“You may not believe it, Betsy, but I’ve always kept you in my mind during these years apart. Always thought of you as my friend, if nothing else.”
He realized he had a lot to learn about the grown-up Betsy. In fact, he had a lot to learn about himself, too. Fighting to keep his mouth shut and his sarcastic comeback to himself, he closed his eyes as he braced his hand against the oak tree standing guard less than a foot away. “Any place in particular you’d like to stop for dinner?”
The soft touch of her fingers against his chest jerked him out of his thoughts. Opening his eyes, he found her right in front of him, on the same level ground as him. He pressed harder against the tree. Fought to control his body.
“I heard your thoughts loud and clear.” She dropped her hand to her side but continued to stare into his eyes.
“I don’t know what you mean.” He looked down into the face that had filled his dreams for the past few years. The one he’d fallen asleep with many nights, especially those times there’d been an unpleasant end to a case. Or just the times, for no reason at all, he’d felt as alone as the last mountain lion of his breed. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Hmmmmm. Really?” She tilted her head just enough. “Is that the best you can do?”
She glanced at his lips, and he instantly removed his hand from the protection of the sentry tree. They stood close enough that the fog from their breaths mingled in the air.
A few weeks ago, he’d made the first move back at the parking lot outside Joanie’s. Betsy had first fallen into his kiss, then verbally set him straight about her and him. Walked away after letting him know she was not open to them ever being a couple. That was not the vibe he was getting now. Maybe his instincts were off on what this meant, but he’d sure like to know for sure.
He gently reached over and pulled the scrunchie loose. Her hair spilled forward, surrounding her face in a perfect frame. She didn’t pull away, rather, she slightly leaned forward.
“I love your hair like this. Wild…and free.” Fingering back the strands of ginger red hair errantly reaching for her eyes, her mouth, he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Oh, Betsy. What am I going to do with you?”
“I’m not sure.” She lightly brushed the tips of her fingers across the rim of his bottom lip.
Then walked the few steps up to the parking pad before turning to watch him watching her.
Had she always moved like that? Or only for him? Only now? He couldn’t remember. Didn’t even matter. But damn, he liked that walk. Those boots. Her eyes. Her legs. Her voice. Everything.
Struggling to stay where he stood, he could hardly breathe.
She barely smiled as she pushed her hair back from her face. “Maybe you should kiss me. What do you think?”
Without thinking he took one step, and then another, straight toward her. Then she did that little head tilt once again. Drove him crazy. He liked that, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
From the first time Betsy had seen Cain walking across the park next to their school, until just now as he climbed the lakefront lot’s hill, her insides had always known he would be in her life.
With him gone for the past years, her belief had dimmed until a few months ago when she looked up into his face. Thought she had a concussion or was hallucinating for a moment. Then the low rumble of his voice had flicked the switch that he was pulling her out of a car wreck. That she’d broken her arm again. That Cain had come back to Crayton after all these years.
Since then, even though she’d tried to push her feelings for him away entirely, she’s let the almost twenty-year-old dreams float to the surface once again. Somewhere during the past twenty-four hours of chaos, her emotions had settled into reality. She still cared for him.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Strong, yet gentle, Cain brushed his fingers into her hair, his palm braced softly against her cheek.
She leaned into the feel of his hand on her skin, a cross between a new moon’s crescent arc and a sexy caress of invitation. All she could do was stare at his lips, parted and reaching down for her own. In turn, she eased her hand to the back of his neck and closed her eyes. Suddenly their kiss was everything she’d ever imagined it would be.
She let herself fold into him, and he pulled her close against him, his arms hugging her to his warmth. As if floating in one of her dreams, she felt his lips move to her cheek, to her ear, to her neck when she arched in response. She couldn’t get enough of him. He wanted the same. Finally, their lips found each other again…and they deepened the kiss with their tongues.
The crunch of tires on the gravel road broke them apart. Her breathlessness mingled with his heavy breaths, while his hand moved to his holster. He’d already stationed her behind him as he stepped in front. The clear reality of their situation came roaring back, hitting her with momentary fear.
She strained to stay behind him, yet out of his way to move. “What should I do?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” He crouched them lower, shifted them to the front of the truck. Hidden, but with a clear view in both directions. “I’ve always got you.”
The flash of SUV lights turning to the left, driving for a bit before the headlights illuminated a cabin close to the lake, eased the situation.
Cain turned to her. “Well, as much as I’d like to continue where we left off, I think we should get out of here.”
“Agreed.”
“Just so you know though, this is…” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead “…to be continued.”
