her,” his mother whispered.

“So do I.”

“I invited her for dinner next Sunday.”

Surprised, Cade shifted his gaze to his mother. “Did she agree to come?”

“She did.” She grinned at him. “When I didn’t take no for an answer. You can come too if you’re free.”

Sunday, Cade thought. He had to make sure that Macy was still here on Sunday. What in hell was he missing? What was Elton Leonard’s master plan?

And why the e-mails?

Because Leonard wanted him on the scene? Over the last two months, it had become personal—did Leonard want to prove that he could eliminate Macy right under Cade’s nose?

In front of him, Macy plated the steaks. But he no longer saw what she was doing. Instead, he was picturing the sketch that Nate had made of the prize-winner’s house. Now you see her…How was he going to make Macy disappear in front of a camera crew? Even with a diversion, how would Leonard get close enough to Macy? Cade was confident that Leonard wouldn’t let an accomplice handle it. The man had too big an ego. Always before he’d had the advantage of working on the inside, but he wasn’t working at the TV station. So how could he…?

Suddenly, Cade had a very good idea of just how Elton Leonard was going to get to Macy. After signaling Nate to follow, he strode back to his office.

Once they were both inside, he said, “Here’s how I think it’s going to go down.”

“S
MILE
into the camera, Macy.”

As Macy followed Danny’s direction, she once more searched for Cade beyond the lights. He’d left before they’d finished shooting at the ranch. Nate had assured her that he would be on site for the prize presentation. Cade had just gone on ahead to check everything out.

But for the life of her she couldn’t spot Cade anywhere in the group that had gathered on the front lawn of the Killian residence. And she missed him. Of course, that was ridiculous. But there was no other explanation for the ache deep inside of her. It wasn’t because she was afraid. In spite of the fact that Nate and Cade were both convinced that Leonard was going to make his move any minute, she was being well-guarded. Alan stood five feet to her right, and Nate was only a few feet further away to her left. Two other Rangers were mingling with the crew.

If Leonard did succeed in snatching her, Nate had put a wire on her so that she could let them know where she was. Macy was trying very hard not to think about that particular scenario.

“Ready, Mr. Killian?” Danny asked.

Please say yes, Macy prayed.

“Yes, sir,” Barry Killian drawled in a deep, gravelly voice. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“One minute.” The makeup woman raced up the porch steps to pat Macy’s nose.

Macy bit back a sigh. She wanted it over. They’d been here for half an hour already, setting up the shot. In spite of the fact that Danny had walked them through it three times, the grand-prize-winner, Barry Killian, was still a bit nervous.

Barry was a Johnny Cash wannabe. He wore all black from head to toe—jeans, shirt, cowboy boots. Even the Stetson and the sunglasses were black.

“Places,” Danny called out.

“Hope I remember what to say,” Barry said.

“You’ll be fine.” Macy shot him a glance. He even sounded like Johnny Cash. But he had a slighter frame and he wasn’t as tall, not even in the cowboy boots and Stetson.

“Mr. Killian, you go back inside the house now and wait for Macy’s knock,” Danny said. As soon as Barry closed the door, Danny said, “Ready in five.”

Macy took a deep breath.

“One…two…three…”

If Cade was right, Leonard would make his move any minute now. But she couldn’t think about that.

“Four…five.”

Pushing everything else out of her mind, Macy beamed her best smile at the camera. “The grand-prize-winner of our Valentine’s Day contest is Barry Killian. I’m about to present him with a very Sexy Supper which he tells me he will be enjoying at midnight so that he can welcome in Valentine’s Day with a very special guest. And you all can join him because this Sexy Supper is one that you can very easily assemble and prepare at home.” She lifted the basket. “You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to make steak and salad and open a bottle of wine. If you tune in tomorrow to
News at Noon,
I’ll show you just how easy it is to prepare. The most complicated part of the menu is the chocolate tattoos.” She winked into the camera. “And there’s really no way to make a mistake with them.”

“T
HEY’VE
started filming.” Nate’s voice came in loud and clear over the small receiver in Cade’s ear. “Too bad you’re missing it. You wouldn’t think Macy had anything on her mind other than charming her TV viewers. She’s got a very cool head.”

She was going to need it, Cade thought. From his position in a large tree just behind Killian’s privacy fence, he couldn’t see the front yard. But if Leonard succeeded in snatching Macy, Cade was banking on the fact that the man wouldn’t choose the front of the house as his exit route.

Earlier, when he’d checked out the neighboring houses, he’d found what he suspected would be Leonard’s means of escape—a motorcycle that was currently parked behind the next-door neighbor’s garage.

But he could be wrong. There could be some angle that he hadn’t considered. In his mind, Cade reviewed the scenario that he was betting Leonard would use. If he was right, Leonard would pull her into the house away from the crew surrounding her in the front yard. He might even be inside the house now just waiting to make his move.

He hoped it wouldn’t go that far. There was a very good chance that Nate and the two other Rangers who were stationed out front would get Leonard before he could fully implement his plan. But if the man did get his hands on her, Cade was banking on him making his escape through the back or the side doors which would give him easy access to the motorcycle.

“She’s finished the intro,” Nate said. “She’s moving toward the front—”

Nate’s last word was blocked by a series of loud explosions. For one endless moment, Cade thought it might be gunshots. Had Leonard shot her? Could he have been that wrong?

It took every ounce of will power he had not to jump from the tree and race into the front yard. That was exactly what Leonard would bank on. If Cade’s theory was right, it would be during the mayhem that he would snatch Macy.

Nate coughed in his ear.

“Nate? What’s going on?” But Cade could already see black smoke rising over the roof of the house and billowing skyward.

“Smoke bombs,” Nate managed between coughs. “Went off like a…string of firecrackers.”

More coughing. “Two went off on the porch. I can’t…see…Macy.”

Cade pushed down on the fear that threatened to erupt. Leonard was making his move right now. But he wouldn’t hurt her. Cade was banking on the theory that Leonard would hedge his bets and use Macy as insurance until he was clear of the area.

As more smoke billowed skyward, Cade prayed that he was right.

W
HEN THE
string of explosions went off, someone—a woman—screamed. Macy couldn’t see who it was because black smoke billowed everywhere. Tears burned her eyes. She couldn’t even spot Alan or Nate.

“Cut. Stop the filming,” Danny shouted.

“Macy?”

She recognized Alan’s voice but when she opened her mouth to reply, all that came out was a cough. Then a hand closed around her wrist and yanked hard. She stumbled over the threshold as she was pulled into the house. Panic bubbled up as the door closed behind her.

“Are you all right?”

Macy recognized Barry Killian’s drawl even before she blinked the stinging tears out of her eyes. “Yes.” Relieved, she drew in a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

“C’mon.” Barry took her arm. “We have to get out of here.”

“No, I’m sure they’ll have it all under control in a minute.” She didn’t want to get very far away from Alan and Nate.

Barry tightened his grip on her upper arm and dragged her down a short hallway.

“Wait, you don’t understand—” She broke off because suddenly she
did
understand. She had to let Cade know. “You’re not going to get away with this, Mr. Leonard.”

He stopped and turned to face her. Then he removed the dark sunglasses and tipped up the Stetson. What she saw in his eyes had her backing up. This time when he spoke, there was no trace of the drawl. “Oh, but I will get away with it. You think you’re so smart—you and that Ranger. But I’m smarter. I will never go to jail.”

His soft confident tone contrasted sharply with the fever she saw in his eyes, and a sliver of icy panic shot up her spine. She couldn’t afford to give in to it. Cade was listening. He would know what to do.

He pulled her into the living room. “Once you’re out of the picture, the D.A. will have to make a public apology to me in the
Austin Herald
and drop the charges.”

“Cade Dillon will stop you.”

He laughed, and the sound chilled her to the bone. “Ranger Dillon is no match for me. The men he assigned to protect you are stumbling around in that smoke like the Three Stooges.”

They were moving fast now. Too fast. She had to think. If she could keep him talking, maybe she could rattle him.

“Why didn’t you just finish me off last Friday when you shoved me into the street?”

“That would have been too easy. And I wanted Ranger Dillon on the scene. You should have seen his face when your car went out of control in that intersection. I wish I’d thought to snap a picture.”

Another burst of panic shot through her. He’d been watching. The man had to be mad. She forced herself to take a deep breath. Talk. Just keep him talking. “Where’s the real Barry Killian? Have you hurt him?”

“No. In here.” Leonard shoved her into a small, glass-walled sunroom and took a moment to scan the yard through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Macy let her gaze follow his. There was no sign of Cade. But she had to believe that he was out there somewhere. “Who set off the explosions for you?”

“I have a friend who works at the TV station.”

So Cade had been right about that. Leonard started to move again, pulling her with him. Somehow she had to slow him down. Five feet short of a louvered glass door, she stumbled.

He pulled out a gun and poked it into her ribs. “Do that again, and I’ll shoot you on the spot.”

Macy swallowed hard and willed the fear away.

“Open the door.”

Her hand was shaking so badly that she didn’t have to fake fumbling with the latch. What if Cade was waiting at the back door? “Why are we using the side door?”

“Hurry.” Leonard poked the muzzle of the gun into her ribs again.

She closed her hand over the knob and twisted it, taking as much time as she dared. The door swung open easily and they stepped onto flagstones. The yard was narrow and there was no place for Cade to hide.

The shouts from the front yard were louder now and in the distance, she heard a siren. They were headed toward a door in the tall privacy fence.
Stall.
That’s what she had to do. “You can still give yourself up.”

“Open the fence door.”

Her palm was so damp that it nearly slid right off the handle. “If you go out this way, the neighbors could see you.”

“All they’ll see is Barry Killian. I’m wearing his clothes, and this Stetson is covering my face. Open the door, Macy.”

Cade would be on the other side. She had to believe that. Gripping the door handle, she pulled it down slowly then pushed. The opening was narrow. They’d have to go through it in single file. Leonard tightened his grip on her arm, and for the first time, he shifted the gun away from her ribs. “Easy now. On the long shot that Ranger Dillon is waiting on the other side, convince him to back off or I’ll shoot him first.”

Macy fought off the fear that threatened to paralyze her and stepped through the opening. She glimpsed Cade out of the corner of her eye one instant before his fist shot out and smashed into Elton Leonard’s face. The gun went off. The explosion nearly deafened her, and pain sang through her body as she hit the ground and Elton Leonard landed on top of her.

“Macy? Are you all right?”

She tried to answer but there was no breath left in her lungs.

Cade hauled Leonard off of her, snapped cuffs on his wrists, dropped him back on the ground, then knelt beside Macy. “You’re all right? He didn’t shoot you?”

She gulped in air. “No. I’m fine. He wanted to shoot you. Is he…?”

“He’s out cold. Too bad the man has a glass jaw. I would have liked to hit him a few more times.” Cade pulled her to her feet and gathered her close. “You’re sure you’re all right?”

She was now. Wrapping her arms around him, Macy simply held on. It was only then, when her cheek was pressed against his chest that she noticed the blood on his arm. “You’re not all right. He shot you.”

“It’s only a scratch.”

She drew back. “It’s a gunshot wound. I’ll go get help.”

He tightened his arms around her. “It’s just a graze.

“Someone should take a look at it.”

He pressed her head back against his chest. “Later. Right now I need to hold you.”

She needed to hold him too—it was what she’d been wanting all day. This sweetness, this warmth. “I did my best to slow him down.”

He brushed a hand over her hair. “I know. You did fine.”

He went on talking to her and stroking her hair and Macy wished that the moment could last forever. With a sinking heart, she realized that she’d done what she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do. She’d fallen in love with Cade Dillon all over again.

They were still standing there holding each other when Nate appeared in the fence opening.

“Looks like I missed all the fun.”

“Did you get his accomplice?” Cade asked.

“Sure did,” Nate drawled. “It was that pretty little makeup girl. She still had quite a supply of smoke bombs and explosives in her kit. Pity. I was thinking of asking her out.”

“Y
OU SHOULD
be sharing a bottle of celebratory champagne with Ranger Hunk instead of talking to me on the phone,” Alan said.

With her cell pressed to her ear, Macy paced back and forth in Cade’s bedroom. Though she would never admit it to Alan, he was probably right. She should be feeling relieved. Happy. Elton Leonard was behind bars. And now that he was charged with home invasion, attempted kidnapping and shooting a Texas Ranger in addition to bank robbery and murder, there was no way that his team of lawyers was going to get him out on bail again.

“Let me count your blessings for you,” Alan said. “Number one, ‘Clyde’ is behind bars. Number two, I fielded a phone call from Kate Sinclair, and she says that the number of contest entries after your first TV show went far beyond expectations, and subscriptions for the
Austin Herald
have increased a full five percent. The corporate office of DITH in Houston is very pleased. They want you to write a weekly column on cooking. Three, Director Danny says that the producers of
News at Noon
are interested in having you continue the cooking segments. Their ratings have gone up since they started featuring you. You’re going to be a TV chef. I tell you, everything’s coming up roses!”

“I know.”

“Last but not least—Ranger Hunk took you home with him. I see that as a good sign.”

Was it? That was the question that had her pacing in Cade’s room. “He’s a kind and generous man, and my house won’t be habitable for a couple of weeks.”

“Kind my foot. He wants you in his house. It’s a basic male instinct that can be traced back to our cavemen ancestors. FYI—when I told him you could stay with Martin and me, he refused the offer.”

“Because we have to talk.” Macy sank down on the edge of the bed. That’s why her stomach was tied in knots. That’s why she’d called Alan. She was avoiding the talk. She was afraid of what Cade would say. “He told me that once Leonard was behind bars, he reserved the right to renegotiate our ground rules.”

“I assume you’re talking about the we’ll-have-a-fling-and-go-our-separate-ways ground rules?”

“Yes.”

“And ditching that would be a problem because?”

“I…don’t want any ground rules.” As the realization struck her, every knot in her stomach tightened. “I just want him.”

“Finally! She admits it. Picture me doing a happy dance.”

“What if he wants out or he’s happy with the status quo?”

“Here’s Dr. Alan’s advice. Tell the poor chump what you want and put him out of his misery. Cheerio.”

Macy turned off her cell, wishing that she was half as confident as Alan was. Cade wanted her. That much she knew. She was almost positive that he wasn’t going to walk away from her again. At least not yet.

Her biggest fear was that he’d want to extend their current ground rules and just continue to enjoy each other until what they were feeling faded.
Then
they’d go their separate ways. No harm. No foul. Fisting one hand, she rubbed at the little ache right under her heart. She wasn’t sure that she could agree to those rules.

She thought about what she’d felt when Cade had simply been holding her earlier—that sweet and steady warmth. That feeling of belonging to someone. She’d wanted that moment to go on and on.

Once Nate had arrived on the scene, Cade had gotten back to work. They’d found the real Barry Killian tied up in the closet of his bedroom. The man had been a terrific sport about the whole thing. He’d not only agreed to testify against Elton Leonard, but he’d even agreed to finish filming the TV segment, although at a later date. Afterward, he’d taken her aside and told her that he’d invited a special lady friend over for Valentine’s Day, and he had very specific plans for those chocolate tattoos.

On the ride back to the ranch, Cade had spent most of his time on his cell, tying up loose ends. When they’d arrived, he’d sent her up to shower and change, claiming that he had a few more things to see to. She’d welcomed the reprieve, but one glance at her watch told her it had come to an end. It was close to midnight.

“Macy?”

Her time was definitely up.

“Why don’t you come down?”

It wasn’t until she reached the top of the stairs that she heard the music. Martina McBride’s “Do It Anyway.” In the foyer, she caught the scent of food. Steaks? No. Cade couldn’t be cooking—at least not anything edible. It had to be the lingering scent of the meal she’d prepared in front of the cameras that morning. But as she entered the kitchen, she spotted two tapers burning on the island.

Then she saw two steaks resting on a platter and a salad in a glass bowl. Cade was pouring wine into two flutes. Her heart went into a freefall even as her throat filled with tears.

C
ADE’S
eyes narrowed as Macy stepped fully into the candlelight. He couldn’t quite read her expression, but it didn’t look happy. The nerves in his stomach were already stretched as tight as the strings on a fiddle.

“Champagne?” He held out a flute.

She took the glass but didn’t drink. “You cooked for me. How—?”

This close she looked so pale. He’d wanted to surprise her, not send her into shock. “It’s just the Sexy Supper. You said anyone could do it.” No way in hell was he going to admit that he’d spent the last half hour sweating bullets as he reran all of her instructions over and over in his mind.

Now she was looking at the steaks as if she expected one of them to jump off the platter and bite her.

“Where did you get the food? We left the prize with Barry. You didn’t have time to shop.”

“My mother. I called her on my cell and she had everything waiting here in the refrigerator when we got back.”

“But why?”

The questions were beginning to tick him off. “Why do you think?” He glanced at his watch. “In fifteen minutes it will be Valentine’s Day. It occurred to me when I finally got you away from that homicidal mental case today that I’d never given you any romance. We’ve never even gone out on a date. So I—” His sentence trailed off abruptly when tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Damn it.” He circled the counter, sat down on one of the stools and pulled her onto his lap. “What did I do wrong? You didn’t mention on your show that the Sexy Supper was going to have this effect. Shouldn’t there be some kind of warning label?” With his thumbs he gently rubbed away the tears.

“Sorry.” She attempted a smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. No one has ever cooked for me before.”

“Well, this reaction is enough to make me think twice before I do it again.”

Her gurgle of laughter eased some of his tension. Not all. He tilted her chin up and studied her face. “That’s not the only thing that’s bothering you. What is it?”

She swallowed. “We have to talk.”

He’d been hoping to postpone the talking because he was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear what she was going to say. He needed time to show her that he was not going to hurt her again. Tonight was just step one of his plan.

“You said that after Leonard was in jail, you’d reserve the right to renegotiate our ground rules.”

Icy panic slithered through him. “I’ve changed my mind.”