Coral Hearts (5 page)

Coral knew she’d
surprised Sage when she leaned forward kissing him on the cheek before following Phoenix into the kitchen. The flair of desire in his eyes made her glad she’d taken the chance. As she walked out of the room she tried to finger comb her wild curls not realizing the motion would raise the hem her shirt enough to give the men behind her a nice view of the small scrollwork tattoo she had gotten as a teen. The soft colors swirled down and around the dimples at the top of her ass, though they couldn’t have seen much of the intricate design. Hearing Sage’s low growl gave her a thrill of satisfaction knowing she’d been able to affect him in some small way. Okay…if she was being honest, Coral should probably admit she was mentally bouncing up and down with smug self-satisfaction. Being able to affect the sexiest man she’d ever known by doing nothing more than sauntering out of the room, and flashing a bit of skin his way made her feel like a sex kitten—and it had been a really long time since she’d felt anything close to attractive.

Sage Morgan was the embodiment of everything Coral found sexy. His dark eyes truly were the windows to his soul. During the time she’d known him, Coral had learned to tell when he was teasing her by the way his eyes danced with mischief. She’d seen glimpses of his desire, but there had never been any promise he’d follow through…until tonight. That promise had shown itself briefly outside the diner earlier this evening, and listening to him talk about her with his brothers had given her another spark of hope. But the white-hot flash of desire she’d seen in his eyes when she’d pressed her lips against his tan cheek was a panty-soaking moment.

She helped Phoenix set drinks and a few snacks on trays, enjoying how easy Sage’s younger brother was to work with. Coral tried not to stare at her surroundings with her chin dropped to her chest, and her mouth gaping open like a fish—but holy fricking crap on a pink cactus. Their kitchen would make any woman drool. It was huge. Phoenix laughed softly when he saw her taking it all in with wide eyes. “Remember, this is the main house and our mom raised five sons here—she also loves to entertain. Even now, when they are home for the summer or holidays, she does the majority of their entertaining here rather than at their smaller place in town. If you want to know the truth, I think we’ll be building another house out back when grandkids come along. Neither Mom, nor Pop will want to live in town and miss a moment they could share with
their rewards for not stringing us up
—Pop’s words, not mine by the way.”

He laughed again when she cocked her head to the side in confusion. Grabbing her hand he led her toward one of several sets of French doors at the back of the room. Pulling open a door just far enough for her to see outside, he pointed out the other houses setting around the perimeter of what appeared to be a long, oval beautifully landscaped yard. He told her which were finished and those they were still working on. He grinned as he drew her attention to the different features of the common area in the middle.

She was awestruck, but when she started to step outside to get a closer look, a strong arm wrapped around her waist pulling her back against rock hard abs. She knew without turning it was Sage who held her close—the scent he wore always made her pulse speed up and her girly parts take notice. “Where do you think you are going, pet? It’s winter in Montana, baby. You don’t go outside without a coat and shoes unless you’re courting pneumonia.” He leaned down and whispered against her ear, “And I have plans for you later that do not include you being ill.” She heard Phoenix’s snort of laughter behind them before Sage turned her back into the room. “Come.” He held his hand out to her, nodding when she placed her small hand in his much larger one, before leading her back to the large table where everyone sat waiting.

When she looked up to see Brandt Morgan standing with his arms crossed over his massive chest and she instinctively took a step back.
Holy crap. He is freaking huge. And he looks pissed. He’s a cop and I fled the scene of a crime…of course he’s pissed. Shit! What if he makes me go back there?
The terror she was feeling must have shown on her face because she saw Colt punch Brandt’s shoulder. “Knock it off SEAL-boy you’re scaring the shit out of her.”

Coral didn’t know Colt Morgan well, but she’d certainly heard a lot about his years on the rodeo circuit. Apparently he’d been some sort of bull riding superstar before being injured a couple of years ago at the National Finals. She’d also heard he had the voice of an angel if you could persuade him to sing for you—something that apparently only happened a few times a year at the local bar and grill…if you could believe the local rumor mill.

The tall, dark, and intimidating Sheriff dropped his arms, but his expression didn’t soften, making him look every bit the authority figure he was. She’d never seen this formidable version of Brandt Morgan, and she briefly wondered if she wouldn’t be better taking her chances with pneumonia by sprinting out the backdoor barefoot. The Sheriff nodded to a nearby chair, “Have a seat Coral, I have some questions for you.” Suddenly she wanted to be anywhere but here. Her feet were in agreement with her mind’s desire to flee because she took another step back coming up against Sage’s rock hard chest once again.

“It’s okay, sweetness. Don’t mind his attitude. Brandt slips into badass Navy SEAL mode pretty easily—even when he
shouldn’t
. We’re hoping he manages to become more human when he finally grows up.” Sage’s comments brought chuckles from his brothers, but did little to reassure her. The man was radiating frustration and it all seemed to be focused on her.

Coral hadn’t spent much time talking with Brandt despite the fact he came in to the hardware store regularly. He’d been polite, but she’d felt his reserve even as he’d been joking with Charlotte. When Coral commented on the difference she sensed in this Morgan brother, her boss had reminded her, “War changes people in ways you can’t imagine, Coral. Brandt has seen the worst of humanity and it’s going to take him a while to remember there is more
good
in the world than bad.”

Coral spent the next two hours being grilled—there wasn’t any other way to describe the intense questioning she endured under Sheriff Brandt Morgan’s glare. This man wasn’t the easy-going—though distant, rural Sheriff—she’d met at the hardware store. No, this man was a formidable enemy and she suspected even as an ally he’d be a tough sell if you displayed even a hint of weakness. Coral was astute enough to know the man was frustrated beyond belief she hadn’t come to him as soon as she’d started getting the phone calls. But, what he didn’t seem to understand was how long she’d been on her own, and how few people she’d actually been able to trust.

She’d answered each of his questions with complete honesty even when it had broken her heart to reveal the many mistakes she’d made. Even though the men sitting around the table hadn’t appeared to judge her, knowing they were listening had been humiliating enough. Sighing, she reminded herself it wouldn’t do her any good to add lying to her already lengthy list of missteps, and in the end, who wanted friends who were unable to accept you the way you really were? Coral knew she was going to have to move on anyway, so it probably shouldn’t matter…but it did. Knowing she wasn’t going to be able to stay in Pine Creek depressed Coral far more than she would ever thought possible when she’d first found herself stranded in the small mountain town.

Sage reached over the table and took her hand in his and drawing her attention. “What were you thinking about just now that made you so sad, pet?” His question was quietly spoken but would certainly would have been heard by anyone paying attention. It touched her knowing he hadn’t minded asking about her feelings in front of his brothers.

“I was thinking about how much I’m going to hate leaving Pine Creek.” She took a steadying breath before continuing, “Charlotte has been so good to me. And, I like the people here. Everyone has been so nice—well everyone but the one woman who comes in the store occasionally.” In her peripheral vision, Coral saw Brandt’s frown at the mention of a woman being rude, but he didn’t press the issue.

When Coral asked Charlotte about the stunning blonde who’d stopped in a few times over the past few months, her boss had waved off her inquiry. “Don’t you worry about her, that sack of trash has already been set on the curb.” Coral had asked if the woman lived nearby, but Charlotte had simply said she wasn’t worth worrying about.

Coral was absently rotating the bottom of her soda bottle making circles on the table as she thought back over the past year.
Frack, I’m going to miss this place.
Without looking up she finally added, “Although, it
is
outrageously cold in the winter.” She laughed softly but even to her own ears the levity sounded forced. When she looked up, no one else was smiling.
They are probably thinking it wouldn’t seem so damned cold if you’d spend the money to buy a good coat, Coral Anne. And I’ll bet they think boots would be a damned good idea, too.
Her well-worn canvas shoes didn’t do much to keep her feet dry in the snow. More than one of the store’s customers had mentioned her lack of appropriate clothing. Hell, two of the men sitting across from her had reminded her to get a pair of boots before the first snowstorm of the season.

“Sweetness, we’ll be having a long chat about your plans to leave
and
your deplorable lack of winter clothing—later—in private.”
Holy crapamolie. Does he read minds or something? Because I’m pretty sure that would be damned unhandy at times.

C
oral’s entire body
was tingling and she knew it wasn’t from the hot water raining down on her. The water jets were pummeling her tired muscles from various places where they were mounted along the walls of the biggest shower she’d ever seen. God in heaven it felt good to take a
hot
shower. Coral hadn’t told Charlotte the hot water heater in her apartment wasn’t working properly because she’d worried her sweet boss would spend money she couldn’t afford to replace the antique fixture. Charlotte wasn’t even charging her rent for goodness sake, how could she expect the woman to spend money updating a place that wasn’t generating any income?

No, it wasn’t the sinful shower making her body feel like it was buzzing in anticipation, what she was feeling now was pure anticipation. Sage hadn’t made any secret of the fact he wanted her…she’d heard it downstairs when she first walked into their kitchen and overheard his conversation with his brothers. All these months she’d been fantasizing about him and now it seemed he’d been interested in her as well. Damn, that had been a pleasant surprise—but it was also a major complication. She didn’t want to involve him or his family in her troubles—what if one of them was hurt because of her? They’d insist on protecting her and would become a target as well. Just thinking about
that
possibility made her almost physically ill.

When she’d first stepped into the open doorway of their enormous eat-in kitchen and heard him talking about her, Coral noticed each of the brothers sitting around the table shift subtly in their seats. Their expressions softened, but something in their eyes held her in place until he’d finished. The fact he had listed physical appearance last warmed her heart, knowing he appreciated attributes that wouldn’t fade over time made her want him all the more. But Coral knew she needed to keep reminding herself, just because he wanted her now didn’t mean there would be anything for the two of them long-term.
Guys like Sage Morgan don’t marry girls from the other side of the tracks…don’t forget that, Coral Anne.

She gave herself a good talking to, listing off all the reasons a gorgeous, sexy, successful man would never be interested in keeping her.
I really do have to cut back on the romance novels.
The hot titles on her Kindle were her one indulgence and God only knew how many times she’d re-read her favorite series. “But men aren’t really like that. Real men don’t put a woman’s pleasure first. It doesn’t matter that Sage makes everything inside me desperate to feel him slide his cock so deep into my pussy he can feel my heart beat. I wonder if orgasms are real. And if they are, how do you know if you have one? Maybe it’s all hype. Well, no matter. I have to remember the happily ever after is for the women on my e-reader, not for me. Damn it all to hailstones now I’m talking to myself…if the Morgan brothers heard this they’d already be making calls and ordering my cracker factory pass.”

Leaning her head back so the water was massaging her scalp, she felt a hand wrap around her hair and she let out a yelp of surprise. Sage pulled her back until the only thing keeping her upright was his very wet and deliciously naked chest pressing against her back. “Cracker factory? Tell me sweetness, what is that exactly?” His actions might have been all about dominance and power, but his voice gave away his amusement.

“Didn’t your mama ever teach you it’s not nice to listen to crazy people talking to themselves? I’m pretty sure it falls under some sort of privacy and confidentiality clause. There has to be some rule about it
somewhere
.” She was practically panting her words by the time she’d finished speaking. The man’s touch was splintering her thoughts. Coral was actually damned impressed she’d been able to speak at all.

His free hand rubbed over her breasts, gently rolling her nipples into tight peaks, and the moisture coating her sex was already threatening to snake its way down the insides of her thighs. Yes, indeed…being able to put words together had been a noteworthy accomplishment for sure.