EDGE (27 page)

He was ten years her senior, but last night he’d put away his years, and the lingering pain in his leg, to perform like he’d never performed before.

What a woman.

What she’d suffered. To have never experienced an orgasm, something so vital to a healthy sex life, and then to let him be the man who showed her what she’d been missing. He was deeply honored. He’d realized sometime during the night, he was also falling in love with her, which put him in deep shit.

He shouldn’t have made love to her without letting her know who he really was. There was no time to waste. How did he tell her he’d been deceiving her since the moment they’d met?

She was going to kill him, or worse, kick him off The Edge.

He stretched and then groaned. He was going to feel last night all day. He needed some vitamins.

Cache showered and dressed while running the words he’d say to Mel over and over in his head. He’d yet to come upon any that didn’t make him sound as though he hadn’t planned to exploit her from the beginning.

Entering the quiet kitchen, he found Nicole sitting at the table, studying a cookbook.

“Afternoon,” she said with a knowing smile. “Can I get you something to eat?”

“Afternoon?” Cache glanced through the window at the sun. Damn, you couldn’t tell what time of day it was by the position of the sun in this part of the country. “What time is it?”

“Almost one.” She tried to hide a smile. “Mel said to let you sleep. That you’d had a…long night.”

“Did she now?” Cache helped himself to the kettle of hot water steaming on the stove top and fixed a cup of tea. “How was Mel this morning?”

“Energetic.” Nicole quirked a smile.

That was how she’d been last night. While he’d lost a measure of strength every time he climaxed, Mel had seemed to gain more every time she did. He’d made it his mission to give her as much pleasure as she could physically take. And he was proud of his achievements.

Now he needed food to refuel his depleted energy stores. “Is there any leftover salmon pie from last night?”

“Yes, let me get you some.” Nicole got up from the table and opened the fridge, and then frowned. “Well, there was some. I can make you a sandwich or would you prefer an omelet?”

“Omelet sounds great. Where is everyone?” Cache asked, taking a seat, and stirring his tea as it steeped.

“Raspberry picking.”

“Really?” He loved fresh raspberries. “I didn’t know you had a berry patch around here.” He fingered the edge of her cookbook. The upside down picture showed a recipe for wild raspberry and rhubarb cobbler. “Are you making this for dessert tonight?”

“I was thinking about it. There isn’t a patch. They are out picking wild raspberries.” She quickly threw together a vegetable omelet faster than a short order cook and placed it in front of him along with warmed-up sourdough biscuits and jam.

His stomach rumbled, and he gladly took the fork she offered and dug in. He took a bite. “Oh, man, this is great,” he said around a mouthful. “Thanks.”

Nicole beamed. “You’re welcome.” She resumed her seat and started taking notes from the cookbook.

“When do you think they’ll be back?” he asked.

“They’ve been gone a few hours. They took the boat, planning some sightseeing along the way. I don’t know how far they had to travel. Mel said she has this special spot.”

He digested the information and tried not to feel sad that it might be a while before he saw Mel again. “What else are you planning for dinner?” he asked.

“Beef tips with broccoli, potatoes, green salad, and sourdough bread.”

“Beef?” They’d been mostly eating off the ocean and what vegetables Nicole had picked from the garden. Having red meat was a change.

“Moose meat actually, with salmon fishing planned for tomorrow, fish will be on the menu for a few days.”

“Where did you get moose?” Did they buy it at the market?

“Apparently, Mel and Garrett shot one last fall. The freezer is full of roasts and steaks.” She informed him of this as though she was amazed, either of the stocked freezer or that Mel and Garrett had shot a moose.

Garrett again. He wanted to know how much of Mel’s life included the Wildlife Trooper. Come this fall, would Cache be the one moose hunting with Mel…or would Garrett?

The screen door to the kitchen opened and snapped shut. Tom walked in dressed in a designer jogging suit, holding a can of bug repellent in one hand and bear spray in the other, like weights. The ensemble worked in New York, but here in the wilds of Alaska, Tom just plain looked ridiculous.

Upon seeing Cache, Tom’s face broke out in a leering grin and deposited the cans on the kitchen counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. “It looks like the old man is finally up. How did you sleep?”

Did everyone know that he and Mel had spent the night together? Cache glanced between Nicole and Tom. Apparently. Cache felt Tom’s inquiring mind wanting to know all the dirt. Well, he could stay wanting. It was none of his business.

“I slept fine,” Cache gritted out between his teeth. “Why aren’t you out raspberry picking with the rest of the group?”

“Not my style, and Mel let me have access to her computer this morning. So, I’ve been able to catch up on a lot of work.” Tom took a sip of coffee. “I then rewarded myself with a run along the beach.” He leaned against the counter, crossed his feet at the ankles. “I have some information for you regarding that thing we’ve been discussing.” Tom indicated the other room with a motion of his head.

Cache cleaned the last bit of omelet off his plate and rose, depositing his dishes in the sink. He was tired of dealing with ‘that thing’ Tom constantly brought up. He swore this would be the last time. As soon as Mel was back, he was coming clean with the truth. He just had to figure out a way to break it to her so she didn’t end up breaking him. “Thank you, Nicole, for the lunch and the company.”

Nicole glanced between Cache and Tom, a frown marring her forehead. “Anytime.”

“Way to go, man,” Tom said, slapping Cache on the back once they’d reached the great room. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Cache was afraid to ask. “Had what in me?”

Tom leaned in and lowered his voice. “The killer instinct. I should have kept the faith.” Tom’s professionally shaped eyebrows arched. “Though sleeping with the subject is taking it to the extreme”

Cache fisted his hand in Tom’s jogging suit and yanked him close. “What happened between Mel and I last night has nothing to do with getting the story.” He let go of Tom with a push, not wanting to touch the man. How had he worked with him so long and not known his true nature? The guy was a snake. A little pithy snake at this point in his career, but Cache could see Tom growing up into a gut-squeezing python in the future.

“Hey, don’t twist the threads.” Tom smoothed the wrinkles Cache had pressed into his jacket. “What’s the matter with you? You used to look at an assignment and formulate a plan. Conquer your subject. As soon as I told you who our subject was, you were ready to board the flight to Alaska.” His nostrils flared. “You don’t want to do this story? Fine. No longer a problem. I got the go-ahead this morning from the starched shirts to report on Mel myself if you failed to do it. After all, how hard can it be to snap a few pictures and write something up?”

“Back off.” Cache lowered his voice and spoke through clenched teeth, moving in again. Tom quickly stepped out of reach. “You snap one picture of her or write one word and it will be your last. In fact, I think it’s time you left The Edge and returned to New York.”

“Everything okay in here?” Mel asked, entering the room, concern knitting her forehead.

“Everything’s fine.” Cache glanced from Mel’s rosy-flushed skin to Tom’s red-mottled angry face. “Isn’t it, Tom?”

“Yeah. Just…peachy.” Tom swerved away from Cache, and then mounted the stairs, two at a time.

Cache turned to Mel and beheld her glowing face. She looked like she’d enjoyed herself. Her raspberry-stained lips were the color of deep wine. He couldn’t help smiling, thinking about her gorging herself on berries and wished he’d been there. He’d gladly have hand-fed her raspberries. The fantasy that came to mind had him hardening in a hurry.

He couldn’t let her sidetrack him. He must carry out the dreaded task of coming clean. What he wouldn’t give not to have that business between them. The only way to get rid of it was to lay it out in the open.

Mel sauntered farther into the room. She glanced around as though making sure they were alone. “How are you feeling this afternoon?”

He grinned. “Never better.”

“Are you…rested?” she asked, tongue in cheek.

“Yes.”

“Good.” She looped her arms around his neck, her hands locking behind his head. She smelled of the outdoors, sunshine, and tangy, wild raspberries. Irresistible. A kiss wouldn’t hurt, he decided.

His lips locked with hers, and she moaned and leaned into him. Then she wrapped a leg around his waist and he was looking for a wall or a couch, anything to lean her up against. Coherent thought flew the coop.

She tore her mouth from his. “Let’s take a sauna.” Her lips punctuated her words as they traveled from his mouth to his neck and nuzzled the exposed skin above his button-downed shirt.

“Sauna?”

“Yes. I’m in the mood for some hot…
steamy
…sex.”

Her hips had rubbed against him on each hot, steamy word. Hell, he was a goner.

She lowered her leg, and then grabbed his hand. “Follow me.”

“Can you be away from your guests that long?” Wasn’t he supposed to be coming clean about something? A naughty voice whispered in his head that saunas were a form of bathing. In Finland.

“I’ve spent most of the day with my guests, seeing to their every need. That is, all my guests...but you.” Mel smiled the smile of a siren who knew she had her man ensnared. She trailed a finger slowly down his chest, to his abdomen, to the button-fly of his jeans, and hooked her hand in his waistband, giving him a tug. “I’m sure you have needs...that need to be addressed.”

All the blood rushed out of his head, and he was powerless to do nothing more than follow where she led him.

Mel stretched under the hot stream of water and smiled. Then laughed.
Wow
. Cache was amazing. They’d taken a sauna, their muscles more limber in the heat, and what the man could do with his body.
Wow
. Oh, right, she’d already said that, hadn’t she? Oh, well.

Wow
.

Mel finished her shower and quickly dried and dressed. They’d spent the rest of the afternoon seeing to each other’s needs, and there had been many. Dinner would be served in a few minutes. If she didn’t hurry, she’d be late.

Once dinner was over, she could be alone with Cache again. Have a little dessert. The thrill that shot through her at the thought should have lessened somewhat now that they’d had a taste of each other. It didn’t. She actually wanted him more now that she’d had him.

Didn’t bode well for the future.

She didn’t want to think of the future. She only wanted to think of the here and now. The future would come soon enough. If she thought about it, it would be here that much sooner.

For now, she’d just enjoy. Not think, not plan, just feel.