Roping Ryan (The West Series Book 6) (10 page)

“
I
am not wearing that,” she heard him say from the other room and she smiled. Then she walked in and leaned against the door frame while crossing her arms over her chest.

“If you don’t wear that, then we won’t match, and I’ll have to change into something else.” She watched his eyes run up and down her sexy cop outfit and his eyes heated up. She could see the inner war he was battling, and finally without a word, he grabbed up the outfit Haley had provided for him and marched into the bathroom to shower and change. When he stepped out again, she tried hard not to laugh.

“Great.” He stood there frowning down at the black-and-white outfit. “Why do you get to be the officer, and I have to be the criminal?”

She smiled and walked over to him. “Because, Haley only had these costumes that would fit us.” She lied only a little. “And besides, I thought you liked my outfit. It came with these.” She held up a pair of shiny handcuffs.

His eyes narrowed and his hands pulled her closer. “You are in big trouble.” He leaned towards her.

“Later. We’re running late.” He groaned when she pulled away, and she laughed as he followed her closely.

She could tell that he was having a hard time focusing on the short trip into town. He kept stealing glances at her. It didn’t help that she kept recrossing her legs to get comfortable. The skirt was really short and she was getting more and more concerned that she was going to split the small top. She had just planned on not wearing costumes, but when Alex and Haley had shown up earlier with a handful of items, she couldn’t refuse these.

Glancing over at Ryan, she smiled. He’d purposely chosen not to shave to complete the villainous look. His hair had grown a little longer and he’d spiked it around, making it look messy. She wondered why she’d had such a problem with him when he’d had the beard and long hair in the first place. No matter what he wore or how he looked, he’d always be handsome to her now.

She looked out the window as they drove into town. It appeared that every car in town was parked in the dirt lot for the Rusty Rail. It had been years since she’d been to a place like this for fun. Usually she was there to follow someone and was focused only on catching her man in the act.

“When was the last time you were in a place like this for enjoyment?” she asked Ryan.

“I suppose when I was here last. Almost nine years ago.” He laughed. “I can’t even remember the last time I was out on a date.”

She glanced at him. “Why haven’t you dated?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s hard to explain what you do to a woman who is trying to find a man with a respectable career.”

She nodded. “Tell me about it. The last man I dated actually blamed me for wrecking marriages. Like I was the one forcing the people to cheat on their spouses.”

He shook his head in disgust as he pulled into a parking spot. “When I worked at the college, several parents accused the force of entrapping their kids. They even tried to sue the department.” He turned off the truck and looked over at her. “Are you sure you don’t want to just go home and let me show you how to use those?” He nodded to the handcuffs she’d snapped around her belt.

She laughed. “No, I haven’t been to a party in years. I want to dance and have fun.”

He pulled her close across the truck seat. “You can dance for me.” His smile was quick. Then he kissed her quickly and helped her out of the truck.

“Remind me to thank my cousin.”

“For?” She looked over at him.

“Finding the smallest outfit known to man.”

She laughed as they walked across the parking lot hand in hand.

When they entered the building, they scanned the dark room and tried to find anyone they knew amongst all the masked and costumed people. Finally, Ryan laughed and pointed to a couple dressed in matching pirate outfits. When she looked, she immediately knew it was Reece and Melissa.

A large group of people approached, and she recognized everyone in their outfits.

“We were about to send out a search party,” Alex said. She was dressed as Tinker Bell and Grant was a very unhappy Peter Pan. She tried not to laugh at him or the other men who had obviously dressed in what their spouses wished. It’s amazing what a man would do for love, she thought with a chuckle. She looked at Ryan and her smile faltered. Why had he agreed to dress in his prisoner outfit? It was true she hadn’t given him much choice, but maybe was there more to it. Was he falling for her? Could they have reached that point so quickly?

As everyone laughed and talked about their outfits, she stood off to the side and wondered about her feelings towards Ryan. She watched him interacting with his family and knew that she felt different about him than any man that had come before.

She hadn’t known what her father and mother had really gone through. Now that she knew exactly what her father had done for a living, she wondered if his job had played a part in their separation. Her mother had chosen not to remain in contact with her either, but she wondered if it was because of the job.

Did she mind what Ryan did for a living? Every ounce of her said no, but she couldn’t deny that the danger was real. She remembered that night in the alley and shivered.

“Are you cold? We could go,” Ryan said eagerly into her ear, causing her to chuckle.

“No, not until you dance with me.” She tugged on his hand and they made their way to the old wood floor where other couples were moving around to the band.

When he wrapped his arms around her, all the other couples melted into the background. They danced slowly, and she felt her heart beat against his as she held her breath and looked into his eyes.

No, she had never felt this way about anyone else before and for some reason that scared her. Her steps faltered a little and he held onto her a little more tightly.

Ryan tried to concentrate. Really, he did. He was so concerned that he’d fumble and step on her toes in those fancy boots she was wearing. But his eyes kept going back to the light material of the outfit as it stretched over her skin. His hands wandered up and down her back, and he felt her move in pleasure as he touched her.

He knew that he was making a fool of himself in front of his family, but he didn’t mind it. He had found it hard to concentrate on the conversation while they’d stood talking to everyone. Not until she pulled him to the dance floor, and he held her in his arms had he finally felt centered.

When she touched him, his heart rate spiked and for a split second, he thought he could have a stroke and be completely content. He glanced over and noticed that his brother and Melissa were gliding around the floor next to them. Then he noticed his cousins and their husbands and suddenly the room was too crowded for his liking. Spotting double doors that led outside, he swung Nikki around and slowly headed towards them.

They moved outside, and he smiled when he saw the large deck that overlooked a field with a small pond. There were only a few smokers standing by the windows. He took Nikki’s hand and walked her to the edge of the deck where they would be virtually alone.

“It’s wonderful here.” She sighed and leaned on the railing.

He nodded, not sure if he trusted his voice. The Texas weather was warm enough during the day, but in the evenings it had started cooling off, so he moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“I can’t believe how much has happened in such a short time.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Like?” He realized he could get lost in her eyes. Especially with the moonlight shining off them and her hair.

“Like us.” It came out as a whisper.

“It’s good, though?” He pulled her closer and smiled when she nodded.

“Part of me doesn’t want to leave.”

“Leave?” He frowned.

“Well, yeah. I mean…” She shifted and he felt a shiver of concern chill his blood. “We’ll have to go back to our regular lives someday soon. We can’t hide out here forever.” She frowned and looked down at his shirt.

“I suppose.” He tried not to frown too much. He knew it would end someday; after all, they couldn’t spend the rest of their lives hiding from Hijo del Diablo and his men. But here in Fairplay, it was hard to think about his old life. Especially since Nikki was here.

She sighed and turned towards the field again. “I never thought I would like the country so much.” She giggled. “I mean, maybe when I was a kid I’d dreamed about horses, dogs, and country living.”

He smiled. “I was just the opposite.” He leaned his foot up on the rung and looked off to the pond. He could see the dragonflies and fireflies buzzing around the water’s edge. “I always dreamed of running away to the city where I could drive fast cars and live in a place like you have.”

“Oh?” She smiled and shook her head. “Somehow I can’t imagine it.”

He looked down at her and nodded. “Yeah, I suppose not.”

“You’re built for this.” She nodded towards the field. “It’s in your blood.”

An image of his father broke into his mind, and he shook his head to clear it.

“Your family is here.” She turned to him again. “Have you thought about staying?”

He tilted his head and looked down at her. An image popped into his head of her standing in a field in a flowing cotton dress. Her hair was pushed up, a straw hat covered her eyes, and there were a few dogs running around her feet. He smiled at the image. “Have you?” He pulled her close again.

She nodded and he watched her swallow. “After this, how can I go back to the city? There’s so much here. So much that I enjoy.”

“Like horseback riding?” He smiled.

She nodded and smiled. “I’ve become accustomed to it.” He knew that she took daily rides with one of his cousins. He, too, was becoming accustomed to saddling up every day and heading out to the fields.

“Will you stay?” he asked, knowing there was more to the question.

She blinked a few times and tilted her head. “I’m not sure. I have some loose ends to tie up first.” She sighed and took a step back when a couple walked out on the deck, laughing. The moment was lost and he felt sad knowing that she was still unsure of how she felt about him.

He might be out of practice, but he was sure she had understood his question.

They walked back into the crowded bar and sat with his family. His eyes kept scanning the club, as if he were still on duty. He supposed that it had become so embedded in him now that he could never truly have a night off.

Nikki noticed his uneasiness and tried to get him to relax a little, but something told him that the peace and quiet wouldn’t last much longer. Something had to be done to end this and he knew it was time to come up with a plan.

“
I
t’s a crazy plan. I don’t think it’ll work,” Nikki’s father said. The phone reception was bad and he wondered just where the old man was now. He’d told him during their last call that he was back in the States, but hadn’t given him many details.

“Well, that’s why I’m running it by you first instead of my superiors. Do you have any other suggestions?”

The phone was silent. “Give me a week. Maybe two. I’ll give you a call with something.”

“I don’t think we have a week.”

“Why? Has something happened? Is Nikki—”

“No, nothing has happened. Your daughter is safe.” He walked farther away from the new house they’d moved into just that morning. It was three doors down from the place they’d been in and had an additional bedroom and a much larger couch. He was looking forward to snuggling with Nikki and watching movies on it that night.

But for now, he didn’t want her to overhear his conversation with her father.

“Then why the rush?”

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “It’s just a feeling.”

He could hear the other man grunt. “Give me a week, at least. Keep your eyes open and I’ll get back to you.”

He nodded then agreed and switched off the phone. He felt like throwing it but knew that it wouldn’t do any good.

The plan he’d come up with the night before had, at least in his mind, seemed solid enough. Maybe he should present it to his chief? Sitting around waiting for something to happen was starting to get to him.

“Is there a problem?” Nikki called from the huge back deck.

He tucked the phone in his pocket, turned, and pasted on a smile. “No, just taking in the view.”

“Well, come on in. I still owe you a dinner.” She waved and walked back inside.

He hadn’t expected to get the cold shoulder from Nikki’s dad. Couldn’t he see that his daughter was more important than any other case he was working?

He didn’t want to mention the conversation to Nikki, so he quickly stowed the phone in the new hiding place and walked into the kitchen.

“Something smells good in here.” He took her hips and pulled her close for a kiss. “Mmm, something tastes good in here, too.”

She laughed and tried to pull away. He let her go, since he could see something boiling on the stove.

“Go sit down. I’ll bring it in.”

He walked into the small dining room. The table was set with fancy dishes and there were fresh flowers in a large vase in the middle.

He should have thought to bring her flowers. Hell, they’d been dating almost a whole month and he hadn’t even really taken her out for a real date.

Dating. He stopped in his tracks. He supposed that’s what they were doing. More like living together. He shook his head. It was necessary. To keep her safe. He’d never lived with a woman before and had always imagined that he would have issues with it. Either they wouldn’t clean up after themselves or they’d complain that he didn’t do a good enough job of cleaning up after himself. But with Nikki, there had been no complaining on either side. Even in the small place, they had never really seemed on top of each other or in each other’s way.

He looked down at his dirty hands and frowned. He rushed to the bathroom and scrubbed himself clean, then changed his shirt and combed his hair. It was time for a haircut. He wasn’t used to keeping it short, and it had grown to just below his collar again.

He should shave again, too. So much maintenance he’d neglected during his time undercover. But now he wanted to make sure he looked good for her.

When he walked back into the dining room, she was sitting there waiting for him.

“Sorry,” he sat down. “I needed to clean up.”

She smiled. “No problem.” She started to dish up his plate. “Did you have a good conversation with my father?” she asked as she handed him his food.

He fumbled the plate a little, but recovered quickly. “Yeah.” He looked down at the plate. He should have known he couldn’t keep anything away from her.

“Is he coming here soon?” she asked as she dished herself a helping of potatoes.

“About a week or so,” he said and shoveled a spoonful of beans into his mouth. She frowned at him and then focused on eating.

An awkward silence filled the room. He knew he should say something more, but he didn’t know what.

Finally, when he was done with his second helping, he set his fork down and smiled up at her. “Those were the best pork chops I’ve had in years.”

She smiled and nodded. Still, he could see the worry in her eyes.

“He’ll be here. I’m sure he’s working on a plan as we speak.” He got up and walked over to her, pulling her from her chair.

“He’s still mad at me,” she said, avoiding looking at his eyes. He put his fingers under her chin and pulled her face up to his.

“He’s not upset at you. Trust me.” He waited until she nodded.

“What do you say we leave this mess for later and take a walk?” He pulled her close. “I hear we’re in for a few days of bad weather, and since it might be the last night it will be warm enough to, let’s enjoy it.”

She nodded. “I’ll just get a jacket.” She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips. “Thanks.” She turned and walked out of the room quickly before he had a chance to say anything more.

Nikki wiped a stray tear from her face as she hunted for her light jacket. It had been over a month. A month! And her father couldn’t pull himself away from his job.

She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Ryan would know that she’d been crying. Walking into the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face and tried to steady her breathing.

Ryan had said that her dad wasn’t upset at her anymore, but the fact was, she hadn’t talked to him since she’d yelled at him for lying to her. She knew in her heart that he was still upset at her. After all, it wasn’t like him to keep silent for so long.

She could hardly remember a week that she hadn’t talked to him for an hour. And here it was almost two weeks since she’d yelled at him. What was he doing?

She grabbed the jacket hanging on the back of the bathroom door and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a little red, but hopefully she could blame it on the cold.

She walked out of the house and sighed when she saw Ryan leaning against the deck, looking off towards the sunset. The sky was just starting to turn lighter colors as the sun slipped below the tree line.

She sighed and leaned against the railing next to him. “It’s really beautiful here.”

He rubbed the spot under her cheek and nodded. Then he took her hand and pulled her down the steps towards the field. He had a blanket tucked under his other arm.

“I thought we’d lay out and count the stars,” he said when he noticed her looking at the blanket.

“Sounds good.” She smiled and forgot about her problems. “I’ve never lay out in a field and looked at the stars before.”

He smiled at her. “Then you’ve been missing out.” He pulled her closer. “Maybe we’ll even neck.”

She chuckled. “I’d hoped.” She wrapped her arms around his waist as they walked in the fields.

It was a quiet evening and as they walked towards the sunset, the sky exploded with colors.

“I’ve been thinking about sticking around. You know, after this mess blows over,” he said, glancing down at her. “Lauren said she could use some help on the ranch and my brother mentioned he could use another hand with his business.”

She looked at him. “What about your job?”

He shrugged his shoulders and pulled her to a stop. Then he spread the large blanket out on the soft grass. When he pulled her down next to him, she went willingly.

“I talked to Wes about the possibility of grabbing a few hours at the station.” He leaned back and pulled her with him. “It wouldn’t be as intense as what I’m used to, but it’s time I thought about slowing down.”

She rested her head against his shoulder and watched the last of the light leave the sky. “If that’s what you want,” she whispered.

He turned and leaned on his elbow, hovering over her. “What I want is for this to continue. The way we are now.”

Looking up into his green eyes, she could just imagine how life would be with him. She pulled him down until their lips met. For some reason, she wanted the tenderness he was giving her now. Maybe it was all the emotions that had been bubbling up in her, but she wanted the slowness, the gentleness, the care.

His hands moved over her gently, causing her skin to almost tingle as she arched up into his waiting fingers.

Her hands shook as she pulled him closer. Part of her wanted to tell him that she wanted to stay with him here, forever. But his mouth was busy over hers and she didn’t want to pull away just yet.

Then he was pulling her jacket open, and she could focus on nothing more than the feel of his hands and mouth on her. Her fingers gripped his shoulders, wanting to hold on. She ran them gently over each muscle and enjoyed the veins that ran down each arm. When she pulled at his shirt, he leaned up and yanked it off over his head, then looked down at her.

“You’re so beautiful in the moonlight,” he whispered next to her lips.

She felt like she was spinning and the only way to stay rooted was to hold onto him. His hands moved over her exposed skin slowly, causing her skin to spark and flame. When he moved her shirt up, she moaned at the feeling of his skin against her own.

Before she could wrap her mind around it, she was lying naked under a blanket of stars. He moved closer and the moonlight reflected off the sleekness of his skin. Then he was next to her and she felt like she couldn’t get close enough.

“Please,” she begged over and over again.

“What?” He pulled back and looked down at her. “Tell me what you want, Nikki.” His green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

“You. Just you.” She reached up and pulled him back towards her until she felt him move between her legs. Then he was deep inside her, and she cried out. Her voice echoed as he moved within her. His mouth covered hers, stealing her moans of pleasure as his hips rocked over hers.

She dug her nails into his hips, trying to pull him into a faster pace, but he chuckled and pulled back. His eyes searched hers out. “I want to go slow,” he said between kisses. “I want you to know what it can be like...with me,” he said, and his smile showed her that he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She could only nod and pray that he’d pick up the pace to match her desire. He rested on one of his elbows and started running his fingers over her chest, and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the tenderness. His mouth replaced his fingers and she felt the heat spreading again. She moved under him, with him.

When she wrapped her legs around his hips, it was Ryan who started to beg. His eyes searched hers out and she felt all the breath leave her lungs.

Why had she questioned her feelings for him? Her feelings were as clear as the feelings that were written on Ryan’s face.

She’d fallen hard and fast. She’d only known him for a short while, but she knew without a doubt that he was the one she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.

As the moonlight streamed over their naked bodies, she let herself fall for the very first time in her life as she held onto the only man who could ever make her feel complete.