Luke: Armed and Dangerous (26 page)

His lawman’s senses remained on high alert, always on the lookout for danger. These
mountains had been used for decades to smuggle not only drugs and other contraband,
but illegal immigrants as well. He needed Trinity to show him that cave before the
day ended, but he wasn’t taking a chance on anything happening to her. He’d get the
location, then take her home before he came back and did any serious poking around.

While their horses traveled higher into the mountain, Luke rested his hands on the
saddle pommel as he studied Trinity. An Arizona December breeze stirred the tendrils
of hair that had escaped her braid. Her cheeks were flushed and her jacket was open,
and he could see her nipples poking against the T-shirt that matched the jade of her
eyes... Eyes that were so full of passion it was all he could do not to stop the horses
and take her now. Hell, if it wasn’t so chilly and she was wearing something a little
less constraining, he’d have tried his hand at lovemaking on horseback.

Luke’s cock throbbed against the tight denim of his jeans and he shifted in his saddle.

“Not much farther,” Trinity said, answering his question before he asked it.

“Good thing.” He gave her a smoldering look. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll last
before I have to have my hands on you.”

Her eyes widened and she ran her tongue along her lower lip. “I can’t wait to get
my mouth on you.”

Luke clenched his reins in his fists. “All right. Your teasing’s gone far enough.”

Trinity laughed. “Hold your horses, cowboy. It’s just around that pinon tree.”

“Wait a sec.” Luke reached out and grabbed Dancer’s bridle and brought both horses
to a stop. “Let me go on ahead and check it out first.”

“Why?” Trinity gave him a puzzled look. “I was up here dozens of times, and nobody
other than Skylar and Zack even knows the place exists.”

“Things have changed.” Luke swung one leg over his mare and dismounted, his black
duster swirling around his legs. “Never know what’s in these mountains these days.”
With a firm look, he added, “Sit tight and stay with the horses. I’ll be right back.”

She frowned and folded her arms across her chest, but didn’t argue as Luke let Tequila’s
reins drop to the ground. The mare was well trained and would wait for him until he
returned or until he gave the piercing whistle that was Tequila’s signal to come at
a gallop.

On silent booted feet, Luke moved through the trees and bushes until he came upon
the secluded area surrounded by oak and pi- non. From higher in the canyon a small
stream tumbled over the rocks and down through a small ravine.

At first glance the place seemed empty. Bushes rustled to his right and in a flash
he withdrew the gun from beneath his shirt, hidden at the small of his back. He trained
the bead at the bush, but a second later a jackrabbit bolted out and sped across the
clearing.

As far as he could tell, the area was secure. Now where the hell could that cave be—

The snap of a twig sounded behind him. Luke whirled, gun in his hand, only to point
it directly at Trinity.

Her face whitened at the sight of his firearm and he quickly lowered it and tucked
it back under his black duster. “I told you to stay with the horses.”

Trinity swallowed, a confusing range of emotions swirling through her. What the hell
was going on here? “I—I knew there was no way you’d find the cave without me.”

Luke’s features were hard and his voice cut right through her. “It’s not a good idea
to sneak up on a man like that.”

“I didn’t know you were carrying a gun.” She shifted her feet, feeling for all the
world like she wanted to run straight back to the ranch house. “Why would you need
to bring one?”

“You should have brought yours, too. It’s for your protection, and doesn’t protect
a damn thing zipped up in a pouch back at the house. We could find anything—including
rattlesnakes.”

Trinity frowned. “It’s winter.”

“There are a lot of different types of rattlesnakes out there.” He scrubbed his hand
over his face and his tone softened. “Why don’t you show me that cave?”

“Okaaaaay.” She forced down the niggling of irritation as she skirted the clearing,
not bothering to see if Luke was following her. For a big man he sure walked quietly.
Pebbles and dirt crunched under her shoes, but she heard nothing from him. She was
tempted to turn around to see that he was behind her, but she didn’t have to—she could
feel his presence.

When she got to the back of the clearing, she started climbing up the boulders, higher
into the canyon and to the right of the stream. Her jacket protected her arms as she
shrugged by spindly trees and scrawny bushes on her way up the hidden path.

Flashes of memories came back to her, memories of watching Zack and Skylar have sex
down below. She’d had such a perfect view. It had turned her on, making her want to
experience wild and exciting sex like those two had shared. Trinity never had... until
she met Luke.

Watching Trinity’s pretty little ass as she climbed up the rocky incline was giving
Luke a screaming hard-on. He kept close on her tail, ah, literally, but fell back
a bit when she reached a ledge above the clearing. “Let me go in first,” he called
to her, but in the next moment she vanished.

His gut clenched and he rushed ahead to reach the ledge in a few strides. At first
glance he saw only another boulder that easily topped seven feet in height. But when
he rounded the boulder, he was suddenly in the cave, and Trinity was waiting for him
with her arms folded across her chest.

With trained precision, he quickly scanned the cave and his eyes and senses told him
it was clear as far as humans or animals were concerned. To his surprise it was big
enough for him to stand up in, even with his Stetson still on his head. The floor
was littered with leaves and a coating of fine dirt, and cobwebs clung to the ceiling.
No sign of recent occupation by bats, wildcats, or any other critters.

He walked to the back of the cave and saw that it wasn’t too deep and there wasn’t
any more to it than met the eye. Luke’s muscles relaxed and he blew out his breath.
He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but whatever it was, it wasn’t here.

“Satisfied?” Trinity asked from behind him. He turned to look and she had one eyebrow
raised. “I’d say there’s more to you than you’ve let on.”

Luke moved in front of her and caught her by the shoulders. “What if there is, Trinity
MacKenna?”

For one second she wished he wasn’t touching her, wasn’t so close. Her brain always
seemed to go on standby when he was near, and her libido on overdrive.

The hell with it.

Trinity threw her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. Luke groaned as she
bit at his lip, her hunger for him driving her on in a flurry of touching, sensation,
and feeling. He pushed open her jacket and shoved up her shirt and then his big palms
found her naked breasts beneath. Trinity’s hands reached under his duster for his
Western shirt and she ripped the snaps apart with one tug. While he fondled her nipples,
she went for his belt buckle. Their mouths never parted, their kiss wild and frantic
as she undid his belt and zipped down his pants.

She tore away from him, her breathing so ragged that for a moment she was afraid she’d
hyperventilate. “I want you in my mouth, Luke.”

“Whoa, sugar,” he murmured as she dropped to her knees on the dirt-covered floor and
pulled out his cock. “I need to—” he started, but then sucked in his breath as she
went down on him.

His hand clenched her braid as she slid him in all the way to the back of her throat.
She stroked him in time with the movements of her head, her hand sliding down to the
tight curls at the base of his cock and up to the thick tip. His masculine scent exhilarated
her, made her anxious to please him, to taste him.

“That’s good... so good.” Luke’s hand gripped her hair tighter, moving her more forcefully
along his erection. She loved how she made him want her so badly he became even more
masterful, more demanding, yet giving her everything at the same time.

Her shirt was still pushed up above her breasts and the cave’s cool air brushed her
nipples and caused them to ache beyond the point of pain. She brought her free hand
to first one nipple, then the other, pinching and rolling each between her thumb and
forefinger as she sucked and stroked him.

Yeah.

This was it.

This was what she’d wanted all those years ago, when she’d pleasured herself in this
cave all alone, watching her sister bind her heart and soul and body to Zack Hunter.

Trinity had wanted her own match, her own equal, her own chance to fall that hard—and
that hot—for somebody.

She’d wanted this.

She’d wanted a man named Luke Rider, even if it took her years to meet him.

Luke groaned out loud, the sensation of Trinity’s mouth and hand on him sending all
rational thought straight out of his head. And all irrational thought straight down
to his other head. The feel of her hot, wet mouth sliding up and down his cock, that
soft purring sound she made when she was turned on, the way she watched him as she
sucked, and the way she tugged at each of her dark nipples in her excitement... damn.

“I’m gonna come,” he said as he watched himself thrust in and out of her mouth. “Can
you handle that?”

Trinity purred and sucked even harder. He choked back a cry as his hips bucked against
her face. She kept on working him till he had to grab her head with both hands and
say, “Hold on.”

With a satisfied smile, she allowed his spent member to slide out of her mouth and
slowly licked her lips. “Mmmmm,” she murmured. “We’ll definitely have to do that again.”

From zero to fully functional, Luke’s cock shot back to attention.

How the hell did she do that to him?

It was like being sixteen again.

Worse.

No.

Better.

He gestured with one hand for her to stand up. The moment she was on her feet, he
helped her pull off her jacket and yank her T-shirt over her head, tossing them both
to the cave floor.

“Yeah, that’s more like it,” he said. “Now kick off your shoes.”

No questions asked, Trinity obeyed. Her eyes and her face, though, were fevered with
her excitement, her eagerness for him.

He yanked down her jeans and she stepped out of them in a hurry, leaving her in only
her socks and nothing else. She looked so beautiful with her jade eyes almost black
with passion, her strawberry blond hair sticking out of the braid, her nipples dark
and swollen, every part of her, just waiting for him.

He’d given it to her hard last time and he’d wanted to take it nice and slow, but
right now all he could think about was driving into her until she screamed and kept
right on screaming.

“I want you now, Luke,” she said, and that was all it took.

“Grab hold,” he said even as he cupped her ass, raised her up, and brought her down
hard and fast on his pulsing cock.

“Yes!” she shouted as she gripped his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his waist
beneath his duster, and arched her back. “God, you’re just perfect.”

Luke lifted her up and down, her bare ass rubbing against his jeans every time he
buried himself deep inside her.

Harder and harder he rammed into Trinity, and she only begged for more. He’d never
in his life been so crazy, so frantic—so in love with a woman like this.

Trinity’s cry tore through the cave as her walls pulled tight around him. Luke thrust
again and again and again, and she shuddered and rode out every wave of her orgasm.

Sweat poured down his face, down his chest, and down his abs, to the place where they
were joined. A burst of sensation exploded in his loins and he came inside Trinity
in a heated rush.

Trinity collapsed against his shoulder, her breathing harsh and warm upon his skin.
He held her tight, keeping himself firmly inside his woman as they both held on like
they never wanted to let go.

Shit.
They’d done it again—no condom. Damn, but this woman made him crazy.

“Luke,” Trinity said against his shoulder, her voice husky and filled with passion.
“I’m in love with you.”

In the next instant he heard an all too familiar click, and he froze as ice chilled
his spine. Luke pressed Trinity tightly to him, keeping her back to the cave wall
and shielding her with his body.

Laughter came from behind them and then a familiar woman’s voice said, “At least you
got that out of your system, honey... before you have to die.”

Fuck. Luke’s gut clenched as Trinity gasped and stiffened in his arms. His cock was
still lodged deep inside her, and she was completely naked and vulnerable.

And right beside them, there was a gun-wielding bitch with her sites trained on them.

Luke turned his head and focused his gaze on Joyce Butler while protecting Trinity
the best he could with his body. “We’re a little busy here,” he said, trying to stall
for time as he formulated a plan to get him and Trinity out of this.

Trinity peeked over his shoulder, her eyes wide. “Joyce?” Her gaze rested on the slim
semiautomatic in Butler’s grip, and Trinity audibly caught her breath. “Half the world’s
out searching for you. What’s going on?”

Butler smiled and rested one shoulder against the cave wall, her grip staying firm
on her Colt .45. “Just to remind you—you’ve seen me shoot. You already know I’m an
expert marksman, so don’t fuck with me. Two shots. That’s all it’ll take.”

Luke didn’t waste words. Instead he sized Butler up . . . the un-wavering confidence
in her eyes, the egotistical curve of her mouth, and her relaxed stance.

“Where have you been?” Trinity asked, and before he could stop her, she eased her
legs from around his waist. His cock slid out of her core as she stood in his embrace.
“And why are you here now, doing this?”