Clay: Armed and Dangerous (14 page)

Rylie grabbed her black beaded handbag, tossed in the lipstick, and walked through
the quiet house, wondering where it was that Levi had been going off to every night.
He must have started working some kind of side job that he wasn’t telling her about.
How else could he have afforded the water heater? And why would he be so secretive
about what he was doing?

When she reached the window that looked out onto the front yard, she pushed the curtain
aside and peered through the clouded pane and into the night. A pair of headlights
cut through the darkness, and headed up the dirt road to her ranch house. Her hand
automatically went to her ear and she pulled at the gold earring.

Clay.
Rylie held her purse tight to her belly with one hand, as if it could calm the sudden
flutter there, and stepped back from the window. She took a deep breath and closed
her eyes.

He’s just a man. Nothing special.

The roar of a truck’s engine came closer. She remained still, almost unable to move
while she listened to the sound of gravel crunching under big tires... the engine
cutting off... the slam of a door... and then the sound of heavy boots on her porch
steps.

What’s the matter with me?

The screen door creaked and then a loud knock sounded. Rylie’s eyes flew open and
she stared at the door. Why did it feel like everything would change if she walked
through that door and into Clay’s arms tonight?

Stop being so damn stupid!

Another knock jolted Rylie into action, and she moved forward and reached for the
worn brass knob. When she opened the door, she almost forgot to breathe.

Clay was dressed in a black suit, his mouth curved into a sensual smile and his green
eyes positively smoldering. He looked like he could have stepped out of the pages
of some high-fashioned men’s magazine.

“You’re so gorgeous, honey.” He reached for her, slid his fingers into her hair, and
cupped the back of her head. “Damn, but I’ve missed you.”

“Hey, sexy,” was all she had a chance to say before he brought his mouth to hers.
He moved his lips over hers in a soft and sensuous kiss that stole every bit of her
remaining breath. A moan rose up within Rylie, and she barely realized she had wrapped
her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter to her.

His kiss deepened, her thoughts spinning as she parted her lips and he slipped his
tongue into her mouth. She welcomed him, drawing him deeper into her. Today he tasted
of cinnamon and his own elemental flavor. Clay’s arousal was clear, hard against her
belly. Her core flooded at the thought of having that awesome length deep inside her
again. It’d been too long since she’d had him.

Faintly she heard something clatter to the floor, but the whole world could come crashing
down for all she cared. The only thing that mattered was the feel of this man in her
arms, how good he tasted, his masculine scent, and the way he held her against him.

When he broke the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers. Rylie opened her eyes to
see his sexy smile so close to her lips. Feeling dazed and breathless, she swallowed,
trying to calm the emotions rushing through her.

Not emotions—lust. That was all she felt for him... Lust.

He trailed his knuckles along her jaw line. “You ready to head on out, little wildcat?”

“Yeah.” Her voice was barely a husky whisper.

Snap out of it!
she shouted in her head.

Fixing a flirty smile on her face, Rylie pushed herself away from Clay. “I’m ready
if you are.”

“You don’t know how ready I am.” He winked, but then knelt and started picking up
items from the floor—and Rylie realized what the clatter had been. She’d dropped her
purse, scattering her ID, lipstick, and change all over the floor. Before she had
a chance to help him, he had everything gathered up. “You carry a pocket-knife?” he
asked as he dropped it into her purse and stood.

“I’m pretty handy with it.” She shrugged and took her purse from him. “And it was
a gift from someone who was like a mom to me. She lived down at the old Karchner Ranch,
but she died a while back. Gina Garcia lived there for a while—you remember her.”

Clay nodded.

Gina had taken off abruptly last year, and everybody had worried about her safety.
She was the woman Clay sent Levi to track down to check on her, but that hadn’t worked
out well. Levi lost her in Utah, and never picked up her trail again.

“I think Levi was a little sweet on Gina. The for-sale sign at the Karchner place
got taken down, but I haven’t been by to see who’s living there now. Too hard to go
down there, you know? I always think of Mrs. Karchner.”

“Ah.” Clay glanced around the small living room. “Speaking of Levi, where is your
brother?”

“Hell if I know.” Rylie brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s been gone every
night and won’t tell me where. I think he’s got a side job and just doesn’t want to
tell me about it for some macho reason.”

Something flickered in Clay’s eyes, but then it was gone. “Let’s go before I decide
to forget all about the damn dinner.” He brushed his lips over hers. “ ’Cause the
way you look tonight, honey, we’ll be lucky if we even make it to the mayor’s house.”

“Who needs him anyway?” She flicked her tongue against the corner of his mouth, her
naked skin aching beneath her dress.

He groaned and caught her face in his palms. “I brought a little something for you.”

With a naughty grin, Rylie placed her hand against his package and felt its rigid
length beneath his slacks. “You sure did, but I’d say that’s more than a little something.”

Clay captured her hand in one of his and held it to his chest, while his other hand
dug into his suit jacket and pulled out a long jeweler’s box.

Rylie’s eyes widened and she tried to step back, but he held her hand too tightly
against him. “I can’t accept a gift from you, Clay.” She swallowed as she looked up
at him.

“Just open it.” He placed the box in her free hand until she took it, and then released
her other hand.

Curiosity won out, and she opened the box. Lying upon a bed of black velvet was a
necklace, each link a tiny heart, and each heart with a diamond chip at its center.
“It’s gorgeous.” She snapped the box shut and handed it back to him. “It’s too expensive.
You can’t give me this and I can’t accept it.”

“Let’s just see how it looks.” He reopened the box and unhooked each end of the necklace
from within its velvet nest.

“No.” Rylie shook her head. “I’ve known you for less than two weeks. And I already
told you, no commitment. Of any kind.”

“I’m not asking for commitment.” His smile was so erotic her nipples became diamond
points against the thin fabric of her dress. “Just wear the necklace. Humor me, all
right?”

Raising her chin, she gave him a mischievous smile. “Under one condition.”

Clay quirked his brow. “What’s that?”

“You have to promise to let me do what I want with that other thing you brought me.”

His mouth curved up into a grin. “No problem.”

“While we’re at the mayor’s house.”

“Uh, no.”

“Either that, or we have to do it.” A devious feeling rose up within her. “Anywhere
I say. Anytime. Somewhere very public.”

Clay and Rylie arrived at the mayor’s house promptly at seven. He glanced over at
her in the passenger seat just as she bit her lower lip, and he realized that his
feisty wildcat was nervous.

Well, good. Maybe she’d get that crazy public sex idea out of her beautiful little
head. He couldn’t believe he’d agreed to Rylie’s condition—the woman was making him
certifiably nuts. If he didn’t watch it, his libido was going to get him into serious
trouble.

Hell, he was already courting disaster by dating a suspect’s sister. And after the
new evidence that Deputy Quinn had reported, about seeing Levi riding after suspects
in an interrupted burglary, it was looking more and more like Rylie’s brother was
in some deep shit. They’d know more after Quinn served the warrant at the bank and
checked out that safety deposit box. Until then, he needed to let it all go and give
Rylie his full attention. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Ready?”

A car passed, the headlights illuminating her delicate features as her eyes met his.
She raised her chin, a proud tilt to her head. “What if I don’t fit in here? I’m just
a rancher—”

Clay caught her face in his hands and silenced her with a long, hard kiss. When he
pulled away, he looked into her eyes that glittered in the near darkness. “Honey,
you’re smart and sexy... you fit me perfectly.”

“But—”

He pressed his thumb against her lips, silencing her protest.

“Just be the beautiful and confident Rylie Thorn that I can’t get enough of.”

Clay helped her out of his truck, and she held his hand tight as they walked up to
the home of Douglas mayor Eduardo Montano, one of the biggest houses in the area.
A well-known businessman even before becoming mayor, Montano owned a popular Mexican
restaurant in town. At one time Montano had run for U.S. Congress but had lost to
the incumbent.

Rylie’s chin rose higher as a young man greeted them at the door, then escorted them
into a formal living room already filled with guests. Clay squeezed her hand and felt
her relax, as though his confidence was transferred to her. The mayor’s home was decorated
much as his restaurant was, in bold colors, with portraits of bullfighters and other
decor that spoke of his Hispanic heritage. A quick check of the place told Clay one
important thing: Guerrero wasn’t present in the crowd. That would definitely make
it a better night.

“Sheriff Wayland.” Montano approached them, holding out one hand. “It is good to see
you again.”

“Mayor Montano.” Clay grasped the mayor’s hand in a firm grip, then released it to
introduce Rylie. “Have you met Rylie Thorn? She and her brother own a ranch outside
town.”

Montano clasped Rylie’s hand and smiled. “A pleasure, señorita.” Her smile was radiant
as she responded in kind to the mayor. Before Clay had the chance to say another word,
Montano took it upon himself to introduce Rylie to each of the other guests, which
included council members and a couple of local business owners and their spouses.
All Clay could do was follow like some third wheel, but every now and then Rylie would
toss him a look that said
Don’t forget your promise to take me in public,
and it was all he could do to keep from sporting a hard-on the entire evening.

Throughout the night, the way that the other men looked at Rylie, Clay couldn’t decide
whether he should want to kick their asses or stick out his chest with pride. She
was a knockout in her tiny black dress and high heels, clearly the most beautiful
woman there. Her hair shimmered like gold floss in the light of the chandeliers, and
her brown eyes seemed bigger and more luminous than ever. The delicate chain of golden
hearts and diamonds glittered with every move she made.

Truth be told, he had wondered what Rylie might come up with tonight as frank as she
was in conversation. That was one of the things he loved about her, the way she spoke
her mind without worrying about what others might think.

When they were seated for dinner, Clay and Rylie found themselves in the middle of
one side of the table set for twelve.

“I’ve never been to such a fancy dinner,” Rylie whispered to Clay as they were served
cold gazpacho in footed silver bowls. “I’m afraid I’m going to do something stupid.”

“You’ll do fine, honey.” He settled his hand on her knee beneath the tablecloth, enjoying
her slight gasp as he moved his fingers to the warm flesh inside her thigh. “Just
do what I do.”

“All right.” She smiled and moved her hand to his lap, right where it counted. “Like
that?”

Clay’s cock jerked and hardened at her touch, and he fought the urge to see if the
people seated to either side of them could see what she was doing to him. He lowered
his lids, his gaze burning into hers. “Eat your dinner.”

She spoke so softly that he almost had to read her lips, as she said, “I’d rather
have you for a main course.”

He damn near groaned out loud at the thought of those lips and that soft mouth going
down on him. The councilman on Rylie’s other side took that moment to ask her a question,
and her teasing brown eyes were drawn from Clay.

As they ate dinner, conversation ranged from politics to various other problems that
plagued the border community. Rylie made it a point to torture Clay with a hand on
his lap, or sliding off her shoe and running her silken foot along his ankle. At one
point she even leaned in, her vanilla musk scent sweeping over him as she whispered,
“I want to fuck you now.”

Clay just about choked on his mouthful of grilled salmon. He retaliated by sliding
his fingers along the inside of her thigh, planning to rub his fingers along the crotch
of her panties—only to have his fingers come in contact with warm, bare skin. His
erection hardened to the point he’d thought for sure it would thrust right through
the material of his dress slacks.

When the topic of truck thefts came up, Clay tried to head it off with, “We’re working
on it,” but each person at the table seemed to have some comment.

“Well, something needs to be done, and soon,” Rylie added to the conversation. Clay
tensed beside her.

Eduardo Montano’s eyes rested on her. “What would you suggest?”

She set her fork on the edge of her plate, her gaze steady as it met the mayor’s.
“It’s obvious that it can’t be completely an outside job.” Conversation around the
table quieted as Rylie continued, “The thieves know who’s home and who isn’t, good
times to strike, times to stay away... I believe it’s someone familiar with folks
in the area.”

Montano nodded. “Do you think it could be anyone you know?”

Clay was practically holding his breath as he watched Rylie brush a strand of hair
behind her ear, a troubled look crossing her face. “I can’t imagine it would be any
of the ranchers in our area. They’re all good people, and most of them have been hit.
But whoever it is, the law should lock them up for good once the bastard’s caught.”