Smoking Hot (20 page)

Remember, people are only human, Raine,
Hank McCandless's words filled her head.
We all make mistakes. You will, too. Sometimes all you can do is hold your head high and make the best of a bad situation. If you're honest and do your best, then you'll always have that to fall back on when times get tough. Be proud of who you are.

Her father was a smart man when it came to people, except for her mother. He turned a blind eye to all of Lucille's flaws. But before Raine could begin to feel sorry for herself, she raised her head and met Mrs. Albright's gaze without wavering. The other woman cleared her throat and looked away.

“She's right. Ethan wouldn't pay cash,” Dillon said, drawing her attention back to him. “Not for the full price.”

Raine thought about what he said. Ethan wasn't stupid. If he paid the entire amount he would automatically become a suspect. He could get away with a down payment. Why would he even go that far? Why not wait until she was charged with the crime?

“I wondered if that eyesore would ever sell,” Mrs. Albright's friend commented. “The plate glass windows are so grimy they're disgusting.”

“You haven't seen it recently, then. The owner washed the windows squeaky clean. He had
two
interested buyers, so there was a little competition. Ethan won the bid.”

“How do you know all this?” Her friend regarded her with more than a little skepticism.

“Ethan came to me. He said that he trusted my business acumen. He asked if I would put in a good word with some of my connections regarding his business venture.” She sat a little straighter. “He had to explain his plans to me before I would agree, of course. There's a reason why I'm a good businesswoman. I probably shouldn't say a word, though.” She nibbled her bottom lip as though she couldn't decide.

Her friend was on the edge of her seat. “You can't leave me hanging! I'm your very best friend and you know I won't breathe a word.”

“You can't tell a soul,” Mrs. Albright warned, and her friend vigorously nodded. Mrs. Albright leaned in closer, but she was a little hard of hearing so her quiet voice was still just loud enough Raine could hear. “Ethan restores old cars and pickups. He does all the work himself, but the profits have been low. He came up with this idea of making sculptures out of old vehicle parts. A few months ago he showed me pictures of the finished product. They're very good. I was a little surprised. He is only a deputy.”

Raine frowned, but quickly cleared her expression and closed her eyes as though she was dozing in the chair.

“The poor boy almost had to scrap the whole venture. The house he's renting finally sold. There aren't any decent houses in town for rent which would have allowed him to continue his restoration and sculpting. A fire hazard, you know, with all the welding he has to do.”

“What happened?” her friend asked as though she couldn't wait to hear the ending.

“He inherited some money from an uncle he didn't know he had! It was enough he could put a down payment on the building. Now he'll have plenty of room. Isn't that the most amazing thing you've ever heard?”

Amazing
, Raine thought. How fortunate for Ethan.

“I love happy endings.” The woman clapped her hands together, then quickly looked around to make sure she hadn't drawn attention to herself.

“Yes, I know. And the best news is that I've been talking to my clients up North and they're practically salivating to buy the sculptures. Some of my clients asked about the restored automobiles, too. Of course, I'll get a small finder's fee.”

“You're so smart!”

“I know.” Mrs. Albright preened. “It's a win-win business deal for me. Mind you, I won't make that much, but all I had to do was make a couple of phone calls.”

“All done. What do you think?”

Raine looked at her feet and hands. Dark purple? She didn't remember choosing the color, but Marsha was waiting for Raine to say something. “I love it.”

Marsha smiled.

After paying, Raine left the beauty shop. “The town is so quick to believe Grandpa and I robbed the bank, but Ethan has become Mrs. Albright's golden boy. He has to be the one who robbed the bank.”

“We'll find the evidence. It shouldn't be that difficult to discover where the money came from.”

“If we don't?”

“We will.”

“Ethan's a good cop. He would know how to cover his tracks.” Her spirits sank lower. She looked up and saw a long table right outside the drugstore. It was draped in a pretty red-and-white checked tablecloth and there were a dozen or so desserts displayed with white folded cards in front of each that told the name and price. The church bake sale.

Behind the table were four of the biggest gossips in town, along with three potential customers who tried to decide what they would buy. That is until they saw her coming down the street talking to thin air.

“Can my life get any worse?” She turned on Dillon. “Will you please go away and leave me alone? Your help is going to get me a life sentence!” And she didn't care who heard her as she stormed toward her pickup. When she opened the door it almost fell off the hinges and creaked so shrilly that if it were an octave higher, the sound would have shattered windows all over town.

The townspeople would crucify her. By nightfall it would be all over town that she'd gone off the deep end. She better get used to wearing orange. There wouldn't be beauty parlors, either. She only went for information, but getting her hair fixed and her feet massaged was better than she'd expected. She could forget about having that in her future. Gangs, that's what they had in prison. She would end up as some big, ugly, burly woman's bitch.

She stepped on the running board and slid inside the cab. Everything she loved would be gone. She turned the key and, after a couple of weak attempts, the pickup started. She should be grateful. She wasn't. As she drove down the road, the frame vibrated like a jackhammer chipping concrete. Old Red was one of the few things she wouldn't miss. Yeah, Dwayne fixed it, all right. She should've known not to let him come near her pickup.

She
was
grateful Dillon was out of her hair. She was better off without him. Her stomach lurched at the thought of never seeing him again. No, he meant nothing to her. A great sex partner, but nothing more. Unwanted visions crossed her mind. The way he pulled her closer to his naked body. His hands. She sucked in a trembling breath. Her body grew warm thinking about the way he touched her.

She grabbed the steering wheel in a death grip. She needed to think about something other than him. Look at how he'd screwed up her life. “Oh yeah, let's think about how he
screwed
up my life,” she mumbled.

As she drove down the street she tried to think about anything
but
Dillon. Her gaze landed on her newly polished nails. That was it. She would think about her nails. They were nicely shaped. Deep purple. Raine didn't think she was the purple type.

It wasn't working! Who the hell cared what color her nails were painted? Maybe the butch inmate who latched onto her would like them. Well, except they would be chipped by then.

Her stomach rumbled, but this time because she was hungry. She made a split-second decision and turned in to the grocery store parking lot. She actually did need milk, and she didn't want to face an empty house. That was a first. She usually preferred being alone.

After snagging a parking place close to the entrance, she turned the key. Old Red came to a teeth-jarring stop, then rattled and sputtered for a good thirty seconds before finally dying with a loud bang. One woman on her way inside almost got whiplash turning to see if there was some kind of natural disaster occurring behind her. A man scooped up his little boy and hurried toward his truck. Three teenage girls stopped to point and giggle.

No, she definitely wouldn't miss the pickup. She hurried inside, grabbing a cart, except when she pulled on the handle, the whole line of carts moved.
Not today
, she silently prayed, then glanced up. “Never mind. I don't want any help.”

Placing one foot on the bottom of the cart and taking a firmer grip on the handle, she pulled with all she had. The cart broke free. Victory. She swaggered down the aisle and picked up a gallon of milk. A loaf of bread was next, followed by a small jar of peanut butter. The staples of life. She still had a brand new jar of strawberry preserves at the house.

As she moved toward checkout, she passed the candy aisle. Chocolate sounded therapeutic right then. She grabbed a giant chocolate bar, then tossed in another for good measure. That was it, nothing more, she told herself and veered down the next aisle. Marshmallows. Great big fluffy ones. She tossed in two bags, then added a third. She might as well go for broke. She backtracked and grabbed a box of graham crackers. As she checked out, Raine was pretty sure she would regret her purchases. What the hell, tomorrow was another day. Today, she wasn't going to regret a thing!

Dillon knew this might not be a good time to approach Raine. She was upset because people saw her carrying on a conversation when no one was with her. He doubted she would listen to reason. Not that he could blame her. Every time he tried to fix her life, he made it worse.

He glanced at the clock. She should be home by now. She was probably trying to find a way to nail Ethan. She wouldn't want his help. He didn't blame her.

But all the evidence pointed to the deputy. It looked as though Ethan robbed the bank. Maybe Leo helped. He didn't act as if he had very many working brain cells, but it could be an act to throw off suspicion.

They only needed evidence. Talking to Raine about setting a trap for Ethan sounded like a good reason to see her again. Hell, he didn't need a reason except he missed her. He closed his eyes.

“We're going to the bar,” Hunter said. “Want to tag along?”

The sound of another voice was jarring. Dillon caught himself before he could transport, but lost his balance and fell backwards, landing with a hard whack on his ass. Damn, what was it with people knocking him down? “You had to ask when I was about to leave?”

Hunter grinned.

“It's not funny. I think I cracked something.”

“Yeah, your ass.”

“Now you're a comedian?”

“Have a beer with us. Chance is leaving in the morning.”

Chance never stayed long. It was as though he'd finally found what he was looking for. As had Ryder. Dillon started to tell Hunter that he had things to do, but there was something in his friend's expression that made him pause. “Something's wrong.”

Hunter shook his head. “No, the ranch is starting to feel deserted, that's all. With Ryder gone, Chance leaving, and you on assignment, the place echoes.” He shook his head again. “I guess I wanted to go out like we used to do in the old days.”

“You mean when you started barroom fights?” Dillon started to laugh at his joke, but something in Hunter's eyes said he was serious.

“The guy had it coming.” He waited, then said, “What do you say? For old times.”

When he thought about it, Dillon knew what he meant. The four of them had been together for a long time. They'd fought demons and saved lives. They answered prayers and watched each others' backs. Hell, they were kids when they'd banded together.

Hunter never talked about his past. Once when he'd had too many beers, he mumbled something about his mother trying to save herself. It was an unspoken law between all of them they wouldn't pry into the past but move forward into the future. Over the years they discovered small things about each other—except for Hunter. They still didn't know a lot about him. He liked to watch
Survivor
, even the reruns. He had an affinity for animals. They'd created a place years ago, before they bought the ranch and it became a haven for the strays he rescued. Other than that, he was a mystery. But he was a brother, a friend.

Dillon took the hand Hunter offered and pulled himself up. “Yeah, let's have a beer.” He was pretty sure Raine would be okay until he returned, but he wasn't so sure about Hunter.

Chance arrived a few minutes later. He looked from one man to the other. “Brothers,” he said and held out his hand.

Hunter grasped it. “Brothers.”

Dillon nodded and held tight to the hand his friend gave him. It was as if to say no matter what happened in life, they would always have the bond that was forged so long ago. Dillon couldn't help looking to his left. When he raised his eyes, he knew they all thought the same thing. There was still one missing.

It was much later that night when Dillon transported. There was an eerie silence surrounding him when he opened his eyes. Raine's kitchen resembled a war zone. A box was on its side with graham crackers spilling out. Marshmallows were scattered on the counter, and the wrapping from a chocolate bar was missing but the bar was intact.

Something was wrong. He wondered if Raine might be asleep, but a noise from the living room drew him in that direction. He stopped in the doorway. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She'd changed into a purple T-shirt that reached just above her knees. Her legs were curled beneath her on the sofa and she had an album open on her lap.

She turned the page. A whisper of a smile curved her mouth. “My father was a good sheriff. He never ran an ad in the paper when election time came. He didn't need to, since no one ran against him. They wouldn't have stood a chance.”

Dillon wondered how she knew he was there. She looked up, met his eyes, and he saw the sheen of tears swimming in hers.

“When you're near, I catch the scent of leather and sage,” she explained as if she knew what he'd been thinking. “It's a clean, outdoors kind of aroma. My father taught me to be alert to changes in my surroundings. The strange thing was, he didn't have a clue my mother cheated on him. He loved her so much he looked the other way. Then she left him anyway. But until then, he was a good sheriff.” She closed the album and leaned forward to carefully place it on the coffee table in front of her.

“Are you okay?”

“For someone about to go to prison? Sure, I'm fine.” She came to her feet. “I was going to make s'mores but changed my mind. They say chocolate makes everything better. I don't know. I've never gotten around to checking it out for myself. Would you like some?”

He shook his head as he walked toward her. “We still have time to catch them.”

“If Ethan robbed the bank, then we won't pin him with the crime. We never quite hit it off, but I can't say anything against his skills as an officer. He's good. On the other hand, Sheriff Barnes has enough evidence needed to place the blame at mine and Grandpa's feet. It will happen like your friend predicted. I'll go to prison, Grandpa will have a heart attack, and Tilly's new digs will be under a bridge. I wonder how bad the other inmates will treat me once they discover I'm a cop. Maybe they'll have chocolate in prison and I can finally see if it works to ward off the blues.”

He stopped beside her and gathered her in his arms. At first she resisted, but it didn't take much prodding for her to rest her head against his shoulder with a deep sigh. He held her close, breathing in the scents of almond and coconut from her trip to the beauty parlor. She smelled good, and her soft body pressed against his made it difficult to concentrate.

“Make love to me,” she whispered, voicing his thoughts.

“You're depressed.”

“Make me un-depressed.”

“Close your eyes.”

He felt the tremble that ran through her. Air rushed past. She tightened her hold around his neck. He kept her close against him so she wouldn't be scared. Like before, air swirled around them, lights flashed. Her hold tightened. Then it was over and they were standing on solid ground again.

“The House of Ecstasy,” she said as she looked around the cavernous room. “I don't know if I'm up to watching other people making love.”

“We won't be watching anyone this time.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “I don't want anyone watching me, either.”

He pulled her along with him as they walked to the door. The window opened. The blue light swept over them again, creating the same heat as before. When the door opened, they walked inside.

“Where are you taking me this time?” she asked, curiosity lacing her words.

“We're going swimming,” he told her and stopped in front of another door. Before he opened it, Dillon pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. Raine nibbled her bottom lip. He unfastened his belt, then the top button of his jeans. Her eyes locked on his hands as he tugged the zipper down. He toed off his boots; his socks followed. Then he removed his jeans and boxers. She visibly swallowed. She finally dragged her gaze back up when his hat landed on top of the pile.

“You're magnificent,” she breathed, reaching out to run purple painted nails down his chest.

He sucked in a mouthful of air, wondering how her touch had the power to turn his insides to mush. Rather than dwell on the answer, he took the hem of the long shirt she wore and pulled it over her head, adding it to the pile. He'd known she wouldn't be wearing anything else, but his imagination wasn't nearly as good as looking at the real thing. His dick quivered with the need to sink inside her, but it was too soon and he had more pleasure to experience with her.

He opened the door and took her hand. She followed, but he noticed her slight hesitation. She wasn't as tough as she acted. He waited for her reaction, hoping she wouldn't be disappointed.

Her gaze slowly scanned the room. Her eyes opened wide in disbelief. “This is perfect.” She began to laugh as she moved the rest of the way inside.

He relaxed. “I thought you'd like it.” He glanced around. The pool was filled with chocolate rather than water. There was a chocolate waterfall and a chocolate hot tub. “Are you game?”

“Yes, I am.” She walked to the edge of the pool and jumped in. Chocolate came to her shoulders. “It's cold.” She laughed.

“But how does it feel?”

“Join me and find out for yourself.”

He walked to the edge and jumped in. The chocolate was thin so they could easily move around. And she was right. It was cold. He moved nearer, scooping up a handful and dumping it over her head.

She screamed and jumped back, laughing more. “I can count on one hand the times I've splurged on going to a beauty shop, and you've ruined my new hairdo,” she said with a pout.

He was an idiot not to think about that. Women were very particular about their hair and makeup. “Raine, I'm sorry.” He didn't pick up the emphasis of the palm of her hand sliding forcefully across the chocolate until a wide stream hit him square in the face. “That was dirty.” He wiped the chocolate off his face just in time to see her grin and dive into the pool. He should've known she wouldn't be that concerned with messing up her hair. He dove in after her.

She didn't stop swimming until she was beneath the waterfall, then she moved to her back and floated under it, gasping when the chocolate hit sensitive areas. Her moan of pleasure almost did him in. He should've known it would be harder to hold back when she was floating naked in a pool of chocolate.

But he wanted her to relax and not worry about what was happening back home. There would be enough time for that when they returned. For now, he would enjoy watching her play. When he saw she grew tired, he took her hand and helped her out of the pool.

“I want you,” she said.

Her words were almost too much. “I want you, too, but not yet.” He led her to the hot tub.

“Hot chocolate?”

“Hot fudge.”

The hot tub was even with the tiled surface so all they had to do was go down the steps. He went first, the heat of the chocolate surrounding him, then he reached out his hand. She took it and followed his lead. The thick chocolate moved over her legs, up her thighs. Her eyes drifted partially closed as she moved farther down the steps. She gasped when it rose higher, skimming between her legs.

“It's very warm,” she said.

“Too hot?”

She shook her head. “I like it.”

He scooped some up and covered her breasts, smearing the thick chocolate over them. Sliding his hand down, then scooping up more, he massaged the warm fudge between her legs. She moved against his hand.

“They were right,” she said.

“Who?'

“The ones who said chocolate would make everything all better.”

He smiled and pulled her down deeper into the heat. Her expression showed her disappointment that he wasn't going to continue touching her, but he had a feeling she knew there would be more pleasure, so she didn't argue.

“Sit,” he told her when they were on the other side of the hot tub. “There are places below the surface to hold.”

She sat on the step. The fudge rose to her shoulders. “I have them.”

“There are pillows that will rise when you lean back. Rest your head against them and let yourself relax.”

She leaned back, her head resting against the pillow that rose beneath the surface. The fudge was thick enough to keep her body below the surface. But the best was yet to come.

“Do you feel relaxed?”

“Very.”

“Then spread your legs.”

Her eyes opened. The heat inside the hot tub rose. Her teeth scraped across her bottom lip and he knew her legs were opening. With a wave of his hand jets began to vibrate the chocolate. She moaned, eyes closing. He sat down, grabbed the handles, and let his body unwind as the gentle vibrations caressed him. Wave after wave of hot fudge lapped his body, his dick.

He looked at Raine and knew she experienced the same sensations. The same pulsating massage. Her breathing came in tiny little gasps. Her back arched. Her breasts rose above the surface. He pushed himself up until he sat on the side of the hot tub and watched.

“Dillon, oh damn, it feels so fucking good.”

He watched the passion on her face. She was at the peak of her desire. Close to the edge. “Spread your legs more,” he said. He waved his arm again and the gentle lapping of hot fudge began to ripple faster and faster.

Raine drew in a breath. “Dillon, I'm…”

“What? About to have an orgasm?”

“Yessss.”

“Let yourself go. The House of Ecstasy is no place to hold back. It's a house where every sexual pleasure is experienced.” He waved his hand again. The sensual vibrations increased.

She cried out, back arching. He stared as she reached the peak of her passion. When he knew her energy was spent he jumped back into the hot tub and slipped his arms beneath her. As he lifted her out, tremors were running through her body.

He carried her past the pool and stepped into what looked like a jungle. She dragged her eyes open and smiled at him.