Goldie nodded. “I did it.”
He felt a wave of relief but couldn’t help feeling bad about it, seeing how devastated she was. “Are you sure about this? Maybe it’s not too late to back out,” he said. Selling the café had broken her heart and she didn’t even know how bad it might be that she’d sold to someone connected to Malcolm Mandeville. It stillworried him. What could the gangster want with a tiny café in Dry Gulch, Montana?
Donovan looked from the hillside down onto the town. He could hear music drifting up from the hotel and the sound of a car backfiring somewhere down the main drag. He didn’t belong here, and now it was time to leave since Goldie’s plan had failed, the sheriff was too much of a blockhead to realize his mistake and Arnie and Malcolm had gotten what they’d wanted. His job here was over.
“I’m sorry about your café,” he said.
She glanced over at him. “Me too.”
He looked into her eyes and saw the pain of her loss, knowing it was much more than losing the café. She was giving up on Sheriff Max Lander, which meant she was giving up on him as well. “Is there any way I can make it better? I do have a couple of ideas,” he said, only half joking.
A smile worked at her lips as she leaned her shoulder against his for a moment before she turned toward him as if on impulse. Her hand cupped the back of his neck and drew him closer to touch her lips to his.
At first, he didn’t move, barely took a breath. As the kiss deepened though, all his male genetics kicked in. His tongue answered hers, his hand found her waist, drawing her closer, burying his free hand in her hair. He’d wanted this from the first time he’d laid eyes on her, but he’d pretty much given up on it ever happening.
He still wasn’t sure it was. He really doubted she wanted to do much up here on a rock overlooking town. Then again… She pulled him back, dropping them both behind the rock onto a bed of dry pine needles.
Okay, he thought,we’re doing this. Right here. Right now.
With her free hand, she tore open his shirt and pressed her palms to his chest as she deepened the kiss. He fumbled herblouse open, wondering when she would stop him or if she would. She’d been specific about the job. No sex. But maybe he was right about things having changed.
He cupped her full breast, thumbing the fabric away to get to her nipple. It was hard and throbbing, his touch making her arch against his hand. He wanted to bend down and pull it into his mouth, but Sheriff Max Lander came to mind in the most annoying way and at the most impromptu time. He felt himself freeze.
This was revenge sex, he realized as she began to work at the zipper on his jeans. Not that he had a problem with that, his body reminded him. Did he really care what her motivation was? He wanted this, wanted her. Needed this. Lived for this. She wanted him. He wanted her. What could it hurt?
He felt his zipper start to go down and with a groan of frustration and irritation at himself, he grabbed her hand to stop her. She drew back to look at him. He shook his head, telling himself he’d gone mad to turn her down. “You don’t want this.”
“Don’t tell me what I want,” she snapped as she sat back, looking close to tears.
He gave her a patient look. “You forget. I know what you want and it’s not me.”
For a moment, he thought she would put up an argument. He almost hoped she would. But then she sighed, and he saw her swallow as she began to rebutton her blouse.
He zipped up his jeans and tried to fix his shirt with several buttons missing, all the time mentally kicking himself for not taking her up on her offer. What was wrong with him? It was almost as if he was falling for this one.
“Let’s go for a ride in that sports car I can’t afford,” Donovan said. He reached out his hand. “I’m going to get you what you want or die trying.”
She sighed. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“So do I,” he said truthfully as he took her hand, and they headed down the hillside, going through the space between the hotel and the town’s post office to his car. The best thing he could do was end this and get out of town. So why wasn’t he?
He looked over at Goldie and groaned inwardly. With this one, there was no leaving in the middle of the night. “I’ll even let you drive.”
“You sure you want to do that?” she said, but he could tell she wanted to.
He tossed her the keys. “You might even want to let your hair down.”
Goldie pulled the scrunchie free, letting her long blond hair fall around her shoulders and grinned over at him as he opened her door and ran around to jump into the passenger side. Behind the wheel she started the engine, backed out and took off down the main drag as if asking to get a speeding ticket.
Donovan laughed and leaned back to enjoy the ride. He couldn’t leave Goldie. Not yet.
“WHAT ARE YOUdoing here?” Luca Havers stood blocking entry into his apartment.
Lolly had driven all the way to Laramie to surprise him, so this was not the reception she’d been expecting. She felt herself bristle.
He must have seen the change in her because his expression softened. “Seriously, Lolly, what are you doing here? We agreed we wouldn’t see each other until it was time.” He looked past her to the street, then finally moved aside to hurriedly let her enter.
“Maybe I’m tired of waiting,” she snapped, knowing she sounded childish and pathetic as she stormed in. Then again, he would expect nothing less from her.
