She nodded and slid off the hood, taking with her the scent that muddied his thoughts, made it tough to concentrate.
He stood and stretched with arms overhead, the adrenaline not dissipating, but rather building inside him. As Colette rejoined him, he took the map from her and spread it out across the hood. Peering at it, he tried to figure out exactly where they were. He knew about where they’d been when the patrol car pulled them over. “We’re about here,” he said, placing his index finger on the spot on the map.
Colette once again leaned against him as she looked at where he pointed. “We aren’t too far from Provo.”
He nodded. “It looks like we can take back roads into the city, then probably our best bet is to do as you suggested. Ditch the car and get on a plane toSan Bernardino. As long as we’re in the car we’re sitting ducks.”
She shivered, her eyes once again huge as she looked up at him. “Is this what my life is going to be like from now on? Running? Hiding? I’m supposed to keep Brook safe…how can I do that when I can’t even keep myself safe? If I can’t trust the police, who can I trust?”
Despite his reservations, Hank pulled her into his arms, knowing she needed the physical contact of comfort to chase away the haunting fear in her eyes. Willingly she went into his embrace, molding herself to him, as if needing to crawl inside him, meld to his strength.
“Colette, for every one dirty cop, there’s a thousand good ones,” he murmured, the adrenaline pumping through him as her warmth mingled with his, her scent invaded his head.
She nodded, her hands clutching him tighter around the neck as her body burrowed closer against his. He knew he should disentangle himself from her, knew she was experiencing a common emotional response to danger. But he understood this in some distant part of his mind, a part he didn’t have the willpower to tap in to. Instead he held her tight, as if absorbing her into his very pores.
All his senses seemed heightened. A bird chirped merrily overhead and a warm breeze rustled through the branches of the tree. The sounds of nature mingled with Colette’s soft breaths against his neck, the noise of his own heartbeat surging within his chest.
When she looked up at him, her eyes were darkened with desire, and her gaze lit the flames of desirein him. Groaning deeply, he captured her lips with his, drinking in the sweet passion she offered.
He knew they were both functioning on sheer emotion with no thought to what was right or wrong, but he had no desire to control or change the situation. Although he knew he’d probably regret it later, at the moment he simply wanted to take whatever she offered.
She broke the kiss and took one of his hands in hers. With her eyes blazing in unspoken want, she led him to a shady, grassy area beneath the tree. She knelt down and with one smooth movement pulled her T-shirt over her head. “Hank.” Her voice was as soft as a sigh, as compelling as the sunshine to a flower. “Hank, make love to me.” She sank back in the grass and opened her arms toward him.
His desire for her ached through him, impossible to ignore. He could no more avoid going to her than he could bypass the act of breathing. He eased down next to her, vaguely aware of the lush coolness of the grass, but more captivated by the way she looked.
Dappled sunlight kissed her flushed skin and highlighted her wispy bra. With her chestnut-colored hair and her eyes picking up the green hues surrounding them, she looked like a woodland nymph.
He took her in his arms, his lips once again seeking hers as his hands caressed the silky smoothness of her shoulders, her back. She didn’t merely accept his caresses, but rather was an active participant, her hands moving up beneath his T-shirt with featherlight touches that inflamed his senses.
I should stop this,he thought as his fingers fumbled with the clasp on her bra.One of us has to be strong.This is crazy.But these thoughts were lost as her bra fell away, exposing her full breasts to his heated gaze, his reverent touch.
With his last vestige of control he knew he had to make her understand that there was no forever for them, nothing but this moment of need, this space of time here and now. He had nothing to offer her.
“Colette,” he murmured against the hollow of her neck. “Colette, you have to understand…”
“I know, your rules of seduction. No promises, no commitments.” Her voice was breathy, husky with desire. “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t forget the rules. Just love me, Hank.”
Her words snapped the last strand of his control. He sat back only long enough to pull his shirt over his head, then rejoined her in the sweet grass.
* * *
COLETTE REVELEDin the passion that had been building between them since the moment she’d first seen him at the ranch. His kisses filled her soul, his caresses burned her flesh and she wanted him with a ferocity that overwhelmed her.
Each touch from him spawned renewed fire inside her, every caress carried her higher and higher. And somewhere in the back of her mind was the same strange familiarity, as if they’d been lovers in another lifetime. It was haunting, disturbing, but the impression fled as he removed her sweatpants, his hot hands stroking each inch of flesh as he bared it.
She unbuckled his belt, her fingers trembling with want, with need. He’d used the same belt to hold her captive only the night before, but now she was a willing captive, his prisoner by her own design.
With her help, he removed his jeans and within moments they were both naked. Her hands danced across the muscles and planes of his body, caressing and exploring as he did the same to her.
Their rapid breathing filled the air, mingling with husky moans and gasps of pleasure. The residual of fear, of danger that had been with her for so long, faded beneath the onslaught of passion each of Hank’s caresses evoked.
When he finally entered her, Colette’s heart swelled and tears sprang to her eyes. They were tears of joy. He filled every empty space she’d held in her heart, in her soul. It was the only thing that had felt right in her life since she’d lost her memories.
He moved deeply, slowly within her, taking her higher and higher, leading her to the edge of a precipice. As she went over the edge, she grasped his back and cried out, her cries carrying him with her.
For a long moment neither of them moved, but rather remained locked in their embrace. Colette could feel his heart beating against her own, the rhythms matching as they began to slow to a more normal beat.
With the satiation of passion came the return of reality. As breathtaking as this interlude had been, nothing had changed. Hank was still taking her to a trial, men still intended to try to kill her and they were stuck in the middle of nowhere with a car whose license tags were like a neon invitation to all of Collier’s men.
They dressed silently, the earlier intimacy replaced by an awkward silence. “We’d better get moving,” he finally said.
She nodded, vaguely disappointed to see the cold distance in his eyes. Okay, so that’s the way it’s going to be, she thought as she walked back to the car. They would pretend they hadn’t just made love. After all, she’d promised no commitments, no hope for anything other than that single moment in time. They’d satiated their lust, alleviated inner tension, nothing more.
It was back to the cold of reality. They had to get to San Bernardino. She had to find Brook’s father… before Collier’s men found them.
