No One Needs to Know (11 page)

“That’s easy. Ranching. Riding. Learning the ropes. Literally.”

“Did you ever try the rodeo?”

“Not for long. Being thrown off a horse hurts like a son of a bitch.”

“I doubt you experienced it often.”

“Not something you should bet on.” His mouth twisted into a wry smile. “I preferred playing baseball. Which I did through my sophomore year in college.”

“Pitcher?”

“How’d you know?”

“I’m not sure,” she said. “I had a feeling, that’s all.”

“Well, you’re right. I started out in Little League. Eventually I developed a decent arm.”

He flipped his hand over hers, entwined their fingers and rubbed the skin he could reach with his thumb. A tiny movement that resonated down to her toes.

“What about you? Horses all the way?”

“Mostly. I did play basketball in school. I was tall enough to be a guard, but definitely not good enough to continue past high school. The love of my life has always been horses, though.”

“No men on that list?”

She shook her head. “I lived with a guy for a few years. Thought it was love. Turned out it was more about lust and wishful thinking. Then, I don’t know. Nothing major. A few mistakes. How about you?”

“I’ve had several relationships through the years. I expected to be married by now. I’d like to have kids. Raise them on the ranch like my father raised me. But the women that have interested me the most have had busy lives and goals of their own.”

“The twain couldn’t meet?”

“Five days a week I live on the ranch. I spend the weekends in Dallas. For a professional woman, that’s a hard schedule to work around. And it would be difficult at the moment to give up my role at the ranch.”

They were getting closer to Kalispell and traffic had picked up. She didn’t want to think about him getting married and having kids. She didn’t want to think of him outside of this car.

She shifted so she could see him better. “Tell me about the hotel room. Does it have a big bathtub?”

Like the gentleman he was, Tucker let the subject turn to exaggerations about the room’s amenities. She relaxed against her seat, watching him as he spoke, studying that strong jaw of his before getting swept away by his cheekbones.

When the town came into view, she was a little disappointed. The ride had been the easiest stretch of time she’d had in so long. A snapshot of a life she’d never have.

* * *

F
IVE
MINUTES
AFTER
T
UCKER
and Annie walked into the Kalispell branch of Tucker’s bank, his phone rang, and the name surprised him. He answered quickly with, “Hang on, I’ll just be a minute,” then turned to Annie. “I shouldn’t be long, but I have to take this.”

“Go ahead. If I need you to get the money, I’ll wait, that’s all. No problem.”

He leaned over but ended up kissing her cheek instead of her mouth. She seemed as surprised as he was. He knew it was a reaction to the phone call, but he’d think about the reason later.

He didn’t speak to Christian until he was in the back parking lot, away from too many passersby and far from where Annie could overhear. “What’s going on, Christian?”

“That’s what I want to know,” his brother said.

The bite behind his words had Tucker stopping in his tracks. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were looking for Leanna?”

“Because I don’t report to you,” Tucker said, instantly angry both at his impudent brother and his mother. Though he still didn’t know what she’d told Christian. “Did Mom call you?”

“Yes,
Irene
called.” Christian often used her name to emphasize the fact he hadn’t yet forgiven her. Though he didn’t mind taking her money. “She informed me you found Leanna.”

“I’m not sure yet that I have. But if it is her, what are you complaining about?”

“I’m complaining because I had my own search going for her. I didn’t want you involved. Leanna is a dangerous woman.”

“In what way?” Tucker gritted his teeth. Getting pissed off wouldn’t help. But Annie, dangerous? “You said she was a thief. That she’d taken off with the money.”

Christian’s huff came through as impatience, but Tucker heard more than that. Underneath the anger was panic. But over what? “Look, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t see the point, but there were some very shady and dangerous people in Leanna’s life. People associated with the mob. Guys you don’t want to get too close to, you understand? They could come after you, Tucker. And Mom.”

The mob and Annie? Is that why she’d run, why she’d hidden herself away in a backwoods town near the border? Jesus, if Christian had known about it... “Why didn’t you tell the police?”

“Because I didn’t particularly want to die. I told you, these men are lethal. Hell, even if it is Leanna, you wouldn’t be doing her any favors by bringing her in. That would be as good as signing her death warrant. Leave it alone, Tucker. This is something your big money can’t fix. Trust me.”

“If you’d told me the—” Tucker cut himself short. How could he blame Christian for trying to protect himself? For protecting his family? “Fine. I won’t do anything to endanger you. Or her. If it is her.”

“Don’t say anything to anyone about this, Tucker. I’m dead serious. It won’t end well.”

“I understand.” Tucker had walked to the side of the bank, and was headed for the entrance. He poked his head inside the door and saw Annie standing in the waiting area.

“Where are you, anyway? Mom didn’t say.”

Now it was Mom. Tucker wasn’t sure why that rubbed him the wrong way, but it sure as hell did. “Flying back to Dallas. I’ve got to run. I’ll be in touch when I get home.” Tucker put the phone away, more worried than ever about Annie. And Christian, yeah, but his brother seemed to be pretty good at taking care of himself.

He’d have to wait until he took Annie to order the tractor engine before he called George, see what he’d found out. Warn him. God, he hoped he hadn’t sent George into danger. The thought made him so uncomfortable that after he helped Annie get her funds, he made another excuse to leave her to deal with the salesman at the machinery parts store. But she didn’t just let him slip away.

“Is everything okay?”

He put on a smile, hating the subterfuge. “It’s business, a fire I have to put out myself. It won’t take long.”

“I’ll be here, and I don’t mind waiting. So do what you need to.” Then she pulled his head down to meet her in a kiss.

Not just a peck, either. It didn’t matter that they were standing inside a busy warehouse. She took her time, and he let himself enjoy it. It hit him that he’d been one hundred percent right about her from the moment they’d met. No, from before that. He’d read her perfectly. Someone else was behind the embezzlement and had forced her hand. The only problem was, now that he understood the danger she was in, would trying to help her make things worse?

He pulled back to rest his forehead against hers, held her there for a long moment as he breathed her in, calmed himself down. There would be a solution to this. He would find one. Because anything else was unacceptable.

A few minutes later, he was on the phone with George, who delivered news Tucker wasn’t prepared to hear. He found a wall to lean against. “Wait. Bookies?”

“Major bookies,” George said. “These guys are affiliated with the Russian mob, Tucker. I’m sorry, but the trail is there.”

“You’re sure it leads to Christian?”

“No. I’m not,” George said in a slow, cautious voice. “But so far, that’s where things are headed.”

“George, look, I appreciate everything you’ve done, but you need to stop now. Just back off. This is far bigger than I ever expected, and I won’t have you put yourself in this kind of danger.”

“You need to trust me on this, my friend. I’m not willing to get involved in anything that could get me killed. Or you, or Irene. But I’ve got a lifetime of sources here, and a lot of favors I’ve called in. I’m fine, and I’ll stay fine. And I’m not stopping. If I can clear your brother, I will. But know this. I won’t pull any punches.”

Tucker rubbed the back of his neck. “If Irene knew, she’d be as grateful as I am. But she’d also be just as worried. No more burials, George. Not over this. Not worth it.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I’ll get back to you.”

Tucker turned off the phone, and shoved it in his pocket. Bookies. There’d been nothing in Annie’s life or financial history that would tie her to gambling of any sort. Nothing. He couldn’t say the same for Christian.

Jesus, what if...? No, he wouldn’t jump to conclusions. The idea that Christian could be involved with the embezzlement had crossed his mind before—Tucker wasn’t an idiot—but he’d dismissed the notion.

The reason for that was clear. He just hoped like hell he wasn’t going to be responsible for hurting his mother even more than she was already. In the middle of forcing a deep breath, it finally struck him why he’d been annoyed that Christian switched from Irene to Mom. Subconsciously he’d recognized it had been a tactic. Pure manipulation. To tug at Tucker’s emotions by upping the stakes. Even if Tucker didn’t care about himself, Christian knew he’d care about what happened to Irene. He’d back off then.

The question remained...why? Did Christian truly believe Leanna Warner was involved with the mob and feared for his life? Or was he afraid she had information that would prove his own guilt?

Damn, everything had just gotten more complicated. He should never have come to Montana. But if he’d never come, he’d have never met Annie. She wasn’t the dangerous woman his brother had painted her to be. Not possible.

He walked into the store and found her by the tractors. The second she took the copy of her purchase order, he pulled her into his arms and backed her away from the counter. “I should take you to dinner. You haven’t eaten for hours.”

“But...?”

He looked at her, wanting to tell her everything, wanting to hide her away where no one would ever hurt her. She wasn’t guilty; he still believed that with every fiber of his being, every inch of his soul. And he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any woman. “Are you really hungry?”

“Starving,” she said, a slow, sexy smile lifting the corners of her lips.

He winced, but only for a second. “Want to go find a restaurant?”

“Not a chance. Where is this hotel of yours?”

11

T
HE
HOTEL
WASN
’
T
CLOSE
ENOUGH
.
They had to get into the car, drive for several blocks, find a place to park. By then, Annie’s focus had shifted from deposits and new engines back to sex. Sex with this man. Not only had it been ages since she’d slept with anyone, the last time she’d had sex it had been only so-so. He’d been nice, and they’d hit it off pretty well over the course of several shared meals. But in bed? They hadn’t gotten in sync. She’d sworn at the time that she was done with settling, that no man would get her into bed unless there was serious heat between them.

Tucker qualified. He kept stealing glances. She kept meeting his gaze. The sizzle should have steamed up the windows.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, as they walked from the parking lot, her toothbrush and a three-pack of ugly drugstore panties safely in her purse.

“That walking in my condition is awkward and a little painful.”

“Blister from your boots?”

His arm around her shoulders tightened. “Yeah. A blister.”

“I might have a blister myself. Smaller than yours, though.”

“I should hope so.”

Her stomach grumbled. Loudly. She put her hand on her belly. “Sorry about that.”

“When’s the last time you ate?”

“This morning. I had breakfast.”

“Which consisted of...?”

“Hey, no playing Mom.”

He bumped her hip with his. “That’s not at all how I’m feeling at the moment, but I have seen your refrigerator. And your cupboards.”

“Fine. I had toast and string cheese.”

He brought them to a halt. “I’m feeding you.”

“Yes, you are. Later.”

“Not later. Now. I don’t need you passing out during the best part.”

She turned until she stood close enough to press against his “blister.” “What precisely would the best part be?”

He kissed her, then moved his lips just far enough away from her to whisper, “All of it.”

She captured his lower lip between her teeth, but let him go before he could object. “The gift shop has candy bars.”

His green eyes looked darker staring at her from such close range, but she liked the view. Liked the man. “I feel like I’m not taking care of you properly.”

“You can fix that the minute we get into your room.”

“Why are we talking? We could be buying candy right this second.”

She held on to his hand as they jogged to the back entrance and found the shop. She grabbed the first chocolate bar she saw, glad to see he picked one up, as well. Neither of them wasted a moment digging in, and they crumbled the wrapping in unison before the elevator opened at his floor.

Once she got inside the suite, the memory of her old life hit fiercely. Thank goodness she had a legitimate excuse to shut herself into the bathroom. It was huge, but even the pleasure of seeing the big tub wasn’t strong enough to stop the déjà vu.

Standing still as she looked into the mirror, she saw Leanna Warner. As the emotions welled in her throat, she clamped her eyes shut. “I’m here. Right now,” she whispered. “With the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and I’ve got this one chance.”

After a few deep breaths, she brushed her teeth and her hair, blessed whatever gods had made her shave her legs before going to the board meeting and went out the door wearing a smile that was turned electrically real the moment she saw him standing by the bed.

Just the way he looked at her made her nipples hard.

* * *

T
OSSING
HIS
S
TETSON
ON
THE
couch, Tucker held her gaze as he slowly approached her. He wanted to watch her eyes darken the closer he got.

By the time he was a breath away, the blue of her irises had almost disappeared. “I can’t decide whether I want to undress you piece by piece, or race you till we’re both buck naked and panting.”

“The second option gets my vote.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. Then she started unbuttoning her shirt, and the competition was on.

He won. Not the race—he’d lost that part. She was down to her underwear while he was still working on getting his boots off, but damn, the view was worth it.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the winner,” she said, grinning, her thumbs hooked over the elastic of her panties.

“I could argue that.” He knew she’d have great legs.

“Want help?”

“No. I want to stare at you. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you turned around a time or two.”

She blushed. Pretty as a picture. The pink didn’t stop with her cheeks, either. He was going to lick as much of that rosy skin as he could. Later. Taking his sweet time was for seconds. Not that he didn’t want to impress her with his smooth moves, but he was already as hard as a bedpost just looking at her white cotton bra and panties.

One boot came off, and dammit, he had to focus for a minute on getting the second one loose. The moment he did, he shot to his feet and started working on his jeans.

When she did turn around, he nearly clipped himself with his zipper. Her body was even more amazing than he remembered, and he’d thought about it for two nights. Of course, he’d only seen that stretch of her back before, and now that he saw her behind, he knew he’d be dreaming of her for months, if not longer.

“Happy now?” she said, turning back to face him.

“Ecstatic,” he said, and proved his point by dropping his jeans and boxer briefs at the same time. Then he realized his socks were still on, and he toed them off as fast as he was able. Almost fell over, but it was worth it.

She still laughed at him. Until he stood up tall, and then she got quiet. Seeing that look on her face as she stared down at him was a turn-on all by itself.

“Now you,” he said, his voice lowering an octave.

He wanted to touch her as she reached behind her back to undo her bra clasp, but he kept his hands at his sides. Fisted, but still. His cock, not so much. The moment that bra fluttered to the floor, it jerked, tapping the flat of his stomach.

Annie was trembling slightly. Not like she was afraid. Just anxious. Her hands went to slide her panties off, and his plan to watch the whole show broke down. Before he knew he was going to do it, he hit his knees, inches away from her beautiful body.

She jumped, but didn’t move back. When he looked up, he found her dark gaze and her tacit permission. He leaned forward, nestling his nose just below her indented belly button. She smelled so damn good, and she wasn’t even unwrapped yet.

His fingers tugged her panties down slowly, and despite the impulse that urged him to speed the hell up, he unveiled her like a prize.

She had a perfect triangle of blond curls and once he’d uncovered her completely, he inhaled again. Nothing on earth compared to the scent of a woman, and he would swear on any book in the room that Annie had been designed with him in mind.

As gently as he could, he touched her inner thighs, hoping she’d get the hint. Bright and beautiful, she shifted her legs for him, and when he slipped two fingers just inside the barely parted lips, she was all moist heat and silk. It wasn’t hard to find where she’d gotten hard, but he was careful with his touches. Still, one swipe made her grab onto his hair, a little more enthusiastically than he’d anticipated.

She let go immediately. “Sorry, I’m sorry.”

Just the sound of her breathy apology got him hotter. “It’s okay,” he said, right before he blew a stream of air across where he’d touched.

“We need to rethink this,” she said.

Talk about a cold shower. “What?”

“No...not...no. I can’t do this standing up. I’m going to spoil everything if we don’t get on the bed. Quickly.”

Tucker obeyed like a shot. In fact, the second he was up, he had her in his arms. Not taking any chances, he swept an arm behind her knees and one across her back, lifted her up and into a kiss as they crossed the short distance to the bed. His romantic gesture crashed and burned when he had to put her down to turn back the white spread.

Not that Annie seemed to mind. When she lay down, she pulled him along and they picked up the kiss right where they’d left off.

* * *

I
T
WASN
’
T
EVEN
FIVE
-
THIRTY
, the room was filled with light and precious space, and Annie had never felt more comfortable being naked with a man.

Maybe it was because he was clearly excited by her... No, that wasn’t a special feat in her experience. Perhaps she’d given up being self-conscious when she’d given up everything else. Her psyche seemed to realize that there would be no return engagements.

Or it could just be that she liked him. So very much. Something had clicked from that first meeting, and it had never stopped. Despite her nerves and her secrets and her endless responsibilities, she’d found him wonderful company. His touch... God, just now he was running his palm up her side, then segueing to her breast, where he teased her nipple as if she’d given him her personal instruction manual.

She gasped, pulling away from his lips. Then they were on her throat, in that sensitive spot below her ear. He didn’t just kiss, but licked and nibbled, and then when he murmured something indistinct the vibration kicked everything up a couple notches.

Easing her hand between them, she circled his length and moved to the base and back up again.

He froze. Lips parted on her skin, tongue in midswipe. He didn’t even breathe as she repeated the motion, finding a rhythm that made her own heart pound.

Tucker made a garbled noise, half word, half moan, entirely unintelligible.

“You’re welcome,” she whispered, grinning before she nipped him on the earlobe.

“Annie. Annie. Annie.”

Her grin became a laugh. “Yes, Tucker?”

“This is going to be over very quickly if you continue doing that.”

She squeezed a little harder before she pumped him again. “You mean, this?”

“Yes,” he said, through clenched teeth.

She sighed. “Sure, spoil all my fun.” Letting him go, she was sorely tempted to go back for one more sneaky pull, but decided the consequences might not be to her liking.

“Later you have my full permission to carry on,” he said. “But for now, let’s at least go for ten minutes, okay?”

“I bet we can make it twenty, if we try.”

He pushed up onto his arms until he was staring straight into her eyes. “Do you want me to have a stroke? Is that the plan?”

She liked this side of Tucker. Naked and pleading looked great on him. To show her appreciation, she wrapped her left leg over his lower back.

He closed his eyes for just a few seconds, and then pretended to glare at her. “You’re a devil. A stunning devil, but still. You should be careful.”

“Careful? Why? What’s the worst that can happen?”

The right side of his mouth quirked up in one of her favorite smiles. “I might have to ravish you again and again.”

Her other leg joined the first to reinforce that she was in favor of that outcome. She used the traction to press up against his straining erection.

Watching him throw back his head as if he was already coming made her ache along with him. “Where did you put the condoms?”

“Give me a second. And don’t move.”

She didn’t. Not a bit. At least, not with the obvious muscles.

A moment later, he took a deep breath, turned both of them to their sides until he could reach the bedside table. His weight was just getting to be too much for her when he rolled them back to their original position.

Then he sat up, unapologetically knocking her legs away. Annie held back a laugh, then watched him get ready. Goodness, he certainly looked impatient. But then so was she.

Once the condom was on, he leaned down again, and this time, he brought her legs up toward her chest. “Next time, I swear...” He stopped to kiss the inside of her ankle. “We’ll have so much foreplay we’ll both be wrecks.”

“Sounds wonderful. Now what are you waiting for?”

He smiled and pushed inside her, one straight shot that had her arching her back and holding on for dear life.

It wasn’t the most elegant sex she’d ever had, but it was exactly what she’d needed. She touched him wherever she could reach, hoped like hell the walls were thick or the room next door was empty, because she was not quiet.

The kisses that started out hot and deep ended up pants against each other’s mouths, and it turned out that was about as sexy as anything she’d ever felt.

By the time he let her right leg go, and found her clit with his thumb, she was shaking and straining so hard she thought her heart would burst. Her orgasm crested before she had a chance to warn him. All she could do was hang on, muffle her scream with his shoulder and ride the wave.

When he pushed her whole body up the bed with the force of his thrust, she pulled her head back, opened her eyes. She watched him come, the intensity in his face breathtaking. When he could relax again, he smiled down at her, then pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder.

“Hell of an appetizer,” he murmured.

Which made her stomach growl so loudly they laughed even as they collapsed in exhaustion.

* * *

T
UCKER
ONLY
OPENED
his menu after Annie caught his attention. She gave him the look that meant he’d better stop staring at her. Yes, that happened a lot, but this was different. She’d been studying Louie’s deli menu as if it were the Rosetta Stone, and all her questions had been answered.

“A Reuben,” she whispered, in a voice that was half awe, half hunger.

“Sauerkraut have some special meaning in your life?”

She looked again at the menu, then up at him. “The highlight of my month is eating in Marge’s diner. Not that Marge’s isn’t swell—the food is great—but I think they missed the memo on what rye bread should taste like. And I’m not going to discuss their corned beef.” She looked down again. “New York cheesecake. Please let that be true. Please.”