Smoking Hot (11 page)

His eyes swept over her, from her high, pointed breasts to her small waist, and over her hips. His gaze came to a screeching halt on the thatch of dark curls covering her femininity. He wanted to caress her, to watch her come alive with desire. He wanted her to beg for more…

The plunger came down hard and fast, banging against his forehead. Pain exploded inside his head. The last thing he remembered thinking before he toppled over like a giant oak was that he should've seen it coming.

Raine stood in stunned silence as a strange look crossed Dillon's face right before his eyes rolled and he stumbled back against the wall with a loud groan. Oh God, she killed an angel. She'd fry for all eternity. No, wait. He was immortal. Hitting him with a plunger probably didn't kill him, but he did say he could feel pain.

She threw the plunger away from her. It landed with a dull thud against the claw-footed bathtub and bounced across the floor a couple of times before coming to a rolling stop. Yeah right, as if that was going to get rid of the evidence. She quickly knelt beside him, pulling his head onto her lap. “Dillon, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Please talk to me.”

Was that laughter? She frowned as she looked up and around. They were the only ones in the house, though. Maybe all her yelling for Dillon to help her get out of the bathroom affected her ears.

“Dillon, talk to me.” She ran her hands through his hair. No bleeding, no bumps. His hair felt like silk, it was so soft. Her body began to tingle. She realized that checking his head for an injury had taken on a whole new meaning. Good Lord, the guy was unconscious and all she could think about was having her way with his body. She was immediately filled with guilt.

She cleared her mind and tried not to think about what touching him was making her feel. He was injured and that should be the only thing on her mind. She cleared her throat and rested her hand against his chest. It was a shame he was dressed. She liked him better naked.

Sex had been fantastic. The best she'd ever had and she'd still ended up with complete control. It was the perfect solution to making love without the responsibility of maintaining a relationship.

His chest rose and fell evenly beneath her palm. She slipped her hand beneath his shirt so she could make absolutely sure his breathing was okay. His chest was smooth with only a slight sprinkling of hair. Dillon said he healed fast. She ran her fingers over his upper body. Amazing. She didn't even feel a scar from when he was shot. She pushed his shirt up and examined his chest a little closer. Nope, not one scar.

But she'd seen blood pouring from the wound. She frowned. If he healed that fast from a gunshot wound, then a plunger would be like a mosquito bite. Her gaze returned to his face. Did his eyes flutter? He was lying way too still. Her gaze drifted down. He sported a major hard-on.
Really?
She shoved with all her strength at the same time she jumped to her feet. Dillon's head hit the hardwood floor with a loud crack.

“Ow, what the hell did you do that for?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“You let me think I'd hurt you,” she said as she stepped across him.

He groaned again but she had a feeling it was for an entirely different reason since she was giving him a freebie look. Good. She wanted him hurting in more than one area. It served him right for taking advantage of her.

“You're the one who clobbered me,” he yelled at her retreating back.

She turned at the door. “Don't worry. You heal fast, and I still have chores to do!” She slammed the door hard enough the wood rattled. He might be an angel, but he was still part man and that was coming through loud and clear! That was the reason she used sex purely for release. Emotional entanglements caused more problems than she wanted.

Even short-term, this affair might be more trouble than it was worth. She grabbed a pair of panties out of the dresser drawer and tugged them on. Now that she could think a little straighter, she probably shouldn't even be having a fake relationship. Not until after hers and Grandpa's names were cleared. Jeans followed, then a faded green shirt. She didn't bother with a bra.

She paused while buttoning her shirt. Darn, he was sort of starting to grow on her. He'd answered Grandpa's prayer. That made him a nice guy in her book, and they weren't easy to come by. He took a bullet meant for her, too. He saved her life. Maybe the bullet didn't kill him, but must have hurt a hell of a lot. His pain was clear that night. How many people would go through that for her?

She sighed. Not that it mattered. There were still chores to be done. She didn't have time to play sex games with an angel. His naked body filled her mind, and she pictured him below her as she moved to the sweet song of passion. She sighed, then quickly shook her head to clear her fantasy.

Later.

It was time to return to the land of the living. She flung the door open, half expecting Dillon to be standing in the doorway. She should've grabbed something sturdier than a plunger! A niggle of guilt twisted through her. She didn't normally wish pain on anyone and only used violence if she had to. Why the hell had he locked the bathroom door anyway?

The hall was empty. She hated the disappointment that filled her and told herself she was glad he wasn't on the other side of the door. There was too much work to do and it would take her a good two or three hours to get all the chores on the ranch finished. She stomped down the stairs. Having an orgasm used to make her feel relaxed, but she was more tense now than she was before the sex.

She grabbed the flashlight out of the hall closet, hating that it was already dark. She would have to juggle the light and do the chores at the same time. The blasted chickens were probably already down for the night, too. She cringed at the thought of sticking her hand under them to gather the eggs. They always pecked her. Grandpa said she didn't do it right. They sensed her fear, or some such bullshit. If she wasn't afraid to walk the streets of Fort Worth at night, then a hen wasn't going to scare her.

Of course, she also carried a loaded gun when she was on patrol. That was an idea. If a chicken pecked her, she'd have chicken and dumplings for supper.

She came to a sudden stop and sniffed as a delectable scent tickled her nose and started her stomach growling. She realized how many hours had passed since she last ate.

Had Grandpa returned after she specifically told him Sheriff Barnes wanted them to keep their distance? Didn't he know how much trouble that would cause? Her shoulders slumped as she walked toward the dining room. She really appreciated the effort, but what was she going to do with him?

“I thought you might be hungry.” Dillon stood near the dining room table, a cart next to him as he lit the last of three candles. A warm glow spread across the table. Her grandmother's best china was laid out. The delicate blue rose pattern was her favorite of all her grandmother's pieces. She used to take it out of the china cabinet when she was having a particularly bad day and wash each piece, then carefully dry them one by one.

She looked up and met his gaze. “I don't use my grandmother's dishes.”

“Why not?” he asked as he took the platter off the cart and placed it on the table. A perfectly roasted hen was surrounded by quartered red potatoes sitting on a bed of greens.

Had he been pecked recently?

Her stomach rumbled.

“I don't use them because they mean something to me. I don't want to break anything.”

“They're sturdier than you realize.” He added a bowl of corn and one of brown rice, then a basket covered by a crisp white dish towel. He moved the towel back halfway and revealed golden rolls.

“Yeast rolls?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Of course.”

“Did you cook all of this?”

He shook his head. A lock of dark blond hair fell forward, grazing his forehead. “I'm probably the worst cook in the world.”

“Take out?” She didn't know of any place in town where you could get take out like this.

“A place called Mama Paula's. You've never tasted food as good as hers.”

She couldn't remember how long it had been since she ate a meal that wasn't thrown together or one Grandpa had fixed. Bologna sandwiches were his idea of a complete and nutritious meal. If it was cold outside, he'd fry the bologna and add a can of tomato soup.

The only thing going through her mind was filling her stomach. Dammit, she didn't want to think about food. She forced her eyes away from the stupid roasted hen and the other food and stared at him. He looked none the worse for having gotten bonked on the noggin. “I guess you've healed,” she said, not even attempting to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

His smile was slow and started her heart beating faster. “Yeah, nephilim heal fast.” He motioned toward a side chair. “Have a seat before this gets cold.”

“Can't you warm it up with your eyes or something? You know, zap it with fire?” She was feeling prickly.

He laughed. She liked the sound. It came from way down deep. “No, only demons do that.”

“Great. Something else I'll have to worry about.”

He frowned. “Not as long as I'm around.”

But he wouldn't hang around even if he could. She never let anyone stay very long in her life. Well, except Grandpa. They were family, and family should stick together. He was good to her and he raised her the best way he could. He was always there if she needed him. He was the one who'd taught her about being strong.

And she was strong. When her mother left, she saw what it did to her father. Raine vowed she would never give anyone that much power. The easiest way to keep her promise to herself was not let anyone get too close. It worked.

She watched Dillon open a bottle of wine and pour some into two long-stemmed glasses. He didn't belong in her world any more than her past lovers. Even less. The whole town thought she and Grandpa robbed the stupid bank all because she mentioned an angel was shot saving her life.

But he had saved her life. That counted for a lot.

Her stomach rumbled again. Odd how no matter what went on in someone's life, their body still had needs that had to be met. She was hungry. The emptiness inside her was a hollow ache. She sauntered to the table but rather than take the side chair he motioned toward, she pulled out the one on the end. She always sat at the head of the table and she wasn't about to change. Her choice didn't seem to bother him. She didn't have any idea why that should irritate her, but it did.

“I still have chores I need to do,” she told him.

He pulled out a chair at the side of the table and sat. “They're done.” He raised his glass of wine and took a drink.

She frowned. They were her chores, not his. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she realized how ungrateful it sounded. “Thank you. It wasn't necessary, though.”

“I know, but I want to make love to you again and I didn't want to wait that long.”

Her body trembled. She grabbed her glass of wine and downed half of it before setting the glass back on the table. He was trying to take control again. “
If
we make love.” He had his nerve thinking she would fall into his arms whenever he snapped his fingers. “You came back to fix my life, remember.”

“You know we will, so don't pretend otherwise.” He carved a slice off the roasted hen and placed it on her plate.

Now he was telling her what she would do! He hadn't stopped, if she thought about it. He even wanted control in the bedroom. Not that she let him have it. A few more minutes and she might have given in, though. That bothered her.

“You're overthinking it,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.

Startled, she met his eyes. “What?”

He added potatoes and a roll to her plate. “I'll make your life right again.” He took her hand in his. “I'll make everything better.”

For a moment, his gaze held hers and she found it impossible to look away. The heat began to build inside her as her body ached for his touch. It took all the willpower she could muster to drag her eyes away. As soon as she did, she jerked her hand out of his.

“You're doing it again!” she accused. “It isn't natural.”

“What?”

She met his gaze then quickly looked away. “You know exactly what I mean. You hypnotized me.”

He chuckled. She frowned.

“There's not a thing funny about it.”

“Eat,” he said softly and picked up his fork. “Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it.”

“Don't do it again.”

“I didn't mean to do it that time.”

She didn't like the idea of him being able to control her for even a few minutes.

“But we will make love again and it won't be because I've mesmerized you with my eyes. You'll want to make love because you won't be able to deny yourself.”

She stabbed her fork into the piece of meat and grabbed the knife sitting beside her plate. She sawed off a piece harder than she needed. The meat was so tender she could have cut it with just the fork, but it felt good to wield the utensil. Probably because she knew he was right. They
would
make love again.

“So you think you know everything, huh?”

“No, not everything. But that was a no-brainer.”

“How do you figure that?”

“I don't have to figure anything. You're a passionate woman. I doubt you can go without sex for very long.”

“You're wrong. I can go without sex for a very long time.”

“The reason you don't have a bra on is because you love the way the material rubs against your nipples every time you move. Your body craves a man's touch.”

Heat spiraled down her body. She crossed her legs and shoved the meat on her fork into her mouth. She chewed without thinking, then swallowed and stabbed another piece. He didn't know what he was saying. He was guessing.

She shifted in her chair and the material of her shirt tightened across her chest for a brief second, but enough that a thrill ran down her body. Oh hell, he was right. She'd never realized what she was doing.

She slowed her chewing and actually tasted the meat for the first time. The flavors sent her senses into overdrive. She closed her eyes. Dillon was right about something else: she had never tasted anything cooked this well. She savored the bite before opening her eyes and looking at him. She was even passionate about food!