Storm Front (4 page)

“No, it didn’t.”

No, it hadn’t. He was always careful when he touched her. But she had to make the point he couldn’t go touching or kissing her whenever he liked.

Fess up. You like him touching you. Think of what his hands would feel like on your naked butt? On your breasts?

Shut up.

Earl eyed her up and down, his dark eyes glittering with emotions she was hesitant to put a name to. “It’ll hurt worse if I put you over my knee and spank the stubbornness out of you.” He nudged her once more toward a grinning Keely who was a highly entertained audience as she breastfed Riley. “Go sit, Tessa. Please. You’re swaying on your feet.”

Earl was correct; she was. And, she hated to admit it, but he was also correct in his earlier conjecture that she had altitude sickness on top of the exhaustion from a lack of sleep due to the stress of being cyberstalked.

“Hey, Tessa.” Keely smiled as she cuddled her son, who fed hungrily from a breast. “Earl giving you a hard time?”

“Callie thinks we should date,” Tessa blurted out as she sat across from Keely. “I’m not sure it would work. The man…” she shot a glare at his broad back, “…is bossy. Thinks he has rights over me just because my friend is trying to fix us up.”

Keely laughed and said in a low tone that carried no farther than the breakfast nook. “You like him, huh?”

Tessa grimaced and replied in the same low tone, “Is it that obvious?” The petite blonde nodded, a broad grin on her face. “What gave me away?”

“Well, it could be that whenever he comes into the room, you stop what you’re doing and stare at him hungrily.”

Tessa moaned silently.

Keely continued, “Or, it could be that when he touched and kissed you just now, you leaned into him, instead of slapping him across the face. Or, it could be that you keep seeking him out as we’re sitting here.”

Damn, busted.

“So…” Keely’s grin vanished, “…why won’t it work?” As Tessa opened her mouth to tell the woman all the reasons why it wouldn’t work, Keely waved a hand, stopping her. “Uh unh, don’t lie to me. I’ve known you ever since you went to live with Callie—something’s wrong. Is it about those frick-fracking e-mails you told Callie about?”

“What?” Tessa whispered, icy horror settling in her gut. Callie had ratted her out?

“Yes, she told me. She’s worried about you and knew you wouldn’t have mentioned them unless they really bothered you.” Keely pinned her with a steely gaze. “I know Callie isn’t available, but can I help? Or can the guys help? You’ve got trouble, SSI is here for you.”

Even with the Chicago Police Department and the FBI on the case, it was so tempting to pass the problem to the SSI team. But there was no way she could show the recent e-mails to the SSI men, because Ren would show them to Earl.

Images of hooded men as they forced her to have sex … as they whipped her bloody … as they tortured her … made her less than even a whore. The images that showed her degradation.

Red, white, and yellow dots, then blackness encroached on her vision; she gripped the edge of the table so tightly her knuckles whitened, her fingers cramped in pain.

Breathe, Tessa.

In. Out. In. Out.

No, she couldn’t show people she cared about those texts and e-mails. So, Tessa would have to rely on traditional law enforcement to find her stalker and stop him. Though they hadn’t found him yet, which scared her.

“Keely, I can’t…” She shook her head, her ponytail whipping wildly from side to side.

“Easy now. You’re safe here.” Keely nodded in Earl’s direction as he stirred something on the stove. “Earl would be a good man to have at your back. He’s Special Forces. Ren had a couple of black ops missions with him in the ’Stan and tried to recruit him for SSI.”

Her temporary weakness had been unacceptable. Under control once more, Tessa turned more fully toward Keely, who now burped little Riley over her shoulder. The little burp, when it came, turned Tessa’s insides to mush.

Prior to this visit to Idaho, she’d never thought so much about being a mother, but with Callie happily pregnant, despite the morning sickness, and seeing Keely with her six-month-old son—God, Earl Blackhawk and his pheromones were lethal.

Somehow his scent, his extreme alpha-ness, or whatever, had jump-started her maternal instincts. She now thought breast-feeding and burping were sweet and something she might want to do. She’d never had such feelings before, had no experience with babies.

Before she could halt the words, she said, “Tell me about Earl.” She leaned toward Keely and kept her voice low so the man in question wouldn’t hear. “Callie told me he lives in U.P. Michigan and is the mayor of Osprey’s Point in the Cisco Chain of Lakes. And that he’d been an Army Ranger.”

Keely snorted. “Well, that was the Cliff’s Notes version. Guess Callie knew you didn’t need much more than that to be attracted to the man. The electricity between you two could power the furnace for the Lodge. Hell, even my dense-as-a-brick husband could see it.”

“Keely … talk … before he comes over here. Tell me about him, please?”

A crease appeared on Keely’s forehead. “Hmm, where to start?”

At a low growl from Tessa, Keely grinned. “Okay, here’s what I know, all of it is second-hand. Earl owns most of Osprey’s Point. He’s not only the mayor, but also the Chief of Police, head of the volunteer fire department, and is EMT-trained. He runs the marina, the year-round grocery store slash diner, and has a fabulous cliff-side home, designed by Risto’s famous architect grandfather, overlooking Thousand Islands Lake. And, yes, he was an Army Ranger, but he was in Special Forces. SF are a whole nother animal. Most of what he and men like my husband did was classified.”

The little blonde touched Tessa’s hand and patted it. “But most of all, Earl is a good, decent man, and he really, really likes you … a lot.”

“Well, shit.” Tessa shook her head. “I knew he was out of my league, but this just underlines it.”

Keely snuggled a sleeping Riley against her chest and aimed a narrow-eyed glance at Tessa. “What do you mean he’s out of your league?”

“I can’t tell you. I can’t tell anyone.” She shook her head. “Not even Callie knows the whole story, and Chad and Evan only know a part. I can’t … just can’t.” She had to shut up. She couldn’t tell anyone. Reporting the last bunch of e-mails to the police and the FBI had been hard enough.

Why the fuck not, Tessa Andrews? You’re the wronged one.

Shut up. She fisted her hands on her lap, her nails digging into her palms.

They aren’t going to blame you because you were powerless. Afraid. Alone in a strange land.

Shut up. Shut up. Her stomach roiled as the images forced themselves to the forefront of her brain yet again. Damn it, she was stronger than this. She’d beaten back the memories for years.

Let someone else share the burden. Isn’t that what our therapist says?

Shut up, shut up, shut up.

You can’t continue to keep this inside, or you’ll never get on with your life. You want a baby. Earl would be a great dad.

She shoved away from the table, ready to flee.
Please just shut the hell up!
She screamed mentally, over and over, until the voice in her head went away.

God, was she going crazy?

“What did you do to her, Keely?” Earl’s growled words came from over her shoulder. He set a steaming bowl of steel-cut oatmeal topped with brown sugar and raisins in front of her. He placed a large, warm, and oh-so-comforting hand on her shoulder, holding her in her seat. “Tessa, what’s wrong?”

Before Keely could defend herself—and the little spitfire would—Tessa turned and stared at Earl’s angry face. Time to deflect. “You made me oatmeal from scratch? Ohmygod, are you for real?” She took the spoon stuck in the heavenly smelling concoction and took a bite. “God, this is so good.”

Her words partially erased the glower from Earl’s face. “I always make oatmeal that way. Callie likes it, too. I fed it to her at my diner.”

“You can fricking cook,” she muttered around a bite of oatmeal. “Unbelievable.”

So out of my league.

“Yes, I can cook. I showed you earlier.” He leaned over her shoulder until his bristly cheek rubbed hers. “Now, what did Keely say that upset you so much?”

The man had a mind like a steel trap. He wasn’t easily deflected. She was in so-o-o much trouble.

Tessa wouldn’t turn to glare at him. He was so close her lips would brush his and then she’d be in deep trouble. She bet he tasted as good as he looked and smelled.

“Um, she told me you’re rich and the grand poobah of Osprey’s Point.” She took another bite of oatmeal and followed it with a gulp of the orange juice she hadn’t even seen him place on the table. “I’m sure the women of northern Michigan have worn a path to your door.”

Earl chuckled, his warm breath feathering across her cheek. The intriguing sound was a mixture of amusement and smugness. “Jealous?”

“No. Hell no.” She put her spoon down carefully, leaned away from him, and then turned to look more fully into his glittering dark eyes. His nostrils flared as if he’d taken in her scent. His pupils dilated with what she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was sexual desire.
Damn, damn, damn.
“You can fuck every woman in the Northern Hemisphere for all I care.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Yep, she was lying like a kid in a candy store with gummy breath and a pocket full of purloined candies. God, when had this happened? She was jealous and possessive of a man she’d only known since Saturday morning—less than three days.

Earl snorted and then leaned down to lick the corner of her mouth.

When she gasped and pulled away, he grinned. “Some brown sugar and oatmeal. Tastes good—especially off your lips.”

Keely chuckled softly, her son sleeping soundly against her. “It’s so much fun to watch you two dance around one another.” She stroked her son’s back. “It happened that fast with Ren and me, and from what I heard, with Callie and Risto. Face it, Tessa, you’re attracted … he’s attracted. Might as well give in and enjoy the ride.” She looked down at her son and smiled. “The end results are well worth the bumps along the way.”

“Keely makes a valid point.” At Tessa’s disdainful sniff, Earl chuckled and swept a hand down her ponytail and rubbed her upper back. “Don’t worry about it now. Finish your food. I have the Walsh and Meyers twins signed up for kitchen duty. We can handle stirring soups, skimming stock, and getting the lunch service up and running. You go take a nap until I call you for lunch.”

“Jesus Christ on a crutch! Would you stop telling me what to do?” Tessa took another bite of the oatmeal before she realized she’d done what he told her. She glared at Keely when the woman choked back a laugh. “You aren’t helping, sista. We women need to stick together against the league of bossy men.”

Keely shrugged, her eyes filled with laughter. “I like bossy men. I married one, grew up in a household filled with them. They take good care of me, and I still do what I want. It’s fun to see how far I can push Ren and my brothers.”

Earl choked. “Yeah, I heard some stories from Ren. Having a baby in a cave while being chased by mercenaries is pushing the envelope a bit too far.”

“A cave?” Tessa shot the calmly smiling Keely a look of disbelief and awe.

Keely nodded. “Babies come when they come.” She kissed Riley’s head. “Plus, a doctor was present.”

“O-o-kay.” Tessa shuddered, shoved the suddenly empty bowl to the side, and then looked for something to do that would keep her at the table and in the kitchen. She refused to get up and go to her room, didn’t want to look as if she were following Mr. Bossy Pants’ orders. “May I hold Riley? I haven’t had much of a chance. That is, if it’s okay?”

“Works for me.” Keely patted the bench seat built into the nook. “Come sit here, and I’ll hand him off.”

Earl growled under his breath, “You are so taking a nap sooner or later, Tessa. Even if I have to put you to bed myself.”

“Shut up, Earl.” She shoved her chair back, just missing his legs. Then she went around the table and scooted onto the bench seat. “Will this wake the baby up?”

“No, Riley could sleep through Armageddon.” Keely transferred the baby to Tessa.

God, Riley was a warm, little bundle, smelling uniquely of baby. Tessa cuddled him against her breasts. The ache in her heart and lower abdomen began again. She could almost feel her ripe eggs clamoring for fertile sperm.

But she couldn’t even think of bringing a baby into her world, not with the way her life was now. She had to figure out how to deal with the past which had come back to plague her. She couldn’t allow such evil to touch something so innocent.

Had she ever been this innocent?

Yes, before—them.

But even before the Branhams, her life had not been roses and happy childhood memories. Life in a Shanghai orphanage was far from idyllic, but at least she hadn’t been abused.

Earl hadn’t moved from his spot by the table. His dark gaze was fixed on her and the baby; his lips were curved in a warm, almost loving, smile.

“Go away, Earl.” Tessa rubbed her cheek over Riley’s head and rocked him. “I’ll take a nap later.” She looked at Keely. “Go take some time for yourself. Bet Ren would like some quality Keely time.”

“Thanks, Tessa—you’re sure?” Keely stood, staring down at her, her forehead creased and concern in her eyes.

“Yeah. Just leave the diaper bag. I’m betting the little guy will need a change before long. I watched you change him several times over the weekend. It’s not rocket science. I’ll deal.”

“Thanks!” Keely headed for the hall, which led to the elevators that went to what the SSI men called the Bat Cave.

“You can go skim the chicken stock and stir the soups, Earl.” She smiled sweetly and batted her lashes. “Since you said you would take care of those chores for me.”

Earl chuckled and shook his head. “Sweetheart, you’re asking for it.” He leaned over, and because of his height, his nose practically touched hers across the rectangular farm table. “And I’m just the man to give it to you.” He reached for and then caressed her jaw. “You look good holding the little guy. A natural.”