SimplyIrresistible (13 page)

“I’m confused, is he one of the good guys or not?” The
examples Marcia gave of Liam’s generosity were impressive, but even heroes
could have a dark side.

“Aside from commitment issues and a trail of dashed hopes
and broken hearts, he’s a great guy. Why, do you have a problem with shining
knights?”

Understatement of the century. Tiana kept her tone light.
“Been there done that. Mr. Perfect’s shine was way overrated.”

Marcia’s eyes gleamed with teasing lights. “I knew it—even
your baggage has designer labels.”

Tiana checked her watch. “Oops, I’ve got to scoot.”

“What was I thinking? You’ve got a hot date with Liam. Watch
out for the jousting lances and armor rash.”

“You’re so not funny.” Tiana gave the sassy redhead a mock
scowl. “All right, you’re a little funny, but it’s not what you’re thinking
about Liam. He’s just being…” Tiana sifted for the right words to convince
Marcia and remind herself he wasn’t interested in anything serious. She finally
settled for a lame, “Persistent.”

“Okay, have it your way. It’s time for me to get out of here
anyway. There’s a footbath calling my name.” Marcia shooed her toward the door.
“I’m closed Mondays. Invite me over for brunch and I’ll share more than you
ever wanted to know.”

“You’re on. Eleven-ish?”

“Really? No one ever cooks for me.”

Impulsively, Tiana hugged her. “I’m looking forward to our
brunch, but you better bring a sack of your delicious pastries just in case. My
cooking skills are more angry than mad.”

Marcia laughed.

She thinks I’m trying to be modest
.
“I’m
serious. Could I get a pint of coleslaw and a half-dozen blondies to go?”

Marcia bagged her order, accepted her money and made change.
“Off with you, I’m locking the door.”

When her new friend walked away from the counter, Tiana
slipped a five in the tip jar. “See you Monday.”

Tiana crawled down Main Street, halting for pedestrians at
every crosswalk. The slower rhythm in Sterling Falls she enjoyed so much while
walking around town seriously impeded driving. She moseyed along, aware of her
warming groceries and wilting flowers in the back of the truck. Once she
crossed the bridge at the east end of town, the speed limit lifted and her gas
pedal lowered. The truck responded, surging past the posted speed limit in an
exhilarating rush. A flash of light caught her attention. She glanced at the
rearview mirror. The light bar on a Sterling Police Department vehicle pulsed
behind her. She slowed and pulled onto the shoulder, expecting a ticket and
regretting her impulsive speeding. The SUV sped on past.

Before she’d pulled back onto the road, a car passed so
close it nearly took off the driver’s side mirror. The dark-blue Jeep careened
by her. This time the vehicle was clean enough for her to catch the first three
letters on the license. ALG.

Marcia’s warning about Ashley making trouble still echoed in
her mind as she pulled into her driveway, which was already clogged with Liam’s
dusty pickup and the police SUV. Her heart galloped with terror. She fumbled
the door handle and had to wipe her clammy palms before she climbed out of the
truck.

“Any thoughts as to who wants you dead?” The chief’s already
tough expression screwed into a fierce scowl. The former champion bull rider
still had fast reflexes and a formidable grip. Right now he clutched his
ballpoint so hard Liam expected the plastic to shatter.

Liam pulled his attention away from Tiana’s arrival long
enough to shrug. “Hard to believe, but I’m not everyone’s favorite person.
There are a few folks who’d be happier if I weren’t around. I just can’t see
any of them taking a potshot at me and missing.”

“Someone shot at you?” Tiana’s voice quavered.

“They missed.” While keeping her in the shelter of his
larger body, he angled her away from the cop. He steadied her and himself by
cupping a palm around one slender hip and using his thumb to lightly trace the
delicate arch of her ilium. “Tiana this is Chief Campbell.” He turned toward
Stu. “Chief, Tiana Barbour. This is her place.”

Stu flashed his white teeth in a grin and dipped his white
hat. “You must be Tilly’s niece. Sorry we’re not meeting for happier reasons.
Don’t get the wrong idea. Shootings aren’t a regular occurrence in Sterling
Falls.”

The coming mayor’s race was only a few months away. So Stu
was already lining up support and practicing his vote-winning smile. Liam
swallowed an automatic objection to the police chief’s flirting and snuggled
Tiana tighter against him. “Don’t you need to search for a bullet casing or
something?”

“Mavis, send Corey out to Tilly Bennett’s place.” Stu
released his radio mic.

“Her niece Tiana is living there now and building a huge
stable.” The dispatcher’s voice crackled helpfully.

Stu looked an apology at Tiana. “Bet you’ve already heard
more than you want to about your construction project.”

She nodded, caught herself and shook her head. Plainly
unwilling to hurt anyone’s feelings, she said, “People are just curious about
anything new.”

“Joys of a small town.” The chief pressed and held the
speaker button. “I still need Corey here.”

“I’ll try to raise him, Chief.” Mavis signed off with an
audible humph.

“The shooter’s probably long gone, but we’ll check the
area.” Stu unfolded a penknife, pried the shell out of the pickup’s doorframe
and dropped the spent slug in an evidence envelope.

Tiana’s eyes widened. “A few inches to the left and he would
have hit your head.”

“Or she,” Stu added, aiming a speaking look at Liam.

Easy to read the direction of the chief’s thoughts, but was
he right? Had Ashley taken a shot at him? She’d been pissed enough to do it and
no one knew better how long she held a grudge. He’d failed her by walking away
when she was naked and needy, handing another Master the crop. Not his proudest
moment as a Dom. Betrayal didn’t get much rougher. But if she’d shot, she sure
as hell wouldn’t have missed. His gut said the bullet came from the bastard stalking
Tiana. He’d fired in warning or else he was a lousy shot. What Liam needed to
do now was make sure the creep was out of the equation before Tiana got hurt.

“I doubt he intended to injure me. Seems a lot more likely
he wanted to scare me away from Tiana.”

“Any particular reason for thinking you’re not the target?”
Stu asked.

He shrugged. “Plenty of folks who’d like to see me dead, but
they’ve all been around for ages. Tiana moved in Friday. Today a shot is
fired…”

Tiana let out a noise between a gasp and a cough and grew
paler.

Liam wanted to take back the words that upset her, but they
couldn’t be unspoken. Stu needed the big picture and protecting her life was
more important than sparing her feelings. None of those important
considerations made hurting her acceptable.

The chief studied him calmly. “Outside of timing and I hate
a coincidence myself, anything else I should know?”

“She was the victim of a hit and run on Wednesday. There
were signs someone had been watching her place that same evening. Her truck’s
windows were shattered the next day.”

Tiana flinched at his recital.

“Can you confirm the incidents?” Stu asked her.

She stiffened her back, holding herself as far apart from
him as she could while Liam refused to release his firm grip on her. “I
reported the hit and run and damaged glass to both the police and my insurance
company.”

“What about the watcher—anyone investigate?”

She lifted her chin and shot Liam a leveling look. “No, the
idea I have a stalker is Liam’s opinion—not a matter of any official report.”

“I had Jacques keep any eye on Tiana’s place Thursday
night.” Liam omitted his decision to tail Travis. A long shot, but the man had
threatened Tiana. The cost of another team in the field was nothing compared to
her safety.

The chief shifted shrewd gray eyes back to Liam. “And?”

“My people are watching out for her as well.”
Too bad I
didn’t take two minutes to explain that precaution to Tiana first
.

“Won’t protecting Tiana spread your forces a little thin?”
Stu scratched a smooth shaven jaw before scribbling a note.

“I increased ranch security yesterday to avoid the
stretching problem.”

“Have the new guys stop by the office. I like to keep the
players straight.” Stu clicked his pen closed before pocketing it and the small
notepad.

“Will do. If you don’t need anything else from us, I’d like
to take Tiana home.”

“I am home,” she muttered.

Stu’s eyebrows rose, but his voice remained even. “You’re
both free to go.”

A second police unit arrived. Officer Corey Sullivan joined
the party and lifted his hat to Tiana before asking his boss, “What’s
happening?”

Tiana tugged on his hold. Liam released her. She grabbed her
groceries and marched toward the house.

He caught up before she’d gone more than a few feet. “Let me
help.”

No actual steam came out of her ears, but temper spots
flared on her cheekbones and her beautiful brown eyes sparked with anger.
“You’ve already done too much.”

He helped himself to one of her sacks without responding.

Undeterred by his restraint, she continued, “You could have
told me you were having my place watched.”

“Thought we covered the subject back in Issaquah.”

“No, we definitely did not. I agreed to one night of
surveillance, under duress.”

“Hold on a minute, I did not threaten or force you to accept
my protection. You were free to say no.”

“Would you have stopped if I had?”

Okay, she’s got me there
.
“Probably not.”

She unlocked the front door. “At least you’re an honest
bully.”

“I admit to dominant, bossy and overbearing as hell, but I’m
not a bully and you’re not intimidated or you wouldn’t be giving me what for,”
he pointed out reasonably.

Tiana gave a harsh laugh. “I agree, plus you’re obnoxiously
high-handed.”

“Fair enough.” He set the groceries on the counter. “I’ll
try harder to keep you informed. I’m concerned about you staying here alone.
Will you please humor me by visiting the ranch for a few days?”

“All right, but I’m cooking tonight.”

“Fine.”

“I invited Marcia for brunch Monday.”

“Call her up and change the location. I’ll make myself
scarce.”

Her face took on a mulish look. “I just met her. Shootings
and staying at my neighbor’s house is way more drama than I want to share with
a brand-new friend. Rob and the crew will be here Monday. I’ll fix breakfast
for Marcia and come back to your place later.”

Maybe his poker face had deserted him, because Tiana folded
her arms. “Either I keep my brunch date or I’m not coming with you to the
ranch.”

“Okay, but Taylor is going to cover you.”

Tiana started to shake her head. He cupped the back of her
head, holding her still and nipped her bottom lip. “Your safety is
nonnegotiable.”

She softened in his arms and parted for him. Liam took that
as the yes he wanted and reaffirmed the connection between them in a long, lazy
kiss.

What started as a slow burn roared into a blaze fed by the
intoxicating delights of her silky mouth. Time and place disappeared in the
inferno raging between them as he lost himself in Tiana.

When he lifted his head, her lips were rosy, swollen and
still parted. Both he and Tiana were breathing fast. Her eyes held the soft
focus of a compliant submissive. He’d put that look on her face and nothing
else ever gave him quite the same thrill.

His phone chimed, spoiling the moment. The police chief’s
number displayed, so he took the call. “Any luck?”

“Yeah, we found the shooter’s hide—he had a great view of
the house. A shell casing and a few cigar butts were left behind. We’re not
dealing with a pro.”

Just a sick asshole who wanted to hurt Tiana. Liam clamped
his jaw.

“By the way, what kind of vehicle was involved in her hit
and run?”

“A Jeep.” Ashley drove one that matched the description.

“Can’t be sure, since he left in a hurry, but going by the
wheelbase, we could be looking for the same person.”

“Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Tiana will be staying at
the ranch.”

“Never doubted she would see things your way.” Stu ended the
call.

“Did they find the shooter?” she asked.

“No, just signs of where he’d been.”

A frown worried her brow. She clutched his arm. “He shot at
you. I know you’re strong and tough, but you’re human and mortal. With all your
people watching out for me, who’s protecting you?”

“Looking after both of us won’t be a challenge for the team.
They’re pros.”

Her eyelids lowered with skepticism. “If you say so. You
understand my visit to your place is strictly temporary?”

He moved closer.

Tiana held him off with a small palm over his heart. “Don’t
distract me with kisses. I’m serious. I worked too hard to reclaim my life to
hand it over to anyone, even you.”

The idea of losing her scared the shit out of him, but
clamping down so tight she couldn’t breathe would kill her spirit. How had she
become this vital, this fast?

He fought for calm. “Completely understandable. I told you
up front, I’m not looking for a total power exchange relationship. I understand
the need to live your own life. All I want to do is make sure you get the
chance. Not much point in independence if you’re dead.”

Her head lowered until her forehead rested against his
chest. “You’re right. I didn’t fight back when I should have. Now I’m being a
brat when you’re just trying to help.”

He rubbed circles on her back. She arched into his touch,
giving as much comfort as she took.

“I hate how some sick jerk I don’t even know is terrifying
me,” she muttered.

“I’m not too crazy about it myself. Give me your keys and
I’ll park your truck while you pack.”

She fished a key ring from her purse and offered the set to
him. “I appreciate your help. I just wish I didn’t need it.”

“Me too.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

The only rigs left in the driveway were his ancient pickup
and her shiny new one. The garage door lifted at the press of a remote clipped
to her visor, making his valet duties easy. He parked, closed the bay door and
checked the side entrance. The wooden door had a flimsy lock and a wobbly
handle. He made a mental note to have her hardware upgraded.

At her back door he found his smart pet had locked the
kitchen door behind him. He let himself in with her keys and started putting
away groceries.

He was folding the last grocery sack when she came through
the doorway carrying one suitcase and rolling another. Not a travel-light kind
of girl. In spite of the nasty circumstances, he smiled.

Tiana angled toward the luggage, her brow pleated in an
adorable frown. “I wasn’t sure what all to bring so I packed a lot. I still
have the feeling I’m forgetting something important.”

“We can always send someone over to pick up anything you
forgot.”

Her gaze flew to the brown bag in his hand. “You didn’t need
to put away the groceries. I’m taking most of the food with me.”

“There’s plenty to eat at the ranch.”

“I’m certain there is, but not necessarily things I know how
to cook.”

Arguing might be fun if she hadn’t already been upset. Right
now all he wanted to do was take her home. He snapped open the sack he’d just
folded. “What do you want to bring?”

She set down the suitcase. “I’ll do it.”

“I’ll put these in the truck.” He hefted the luggage outside
before she had a chance to object.

Tiana followed in a few minutes with a pair of loaded
grocery bags, looking worried. “I don’t have my keys.”

He pulled them out of his jeans. “I’ll lock up.”

Once they were in the pickup he handed over her keys. She
dropped them into her purse. A pinch of disappointment made him realize how
much he’d hoped she would tell him to keep them or better yet urge him to have
duplicates made. Not realistic. He hadn’t earned that kind of trust. What truly
bothered him was how much he wanted the kind of relationship that included key
exchanges.

She wasn’t ready, which was for the best. He drove toward
the ranch.

“Sterling Falls seemed so safe.” Her voice was hardly more
than a whisper. “I’ve only been here a few days. How can a stranger already
hate me so much?”

“Maybe he’s after me.”

She shook her head. “You don’t believe you’re the target.
Neither did the chief.”

“You’re right, I don’t think I am. Instinct tells me the stalker
followed you here.”

“Someone I don’t know being so fixated on me doesn’t make
sense.”

“Were there any incidents prior to the hit and run?”

“No. I thought I’d irritated the driver—a case of road rage
like you read about. Scary, but not personal, you know? Personal makes it so
much worse. I keep asking myself what I did wrong.” Tiana rubbed her temple.