Burned by Desire (Highland County Heroes Book 2) Read online

  Her eyes said she had more to talk about than just the fires and that intrigued him. He refused to get caught up with her, but if she was going to be the reporter for the local paper, and if she happened to be right about DemaCrane, he would see her, often. Being at odds would be bad. She would always make him and his team look like fools if he didn’t. He opened the door to the truck and flung the card inside, then slammed it, knowing he still had her other card in his own truck.

  “I don’t need to talk to you right now, and it’s not even a good idea.” He turned and walked away before she could argue with him more.

  Chapter 9

  Livy dragged Melody toward the one place to get a decent drink in town, The Boot Bar. It was red painted on the outside like a barn and could seat about thirty people if it was really hopping, but that only happened when the rodeo was on the television. It was a western bar with blaring country music from the ‘80s, and a small dancefloor right in the center was the big draw. The wood floor was always dusty and the beer only tolerable, but Livy didn’t want to sit at home, not even on a Tuesday night.

  Melody dragged her feet until Livy stopped. “Liv, I don’t want to go. I’m waiting for Gage to call. He will. I just know it. You wanted me to wait for his call, remember?” Though it was whiny, she’d been nursing a pout all day after Gage had walked away from her. Going to a bar was exactly the last thing she wanted to do. If Gage was as pissed with her as he’d looked earlier, his team was furious. They didn’t know her at all and had probably taken offence, which was understandable. If they were at the bar, it would be seriously uncomfortable. There would be nowhere to hide in the claustrophobic space.

  “Yes, I do want Gage to call you, but I want to go out more. I need to celebrate. One particular little prick in my class was suspended today for online bullying. He’s been a real peach in my class and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. They don’t let us do anything. We can’t even raise our voices to the little darlings.” Livy rolled her eyes and tugged her skirt up just an inch as she continued walking.

  “Let’s be honest. You don’t need a reason to party.” Melody had never realized just how much Livy liked to drink until she’d wanted to just avoid it. Her head still hurt from the wine two days before. “I’ll be the designated driver, Liv. I don’t need this tonight. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here.” Melody stopped on the sidewalk across the street from The Boot.

  “Designated driver? We’re walking.” Livy giggled. “I only live five blocks away. It’s not like I won’t make it home. If you want to just go home and pout, you go right ahead.”

  A familiar black truck with a crew cab sat down the street. The same truck she’d seen when Gage was investigating at the site. It sat under a street light so it was perfectly illuminated, but the interior was totally in shadow. A chill crept up her spine at the thought that Gage could be sitting in there, staring at her, and she wouldn’t know it. It was definitely his truck, it practically gleamed it was so clean.

  “Gage is here.” She pointed to the truck, then realized Livy wouldn’t know it from any of the other trucks parked along the block.

  Livy’s eyebrows scrunched together and she squinted at the truck, about a block away. He would park and walk, just so no one went near it. The overbearing neat-freak.

  “Wait, you know him well enough to know his truck? And, damn, it’s as big as my apartment. Is he compensating?”

  Melody couldn’t help snorting, then giggled. Gage wasn’t the type to compensate. He was lean, with just the right amount of muscle. Even his hint of facial hair was perfection. Hot. Hot as fire. “No, I don’t think he is and it’s a small town. I just noticed that it’s his.”

  It was Livy’s turn to snort and roll her eyes. “Yeah, it’s a small town, that’s why I’ve never met this guy. Come on, lets go inside.” Without even checking the street, Livy yanked Melody across toward the throbbing beat of the music and the flashing beer lights in the window.

  Inside, it was too dark to see faces well and Melody squinted, searching the room for the man she’d been wanting to talk to all day, since he’d walked away from her. She’d foolishly hoped that he would go home, take a shower, consider her offer and call. Then she would go to his place and meet him, apologize in the most physical of ways, and then the world would be right. Gage wouldn’t be angry anymore, her boss would be happy because the story was out, and Livy would be happy because Melody’s bed wouldn’t be dusty. Everyone would win.

  But he hadn’t called.

  At a small corner table, back in the dark, sat Gage. He wasn’t even nearby anyone to talk to and he looked like he’d been sitting there a while, if his semi-defeated slump in his seat and empty mug in front of him were anything to go by. He didn’t glance around him, or even seem to notice the music.

  “Livy, I’ve got to go talk to him. Cheer him up a bit.”

  Livy stared, open mouthed at Gage. “Talk? Cheer? Do whatever you need to do. I’ll make it home. Hopefully you do, too.” She winked, gave Melody a little shove, and headed for the bar.

  Melody stood in place for a moment, wanting to go talk to him, hoping he’d turn and notice her there, maybe invite her over. Yet, her feet refused to move for a moment. He’d shoved her back every time she’d gotten near him, but he’d also told her why earlier. Would he start pulling if she could get him to see her the way she’d wanted him to all along? She’d made the assumption that he wouldn’t respect her because she was a woman, but if she’d just been normal, he may have. She’d thrown her hackles before he’d even had the chance to be the dick she’d expected him to be. If she started over, then maybe they could get on the track they should’ve been on.

  She took a deep smoky breath and strode to his table. He was lost in thought and didn’t see her approach. She touched his knee and he blinked for a moment, then met her gaze. “Can I buy you a beer?”

  His eyebrow twitched in mild annoyance, but he didn’t tell her to leave. “I guess so.”

  Access granted. She smiled at him. “Great. I owe you that much.” She turned and waved to a server, then sat on the stool across from him. The woman came over and collected Gage’s cup. “He’ll have another.”

  The woman nodded and strode away with her little tray.

  “Why are you here, Melody? Did you follow me? I’ve never seen you here before. I may not frequent this place, but I’m here enough and I’ve never seen you here. I would remember.” He rubbed his forehead with his thumb and first finger, but it didn’t wipe away the lines of worry there.

  She tried not to put more weight on those words than he would give, but she mentally ticked a lipstick tally mark in the success column in her head. He thought she was attractive enough to remember. “Livy brought me, but when I saw you sitting over here, I needed to talk to you. I knew you weren’t going to call me.”

  He frowned, puckering strong, thin lips. “We did talk. You got everything out in the air earlier, remember?” He slid his hand over his mouth, his frustration palpable.

  “Gage, I’m sorry. I assumed you’d be an ass that first day at the fire because I’m a woman reporter. Fact is, many men I’ve known have been.”

  “I’m not them.” The words were simple, yet said so much.

  “How could I know that?” It was almost a defense mechanism. It was how she’d survived. She’d thought she was a willing partner with Professor Leiken. It hadn’t been until she’d told Livy about it, and how she’d felt during the whole affair, that she realized she hadn’t wanted it. She’d never protested, and had tried to please him. Which was why Livy had adamantly suggested she find someone new to flush out the old. Someone who would let her be in control.

  “I get it. You don’t want to be treated differently because you’re a woman, but you do realize that by acting the way you did, I did treat you differently. If you had come up, been professional, I wouldn’t have responded to you the way I did.”

  “So we’re both suffering from a lack of
respect.” She wanted him to admit she was right, that they had started off on the wrong foot and they both needed to start over.

  He didn’t respond, didn’t answer. He wouldn’t be an easy nut to crack, but she wanted to try.

  The waitress returned with his beer and Melody paid her, including a tip. “You want anything?” The buxom waitress stuffed the money into the strap of her bra.

  “No, thanks.” It was more important than ever she have a clear head. If she let herself get too loose in the tongue, she might tell Gage everything Melva had told her about DemaCrane, and then he’d really think she was crazy, or grabbing at straws. Tonight wasn’t about work, it was about them and she couldn’t afford to slip up.

  He took a long drink and wiped his mouth. “Thanks.” He glanced at her for a moment.

  “Forgive me?” The cigarette smoke was going to her head and she wanted to leave already, preferably with Gage. His truck would be clean, neat as a pin, and wouldn’t reek of sweat, stale beer, and old leather.

  “You seriously didn’t write that?” He leaned on his fisted hand, staring at her.

  It felt as if he’d never really bothered noticing her up until that point and with the relaxing of his guard, either from her apology or the beer, he was fully appreciating her. She sat up a little straighter and pushed out her chest just a little to give him a better view. “I wrote a few bits of it. Some of the quotes I put in there, obviously, but I didn’t write the preceding questions. I didn’t write the headline. About the only thing I can fully take credit for, is the image they used.”

  “That’s rough.” He took another drink. As he set it down, his gaze dropped to her cleavage for just a moment, then back to her face.

  “I didn’t even think they actually would use it. It was from my phone, but they don’t have a staff photographer and I’m not allowed to sign out the Canon yet.”

  He laughed and the lines by his eyes softened. “We’re all volunteer. We have a ten year old digital camera with barely two gigs of space. You have to be careful about where you take it, because it automatically connects to Wi-Fi wherever you go. Not much security with that.”

  Melody allowed a brief smile. He’d just shared more with her unwittingly than he had before when she’d tried to bully it out of him. If she had written the story from the previous Sunday, knowledge that the camera used by the fire department could easily be hacked would only add to the validity of what had been written, but no one would find out from her.

  “I don’t want to fight anymore. Dance with me?” She laid her hand on the table, hoping he might take it, wondering what his touch would be like.

  He glanced out on the floor. “You don’t look like the do-si-do type.”

  “Neither do you, but let’s try.” She stood, her heart racing. Here again, he could shove her away, but she hoped he wouldn’t, hoped they had turned a corner.

  He stood and draped his hand over her hip, almost drawing her to his side. It felt comfortable there, unlike the groping, pulling, and taking of her professor. She wouldn’t agree to that again unless she was a willing partner and with Gage, that just might be possible.

  He didn’t take her to the center of the floor, but stayed closer to the edge, away from the other dancers. He wrapped his arms around her and she came to him, draping her arms around his neck. They moved slightly, swaying to the music for a moment. His hands roamed up and down her back in a deliciously slow massage that made her arch into him.

  She angled her hips as they swayed, a move she’d learned in dance class that she’d almost forgotten. He slid his hands down her body, moving along with her for a few movements as if he was learning the dance, then down her thighs as far as he could reach. He slowly ran his hands back up and into her back pockets to anchor her there. His heat pressed hard against her hip.

  Two could play at that game, she slid her arms around his neck, raking her hands through his cropped hair and forcing him to look her in the face. Forcing him to see that she wanted him, that their bickering didn’t matter. They could forget the past and she was more than willing if he would just take her there.

  Damn. In the dark and shadowy light of the bar, he was all angles and heat and firm. Nothing scholarly or domineering about him. His eyes roasted her. She pressed her breasts into his chest, needing to be nearer to him, wanting him to delve into them right then and there. That little insecure bit about the camera he’d shared would’ve been nothing to anyone else, but to her it was a gateway. He just needed to let her in a little more.

  She leaned a little closer, and the warmth of his breath on her neck gave her gooseflesh.

  “Gage…I want you. Now.”

  Chapter 10

  Heat poured off Gage as he went rigid for a moment. She was sure he’d leave, that she’d gone too far, too fast. His breath on her neck super-heated her skin until she thought she would combust.

  “Gage?” It was almost a whimper. She could feel her nipples straining against the satin of her bra and her knees were weak as she leaned into him.

  He pressed his lips tentatively to her neck and she tilted her head to give him all he wanted. One hand slid from her ass up to her waist then down the back of her jeans, a bold caress. He ran his finger just under the waistband of her panties, tantalizing every inch of skin.

  While she’d always wanted to please the professor by doing things for him, she wanted to be pleased by Gage. She would not only be a willing partner, but a willing instructor, so he would know just what she wanted. She needed to pulse and vibrate with every touch, to be scorched by him, then thoroughly put out until there was nothing left but embers.

  “My truck is outside.” His voice brushed over her ear as he tasted her earlobe, sending sweet arcs of fire over her. The music no longer mattered, it only gave their hearts something to keep time to. Her feet barely moved to dance, she wanted to be free of the bar and wrap her legs around him.

  He tucked her in to his side and led her toward the door, his hand still just barely down the back of her panties, teasing her. She wanted him to plunge further, to take, and then she would take him right back. The moment the door slammed shut, the New Mexico heat hit her sensitized skin and she shivered. Everything around them was quiet after the noise of the bar, enough that she could hear Gage’s breathing, feel his tension. She only needed to taste him for the full experience of him.

  He turned to her and she buried her fingers into the short hair on the back of his head. She yanked him into a kiss, enjoying the control for a change. He melded her to his own body and his hand slid farther down her pants, cupping her ass. She tasted his lips then plunged deeper, wanting more, wanting whatever he would allow. He tightened his hold and she groaned into his mouth.

  The flash and buzz of one of the neon lights above them pulled her back to reality. They couldn’t do this on the sidewalk. The town was too small and if anyone came out, they would be caught. She relaxed and he pulled back but gave her ass a squeeze.

  “Is that a no?” He stared down at her. They had both made too many assumptions at first and they couldn’t do that now. Their business relationship was about to change drastically and they both had to be on board.

  “Not in the street. Your truck isn’t far.”

  He nodded and went back to leading her. The town was mostly on Main, with nothing open besides the bar. No one was out on the street. He opened the passenger side door for her and she was about to get in when he turned her to face him.

  His mouth was on hers, hot and insistent. Through her kiss, she demanded his all. He would give her everything he had. She needed to touch the heat of his skin and she tugged his shirt free of his jeans, exploring the hard muscles and smooth skin beneath. He moaned her name and his hands found the front of her jeans. A moment later, they were down to her knees and his hand was down the front of her panties, his finger building a fire with hardly any effort.

  She slid away from him, up onto the slick leather seat. She had to be in control, to lead the way
. This wouldn’t be another situation where she just played along. She reached for the front of his jeans and he leaned in close, anchoring his arms on the door and the cab. Once she had him freed, he climbed in and she backed up, shimmying out of her panties and tossing her shirt to the driver’s side where it wouldn’t get in the way.

  She took him in hand, captivated by his size, and power coursed through her as he moaned at her touch. The cab of the pickup wasn’t as roomy as it had looked from the outside, but she wasn’t about to ask him to drive her anywhere yet and risk him changing his mind. With slow circles, she massaged his tip, then kissed the velvety skin there. He threw his head back and dug his hand in her hair.

  He dug in his glove compartment, pulled out, and ripped open a condom packet. She grabbed it from him, wanting the job all to herself. When she finished, she carefully straddled his legs and reached to unclasp her bra. His eyes raked over her skin and flashes of heat burst down her body. He moved her hands away and dispensed with the silky article within seconds.

  “You’re efficient,” she purred.

  “I can dress and undress in under a minute. Same goes for you.” He trailed a finger from her collarbone down to one tender peak. She’d never understood how other women could be so breast sensitive until he ran his thumb around each one, then gently flicked over the erect nubs, responsive to every slight touch.

  She’d never taken control, had never allowed herself to fantasize about what she could do, but her chance was now. Gage’s skin was supple under her fingertips and she kissed his nipple, tasting the salt on his skin and feeling him flex under her. She was now the teacher and he the student and she raised his head, guiding his mouth to her breast, so he could do as she had just done.

  Pleasure tightened inside her as he slowly ran his tongue around her, bringing an intense ache much lower. He gripped her hips and raised her slightly to give himself better access, and while his mouth plundered her breasts, his hand played with the fire he’d started elsewhere.