Desperado: Deep in the Heart, Book 2 (14 page)

It would be best not to sit here like an unmoving target. She knew exactly what Cody would do when he got Annie’s call in his truck. He’d ricochet back in sixty seconds or less to give her a good lecture.

She needed to be ready to step out the door the instant he arrived, with the excuse that she had a very important appointment and didn’t have any time to talk to him. If she hurried, she might make it to the parking lot before he got to the hotel. Quickly, she brushed her hair, her teeth, and ran a lipstick over her lips. She grabbed her purse, and flung the door open.

Cody stood outside, his hand raised to knock. “Going somewhere?”

“Yes, I was. I am. I have an appointment.”

“You’ll have to be a few minutes late. I want to talk to you.”

Her heart thundered in her chest. He was so large, his expression so forbidding, and she knew he was extremely displeased with her right now. “This isn’t a good time—”

He strode into the room. She shook her head at him. “I’m sorry. I really am leaving—”

Cody shut the door, all the while looking into her eyes. Without saying a word, he reached into his pocket and drew out a nail much too large to ever be used for hanging pictures.

“Good thing I was riding fence this morning,” he said. “This is to make sure you and I come to an agreement.”

Before her astonished gaze, he pulled off a boot and hammered the nail into the door. “You’re not leaving, and I’m not going, until we figure out how you can possibly stay in Desperado another week and not turn my life into a soap opera.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“You darn well do. I no sooner leave here than Annie calls to tell me that Mary’s staying with you for a few days. Was I not just in this room telling you that you’re a bad influence on the child? Did you mention to her mother that, because of you, Mary has fluorescent hair?”

“No,” she said a bit weakly. “I didn’t want to get Mary in trouble.”

“You didn’t want Annie thinking badly of you!” he thundered. “You’re not about to do anything that might jeopardize your movie deal!”

“Well, I am,” she shot back. “Obviously, I’ve upset you, and you’re the one I made the deal with. So that doesn’t wash.” Angrily, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Either you take that nail out of the door, or I call the desk.”

“No, you won’t. It’s just as much for your peace of mind as mine that we figure out a way to get along for the period of time you’ll be running in and out of Desperado. Because I have no hope that just because you say you’re only staying another week, it will really happen.”

In the movie industry, who knew? Jonathan had mentioned something to her about flying back to Desperado later to work as an assistant to the director, if she managed to work this deal out. It was a job, and though she and Jonathan fought constantly, he did try to look out for her employment-wise.

“I don’t know myself.”

“That’s my point. I don’t think I’ve gotten a solid day’s work done since you’ve been here. You’ve got to stop meddling in my business—and my family. Mary has no reason to be here with you.”

“On the contrary,” Stormy snapped, her feelings hurt, “Annie seems to think I’m a good influence on Mary.”

“Of course she does! She doesn’t know about the hair and the three earrings she’s decided she wants!” Cody glared at her.

“That’s not the point and you know it! You know what I think?” Stormy drew herself up to match his glare. “I think you’re jealous. Of me. I think you’re flustered because you know that Mary likes me.”

He frowned at her. “There’s nothing about you at all that I find remotely flustering.”

Stormy stared at Cody, thoroughly put out. The big man was going to jump from point to point and refuse to admit she wasn’t the problem. He thought it was all right to lock her in her room so they could talk, but that wasn’t what he wanted at all. He just wanted to blame her for things that weren’t all her fault. Yes, the hair-dying incident could be laid uncomfortably at her door, but Mary’s problems had started long before Stormy came to Desperado. And Crazy Cody was used to scaring people off, relying on his nickname to give himself some bluster.

Well, she wasn’t fooled.

“Cody, I’m asking you one last time to remove that nail,” she said quietly. “Or you’ll force me to do something drastic.”

“I find everything about you drastic. I’m past the shock stage, little woman.” He shook his head in the negative. “But all I want, all I’m asking for is for you to quit—
What are you doing?
”

She knew how to stop his pointless arguing, his constant harping and posturing. Stormy reached under her shirt, pulled off her red satin bra, and tossed it at him.

His jaw dropped. “Stormy—”

Obviously, more ammunition was required to win a retreat from him. Her hand reached into her silky pants.

Cody felt his heart going wild in his chest. What was the woman up to? He heard
snap!
snap!
and a dainty piece of red lace and satin landed on his boots.

“Maybe you and I should get to the real issue,” she said softly.

She was torturing him! The tiny woman with the big mouth was determined to win at any cost, the she-devil! He felt sweat running down his brow. It would be best if he called “Surrender!” and left with his pride if nothing else.

Her white blouse hit the floor. Cody stood riveted. The fight or flee instinct seared him. Either he could throw this woman to the bed and ravish her, or he could run out the door. But that would give her the upper hand, and the satisfaction of knowing she held all the winning cards.

He had never been a coward. Cody stood fast, although her round breasts with russet-tipped nipples definitely had his complete attention. Surely, she didn’t intend to go any further with this game.

She reached for the drawstring of her floral pants, her fingers hovering there. Something inside him snapped, and he reached to give the drawstring a good tug. The pants fell to the floor.

Stormy Nixon was a true redhead in every sense of the word.

She was also as beautiful as a goddess. His mouth dried up; his body reacted instantly.

He had to have her.

Stormy faltered at the hunger that flared in Cody’s eyes. For a second, she wondered if she’d pushed her luck too far. Something had taken over her, urging her to bring their relationship to the point that all the arguing was merely camouflaging. She wanted him, and he wanted her. He bent to take her in his arms, sweeping her up and over to the bed.

With eager fingers, she helped him get his clothes off. Quickly. He stared at her with purposeful eyes, and Stormy gloried in his obvious desire for her. She drew him into the bed with her and sighed when his body met hers. When he kissed her lips, her neck, her breasts, it was all she could do not to cry with relief.

“I have a condom in my wallet that’s so old I’m not sure it hasn’t rotted,” he said, his voice taut with need.

Stormy’s eyes widened at the unexpected message in his words. “Here’s hoping for the best,” she said as he reached for it.

It didn’t appear to have suffered ill effects from age. Stormy’s breath caught as she helped him put it on, touching his body in places she’d always wondered about. Her experience with men and stable relationships was nonexistent. Were all men so strong, so well built? Or was it just her lover who had a rock-hard body that was thrilling to touch? Gasping in a small breath of air, she felt his tongue run along her lips, before he took her mouth completely. His hand smoothed along her back, clasping her to him tightly. There was a part of her body that desperately wanted his touch, and he found that, too, before he joined himself to her. Stormy cried out, unable to comprehend that a man and a woman could feel this way together.

He stared down at her. “Are you all right? Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she whispered. The pain was worth the pleasure. “Don’t stop.”

It was fire and ice, dark, hard-marble body riding her smooth, alabaster one. Black hair flung over strong-muscled shoulders that held her pressed against his chest tightly. He groaned, sending a thrill through her and urging her to move faster against him.

They were so different, yet this loving felt so right. She knew it in her heart. Suddenly, she felt passion filling inside her, sweeping her along and carrying her over the edge of a waterfall of delight. Crying out in astonishment, she heard Cody’s hoarse answer as he found the same pleasure.

She pulled his face to hers so that she could kiss him, and as they melded together, Stormy found the place she’d always dreamed of. She found security. Something far more exciting than anything she ever found on her shopping trips, her endless forays to find things to fill her life.

She found complete heaven.

Cody lay still, his face buried in Stormy’s hair, which smelled tantalizing and wonderful. His mind raced. What in the hell had he just done? He’d made love to an oddly named, unusual looking woman with whom he had nothing in common. How could this fair-skinned woman whose world revolved around glamour and make-believe make him feel like a king in her arms? This could go no further than it had. There would be no magic triumph over the matters that separated them in their future.

Cody kissed Stormy one more time, lingering over her lips, before pulling gently away. It felt like leaving half of himself behind.

Then he saw the tiny spots of blood on the white hotel sheet. Unwelcome perception hit him like a lightning bolt.

“You were a virgin!” he exclaimed hoarsely.

She cocked her head at him, her hair spread over the pillow. “Yes.”

Shock put cold fingers around his heart. He fought off the emotional trap. “How did that happen?”

“What do you mean? Are there no thirty-year-old virgins in Desperado?” She eyed him curiously.

“Maybe, but I doubt there’s an abundance in Hollywood.”

Bristling, Stormy said, “You act like I have a social deficiency.”

“No.” He sat up wearily on the side of the bed. “I just wish you’d told me.”

“So you wouldn’t have made love to me? Do you regret it?”

He ran a light finger along her leg, mesmerized by the softness of her skin. “Yes.” What in the heck was he going to do with the gift of her virginity? He certainly didn’t deserve it. “I didn’t have the right to…”

“I see. You weren’t looking for any kind of commitment and taking my virginity implies one.” Stormy pushed his hand away. “Oops. Guess you’d better interview your next bedmate.”

Knocking at the door made both of them jump.

“Stormy?” Mary called.

She rattled the doorknob. For one second, Stormy blessed the nail that Cody had banged into the wood.

After a disastrously long moment, they heard Mary’s footsteps in the hall as she left.

“Oh, my gosh!” Stormy whispered frantically. “We nearly got caught! I’m supposed to be a good example for—” She caught Cody’s glare on her. “Oh, don’t say a word. You’re the one with the handyman urges.”

She pulled on her clothes. Cody dressed, too. They faced each other awkwardly.

“I hope you’ll think about what I said,” he told her. “Mary needs guidance, not wildness.”

“Oh, and it’s guidance she’s getting from her uncle. I hope you’ll think about what an overbearing boor you are.”

His lips pressed flat. He reached up to jerk the long, flat-headed nail from the wood. It wouldn’t budge.

“Wait,” Stormy said, catching his arm. “Did you come up to my room to ravish me?”

“No way. I assure you it was the last thing on my mind. I was prepared to lock you in here until I talked sense into you where my niece is concerned.”

“I see,” Stormy said coldly.

He tried again to pull the nail out. It stayed firmly embedded.

“I may need something to get this out,” he said, his expression turning sheepish.

“What if there’d been a fire?” Stormy demanded. The old hotel was nearly completely wooden, with a paddle wheel out front on the creek side. She wondered if the antiquated place even had sprinklers.

“I’d have thrown you out the window,” he replied nonchalantly.

“Nude, I suppose.”

“You want to give these country bumpkins a show so badly? Well, you would have. We could have called it a preview to
The Devil’s Own
.”
He reached up again, and jerked with all his might. The nail came loose, bringing a piece of wood with it.

Thoroughly incensed, Stormy opened the second-story window. “Get out.”

“I am.”

He went toward the door, but Stormy started to scream. Rushing to clap his hand over her mouth, he stared down at her in shock. “Do you want everyone in the hotel to know I’m in here?”

“I’m giving you the same consideration you would have given me. Out!” She pointed to the window.

“I’m not going out the window.”

“Yes, you are, or I scream the place down. You should thank me for not pushing you out.”

“I could break my leg,” he warned her. “This is not the way to get what you want from me.”

“Out!”