Roll the Dice (16 page)

Kai put his plate on the table and turned her way. As he filled her
horizon, the space compacted instantly. "Honey, no one is perfect. You
stopped the asshole and you saved the boys. You!"

"Because my training kicked in. It was pure instinct that carried
me through. I stopped thinking and started reacting."

"So I heard. I imagine Mr. Rhondo will be leaving the ladies alone
for a good long while if Luke's testimony is to be believed.
 
Said he thought the man's eyeballs had
rolled right out of their sockets."

She laughed as he obviously intended. "Seemed to be the right thing
to grab at the time. I had a female self-defence instructor who taught us the
weaker points on a man's body were the one's to aim for. It's fortuitous that
so far she's been proven correct.

This time he laughed. Then he turned her head to the side and looked
again at the wound hidden by the loose curls streaming behind. His soft way of
gathering the mass and pushing it to the back earned him big points with Aurora
who had a thing about her hair. As a child, her mother had continually forced
her head under a bowl, and to save money, the wicked bitch had hacked it off
herself.

Little Aurora, hiding an inner dainty princess, hated the look and swore
when she grew up, no one would ever have the right to tell her how to look.
Therefore she kept her beautiful dark locks long and thanked the gods for the
natural wave.

"You have lovely hair." His voice sounded harsh, as if the
words had escaped his restraints.

Shaken, she had to lower the plate or else wear the leftover pizza. Food
couldn't get through a throat clogged with emotion. Her breathing quickened,
and when she looked, his gaze reflected the passion she'd begun experiencing.

Oh oh! This wasn't on her to-do list at all. In fact it was on her
not-a-chance-in-hell list. His face angled with a silent question clearly
written. Eyes, bluer than any eyes had a right to be, hotter than hell and
sexier than she could handle peered into her soul and found a willing mate.

Her brain whispered wickedly.
Who're you trying to kid?
After
all, she'd always known it would happen, hadn't she? Wanted it to happen.
No—needed it to happen.

Sliding closer, she licked the side of his lips, cleaning away the crumb
that clung to the day-old beard. Her action set them off and in seconds he had
her on his lap and was kissing her as if he couldn't get enough. Moans added to
the mesmerizing moments as their bodies heated up.

God, he tasted good. The last time they'd kissed had been perfect. This
was even better. Hardness surrounded her. Hard arms cuddled her; hard muscles
formed the legs she sprawled over and the hardness jutting from his lap
promised heaven.

The devil's lips were the only soft things about him—soft and knowing as
they travelled from her mouth to her neck, seeking out her ears and travelling
all around the perimeter.

Yes! Oh yes! He was a lover. Not a man in a hurry to get his
satisfaction, but practised and willing to share. His hands began their
assault, and his massage became more seductive with each caress. First her
breasts garnered his attention, and once he'd divested her of her blouse, his
lips took over in that area while his hands moved lower.
 

Not to be outdone, she made sure that her writhing enticed him further.
Not that she figured he had the room to grow any larger considering the
restraints of his snug jeans. Thinking to help the poor man, she searched for
and found the zipper and worked the button above free.

Realizing her goal, he lifted her in his arms at the same time as he
manoeuvred them into a prone position. She appreciated his gentleness and the
strength it took to be able to handle the switch so easily. Wanting to show her
appreciation, she snaked around him, her willingness to please obvious.

She'd always been choosy in her mates. Therefore she had very few
notches on her bedpost. Rather than get involved with a man she didn't hold in
the highest esteem, she'd go without and had done so a lot.

However, this man fit her picky profile, and for the first time in a
long while, she wasn't having sex. She was making love. And it felt good. So
good!

In no time at all they were both naked. The sweat from her body dampened
his so that they stuck together in the places where they were attached—lips to
lips, legs between legs and with him buried deep inside.

Leaning away, he swept her hair towards her back and then framed her
face with his hands. His voice roughened with passion, he whispered. "Are
you okay? I don't want to hurt you."

He'd probably noticed how tight she'd been when he'd first penetrated.
Lack of loving did that to a girl.

"You stop and I'll shoot to kill." Her voice, sounding totally
unnatural, quivered. No wonder! She hadn't felt this wonderful in such a long
time—months, years, no centuries.

She stopped rubbing his back and moved her hands lower in order to guide
him deeper inside. The purring she made couldn't be helped. It sounded perfect
with the groans coming from him. Her heart thudding next to his made their own
music. It was as if everything in the universe fit.

Until the horrible moment when she realized they weren't using birth
control. With a curse, she pushed him away. Her body still wanted but her brain
had kicked in. She had trouble talking and had to push the words out.
"Protection. Do you have any?"

His painful moan almost had her relenting. Who cared? Right? She'd
always wanted a baby.

"Please tell me you're on the pill. Please."

Her breath coming in gasps, she replied." Can't take them. They
make me sick."

"When was your last…?" His normally clear-eyed gaze, murky
with smouldering lust, begged.

"Right! It was two weeks ago. Come here!"

And he came.

And so did she, with fireworks that threatened to blow her brains to
smithereens.

***

Later, lying in her queen-size bed, cuddling, her fingers caressing his
chest while his combed through her hair, he revisited the subject on both their
minds.

"If you get pregnant—"

"I won't."

"If you do, I want to know. None of this modern shit where the
woman gets to decide the outcome all on her own.

"Kai, I won't get pregnant. And if I did, I'd have more respect for
the baby's father than to ignore his rights." A tingle of apprehension
settled into her tummy. If only…

The next morning, with a lightness to her step and a grin in her heart
Aurora headed for Cory's office as soon as she arrived at work. She knocked and
wondered why the door was closed.

"Enter." He'd barked the word, and she knew instantly there
were problems.

Her smile didn't get returned but she plodded on anyway. "Hey boss!
Came to check on the news from the hospital. Did you bring Debbie and baby home
last night?"

"Get in here Aurora and close the dam door. Everyone wants a piece
of me today and there's not enough to go around." He sat with his head in
his hands and a frown marring his good looks.

"What's up, Cory? Is it Deb?" Worry invaded, and she moved
closer to where he slouched behind the loaded desk. Papers covered every inch
and threatened to topple over.

"They won't let her come home yet. The infection hasn't cleared and
until it does, they refuse to release her. I can't figure out who's more
miserable, her or me. She keeps phoning me to spring her and I can't. Plus the
sheriff lost his cool over Rhondo's shenanigans yesterday." He stopped his
tirade long enough to point his finger in her direction. "Good work by the
way. "Then the media is playing devils advocate to build sensation and
scare the living shit out of as many tourists as they can and…" Sadly, he
shook his head and admitted the truth. "…I'm getting sick of sleeping on
that bloody hospital cot." He arched his shoulders, and when he exercised
his neck, she heard the snap clearly.

"I sympathise buddy. Really—don't glare at me like that. Look, do
you want me to stay with her tonight?"

"Right, like you're in the greatest of shape, getting concussed
just yesterday." He actually snorted as he said the words.

"I'm not concussed. I never lost consciousness and I got a great
night's sleep." She hoped the smile in her heart didn't reflect on her
face or he'd know something was up. His scowl hadn't deepened nor had his
perceptive ability kicked in. This alone proved her friend was totally bummed.
"Deb won't mind, trust me. Contrary to popular opinion, she likes
me."

"I'll run it by her and let you know later. Now, let's figure out
where we go from here with Rhondo. Just so you know, I'm getting really sick of
hearing his name. It's time we put the prick away."

"Couldn't agree with you more. Kai went home to change and as soon
as he shows, we're going to have a visit with Luke and find out what set him
off yesterday."

"Hope you have more luck than we did. He had no trouble telling us
what happened after you arrived at his place, but anything before is for your
ears only. Stupid kid is as loyal as they come."

Hey, he's a good kid. One day, he'll be sitting in your chair or maybe
higher. He's got the brains."

"Well let's hope he has enough of them left after the shit-kicking
he took yesterday. The only thing he'd admit was that Rhondo wanted your
address and he didn't get it."

"He's my guy!" Aurora let the pride shine through. "Let
me know about the wife-sitting. And by the way, I only change by the
hour." She made a funny face, and after he waved her away, she left.

Walking towards the coffee room to retrieve her coffee mug, she decided
to stop by Ham's desk.
 
"Morning
Ham. Has Kai arrived?"

His startled look spoke volumes. She never said Good morning. His answer
came after a short pause. "Yep. About ten minutes ago, he strolled in
whistling with a satisfied look on his puss. You know anything about
that?"

Using the premise that the best offence is defence she turned on him and
glowered. "Don't be such an ass."

He straightened his face and looked chagrined. "One can only hope,
lass."

Continuing on to her office, she extinguished the glow by having a short
talk with herself that went something like…
smarten up, idiot! Before
everyone in place figures it out.

Kai eyed her balefully as she stepped in carrying her coffee and she
purposely ignored the telling gesture. Instead she set the tone for the day
with her next remark.

"Just so you know, and I won't have to listen to another lecture on
the proper behaviour for partners, I'll be gone for a while this morning to see
Luke. Cory's informed me that he's gone mute about what led up to the events
last night. He'll only talk to me.
 
Do
you want to tag along and wait, or meet me later?"

"I'll go along and at the same time see Wayne. Did you take a look
at the board?"

"No, what's up?"

"The team updated it last night, but we still don't know the
connection to Luke. Haven't figured out how Rhondo linked him to you. Either he
dropped the ball, or someone else connected the dots?"

"That's what I intend to find out." Bristling like a cat with
it's tail caught in the door, she spit words in his direction.
 
"Luke would never intentionally
talk—"

"I never said he did. From everything I've heard about the kid,
he's solid. But Rhondo knew he'd get to you through him. There's a leak and we
need to trace it."

Kai couldn't believe how hard it was to let Aurora out of his sight.
Earlier, when they'd woken up wrapped in each other's arms happiness had surged
into his warm, comfortable body. It chewed at the boundaries he'd set, and
before he could stop it, tried to slither in all the crevices he rushed to
cover.

How in the world could he have let this happen? A woman who had as much
grit in her as Aurora, wouldn't be easy to forget. All he'd done was ensure a
lifetime of regrets. His plan to avenge his sister hadn't changed. In fact it
had strengthened because now the dirtbag had even more to answer for. He'd hurt
Aurora.

Trying not to appear to as if he regretted the night before, because
dammit he didn't no matter what he told himself,
 
the romance could go no further. It had to end. He'd protect this
beauty, with his life if necessary, but no more. She had to understand that any
commitment was out of the question. His only obligation for the future involved
killing a man and if need be, taking the punishment.

Decision made, he'd let her down easy rather than pull away from the
get-go. Make her aware that she embodied every man's dream, just not his.

Except he didn't get the chance and it had royally pissed him off, dumb
shit that he was. Instead of counting his blessings, he'd found himself angry
and …and dammit…he felt hurt.