Coyote Gorgeous (4 page)

"
I deal with
facts, not imaginary monsters.
"
From her tone, she would never believe. Too bad.

Kaletaka chose two clean tumblers from
a French, glass-door cabinet and managed to return to the island,
thankful for the tight jeans and leather welding apron restraining
his erection. Prudently, he kept the counter between himself and
Madison while he poured the lemonade.

She straightened her back
and her perky breasts pushed against the rough fabric of her khaki
uniform. How painfully delightful. Watching Madison drink and relax
was pure torture. Juice wet her full lips. She licked them and
sighed, a soft contented sound.
"
Thanks. This is really good. Not too many people bother to
make fresh lemonade anymore.
"

"
Delicious,
isn’t it?
"
But Kaletaka
wasn’t thinking of the lemonade. Yet he had to keep his wits about
him. He shook himself out of his reverie. If Madison was after him,
he must keep her close and find out what she planned.

"I
f it’s a
bear killing these animals, how are you going to catch
it?
"

She sighed and her face relaxed. Was
she starting to trust him? Good. He wanted her to confide in
him.

She drummed her fingers on
her glass
, deep in thought.
"
The predator struck at night, so I
guess I’ll stand watch tonight. They often come back where they
think there is more prey.
"

Against his better
judgment, Kaletaka couldn’t resist the opportunity to see her
again.
"
Feel free to use my
backyard as hunting grounds.
"

"
Well,
"
she considered
his offer for a moment.
"
The
tracks led me here. So, this could be part of the animal’s
trail.
"
Still, she
hesitated.
"
I wouldn’t want
to impose, but it would be nice to have a base of operation,
without distressing Mrs. Esteban any
further.
"

"
Right. Pablo
says she loved her dogs.
"
Kaletaka relished the idea of spending time close to her,
although controlling his urges might prove difficult.
"
I would truly enjoy having you as
my guest tonight,
"
he managed
in a light tone.
"
The back
deck provides a clear view of the ranch. I’m also a great cook, and
dinner is on the house.
"

She smiled genuinely for
the first time.
"
Thank you
for your generous offer. That would be very
helpful.
"

With his heightened awareness, he
detected a spark in her eyes and eagerness in her smile. She held
his gaze just a moment too long. Did she find him
attractive?

"
It’s a date,
then.
"

"
A date?
No!
"
Her smile vanished into
a cute frown.
"
This is
strictly business. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong
impression.
"

"
Of course
not. I was just kidding.
"
Kaletaka hid his disappointment under a playful smile. She
sent mixed signals but might not be aware of her attraction to him.
How innocent
...
and
adorable.

She raised her
glass.
"
Thanks for the
lemonade.
"
She gulped the
rest of her drink then slid off the stool.
"
I’d like to check your property for
tracks, if you don’t mind.
"

"
Not at
all.
"
Kaletaka would keep a
close watch on her.
"
And I’ll
be glad to help in any way I can.
"

*****

Under the lazy stare of Felix the
bobcat, Madison searched the grounds but didn’t find any tracks
leading away from Kal’s property. Who or what could have made those
tracks? How could the beast just disappear? Unless there was no
beast, just a heinous crime against animals.

Walking back to the truck, she still
couldn’t make sense of the facts. Something didn’t add up. A
prankster would not leave evidence leading straight to his own
backyard. Unless Kal was the intended victim of the prank.
Unlikely. Madison had to assume it was a bear, no matter how
unusual the paw prints.

On the drive back to headquarters, she
caught herself looking forward to dinner with Kal. She couldn’t get
his enchanting green eyes and bright smile out of her mind. She
could also tell from his guarded expression that he was hiding
something, but what? She intended to find out.

Once at headquarters, she filed the
paperwork then went to Jake’s small office. She knocked and
entered. He didn’t glance up from his computer screen and she knew
he did it on purpose, to irritate her. How childish. Left standing,
Madison stared at the poster of a black panther on the wall behind
him, framed by two green corn plants. The picture was
new.

"
Sir?
"
She couldn’t
control the hint of impatience in her voice.

"
It’s too
early for the necropsy results.
"
Jake finally said in a condescending tone without looking up.
What could she possibly have seen in him to fall for such a jerk?
His good looks? Physically he was the same, but now she found him
repulsive.

"
I
know.
"
Madison wouldn’t let
him intimidate her.
"
Anyone
seen these kinds of tracks before?
"

Jake shook his head,
pushed back his swivel chair and set his tan uniform boots on the
corner of the desk.
"
No. But
it’s probably a bear. What else could it
be?
"

"
Right.
"
Madison’s prank
idea suddenly seemed stupid.
"
The usual sedative darts might not work on such a large
beast, though. And an animal that kills for pleasure should be
eliminated anyway.
"

"
I agree. It
should be killed. I’ll expedite the paperwork.
"
A slow smile stretched his lips.
"
Acing this job might redeem your
image among the rangers and forever bury that unfortunate javelina
incident.
"

Why did he have to bring
that up?
"
It wouldn’t have
been so bad if you hadn’t spread the word to the Phoenix PD. My
father and my brother never let me forget my
shame.
"

"
Come on, it
was funny.
"
Jake
snickered.
"
Your panic,
calling for help to handle a baby
javelina.
"

"
I was a
green commando in training. No one told me the mother was dead.
Potentially, it could have been dangerous.
"
Madison struggled to remain
professional.

Jake lifted his feet from
the desk, leaned across it, and stared at her with
intensity.
"
I want all traces
of the Cave Creek incident to disappear quickly. And nothing must
leak to the press.
"

Something in Jake’s
insistence made Madison uncomfortable.
"
You got it,
boss.
"

*****

Leaving her red Miata at headquarters,
Madison drove the company truck home through rush hour traffic,
confident that she would solve this crisis. For once, Jake had
given her carte blanche, and she would not disappoint
him.

Once at her building complex, she
parked the white pickup in her reserved carport and climbed the
outdoor stairs to her second story, one-bedroom apartment. After a
long shower, Madison changed into comfortable navy sweats. April
nights could still be chilly on the outskirts of
Phoenix.

Mostly, she didn’t want Kal to think
this was a date, so nothing girly. Bad enough she found him
gorgeous, but she couldn’t take a chance. The job came first, and
until she found the culprit, she had to suspect him as well. He
could be playing her for the fool. She hoped not. That would be a
big disappointment.

Stalking a bear, or any kind of large
predator at night, required something more accurate and more
powerful than her 9mm .357 SIG. From her weapons chest in the
bedroom closet, she fished out her tactical rifle, an M-14 with
flashlight, scope and laser attachments, the kind snipers
used.

*****

With her arsenal locked in the truck,
Madison ignored the front door and walked around to the back of
Kal’s house bathed in sunset. When she grabbed the railing and
climbed the three steps to the wooden deck, she held her breath at
the sight. Kal had created an intimate atmosphere outside, a
beautifully set table, enhanced by the glow of fluttering candles
along the banister, and lively jazz seeping out from inside the
house, through the wide-open glass doors. How did he know she liked
jazz? But, of course, he didn’t.

"
Just in
time!
"

His deep voice made Madison gaze
toward the doorway. Kal stood there, the turquoise vest opened so
she noticed the silver chain on tan, hairless pectorals. The last
golden rays of sunlight glinted off his smooth face. Devoid of the
grime from the metal shop, he radiated health and refinement. He’d
left his long black hair loose on his shoulders. Silver bracelets
enhanced his muscled arms.

Madison sighed at the
vision of manliness. Did he think this was a date? God help her.
Resisting this man wouldn’t be easy.
"
I feel underdressed for the
romantic ambiance.
"

"
You look
perfect.
"
Kal strode onto the
patio, wiping his hands on a towel. Strong hands. He looked
straight at her with startling green eyes and smiled, as if he knew
the devastating effect he had on her.
"
I hope you like
wine.
"

"
Love
it.
"
She’d answered too
quickly. Madison felt awkward in her dark sweats. But she had come
to work, and she couldn’t get distracted by a superficial crush. He
was gorgeous and he knew it. But so was Jake.

"
I opened a
bottle of
1995 Nuits Saint Georges
from the cellar and let it
breathe.
"
He turned the
bottle on the table to show her the label.

"
I
see.
"
He had a cellar and
knew classic French wine? Madison glanced at the white and red
linen on the deck table, the triangular Danish dinnerware, and the
geometric vase of white roses in the center. The man had a sense of
style, and he lived grandly. This particular artist wasn’t the
starving kind.

Kal pulled out a chair for
her.
"
If you please, dinner
is ready.
"

When Madison sat, she felt his breath
on her nape, and his long hair brushed her cheek, making her
shiver. He smelled of exotic jungle flowers and moss. She had to
steel herself against the wave of pheromones he exuded. It took
great effort not to lean closer to him. Was he smelling her
hair?

He straightened, poured a
dash of red wine in Madison’s glass and stood there, waiting for
her to taste it, a grin on his face.
"
Tell me what you
think.
"

"
I’m on duty.
I shouldn’t drink.
"
But her
resolve started to weaken.

"
It’s only
wine.
"
His caressing voice
could have been that of the devil himself.

"
One glass,
then.
"
Madison couldn’t help
but smile.
"
Alcohol and
firearms don’t mix.
"

Kal had probably gone to great lengths
to make this dinner special. She should oblige him. A small price
to pay for a comfortable night watch on his back porch. She
dutifully swirled the wine in the glass.

He watched her
intently.
"
I see you know
something about wine.
"

"
A
little.
"
In truth, she had
studied and harvested grapes in California, but she didn’t want to
come across as a know-it-all. She took a sip, rolled the nutty
taste across her tongue.
"
Smooth, perfect temperature.
"
She smiled, pleasantly surprised.
"
I could get used to
this.
"