Savior in the Saddle Read online

  Brandon couldn’t get his mind to slow down. It was racing with the images and sounds of the latest attack. He could still hear the shots slamming through the glass, and the tremble of Willa’s body.

  And see the fear on her face.

  Those were images that would stay with him for a lifetime.

  Once again, she could have easily died, thanks to Martin Shore. And once again, Brandon hadn’t been able to prevent her from being at the center of an attack.

  His body seemed to be trying to keep up with his racing mind. He put himself on autopilot and tied up what loose ends he could at his office, but he was thankful when the neighboring sheriff, Beck Tanner, and his deputies agreed to take over the investigation so that Brandon could get Willa out of there. That couldn’t have happened soon enough. He wanted the baby and her far away from the bullet holes, Martin Shore’s dead body and especially away from the person who was responsible for sending Shore after her.

  The problem was, Brandon still didn’t know who that person was.

  Even though Shore was dead and his body was on the way to the county morgue, they didn’t know who had hired him.

  And might never know.

  He certainly couldn’t eliminate any of their four suspects. Dean, Wes, Cash and Dr. Farris had all been in the area. And, yes, Wes’s man had been the one to shoot and kill Shore, but Wes could have ordered him to do that so he could save his own butt. If Wes thought that Shore was about to be captured and taken into custody, he wouldn’t have wanted to risk having the man spill his guts. No. Wes would have told his man to take Shore out.

  That thought only caused him and his mind to race more, and when Brandon glanced down at the speedometer, he realized he was going a good twenty miles over the speed limit. Not a bright idea, since the sleet was making the roads slick. Worse, Willa had a white-knuckle grip on the armrest.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. And he eased up on the accelerator a bit. Still, he didn’t dawdle.

  “Don’t be. I’m not exactly anxious to be out in the open like this.”

  Yeah. He knew what she meant. They were literally out in the sticks, nearly eight miles from town and the chaos he’d left there, but Brandon knew that chaos had a way of following them. That’s why he had continued to check his rearview mirror throughout the drive.

  “We can’t stay at my house tonight,” he re minded her.

  And soon, very soon, he’d need to ditch the car since it was the one Pete had used to pick them up earlier. Someone could recognize it. Unfortunately, it was the sheriff department’s only vehicle that hadn’t been hit with bullets in the attack.

  “So where will we go?” she asked, checking the side mirror as well.

  Brandon had considered several possibilities—including a drive back into Austin or San Antonio. The problem with that was the icy roads, and it was getting late. The sun was already close to setting, and that would drop the temperatures even farther. He didn’t want to risk getting into an accident.

  Plus, there was no one he truly trusted in either of those places.

  If they went to either city, they would have to check into a hotel, and while he had the cash stashed at home to do that, paying with cash might alert a curious desk clerk who might in turn alert the police. Brandon figured if Wes had heard about the attacks on Willa, then it had likely been on the news. This latest attack and Shore’s death would be reported as well, and the press would be able to come up with photos. Their faces could be plastered on the pages of every newspaper in the state.

  And that brought him back to their temporary sleeping arrangements.

  “There’s a fishing cabin on the back part of my property,” he told her. He turned on the road that led to his house, and he saw the dogs race out to greet them. “There’s no electricity, but I do have a generator. We can stay there tonight and then figure out tomorrow where we should go.”

  “Or you could just drop me off somewhere and put some distance between us.” She said it so softly that it took a moment to sink in.

  “You think I’d leave you?” He hadn’t intended to sound so angry, but damn it, that riled him.

  “I think it would be smart for you to do that. Right now, the person who hired Shore is looking for us. As in the two of us. If we split up, he or she will be looking only for me.” She shook her head. “And we both know it’s me they’re really after.”

  Brandon brought the car to a stop, not in front of his house, but he parked inside the garage, and he used the remote control to shut the door. While it ground to a close, he turned in the seat to face her. “Let’s get something straight. I’m not leaving you.” Well, not until he was positive she was safe.

  The look in her eyes told him that she understood that last unspoken part.

  He cursed and reached for the car door. “Come in with me to get some things.”

  Because he sure didn’t want her waiting in the car alone. It had been chilly before, but it was bitterly cold now, and that along with the possible danger caused them to rush inside. He locked the door and set the security system even though he only planned to be there for a half hour or so.

  “Don’t turn on the lights, but if you want to wash up, you’d better do it here,” Brandon let her know. He tried to take the anger out of his voice but failed. Hell. She had actually thought she could talk him into dumping her so he could save himself. “There won’t be any hot water at the cabin.”

  No hot water. No heat other than the fireplace. No bed, just a single army-style cot. And no comforts of home. It wouldn’t be an ideal place to spend what was left of Christmas Eve.

  He grabbed his old duffel bag and headed to the linen closet so he could grab some bedding. The place wasn’t exactly pitch dark, yet, but he had a little trouble locating the thermal blankets. When he finally got them, he shoved them into the bag and then started for the kitchen.

  Willa stepped out in front of him.

  “You’re mad at me,” she said, “but you have to admit I’m sort of like Typhoid Mary right now. There really is no reason for both of us to be in danger.”

  Oh, yes, there was. Brandon put his hand on her stomach to remind her. He’d intended for it to be a quick touch, but he held it there.

  There was just enough light left that he could see her face. Willa stood there looking at him, and her right eyebrow lifted as if questioning him as to what he was about to do.

  Brandon had no idea.

  He just knew that touching Willa wasn’t a good idea. Still, even with the danger and his anger, he didn’t stop and didn’t pull back. They both seemed to be waiting to see what would happen next.

  And what happened next was that he snapped his arm around her, pulled her to him and kissed her. He wasn’t gentle. He didn’t give her a chance to change her mind and pull away. Brandon just took what was right there in front of him.

  Maybe he meant this as some kind of reassurance that he would be there for her. But Brandon cursed himself. This didn’t have anything to do with reassurances. He’d been burning to kiss Willa since their last kissing session had ended. He wanted her, and there was no logical explanation for it other than she got him hot.

  She curved her hand around the back of his neck and moved as close as she could get. Because of the pregnancy, they weren’t exactly body to body, but they were plenty close enough for Brandon to deepen the kiss. He didn’t taste the fear or the adrenaline from the attack.

  He only tasted Willa.

  Man.

  That taste went straight through him.

  Brandon realized he was trying to get even closer to her when Willa’s back hit the wall. That stopped him a moment because he wanted to make sure he wasn’t being too rough with her. But Willa merely latched on to a handful of his shirt and pulled him right back to her.

  The kiss got even hotter.

  They couldn’t keep this up. Soon, very soon, their bodies would demand more. They would demand sex. And Brandon knew he had to try to keep a clear head. Plus, hav
ing sex with Willa wouldn’t be fair since they would no doubt be going their separate ways.

  Or would they?

  Maybe the scalding kisses were melting his brain because Brandon realized they couldn’t entirely go their separate ways.

  Hell.

  When had that happened?

  When had he decided that he would want to see this baby after she was born?

  He pulled back again, blinked. And he tried to gather the strength to stop this so he could think. But he saw Willa again. Her mouth was slightly swollen from the hard kisses, and her breath was fast and thin. But that wasn’t a “let’s stop” look in her eyes.

  No way.

  Those heavy-lidded eyes were sending out an invitation that his body had no trouble understanding. She wanted to have sex with him and she wanted it now.

  Brandon wanted that, too, and there was no amount of willpower that would stop him from taking her mouth again. Willa made a sound of relief. Maybe even victory. And she melted into the kiss.

  Her arms went around him, and she fought to get closer. Hard to do but not impossible. Brandon slid his hand between them and shoved up her sweater so he could touch her breasts. She was perfect. Full and round. He’d always been a sucker for a curvy woman, and the pregnancy had obviously left Willa’s breasts ripe for the touching.

  So, that’s what Brandon did.

  He shoved down the cups of her bra and circled her nipples with his fingers. Willa obviously approved because she made more of those sounds of pleasure and relief.

  Brandon felt no relief. Every touch was like fire to his blood, and he felt that fire course through him. He was already hard and ready for her, but that need sky-rocketed when he lowered his head and took her right nipple into his mouth.

  “Yes,” she mumbled.

  That yes slammed through him as much as the kisses had done. Maybe more. His body began to demand that he do something about the powder keg that was building inside him.

  His mouth went back to hers for a hard, punishing kiss, and he shoved his hand into the waist of her pants and into her panties.

  He found her, hot and wet, and he groaned because that wouldn’t help any shred of resolve he had left. No. It told him what he already knew.

  That he was going to have her.

  Here and now.

  It didn’t have to make sense. It didn’t even have to be right. But it would happen.

  Brandon scooped Willa up into his arms and headed for the bedroom.

  WILLA WAS AWARE THAT she was moving, but she didn’t care where Brandon was taking her. She only cared about one thing—finally making love with Brandon.

  She’d been burning for him since the moment she laid eyes on him. Lust at first sight. But it seemed to be a lot more than just lust. She’d never felt this intensity. Never wanted a man more than her next breath.

  However, Brandon seemed to have set a new benchmark.

  Even though he hurried to the bedroom, he was gentle when he lay her on the bed. The old-fashioned feather mattress swelled around her, cocooning her in its softness. Brandon followed on top of her, using his forearms to keep his weight from bearing down on her belly. He wasn’t soft. He was all sinew and muscle.

  All man.

  He continued to kiss her, and he set fires wherever his mouth touched her. On her neck. On the tops of her breasts. He kissed her through the fabric of her top. At first. But she wanted his lips and breath on her skin so Willa fought to shove up her top and open her bra.

  Brandon took her exactly the way she wanted to be taken.

  This foreplay was sweet torture, but the kisses only made her want more.

  Since it would almost certainly take some maneuvering for them to have more, Willa turned, shifting their positions so that she was on top. Her sweater had to go so she peeled off both it and her bra and tossed them aside.

  In the back of her mind, she considered that she probably didn’t look very sexy, but that didn’t seem to bother Brandon. He pushed down her stretchy pants, exposing her belly and giving him access to her panties.

  He touched her again. Watched her. And while Willa straddled him, she watched him, too. Brandon was lost in the fire, his eyes hot with need. And that need only fueled hers. He had on too many clothes for sex, and she wanted him naked.

  His coat came off easily, but she struggled with his holster and gun. Brandon stopped his own attempts to get her out of her pants so he could help. His hands and fingers that had been so clever touching her now seemed rushed and awkward. Willa felt awkward and cursed when she couldn’t get his jeans unzipped.

  Brandon placed his hand over hers, sliding down the zipper so that Willa could touch him the way he had touched her. Even though the lights were off, she could still see his face. She could see what her touch did to him, and even though she hadn’t thought it possible, she burned even hotter for him.

  He was clearly ready for sex so Willa saw no reason to wait. She couldn’t wait. Her mind and body were racing, pushing her toward the relief that suddenly felt as necessary as life itself.

  His hands were rushed again. So was his breath. His breath gusted, his chest pumping as if starved for air. Brandon got her pants and panties off, and he didn’t waste even a second of time.

  Neither did Willa.

  Since she was still straddling him, she was in the perfect position to move this to the next level. She lowered herself, taking him into her body. Inch by inch. Until she had him fully inside her.

  The pleasure blurred her vision and sent her heart racing.

  Over the past two days, her heart had been doing a lot of racing, but for the first time, it was due to pleasure and not fear. And there was no doubt about it—this was pleasure in its purest form.

  She moved. Brandon did, too. He caught her hips to set the rhythm of the strokes inside her. It was too fast. Too frantic. Too intense to last. But Willa wasn’t interested in prolonging this. Not this time, anyway. Maybe some other time they could have a long leisurely afternoon of lovemaking. But this time, she needed him too much to want anything but completion.

  Brandon didn’t try to slow things, either. He continued to take them both to the only place they wanted to go.

  Willa locked gazes with him as their bodies found the perfect rhythm and pace to create exactly what they needed. He moved faster. Harder. The grip he had on her hips tightened and everything honed in on that one moment. That one prize that was just seconds within their reach.

  “Do something about this,” she heard herself mumble.

  Brandon did something about it all right. He lifted his hips, pulling her down onto him for one last hard penetrating stroke.

  And that was it.

  That was all it took.

  It was exactly what she needed to go spinning over the edge. Her body closed around him, as he pulled her to him. Close and tight in his arms.

  With her heartbeat echoing in her ears and her breath filling the room, she still heard him. She heard what he said at the moment of his surrender.

  Brandon whispered her name.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Even though Brandon’s body wanted to stay put with Willa in his arms, the sane and logical part of his brain kicked in. Thank goodness. Because it just wasn’t a smart idea for them to linger there and enjoy the moment.

  And what a moment.

  Later, and probably a lot sooner than he wanted, he would regret this. The timing was all wrong.

  Hell.

  The sex itself was wrong, too.

  He shouldn’t have taken Willa as if he had a right to do that. He had no rights. He’d given her no hope of a future, only the pity story of his biological father.

  All of that seemed, well, pointless right now. But that was probably because he’d just had the best sex of his life. His body wanted to have her all over again. His body wanted him to stay inside her and stare up at her beautiful face.

  But thankfully, his brain reminded him of the danger.

  Brandon ea
sed her off him, and Willa slumped onto the mattress. She was obviously trying to catch her breath, and he wondered if this had been too much for her. He didn’t know anything about having sex with a pregnant woman.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She smiled, maybe to soothe the alarm on his face and in his voice, and she slid her hand around the back of his neck to pull him to her for a kiss. It wasn’t a peck. It was the kiss from a woman who was definitely interested in round two. Because that couldn’t happen—well, not right now anyway—Brandon ended the mouth-to-mouth contact and got up from the bed so he could dress.

  “We have to leave,” he reminded her.

  Willa groaned, and that sound went right through him. Resisting Willa was next to impossible. Still, he resisted. And Brandon put on his shorts and jeans before his body talked him into getting back in that bed with her.

  She got up, too, and the smile didn’t leave her face while she dressed. Well, it didn’t until she caught him staring at her belly.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, quickly pulling on her pants. “Sometimes, I forget just how big I am.”

  “You’re not big, you’re pregnant. You’re supposed to be this size.”

  And because he thought they both could use it, he slid his hand over her stomach, over the baby, and he kissed her. Like Willa’s kiss, it wasn’t a peck, either. It turned hot way too fast, but Brandon ended it before it became the start of more mind-blowing foreplay.

  “After what just happened, you must know I’m attracted to you,” he said against her mouth.

  “Even with the pregnant belly?” she questioned.

  Especially with the pregnant belly. But since that made him sound like some kind of pervert, Brandon just settled for a nod.

  “I need to pack us some food,” he hurriedly added. Keep your mind on the task and get your hands off Willa. “When we leave tomorrow, there might not be any stores or restaurants open.”

  He put his holster and jacket back on and headed to the kitchen. Willa could probably use a few minutes alone anyway. To freshen up.

  To deal with her regrets.

  Brandon was sure she would have them eventually. After all, he might be her baby’s father, but he had more baggage than she needed.